The Love List: Eight Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Marriage

I am a pastor who does pre-marital counseling and/or marriage counseling. I've found there are some very simple tips in this book (simple yet profound). Some of the basic tips they cover in this book have helped some of the couples I work with. My experience has been that most authors who write on marriage do not do their own research. The Parrott's seem to be an exception to this norm. They blend biblical concepts, research, and their own material to provide practical tips for growing in relationships. They are refreshing and easy to read. The book has four pairs of tips. One pair for daily help, one pair for weekly, one for monthly and one for annual. I started out looking for books/resources by Christian marriage experts who could help provide guides on how to have a great marriage (there are plenty of things dealing with dysfunctional marriages). about 5 years ago, I found the Parrott's to be the best (I'm not a marriage expert, just a pastor who has been looking at some of the resources out there). I've found that their tips have helped my own marriage a lot, and I would venture to say that partially because of the tips in this book and ones like it, my own marriage has improved a lot. I've also seen people who apply the tips in this book improve. One aid they have is a little clear stick on plastic sheet in the back of the book which gives you the 8 Love List Items on a 'cheat sheet'. What I did was put that stick on sheet (it's about 1.5" by 2") on my mirror in my bathroom. So when I am getting ready to go for the day, I remember to do the daily tips on the sheet. There are two stick on sheets, one for the husband and one for the wife-so we each have one up on over our own sinks. You could put them on your car rearview mirror or in the corner of a windshield, but I think it's safer to put them in the bathroom. In addition there is a good site with some basic tips for free at tipsformarriage dot blogspot . That is my site. The Parrott's have a site that is called real relationships (google it). You might want to check that out as well. Whatever the case, I heartily recommend this little book. The tips are things you can learn and that help most couples a lot. I hope you enjoy it!

Practical tips that can really be done! Written by a husband & wife team, so it offers two view points.

i have a large collection of relationship books that i buy for husband to be used as dust collectors. for some reason he liked this one and he did not put it down until it was read. i saw instant results. buy it!

I really enjoyed this book by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. The format is simple - the Love List is a list of 2 things to do once a day, once a week, once a month and once a year. Examples are:Once a day find something that makes you both laugh.Once a week boost your partner's self-esteem.Along with the items on the list, the Parrotts include personal anecdotes and encouragement about how to re-vitalize a tired marriage or improve an already good one. The Parrotts also do marriage conferences called "Becoming Soulmates" (look for the book by the same name). Pillow Talk for Couples: Drawing Closer Before the Lights Go Out" is the title of their newest book, a devotional that looks like a must-buy!The Love List would be a great book for any married couple, newlyweds or golden-agers. The authors are Christians and the book is written from that perspective, but I believe all married couples would benefit greatly!Thank you, Les and Leslie!

My wife and I have a good marriage, but for some time I've felt like our relationship has not had the "sparkle" that it ought. I've never been able to put my finger on how I/we have let things go flat and how I could work on rejuvinating things. I ran across this book by accident and was instantly hooked. Unlike many relationship books, the author talks sense rather than nonsense. The idea is truely simple - a list of eight behaviours to practice. Some per day, some per week, per month, per year. There is nothing fancy here, nothing that costs money. Nothing that requires elaborate preparation. The main idea is that husband and wife need to be intenttional about nurturing the marriage and they probably need to talk about important stuff a lot more than they are probably doing now. For example, item no. 1 on the list is touch each other each day. The ideas here speak to me. I can see my wife and I putting this into practice over the long run. I believe that these 8 simple ideas will work change in our relationship.Skinny book, and a fast read. Take your time, read it two or three times, give it to your spouse to read and then talk, talk, talk about the ideas. Although published by a Christian publisher, and written from a Christian perspective, don't let that scare you off if you are of a different/no religious persuasion. The religious themes are minor and almost incidental. No preaching here. I'd say this is for folks like us - good marriages that could be better. This is probably not the recipe for repairing a damaged relationship.