Why I Love Singlehood by Elisa Lorello & Sarah Girrell

Do I still want couplehood? I honestly don't know. Depends on what day you ask. But what I do know is love doesn't understand numbers or logic. Doesn't know race or culture, gender or age. Love just is. And it's as simple as that. 

Relationships, however, are an entirely different matter. 

All you need is love, sang the Beatles, but they never said what kind. Give me companionship and camaraderie, but keep your bathroom to yourself. 

-from Why I Love Singlehood
by Elisa Lorello and Sarah Girrell

{buy here}

It's no secret that I really enjoyed Elisa Lorello's Faking It; it was an easy read with a message deeper than anticipated. Lorello's joint venture with Sarah Girrell is equally enjoyable with a cast of characters you'll grow to really love and a message important for readers with any relationship status, not just singles. 

Why I Love Singlehood is the story of Eva Perino, an ex-writing professor who quit her job in academia to open The Grounds, a coffee shop near campus. After her ex-boyfriend tells her he's just gotten engaged, Eva embarks on a mission to prove to the world that she is happy to be single. She starts a blog with the same title as the novel, in which she reflects on her adventures as a single woman; these include her experiences online dating, speed dating, and even breaking her rule of dating a customer. Why I Love Singlehood doesn't just superficially explore romantic love through the lens of a borderline-jaded single woman; this book also examines love of friends, love of family, love between parent and child, love between husband and wife, love between sisters, even the love of baking. Most importantly it focuses on love of self and how that love affects everything else. 

The only criticism I really have for this book is that it's not incredibly climactic; that is not to say that it isn't entertaining, only that the ultimate climax comes at a slow boil. The best thing I can liken this to is watching a good television show (in fact, I totally think this book should be picked up as a tv show!). There are a lot of smaller story lines that make up the book as a whole and I enjoyed them very much; I would have even liked to see them developed even further, especially the stories relating to Minerva and Norman. 

Speaking of other characters, they are what really breathe life into this story. While I enjoyed Eva as a protagonist, she wouldn't be nearly as colorful without her friends: the Originals, Regulars and employees of The Grounds. Initially it was difficult to get them straight in my head {there are a lot of people to remember at first}, but as soon as I familiarized myself I enjoyed learning about these supporting characters as much as I enjoyed reading about Eva. The story about Eva's plight for romantic happiness is colored in with the abundant friendships she has and the love she experiences through them.

Beware, this book will make you hungry for calorie-heavy baked goods! I was inspired to purchase a "Black and White" cookie from my local bakery because of its role in Why I Love Singlehood. I even tweeted a photo of my cookie to Elisa Lorello and she replied and posted my tweet to her Facebook account! Considering I'm such a huge fan of Lorello, I think I was more starstruck than if Kim Kardashian replied to me! HA! ;)

Bottom Line: This is an easy read for any woman looking to be entertained without sacrificing a good message that will warm your heart. Whether you're single, married or anywhere in between, this is a great book to cozy up to this fall. ★★★★/5

Don't forget Elisa Lorello's Adulation comes out tomorrow! :)