What Husbands Need: Reaching His Heart and Reclaiming His Passion

"...It is time to turn our hearts back...time to look upon our greatest treasure, our husbands, with fresh and tender eyes. It's time to reclaim our marriages." With this thought, author Judy Carden, takes the reader on a journey to discover how God desires their marriages to be; how they can be the helpmate they were designed to be. Filled with quotes from men the author surveyed, this small book is full of practical tips and help that encourage the godly wife to reach her husband's heart and reclaim his passion. From chapters on respect and prayer to ones on romance and cherishing his chivalry, Carden has included true stories that demonstrate the principles she is trying to impart. Each short section deals with important areas in every marriage. Judy Carden did a wonderful job pulling together information and inserting sensible suggestions throughout What Husbands Need. The main focus of the book is to wives whose husbands are Christians. The quotes appeared to be from godly men, thus leaving a gap for the wife whose husband is not a Christian. Despite this omission, there are many guidelines to assist any wife, whether her husband is a Christian or not. I could see that the author has the desire to help women "transform their mundane marriage into a magical, vibrant image of God's plan for the contemporary covenant marriage" as she states on the back cover. This is a book you would enjoy reading. Armchair Interviews says: Be aware this advice is best read by women in marriages where both are Christian.

Judy Carden has an incredibly inviting and unintimidating writing style, which is just one of the things that makes this book so wonderful. Her thoughts in "What Husbands Need" are encouraging, heartwarming, and thought provoking. The attitude of Carden's advice provide a feeling of understanding to the woman who is striving to tackle so many aspects of life at the same time- work, family, marriage- and end up feeling tired and lost from time to time. "What Husbands Need" has a comforting tone of actual unity in it, as Carden includes herself as someone who can constantly learn from God's love and purpose for life, love, and marriage. In a world of condescending self help books, Carden's compassionate approach is a literary breath of fresh air. An added bonus to the long list of benefits that "What Husbands Need" gives the reader, Carden's anecdotes and suggestions can be used as an important learning tool for single women as well as married ones. The single woman who is still waiting for God to complete His promise of true love can, in the mean time, use Carden's book as a prepatory guide for her future role as a loving wife. "What Husbands Need" is a delightful and fulfilling read that all women can appreciate!

The message found in `What Husbands Need' is timeless. As a mother of 5 boys under the age of 12, I felt like this book was a life preserver in my sea of busyness. When my book arrived (along with the other 7 I ordered as gifts!) my family ended up eating leftovers for dinner because I was determined to devour Judy's book immediately. The leftovers were soon forgotten when my husband realized that he had instantaneously been catapulted onto my radar screen ahead of the kids and assorted pets! What a foolish woman I had been. It doesn't matter where you squeeze this book into your life ~ in the slow moving carpool line or sneaking a peek while in the bathroom ~ be prepared . . . you will be positively transformed! And just like a dropped pebble sends out countless ripples, once I splashed down in Judy's book, all those around me benefited from my new knowledge and being "challenged" to treat my beloved husband, Marc, like the treasure he is to me. I plan on being 'front and center' when Judy gets invited to share her message on "Oprah." But, right now I need to run. I have scissors in my hand ready to cut up my old flannel pajamas that I have had since 8th grade and slip into something slinky for my beloved.