{Review} The Viagra Diaries by Barbara Rose Brooker

ISBN #: 978-1451688610

Page Count: 288

Copyright: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Gallery Books

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Just because Anny Applebaum qualifies for a senior discount doesn't mean she's ready for retirement. But if she wants to keep her job at the San Francisco Times, she'll have to find a way to spice up her lifestyle column. Even if it means posting her profile as an eligible single on JDate.com. Sure, Anny's a little out of practice. She hasn't been with a man since she found Viagra in her ex-husband's suit pocket, and he wasn't taking it for her. But she's got her friends to help her fumble her way through the strange and intriguing world of online dating.

After hearing cautionary tales from the trenches - about "boomer oldies" who drag around pictures of their dead wives and fixed-income misers who wine and dine their dates at chain restaurants - Anny is relieved to meet Marv Rothstein, a charming ... 75-year-old diamond dealer. Unfortunately, he's also a Digital Age Don Juan who prowls single sites for younger women. Not be outdated by this "Serial JDater," Anny realizes Marv is the perfect subject for her flagging column and chronicles his sexcapades for the reading public. But when the new column becomes an overnight hit, Anny can't help but feel conflicted - because now she's having sex with Mr. X ... and it's nothing less than extraordinary.

Mandy's Review:

Who out there likes to imagine their parents having sex?

Yeah ... me either!

You know what, though? Just because they're our parents, or in their older years, doesn't mean they don't want a life. There are many seniors who enjoy sex and dating and being with someone who makes them feel giddy. Unless you're a senior, you're probably not happy with my bringing this to your attention. Keep in mind that the younger generation will feel the same about us when we become seniors, so be careful how you treat the seniors you see now.

Anny is like Carrie Bradshaw's mother. She's a columnist, but she's also artsy. Anny's been so busy with her career that she's not thought a lot about dating. Finally, between her daughter and her friends, she decides to try JDate.com. Right away she meets Marv, a diamond dealer who seems perfect for her. He wines and dines her ... is it love at first sight or is he just trying to "get in her pants?"

Their relationship is a little reminiscent of Carrie and Big's relationship in the beginning. He's often aloof, a playboy, and doesn't want a commitment. She's infatuated and can't stop thinking about him when they're not together.

While reminding me of an older version of Sex & the City, it doesn't have the same finesse. Anny is a little too needy and naive when it comes to Marv. She catches him time and time again in lies, yet she still says she's in love with him and wants to be with him. There's a guy in the novel that she should be with, but she doesn't look at him like a potential partner.

And then there's Anny's daughter, Emily, who is very disrespectful of her mother. She yells at Anny about something in one instance and then Anny's thinking about how much she loves Emily. How weak is this woman?! She doesn't even get pissed off about her daughter yelling at her! Anny is like a walking doormat for anybody who wants to use her. She needs more of a backbone in order for me to appreciate her.

Okay, I'll admit that maybe I'm reading too much into this story. Perhaps I should just take it for a light, entertaining read. If that's the case, the novel is wonderful and will keep you turning the pages well into the night, but if you look deeper into the stories like I do then you, too, may have a slight issue with Anny as a character. I'll still stand behind my sentiments of the novel being entertaining and it will definitely keep you turning the pages. I just wish Anny was a little more like Carrie Bradshaw: an independent woman who didn't take (much) crap from a man.


*A paperback copy of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.