Rating: 
Summary: Don't even hesitate!
Review: This is one of those books that after reading you will want to buy it for everyone you know. You cannot read this book and pray the same again. You cannot read this book and worship the same again. You cannot read this book and study God's word the same again. The Lord's desire for us is available to us through prayer and the study of his word, but so many become desensitized to his calling and the fact that he loves us unconditionally. Read this book and you won't be the same.
Rating: 
Summary: For those tierd of pat answers
Review: With all the Christian books about spiritual growth, recovery from abuse, or addressing the paradox of suffering, one may ask, "What is unique about this book?" Primarily, it is for those amidst the tragedy of life for whom clichés and pat answers ring hollow.Like a good romance, the book begins by speaking to the reader's heart. It asks, "Is something missing?" Our pragmatic world and works oriented church life teaches us to live externally where duty, efficiency, and performance are valued. As a result, Curtis and Eldredge write, "In the outer life we live from ought (I ought to do this) rather than from desire (I want to do this) and management substitutes for mystery...communion with God is replaced by activity for God." This leads the heart of many Christians to leave their first love--their romance with God. The authors encourage our journey toward the recovery of our heart by paying attention the internal story in our heart. Our hearts long for a sacred Romance which often comes in the longing for adventure and the desire for intimacy. We anticipate what follows to share various steps of how to grow closer to God. However, like in a mystery, we find ourselves plunged into a part of the story we did not anticipate. The arrows of tragedy pierce our hearts which too often pin us down with fear and grief. The illustrative stories about the arrows pull no punches about how tragedies strike what our hearts care most about. The journey and struggle of both dealing with these arrows and growing closer to God is developed throughout the rest of the book. Since the book's message cannot be stated as a memorable one-liner, I encourage you to read it for yourself. I found this book to say clearly and deeply what others have attempted to communicate. I believe this is a good book for pastors to give others. I also recommend it to pastors or parishioners and their families for working through both personal and church tragedies so that one's heart continues aflame for God. In addition, I recommend John Eldrege's SACRED ROMANCE WORKBOOK AND JOURNAL: YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE FOR DRAWING CLOSER TO THE HEART OF GOD.
Rating:
Summary: Read this Book
Review: Every Christian (and non-Christian, for that matter) should read this phenomenally insightful book. While telling a story that is true for all of us, John Eldredge and Brent Curtis also make the story deeply personal and centered on the individual. I felt as though they were reading my mind as I read this book and that every word pertained to me. They challenge the reader to think outside "the box" of traditional Christian views and reach for a more exciting, loving, and rewarding relationship with God; one which deep down each of us has always known was there, but were too afraid to discover. I wish that I could tell everyone in this world to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Looking for something amazing?
Review: A deep work that explores the desire in man for something of heroic proportions, whether a beautiful sunset, an awesome relationship with the opposite sex, or one's walk with the Lord, the book lays out how to walk the road to find the love we all yearn for. Many profound ideas make this a good book to read through once and then study a few months later.
Rating:
Summary: a great book, with heart
Review: this is for people who want their faith to be more than intellectual assent coupled with good works. if you are a pragmatist, try to get past the flowery language and imagery to what he is saying. i did, and found the material challenging and extremely worthwile. reading the first chapters was like reading my own thoughts and feelings. really great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT thinking, help about a LOVE RELATIONSHIP with God!
Review: This book is AMAZING! Although I felt it was slow at first, Eldredge and Curtis do *such* a great job of digging deeply into the questions we have in our hearts about God's love and faithfulness. Does He *really* love me? Can I be *sure* He will come through? Am I WANTED and NOTICED? Cared for? The authors deal with these questions--not with bumper-sticker answers, but with deep, thoughtful explanations of the love God promises and delivers. This book (and the Holy Spirit using it to work in your heart) have the potential to change your shallow, rule-following Christianity into a dynamic, wild, passionate love relationship with the personal God who has moved HEAVEN and EARTH just to KNOW YOU!
Rating:
Summary: Finally-- An Answer! :D
Review: This review starts with a bit of personal mush, so just bear with me: Throughout the majority of my life, I could only identify myself as a Christian who had too many wounds, and to many questions. I'd tried to explain this to other Christians who didn't understand what it was I was trying to say: The more I needed to find out if I was just being ungrateful, the more I would receive a shallow "Smile- God loves you" as my general answer. I knew this. The only love I could find in the Church was the 'logical' kind, the kind that we are told to have, and so we say we have because of our faith. I felt that God must think me miserable and lowly, and ultimately felt nearly nothing for me as much as I tried to aspire to his expectations. I am now halfway through the book and the workbook, and although there are some things that I disagree on (though not much) I find this book to be extreemely eye opening and uplifting. However, the authors take a very unorthodox and 'romantic' way of bringing their points home. I would not suggest this book to anyone who feels that their service to God need be one of simple obedience and faith with no movement of heart or soul. This is not for those that steer away from questions. This is not for the ones who must see everything as a simple 'God did this, so we must do this, period.' This book is for the faithful of God who are soft hearted and childlike, who feel that there is something missing in their lives. If you need to read something that brings everything into perspective for once instead of feeding you the same 'logical' things... If you find your heart needs to be stirred (not *entertained*, mind you); If you find that your life as a Christian lacks meaning or drive... or anything else... Then please, do yourself a favor and buy the workbook as well. This book was meant for you.
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Summary: Life Changing
Review: I have told those that I've recommended this book to that it has been the single most life changing book I've read, apart from the Bible. Eldrege and Curtis have shared a glimpse into our Beloved's heart that I only dared to believe was there. I often thought I was a bit crazy for some of my thoughts about God having a romance with ME, of all people. But the insights of these two men have given me hope that maybe, just maybe, my heart wasn't wrong when it said to me, "There's more!" Other reviews have mentioned that the authors have said nothing new. That we would be better to read Lewis, and Bunyan and Edwards, and by all means, WE SHOULD! And the authors obviously have and have been greatly impacted. But what this book does that the others may not is appeal to a contemporary society, by use of contemporary, as well as historical and scriptural, resources to remind a broken generation longing for true love that the Lover of their souls still pursues them, and has a starring role for them in the Greatest Romance ever.
Rating:
Summary: Eye-opening
Review: This book is really amazing. You sit there reading it and thinking, "Yes, this makes perfect sense, this is what I've always felt deep down." It's a very useful book for any Christian to read. This is not, however, some theological arguement. It's better for people who are already beleivers and want to know more about God and enrich their relationship with him. If you like Chesterton's Orthodoxy, I would really recommend this book. Also if you like books by C.S. Lewis. And if you're the sort of person who likes fairy tales and fantasies and adventure stories and other seemingly useless things, you'll like this book- it portrays life as a sort of story, with God as the hero,and gives that as the reason our souls long to be part of an adventure- a beautiful princess or a dashing knight. I learned all sorts of new things that really I already knew. If you're big on arguements and logic, this may seem sappy to you, but it isn't against logic just because it's not constantly proving things. This book was a real blessing for me, and I pray you will be blessed by it too.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I picked up this book because of the rave reviews it was receiving in many Evangelical circles. My desire was to read a book that argued for the importance and role of the heart in loving God without disregarding that of the mind. I expected a logical argument for the role of the heart in love-- something this world needs more of!! What this book brings instead are lots of stories, and imperatives, with some scripture, although more of it is paraphrased than not. So as to avoid seeming too cynical, the book does have its good points in that both authors are good story tellers and that in and of itself brings certain literary effects to the text. However, it's important when anticipating this book that you know that you're getting a story and not so much a truly astounding piece that is spurring on of a greater understanding of God. Another problem I had was the fact that it is so "Me" focused when it is in fact the most Holy God we are to love. We love because He first loved us. The action is entirely God focused and has value because of Him. Period. Our love is the appropriate response to Him. It's not because we like it or we benefit it or because it fulfills us. It's because He deserves and demands it. Milton, Edwards, Lewis, Bunyan and even Donne (a collected progression of course) are wonderful works that deal with the same subject, but in a more challenging and revrant manner.
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