“It’s easy to enjoy each other while on a vacation in Maui. The key is to find someone you can have fun with during the six-hour flight over there”
Believe us when we say we know how frustrating the dating game can be. The apathy of dating apps, the awkwardness that comes from a first date that doesn’t quite click, and that gut-wrenching sensation of not having attention or feelings reciprocated – all classic realities involved with dating that puts so many people off. Fret not though! We here at What We Reading have scoured around some of the most must-read dating books for women to sink their teeth into.
Calling In The One – Katherine Woodward Thomas
We’ll be honest: some dating books for women can feel like they’re attempting to chuck Feminism back a few decades, however, that is thankfully far from the case with Katherine Woodward Thomas’ Calling In The One.
Filled with so many helpful exercises, this 7-week guide is for those readers who have experienced the loneliness that comes from missed connections, and who are desperate to find love on a deeper level. Tapping into groundbreaking psychology and the laws of attraction, Woodward Thomas is at her sparkling best here.
Never Chase Men Again – Bruce Bryans
It’s fair to say Bruce Bryans is something of a ‘marmite-type’ of a writer. You either love him for his male-focused insights into dating or hate his bold claims that do tend to drift into the typical ‘chauvinistic bad-boy’ territory.
Nevertheless, countless readers have taken inspiration from and had good dating success on the back of his works. In Never Chase Men Again, Bryans explores how a woman’s self-respect and ‘player-proof’ dating rules can ensure dates with men end with them being smitten, rather than content with just wasting time.
The Grown Woman’s Guide To Online Dating: Lessons Learned While Swiping Right, Snapping Selfies And Analyzing Emojis – Margot Starbuck
If you’ve ever found yourself feeling overwhelmed or at a loss when it comes to the murky world of online dating, Margot Starbuck’s The Grown Woman’s Guide to Online Dating is the dating book for you! Filled with practical advice, it is the number one resource for readers looking to understand how dating sites and apps work, what to expect, when to join and when to quit, and is complete with proven tips on how to make the most of them.
This 2020 dating book for women is designed to take the anxiety and guesswork out of online dating and is delivered with the sort of sharp wit and uplifting encouragement that any reader will benefit from. By imparting the lessons she learned after finding herself on dating apps four years after a divorce, there are few voices better qualified to lead readers to embrace their true value and find the right match than Starbuck.
How Not To Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love – Logan Ury
Labelled a ‘must-read’ by The Washington Post, How Not To Die Alone is a 2021 self-help relationship book by Logan Ury. Perfect for anyone who has ever wondered how relationships always seem to elude them, the book explains the science behind lasting connections, exposing how our brains make the right and wrong decisions when it comes to choosing the right person to date, when to end it with the wrong one and when it’s time to commit.
Drawing on years of research Ury, a leading behavioural scientist, is the perfect guide for unveiling the forces at play that can cause mistakes when dating, and how to go about incorporating the changes to our behaviours that will lead to better outcomes. From how ‘the spark’ isn’t real, what matters in a long-term partner, to how to make dates fun again, this dating book is grounded in logic and driven by data.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man – Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey has established himself as one of America’s most charismatic lifestyle coaches, offering insights and guides for both men and women looking for love. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is his New York Times bestselling novel exploring how men think, and act and why understanding these two things is vital for women in relationships.
Unapologetically honest and delivered with the trademark quips and bits of humour only Harvey could produce, it might a little bit on the simple side, however, there’s no denying the splash the book has made in the dating world.
Attached – Amir Levine And Rachel S.F. Heller
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love is a groundbreaking look at contemporary attachment theory from neuroscientist Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel S. F. Heller.
The pair use modern relationship science to explain how different forms of attachment can envelope certain partners, giving them the best chance to understand and work around this. Attachment theory has been used for parent/child relationships for years, however, Attached marks one of the first cases of it being used as a guide for the wonderful world of dating.
Make Your Move – Jon Birger
Are you tired of swiping left and right on dating apps, feeling like finding a decent partner is just a matter of chance? Look no further than Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge by Jon Birger. This eye-opening book highlights how society has completely transformed the dating landscape, putting women firmly in the driver’s seat.
Birger shows how women can expect more from potential partners and even how they can take charge of their romantic lives. By delving into the modern dating scene, Birger empowers badass females to find that special someone who truly deserves their time and affection.
He’s Just Not That Into You – Greg Behrendt And Liz Tuccillo
Ever been ghosted, blanked, or just not been given the attention you deserve? It’s that experience Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo tap into with their must-read dating book for women: He’s Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys.
Delivered with charm and so many relevant tidbits for anyone who has ever been made to feel insecure, the book is a masterpiece in explaining how smart women can be stuck into dead-end relationships, and why they’re worth so much more than that.
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Why Men Marry Bitches – Sherry Argov
Sherry Argov is well-renowned for her no-nonsense approach to deciphering the dating world, with Why Men Marry Bitches still remaining her most infamous work to date.
Taking that ‘big sister’ approach, Argov attempts to explain to readers why so many men typically find confident and stronger women more appealing, and how they can often manipulate more timid partners in their relationship. Witty but powerful, it is one of the best dating books for women who want to reignite their feelings of self-worth.
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus – John Gray
One of the most classic dating books for women, John Gray’s Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus takes its inspiration from the fabled ancient love shared between Roman Gods Mars and Venus. In the book, Gray explores how the ideal relationship is one where both partners understand and embrace each other’s differences.
A used therapy tool that has helped thousands of couples reignite their relationship through understanding and communicating their needs in such a way that conflict is avoided and intimacy is allowed to flourish!
Not Your Mother’s Rules – Ellen Fein And Sherrie Schneider
One of the most defining titles in the genre, when The Rules was published in 1995 the world looked very different and its core principle of being mysterious was a lot easier to pull off than it is now.
In the digital world of instant messaging and locations being readily available, casual hookups are commonplace, authors Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider attempt to help women continue to enchant from a distance with Not Your Mother’s Rules: The New Secrets for Dating. A collaboration with their daughters, Fein and Schneider certainly bring their own ideas to the party with this dating book for women of all ages.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
