Lovestruck marries the traditional online dating mix of narrative profiles and multiple tick boxes with winks and a reassuringly bright and breezy feel. What makes it special is its copywriter, AKA the 'Lovebot'. This wickedly smart and funny virtual voice is a welcome guide to the minefield of online dating. It helps you construct an alluring profile, gets you messaging with confidence and gives top tips on date ettiquette. The Lovebot says hi with a cheery or cheeky compliment each time you log on and truly knows its dating onions. It implores you to write and spell properly, be upbeat and honest without spilling your guts and abhors text speak (hint: you should too). It also has some truly encouraging things to say to help you feel more 'dateable'. Everyone should have a Lovebot.
The site's functional USP is the 'free for lunch' and 'free tonight' facility. Rather than poring over profiles for yonks and pinging messages back and forth, Lovestruck encourages you to stick your hand in the air and say I'm free today, date me. Tick a 'free tonight' box and you just upped your chance of a date about tenfold. Trust us, this call to action works and opens you up to interesting prospects further afield.The Lovestruck app makes rapid dating easier and adds a frisson to the working day when a push notification on vibrate lets you know you've a hot date for lunch.
Of course the sandwiches might flop but at least you're out there 'testing the chemistry' and not wasting an entire evening of your hectic social calender on a dud date. If it's a definite no-go then you've an excellent excuse to escape: must get back to work. If your lunch ends up tasty, what efficient luck!
You can join Lovestruck free of charge but if you're serious about dating and you want to do anything messagey you need to pay for Connect membership at £29 a month (discounts for longer). That's a wedge compared to Streetspark's completely free service but some Lovestruckers see stumping up cash as showing commitment to the dating process. That said, you will still fire off messages that go bemusingly unrequited, even if you've shelled out for Rockstar status and followed the Lovebot 100%. So, for those who prefer to see their potential partners in the flesh first and speak, rather than message, you'll like the 'Laissez Faire' social events no pressure single mingles.
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