Book Review: The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages by Shaunti Feldhahn

Having read Shaunti Feldhahn's previous book, For Women Only, I had high expectations for this book - and I was not disappointed!

The book focuses on small changes anyone can make to improve their marriage. The author reveals 12 secrets she discovered in researching highly happy marriages and explains how spouses can implement them to take their marriage from good to great.

The first two principles actually resonated the most with me.  The first one reminded me of the importance of thanking my husband for all that he does.  I need to notice what he does and express appreciation.  Basically, make sure that I don't take him for granted. Also, I want to make it a priority to do the little things that are important to him personally - packing his lunch each day, having his dress shirts ironed for work, etc.  These vary for each husband, but I can figure out what he likes and simply do those tasks.

Secondly, I should always assume the best about him and act on that.  If he does something that makes me angry, I shouldn't assume that he did it on purpose or that he's trying to hurt me.  Instead, I need to assume the best - that he loves me and wants to make me happy - and approach the situation from that point of view.  I have a tendency to react first and collect facts later, so this is definitely an area in which I can improve.

Like Shaunti's previous books, this one is practical and includes very helpful, easy-to-follow advice based on extensive research.  I definitely recommend this book.  Whether you've been married two years or twenty, I think you can find tips that will help you refine your marriage.

You can connect with Shaunti at her website or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.  For a sneak peek at the book, you can read the first chapter for free here.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah. All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for this review in any other way.