What do you think?
Rate this book
The Horrors of Dating: A Coloring Book
"I see boring people." —All of us downloading apps for the fifth time. "Here's Johnny." —Your mother's coworker Sue introducing you to her son who lives in the basement. "Be afraid. Be very afraid." —Your buddy when she shares her ring size on the first date. Who doesn't want to throw a little shade at their ex? Add some color to your dating stories in this horror-themed coloring book. It's bleak out there. From the finance bro who's more in love with his stock portfolio than you. Or the girl who's just looking for someone to finance a new pair of Louboutins. Or that guy who still recounts his glory days as the high school quarterback. Sometimes it feels like your dating life is dead before it even begins. So grab some colored pencils, ghost on that date you're dreading, and celebrate your independence by just saying no to toxic partners! Inside you'll The perfect gift for anyone still searching for their "till death do us part." Ideal during Halloween, Valentine's Day, or anytime you have Tinder downloaded on your phone.
- GenresNonfictionHumor
96 pages, Paperback
Published December 12, 2023
3021 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 2, 2023
What a fun coloring book! We have all probably dated a few of these. I am getting for all my single and not so single friends this year as a Christmas present. Bottle of wine and coloring pencils to go along.
November 21, 2023
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
I can’t wait for this adult coloring book to come out because I’m definitely purchasing myself a copy! I’ll also have to get one for my sister and daughters as they will find this hilarious and love to color to decompress! 5 stars for me!
I can’t wait for this adult coloring book to come out because I’m definitely purchasing myself a copy! I’ll also have to get one for my sister and daughters as they will find this hilarious and love to color to decompress! 5 stars for me!
2023
June 6, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate
December 4, 2023
Hilarious and filled with inviting illustrations. Would make a great gift for anyone in the dating scene, as the types described (the guy holding a fish, the guy whose hobby is beer, the boomerang--why does he keep coming back, etc.) are so relatable for anyone who's dated in the past decade.
December 7, 2023
I say you will enjoy this book more even before you pick up your colouring items!
This is such a fun and hilarious compilation of all the actual dates a person can come across while dating different people. It’s well done and I love the drawings.
Just have fun with it! You can use any form of colouring materials. The book will come out soon. Just grab it. It guarantees you a lot of fun time!
Thank you, Harper Celebrate, for the advance reading copy.
This is such a fun and hilarious compilation of all the actual dates a person can come across while dating different people. It’s well done and I love the drawings.
Just have fun with it! You can use any form of colouring materials. The book will come out soon. Just grab it. It guarantees you a lot of fun time!
Thank you, Harper Celebrate, for the advance reading copy.
October 26, 2023
3 stars.
This *Horrors of Dating* colouring book is a super cute idea. Plus, from looking at the illustrations (which are really great), I'm sure that many will find it very fun to colour in. Who knows - its use may even help some heal from heartbreak and/or nightmarish dating experiences.
Basically, this colouring book depicts the caricatures of stereotypical time-wasting players so many meet upon dating journeys. These are the "energy vampire", "astrologer", "quarterback", "life coach", "self-employed CEO", "influencer", "ghoster", and "boomerang", among others.
These colouring pages may even be considered 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly, as it is never mentioned who the person dating them had been. That said, it also find it to be a lazy representation of patriarchial, non-inclusive gender norms and "traditional dating dynamics". Without exception, these dating nightmares are all illustrations that conform to capitalistic, enforced beauty standards from social media culture. There aren't any illustrations that include folks that are visibly disabled, nor any from "alternative" lifestyles. And while there are obviously a couple that have been drawn to include/represent people from the Global Majority, but I would say that whiteness is primarily centred.
So, is this colouring book funny and a cute concept?
Totally!
Will I purchase this colouring book to enjoy myself?
Absolutely not.
Inclusivity matters. Changing our cultural narrative about what kind of people "belong" matters - even in a colouring book that is meant to make fun of the extreme caricatures of the people that we really don't want to date!
Hue gratitude to Net Galley and the publisher, Harper Celebrate, for a limited-time digital ARC in exchange for my (probably too) honest review.
This *Horrors of Dating* colouring book is a super cute idea. Plus, from looking at the illustrations (which are really great), I'm sure that many will find it very fun to colour in. Who knows - its use may even help some heal from heartbreak and/or nightmarish dating experiences.
Basically, this colouring book depicts the caricatures of stereotypical time-wasting players so many meet upon dating journeys. These are the "energy vampire", "astrologer", "quarterback", "life coach", "self-employed CEO", "influencer", "ghoster", and "boomerang", among others.
These colouring pages may even be considered 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly, as it is never mentioned who the person dating them had been. That said, it also find it to be a lazy representation of patriarchial, non-inclusive gender norms and "traditional dating dynamics". Without exception, these dating nightmares are all illustrations that conform to capitalistic, enforced beauty standards from social media culture. There aren't any illustrations that include folks that are visibly disabled, nor any from "alternative" lifestyles. And while there are obviously a couple that have been drawn to include/represent people from the Global Majority, but I would say that whiteness is primarily centred.
So, is this colouring book funny and a cute concept?
Totally!
Will I purchase this colouring book to enjoy myself?
Absolutely not.
Inclusivity matters. Changing our cultural narrative about what kind of people "belong" matters - even in a colouring book that is meant to make fun of the extreme caricatures of the people that we really don't want to date!
Hue gratitude to Net Galley and the publisher, Harper Celebrate, for a limited-time digital ARC in exchange for my (probably too) honest review.
November 22, 2023
This is hilarious. The art in this coloring book is nuanced and unique, and the descriptions of each person you'd hate to date are hilarious. I feel like every single person has had a run-in with at least a few of these archetypes, and almost everyone can relate to the difficulties of dating while trying to avoid these kinds of dates.
I also liked how the archetypes were varied by gender, and while some had "typical" gender-norms to them, almost all of them had an equivalent for the "other" side. It's poking fun at these kinds of people without falling into sexist stereotypes, which is the biggest thing I was worried about. I also enjoyed that at no point did it assume what gender was dating these people, with the assumption that these archetypes exist regardless of gender and sexuality.
This was a fun coloring book, and I can definitely see it as a fun holiday gift to give to your hopelessly single friends who can't find a decent person to date. I think everyone can relate, and I think any group of friends looking at these fun "types" of people would see one and immediately go "OMG do you remember-?" for a few of them.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Celebrate for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I also liked how the archetypes were varied by gender, and while some had "typical" gender-norms to them, almost all of them had an equivalent for the "other" side. It's poking fun at these kinds of people without falling into sexist stereotypes, which is the biggest thing I was worried about. I also enjoyed that at no point did it assume what gender was dating these people, with the assumption that these archetypes exist regardless of gender and sexuality.
This was a fun coloring book, and I can definitely see it as a fun holiday gift to give to your hopelessly single friends who can't find a decent person to date. I think everyone can relate, and I think any group of friends looking at these fun "types" of people would see one and immediately go "OMG do you remember-?" for a few of them.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Celebrate for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
December 30, 2023
The Horrors of Dating is a coloring book for adults that uses simple drawings of stereotypical "bad dates."
The ebook I got to review doesn't allow printing so I didn't actually color any in (I'm too lazy to screen shot then create and print something from that). I first looked at each picture as if I was about to start coloring and with only a couple of exceptions had ideas on how I would do so. That is a big positive for me since some coloring books use pictures that I have a hard time finding a good starting point with.
As for the humor aspect, or novelty aspect, I found it more hit or miss. Even ones where I recognized people I've met or known, I just didn't really engage with the humor. I can't put my finger on what it was, probably just personal preference.
I think someone who is mainly interested in a coloring book for relaxation or anxiety relief will find this very useful. I think as a novelty it will be harder to predict who might like it and who might not.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
The ebook I got to review doesn't allow printing so I didn't actually color any in (I'm too lazy to screen shot then create and print something from that). I first looked at each picture as if I was about to start coloring and with only a couple of exceptions had ideas on how I would do so. That is a big positive for me since some coloring books use pictures that I have a hard time finding a good starting point with.
As for the humor aspect, or novelty aspect, I found it more hit or miss. Even ones where I recognized people I've met or known, I just didn't really engage with the humor. I can't put my finger on what it was, probably just personal preference.
I think someone who is mainly interested in a coloring book for relaxation or anxiety relief will find this very useful. I think as a novelty it will be harder to predict who might like it and who might not.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
December 3, 2023
Oh, so many fish in the sea, and SO MANY guys and gals you NEVER want to meet . . . though sadly, you probably already have. I'm sure you'll recognize a lot of these people.
So, put on your comfiest sweat pants, grab a snack, and stay home ALONE while you do some coloring, have a chuckle, and think about how you dodged a bullet by NOT DATING any of the jerks in this book.
Thanks to Harper Celebrate and NetGalley for the preview.
So, put on your comfiest sweat pants, grab a snack, and stay home ALONE while you do some coloring, have a chuckle, and think about how you dodged a bullet by NOT DATING any of the jerks in this book.
Thanks to Harper Celebrate and NetGalley for the preview.
October 26, 2023
This is a coloring book I would give my single (and maybe my married) friends. In it, each page starts out with the type of person someone might date, such as “the Cable News Addict”. Then there’s a laugh track “I know you fear the collapse of society as we know it, but can we please just eat these cookies in peace?” then an illustration of that type of person, all ready for one to color. I love everything about this and would happily put it in holiday gifts this season.
November 28, 2023
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.
Super Funny!!! The dating profiles and captions are laugh out loud hilarious.
The illustrations to color are trendy, creative and fun!
This would make a great gift for any single person …especially one who is “over it” with the dating scene.
#NetGalley #TheHorrorsofDating
#netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreader
Super Funny!!! The dating profiles and captions are laugh out loud hilarious.
The illustrations to color are trendy, creative and fun!
This would make a great gift for any single person …especially one who is “over it” with the dating scene.
#NetGalley #TheHorrorsofDating
#netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreader
January 14, 2024
I received a copy from Harper Celebrate through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This coloring book is such a cool idea. Every page is well thought out, illustrated, and just all around funny. It's such a fun and stereotypical take on all the types of dates we try to avoid and sometimes end up on anyway in the end. I'm excited to pick up the physical copy and color the pages as well as buy some copies to gift!
This coloring book is such a cool idea. Every page is well thought out, illustrated, and just all around funny. It's such a fun and stereotypical take on all the types of dates we try to avoid and sometimes end up on anyway in the end. I'm excited to pick up the physical copy and color the pages as well as buy some copies to gift!
December 18, 2023
I love adult coloring books, and this one is smart. There is enough detail that when you're looking at the pictures you're thinking "Wait, I know someone exactly like that." And the pictures look like they will be great for coloring.
I did not get to color yet because I looked at this through NetGalley (thank you!)
I did not get to color yet because I looked at this through NetGalley (thank you!)
February 6, 2024
This book made me laugh! Filled with the types of people you might see on a dating app, this delightfully odd book will be the perfect gift for your single pals for Galentine's Day. Witty and absurd, anyone will enjoy decompressing after a lousy date with this gem.
I won a free hard copy from Goodreads.
I won a free hard copy from Goodreads.
October 16, 2023
So I only saw this as an arc from Netgalley but believe me when I say that I’ll be buying this as soon as it comes out. It’s descriptions are hilarious and the pictures are just as good! I need this coloring book.
November 29, 2023
A fun coloring book perfect for a friend who has everything (especially a sense of humor) or a perfect gift for yourself. Forty “types” defined, followed by perfect illustrations. You don’t even need to color; you can look at the images and laugh #TheHorrorsofDating #NetGalley
February 4, 2024
This was a really cool book, I really enjoyed printing and coloring it! I love themed coloring books, the wackier the better! This was so wacky and fun and can’t wait to see more from this author/artist. What a fantastic way to relax!
November 10, 2023
This coloring book is hilarious and relatable. I also appreciated the balance between female and male dating horrors. I might have to buy this when its released!
February 6, 2024
Hilariously relatable
October 24, 2023
This great and entertaining adult coloring book highlights the worst parts of dating. Detailing and including creative illustrations to go with the horror themes, it includes creative names for the worst dates you can encounter. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 1, 2025
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
As a joke book, it's kinda funny. As an actual coloring book, it's a bit lacking. I assume the main appeal of this is the novelty. In that regard, it does the job. As for being a coloring book, some of the pictures are interesting and have a lot of elements; others are lazy, with just a background of the same copy and pasted item. Although, I'm sure that's also fine for someone just wanting to doodle to pass the time.
As a joke book, it's kinda funny. As an actual coloring book, it's a bit lacking. I assume the main appeal of this is the novelty. In that regard, it does the job. As for being a coloring book, some of the pictures are interesting and have a lot of elements; others are lazy, with just a background of the same copy and pasted item. Although, I'm sure that's also fine for someone just wanting to doodle to pass the time.
April 17, 2025
I am leaving this honest review in exchange for an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.
..
Super simple idea but carried out wonderfully. Funny ideas with pictures that are very clear and bold. Definitely worth it if you want to color in some not winners you've dated in the past
..
Super simple idea but carried out wonderfully. Funny ideas with pictures that are very clear and bold. Definitely worth it if you want to color in some not winners you've dated in the past
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews