Book Review: The Marriage You've Always Wanted by Gary Chapman

About: You can picture the perfect marriage in your mind, but re-creating it in reality doesn’t come easy. Trusted counselor and relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman reasons that the most sought-after ingredient in any marriage is true oneness. In The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, he presents expert wisdom and common sense methods to establishing true unity on emotional and practical levels in marriage. Discover the wit and insight that makes his worldwide presentations and marriage conferences so popular. Are you trying to change your spouse? Do you know what it means to really love someone? Do you feel ignored or even alone in your effort to improve your marriage? Dr. Chapman has answers and action steps on topics from expressing your emotions to managing your money, all in a format that will have you and your spouse talking and learning with every page.

My Review: I am a firm believer in taking time to read books about marriage. While my husband and I have a healthy relationship, I know the only way to keep it that way is to be actively working to improve what we have. The Marriage You've Always Wanted pointed out many of the things other marriage books focus on, but Chapman's writing style is easy to read. I like the "your turn" homework sections at the end of each chapter. The questions found there are great springboards for discussion and thought. Marriage is hard work, but it's rewarding work. The Marriage You've Always Wanted is a book for every married couple. Don't wait until your marriage is falling apart to do something to keep it together. Start now.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to every married couple whether you've been married a week or several decades.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Moody Publishers.

Book Review: Happily Ever After by Gary Chapman

Excerpt: Your marriage may be weeks, months, years, or decades old. It may be strong or struggling, stable or challenging. My prayer is that this book will encourage you, help you and your spouse better understand and communicate with each other, and provide practical takeaways for dealing with whatever conflicts you might face. You just may find that you have a new joy in each other and that you can indeed live and love...happily ever after. Happily Ever After, pg viii.

Back Cover: Let's face it - even the best marriages hit an occasional bump in the road now and then. The secret to marital bliss lies in how you and your spouse handle those bumps.

In Happily Ever After, Dr. Gary Chapman, the man who wrote the book on how husbands and wives can effectively love one another, shows couples how to successfully navigate the six most common problems they face: fighting fair, negotiating change, managing money, raising kids, maintaining a healthy sex life, and getting along with in-laws.

Drawing on more than 30 years of counseling experience, Dr. Chapman provides real-world examples and practical, battle-tested advice that will help you and your spouse better understand and communicate with each other...and grow as a couple for years to come.

My Review: I am blessed with a wonderful marriage, but I recognize that I have to work to keep it wonderful. That is why I enjoy reading books on marriage. I want to be the best wife that I can be, and I believe that Gary Chapman's book Happily Ever After can help me achieve that goal. Happily Ever After is filled with practical advice that can help any couple. I appreciated the questions at the end of the chapters, and the examples given in the book. I came away with several things that I can do that will improve my marriage, and I know that any one reading this book will be able to get something out of it. It has been a long time since I read Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages, and I liked that he incorporated those ideas into this book. It was a nice refresher course. I encourage all married couples to take some time and read books that will help you with your marriage. It will be time well spent.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I highly recommend this book to couples who are looking to make their marriage even better.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers for the purpose of review.