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Love Every Day: 365 Relational Self-Awareness Practices to Help Your Relationship Heal, Grow, and Thrive

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“Alexandra Solomon’s work is mandatory for anyone who desires a road map to improve their relationships (especially with the person in the mirror). Her thoughtful teachings make it easy to view the world with sincere humility, resulting in more confidence and peace within.” ― Kristen Bell, actress, producer, author, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate “Alexandra Solomon’s Love Every Day is like a daily taste of Belgian rich and thoughtful musings for when you’re hungry for more satisfying relationships.” ― Esther Perel, psychotherapist, New York Times bestselling author, and host of Where Should We Begin? Redefine what it means to love and be loved. Love has the power to wound us . . . and the power to heal us. And modern love is complicated. Which is why the ability to cultivate healthy relationships is the key to joy, peace, and a meaningful life. In Love Every Day , relationship expert and best-selling author Dr. Alexandra Solomon offers 365 daily practices to cultivate a curious and compassionate approach to your relationships with others, as well as your relationship with yourself. Inspired by her popular Instagram feed (@dr.alexandra.solomon) and grounded in her life-changing approach to relationships―Relational Self-Awareness―each practice in Love Every Day will help you understand the impact of your past (and your partner’s past), get your needs met, enhance intimacy, improve communication, and address relationship problems. Whether you’re single, in a relationship, or between relationships, this book invites you to develop awareness, curiosity, and empowerment so that you can be seen and loved as your most authentic self―and heal from times when you weren’t.

300 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2023

32 people are currently reading
468 people want to read

About the author

Alexandra H. Solomon

9 books92 followers

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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for ❋ Booked Out Today ❋.
274 reviews56 followers
August 18, 2023
Love Every Day by Alexandra H. Solomon

Relationships | Self-Help

•Love Every Day contains 365 daily practices to allow readers to approach their relationships with curiosity and compassion.
•This book is a wonderful resource for those who love to self reflect and expand their connection with their partner. The book contains questions to reflect upon and gives advice to repair conflicts with your relationship. I loved how the book was formatted and it would only take you a few minutes to read each days wisdom. This would be a great gift for a newlywed couple.

★★★★ 4/5

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC
Profile Image for Ink_Drinker.
296 reviews566 followers
August 19, 2023
I enjoyed Dr. Solomon book titled Talk Sexy Back, so I was excited to get my hands on this one!  If you are not familiar with Solomon’s work, you can find her here on Instagram @dr.alexandra.solomon or visit her website for fun quizzes that you can do on your own or with your partner, Reimaging Love Podcast and a blog with various relationship subjects https://dralexandrasolomon.com/

❤️ Love Every Day offers 365 daily practices designed to help you better understand yourself and your intimate relationships with friends, family members, and/or partners.

❤️Each day’s practice helps you better understand your past (and your partner’s past), get your needs met, enhance intimacy, improve communication and address relationship problems healthier.

❤️Love has the power to wound us…and the power to heal us and the key to joy, peace and a meaningful life is to cultivate healthy relationships whether you are single or in a relationship.

❤️The practices focus on developing awareness, curiosity and empowerment to be seen and loved as our most authentic selves.

❤️If you have been in bad relationships in the past that have damaged your self-esteem, I found these practices to be very helpful in rebuilding my sense of self-worth and reminding me that I am worthy of love.

❤️This can be read day-by-day or all at once, as I did.  It felt like I was in a therapy session or couples counseling (if you read it with your partner) but without the hefty price tag!!

❤️I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make their relationships stronger.
Profile Image for Vlad.
121 reviews16 followers
October 11, 2023
This book quickly began to surpass my expectations. Primarily content wise. I have read a fair number of self-development books but (with this being a book on relationships), a lot of the concepts, ideas and questions presented in these pages were new to me and I enjoyed the level of depth they went into.

Essentially this is an excellent book for you to better understand yourself and how + why you navigate relationships in the way you do. It does this by having you look into your relationship you have with yourself and with your partner.

There is so much insight and discovery to be had by practicing what is laid out for you in this book.

2 Annoying Elements of the Book

"My friend, Dr. Laurie Mintz, says disclosing that you have been faking [orgasms] may not be necessary or wise. Instead, you can simply ask your partner to focus on whatever you need more of (clitoral stimulation, affectionate touch, words of affirmation, pretend play, patience, etc.)."


I just love how we're advocating for women to completely disregard taking on any accountability whatsoever for lying out their ass.

Just consistently lie to your significant other for months if not years when it comes to one of THE MOST INTIMATE ACTS on Earth that humans can engage in, and when you finally realize "Hey maybe this lying thing isn't so beneficial to our relationship" just sweep it under the rug because you're immature and don't want to take responsibility for your actions.

I have no idea how this statement encouraging lies, selfishness, cowardice and betrayal has any place in this book given all the things it preaches relating to self-awareness and fostering a strong healthy relationships.

In case you don't know, here's the definition directly from the glossary.

"Relational Self-Awareness: An ongoing curious and compassionate relationship we each have with ourselves. By helping us take responsibility for how we “show up” in our relationships, Relational Self-Awareness provides the foundation for thriving intimate relationships".


And the guise of trying to protect someone's ego (stated in the book) is just ridiculous. You don't continuously and consciously go out of your way to lie about having an orgasm to "protect someone".

You do it because you don't have the courage to tell the truth and you are too afraid of how the other person will react.

Claiming you want to "protect their ego" is just the lie you tell yourself so you can feel better about how you continuously fake what should be a deeply intimate act between you and your partner.

It's the kind of excuse you make up when you have a habit of running away from accepting accountability for your actions.

You paint yourself up as being so selfless that you regularly lie in order to make others feel better.

Tell me how that makes any sense.

It doesn't.

You're being manipulative and completely dishonest because you're scared. Plain and simple.

And it's ironic how a month later you'll find these questions in the book.

What are your sexual values? How do you want a partner to feel during an intimate moment with you? Why?
Answer: Lies over everything. Fake. Because I'm scared

How do you ensure that your sexual values and your sexual behavior are aligned? How do you know when they are not aligned?
Answer: By making sure they are set to "Lie". When I tell the truth.

What, for you, is the foundation of a happy intimate relationship?
Answer: Certainly not trust 🤡


Apparently, those would be your answers for all those who subscribe to faking orgasms.

And here is another example of a later entry directly contradicting the advice that it's completely fine to be dishonest and hide the truth from your partner.

"Making a heartfelt apology is a key relationship skill.

We hurt people who matter to us. It’s such an unfortunate and inevitable reality. Being willing to offer a heartfelt apology helps. The problem is that few of us learned how to do this in our Family of Origin. Making a heartfelt apology is a key relationship skill. Here’s how to do it:

Take responsibility: “I did X.”
• Name the impact: “My action hurt you.”
• Bear witness: “Tell me how you’re feeling.”
• Offer to repair: “I wonder if this would help.”

Standing in accountability helps heal the rift between you and the person you love. Far from being a sign of weakness, taking responsibility takes strength. It sets the other person up to begin their forgiveness work and gives you the opportunity to witness yourself standing in your integrity."


The 2nd Annoyance

This book puts so much of a focus on being politically correct it cultivates a sense of disconnect and being somewhat unrelatable.

(The author also writes in a very academic tone, and this contributes to this feeling of disconnect. I'm not a fan of such tones, but I certainly don't blame her for it and the quality of the content does make up for it.)

"When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one." -Meredith Hill


Came to mind when reading this book.

Seeing something as silly as

"Creativity and play can keep monogamy from becoming monotonous, but vulva-bodied people (and their partners)..."


sounds like I'm reading some sort of Star Wars novel, and not a book on getting to know yourself better.

I've never seen a woman described like that in my life.

We can't even get the most generic "John & Jane Doe" because my God that's FAR too exclusive! You've gotta make sure you include every single blade of grass and mammal with a pulse to ensure you don't offend anyone. So everything is "Person A & Person B".

Maybe in 5 years it'll be mannequin 1 & 2 when "person" becomes too offensive.

Examples:
1)

"Partner A and Partner B go to a party. On the way home, A vents to B about a confusing interaction A had with the host of the party. B feels a rush of irritation and says, “I thought it was really fun. Why don’t you just focus on what went well?” A feels invalidated and judged. B feels deflated and disconnected."


2)
"Partner A asks Partner B to make a change that A thinks will improve the relationship.

• B makes that change because they are humble and brave. I urge A to acknowledge the heck out of B because:

B can reassure A, “I’m committed and I’m attracted to you,” and that reassurance might help A feel connected. But B’s words cannot override A’s internalized story of their own worthlessness.

Instead:
• A needs to do the introspective work of naming the story that gets activated when B isn’t in the mood for sex.

• A needs to connect with the feelings "


Since the author absolutely despises "binary words", at least 92% of the book is one hypothetical situation after the other. It quickly grows tiresome to read and it is very disengaging.

At least with some generic names it would feel more grounded in reality and NOT what A said to B to pass on to C so E wouldn't get mad at D for telling F about what H did to J last night after arguing with G for five hours straight after the party because V was dancing on D the whole night.

(Fictional TV/movie characters, alternating female/male names for roles, or more personal examples would have all sufficed too. A single running narrative (with character names) could have been created to tie together all the examples laid out in the book as well.)

It's exhausting stumbling upon all the times in which the authors message is shrouded by the excessive over generalizations.

It's already made clear early on and well throughout the entire book that the author has tried to remain somewhat unaccusatory on matters.

Without that continued annoyance (and the encouragement of dishonesty) I would have easily given this 4 stars.

The breadth and uniqueness of the topics discussed in this book are excellent. She raises a LOT of important questions that could help many individuals and couples improve and get to know themselves better.

He's a half decent example of not entirely over generalizing:

1)
"If we need affirmation, we need to let our partner know. For example, let’s say Partner A is the primary breadwinner while Partner B is the primary homemaker. B knows (as all at-home partners know) that what she does all day is largely invisible. If A doesn’t validate her efforts, B knows she’s at risk of getting passive-aggressive. (“I suppose you think I sit around all day eating bonbons?”) So what can B do when A gets home?..."


Here the author AT LEAST had the stay-at-home parent be a female which guess what?!?! Is ACTUALLY how things are (and have been) the vast majority of the time.

Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel and give an even more vague example, she gave one that men and women can actually relate to. She gave roles and assigned a gender to the pair making for a more relatable scenario that is far easier for someone to envision.

2)
"Allowing ourselves to get in touch with what we want can make us feel quite vulnerable.

I think this is in part gendered. As women, we can spend a lifetime orienting ourselves to the desires of others: our supervisors, teachers, love interests, kids..."


Wow, she acknowledged gender and again it's in a way that's actually representative of reality. It's something women can relate to!

3)
"If you have only ever solved stuff on your own, you will treat a “we problem” like a “me problem.”

A man and a woman are in the early stages of dating:

• Something happens—a disappointment or a misunderstanding.

• She raises the problem.

• He ends the relationship saying, “I can’t give you what you want.”

• The relationship ends, and she’s left with a fear of attracting only emotionally unavailable men.

I’ve given this scenario in gendered terms,
but this doesn’t mean it’s the only way it happens."


And there you go, a 3rd example people can easily understand. Why? Because it's a clear example that WE HAVE ALL heard of in one way or another from society.

And guess what?!? I don't feel butt hurt that a "man" was assigned the emotionally unavailable role.

I live.


In Closing:
The content and novelty of the topics discussed in this book are fantastic, but the level of political correctness is incredibly tiring and definitely convolutes the core message.

The "themes by date" at the end is a great inclusion.

Overall, this is a great culmination of the knowledge gained in one's career and life put into a book to help others better understand themselves and their relationships.
Profile Image for Markie.
474 reviews34 followers
July 9, 2023
Book Title: Love Every Day: 365 Daily Practices for Cultivating Healthy Relationships

Author: Dr. Alexandra Solomon

Genre: Self-help, Relationships

In "Love Every Day," Dr. Alexandra Solomon presents a compelling and insightful guide to cultivating healthy relationships in the modern world. With a focus on relational self-awareness, the book offers 365 daily practices designed to foster curiosity, compassion, and understanding in our connections with others and ourselves.

One of the standout features of the book is its relevance to individuals at various stages of their love lives. Whether you are single, in a relationship, or in between, Dr. Solomon's teachings are applicable and can benefit anyone seeking to develop more fulfilling connections. She recognizes that love has the power to both wound and heal us, and she skillfully navigates the complexities of modern love with practical wisdom.

Drawing from her expertise as a relationship expert and best-selling author, Dr. Solomon addresses the impact of past experiences on our current relationships. By understanding and acknowledging our own and our partner's histories, we can begin to heal and nurture our connections. The author provides valuable insights on getting our needs met, enhancing intimacy, improving communication, and resolving relationship problems.

Dr. Solomon's approach is rooted in empathy and compassion. She encourages readers to develop a deep sense of self-awareness, empowering them to be seen and loved as their authentic selves. Through her daily practices, readers are invited to explore their emotions, desires, and vulnerabilities, ultimately fostering a greater sense of joy, peace, and meaning in their lives.

The book is further enriched by its connection to Dr. Solomon's popular Instagram feed, which has allowed her to engage with a wide audience. The practices in "Love Every Day" are practical, accessible, and resonate with readers seeking guidance in navigating the intricacies of modern relationships.

In conclusion, "Love Every Day" is a valuable resource for anyone looking to cultivate healthy relationships. Dr. Alexandra Solomon's expertise and Relational Self-Awareness approach provide a solid foundation for readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection. With its daily practices, the book offers a transformative path towards understanding, healing, and embracing love in all its complexities.
Profile Image for Tamarae.
223 reviews3 followers
February 11, 2024
"Love has the power to wound us … and the power to heal us. And modern love is complicated. Which is why the ability to cultivate healthy relationships is the key to joy, peace, and a meaningful life." This is the introduction to this book in the description and if it isn't true I don't know what is. As someone who was traumatized by dating and relationships because of a romantic partnership I decided I needed this book and I was incredibly correct.

Love Every Day by Dr. Alexandra Solomon offers 365 daily practices to cultivate in introspective and compassionate approach to relationships with others and with one self. This is a book I have needed for over a decade.

The book includes 365 daily practices to put in place in ones relationships. Each practice will help you better understand how the past impacts your relationship, will help with you/your partners needs/wants, improve communication and help with romance and intimacy.

As a single person of over a decade (by choice due to fear and trauma) this book and each tip was insightful, meaningful, and incredibly helpful in facing my fears and traumas. It helped me build strength and has opened my mind to dating again. I am going to start implementing a daily task in my life to help continue the growth that I have started and I will share this guide with everyone I know because it is incredibly helpful regardless of dating trauma or not.

I was discussing some practices with my sister and she has started implementing them and her marriage has gotten stronger as well. This guide can be helpful to anyone, regardless of relationship status as it helps one develop an awareness about themselves, their partner, a future partner and honestly even non dating relationships (siblings, parent-child), friendships and more.

As someone who admittedly needs all the relationship help I can get this guide has been phenomenal. I will be using these practices for years to come and will be sharing some with future partners to help them understand my past better (if they are willing to put in the work).
Profile Image for CJ.
209 reviews19 followers
October 14, 2023
LOVE EVERY DAY is highly dense resource filled with valuable insight and tools that is written in a very digestible way, broken down into 365 bite-sized daily practices. I love the book's emphasis on the relationship with our self and the questions that allow us to look deeper inside our selves. This book feels like a warm embrace while gently guiding us to take the necessary action steps to receive and experience more love and more fulfilling, healthier relationships.

Yes, the book is about love and relationships, but it's also so much more. It's about life and how we choose to move through it. This book is a wealth of information, and throughout reading I would continuously come across gold nuggets that resonated deeply. No matter one's situation or upbringing, anyone and everyone would and will benefit from reading LOVE EVERY DAY.

Thank you to PESI Publishing and NetGalley for the digital advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to get my hands on my own physical copy!
47 reviews
December 21, 2023
"Love Every Day" by Alexandra Solomon is an absolute treasure that left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. This insightful book is a heartfelt guide to cultivating love and connection in our everyday lives - something we could all use a little more of.

Alexandra's wisdom shines through as she navigates us through the complex terrain of relationships, offering practical advice and heartfelt anecdotes that resonate deeply. Her compassionate tone and relatable storytelling make this book not just a guide, but a companion on the journey towards love and fulfillment.

"Love Every Day" reminds us of the power of vulnerability, the importance of self-reflection, and the beauty of showing up authentically in our relationships. Alexandra's guidance is rooted in research and psychological expertise, yet her words are accessible and relatable.
Profile Image for Katie Rhode.
277 reviews4 followers
July 13, 2023
Love Every Day is a guide for readers to use across one year, focusing on the nurturing of yourself and your relationships. It emphasizes understanding oneself for authentic connections with partners, based up understanding your own sexual needs, compassion, honoring your personal feelings and necessities, balancing conflict, and overcoming it. The book includes relatable stories, easy to understand instructions, and step by step advice in all of those areas. It would be a great resource for couples wanting to grow together, but also for individuals working on themselves in order to put for their best self in future relationships. Love Every Day is perfect for anyone dedicated to building and sustaining fulfilling relationships. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Kelly Dries.
43 reviews7 followers
October 24, 2023
This book is just what I needed. Bite-sized food for thought around how to best improve my relationship with myself and others, how to give myself grace during tough times, how to recognize my own triggers, how to give my childhood self the love and care she wanted, and more. I took away so much from this book - and it is one I will definitely be re-reading, and gifting to people I love. Everyone can benefit from the wisdom in these pages. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the Advanced Review Copy.
Profile Image for Kita.
Author 3 books27 followers
January 14, 2024
I have heard the author on podcasts and always enjoyed hearing her advice. This book is like a daily meditation on relationships. For example, the January 8th entry is that “our relationships tend to need less problem-solving and more space-holding and empathy.” Then she gives some examples and expands on that for a page. Today’s is “Self-compassion benefits you AND your partner.” Some days are more relevant or interesting to me than others, but I love the format and feel like it’s a book everyone can benefit from (in any type of relationship.)
Profile Image for Kelly Pramberger.
Author 13 books60 followers
June 19, 2023
A really helpful tool to have on hand. Solomon's Love Every Day is going to teach you how to find the good and love all the days to your best ability. 365 pieces to read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.
Profile Image for Ryan.
202 reviews8 followers
October 10, 2023
Love Every Day is summed up in its name. Each daily entry gives you a love nugget to ponder over coffee and apply to your day. Well worth a read for those looking to grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and PESI Publishing, Inc for an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Joni Owens.
1,529 reviews10 followers
November 25, 2023
I can’t wait to start this over on January 1st and work it everyday throughout the year. I think if you don’t actively work on your relationships they can go stagnant. This book is the prescription to help prevent that.
Profile Image for Samantha Steipp.
129 reviews10 followers
August 12, 2023
This book is something I didn't know I needed until I started reading it. I just reviewed Love Every Day by Alexandra Solomon, PhD. #LoveEveryDay #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]
Profile Image for Annaka.
241 reviews3 followers
October 19, 2023
A bit cheesy at times. I do like that the introduction recommends starting on whatever day you pick the book up (opposed to starting on January 1) and that it also labels entries by theme so you can skip around if there’s something you particularly want to read or address.

The sections don’t appear clearly in the kindle/off format. There’s also no table of contents to allow you to skip to the appropriate date. I imagine these may be ARC problems and did not deduct stars for it. However, it is always frustrating to come across formatting issues when you are reading and giving feedback at no cost to the author/publisher.

I love the gentleness the author encourages the reader to practice with themselves, such as: “Healing is not an on/off switch. The human condition demands a part of profound gentleness.” As a therapist, some of the advice felt a bit obvious or like what you’d be told early on in couple’s therapy, but I think that’s appropriate and helpful for most people that don’t have a career in counseling. It does feel a bit overly clinical or clunky at times, but often with reasons for that (such as trying to avoid binary words or keep scenarios hypothetical and gender free). I also feel some concern over her stating how important honesty is but also passing on her friend and colleague’s advice to not disclose that you’ve been faking orgasms. A sensitive topic and a hard one to walk back if the lie has been started… but continuing to lie doesn’t seem like the answer either.

All in all, I think the good advice and ability to start conversations with your partner mean that the good outranks the bad. If you’re only going to buy one relationship book, I wouldn’t put this in the top spot, but if you’ll buy and use a few, this feels like an addition to most couples.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Carolina Colleene.
Author 2 books53 followers
October 15, 2023
Language: PG13 (22 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG
We all need a little reminder of the worth of our relationships—that they are worth putting hard work into. Solomon encourages readers with a short tip to read each day of the year about love, connection, and relationships. These tips cover a range of love: loving yourself, loving your family, and loving your partner.
Solomon shares some of her personal experiences as well as practical examples from what she’s seen in her practice as a clinical psychologist, and I found the examples to be the most interesting parts. Most of the examples are much shorter than I would have expected; Solomon points out the little things we tell ourselves and each other that make big differences.
Solomon is clear that these daily tips are not only for heterosexual couples and most of the examples are given without pronouns. Note that uses of “eff” and “effing” are not uncommon. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol, drugs, and pornography; implied masturbation; and for discussions of sex, orgasm, foreplay, and genitalia. The violence rating is for brief discussions of abusive relationships, including sexual abuse.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Profile Image for Karin H..
257 reviews9 followers
July 20, 2023
"Love Every Day" is a fantastic guide that spans a whole year, dedicated to nurturing ourselves and our relationships. This book puts a strong emphasis on understanding our true selves to form genuine connections with our partners. It delves into key aspects like comprehending our sexual needs, showing compassion, respecting personal feelings and boundaries, managing and resolving conflicts, and ultimately overcoming them.

The book is filled with relatable stories, easy-to-understand instructions, and step-by-step advice in all these crucial areas. It's a valuable resource not only for couples looking to grow together but also for individuals striving to improve themselves for future relationships.

"Love Every Day" offers practical tools and insights for building and maintaining fulfilling relationships. If you're committed to enhancing your connections and experiencing more profound love, I highly recommend this book. It's a true gem!#LoveEveryDay #NetGalley
Profile Image for Abi.
47 reviews
September 26, 2023
There are some little gems in this book however ultimately this book was not for me. There was a large intake of information but this is likely because I read it in a couple of sittings rather than reading one a day throughout the year as expected.

There are some practical tools provided as well as guidance on how to improve your relationships, both with others and yourself. I would recommend reading this at a slower pace to allow yourself to think about each daily entry and to allow more time to recognise how each entry resonates with you.
Profile Image for Tanisha (Nishagotbooks).
86 reviews6 followers
November 17, 2023
This book helps you live with intention. It's a guided daily introspection.
Great read if you are starting the new year looking to make a change within yourself or your relationships.
The questions asked helps to give a sense of self awareness.
Profile Image for Mindy Christianson.
338 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2023
I plan to buy the hard copy of this book when it comes out October 10. The daily entries are short but powerful. A great book to have handy during morning coffee!
46 reviews
November 16, 2023
Love the daily entries of tidbits and advice to assist with learning to love yourself even more. Looking forward to each daily entry. Would definitely recommend. Thanks #NetGalley.
11 reviews
April 8, 2024
I am re-reading this book for the second year now. I love the way it’s structured to be just one page a day so you can really take your time to analyze the passage, reflect, and act on it throughout the rest of the day. This book has made me re-evaluate the lens through which I look at ALL of my relationships and I notice the improvement in the dynamic between my partner and I. Regardless if you’re interested in couples therapy or not, everyone can benefit from reading this thought-provoking book to better their relationships with their loved ones.
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