For the first time in history, a generation of women has the power to say no" to mediocre love. It's because we care so much about love that we know nothing less than the best will do. We want love to feel real and strong, to let us be true to ourselves, to be our emotional home. Now Mira Kirshenbaum has identified the make-or-break experiences that lead to just this kind of love.She presents the radical idea that you have to make mistakes before you can find the love of your life. You try on different kinds of love affairs for size, you allow yourself to fall for different kinds of men. These "love adventures" give a sense of freedom and knowledge about yourself and what you want out of life and love. Mira Kirshenbaum describes seven more essential experiences that can mean all the difference between frustrating and fulfilling love. Through a series of diagnostic questions and quizzes that tailor her advice to every woman 's individual situation, she illuminates the path through these eight passages toward a lifetime of love, and illustrates her points with the stories of real women just like you.Rarely has such a wise, inspiring, and comforting voice been available to guide women on the path to a lifetime of real love.