Real-Life Romance: Inspiring Stories to Help You Believe in True Love by Rhonda Stoppe is a good fit for readers seeking encouragement and inspiration about the existence and enduring nature of true love in real-life relationships, backed by accounts of ordinary people's experiences.

If you are in need of something sweet and heart warming this is defiantly the book to pick up!
even if it s a bit of a sad side note if you are single and reading this -which is interesting since i never actually wished for a partner before. So not sure if this was actually as sweet and heart warming to me personally as i expected it to be.

I loved this book!
I found it very uplifting and encouraging. As a women of faith myself I can relate to some of the experiences, and hope that God will bless me in a similar way!

This book was not what I expected at all, and it just made it reading difficult. I thought it was inspirational like sweet, not inspirational as in religious. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

0
In BOOK REVIEWS
Book Review // Real Life Romance
Prior to reading Real Life Romance, I had never heard of Rhonda Stoppe so I decided to perform a quick Google search to learn a bit about her. One of the first resources I stumbled across was a podcast interview in which Rhonda was discussing how to raise Godly children.

Hearing about Rhonda’s love for Christ, grew in me a great excitement to read Real Life Romance. I initially thought the book focused on looking at marriage from a Biblical perspective and while it does, indeed, do so, it does so in a manner that is not traditional to Christian books on marriage. In Real Life Romance, Stoppe has recorded the love stories of 25 Christian couples to show the world how marriage should look according to Scripture. Even as Christians, we often take some ideas from the world and attempt to apply them in our marriages and are left disappointed. Only when we follow God’s plan from Scripture, are we able to have marriages that are sweet examples of Christ’s love for His bride, the church (see Ephesians 5).
Stoppe is faithful to communicate the goodness of Christ in each of these love stories and they were so encouraging for my heart because they allowed me to learn about ways other Christian couples have remained faithful to Christ even in the midst of difficult seasons in their marriages.

This book was fun too because some of the couples interviewed are famous – you might recognize Bill and Pam Farrel and Nick and Kanae Vujicic – and there are elements unique to this book including pictures of each couple in their corresponding chapters and videos featuring the couples on Stoppe’s website.

In addition to the real life romances provided in the book, Rhonda also asks compelling and encouraging questions at the end of each chapter. I found myself being sharpened and challenged by many of the questions and I’m thankful for her heart to encourage others to grow in their love for Christ and their spouse.

Some of my favorite questions from the book are:

Do you know God’s character so well that you will trust Him if you find yourself without work?
If you’re not married, are you willing to honor Christ in your relationships as you seek His will for your future?
Would you say your marriage honors God?
How have you prepared yourself for the war against the flesh?
How might you adjust your life to take your focus off looking for a husband and learn to find contentment in loving and serving Jesus?
Overall, Real Life Romance is very solid theologically, but there were a few instances in which the author reported that she heard God speak to her and recorded stories in which God spoke to those she interviewed. In the first chapter, while describing a time in which Rhonda was experiencing a break up and was considering pursuing valuable opportunities with her career, she stated, “. . . yet a still, small voice often whispered, This is not who you are. This not what I created you for.” The idea of a still, small voice is taken from 1 Kings 19:11-13 in which God speaks to Elijah. There is no command in Scripture to listen for a still, small voice. In fact, God’s very own word tells us that if we want to hear God, and know what He wants for us and from us, we simply need to read the word (see Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, Hebrews 1:1-2, Revelation 22:18). The concept of God speaking appears in a few other chapters (Chapters 11, 18) so be aware of this as you read and be careful how much weight you give to the concept.

Aside from this caution, I really enjoyed Real Life Romance, so much so that I finished it in three days. Rhonda’s faithfulness to share truths from Scripture with each love story made it so hard to put the book down. I appreciated that these weren’t just ordinary, Christian couples – there was a wide variety who have been through different hardships but all prevailed because their marriages were Christ centered. When it comes to love stories, more of these real life romances are needed to show us what relationships really look like in a world marred by sin. Toward the end of the book, Rhonda wrote, “As a Christian, anything you do in your life should be filtered through this missional statement: To know Christ and make Him know,” (Chapter 25). I couldn’t agree more and highly recommend Real Life Romance.

I received Real Life Romance compliments of LitFuse in exchange for my honest review.

This is a sweet collection of stories, reminding me of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. This book is a collection of sweet, short stories that focus on one concept - love; how perfect for today being Valentine's Day?! Each story will inspire you, encourage you and remind you of the magic of love, the feelings that go along with it and what true love actually is. At the end of each story there is a "ponder this" section and also a "ask yourself" section that really takes it another notch up from being just a story as it shares thoughts and asks pointed questions to really have the reader think about what was shared in that particular story and then apply that to one's own life and own relationships. This is truly an inspiring read that will inspire hope and those warm, fuzzy feelings to brighten and warm your heart on this cold, dark winter days.

I LOVE hearing real-life couple’s stories about how they met, fell in love, got married, and weathered the storms and sweet times of marriage. So when I had the opportunity to review Real-Life Romance, I jumped at the opportunity.
What undergirds each real-life story in this book is that at some point, Christ became the middle of their marriage, their glue. Each started in different points of life. Some knew each other growing up, some met in high school, others later on. Some were believers, some were not. But God graciously drew each one to trust in Jesus Christ.
One of my favorite stories was Don and Barb’s. God brought them together, but they each struggled with trusting Him. Then they suffered a tragic loss. Reading how they struggled through that, and came out with a faith, and a marriage, refined, was so beautiful and encouraging.
And then Curt and Vi’s marriage. *Sigh* The two compared their marriage to a waltz. At the end of Curt’s life, after a long marriage together, he said these words in answer to Vi’s question of what he would want to say to Jesus when he first saw Him, “I am going to thank Him for giving me you.” Isn’t that the sweetest thing?
The stories in this book, all true, all heart-achingly life-like, are pictures of God’s grace. And they encourage me to always seek Jesus first in life, above all and anyone else.
If you enjoy romance, there’s nothing like the real-life kind, and you’ll love this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Real-Life Romance

A collection of real-life stories of couples that were already Christians or one of the other was not. How some overcame addiction and some overcome physical challenges. The stories were all very interesting and inspirational. I would recommend reading a little at a time especially if you mainly read fiction, it is a devotional book with actual stories from real people. I received an complementary copy of the book from NetGalley through Lit Fuse.

This book is full of treasured stories that encourage, bring a smile and give insight into relationships that made it through good times and bad times. I’m sure we each have our own story of how we met our mate. I know when I first met my husband we didn’t like each other at all. We seemed to clash every time we saw each other. What I really liked about this book was the transparency that the couples shared as they took us on their journey to find the right one. Each story is unique but has one thing in common. They each drew on their faith and strength as they pursued their relationships.

I loved how the book includes a section called “Ponder This” and “Ask Yourself.” These are great tools to use as you soak up each story. As I read each story I began to understand more of the blemishes I still had in my life. Did I really forgive when I said I did? Do I still have insecurity issues? The good news is that I am still a work in progress. This book just reinforces for me how thankful I am that I persevered and continue to be thankful for God’s grace and mercy.

One of the keys points of the book for me was to not have secrets from your mate. One of the stories touched on that and it really hit home. For years I guarded a secret that I didn’t realize was affecting our relationship. As the Bible says, “The truth will set you free,”is such a powerful passage that made me feel like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. Even though the secret was something from my childhood, I was still fearful of what my husband would think. I am encouraged by this book and the stories that range from sadness to happiness. I loved each story and gathered wisdom from them. My hope is that when you pick up this book to read you “will be better prepared to not only survive life’s storms, but to thrive in times of trouble.”

I received a copy of this book from Lit Fuse. The review is my own opinion.Landing page:

This is an inspirational read, a nonfiction book, true love!
The author, Rhonda Stoppe, shares her own love story in the first chapter. The remainder of the book is about other couples who have found real life romance. Rhonda has written out their love stories, one chapter per couple. Toward the end of each chapter, some inspirational thoughts are thrown in for good measure. I also found it neat that there is a picture (small, but there, nonetheless) included of each couple. It gives a bit more of a real feel to it, when you can actually picture what they look like, while you are reading their story.
I do love reading about how God brings people together. Granted, it's not like I used to think...you meet the guy, you fall in love, and then you have a happily ever after.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources. This includes publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions shared here are my own entirely.

In a world surrounded by negativity this book was a beautiful escape. Real Live Romances is a collection of real couples and their journey to real-life romance. Some stores will make you laugh, some cry but all of them give you hope for romance no matter your current situation. I was very impressed that the author penned this book to be read by singles also. There are several questions in the Ponder This section that helps to show a single person how they can benefit from the book.
Rhonda starts the collection with her own personal love story. At the end of each story Rhonda includes a section called Ponder This which encourages you to think through a learning from the couple’s story. Then there is a section called Ask Yourself where she encourages you to think about your own specific situation.
I recommend this book. Even if you do not connect with all of the couples you are going to be blessed and encouraged by the majority of them and it will be well worth your time to read them.

I love inspiring romances and even more when they're real!
That's why I jumped at the chance to get a review copy and participate in the blog tour. And Real-Life Romance did not disappoint me. The short and sweet stories were easy to read. And those stories showed that having a great marriage is always possible, even when you feel like all hope is lost. The couples in there were not picture-perfect Christians. Instead, the book for example included stories of people that are divorced or that only became Christians after they had been married for a while. Because of these different stories, this book can not only give encouragement for young adults that are just starting to date or court, but also for those that are starting to date again (for whatever reason) or that are married and struggeling.


I also liked the questions and ideas for personal reflection at the end of each chapter. That presents a perfect opportunity to read and discuss this book with your spouse or in a group.


So no matter what stage of life and marriage you're in, I'm sure you'll find some encouragement and helpful ideas in this book.


Disclaimer: Thank you very much for the Litfuse team for letting me participate in the blog tour and also many thanks to Netgalley for providing a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I like the "Chicken Soup for the Soul"-esk concept here, but I didn't particularly enjoy reading it. Honestly, while I wish it rekindled my hope/love/whatever, it mostly just made me long for something I'm not yet experiencing; not the healthiest feeling for a relationship going through a struggle. That said, I do appreciate seeing the "it is possible" at the end of the tunnel.

This book is a great for those of us who may have lost our way or feel that love is not worth it. The stories in this book are amazing stories of love and forgiveness as well as restoration and hope. It is inspiring for those who think love is not in the charts for them. It will renew your faith in love.

Author Rhonda Stoppe gives us a glimpse into real romances by sharing about 2 dozens stories that are nothing like the fairy tales. The good the bad and the ugly. I love that she focused on more than just the cookie-cutter, perfectly scripted, christian romances. There were gritty stories, hard-won stories, stories you wish you could call your own, stories you can't believe are real yet they are.
Stoppe begins with her own story of meeting her husband as a teenager. There are stories of couples that weren't christian at the beginning. Stories of second chances. Stoppe also shared the romances of her four children, which I really appreciated.
There were a few that left me questioning the romance factor but otherwise this book is a lovely collection of real life romances that are encouraging and gives this single girl hope. There is an "Ask Yourself" section are the end of every chapter as well as a "Ponder This" after some the engage the reader whether single or married. The last chapter or last romance is ours, the readers, I won't spoil it for you though.

The book was okay for me. It's always nice to read about people, about marriages that have gone through some stuff and come out better for it on the other end. It's a book that wants to share stories of others in the hopes of giving people hope to people. Personally, I couldn't read this in one sitting quickly, I needed to take my time with it. Some of it was hard to read because of how I could relate to it and I didn't get that happy ending. But no matter what, we have to remember that we always have hope in Jesus Christ, no matter our situation - married or not, good marriage or not. Christ is our hope for our tomorrows with him.

Rhonda Stoppe attempts to re-ignite our hope in the "happy ever after" with real-life accounts that she has collected over the course of her ministry as a pastor's wife as well as in her own right as an author and speaker. She does also include her own and her children's stories.

She advocates for intentional relationships by asking the important questions and not simply floating through "situation-ships". It will take a lot of leaning on God's ways above over our own immediate desires will be our lifeline that leads you down the path He has planned for you. Her main message for the singles she says: "... Let God write your love story. Ask Him to grant you this wisdom to discern the heart of a man who catches your attention".

This variety of heartwarming stories that will tug at your heartstrings from experiences from all shades. She does not neglect to share the trials they faced in committing to making their relationships work. Contrary to what some might believe, Rhonda strives to pass the message that being a Christian believer does not exempt one from everyday humanly problems such as addiction, co-dependency, terminal illness, grief and loss, age differences and family dysfunction. She offers hope and encourages both singles and couples to continue building their faith and themselves when romance is plenty and when it's scarce.

My only issue with the book was that there was a lot more tell than show. This could be explained by the fact that the stories seem to have been collected interview style. All in all, this would be a great title to pick closer to Valentine's Day when everybody will be seeing red. Hopefully, it will remind the reader that real-life romance is not only experienced during courtship and on their wedding day. It should be couple's life commitment despite the curve balls that life throws at them.