eHarmony Online Dating Service

Is it like all of the other online dating sites?

When I began looking for online dating sites, I was already familiar with eHarmony (eharmony.com) from radio advertisements. I was recently divorced at the time and didn’t have the time or desire to begin looking all over my town for male companionship. My divorce was a bitter one, so all I wanted initially was to prove to myself that I was still attractive and desirable—no romance and definitely no sex. The problem was I had a hectic work schedule and two teenagers, so I didn’t have the time to visit the places where decent men were likely to be.

After about six months my kids got on me about being alone and told me it was time for me to start dating again. Where most kids would have felt betrayed if their mother began dating again, mine were encouraging. They knew the divorce wasn’t my fault and that I had put my all into the marriage, so they wanted me to find happiness again. It was actually my daughter who heard about eHarmony and thought I should look into it. She even agreed to give up some of her computer time so that she could help me look through the online dating site and see if it might be right for me.

Although the site is not free, you can sign up, post a profile, and even review potential matches. Until you make the decision to choose from among those that are interesting, the service is free. Even though the monthly cost was higher, I decided to go with the $59.95 monthly membership instead of paying a full membership up front for three, six, or twelve months. I figured if things didn’t work for me, I was only out $59.95 instead of paying $251.40 for a twelve-month membership or even $110.85 for three months.

With the compatibility method eHarmony uses to match couples, I was surprised to find several potential matches within the first two weeks. I was able to take the time to communicate with several men that had some of the same interests and goals that I had before agreeing to meet any one of them. I didn’t feel any pressure at all, and when I finally agreed to a meeting, it was in a restaurant close to my home, and we both provided transportation. Unknown to any of the men I met, my brother and sister-in-law came along with me in case anything happened, but there were no incidents.

After several meetings I chose one man that I thought best fit my profile, and we have been dating exclusively for the past four months. He loves my kids and supports me in everything I do. He understands that my job as a sales manager keeps me late in the office many nights, and I am thankful for that. We are both taking it slowly as he also suffered a bitter divorce, but I have to say that without eHarmony and their wonderful online dating resources, I might still be sitting home alone every night.

Review by Cara Fletcher