Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age by Ben Stuart ~ Review

My Review:

Mr. Stuart goes through these four stages, sharing from his own experiences with his wife, as well as from friends that he has mentored, grounding advice to help millennials navigate the muddy waters of modern romance.

Engaging from the start, this book strikes a great tone from the beginning. I loved reading about Mr. Stuart and the stories from his childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and about him and his wife. I really liked his style, and how passionate he is about being wise in relationships and trusting them to God. I also found this as an audiobook at my local library, so I both read and listened to this book, and enjoyed it both ways.

I thought that it was interesting how this book was written for people in any of the four stages, and while I do think that there are great things in this book for everyone to hear, but I felt while reading/listening to this book that I'm not really sure how many married or engaged people would really pick up this book. If anything I think that this book fits best with people who are in the "Dating" category, and here's why. People who are actively dating, be it monogamously moving towards a serious commitment, or simply putting themselves out there in hopes of finding love are most likely to benefit from this book in all of the stages, they may become engaged or married, or they may become single again. But while this book has terrific stuff in the sections about engagement and marriage, I think that someone within those areas of life is likely find another resource, while someone looking to move towards these things will most appreciate the wisdom, and advice Mr. Stuart has to offer as he talks about what it means to make such commitments.

I read this book as a single person, and I guess I found the "Single" chapters to be more looking towards a future in one of the other stages, and not as much as I would have liked about enjoying this stage, and the possibility of it being permanent. Though I will say that this section fit well into the format of this book.

I really appreciated that this book has a firm biblical grounding into relationships, and I often found myself agreeing enthusiastically to its advice, as it matched many of my own conclusions along those lines. Mr. Stuart does a great job of showing examples of what a God-honoring marriage/relationship should and should not be. And he is firm on topics that many people these days are trying to blur.

Overall, a well written read, entertaining and engaging, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I would happily recommend this book, because of how Mr. Stuart skillfully uses his own experience and those of his friends, to share biblical wisdom on the many stages and relationships in our lives. An excellent resource!

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