Most are about the developing relationship as a couple falls in love. This book is about life after marriage
587142
This book fills a gap in the christian romance market. Most are about the developing relationship as a couple falls in love. This book is about life after marriage. How do we handle our love relationships on a daily basis for the next 50+ years,"until death do us part"?

Cole is a skilled and respected firefighter. In such jobs, the people one works with can become closer than family. Cole works hard and then spends his time off with the guys as well. After an injury, Cole spends several weeks at home recovering. He soon discovers that his relationships with family are not as strong as he thought.

I have not read many stories told from the man's viewpoint. At times, I was frustrated with Cole...later Megan. Yet that is real life. We are all flawed. Though Megan makes poor decisions, Cole needed to learn what had caused their relationship to unravel.

This is a story of learning to love, really love, as Jesus commands us to do.

I received this book free for an honest review. However, this will not be the last I read by Chapin. I look forward to reading more in the future.
706784
love life is not simple there is past which affect if you keep secret to your partner your past heavily effect on your present and full of romance with many secret bind reader to suspense till end and love life of couple is not easy.
4603998
For those who have been through a career and had children grow up and leave the nest, this novel will ring true. The narrative takes us around the world, and there are some dramatic moments in some far flung places. But the real center of gravity of the book is the affirmation of family and love. For those who are cynical about the way couples grow together throughout a marriage this book will serve as a useful challenge. We follow the main characters from collge to jobs to the movement toward an age when reassessment and questions about meaning and being come up. The book spoke to me and let me raise some of the same questions  about my own experiences  and journey in life.
2687074
This story revolves around a married Christian couple, Kellen and Juliet. Happily married and deeply in love, they are both devout Christians.

Kellen is a musical talent scout and spends a lot of time in the evenings going out to listen to potential clients. Juliette really doesn't care for that type atmosphere and would rather spend time at her church and local shelters.

When Kellen goes to a club to listen to a young singer, Chloe, he is deeply attracted to her for some reason. He loves his wife, but can't seem to get Chloe out of his mind. He tries to avoid spending much time with her, but fate seems to keep throwing her in his path. He knows it is wrong, but enjoys the feeling he gets when he is around her.

Meanwhile, Juliet is lonely, and although she spends a lot of time at the church, she misses her husband. There is a man, Tim, who attends the church who is attracted to her. She however, doesn't want anything to do with him.

Kellen struggles with his attraction to Chloe, which becomes more and more difficult. Eventually, in a moment of weakness, he leans over and kisses her. Unfortunately, someone in the office sees this and the word gets out. Eventually; while attending a party, Juliette overhears two women talking about it.

Thus begins a very difficult time in their relationship. Kellen is extremely sorry over the entire thing, and is not seeing Chloe at all anymore, even in a working relationship. Juliet, however, feels betrayed and is not willing to forgive him.

How this young couple tries to discover how to resolve their situation is something every couple should read about. They must first find out why they were so easily susceptible to temptation in the first place. The rest of the story tells of their search for peace, forgiveness and the ability to restore their marriage. They work with their pastor and with God to find all the answers.

This author has much insight into many of the causes of misunderstanding and problems that face so many couples today. She shows each step in their new understanding of each other and how they finally come together in love and harmony and make a marriage that is much stronger than it ever was before.
242912
Living a life with 4 women and one man comes out in parts and not well blended as let's say in a good marriage between 20 wives and 1 man or 1 women and 1 man.
  When you have been married like I have we KNOW what each other is thinking we could finish each others sentences.  You compare your marriage as a wheel with many spokes, but did you know they are the type that have the most problems?  They often needed so much work and became obsolete.  If I would compare a good marriage it would be ONE.  You JOIN together as one and make the strongest bond that is possible in this world and out. Out of that union your kids would come and they too would be strong loved individuals.
  LOVE should never hurt ...and I feel the pain in Meri...I feel the pain in Janelle.. I feel the  pain in Christine and coloring all now the pain in Robin..who is working way to hard to make things work.  Love comes easily.  In fact reading the book was painful knowing the tears they cry from knowing someone else gets more attention, or they are not quite stable in their relationship.  If you read the book you see they blame it all own themselves.  They want to work harder on self which is very honorable.  We all could use that help. I don't see any of it as their fault.  You picked this type of life and it goes against my faith ..yes but people do not go against my heart for I love all.
  I look to Kody.
He certainly needs to take a long long time off by himself and get things worked out and a home built for all of you.  What is the very reason of living a plural marriage if you do not live together and who can keep up the pace of running back and forth?
Kody needs to have a really good paying job, also maybe more of the ladies.  As much as we women would all love to stay home and be with children we can't all stay home.
 I see this mariage as one balancing act. Kody is trying to keep plates in the air.
Yet some will fall.
You are all strong, even if you fall you won't break but life will go on and maybe even another life that you have yet to imagine.
3531312
Many will relate to the grief that follows a lost marriage and the slow process of emerging from the cocoon of sadness to soar into an whole new life of promise.
4006182
It's a good read for couples wanting to work on their marriage, and for non-married couples.  What is your love language?  Is it physical contact?  Serving your mate?  Praising (affirming) your mate?  This is an excellent primer on building love beyond the romantic stage of new love, making it last for the long haul.
2172033
In West ,70 % of the people have two or three marriages. The book shows in a very realistic way the complicate situations and mixed feelings everyone ,thats involved ,could have. The book has very positive ending. The life is not always perfect, but you can always make it work.
4250838
This was a great book examining the interpersonal relationships we develop as move into adulthood, from family to friends to lovers.
3971474
No relationship is perfect and many people in relationships find themselves in outside relationships seeking what they are not getting in their current relationship.  Initially the scenario with the secrets etc would be very enticing but ultimately it would make the matter worst.  This book is very realistic in highlighting this fact.  This is a very strong and realistic topic that all couples married or not should read and absorb.
3022452
"We are afraid that if people really knew us they wouldn't love us. ~ pg. 13

After a very moving Prologue, Matthew Kelly explains that we cannot live happily without intimacy. He also explains why so many people live lives of quiet desperation. Matthew Kelly also seems to have a deep understanding of what it takes to maintain a vibrant relationship. He shows why some relationships fail and why others thrive.

"Interests change. People lose interest in different things, and if the strongest bond you have with a person is your common interests, he or she might lose interest in you when his or her interests change." ~ pg. 34

The first part of the book explores why sex is not intimacy and why common interests are not enough. The second section of the book includes very interesting ideas about how we can move through various levels of intimacy. These include: Cliches, Facts, Opinions, Hopes and Dreams, Feelings, Faults, Fears, and Failures and finally Legitimate Needs. In the third part of the book Matthew Kelly focuses on the "Ten Reasons People Don't Have Great Relationships," and "How to Design a Great Relationship.

This book is truly a journey that helps you consider your current reality. Since most of us on this planet cannot live happily without intimacy, this book sheds light on the subject in a very organized way. By the end of the book you will know which of your relationships need work.

~The Rebecca Review
2932548
When I started this book, I was put off at how infidelity was the opening of a romantic novel.  Infidelity of Phillipe, Josie, and Riley.  But as you walk through the lives of each character, they are in the process of experiencing love and the different facets of it.  The loss of love, the lust of love, the understanding of love, the search of love, the development of love, the flirtation of love, the home of love, the promise of love.

Personally, having been to Paris looking for romantic love at 16 and finding self love, and returning at 32 with my husband, exploring and understanding the home of love (that lived in our children when we returned), this book is a journey for all the characters in a short day.  I think many of us have been through many stages love to varying degrees, but can relate to all of them.
4658302
Though there's some good sex scenes in this book, its more about relationships and lustful feelings and the hardships of marriage and how people react to those and how you can overcome those hardships. I related to Sadie's perspective about the direction her marriage was headed. If someone hasn't been through the ups and downs in a relationship, and found themselves working it out, then they may not be about to understand the characters point of view.
3568115
You know those stories with the white picket fence and dreamy relationships where nothing ever seems to go wrong? This ISN'T one of those. This is reality. This is a couple that once experienced a "fairytale" love finding out what it's like to struggle to keep that alive. This book portrays the not so lovely parts of marriage that nobody ever seems to want to talk about. It's an eye opener. It's a thought provoking piece of literature.

My favorite thing about the book is that you see the story from two different perspectives. You see and FEEL what it's like to be the wife who is slowly realizing her marriage may have lost its spark. You also experience what it's like to be the "other woman", torn between her sense of what is right and her intensifying emotions. For me, this was the most interesting part. Instead of just crucifying her for interfering with a marriage in turmoil, I experienced her struggle and confusion over the situation. It really makes the reader realize that we all act on our own past experiences and emotions. Although we may appear to be selfish or ignorant to the outside world, our intentions may be quite the opposite. This is the type of reflection we all need to have, and Lindsay's novel brings this topic to the surface.

This is an excellent read for people of all ages. Younger readers will develop a more realistic perspective of relationships. Those more experienced with love in their own lives will most likely find the story to be refreshing. Not every love story has to be a fairy tale. Even the couples deep in love have to work for that solid marriage. It's the amount of determination to overcome the obstacles that leads to the end result. Without You is one woman's story of how she overcame her obstacles and wrote her ending.
3789183
A riding accident erases 5 years of memory for William, including meeting and marrying his wife, Catherine.  They had fallen in love upon meeting, and continued growing in love after marrying.  Catherine was devastated when William no longer looked with love at her, which in turn caused William distress.  Thus, it was easier to be apart.
  Christine, Catherines sister comes to help during Williams recovery and comes up with the idea to switch identities, allowing William the opportunity to come to know Catherine without the pressure to feel he must love her simply because they were married.  William allows Catherine, posing as Christine his sister-in-law, help him learn about his wife.
  Christine, posing as Catherine, leaves the scene with Wexley, Williams brother, to give William space to come to grips with his new situation.  Of course, the hope is that William will fall in love with Catherine (posing as Christine) all over again.
  Thus the story is built around helping William reinstate himself into a marriage he does not remember, with a woman he does not know.  We watch the reestablishment of a relationship between William and Catherine, tentative at first.  A masked ball, some mistletoe and a passionate kiss before everyone sets the stage for the revelation of the secrets.  By the end of the book, Ind and William have reestablished their passionate relationship and are preparing to live HEA.  This is a clean book, with only kisses between the married couple described.  Readers of all ages can enjoy this book.
708162
This book started off a little slow for me. I almost gave up, but then BAM!!! I got it. This is a story that so many of us can identify with. After so many years of marriage life can become this story.

Heath is a dedicated father and husband. He believes in supporting his family, caring for his family. He thinks that putting a roof over their heads and food on the table is the most important thing. At times it is the forgotten hug that matters. Sometimes you need to be under the same roof and communicating.

Whitney is left to deal with the day to day life. She wears so many hats that burnout is going to happen. Wife, mother, teacher, chauffeur and romance writer becomes too much and Heath doesn't have a clue.

This is a journey of hope. This is a story of when love just isn't enough. This is the story of the journey back while going forward. It was worth the struggle in the beginning to reach the conclusion.
688950
For those of you who don't know me, I'm twenty years old, single, and never been in a relationship. I'm married to my work--which goes far beyond just book reviewing, or even my real job, and is ultimately just following God's calling in my life. I'm married to God. Metaphorically, I'm His bride.

That doesn't mean I plan on being single all my life, it just means that whoever God does bring into my life will need to be someone that is willing to run hand-in-hand with me as we sprint into the arms of God.

But enough sentimentality. If I use it up now, I won't have any leftover for Valentine's Day. The book is entitled Love and War and is subtitled Finding the Marriage You've Dreamed Of. Standard reading material for a twenty year old single guy, I'm sure. Written by a couple of 22 year veterans of the Love and War known as marriage, John and Stasi Eldredge speak bluntly and transparently on the things that make or break marriages.

And while the precepts they put forth are Biblical and timeless, it is their transparency in throwing themselves into the situations, admitting where they've grown or faltered or messed up, that ultimately makes this book a winner. Because honestly, I don't want to read a book from someone who tells me their marriage is perfect. Anybody who says that there's no way their marriage could get better has a marriage in dire trouble, and they're too stupid to realize it.

Coming together with advice both practical and spiritual, the
Eldredge's show that marriage cannot and will not be easy, but two flawed individuals can come together and complement one another in the most intimate of relationships. In the end, their advice really isn't completely novel. It's not a push-button philosophy that says "do this and have the perfect marriage." Instead, they take the general principles of relating and communicating with anybody, and then apply them within the context of marriage. Be honest, yet tactful in communication. Put the needs of the other ahead of your own needs. Let the little things be little things. Realize that both you and your spouse are broken people, complemented by each other, but completed in Christ.

Whether you're like me and just beginning to think about what lies ahead relationally or if you're a fifty year veteran of marriage, there's something that you can learn from in this book. Take a look at it here.

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah.