Twenty Guys You Date in Your Twenties

by Gabi Conti

A bitingly funny field guide to modern love from the woman who's dated them all.

Through highly relatable anecdotes from a decade of dating, 20 Guys You Date in Your 20s dives into the joys, frustrations, and hilarity of swiping right on relationships.

After a world-shattering breakup in her early twenties, comedian Gabi Conti logged thousands of hours on dating apps, conducting research and gathering intel on our behalf. Real and relatable, this dating guide is laugh-out-loud funny without being prescriptive or cynical.

• Each chapter focuses on a different type of guy and offers advice on how to deal, from The Guy Who's Great on Paper to The Guy Who Texts "sup" at 2 a.m.
• Includes charts, quizzes, "Boy Bingo," and a removable, foldout poster
• Captures the frustrations, heartache, and hilarity of Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, and all other online dating apps

For the modern, app-using woman, this hilarious dating guide profiles 20 stereotypical men, from their physical appearance and dating style to red flags, tips, and success stories.

Filled with charts and quizzes, hysterical anecdotes, and helpful insight from therapists and dating coaches, these pages offer advice and humor in equal measure.

• Perfect as a funny breakup gift for women or a gift for single friends
• Offers sincere advice to cope with dating app horror stories
• Great for fans of How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson, Bye Felipe: Disses, Dick Pics, and Other Delights of Modern Dating by Alexandra Tweten and HEY, U UP? (For a Serious Relationship) by Emily Axford and Brian Murphy

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Romance, Humor, Audiobook, Relationships

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2020

About the author

Gabi Conti is an author, dating expert, host, writer, and comedian. Her book 20 Guys You Date In Your 20s, comes out on May 26th, but can pre-order it now. Gabi gained national attention with her article and video for Cosmopolitan I Went on 30 Dates In 3 Days. The video got picked up by Daily Mail, and then she appeared on Access Hollywood, Inside Edition, Doctors, 97.1 AMP Radio, and Daily Mail TV.

Gabi is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan. She currently hosts a daily entertainment news talk show called Hot On Hollywire on Youtube, Vizio, and SamsungTV. Gabi has also hosted Street Smarts for BrotherHQ's and wrote and hosted 423 episodes of The Elite Daily Show for Verizon's go90. Gabi performs stand-up and storytelling all over Los Angeles. She covered the Tribeca Film Festival for Nespresso with NYMag, has done an industrial for DAQRI, commercials for Credit Karma, Oats Overnight. Gabi has also appeared on Bravo's Vanderpump Rules, VH1's Candidly Nicole and VH1's The Walk of Shame Shuttle. She has contributed to Hello Giggles, Elite Daily, Brit+Co, and Popsugar. Gabi has worked for Comedy Central's @Midnight, The Jeselnik Offensive, The Burn and Important Things With Demetri Martin, before pivoting to the digital space after the success of her sketch group Half Day Today! Gabi's pilot This One Time @ Camp was a finalist in Just For Laughs Stand-up and Pitch Contest, which led to her selling her web series There's No Place Like Home to Elite Daily. Gabi's other pilot Ex-Communication was a finalist in NYTVF.

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

How fun is this title and cute cover? This is a slim, witty book filled with humor and relatability. It’s all about dating, a decade of it.

First, I have to mention the format of the book. The pages are in color with images and fun fonts. There are quizzes and all kinds of funny tidbits and anecdotes.

Gabi Conti is a comedian who, like many of us, experienced a shattering break-up early in her twenties. After that, she used dating apps and conducted research on her dating life, which evolved into this book.

It’s very tongue-in-cheek and funny, a book to share with your girlfriends. While there are many things from my twenties I’d like to revisit, my dating life is not one of them, so this was a safe and fun way to do that without the stress! 😂

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are dating, want to date or even dated at all, you must read this book! It’s a heck of a read and a riot! So much fun I a loved it.

This book was amazing - I mean Conti is a dating expert who spent over ten thousand hours worth of dates and could dish out an advice for any dating woe. With wit, humor and sound advice, she tackled the top 20 types of guys with an in-depth analysis that is easy to read - full of charts, algorithms, quizzes, bingos, and an expert opinion column. This was so fun to read.

This would make for a great gift to single friends, anyone in the dating scene, or for someone who just started dating and need some advice.

Heck I am not in my twenties, and not dating,and still found this a highly entertaining read. Really enjoyed this!

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book that I just had to buy when I got the ARC on Netgalley and couldn't read it (just a couple of pages. THis because the book was a PDF and I just cannot read long on my PC/kindle/etc. SO I decided to pre-order it and then decided it was to be brought along on my vacation.
This book is all about guys girls can meet when they date in their twenties. All experiences the author had herself and it goes from guys who ghost you to one night stands and finding the one. I loved reading those stories, they are always the ones I love when reading a magazine like Fashionchick or other magazines for women. I was definitely happy that she also contacted her exes (well, with the exception of that violent and abusing one) and let them have a short bit of text and approve the story. Then there are experts and couples talking about their experiences. And the book also contains flowcharts, fun illustrations/photographs, and bingo cards. I had so much fun reading this one and I just flew through it.
One thing that I found odd was that she didn't seem to know her current lover's birthday... but then later specifies that she made him a card for what she thought was his 36th birthday (he turns out to be 45). So she did know his birthday? *is confused*

Longer review to come after my vacation.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be some fun, tongue-in-cheek little handbook but it turned out to be surprisingly good and so much more; humourous yet insightful. The author spoke of her own personal experiences that were very relatable and I liked how each guy type had their own look/sound/feel/smell/taste etc. Very on point!

There were also fun graphics such as 'boy bingo' for all 20 types of guys, simple quizzes, advice from the 'experts'. But best of all was how the author contacted to each guy (all except for 'Toxic' for understandable reasons) and got them to respond. Some were curt, some were apologetic, so it was all quite an eye-opener. I think some were good closure for the author as well.

The only thing I didn't enjoy was the reading experience. I got a digital copy but understandably due to the graphics, layout and splashes of colours, I could only view the file on Adobe Digital Editions on my desktop instead of Kindle of PDF. So scrolling down each page was very laggy and tedious on the programme.

Nevertheless, this is a great book and would be awesome in print! I think every girl would have dated some of these guys at some point in our lives. And one person can be multiple types, there's no clear-cut definition, which is one of my favourite things about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ankita Goswami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. The stories were funny and short. I liked the format of the book as well, with the quizzes, lists, expert advice and the 'taste/look/sound/smell/feel' categorization. Made for a fun reading experience.

However, for someone like me who is in her mid-20s and haven't dated much (actually at all in her 20s) , this book was more cautionary than relatable. It warned me of the different types of men I am likely to encounter and how I could avoid or understand them. I am also glad that she addressed abusive relationships and gaslighting in this seemingly "light" book.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what made me request an advanced copy of Twenty Guys You Date in Your Twenties. Maybe it was the fun cover, or a hope for humor or even some insight into contemporary dating. Whatever the reason, I didn't finish it before my temporary digital advanced copy expired, so I had to wait for it to come out in print. and honestly? Much like Gabi felt about most of the guys she discusses in this story, I was underwhelmed.

Since I'm not sure what I was looking for in this book, I can't say it didn't meet my expectations. Gabi seems to be brutally honest--more than one story left me disliking her and her choices as much as or more than the guy she was discussing. Maybe I'm not crazy about the way she tried to force specific types of guys that EVERYONE dates out of her own personal experiences, even when they don't always seem like a real type, or when they seem very similar to other "types" she's already discussed. Maybe I just didn't like Gabi as she presented herself, outraged because a date wouldn't take her to a real sit down brunch, deciding a guy wasn't worth a second date because she saw framed Nickelback tickets on the wall and didn't ask any further questions (turns out he was a music critic, which she would have known, if she had asked at the time), etc. Some of her standards seemed really shallow. Much like this book.

This book also reeks of privilege. So much privilege. Which is not to say Gabi hasn't had struggles or setbacks or heartaches. She performs standup! Her parents sold her childhood home! She seems to drink a lot! She's been in an abusive relationship. But the way she writes reflects a lot, seemingly unintentionally, of the bubble of white cishet economically stable privilege she inhabits. As described, she only dates pretty white boys. There's no racial diversity, much less disability or diverse gender or sexuality. If this is read solely as a memoir about her own dating experiences, it's unappealing to me, but less problematic than when she tries to extrapolate these experiences into a more universal truth. This might be more accurately titled "Twenty Cishet White Guys I Dated in My Twenties."

I don't like being mean about this book, because I think Gabi tries to be honest and vulnerable about her experiences and her emotions. I appreciated that in almost all cases, she solicited a response to/ perspective on the chapter from the guy she was discussing, and also includes advice from a couple who has experienced the dynamic she's writing about, and a professional with relevant advice (be it matchmaker, psychologist, or professional bridesmaid). But I think this book can't make up its mind what it is, and tries too hard to be more than what is is, or even what it can be. I'm also not sure someone with a string of failed, often short-lived relationships is really a great person to be dishing out information and advice on successful dating anyway, no matter how many experts she consults.

So, overall, not a painful read, but not a memorable one either. If you want to read about a basic white woman and her string of failed relationships, sandwiched between drinking herself stupid and having brunch with friends, all while trying to be a stand up comedian in various large cities around the USA, told in a mildly humorous fashion, with some silly quizzes and bingos thrown in, women's magazine-style, you may enjoy this book. Don't pick this up for sage advice or even enlightening insight on contemporary (white cishet) dating, because there are more thoughtful and credible books on the topic. Could be a fun gag gift for a young woman in the same cultural subset as Gabi. I'll be donating my copy to the library in hopes someone else enjoys it more than I did.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Chronicle Books for sharing a temporary digital #advancedcopy of #TwentyGuysYouDateInYourTwenties . This is my honest opinion.

[antonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is probably more fun when you're actually dating.

my moms friend gave this to me 'cause i'm the only person in her twenties she knew so i wouldn't have gotten this on my own but still this was very underwhelming. i can deal with *some* cliches but this was just overdoing it. the only thing i found really cool was the parts where her ex boyfriends told their side of the story.

[Zoe L.]

Ok, can I start off by just pointing out how cute this book is? It’s seriously one of the cutest books ever! And it’s really unique, it’s a paperback but also formatted like a hardcover (flaps and everything!). And the subject is just so perfect. Plus the book is formatted in a such a fun way! It’s not just a reading experience, but you also get to interact with the stories and even take quizzes as you read!

As a twenty something year old this book was the perfect read! The book had a lot of things that I could easily relate to, given my poor choice in previous relationships, as well as many things that made me want to take note of. I also really just loved how this book was set up. I always get really excited when I can interact in some way with a book. I don’t know, it just makes me happy and it’s just so fun!

The only thing I would like to point out (and I’ve seen some other reviewers mention this) is that I’m not sure how this book would work as an ebook. This is definitely one you’d want on your shelf and I think it just works better as a physical book. The quizzes and graphics and all of the fun things are something that you’ll want to not only see in color but to hold on to!

You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!

Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/

[Cassie’s Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun quick read! It’s not a handbook it’s so much more it was funny but thoughtful, and I loved how the author talked about her own experiences and some I could even relate to at times. Each guy is different and the author included lists, quizzes and advice she learned along her journey. The author Gabi gives examples like The Toxic Guy we’ve all been there, to the guy Whose Just Not Into You, she dives into why it didn’t work out and how they met. I loved the reflection on now, how she looks back and she sees red flags she hadn’t been able to see at the time she was in the relationship. Don’t go into this book looking for a self help it’s more of a navigation through relationships, I read this book feeling like I was having a drink with a girlfriend and connection over bad/ failed relationships. When I read this book I felt like I wasn’t alone with some of the experiences we’ve all been through in our twenty’s! Four stars!

[Emilee Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute and funny book! The “boy bingo” sections were my favorite — so accurate.

[Anna Delahunt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a buzzfeed article

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

number 3 right now

(this is my official hard launch of him)

[Gabbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a silly, fun, quick ready!!
I found this gem at a used book sale for $2 and enjoyed it thoroughly.
I loved how there are different chapters on all different types of guys and each section has a quiz or “Boy Bingo”
Such a funny read with good advice as well
I want all my besties to read it

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and entertaining read, but not really any profound wisdom about dating in here. If this book was a food, it would be a plain sugar cookie. Sweet but basic.

[Allison Faught · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. Although I’ve been married for 5 years and have a 1 year old daughter and a second on the way, I was interested in reading this book for nostalgia’s sake. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve dated a lot of jerks in my day, however, I felt like each of these stories portrayed the male as always being the antagonist in each of her love stories. I understand people have a hard time admitting fault when they’re wrong, but I got the vibe that it was all their fault and not hers. It seemed surreal to me that she pointed out the flaws in each of the guys yet their response back to her was continually ‘I’m an asshole.’ I feel like at some point someone must have gotten defensive and called her out. I suppose I also went into this book with the anticipation that it would be more funny. A couple parts got a chuckle out of me, but I wouldn’t call the book comedic by any means. I’m a strong believer in ‘you broke up for a reason’ so I didn’t like that fact that she gave quizzes to see if you should reconnect and make it work.
I did appreciate the quizzes in the fact that they reminded me of my J-14 and Teen Vogue magazines I used to buy in my preteen ages.
Lastly,the chapter that spoke to me the most was the ‘Toxic Boyfriend’ chapter. For years I have been telling myself that I was just in a relationship with a self-absorbed asshole. This chapter was so raw and honest about what abuse is and that it comes in many different forms. I’m saddened that Gabi went through that experience and happy that she’s found peace with that particular past.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh – this can be summed up by the raging sexist stereotype offered by "Victoria" who only dates younger guys. Don't get me wrong, the book itself isn't too bad when it comes to stereotypes, but the fact she gets a shoe-in when so seemingly biased against all the people she's ever shagged kind of shows how low quality these pages are. The core of the book is personal reportage from the author, whoever she is, trying to categorise all the guys she bedded in her 20s. These are followed by waste-of-space bingo sheets to cross-refer to if you think you're with one of those guy types, Venn diagrams, flow charts, decision-making quizzes, and so on and so light. Each guy's chapter concludes with the voice of an expert (and thankfully "Victoria" is by far the worst), and even feedback about the chapter from the real guy concerned, which might have been novel had I not seen a stage show doing pretty much that recently. Very disposable, and perhaps a hundred per cent false – one story, concerning the older guy, says both she had a mild panic when she thought she didn't know his birthday, and the next paragraph that she'd previously made and delivered a birthday card to him. I seriously doubt it could be both, love.

[Kayleigh 2babesandabookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you SO MUCH Gabby and SuzyApprovedBookTours for my chance to read this super original and very fun novel.

WHERE MY GIRLS AT!? Oh my goodness ... this book is life. I swear to GOD I could have written some of the chapters myself. This was like walking down memory lane (except some of these men made an appearance in my late teens vs. 20's, since I've been with my husband since 23!). I laughed out loud so many times and thought ... how could she has possibly known the same type of men I did?! I suggest you grab your favorite beverage and all your best girlfriends and have a socially distanced GNO and read through this ASAP.

A really fun and refreshing aspect of this book was how it was written. It's filled with fun charts and quizzes (I feel like I am a teenager again ... looking at teen magazine and hoping that I can find out who my one true love is by taking a quiz LOL!) and real-life quotes from some of Gabby's close friends or her personal experience. There is also a lot of thoughtful advice from therapists and other couples who've been successfully partnered for years since they experienced some bad dates.

While this is meant to be light-hearted and hysterical, I thought it was extremely well written and a lot of thought and heart was poured into creating this novel. We can all appreciate a handbook that helps us choose right from wrong and help us avoid some of the terrible dating experiences others have faced.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabi Conti has logged more than ten thousand hours of dates and brought her expertise together in this fun, informative book that you’re going to want to read no matter where you’re at in your dating journey.

I found this book really entertaining and insightful. I loved the setup that reminded me more of a magazine with its charts, quizzes and BINGO boards. I particularly enjoyed the “Ask Someone Else” sections.

My favorite part by far was the “Now What” section. I enjoyed Conti’s sense of humor and really appreciated her honesty and insight. I highly recommend picking this one up, whether for advice or just for fun.

I received a copy in exchange for my review.

[Charlotte Dodd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a humorous take on dating in your 20s. Some of the guys descriptions I was like yes absolutely have had one of these, but I think it might be a cultural thing where I didn't really relate at all to the actual stories about them. Quite a lot of American references I didn't overly relate to and sometimes just didn't understand. I found the little sensory descriptions really funny though and I liked how she included the quotes from the guys and from other people.
The quizzes were a good addition to the book, but I do feel like they only really work if you are currently dating that person rather than looking at a past relationship.

[liz ⁀➷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really fun and cute. Loved the typography and aesthetic of the book. I have defo dated a lot of the guys described and was a real laugh to read about her experiences. The added quizzes and actual responses from her ex’s was a great touch too.

[Karen Biegert · Rating 4 out of 5]

So entertaining I read it in a day. I love the quizzes, graphics, expert weigh-ins, and how the author was able to get some of the ex-boyfriends to give their take on the situation. The only thing this book could use was a little input from Greg Behrendt, but, hey, he's got his own books.

[Ria 🐄💐💕☕️🪴📚🎬🎥 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some are funnier and more relatable than others. Overall, I can’t decide if the author is toxic, has really bad luck, or genuinely just picks shitty guys she has no compatibility with. No shame in the game tho.

[Emily Studnicka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilarious, super-relatable take on all the different types of guys you end up dating in your twenties. Each chapter is packed with funny, cringe-worthy stories that’ll have you nodding along and maybe even cringing a little. It’s a quick, fun read, perfect for anyone dating in their twenties or looking back and laughing at past dating drama.

[Sierra Wehrenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

silly fun! good for a beach read or a car ride, feeds into my delusions!

[Emma Fritsch]

I saw something say fans of Brooke and Connor make a podcast like this book. That was an interesting thing to recommend!

[Mason Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this on my drive home from Christmas, kinda funny but nothing revolutionary

[Robyn Worrall · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this! super fast to listen to, funny and relatable - extra points for taylor swift references!!🤣🫶🏼

[Charlotte Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

there's nothing quite like a dating memoir to put life in perspective

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

lol this was fine, nothing exceptional

helpful to have dating culture / unsuccessful relationships normalized

[Kelsey Mearman · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, silly lil book