Not a Match

My True Tales of Online Dating Disasters

By: Brian Donovan

Narrated by: Ax Norman

Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Forty million people in the US have tried Internet dating, which means 40 million people have probably gone on some pretty crappy dates. Not a Match: My True Tales of Online Dating Disasters is about one guy who experienced more than his fair share. Brian Donovan, a writer and comedian whose work has appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, NPR, and Chapelle's Show, has been on over 100 Internet dates in a genuine search for love and happiness.

©2013 Brian Donovan (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

It was fine.

Was Not a Match worth the listening time?

Not a Match was moderately entertaining. It did not make me laugh even once, but it wasn't bad. If your time is valuable, you aren't missing anything if you pass this book up, but if you need something light to listen to while you paint your bedroom it is perfect.

Not My Cup of Humor

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Hmmm, it's a tough balance to write insults that are funnier than they are insulting. This pretty much erred on the insulting side to me without being clever enough to really make me laugh.

Was Not a Match worth the listening time?

I wouldn't buy it again or recommend it. I got it as a freebie or twofer or something.

Nasal narration.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. Not worth the time.

Was Not a Match worth the listening time?

The narration grated on my ears. He sounded like a 14-year-old geek. I guess it made it more believable that he "needed" those 100 on-line dates.

Cute for a short flight

What made the experience of listening to Not a Match the most enjoyable?

this was a cute story and very funny. He had a couple of "oh that happened to me too." moments that made a connection for the listener

If you’ve listened to books by Brian Donovan before, how does this one compare?

this is my first on

What does Ax Norman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

the tone and sarcasm fit into the store well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

it was funny I laughed and wanted to share this book with my single girlfriends.

so so...

narrators performance doesn't fit the writing style and hurts the book which already feels outdated as it is. ..

Pretty good for a free book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I thought it was funny.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Not a Match?

He has some pretty funny stories.

Did Ax Norman do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He didn't really have to do any other characters because of the way the story is written.

Funny but not extremely

Originally published at: A Girl that Likes Books

Why I read this book

Every once in a while, Audible is very generous and gives you free books! Off course, not always you find something that looks interesting, but this time I found this book and decided to give it a try.

What the book is about

For a bit more than 2 hours we learn about Donovan's experiences in dating online mostly through Match. The book alternates between chapters about a specific dating experience and chapters with hints or tips for the online dating world.

First impressions

We decided to listen to this book, together with my boyfriend while commuting to work. It felt like a light, fun book to start and end the working day with, and we were not mistaken.

Final thoughts

Was it a fun book? Yes, a couple of times I burst into laughter at the nonsense happening. Was it light? Yes, the book is unpretentious and very relaxed and with a good amount of funny situations. I don't think I would've bought this book on my own I have to say. Ax Norman has a nice rhythm and tone, but it is hard to say anything else about him as a narrator with this particular book.

Not funny!

I am pretty sure this book so supposed to be funny... it wasn't. The author tried way too hard and the jokes don't land at all. I also found the narrator annoying. The book was pointless and really just boring. Instead of enjoying it, I couldn't wait for it to end.

Such a hot topic with zero empathy

Would you try another book from Brian Donovan and/or Ax Norman?

Over a thousand reviews of this book - and why? Internet dating is huge today, so this book looked just as hot. But no. Donovan rates women like cattle at an auction and himself - deservedly - as shallow and unworthy of women everywhere. I felt more empahy choosing a masseuse through a window in Bangkok than this guy could even begin to feel. Does he represent a norm for his generation? I hope not.

Would you ever listen to anything by Brian Donovan again?

Donovan must be a sociopath with a budding flair for comedy. Why would anyone read a second book? It's hard to say unless, like me, they recognize that the guy says stuff the rest of us are afraid to say, so.....

Would you be willing to try another one of Ax Norman’s performances?

Az Norman was the perfect choice to reflect the geeky, shalow author. He sounded like a late-twenties-something frat boy with enough residual autism to be nearly totally blind to the souls and values of fellow humans. Imagine a young Mitt Romney reading such a book.Some of the writing was truly funny, but would have been better "timed" through the use of a reader with a successful comedian's credentials.

Do you think Not a Match needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Actually yes. Donovan might atone for Not a Match with a book revealing greater depth -- on so many levels.

Dating in New York is a Horrible Crapshoot.

I pre-ordered Not a Match because like many twenty-somethings living in the New York metropolitan area, I have tried internet dating. It's the the only way I to meet people and successfully filter out the creeps and crazies 100% of 75% of the time. If the cosmopolitan mating call of dark, expensive cocktail soaked lounges with too-loud music after 9 doesn't appeal to you, and for some reason your best friend's mother won't set you up with a nice Jewish boy... yeah, the internet is where its at. There are a lot of sites, a lot of members, a lot of weirdos, a lot of liars, and somewhere... SOMEWHERE... is your perfect match.

Just do the math. Literally. Brian Donovan wrote an equation for you (kind of.)

I've been on a lot of disastrous, semi-disastrous, or dull dates (and will likely go on many more), and I wish they'd been half as entertaining as Brian Donovan. His prose is sardonic, his wit dry, and his writing style entertaining.

Ax Norman was a great narrator; effusive where necessary, sarcastic in the right spots. He embodied the voice of Donovan's New York-style of storytelling very well. I kept reaching for my coffee thinking it was a cocktail and remembering I was in the office, and not a bar in the village, on a first date, listening to his stories.