relationships and choices
935761
I bought this book because it is "about dementia". I read the book because it is about so much more! It's a true story of one woman's selflessness and love for her friend, and her friend's parents. This journey they embarked on was so much more than "miles"... wonderfully written and I am a better person for having read it.
239991
This book is a small simple guide to building and maintaining healthy relationships with the opposite sex. I do feel that the author gave some reasonable guidelines for how someone should go about having a relationship with someone of the opposite sex. I wish I would have had this book to give to my ex-husband because maybe it would have helped our marriage. I think this is a book that many people would benefit from reading.

Disclosure: I was given this book to review in exchange for an honest opinion; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
1206625
My husband and I had to read this book as a part of our premarital counseling last year. This book talks about the most important needs of the husband and wife. Harley points out that a husband's top needs are sexual fulfillment, recreational companionship, an attractive spouse, domestic support, and admiration. He also points out that a wife's top needs are affection, conversation, honesty and openness, financial support, and family commitment. Of course the author recognizes that many of these needs overlap into the other spouse's territory. It was nice to have the discussion questions for Her, Him, and the Couple at the end of each chapter for moments of reflection. Overall, it was a good read and it remains a reference tool on our bookshelf to reach for during times when we need to be reminded about the other person's needs.
2790149
Petal and Luka have a complicated and muddy relationship. Lies and miscommunication have torn these two apart. Forgiving themselves and each other is a difficult trail to navigate. There is a HEA when two lovers find themselves and their love in each other.

We all have a past and a story that makes us who the people we are today.  What really matters in life is if you can take the time to reflect on those choices, and hopefully change us for the better. That's my take on the "Happy Trail," no pun here, just hopefully a happy life. #CheersToTheTrailLife

***I received an arc for and honest review.***
2777800
This is another great book by Esther and Jerry and I enjoyed it very much. I found it useful in understanding how to deal with a multitude of relationships in my life from my mother, daughter, friends, and future life partner. For example, in Part II, the book talks about staying positive around "lackful" others which I found very useful in dealing with those around me always focused on the negative and lack of things. ("You must be selfish enough to be in alignment with your true self before you have anything to give")

If you want to know more about staying in alignment with yourself and attracting the kinds of relationships you want to experience with others, I highly recommend this book.
2098536
Is love a choice? It is if you want to make it so. This short story is about aging, growing apart and a way to get back together again.
237999
The author, Esther Perel, is a child of Holocaust Survivors.  Her studies are based on why people do what they do to themselves and others.  Her practice is in Relationship Counseling.
This particular book covers the research and practice supporting what applies to Infidelity.  It covers the history of marriage and the changes in Society, since the earliest marriages and how things, people, society have changed over the years.  The results are a change in understanding and viewpoint. She discusses her own marriage and suggests that there were three stages of it, up until this point.  People changed, objectives and goals changed and they made the personal changes to  accommodate these changes by developing a new dynamic and a new point of view, a new understanding and agreement, on how to move forward, with love. And how to reach the understanding that maybe that isn't an option, in some instances. Also, with love. Important research and can be life changing.
2630758
Great for helping you understand your relational style and where it comes from and how it effects relationships in your current stage of life (with your spouse, friends, kids, parents etc).  And some ways to deal with some difficulties.  Really made me realize how i don't want to parent my kids in certain ways to avoid creating certain love styles in their lives. COMPLETELY different then the book "The Five Love Languages."
596060
This book used science and theory, along with exploring human values and dilemmas. Intriguing.  Made me think about my choices and decisions and how it might affect others.
3321100
I think what Sue is saying makes sense. A relationship's history, combined with each person's personality leaves emotional "scars" that need to be dealt with before focusing on the problems that appear on the surface ... sometimes those problems automatically dissolve once the underlying emotional issues are dealt with.
2886753
This is a MMF story of chances, choices and the consequences. Youth brings sowing oats, finding your sexual ID, it s a time exploreing and mistakes. Finding your pregnant, which one of your best friends is the daddy. Finding  out that same time that they not only love sleeping with but each other, are you just the cover so people don't know there gay. Answering the questions 20 years later when that child wants to know who her father is. How to tell you don't know which one, and they don't know she exists. Going back to face the two boys/men that you never forgot.
3795461
If dating couples will use this workbook and be honest with themselves, they will gain insights into themselves and their relationship that will be helpful in making decisions about what areas of their relationship need work--and if their relationship has solid potential for becoming a successful marriage. Even couples who have dated for a long time should find this workbook a valuable resource.

The book is divided into twelve dates/activities addressing dreams and expectations, backgrounds and histories, personality profile, activities and interests, approval of family/friends and in-law issues, romance and sexual history, finances, communication skills and conflict management, goal planning, and finally a summary. The dates/activities have more than one questionnaire, so they could be divided further to go over on more than twelve occasions. It can be fun too! This book doesn't only discuss finances, chores, sex and children. It discusses pets, eating habits, the holidays, etc. The book even makes suggestions for fun meeting places to get together and discuss the questionnaires.
876146
This book was recommended to me by our couples counselor.  It can be hard to read at times if your relationship is in trouble because so much of it hits close to home.  But I will say that some of the conversation starting exercises have been really good for our relationship.
4652945
This book lets you understand the difference between a relationship and who you are in Christ. Sometimes we get in tight or hard positions but it is who we are and the decisions we have to make that make us who we are. We have to decide between service and relationship. Easy informative read.
4812227
I read this book at an interesting time in my romantic life. Having just come out of a long and for the most part great relationship that ended because of extenuating circumstances, I was thrown back in the dating world and what I saw was not pretty. People seemed to be engaging in a lot of random dating for the wrong reasons (mostly based on physical attraction). I had friends dating total jerks because the jerk happened to be pretty hot. Did that satisfy a base level of chemistry between them? Definitely. Does that lead to a fulfilling long term relationship down the road? Probably not.

With much trepidation I started to consider the idea of dating once again but was having a hard time reconciling wanting to have awesome chemistry but also find someone who was a genuinely good person. The idea of dating felt like the search for a unicorn on the subways of New York - possible in theory but extremely unlikely in practice. Besides, what would my guidelines be? What if I was being too picky? What if I end up a cat lady because my standards were just too high?. Or what if I ended up with some lazy loser who treated me like dirt because my standards were too low?. There had to be a middle ground, a sweet spot. I had found it before (in my previous relationship) so I knew that it was possible. Could lightning strike twice in my love life?. I decided YES, it could. Now I just needed a roadmap - a guide of principles I could follow. That is when this book, Character and Chemistry, entered my realm of consciousness.

The book outlines the reasons why character is just as important as chemistry and has a lot of real world scenarios - my boyfriend is an alcoholic. Should I stay or go?. My girlfriend is kind of mean to me. Should I stay or go?. The person I'm dating is extremely nice and successful but the thought of kissing them gives me the 'willies'. Should I stay or should I go?.

The take away for me is that both of these issues - character and chemistry - should weigh equally in my decision to date someone (and by extension who I am friends with as well). They are the foundations for a good long relationship. I was beginning to forget that and I'm glad this book jolted me back to a higher standard of dating.

Now I'm enthusiastically expecting lighting to strike again.
3570739
The Art of Keeping Secrets centers around a group of three middle-aged women:  Neve, Emma, and Flick. The trio have been best friends since their sons started high school together and they discovered a common bond. Neve has always been a single parent, Emma is recently divorced, and Felicity (Flick) seems to have the perfect marriage the likes of which others wish for.

The cracks in their personal relationships start to show when Neve's 17yo son becomes determined to find out more about his father, forcing Neve to confess to poor life choices when she was younger. Stepping into her shoes, you can somewhat understand her reasoning for her decisions, even though you can't help but shake your head at her for not realizing the eventual repercussions to her actions. Her friends are initially quite judgmental toward her which would make you think being friends with women might not be the smartest thing if they are going to kick you when you are down. Give them a chance, dear readers.

  As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.  --Proverbs 27:17

Within short order, the other two women must also face serious issues in their own lives. Emma a health crisis; and Flick must finally face the truth in her marriage when keeping its secrets is no longer a viable option. Their friendship does prove its mettle as they help each other get through very difficult moments as well as share hopeful and fulfilling times.

Freedom from their burdens and hope for their future happiness comes to them by being put in difficult places where they are forced to put life in perspective and focus on what really matters:  health, love, family, forgiveness.

This is an accurate study of female friendships and of women in general, especially when faced with stressful events in life. There is also hope for second chances and a little romance thrown in.
4942792
I like some aspects this book gave on relationships.  I'm not a huge believer in the religious mumbo jumbo, but i feel this book could help any relationship grow