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Free Love: True Stories of Love and Lust on the Internet

Thomas Kelleher
East Bay Press (2010)
ISBN 9780984432912
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Rebecca’s Reads (10/11)

I tried Internet dating once, several years ago. I quickly discovered it wasn’t for me. I was totally honest about my profile, but the majority of the men who contacted me were not. They were incorrect about their height, athletic physiques and their employment status.  I decided this wasn’t a good avenue to find a mate. I ended up having to go the old fashioned blind date route!

I do have to admit that out of pure fascination I still find myself lurking on Internet dating sites. I have a student that belongs to just about every free and paid online dating site out there, so I get to access them through her. I am looking for a date? No. Am I looking for a casual intimate encounter? No. I just find the ads absolutely fascinating. Well, some of them are downright entertaining, but I will admit that quite a few are boring and need some work.  This is especially true in the area of photographs. People should never try to post a picture of themselves that they took on their own.

 “Free Love” covers just about every avenue that a person might be seeking to meet someone. This includes men seeking women, women seeking men, men seeking men, women seeking women, singles seeking couples, casual encounters and missed connections.  As I read each ad, and the story behind it, I was absolutely entertained and grateful that I am not single!  I personally have known people to hire marketing people to spruce up their ads, and people who have used this forum for casual encounters.  The casual encounters usually have had more success with getting replies   

Behind each online ad is always true story. I always wonder, “Does the real truth match the ad?” In “Free Love: True Stories of Love and Lust on the Internet,” I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes and find out what was really going on.  The real stories varied greatly; however, there are a lot of married people who anonymously admit that they use the online dating sites to seek sexual encounters outside of their relationships.  To me, this is the sad part.  While many of the ads openly admitted their marital statuses, I found it sad that these people are being more honest with strangers than people that they’ve committed themselves to.

Other than an entertaining read, “Free Love” also teaches some valuable lessons.  One of the biggest one is that a person who is seeking a mate on a dating site, should proceed with caution. The potential replies might be from people who are not who they represent themselves to be.  Should this be a deterrent? No, I don’t think so, because there are genuinely good people seeking real commitment. That is how the author met his wife. It is also how my sister met her wonderful fiancé.  If you are planning on trying online dating, or know someone who is, “Free Love” is a must read! For the rest of us who are happy with our lives, it is a great book to curl up with! 

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