Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy of a Single Girl:
After everything that happened—my first boyfriend, my first time, my first breakup—jumping back into the dating game seemed like the least healthy thing I could do. It’s not that I didn’t want to fall in love again, since that’s about the best feeling ever. But as a busy college premed still raw from heartbreak, which is the worst feeling ever, I figured I’d lie low for a while. Of course, as soon as I stopped looking for someone, an impossibly amazing—and devastatingly cute—guy came along, and I learned that having a new boyfriend is the quickest way to recover from losing your old one.

The moment we got together, all my preconceptions about romance and sex were turned upside down. I discovered physical and emotional firsts I never knew existed. I learned to let go of my past by living in the present. It was thrilling. It was hot. It was just what the doctor ordered.

But I couldn’t avoid my future forever.

In Daria Snadowsky’s daring follow-up to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Dominique explores the relationship between love and lust, and the friendships that see us through.

While I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, the second Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky really fell short for me. I lost my connection to the main character because this book felt more immature than Anatomy of a Boyfriend, which was filled with firsts for the main character: first love, first sexual experimentation and her first broken heart. I think what bothered me the most about this book was Dom’s constant need for a boyfriend. She sent out a “desperate” vibe to me, it was like she couldn’t be complete without a guy at her side. And what also drove me nuts was when they spoke about sex, it was always: “let’s do it” or “they are doing it” or “I did it with others.” Just use the word SEX for crying out loud! That being said, by the end of the book Dom did manage to figure out that she can be on her own without seeming a pathetic loser, and what friendship is truly about.

Dom has surpassed her “firsts” stage and is still nursing a broken heart, she’s home for summer break and quickly meets Guy, a potential love interest. They have a lot in common and have great conversations, so it only makes sense that they begin dating. But what Guy has in mind is not a long-term relationship; he’s simply looking for companionship throughout the summer. At first Dom doesn’t want anything to do with bring “friends with benefits,” but soon enough she comes around, and the summer is mostly spent in bed; his or hers, it doesn’t seem to matter. After spending so much time apart from her family and best friend, first school and now her “relationship” with Guy, Dom is reminded that friendship and family are valuable things. As the summer begins to wane Dom realizes how great she feels when she is with Guy, but that she doesn’t need him to complete her life. While they are saddened to say goodbye, their time together as pleasure buddies ends on a high note with their agreement to remain friends.