Excellent book about loving and cherishing your spouse. I love the perspectives the author offers, which challenges couples to examine the way they think about marriage, love, and their mate. I enjoy the author's writing style which is down-to-earth and easy to read and understand. Sometimes relationship books can become very philosophical with little application, but Cherish helps readers apply the concepts and ideas very well.

At first I thought..”.another marriage book. What can he possibly say that I haven’t heard before?” Well let me tell you this is not your typical marriage book! If you are a lover of Jesus and want to be a better lover of your spouse read this book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

I had every intention of reading this book and writing an honest review but it expired before I had the chance. My apologies, If you like to resend it to me I would be happy to get it reviewed,

Reading this book was an absolute treat. Initially, I thought it will be the same spiel about marriages and how readers can follow 3 steps to reignite the spark in their marriage.

I was wrong.

Gary takes a more refreshing approach by defining what cherishing a spouse means in the Christian context and how couples can learn to truly cherish each other.

I am neither in a relationship nor married and I found this book very instructive in developing a mindset to continuously learn how to keep a relationship alive.

I enjoyed the real live stories shared and particularly the fact Gary did not quote too many scriptures like other writers who tackle subjects from Christian/ biblical perspectives. I am of the opinion that if I want to read a book full of scriptures, I can as well just pick up the bible.

This book is relatable with a smooth narrative that keeps the reader engaged.

Gary L Thomas always writes winners for Christian readers, especially those looking for help in their relationships. This would be a great addition to your library.

This is a must read for married couples. Especially those that have been married for a little while. Sacred Marriage and Lifelong Love were excellent books but this is by far my favorite. I plan on purchasing several more copies as anniversary gifts.

Wow, this book really opened my eyes to several things.
One: I am really cherished by my husband. He does a wonderful job of showing me that.
Two: I’m really bad at cherishing my husband.
A few quotes really grabbed me were: “…but what does it mean to cherish our spouse? Is that word just an add-on? Why do we say it once at the wedding and then rarely even mention it again?”
This one too: “You can honor someone without cherishing them, but you can’t cherish someone with honoring them. When you fail to cherish a spouse, you are essentially dishonoring them.” Yikes!
I never have though much about cherishing my spouse but this book really puts in terms that are relatable and understandable.
Most marriage books I find disappointing but that is not the case with this one. If you are looking for something to challenge you and your marriage I highly recommend this one.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

My dove, my perfect one, is the only one. Song of Solomon 6:9 Another way to put it is that the call to cherish isn't to appreciate being pleasured by your spouse but to take pleasure in the pleasure of your spouse. To cherish is to be filled with joy not because your spouse brings you but because you take joy in your spouse's joy. The power to cherish begins with understanding the gospel message of "the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior" who saved us "not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy", and who has given us" renewal by the Holy Spirit".

Forget about going on Mission Trip or serving in the church (this is all good things) but what about the mission field of your family and spouse? Many of us are excited about serving in some capacity in church or in the mission field but not serving our own spouse and children. We speak kindly to others but with our family our words cut deep and cause injury to the spirit of those that we are called to love, protect and cherish.

It is true Cherish will change everything in your marriage and ultimately your family if you are intentional and read this book not on how you can be cherished but how you can cherish your spouse. Yes! Men desire to be cherished as well. It might look different for each family. That is why knowing our spouse and their needs is crucial and relevant. If we are not cherishing each other, we could be very well causing great injury to our spouse's emotional well being. Being cherished in the home first will filter out to us loving others and the world well. If we are not being cherished, we cannot do ministry effectively. If we are not cherishing our families and are doing ministry, our marriages may end in a crisis.

Some of the quotes that I found are so encouraging.

Love is giving for the sake of spouse's becoming.

Cherishing calls us to go to war against contempt. That's because cherishing is all about protecting our spouses-their reputation, their personhood, their sense of value and worth.

A cherishing marriage is built on intimate understanding, not stereotypical assumptions. Don't apply spectacular advise that is true in 90% of marriages if it's not true in yours-because if it's not true in yours, it's spectacularly bad advise.

In your marriage, are you careful to devote yourself to do good works for your spouse? Without this positive focus on doing good works, the goal of married life becomes not doing bad works, but that not good enough. That's not cherishing; that's being a Pharisee (I won't do bad things to you so you won't do bad things to me")

There's another way of looking at this: If God's attitude toward you in your sin mirrored exactly your attitude toward your spouse in his or her sin, where would you be with God?

Sacrifice shapes your heart.

The best thing about this book it is not just about marriage but about the gospel. To cherish is to look at others first and not to be self absorbed. It is loving well and loving true. I highly recommend.

A Special Thank You to Zondervan and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Lots of good advice and tips on how to cherish your significant other.

A must read, especially around Valentine's Day, for anyone in a relationship.

Cherish. A word spoken and vowed, but oft overlooked and forgotten. Though it's a small word, it can make a world of difference in transforming a marriage.

I was very intrigued by the title of this book, and after I read the description I knew that I had to read it. I had previously read Mr. Thomas's book, Sacred Search, which is one of my favorite relational books that I have read, so I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint. I love how Mr. Thomas uses stories from his own marriage, and that of people that he knows to show Cherish in action, as well as how he deftly points to the gospel throughout.

This would be a great book for people to read before marriage, as well as anyone who is married, because I don't think it would ever be bad to learn of more ways to cherish and understand your spouse. I loved the way that Mr. Thomas talks about the different aspects of cherishing someone, from forsaking all others, and learning to treasure your spouse in the ways that make them who they are, to accepting their stumblings, learning their love language and loving them how they desire to be cherished, and how to encourage them for Christ and eternity.

I'm not married, but I immensely enjoyed this book, it was comprehensive, conversational, and concise. And even though I do not have a spouse, I thought that this book was very edifying nonetheless, and even though I know that it was not the direct aim of the book, it led me to think of how I treat other Christians and people in day to day life in light of the gospel. This book has a strong biblical foundation, and I loved how it was continually pointing readers to the cross of Christ, and how that should change how we treat others, most especially a spouse.

Overall, a fantastic read, and despite not being married, I found that I got so much out of it, and would recommend others like me to read it as well. I will definitely be revisiting this book again and again over the years.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Gary Thomas is my favorite author. I love all his books and this book does not make me disappointed. From this book you will learn how to cherish your spouse by studying them, listening to them, and finding out who they are. All couples should read this, married or not, because this book is full of wisdom and practical advice, this is a guide to a happy marriage..

Thank you Zondervan and Netgalley for this book.