Claire’s marriage is in (total!) crisis. Her husband, Mark, is distracted, presumptuous, and utterly clueless - smart scales for their 19th wedding anniversary? Really? Perhaps she'd be better off alone. At least there'd be less laundry.
When Claire suggests separating, Mark panics. He asks for one last twenty dates, one for each year of their marriage, to prove they're better off together than apart.
What follows is a series of adventures Claire never saw coming - some mortifying, some exhilarating, and some that make her question everything she thought she knew. About Mark. About marriage. And about the woman she's quietly become while she wasn't paying attention.
As the dates tick down, Claire must is the spark still there - or has their marriage simply run its course? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
I felt I could really relate to Claire and Mark in The Twenty Dates. So many changes can happen in a long-term marriage, and this couple has been handed a lot in a short span of time, with their son leaving the nest, Claire dealing with the ever-changing world of menopause, and both dealing with changes in employment status. On top of all of that, Claire is looking for security and solidarity from Mark, proof that despite all of the change, he still has her back. Yet, when his ill-attempt at a 20-year anniversary gift doesn’t go over as smoothly as he assumed it would, bringing all of their issues to the surface, they both take a step back to try to evaluate what has gone wrong.
The plan of twenty dates to represent twenty years of marriage is a really unique idea, one that I thought could be pretty interesting to incorporate into my own marriage. I’m seventeen years in this year, and while I read about Claire and Mark’s experiences, some well-handled, others tragically and comically funny, it made me reflect on the time spent with my own husband and whether something like this could help us to build an even better relationship. For Mark and Claire, it certainly appears so, but there are still a lot of stumbling blocks and years of old habits that need to be assessed, much like any real-life couple would struggle with when they are coming to terms with being a better spouse and partner for their significant other.
I loved that aside from the marriage building, both characters find themselves on a journey of self-discovery as well. Claire sets out to accomplish some long-term goals she’s been wanting to fulfill for a very long time but never felt she had the time to do so. And Mark is working towards goals he’s set out to accomplish with his employer, which has caused strife in the marriage at times, but as Claire begins to feel stronger and more accomplished in her own right, it becomes less of an obstacle, and less of a threat. I always appreciate books that highlight older individuals who still continue to grow and change–not looked on as past their prime. It only adds more fuel to my own fire to continue paving my path, because there is a lot of life left to live for this couple, and there is a lot of life left to live in mine as well.
The dialogue was fun and cheeky, particularly when Mark and Claire banter. There is a rather steamy scene while Mark is away that surprised me, but pleasantly so. For some of the book when Mark makes his plans to travel for work, I thought, “Why isn’t Claire going with him?” For me, personally, if my children were no longer at home and I wasn’t employed, I’d travel to new lands in a heartbeat! But I also realize that Mark needed to leave in order for Claire to truly discover who she is again, which might never have happened had she gone along as Mark’s plus one.
Having read the first book in the Empty Nesters series (reviewed here), I was excited to see what The Twenty Dates had to offer, and I feel this was the perfect complimentary read and a great addition to the series. While I might not be an empty nester (yet), there really is a lot of relatable dialogue and situations that I think any woman (or man) could identify with. I hope there will be more to add to this series in the future!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged ten. 
Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of mid-life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.
As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and a Funeral Celebrant.
In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.
Ko has been married for 25 years, has two children of her own and is now navigating her own empty nest.
The Twenty Dates is Ko’s second novel and the second book in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.
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