Book Review: Love is a Flame: Stories of What Happens When Love is Rekindled

Love is a Flame: Stories of What Happens When Love is Rekindled is a collection of true stories about married life written by couples, or one of the spouses, and compiled into a this collection by James Stuart Bell.  

It is not a how-to manual, but rather a compilation of stories about the joys, sorrows, troubles, and trials of marriage.  It is the “sickness and health” and “richer and poorer” of a marriage. As stated in the foreward by Gary Chapman (author of The Five Love Languages), “none of us were prepared for the real world of living in covenant with a spouse who is more human than divine,” and in many ways, this book and its stories are the result of that ill-preparedness.  

The stories will make you laugh, cry, wonder, and shout.  The book is easy to read and would be possible to read cover to cover in a day’s time, but in doing so, the reader will likely miss out on the true value of this book.  Read story by story followed by a time of contemplation, the stories may actually serve to identify strengths and weaknesses in a marriage as well as steps to be taken to fortify a marriage.

While not set up specifically as such, this book, could, in fact, serve as a basis for a couples devotional time.  I would suggest individuals read the short stories on their own and then come together to discuss the summary and any implications in their own lives.  From there, they may choose to turn to God’s Word to add His insight into their discussion, thus not only identifying ways to build their relationships with one another, but also searching out paths toward strengthening their individual and joint relationship with the Lord.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”