A Review of "Love at Last Sight: 30 Days to Grow and Deepen Your Closest Relationships"

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/9297 
 Love at Last Sight is co-written by Kerry and Chris Shook which is a second to their "One Month to Live" book. It is written as a 30 day devotional. The reader is to read a chapter a day and then complete the challenges laid out for them. The good news for the reader feeling pressured by having to read a chapter a day is that each chapter is only 5-7 pages long.
   The third page of the book lays out a bold claim, "But if you apply what you read over the next thirty days, your key relationships will grow and deepen." I found that statement to be not only bold, but arrogant. Are we to believe that they are holding the key to lasting relationships that have been elusive for 6,000 years? If only Cain and Abel would have read this book. Beyond that point, I have to say that I have enjoyed doing the thirty day journey into growing and deepening my closest relationships even though I found the book to be lacking in some areas. Here are those areas.
   I did read a chapter of the book everyday, which is a first for me to be that diligent, as well as journaled my thoughts. Unfortunately, by around day six, I had given up on "officially" trying the daily challenges. And by around day 15 I just skipped reading that part of the chapter. I found the challenges to be obscure, obtuse, overly simplified, or overly difficult. It ranged from being so simple I didn't even have to think about it or so difficult I knew I wouldn't even try it.
   Secondly, Day 17 was almost a chapter long summary of Chapman's The Five Love Languages yet he went uncited as a source. I was quite disturbed by that.
   Finally, I thought some of the anecdotes, jokes, and stories were tired, over played, and occassionaly out of place. I've occasionally listened to sermons and wondered what the point of the illustration was, but routinely, when I set out to journal about the day's chapter (immediately after reading it) I had to review the chapter to see what it was about. It's problematic when the illustrations are clouding your point and not supporting it.
   I don't want to overly negative. There were stories and points that really hit home and were definitely worth reading. I have read many relationship books in my life. This book ranks near the top, but there was not enough new material to consider it a great book. If you have not read any relationship book, or you are a novice I would recommend this book, but that is about it. 
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.