Face it, finding a great mate takes some research. "You're going to go through a lot of people, until you find someone where there is some kinetic thing, some magnetism, some desire to know more," says Pepper Schwartz, PhD, a sociologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

"You're looking for a connection, someone you're physically attracted to—who's physically attracted to you—plus someone who doesn't make you feel bored from the get-go," Schwartz tells WebMD.

Chemistry, mutual interests—that's all great. "But don't let the love bug mesmerize you," says Paul Falzone, author of the book, Find the Right One and CEO of The Right One and Together, two nationwide dating services.

Falzone tells a story of a North Carolina woman who fell "totally in love" with a Massachusetts man she met online. Six months later, they met. Eventually, he encouraged her to sell her house, pack everything into a truck, and prepare herself and her two young children for a new life. Then comes the e-mail saying, "I can't go through with this. I'm sorry, I'm dishonest, I'm married."

"You have to be very careful," Falzone tells WebMD. "Especially when children are involved, you want to make sure you're doing the right thing." In fact, he advises hiring a private investigator when getting involved with someone new. "People are naîve, they will trust anybody. Then after they're snookered, they feel so silly, so embarrassed about what happened."

His dating advice: "You can't change the spots on a leopard."