Around the World in 80 Dates

March 14, 2005
There's a new bachelorette on the scene, only this one is a writer first and a boy-crazy speed-dater second. Cox was the 38-year-old head of public relations for Lonely Planet when she decided to give her usual globe-trotting itinerary a twist: "Rather than traveling to recover from Mr. Wrong, what if I went traveling to find Mr. Right?" She assembled a "Relationship Résumé" (listing her own romantic history) and a "Soul Mate Job Description" (outlining the position she was looking to fill) and distributed them to a global network of "Date Wranglers," who then tracked down eligible suitors around the world. Cox met 80 men in 18 countries over a period of eight months—an impressive logistical feat, especially compared to her television counterparts, who never seem to leave their hot tubs. Her dates ranged from bizarre (recalcitrant William, whom she met at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm) to exhilarating (Olivier, who gives her a moonlit tour of Paris), but they were rarely boring. Best of all, Cox's entertaining quest for love gives readers a look at places they may not see otherwise, including Juliet's balcony in Verona and a whimsical theme park in rural Holland. Does Cox live happily ever after? Armchair travelers and diehard romantics will speed through this unique memoir to find out. Agent, Lizzy Kremer at David Higham Associates. (Apr.)

FYI:
This is Downtown Press's first nonfiction book.