The Wild Oats Project

One Woman's Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost

By: Robin Rinaldi

Narrated by: Kate Udall

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

The project was simple: An attractive, successful magazine journalist, Robin Rinaldi, would move into a San Francisco apartment, join a dating site, and get laid. Never mind that she already owned a beautiful flat a few blocks away, that she was 44, or that she was married to a man she'd been in love with for 18 years. What followed - a year of sex, heartbreak, and unexpected revelation - is the topic of this riveting memoir, The Wild Oats Project.

An open marriage was never one of Rinaldi's goals - her priority as she approached midlife was to start a family. But when her husband insisted on a vasectomy, she decided she could remain married only on her own terms. If I can't have children, she told herself, then I'm going to have lovers. During the week she would live alone, seduce men (and women), attend erotic workshops, and partake in wall-banging sex. On the weekends she would go home and be a wife.

At a time when the best-seller lists are topped by books about eroticism and the shifting roles of women, this brave memoir explores how our sexuality defines us - and it delivers the missing link: an everywoman's account of sex.

Combining the strong literary voice of Cheryl Strayed's Wild with the adventurousness of Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, The Wild Oats Project challenges our sensibilities and evokes the delicate balance between loving others and staying true to oneself.

©2015 Robin Rinaldi (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

Well, I'm Not Sure

Giving this one a rating is a difficult call. Robin Rinaldi is an excellent writer and she has a way of coming clean that helps to overcome my negative perception of her. I fully realize that no one can ever truly understand the motivations of another human being. That being said the author comes off capricious, self involved and hypocritical, which is indicative that Ms Rinaldi is confessing to her own culpability rather than trying to rationalize it and blame it on Scott. The old 'well I wouldn't have needed to do what I did if he weren't so fill in the blank an excuse often used to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.
In addition Kate Udall narrates this one and she's among the best that I've ever heard on audible. With all of this I'm still not certain about whether I want to recommend this one or not; I'm leaning towards give it a shot although only if you're patient.

Very much X rated!

Expected more of a story, but it was enjoyable. Sexy to listen to together on long car trips! Better than 50 Shades, for sure!

Ugh.

What could Robin Rinaldi have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

This book is an ego stroking justification of some terrible life choices... now with extra smut! Except it's not even tittilating smut, it's just... icky. Minute after minute of sitting through extremely graphic descriptions of sexual exchanges, interspersed with pseudo-psychological flashbacks to past events or conversations. I'm assuming these flashbacks are included as a means to provide justification for Miss Rinaldi's extreme callousness and selfish behavior, but the connections are never made. The two things are never tied together, and she just comes off like a whiny baby.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

My primary reaction through this entire book was, "This lady is a terrible person."

Any additional comments?

I listened to the entire thing, although I couldn't tell you why. I guess I was waiting for the big revelation; the moment of personal growth that redeems the entire experience. There isn't one. Yuck.

Extraordinary memoir.

I would recommend this book to anybody who has been married more than two years -- after the dopamine has worn off.
No one person can be everything to another person.
The author is as unflinchingly honest as she can be. It's beautifully written as well.
My wife is reading it now and enjoying it just as much.
Thank you Robin Rinaldi for this beautiful and important work.

I read this because of all the negative reviews.

But I had to keep listening and realized people were reviewing the author's choices and less of the book. The story is captivating, however if you do not like detailed descriptions of sex and bodies, you will not enjoy this book. I was impressed neither how honest the author was in her story-- good and bad-- it was refreshing.

loved it!

My own story differs as do all of ours but Robin brings up the universal language of the feminine, desire, and the unease of aging. I couldn't put it down!

refreshingly honest

Where does The Wild Oats Project rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I LOVE this book. Its honest and goes against "society". I think people leave bad reviews because they are uncomfortable by the level of self-awareness and sexual exploration that Robin takes. I applaud her for being honest to herself, and having the guts to share.

Good book with good insights

As the title implies, this is a good - not great - book. The sex scenes are described well, and I felt like I learned a good bit through living the author's experiences vicariously. I'd recommend it, but only if you're ok with many explicit sex scenes.

Interesting, but the ending was obvious

I expected more from the book. mildly disappointed. The first chapter tells you all you need to know

Sigh.

Would you try another book from Robin Rinaldi and/or Kate Udall?

No.

Has The Wild Oats Project turned you off from other books in this genre?

I honestly don't know how you could take a concept that was this potentially complex and interesting and make it so self indulgent and boring. I had to force myself to sit through the whole thing but it was quite a task- it was spectacularly boring and poorly written.

Would you be willing to try another one of Kate Udall’s performances?

No.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment that I'd used a credit I would never see again, and wasted nearly 10 hours of my life on such a boring book.

Any additional comments?

Don't read this book. It is a waste of time.