The Dating Life Nobody Writes About

Here’s a snippet from a conversation early on in Kenora’s interactions with Jake...

"It's worse for females. A couple of gents I met for coffee dates gave tongue instead of shaking hands when we were introduced. There were balding studs who flashed pictures of their dogs/trucks/mothers/bass boats and thought I was a snooty bitch because I didn't treat them like the answer to a spinster's prayer. It’s not funny." 

"You get any beef-whistle photos?"

"No, no rampant schlongs. Stop laughing. Jake, this is the life of a middle-aged single woman. A couple of married dudes thought I'd be thrilled to be their fuck-buddy in between sales calls. Then there's the poor soul who didn't know whether he was gay or not but thought dating an older woman might help him decide. You?"

"No. There's been no one special," he murmured. "I wasn't laughing at you."

Kenora Tedesco is a woman who doesn't mince words. At 42, she's been married for decades. Newly divorced, she's navigating the rocky shores of dating again, unsure whether it's worth the effort.

When she describes her re-entry into dating to her new partner Jake, she's funny, rueful, and absolutely clear-eyed about the absurdity of it all — married men looking for a convenient side arrangement, a man using her as a sexuality compass, the parade of phone photos featuring dogs, trucks, and bass boats.

It's a scene from Kenora Reinvented that readers recognize immediately, because it's true. Not just for Kenora, but for millions of women navigating love after fifty.

Mature love is like a fine wine — spicy and full-bodied. It also comes with history, complications, and hard-won self-knowledge. Kenora knows what she won't settle for. That's not snobbery. That's wisdom.

The best fiction about older characters doesn't soften the edges. It tells the truth with a laugh and a wince, sometimes in the same breath.

Kenora Reinvented is available on Amazon and through major retailers.