When Gabbi married Benedict Nicols, it was the wedding of the decade, uniting two prominent, wealthy families. To the outside world, it seemed the perfect match. No one would guess Gabbi’s secret heartache: that she loved her husband, but to him she was simply a social accessory... Benedict also expected Gabbi to provide him with a son and heir. If she didn’t, her glamorous stepsister was only too eager to give Benedict everything he wanted! Suddenly, Gabbi had a fight on her hands to save her marriage...and Benedict was definitely a man worth fighting for!

It was September 1957. I was sixteen, a junior in high school, and contemplating becoming a gigolo, just for a summer or two in Rome. Unlike the gigolos I had seen in movies, I would be kind to the middle-aged women who kept me. I would be grateful to them, not only for the money I was earning, but for whatever I learned from them that I might later apply with my own wife. And I wouldn't ask for outlandish payment--merely enough to cover my trips, provide a little spending money for college, and add to my savings account for my eventual marriage. So begins Andre Shulman's tale. Like his narrator--and like many teenagers of the 1950s--the author himself was fascinated by the book, Ideal Marriage, written by the Dutch gynecologist Van de Velde. Translated into over forty languages, it was the sex and marriage bible of an entire generation. In this novel, Ideal Marriage stands as one of the central characters, which Andre turns to in quest of a glorious future.

New York food writer Tressa returns from honeymoon worried that she has married her impossibly handsome new husband Dan out of late-thirties panic instead of love. In 1930's Ireland, her grandmother, Bernadine, is married off to the local schoolteacher after her family are unable to raise a dowry for her to marry her true love, Michael. During the first year of her marriage, Tressa distracts herself from her stay-or-go dilemma by working on her grandmother's recipes, searching for solace and answers through their preparation.

“After years of debate and inquiry, the key to a great marriage remained shrouded in mystery. Until now...”—Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success Eli J. Finkel's insightful and ground-breaking investigation of marriage clearly shows that the best marriages today are better than the best marriages of earlier eras. Indeed, they are the best marriages the world has ever known. He presents his findings here for the first time in this lucid, inspiring guide to modern marital bliss. The All-or-Nothing Marriage reverse engineers fulfilling marriages—from the “traditional” to the utterly nontraditional—and shows how any marriage can be better. The primary function of marriage from 1620 to 1850 was food, shelter, and protection from violence; from 1850 to 1965, the purpose revolved around love and companionship. But today, a new kind of marriage has emerged, one oriented toward self-discover, self-esteem, and personal growth. Finkel combines cutting-edge scientific research with practical advice; he considers paths to better communication and responsiveness; he offers guidance on when to recalibrate our expectations; and he even introduces a set of must-try “lovehacks.” This is a book for the newlywed to the empty nester, for those thinking about getting married or remarried, and for anyone looking for illuminating advice that will make a real difference to getting the most out of marriage today.

One million sold: “A tantalizing premise . . . twists at every turn . . . [A] masterful debut about betrayal and justice” by a New York Times-bestselling author (Samantha M. Bailey, #1 national bestselling author of Watch Out for Her). Optioned by Picture Perfect Federation for development as a film or TV series Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He’s a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and he tires of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working. Out in the secluded woods, at the couple’s lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But one morning everything changes. Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death and now, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress. The Perfect Marriage is a juicy, twisty, and utterly addictive thriller that will keep you turning pages. You won’t see the ending coming . . . guaranteed! “Everything I want in a thriller. Sexy, shocking, and tense with an ending I never saw coming. Jeneva Rose is the queen of twists.” —Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times–bestselling author on You Shouldn’t Have Come Here “A twisty, compulsive book that will keep you reading all night! Fast-paced with crisp writing and an intriguing plot. Jeneva Rose is one to watch.” —Samantha Downing, #1 international bestselling author of My Lovely Wife “A book to be read in one gulp—this dastardly debut flies to a shocking reveal. I couldn’t put it down; I had to see what happened. Twists galore.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times–bestselling author of Her Dark Lies

Contrary to what you’ve been told, keeping a marriage successful does NOT take hard work! All it takes is making a few small changes over time. If you’re feeling your good marriage is starting to show a little wear, zero in on those imperfections, right?WRONG! Focus on what’s going well! Enhance the good aspects of your marriage and build on the solid foundation you already have. Dr. Orbuch debunks many common marriage myths and you’ll find out who needs more compliments—men or women. Who falls in love faster—women or men? With engaging quizzes and checklists; easy-to-use tips; and new takeaways on compatibility, fighting fair, and relationship ruts, 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great will give you perfect ways to say “I love you” and show you how to reignite the passion in your relationship. You’ll find out why it’s okay to go to bed mad and why you don’t want to engage in kitchen sinking! The advice in this smart, entertaining book will help you put the excitement back in your marriage in no time, and you’ll be amazed at how easy it will be. ​5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great is based on the findings of a groundbreaking study directed by Dr. Orbuch, and funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study—of the same 373 married couples—began in 1986 and continues today. Dr. Orbuch is a professor, a renowned therapist, and a nationally recognized relationship expert known as The Love Doctor®.

Just as Masters and Johnson were pioneers in the study of human sexuality, so Dr. John Gottman has revolutionized the study of marriage. As a professor of psychology at the University of Washington and the founder and director of the Seattle Marital and Family Institute, he has studied the habits of married couples in unprecedented detail over the course of many years. His findings, and his heavily attended workshops, have already turned around thousands of faltering marriages. This book is the culmination of his life's work: the seven principles that guide couples on the path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward in their approach, yet profound in their effect, these principles teach partners new and startling strategies for making their marriage work. Gottman helps couples focus on each other, on paying attention to the small day-to-day moments that, strung together, make up the heart and soul of any relationship. Being thoughtful about ordinary matters provides spouses with a solid foundation for resolving conflict when it does occur and finding strategies for living with those issues that cannot be resolved. Packed with questionnaires and exercises whose effectiveness has been proven in Dr. Gottman's workshops, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the result of Dr. John Gottman's many years of closely observing thousands of marriages. This kind of longitudinal research has never been done before. Based on his findings, he has culled seven principles essential to the success of any marriage. Maintain a love map. Foster fondness and admiration. Turn toward instead of away. Accept influence. Solve solvable conflicts. Cope with conflicts you can't resolve. Create shared meaning. Dr. Gottman's unique questionnaires and exercises will guide couples on the road to revitalizing their marriage, or making a strong one even better.

The new single woman's Bible that shows how to distinguish Mr. Right from Mr. Right Now Father Pat Connor knows marriages. Having presided over more than two hundred weddings and conducted pre-marriage and marriage counseling for more than forty years, he's something of an expert. And now he is sharing his wealth of experience with women everywhere on the subject of Whom Not to Marry. Father Pat's philosophy is simple: A love affair may lead to marriage, but love itself cannot make a marriage work. That's why it's important to weed out the bad seed's before you fall in love. Sounds easy enough, but in the early stages of romance, when infatuation trumps judgment, it can be difficult to see the flaws in your mate and to think rationally about your future. That's where this book comes in. A heavenly how-not-to, Whom Not to Marry offers timely and time-honored advice such as: Never marry a man who has no friends, for he won't be capable of the intimacy that marriage demands.Never marry a man who isn't responsible with cash. Most marriages that flounder do so because of money, a case of 'til debt do us part.Never marry a man who lets you walk all over him. It's good to have a doormat in the house, but not if it's your husband. Life may seem random, but there are many things you can do to make sure your life partner is the right one. It all starts with being honest with yourself. Use your good judgment, Father Pat counsels. Know what you want. Know who is worth loving and who is worth marrying. Once you can do that, you'll stand a much better chance of living happily ever after.

A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2021 A Next Big Idea Club Best Nonfiction of 2021 From the New York Times best-selling author and host of Hidden Brain comes a thought-provoking look at the role of self-deception in human flourishing. Self-deception does terrible harm to us, to our communities, and to the planet. But if it is so bad for us, why is it ubiquitous? In Useful Delusions, Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler argue that, paradoxically, self-deception can also play a vital role in our success and well-being. The lies we tell ourselves sustain our daily interactions with friends, lovers, and coworkers. They can explain why some people live longer than others, why some couples remain in love and others don’t, why some nations hold together while others splinter. Filled with powerful personal stories and drawing on new insights in psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, Useful Delusions offers a fascinating tour of what it really means to be human.