I used to think people could see my anxiety, at least until I played violin in concert as a child. My Dad recorded the performance—I didn’t recognize the composed person who was supposed to be me.
I have always been an anxious person with a learning disability. To compensate, I’ve learned one strategy never fails: When trying something new, ask friends to join in so you can figure it out together. That’s how I approached dating and the search for my “Manicorn.”
This book describes the dates and the men who made them, in one way or another, unforgettable.
Philadelphia native Mary Gulla graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003 with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She is aware this makes her a Tar Heel but Mary has never been to a Tar Heel basketball game and once asked to leave “at intermission” during a Tar Heel football game.
During a UNC summer session, she was paired with Vince Carter in a weight training class. Mary had absolutely no idea who he was but thought he had a nice smile. An interesting by-product of being asked to teach her sister’s Duke School middle school class about safe sex was that it included teaching one of the Duffer Brothers.
Mary has worked as a pharmacist and online dated in both South and North Carolina. She currently resides in Raleigh with her Manicorn and two codependent sisters who were rescued from the SPCA. She is currently wearing Dr. Martens instead of cowboy boots these days but still has an average of 37 bobby pins in her hair. This is her first book.
Colin Bootman was born in Trinidad, where the vibrant palette of the Caribbean influenced his painting. He moved to the United States when he was seven, where he studied art and illustration. Mr. Bootman has illustrated many books for children, winning the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award in 2004. In 2017, Colin won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Works for Children. All of his award-winning illustrations show how brilliantly his art frames moments of life.
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Portland –
“From online dating to offline dating, Mary Gulla has seen it all with her dates. As a single woman in her thirties, she felt the pressure of finding Mr. Right, and as she kept waiting, she kept wondering if he would ever come. Her book, He Seemed Normal…, details her good, bad, and unforgettable dates and what makes each one special.”
—Portland Book Review
Independent –
“HE SEEMED NORMAL… by Mary Gulla is a charming look at the misadventures in online dating from the viewpoint of an eternal optimist”
— Independent Book Review
Rachel –
He Seemed Normal proved to be a humorous, lighthearted, and relatable journey of an everyday woman seeking lasting love… The story of a woman who learned to love herself while seeking love was profound and magical, and reminded me of my own journey with online dating.
– Rachel, on Goodreads
Pauline Newell –
Laugh-out-loud funny as well as deeply personal, this book is a must read for anyone looking for someone to love… and aren’t we all? I’m well past being described as “a woman of a certain age” and was delighted by Mary’s book.
—Pauline Newell, on Goodreads
Patty Sprigg –
I loved the book! Mary has such a wonderful sense of humor and wit and so relatable for anyone who has done the dating scene looking for Mr. Right. With laugh out loud moments, she also brough an enduring sense of vulnerability and authentic self-reflection.
—Patty Sprigg, avid reader
Melissa McManus –
I’ve never read a book so relatable to my own dating life which validates that I am not alone. This story finds the humor in every good and bad dating experience which is hilarious. You may think you’ve found your Prince Charming for them to turn out being a few fries short of a happy meal!
—Melissa McManus, online dater
Peter Reichert –
It’s like a long stand-up routine broken up into episodes. I’m torn between racing ahead to find out what happens and slowing down to savor every delicious detail. I’m already looking forward to reading it again. I’m making a list of the people I want to buy one for.
—Peter Reichert, educator
Katie –
He Seemed Normal is an honest and refreshing look at both online dating and Mary’s life. Each chapter gives insight to a dating experience but also to other aspects to her life and how important building those things are, for example her style and signature perfumes, her strong friendships, and her tattoos.
—Katie, on Goodreads
Tina Marks –
He Seemed Normal will make you laugh and cry through her dating journey. Reading this book is like talking to a friend with similar dating experiences, such as the chapters: Mister Father of Five and Mister Egg Beard… The stories about online dating make you wonder if anyone is normal but maybe there is a Manicorn out there for all of us if we keep trying like Mary.
– Tina Marks, online dater and still looking for my Manicorn
Randy –
He Seemed Normal is an instant American Classic. In this cleverly crafted cocktail of dating in America, finding love and societal acceptance as you drink up the chapters you taste joy, cringe, laughter and hope. A true love story–self-love, love of community and the search of that ever elusive “one of a kind”
—Randy, online dater
Megan Friedlander –
Mary’s dating stories are the perfect balance of extremely relatable and utterly unbelievable. Reading them feels like catching up with an old friend, one that you are excitedly rooting for… I’m grateful for Mary’s invitingly honest account and I hope everyone who has dated online feels less alone after reading it.
—Megan Friedlander, on Goodreads