I appreciate that the author wrote this book. A teenage girl that I care about seems remarkably willing to date boys that treat her poorly, and this book helped me understand better where she might be coming from emotionally. The author explained how she meet and married a man who was verbally abusive, what it took for her to leave the situation, and how she healed afterward. She includes some questions in the back that she found helpful to think through.The author was very clear that verbal abuse is wrong and no one deserves this abuse. However, one of the author's counselors apparently wanted her to discover so many positive outcomes from surviving the experience that she'd be willing to thank her husband for the abuse. Huh?! That's sick! As a Christian, she should be thanking GOD for bringing positive lessons and growth from the experience, not thanking the person who did the abuse. Anyway, it's worth reading despite this. I have walked with a couple of girlfriends who were in relationships where they experienced varying degrees of abuse.I took up christianbook.com's free offer of Christi Paul's eBook, "Love Isn't Supposed to Hurt" and I am glad I did. As I read I felt as though I was with Christi as she went through the four years with Justin. More than that, I could so easily have replaced Christi's name in the book, with any of my girlfriends' names and the story would still be true. Her style of writing invites the woman who may be in an abusive situation to listen to one who has walked a similar path. Beyond telling her story, I like that Christi also detailed the steps she took in arriving at the decision she took to divorce Justin, as well as to take back control of her life and walk into her future. She did this in a way that is easily adaptable by the reader. She helps the reader to see that although taking back control of your life requires hard decisions which you alone can take, there is around you, a community of people who you may not be aware of who are willing to support you through the process.Christi pointed out ways in which I can decipher abusive tendencies in relationships. She also helped me to understand why women in abusive relationships hold out hope and why those of us around them underestimate the danger they are in. She wrote, "1. I stayed because I believed marriage was forever, and I was compelled to honour that. 2. I stayed because I genuinely feared the wrath of Justin and I feared being alone. 3. I stayed because I believed in the good side of Justin. 4. I stayed because I couldn't acknowledge that I'd messed up one of the biggest decisions of my life." I look at the number of people around her who sensed that all was not well, and yet did not take any step to get close to her. I wish I could place this book in the hand of every woman, even man, who is in an abusive relationship. I will be recommending this book to my girlfriends and I will be stocking it also in my bookstore.
Do You like book Love Isn't Supposed To Hurt (2012)?
Inspiring book. While reading this book, I laughed, cried, and prayed.
—fernandor83
This book was good. It is nice to know the story behind the news.
—Sokkchic
