Image via Universal Cable Productions/Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce. 

I finally got to binge-watch Bravo’s new series, Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce. It made for a fun, cosy weekend and I loved seeing myself and other 40-something women dating after divorce represented on TV as the focus of a show.

As much as I enjoyed it, some details in the story lines are still bugging me.

My main gripe is that the main character, Abby, has her first serious relationship out of her marriage to Jake with a much younger man, landing her with the label of a “cougar.”

Pause: Why don’t the younger men in these scenarios get called by some condescending label as well? Why are these women called anything other women? But I digress.

We all had fun, but not one of us has ended up in a relationship with our dashing young lad. Image via iStock.

The myth being retold here goes like this: A man in his 20s spies a 40-something woman and becomes mesmerised. He has no sense or concept of her age. Society has made him so highly evolved that all he sees is her beauty, sensuality and intelligence.

She blows him off. He remains enchanted and pursues her with a passion. Finally, he proves his honest attraction and their perfect compatibility.

His friends don’t find it weird at all. He loves her kids and they love him. They have the best sex of their lives because they are both in their sexual prime. Age is just a number, women live longer than men anyway, and everyone lives happily ever after.

In reality? Not so much.

I am a 41-year-old divorced mother. I had my own cougar—cringe!—experience. (Post continues after gallery.)

Our favourite on screen couples.

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Nick and Jess

Olivia and Fitz.

Ross and Rachel.

Allie and Noah.

Baby and Johnny.

Carrie and Aiden.

Danny and Sandy.

Monica and Chandler.

Carrie and Big.

Vivian and Edward.

Jack and Rose.

My divorced friends had theirs. We all had fun, but not one of us has ended up in a relationship with our dashing young lad.

When I started online dating after my divorce, I was definitely surprised by the number of messages I received from younger men. There were a lot.

Honestly, I don’t believe the messages I received could be classified as expressions of sincere romantic intent. These men-children know full well the cougar-finds-true-love-with-a-younger-but-just-as-wise-man fantasies we're fed.

They're doing with them what an unfortunate number of single men do: present a false appearance of who they are and what they want in order to achieve their actual goal: getting laid.

http://cdn.theglow.com.au/app/uploads/2015/03/movie-cheaters-satc.jpg From the moment we sat down in the bar we chatted away easily. We were liked-minded on many levels and found each other funny and engaging.

Sometimes one of these mini-dudes would contact me while I was feeling particularly snarky and I would engage them in dialogue. I have a knack for getting people to open up quickly in conversation, so once I knew they had relaxed I would ask them to answer me honestly about their reasons for contacting women my age.

Time after time I heard the same answer. They “know” older women are more experienced, have a high sex drive and express their sexuality more freely than younger women. They only reach out to older women they do find attractive.

And they feel that we, the chosen elder few, have a right to feel pretty darn flattered.

They believe that older women are all cool with casual sex, wouldn’t try to pressure them into a relationship. (Post continues after gallery).

Our favourite happy celebrity couples .

Beyonce and Jay-Z

George and Amal

Adam and Behati

Adam and Leighton

Chris and Bec

Chris and Elsa

Jessica and Eric

Emily and John

Hugh and Deborra-Lee