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Tara K. Reed
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Love Him Not: A Dating Adventure with 60 Mostly Unhappy Endings Kindle Edition

by Tara K. Reed (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.4 out of 5 stars 279 ratings
Are you an expert at the game of love? Find out in Love Him Not, an interactive unromantic comedy where YOU become the protagonist. As Elle Masters, you'll navigate hundreds of familiar dating dilemmas and passionate predicaments inspired by popular advice books and modern romance. Each choice is more complicated than the last, and the stakes are raised with each turn of the page, but you’ll have backup from Elle’s best friends, Rachel and Valerie, who put the “antics” in “romantics.” With 60 endings ranging from "I don't know what happened!" to “I do,” don't be surprised if art imitates life and you throw this book across the room… only to pick it up and try again. One more time. Because, unlike real life, when you don't like the outcome, you can go back to a pivotal moment and explore the path not taken, or even start over at the beginning. Buyer Beware: Happily Ever Afters are hard to come by in Love Him Not. In fact, most of them are flat out unhappy. Still, with persistence, you might find one or two endings that downright satisfy - even if it means Elle drives off into the sunset alone. HOW TO READ THIS BOOK: It’s simple: start the story as you would any other, reading until you’re presented with your first dilemma! Decide between the two options offered and tap your choice at the centre of the link, which will advance you to the appropriate *SECTION number (NOT PAGE number) where you'll see what you’ve gotten Elle into -- or out of. And so it goes. Until you die. Well, you won’t “die,” but your relationship will. (See “throw book” above.) But then you get dozens of chances to do it over again! For maximum heartache, track your progress so you don’t miss a single choice or ending. Visit www.Doorflower.com for a printable ‘Heart-A-Track’ sheet that lets you cross off each section as you go. While you’re there, get a copy of the Love Him Not 'Happy Endings' Map in case you want to skip the trials and head straight to the fibrillations!
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  1. Print length
    529 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 13, 2014
  4. File size
    1.6 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tara K. Reed's Love Him Not possesses all those juicy traits of modern-day courtship: the support of great friends, the goosebumps over the guy, the over-thinking as intimacy grows or ebbs, and the delirium when things go right. Readers guide the loveable Elle Masters toward many futures with Mr. Wright in this fun, witty book. The author manages to find nearly every real-life situation a couple endures on the way to (potential) romantic bliss, which makes the story relatable and incredibly hard to put down." - Patience Bloom, Romance is My Day Job.
"Tara K. Reed creates a world that feels like your new favorite TV show: quick, funny, warm, populated by characters you love, love to hate, and some you'd love to...ahem...get to know very well. Plus, she makes YOU the star of these completely binge-worthy adventures. Get ready for your close-up, darling, and crack this spine." - Zageris and Curran, 'MyLady's Choosing' and 'Taylor Swift: Girl Detective'

"Love Him Not is cotton candy summer reading, but don't dismiss this one too quickly - these tales of romantic fantasy are served with whip-crack smart writing and a level-headed sense of realism that grounds the characters so much, you feel like you're in the story (wait, you actually ARE!). If you've ever agonized over a relationship, wondering what might have been, this book lets you live out those fantasies (and reminds you to embrace the mess when things don't go your way). Love Him Not is sexy, fun, and a truly unique reading experience. 5 out of 5 Manolos!" - Alec and Kat Wells, Carrie On: the Sex and the City Podcast.

From the Inside Flap

"Where was this book when I was in my 20s? Sadly, love and romance aren't full of happily ever afters. Love Him Not takes readers on a self-guided adventure that at the heart of it, shows that dating is more about the journey than the final destination. A romance novel for the reader on the go, this is perfect to read in 15-minute increments but a warning -- you're not going to want to put it down!" - Jacque Nodell, How to Go Steady: Timeless Dating Advice, Wisdom, and Lessons from Vintage Romance Comics.
"... a very gutsy move... fascinating to see a contemporary love story unfold, or crash and burn, depending on which path was picked... will remind readers vividly of their own dating experiences and how something small and innocuous can lead to blow-ups, brush offs, and booty calls instead of a HEA. The fun for readers is that, unlike real life, they can go back, over and over, until they have their happy ending... this incredibly ambitious book is well worth the frustration of finding a happy ending." - InD'tale Magazine.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00JON7JYO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doorflower Company; 2nd edition (April 13, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 13, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 529 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0993781217
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.4 out of 5 stars 279 ratings

About the author

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Tara K. Reed

Tara K. Reed

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Tara K. Reed is the accidental writer from Toronto, Canada, not that chick from Sharknado. When her career was forced into hiatus by a jerky plot twist, she wrote the first in a series of interactive novels. She was voted Most Sarcastic Female at her high school prom, which she went to alone. (Not that she thinks about it.) She can fit her whole fist in her mouth (which makes the prom thing surprising), and she can sing with her mouth closed, but she can't do both at the same time. She once appeared on a romance novel cover with her longtime partner, and believes book reviews beget good karma.

Customer reviews

3.4 out of 5 stars
279 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this choose-your-own-dating-adventure book, finding it fun to explore every possible outcome and perfect for 15-minute reading sessions. They appreciate the well-developed characters and the ability to make different choices for different outcomes. While customers find the concept creative, some find it confusing to follow.

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49 customers mention "Fun read"49 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, particularly enjoying exploring all possible outcomes and picking different endings. One customer mentions it's a fun way to pass a rainy afternoon.

"...I thought the premise sounded fun, and I recalled loving choose-your-own-adventure-type books as a kid, so I thought I'd just give it a go...." Read more

"I LOVED choose-your-own adventure books as a kid, and this is just so much fun!..." Read more

"The concept is AMAZING. So fun. I love it. I thought based on the little blurb I caught before I downloaded it, that I got to choose the end...." Read more

"...to make "better" decisions was instantly appealing and insanely gratifying. (2) We all play the shoulda, wuolda, coulda game. All...." Read more

35 customers mention "Storyline"25 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, finding it relatable and interesting, with one customer particularly appreciating the choose-your-own-adventure format.

"...one of the things I love most about this sort of interactive, nonlinear story is that my anal side can turn it into a mission to read every single..." Read more

"...All. Of. Us. So being able to play, readjust, and replay different scenarios, without the real life high stakes and potentially disastrous outcomes,..." Read more

"...So it's funny and very interesting to me to go back and choose the path not taken and see where I'd end up." Read more

"Love this book! Such an interesting twist on the romantic comedy genre. I'm a big fan of rom-coms, but this one definitely stands out...." Read more

30 customers mention "Readability"24 positive6 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, particularly appreciating that it can be consumed in 15-minute increments.

"...Let's start there, shall we? Though the book is written in second person, our main character Elle Masters is not just some empty husk of a person..." Read more

"...It's a quick read (you can sometimes get to the "END" in a matter of 20 minutes) but with 60 endings you can spend days reading it!..." Read more

"...100% did not disappoint. I'm going to Amazon right now to see what other books this amazing author has put out...." Read more

"Horrible. I've tried many paths and I either dump the guy or get dumped. I feel like Nick Wright is probably a jerkface a-hole...." Read more

27 customers mention "Concept"27 positive0 negative

Customers love the concept of this book, describing it as wonderfully creative and awesome.

"The concept is AMAZING. So fun. I love it. I thought based on the little blurb I caught before I downloaded it, that I got to choose the end...." Read more

"...These scenarios were perfect. I would roll my eyes and make what I thought was a 'no-brainer' decision, only to end up end tears...." Read more

"...This book was a "Choose Your Own Adventure" romance book. Super creative, right?..." Read more

"...However with that said, it's very addictive! I'm actually having fun reading and then going back and making different choices here and there...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book.

"...out, she is complex, she has a backstory, and she has a definable personality...." Read more

"...I really enjoyed this novel, it had a well thought out plot and great characters...." Read more

"...I haven't hit the happy-ending just yet, but am enjoying the characters & their back and forths very much. Light & lovely." Read more

"...Well-developed characters with great back-stories, as well. I hope this is the beginning of a new trend!" Read more

5 customers mention "Choice options"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the variety of choices in the book, with multiple reviews mentioning the ability to make different decisions that lead to different outcomes.

"...This title has it all: laughs, dating advice, pop culture references, and great writing! Can't wait to read the next book in the series!" Read more

"...There are so many options and versions of the story, it's fun to follow the rabbit trails and see where you end up...." Read more

"...Elle is a witty protagonist with a myriad of choices about men and dating...." Read more

"This book took me back to my youth, with the "choose what happens next" option...." Read more

16 customers mention "Difficulty to follow"3 positive13 negative

Customers find the book difficult to follow, describing it as confusing and frustrating to read.

"...It's frustrated to read because just when you continue and continue on you think you're headed to the right direction, the story decides to throw..." Read more

"...you would never in a million years pick in real life, it was very very frustrating. Still give it a try" Read more

"I'm giving a 4 star because honestly I love the book but it can be hard to follow...." Read more

"...I tried to read this on a kindle, and it was simply too confusing to try to navigate back to a certain point...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Julia
    5.0 out of 5 stars My #1 "Pleasant Surprise" Book of the Year
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not going to lie- when I got this as an ebook for free on Amazon, I wasn't expecting all that much. I thought the premise sounded fun, and I recalled loving choose-your-own-adventure-type books as a kid, so I thought I'd just give it a go. Little did I know how obsessed with this story I would become and how absolutely in love with the characters I was going to fall.

    Let's start there, shall we? Though the book is written in second person, our main character Elle Masters is not just some empty husk of a person for the reader to live vicariously through. She is fleshed out, she is complex, she has a backstory, and she has a definable personality. I absolutely loved Elle's sass, but even more than that I loved how much heart she had. She cares deeply about her family and friends, and she knows what she wants in a romantic relationship. What made Elle even more lovable were the interactions with her best friends Rachel and Valerie (who honestly stole the show- the antics the three of them got into were hilarious, and I'm not even exaggerating when I say that the banter between the three of these women had me crying laughing and was the highlight of my reading experience). Rachel and Valerie are also given distinct personalities and characteristics without them becoming the caricatures of best friends that are seen in a lot of "chick lit" (quotations because I loathe that term). Then we have Nick. Oh, Nick. Reed warns us that every so often we will hate him, and she was not kidding. Some of these endings are so brutal that, if I had a physical copy in lieu of my phone, I probably would have thrown the book across the room. I once went on a reading tangent so long that I thought "Yes, this is it! Nick and I are going to get married and be together forever!" only to find he had been cheating on me/Elle for months and he was leaving to be with her. Way harsh. But the beauty of this book is that sometimes Nick acts like a jerk, but in other timelines he lives up to his name of Mr. Wright. When things are going well, he and Elle have the best witty banter, the cutest moments of romance, and even occasionally a happy ending.

    I think one of the things I love most about this sort of interactive, nonlinear story is that my anal side can turn it into a mission to read every single bit of book there is and try to discover every possible ending. I wanted to "win" at reading it, if you will. And in Love Him Not, where there are 60 endings (and only two where Elle ends up with Nick!), that's quite a task. If you're going to be a control freak reader like me I cannot recommend enough that you sign up for the doorflower newsletter to get the "Heart-A-Track" sheet, because I never would have made it through everything without it (it was also invaluable for marking off each ending, including the two "happily-ever-after" ones, and for noting the particularly heartbreaking endings). Really my only complaint about this book- aka the reason I didn't give it a perfect 5 stars- was that I was rooting for Elle and Nick so much that it hurt to only have those two good endings for them. Especially so because I had found them both when I was about halfway through my reading experience, so even though I was happy to have read those two parts, I was dissatisfied knowing I hadn't read the rest of the book yet, and had to keep going through all the painful endings afterwards.

    Typically I don't address other readers' critiques in my own reviews, but I do want to mention a few points that I read from other people. I don't think this book is at all anti-feminist or setting a bad example for how to behave in a relationship. While there are only two promoted happy endings, there are many others where things are broken off between our couple with mutual respect and a sense of dignity. There are endings where Nick makes terrible choices and Elle lets him have it for the way he has behaved (these are my personal favorites of the bad endings). The point of much of the book is that Elle knows what she wants out of life (Nick does as well), and that she's not going to settle for less, even if that means losing a man as seemingly perfect as Nick. Likewise, this is not a dating advice book (a point Reed is sure to mention in her intro). Love Him Not is not advocating tricking your boyfriend into an engagement or lying to your significant other (sometimes poor choices lead to serendipitous happiness, other times they backfire entirely). I think the point is that there's no one set path toward love- in a story, or in life. People don't always react the way you would expect, and sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I thought that this book was very realistic in this respect, even if some of the situations Elle gets into are a bit outlandish (but that's part of the fun)!

    Overall, I really loved this read. I've been revisiting my favorite quotes a lot (the "pew pew" dialogue between the ladies always gives me a good laugh) and I know I'll definitely go back for a reread at some point. Even more so I can't wait to see what Reed writes next (an alternative history series featuring England's most notorious monarchs?? SIGN ME UP)!
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  • Silver Lynx
    1.0 out of 5 stars Nick Wright is Mister Wrong.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Horrible. I've tried many paths and I either dump the guy or get dumped. I feel like Nick Wright is probably a jerkface a-hole. I've gotten through so many paths, I feel like I don't even know the guy well and yet I know one thing for sure, is he's a douchebag. Before I find the right path where it will give me a beautiful ending with Nick Wright, already I feel like he's not worth the catch. There are other guys in Elle's life like the gay friend and Matt Matthews or Mmmm but he's another conceited guy.

    It's frustrated to read because just when you continue and continue on you think you're headed to the right direction, the story decides to throw you a curb ball of the right field and you don't know why it goes there. I agree with another reviewer that before you even get to a nice ending with Nick, you're already fed up with the stinkin' bastard. I don't think it is worth it for Elle to pursue Nick. They're all wrong for each other. You don't even get to know the real Nick. I don't even feel like I see a real 3-D character. It's very shallow. And in the real world, I wouldn't imagine being with this kind of guy anyways.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Sarah Henry
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fun!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I LOVED choose-your-own adventure books as a kid, and this is just so much fun! It's a quick read (you can sometimes get to the "END" in a matter of 20 minutes) but with 60 endings you can spend days reading it!
    It took me a few tries to get into character and think like the leading lady... but it was just such a blast! At times it felt like I was just trying to decide to "sleep with him now or sleep with him later" but after I tried a few "paths" that weren't more normal "M/O" I found a bunch of different options.
    After a couple of days of reading I started to wonder if I'd EVER find the happy endings (there are two I think). I started tracking which sections I chose and mapping out where I'd already been before. It wasn't working, so I broke down (I couldn't handle the suspense any more!!!) and e-mailed the author Tara Lee Reed. Naturally I didn't expect to get a response, but to my surprise she wrote me back the SAME DAY with the map to two happy endings. I can't wait to start reading again! I plan to read through all the endings but I just HAVE to read one of the happy ones before I burst.
    Tara is working on some other books/stories as well, so stay tuned!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Andrea B.
    3.0 out of 5 stars frustrated.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The concept is AMAZING. So fun. I love it. I thought based on the little blurb I caught before I downloaded it, that I got to choose the end. Not have various points in the book where I get to direct the story (and their relationship's) path. However, I've spent about three hours with this book and the more I read, the more I don't even WANT her to end up with this guy. I have to play stupid games, can't reveal my real opinions on things, can't act like an equal and pay for something... the list goes on and on. I get that there have to be reasons they break up but UGH. He actually seems like a tool.

    Oh well. Off to try again. (because it's still fun, even if I kind of hate Mr. Wright at the moment). Because I WILL figure this out ;)
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Tracy Parker
    2.0 out of 5 stars Cool idea
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This book reminds me of the chose your story books I read as a kid. Though, as an adult it’s not the same. I died like 4 times and gave up.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Natalie
    5.0 out of 5 stars So Frustrating...But So Addictive!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This book was fantastic!

    It's a story where you make the choices for the main character, Elle, as she goes down the dating path with handsome Nick.

    If this book is a game, then I managed to lose within the space of about half an hour. I gave up after breaking up with Nick for the 12th time. I tried again the next morning and then figured out that it wasn't me that was the issue...it was obviously Nick. He is a bit of a prat if I'm being honest...
    I'm very likely to come back and try and find some form of happy ending in this book sooner or later.

    The authors notes at the beginning were great. She basically said 'sometimes relationships don't work, so I've written a book to prove that to you...there is a happy ending, but you won't find it, trust me.'

    I'm definitely going to try and find more books like this. Hopefully one not as frustrating! But just as addictive!
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  • Vera de Melo Strabeli
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome reading
    Reviewed in Brazil on November 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I didn't know what I was expecting when I picked it, but it definitely was amusing! All the comings and goings and so many different versions of the same relationship. I found the scenarios incredibly real and not just romantic cliches. So much that in some scenarios I was just "wait, this is it? It just ends?" because people are weird and sometimes things went south and people don't try harder, like it goes usually in fiction. I really liked it, it was a great story!
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  • Jackie Hooper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Shoulda is SO much fun to read
    Reviewed in Canada on July 17, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda is SO much fun to read. Just when you think you've reached the end, you go back, choose a different path and bam - story changes. Love the fact that you can explore different options and play.

    It's very well written, witty and had me laughing out loud at times, and sympathizing (a lot) with the characters.

    Anyone who's ever dated, which is basically everyone, should read this. You'll have a blast and maybe learn a little something about the choices you really can make and have power over. Oh and a good giggle too.
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  • romantic_thi3f
    3.0 out of 5 stars Great concept but frustrated by lack of control as a player
    Reviewed in Australia on November 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Well, what can I say? I'm a bit torn with this one. Love love the concept and bringing back the choose your own adventure style. Was a huge fan of those as a kid and really loved going 'back' to replay the situation to see what other doors I could have opened.
    What frustrated me though, is that I felt I really lacked control in the book. The character we 'play' has already been constructed- our attitudes towards things (all of them a little rude in my opinion) and choices that we've made is already written. Would love if future editions etc were remade so that the situation was created but we got to decide what to say and do. The choices we have are small.
    Hope there's more books like these in the future.
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  • Married with kids
    3.0 out of 5 stars This would work better if I warmed to the characters.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent idea but I didn't care about the characters. Part of it was that the scenarios were so brief that only a broad brush was used and there were no nuances of character to keep me interested. Part was that it was written in the second person (what will you do now?) which was presumably intended to make the reader identify with the girl. I didn't because few of her actions were ones I would do (although some I might have done twenty five years ago) and I was forced to choose between two (in my view) stupid reactions. Partly it was because the different scenarios painted a different picture of Nick, the man, so it didn't seem as if he was a single character. Some things were just annoying - does he sponge off rich but largely absent parents? Is he wealthy in his own right? How? This did not help to make him any more relatable as few of us are in that position and also meant I was unsure whether to admire his achievements or despise his lack of independence.

    Overall, clever idea, needs more work.
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