Lovestruck: Discovering God's Design for Romance, Marriage, and Sexual Intimacy from the Song of Solomon

I don't know about you but I was wasn't taught anything about relationships let alone marriage. I had my parents marriage as my example as while they are good people who love each other - affection/date nights were not displayed or done in our house. I came to Christ in my early 30's where I started to understand the importance of marriage as I began a relationship with God. Marriage is not easy. Marriage is hard work - every single day but it's one that's worth fighting for. This book is filled with so much goodness inside of it. From page one I was hooked with just how important it is to keep my marriage a priority and to keep the fire burning in our intimate moments.I love the way Sharon Jaynes breaks down the Book of Solomon, explaining the scripture and what Solomon and His Bride's courting and marriage looked like. Some of my favorite quotes from the book are:"Your spouse should always be your best friend. That one person in your life with whom you can share your deepest longings and greatest fears.""A good marriage doesn’t just happen. It takes intentionality and creativity to weave commonalities into a life that is intertwined beyond unraveling.""Being able to forgive past offenses and let go of past hurts is an essential component for growing a strong marriage and maintaining an intimate relationship that lasts a lifetime.""Men are taught to be tough and thick-skinned. But they crave admiration and are attracted to sweet words of encouragement like bees are to honey."Buy the book. Invest in your marriage.

After having met Sharon Jaynes, hearing her speak multiple times, and reading several of her other books, I already expected that “Lovestruck” would be a great work before I read it. Sharon has such a heart for strong marriages and loving families, and her books clearly reflect that about her. Once again, she did not disappoint! Not only did she share her heart and understanding of what God wants for marriage and intimacy, but she also breaks down a beautiful book of the Bible in ways that most of us haven’t heard before. It reminded me of my favorite college classes as a creative writing major: writing workshops. Sharon breaks down the Song of Solomon like a beautiful love poem, highlighting imagery, social context and significant points throughout the scriptures. Through this, we can envision an actual picture of marriage and intimacy in the beauty that God wants for us. Not only are we reminded by Solomon of how our men should show us love, but the Shulammite is also a representative of how we should love our husbands. This is a great lesson to learn at any point in a marriage, because as life bears down on us after the honeymoon phase, it’s easy to forget to love each other every day with intention. This, as well as many other lessons on loving our spouses, are tucked into the pages of Lovestruck. I’ve heard it said that there is no “how-to” book on marriage, but I would recommend every wife have this one on hand it as a reference from the honeymoon phase and onward!

I was interested in this book in hopes of gaining practical information to improve my marriage. Because it was about the Song of Solomon, I was intrigued because I thought that if anyone had marriage issues it was Solomon. And yet, Song of Solomon is a love story – a romantic story of two people very much in love. How did Solomon do it?As I read the book, I began to understand that what I could glean from the book and the explanation of what was going on in the Song of Solomon. The book talked through the little foxes that can weaken and wreck a relationship. “In most relationships it isn’t the big problems that tear a couple apart but he deterioration from little annoyances that chip away at the firm foundation and ruin intimacy.” Sharon listed things like disrespect, dishonesty, jealousy, complacency, selfishness, bitterness to name a few.This book does not shy away from some hard topics – saying “not tonight,” and what that does to a relationship. “The spirit of obligation is the enemy of joy.” This book truly made me examine my attitude and make sure I was honest with myself.I found this book helpful and I have been married for 40 years. Those married a few years or even those engaged will glean useful practical information. This book motivates a person to work to communicate better, to forgive and not hold on to hurt. This book is easy to read and well worth it.

I’ve been married for almost 11 years now. We have fallen into a comfortable life that I love. Reading Lovestruck brought me back to the earlier years and why I fell for my husband. Marriage doesn’t stop the falling and reading through Lovestruck and the Song if Solomon helps reinforce God’s plan for marriage. This book is great for any stage of marriage, even if it hasn’t happened yet. Sharon Jaynes always has a way of making me feel like I’m chatting over coffee with a friend. This is one of my favorites from her.

I have been looking for a book like this! Lovestruck takes you through Song of Solomon and helps readers understand that “scripture shows us that sex is not an evil that marriage permits but a gift that marriage protects.” Sharon does a beautiful job of breaking down the phrases and historical context of Solomon and the Shulammite woman’s relationship and parallels their story with personal and familial anecdotes of our day. She affirms and challenges the reader to a more intentional, intimate relationship from beginning attractions and dating through marriages intended to last a lifetime. I found myself highlighting so many great nuggets while reading. I am so appreciative of this book and how it tackles the often avoided yet important, topic of God designed sexual intimacy in marriage. I highly recommend this book and look forward to sharing it with others.