Letters to a Romantic: On Engagement

Letters to a Romantic

by Sean Perron, Spencer Harmon

If you're engaged, you already know a thing or two about navigating a relationship--but you're probably finding that this in-between period raises new questions. Turning to God's Word for answers, Sean and Spencer have written you short letters full of biblical, practical wisdom. Direct and to the point, they cover topics ranging from the details of wedding planning to the big picture of your future lifelong relationship. Find clarity amid engagement and come to your marriage prepared!

Genres: Relationships, Christian, Marriage, Counselling, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 29, 2017

About the author

Sean Perron (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the associate pastor at First Baptist in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a certified biblical counselor and previously was director of operations at the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). He and his wife, Jennifer, have one son.

Reviews

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letters to a Romantic on Engagement by Sean Perron and Spencer Harmon walks you through various steps before and through the engagement process.

There something extremely personal and vulnerable because of how they formatted the book into letters. Perron and Harmon used this format to help communicate the biblical aspect of engagement, which I found refreshing and informative. 

Whatever is behind the personal aspect of the book, I couldn't put the book down. I felt as if I was getting letters from friends who were excited for me but also wanted me to be informed. 

I believe in the last couple decades the church has done a bad job about communicating with those who are dating and transitioning into marriage. There has been a lot of secrecy about dating, marriage, and sex. This book could be the start of reopening communication about those transitional periods in life. 

I received Letters to a Romantic on Engagement from its publisher P & R Publishing through NetGalley for an honest opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be purchasing it when it is released September 29th. 

[Sarah W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for engaged couples or for another couple hoping to guide/mentor an engaged couple. Each chapter is framed as a letter and includes questions for discussion afterwards. Also, it is a very quick and easy read - great for the busy season of engagement!! - and less than 150 pages. Would definitely recommend!
I bought this book years ago, when my husband and I first got engaged, but I never read it because I "didn't consider myself a romantic" (insert eyeroll). Thankfully, my husband (fiancé at the time) convinced me to read a very similar book together - "Not Yet Married" - which covered similar topics and led to similar discussions. This book would have been a great addition, but my pride got in the way! Because of how much I enjoyed this book, I am currently trying to convince my husband to purchase "Letters to a Romantic: The First Years of Marriage" to read together.
Read and reviewed for my church library.

[Chalice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judging by the cover and title of this book, I wasn't really expecting much—maybe some fluffy, lovey-dovey advice with some small nuggets of wisdom here and there. Instead, as I started skimming, I received Scripture based and practical advise on a Godly engagement, and ended up reading through the whole book (albeit skipping a few chapters I'm not ready for XD). I enjoyed the personal writing style which truly felt like a letter from or conversation with a friend, and appreciated how everything pointed back toward the glory and honoring of God through a relationship, and ultimately building a relationship with Him.


*cough cough* And no, I'm not engaged. Our Grandma gifted us these books, and like Bilbo Baggins I though to myself, After all why not? Why shouldn't I read it? 😂🙈

[Will Abrams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This probably the best Christian book on engagement I've read. While other books might better cover the philosophy of marriage or something similar, this book is a step by step journey through the process which will make you think through each aspect of your engagement. Plus, it's an incredibly short read you could finish easily just reading 5 minutes a day for 2-3 weeks.

[Janna Wiersma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought the whole series of the Letters to a Romantic on (Dating, Engagement, First Year of Marriage) books. They have great advice, are a quick read, and generated great questions with my teens/young adults.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Basic, helpful, practical, and true.

[Benjamin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff.
Not pre-marital counseling material, but I would recommend it to all engaged Christians (esp. at my age)

[Callie Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. So convicting too and I’ve been married for years!

[Noah Hosking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, made me consider a lot of things I wouldn’t have even thought to going into engagement. Also really personal. It felt like they authors knew me very well.

[Andrew Krom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on engagement.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book which is rich with wisdom on the engagement season.
The last chapter was especially powerful.

[Rachel Mellema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super practical, easy to read.

[Wynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only caveat was on the point about seeking intimacy advice from peers. Weird and also not recommended to stir up impurity before the wedding.

[JeLy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found parts of this a little bit laborious to go through. Other chapters were great. Overall, a good book on engagement.

[Sam Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is likely the best book on Christian dating ever devised.

[Katie Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful, practical, and biblical! I’m so thankful for this book in a season that is both exciting and overwhelming.

[Reginald Detabali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was still reading this book even just after our marriage, in fact during our honeymoon. This is basic for individuals to learn. Easy to understand. Principled work from faithful authors who, by themselves, have live out the simple yet glorious marriage life.

[Ko Matsuo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea for these books. This book is written in a very similar way to the companion Dating book. It also has some very good points (i.e, importance of humility, marriage is not about you, relationship with in-laws), but I found it to be somewhat more scattered in thought and light in its content.