This is an excellent read. Cusick, a trained psychotherapist and spiritual director has experienced a lot of trauma in his life which led to soothing himself with certain addictive habits. He wondered if he could ever draw close to God and it's through his own personal journey of repentance and learning that he discovers the beauty and joy of sacred attachment to God.

It's a wonderful book as Cusick helps the reader step gently through our own struggles to discover sacred attachment. I especially appreciated Cusick's comments about stopping striving when we slip up rather to step back into the Lord's presence using certain practices that suit our disposition and personality. Nothing can separate us from the love of God we're told in the Bible and our sin, our slip-ups, don't. Allowing ourselves to bathe in divine love, irrespective of how dirty we feel, helps release us from our bondage and turn back to continue following its source: our wonderful triune God.

The book is one that perhaps is best served read slowly and meditatively. There are discussion questions at the back geared towards groups but I do wonder if some of the concepts could be better reflects upon by having questions, points to ponder, or whatever, at the end of each chapter. That way it's more natural for. reader to dive into them rather than flipping to the back of the book.

Like most early ebook versions, the experience of a non-fiction book is a little challenged, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a published copy in the New Year.

I feel very blessed having received the early ebook draft from IVP via Net Galley. This has had no bearing on my review and as I mentioned I'm planning on buying my own copy when it releases in 2025.

This is a thoughtful, heartfelt book that will likely help a lot of people. I appreciated Cusick's vulnerability and his compassion. The book posits that tendencies to sin - our tendencies to distrust God and turn to other things for security or satisfaction - stem from past pain. I do not think all sin issues stem from trauma or attachment disorders from childhood, and we are still responsible for our own choices. The book should have made clearer in places that we must repent of sin to be restored to a right relationship with God. However, the book was clear that sin has awful consequences and that we ought to work through past pain with help from God and people. As Cusick states, struggles such as addiction can have multifaceted causes, and just trying harder, reading the Bible more, etc., aren't always solutions. This book offers some strategies (e.g., contemplative prayer) that may be more helpful. Most importantly, Cusick emphasizes God's love for us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC. This review will be posted on Goodreads and Amazon closer to publication.

Through his book Sacred Attachment, Cusick could help a lot of people who cannot move on from his traumatic experience and come near to God. With his own story journey of life, I think I can relate a lot with him in this topic.

An interesting examination of attachment styles and how they interact with our connection to God in physical, mystical, and emotional ways.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)