Paying homage to his late wife, Dr. Pamela Samms, the author takes inspiration from her four decades as a marriage educator and his own extensive experience in pastoral marriage and family counseling to deliver a guide to building fundamentally strong marital relationships while weaving in biblical principles that can be applied to practical, day-to-day experiences. In creating paradigms that are both personal and easily relatable, Samms essentially takes the science out of marriage so couples can internalize and then execute upon the models of a rock-solid relationship foundation.

Couples tend to enter into matrimony for one primary reason: happiness. Thus, the book explores the dynamic of what happens when a relationship teeters too much in one direction, the negative “Pit,” or toward the other extreme, “Paradise.” Perhaps most relationships spend the majority of their time swinging like a pendulum between the two, but with this guide, the reader will undoubtedly have a stronger understanding of their spouse’s needs as well as a better grasp on concepts like emotional security as it is juxtaposed with carnal pleasure.

Following each paradigm, an activity section punctuates the purpose of the work, guiding couples with direct and actionable instructions that ultimately provide the tools to respect and empower their partners and, in the process, their relationships. Further, whether by personifying love and infatuation as sisters or describing the dichotomy between sex and intimacy in economic terms, Samms has a knack for connecting with readers exactly where they are—mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually—in the present moment. At the core of what makes Samms’ work so compelling is his fearlessness in tackling difficult topics, yet doing so with such tact and grace that all who come into contact with this work stand to benefit and grow from it.

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