After spending endless hours on dead-end dates, Maria Dahvana Headley decides to throw caution to the wind and embark on a sexual journey with stops one can only imagine. Perhaps being too picky has lead to a life of solitude, so Maria puts a not-so-conventional plan into action. For one year, she will commit to going out with anyone who asks her for a date. Quite a risky proposition, but what does she have to lose? Maria is at the point in her life where she is so desperate to find true love that she is willing to try just about anything. She's tired of window shopping. She wants to take the plunge and find the man of her dreams. Who knows! Perhaps he, or maybe even she, is someone she would never even consider dating. Why not add a little excitement to the search? Anything is better than what she has now, which is nothing!

From a taxi driver to a psycho millionaire who lives with his mother, Maria meets all kinds. She now has some much needed wind in her sails as she navigates the dating scene with a fresh, new attitude and a less critical approach for the search for Mr. Right. She even dabbles on the wild side when she takes a stab at the same sex which she finds is not her cup of tea. No harm! No foul! At least she doesn't have to worry if that was the reason for her ineptitude in the dating scene. She has narrowed the playing field and is on the right path to finding her true love.

It's not surprising to learn that each person Maria chooses to date, even those who briefly come into her life, leaves behind a valuable life lesson. From the conductor on the subway who tirelessly performs his job with a smile on his face every day to the vagrant Jimi Hendrix wanna-be who is happy with his homeless situation, Maria finds herself more comfortable and accepting of the person she truly is and of the woman she is slowly becoming. Perhaps the search for one's soul mate is also an evolution of one's being. The journey may be long, but the reward is worth the struggle.

Headley's debut novel puts a much welcome spin on the New York City dating scene. Rather than the usual chick-lit saga of the woes of dating, her down and dirty tale is a breath of fresh air. Addictive and laugh-out-loud funny, Headley's writing style demonstrates her intelligence, warmth and sometimes brutal honesty. THE YEAR OF YES is a memoir that leaves the reader with the realization that after all the blood, sweat and tears, isn't love what we all truly desire? If only we all could find it.