51/50

51 dates. 50 weeks. That was the social experiment Kristen McGuiness—single, living in LA, and entering her thirties newly sober—embarked upon. McGuiness thought facing her struggle with alcoholism would be the hardest part, with love coming easily afterwards. It didn’t. Rethinking her previous dating strategy, she embarks on the ultimate social experiment: 51 dates over the course of 50 weeks, and a chance to claim the life she thought was supposed to be hers.

Dodging CHAs (Cheesy Hollywood Actors) and men with self-diagnosed RAD (Relationship Anxiety Disorder), McGuiness is determined to find the "perfect guy" by being the "perfect girl." But McGuiness, like all of us, has her own issues to contend with: a longing for the wrong kind of men, a penchant for swearing, and a difficult relationship with her father in maximum-security prison. But as the year progresses, McGuiness begins to develop a new hope for her future—the dates transform into truth-seeking missions, and point her toward a life with satisfying work, a supportive family and, with the help of a local shaman, a comforting spirituality. Told with wry humor, pathos, and an engaging lack of self-pity, 51/50 is a moving adventure.“Dating is something every woman has to do, but it’s so much more fun to read about Kristen doing it, and living to tell about it so hilariously, than actually having to suffer through it yourself. Thank you, sister.” —Heather McDonald, comedian and author of You’ll Never Blue Ball in This Town Again

“Never has the quest for love and sobriety seemed so hilariously poignant. A fizzy cocktail of Bridget Jones with a splash of A Million Little Pieces, Kristen McGuiness has bared her soul to give us a refreshing portrait of a young woman hell-bent on finding the perfect guy—only to find herself along the way.” —Kirsten Smith, co-screenwriter of Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You, and The Ugly Truth; author of The Geography of Girlhood

“Any woman who can go on fifty-one dates stone-cold sober is showing pluck that can’t be ignored. Kristen McGuiness has concocted a truly terrific read.” —Deanna Kizis, author of How to Meet Cute Boys and Finishing Touches

“As a woman who’s been dating in Los Angeles for five years—sober—I do miss the ‘beer goggles.’ If you aren’t using booze to get through it, baby, you better laugh, or cry. This book will have you doing both.” —Lisa Ann Walter, actress and comedianKristen McGuiness works in fundraising for a Los Angeles nonprofit serving low-income children, youth, and families. Before she was paid to spend time with four-year-olds, she worked in publishing for St. Martin’s Press, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins (via the office of Judith Regan), and in film as a junior creative executive. Her first screenplay, The Betty, was optioned last year. She spends her free time hanging out with horses, shamans, and people who used to drink.