Book Review: The Respect Dare

One thing that I think is sorely lacking today is the willingness of women to show respect to their husbands in particular, and men as a whole in general.  Whether it be the constant putting men down banter that seems to be expected any time two women talk for longer than five seconds, or the attitudes displayed in media, the one group we are used to belittling is men.

I am a product of my times.  I know God commands me to show my husband respect.  But too often, I don't do a good job of it.  So the chance to read The Respect Dare, by Nina Roesner, definitely appealed to me.  Having to review it, well, not so much.  I hate confessing things I'm lousy at.


From the publisher:

“A long and happy marriage.” It sounds like the end of a fairy tale—an illusion that modern times have exposed.

And it is, if marriage depends on a constant stream of romantic emotion, or even on copious amounts of time or money. Thank the Lord, none of those are necessary. Two thousand years ago, Paul gave women the key to a successful marriage, and it can be summed up in two words: unconditional respect. It’s not popular. It doesn’t sound fair. It can be hard to imagine.

But it works.

Nina Roesner has led countless women through this practical and life-changing journey, and in The Respect Dare she offers you the hope that so many others have found. Day by day, true stories and thought-provoking questions will help you apply biblical wisdom to the most important relationship in your life.

Give it forty days. Experience the intimacy God intended and discover what he can do in your heart and in your marriage when you choose to show respect his way.

What did I think?

Well, it was not what I expected.  The marketing I read talked about The Love Dare, and I confess I was expecting things like that.  Daily challenges that would make me think, that would make me reach out to my husband.  This didn't read that way at all.  Instead, I'm supposed to be spending all kinds of time focusing on my preconceptions about marriage or otherwise analyzing my thoughts, my feelings, my expectations, my needs.  Not that this self-help thinking isn't valuable, but it isn't what I expected.

The book is full of examples of situations and events in the lives of real women. Unfortunately, I didn't find myself connecting with any of them. They didn't resonate with me.  They didn't sound like other women I know. 

Maybe if I was taking their e-course, which they advertise too frequently, I'd get more out of this.  Maybe if I was doing this with a group of women who are wanting to grow in this area and who are willing to hold me accountable, then I'd probably get more out of it too.

But for me, working through this on my own, it just reminds me why I don't read -- and hate reviewing -- self-help books.

From glancing at other reviews, clearly this was a great thing for lots of women.  Not so much for me. 

Disclaimer: As a Booksneeze Blogger, I did receive this ebook for free from Thomas Nelson. All opinions are my own.  No other compensation was received. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.