I had the chance to preview a copy of this book, and I’m glad I did. Although What’s it Like to be Married to Me? was written specifically for women, the title caught my attention and looked interesting. After all, the question is one that we should all be asking ourselves on a regular basis.
Even though the questions and examples in the book are ones that women can relate to much better than men, they still gave me much to think about. After all, for every issue that women struggle with in marriage, there is usually a similar or opposing issue that men struggle with at the same time. They are usually vastly different, but they are there. Marriages don’t usually fall apart because only one person has problems. If there was anything this book reminded me of, it was that i am not the only one carrying burdens in my marriage.
Here is the official summary of the book:
Women everywhere wonder if there is more to marriage than what they have. Best-Selling author Linda Dillow, helps women shape their marriage by design rather than letting circumstances shape it by default. What’s It Like to Be Married to Me? And Other Dangerous Questions, is a book about knowing the difference between having a desire for a better marriage and setting the goal of having a better marriage—as women look in the mirror to see how they can change. Extremely intimate and honest, Dillow shares the best and worst things she has done in her nearly fifty years of marriage, guides women to make their own Marriage Purpose Statement, and leads them into God’s heart for what their marriage could be.
Author bio:
Linda Dillow is no stranger to publishing and adventure. She’s the author of Creative Counterpart, Calm My Anxious Heart, The Blessings Book, Satisfy My Thirsty Soul, and co-author of the Best-Selling book Intimate Issues. Linda and her husband Jody lived in Europe and Asia for 17 years training Christian leaders in closed countries with Biblical Education by Extension, during this time, Linda traveled extensively in Romania, Russia, Hungary, Poland and Asia. She taught women and helped them launch women’s ministries. She is a mother of four children, as well as a grandmother.
(a few of) My thoughts:
I thought the book was great. It was very insightful, open and honest. Linda Dillow didn’t seem to skirt any issues or pull any punches. As far as i could tell her advice and insight was right on the money.
Obviously, I’m not a woman. That being the case, i was at first tempted to read something and think “Yes! I wish my wife would act that way.” Or, “that’s right, women should be asking themselves that question!” It didn’t take long for me to realize however, that I needed to be examining my own life and marriage in the same way Linda was encouraging women to examine theirs. I realized that if we as husbands would simply love our wives the way that Jesus commanded, our wives would not be dealing with many of these issues. In that sense, the book almost seemed unfair. Women should not be the ones who are doing all the work. Men and women should both be taking responsibility to make their marriages all they were meant to be. For me, the bottom line was this: If my wife is willing to take these sort of steps, and ask these sort of questions of herself in order to grow her love for me, it would be nothing short of sinful for me not to do the same.
This book inspired me to work harder to become intentional in my marriage and to stop leaving it to chance and circumstance. I highly recommend it…not just for women, but for any man who is willing to do anything it takes to advance his relationship with his wife to the next level!
My review copy was provided by Coast to Coast Publicity, and they included a second copy for me to give away. If you are interested in this book, email me with your name and address. I’ll pick a name at random next week and mail out the book!
Otherwise, if you’d prefer to purchase a copy (and i really think you should) You can purchase it at Amazon.