Baby Boomer Love (A Guide to Finding New Love After 50)

Author: Marion A. Eggleton

Reviewed for the NABBW by Anne L. Holmes

As a Baby Boomer woman who has been twice married, currently for over 25 years, I have often said that should I ever become widowed, I cannot imagine that I would seek to marry again.

Now don’t misunderstand me: My husband and I enjoy a very happy and supportive union. (That’s why the statement above does not entertain the options of separation or divorce. ) But now that I am in my 60s, my attitude is that should something happen to change my current marital status, I have no interest in finding, nurturing and sustaining a new relationship.

Yet I also realize it’s not wise to think of life in absolutes. In other words, to paraphrase Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond espionage books, we would all be wise to “never say ‘never again.’” After all, having a caring companion to make this lifetime trip with us, is a blessing.

Which makes this book by Marion Eggleton a must read, for anyone of Baby Boomer age (or better) who is contemplating seeking a new special friend/significant other/spouse for the decades still ahead of us. (After all, the current average lifespan for women our age is around 81; or 76 for Boomer men. And with all the medical advances we’ve recently seen, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of us won’t live to see more than 100 candles on our birthday cakes!)

Speaking of those decades of living we’ve all enjoyed, Eggleton realizes we will all enter into any new relationship armed with a lot of baggage, and he openly addresses the many fears and challenges that prevent people from Moving forward and enjoying the latter part of their lives with someone new.

He also recognizes that some of the newer dating techniques, such as personal ads, internet dating — and especially speed dating — are all new to us. After all, for most of us Boomers, the closest we came to a “matchmaker” in our early lives was a well-meaning mother or best friend, who offered to “set us up,” possibly on a group outing.

Assuming you are truly dedicated to finding new love, the book offers a chapter on Boomer Internet Services that provide safe ways to meet new people as well as a chapter, How Do I Start?, discussing places and ways to search for – and meet – the person who may be just right for you.

A little apprehensive? Don’t worry, Eggleton addresses these fears as well. He even gives the URL of several websites that provide background searches — something that is both a good idea, and will help you feel more secure concerning any new suitors you meet. After all, we Boomers are old enough to have built up sizable nest eggs, and we need to protect our assets.

In summary, Baby Boomer Love encourages those of us who want to continue enjoying life to the fullest while sharing our experiences with someone special.

As for Eggleton’s background, he has personal experience in searching for a new long-term relationship after 50. Despite life experiences including advanced degrees from major universities, (in Agricultural Economics and Business Administration), serving as an officer in the US Army, holding various positions in both government and industry, and traveling and living abroad for many years, he says he still found himself ill-equipped to find new love. Thus, this book is a compendium of the work he did to find new love for himself.

A multi-published author, Eggleton has published five previous books using both his own name and his pen name, Michael Ashbury. These include: Expose of the Secret Vatican Vault, Love after 50, An Interview with God, Who is the REAL John Kerry? and Any One Can.