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

Wonderful ride

So exciting and relatable, narrator spot on. Brings light into dark and scary corners of our impulses and worries . Provides practical ideas on how to express yourself and explore what you need. Uplifting

perfect book for me right now on my own journey

this book had many surprising insights that helped me to look into myself and ask questions I needed to ask...and the answers have given me hope to continue to seek out my own passions

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.

Great book

This book was absolutely wonderful I personally know the writer and the book was absolutely amazing and everything about it was just great

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!

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.

Good source of resources

Enjoyed her stories and appreciated that she shares the name of many actual places as a resource to follow.

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.

Interesting, but the ending was obvious

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

The best horror story I've ever read

If this book doesn't dispel your soul mate fantasies, nothing will. This book is an excellent window into the insane rationalizations of everyday women. Not even Lovecraft can match the cosmic horror of the alien that this book so casually drives home.