Deb’s Dozen:12-Word Summary – God designed us for love and beauty, and that includes beautiful sex. Tweet

Dean Nelson is unhappy. He’s been stuck in a sexless marriage for years. A virile man, Dean cannot understand what has changed his wife, Kate, into someone for whom sex is the last thing on her list. As frequently happens in such situations, Dean is tempted when he meets beautiful, sexy Larissa, the mother of a young man who works in his company’s warehouse. Just when things start to heat up, Dean ends it: he must stay faithful to the vow made to God and to Kate when they were married.

Kate, on the other hand, cannot understand why “all he wants” is sex all the time. She hopes against hope that she can avoid the act again the night of their anniversary when they’ve promised each other massages. She is so busy with church and home and volunteer work and her two daughters along with being the perfect (in all other regards) wife, that sex with Dean is the last thing she has the energy to contemplate.

As Dean researches his situation, he finds that this situation is not at all uncommon – that many marriages are sexless for one reason or another. As Dean explores further, and discusses the situation with his best friend and his pastor, he begins to understand there are two sides to every story. Kate, talking to her friends, expresses her dissatisfaction, and she starts to learn why she so avoids the intimacy of the marriage bed.

We as Christians seem to have pushed sex aside, but we need to remember that God inspired the beautiful Song of Songs. One of the telling quotes from All of Me is “It’s not a lack of love that makes marriages monotonous; it’s a lack of focus. Instead of fleeting moments of pleasure, God wants our marriages to experience greater depths of pleasure and ongoing intimacy that lead us to true inner joy.” And another, “Marital intimacy is the highest priority in God’s divine design, because it symbolizes the intimacy between Himself and His people. God’s nature and His love for people are passionate and intense, not cool or aloof. He is erotic and loves to express that love to those he loves.” While you may not agree with everything Mr. Howard has written, you will be intrigued and educated and entertained all at the same time.

I strongly recommend you read All of Me Wants All of You – no matter if you’re newly married or years wed. You will learn so much about God and yourselves and your marriage.

Thanks to J. Z. Howard, All4U Publishing, and the BookFun Network for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my candid review.