(NU) - Are you a woman who starts dreaming of the possibility of a summer romance as soon as you see the flowers bloom? If you are tired of the flings and want a real, meaningful relationship with a man that will lead to marriage, there's only one place to start. 

Don't just complain that there are "no men out there." According to Jennifer Bawden, bestselling author of "Get a Life, Then Get a Man," you can get incredible results by changing your approach to dating. 

"Men have always held the cards in dating and it's time for women to take charge of their own destinies," said Bawden. In her book, she tells women how to boost their self-esteem, enjoy being single and take a proactive approach in all areas of their lives - especially in dating and finding true love. Dozens of her friends have taken her advice and have ended up engaged and married. 

"I met a man and I took her suggestion to call him up for the first date, and again for the second and third dates," said Dr. Enid Haller, a 38-year-old psychologist and mother. "The proactive approach obviously worked because we ended up getting married. I also followed her career advice and my goals changed overnight. I was motivated to go back to school and get my Ph.D. and now I've started my clinic. Her ideas were an incredibly motivating factor in my life." 

But even if you're not looking to get married right away, you can spice up your dating by finding men who are worthy of you, rather than going out with men who aren't a good match. 

"Before I read the book, I never ever approached men," said Andrea Ashton, a 31-year-old pharmaceutical saleswoman. "After I learned how to identify who I wanted to meet and then met those men, it became so easy and fun. I've met more men in the last few months than I have in years. I don't think there's enough time in the week to go out on all the dates I could go out on." 

No matter whether you are going to hit the beaches this summer hoping for a romantic walk on the shore with a new lover, or pass the days away sunning in your backyard, read Bawden's book. Just ask for it at local bookstores or find it at www.amazon.com today and land some summer romance to fill your evenings. 

Bawden's book also is available at her Web site, www.jenniferbawden.com.