This book covered important topics that all couples should Converse about no matter how long they have been in the relationship. I felt like the author was straight forward and overall it was a good read.

This was a fantastic read. I am in my late 20's and am planning my wedding with a date of July 2022. I am aware that I can improve my communication skills but sometimes it is hard to know exactly how to do that. This book was not threatening and did not make me feel uncomfortable. This really helped me and my partner get to know each other better. I know sometimes self help books can be intimidating but it is worth the effort and you won't be sorry!

An important and helpful book and one I was delighted to receive! This book covers conversations every couple should have, and ways to start those conversations and how to interact with each other through difficult conversations as well. I really enjoyed this book and am going to put these things in to practice.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. The concept is interesting - Julie is a counselor and David is a divorce lawyer, so they do have some really interesting perspectives and stories. And if you think of it as more of a "memoir", you will probably enjoy it. But if you are looking for some real, practical advice, I think it's lacking a bit. The five topics of conversation are: communication, finances, parenting, sex, and work-life balance. All of these are also what I would say are probably the five most crucial topics. But again, if you are looking for some real in-depth advice, you'll be disappointed.

One of the things I DO like about the book is the abundance of metaphors. Being somewhat of a "metaphor queen" myself, I got a few new ideas on easy ways to explain concepts here. For example, they talk about the oxygen masks on planes (take care of yourself first before helping others); replacing the roof on your house (you don't wait until it's falling in to replace it); make-it and take-it basketball (if you made the mess, you're the one who should clean it up); and the escort car to a wide load vehicle (sometimes you're the one who needs help and sometimes you're the one providing it). So if you are a therapist who uses a lot of metaphors, you'll like this book for that.

There are also some really good one-liners to remember. The key to working on the ebbs is to work harder on the flows; if it won't matter, don't say it; and so forth. But there is also some advice I don't like. For example, when they were talking about the silent treatment, they said that time outs are like five year old tantrums and have no place in a relationship, because it's punishment. Maybe they were only talking about it in terms of the silent treatment as punishment, but time outs when things are heated can be a VERY effective strategy in my opinion, and I'm afraid couples will read this wrong. And I kind of really don't like how they talked about differences in sexual frequency - it felt disrespectful to me. I felt that the book was really weighted towards the person who does not want sex as much and disregarded the pain that often happens for the person who does want sex more often.

The book is basically a log of conversations between the two of them over the years. And don't get me wrong - conversations between a counselor and a divorce lawyer are probably endlessly entertaining. I found the tone of the book a bit snarky, however. Also, you must be comfortable with foul language, because there's a lot of it. I'm not a prude regarding language, but I feel like it's somewhat of a trend to try to make books appealing by swearing a lot.

Again, if you read this more like a funny memoir of two people with converging (diverging) careers, you might like it. But if you're looking for more solid couples advice, there are a multitude of better options.

The book was pretty good up to where I reached before the file broke and with the book archived, I can't reach the end.

I do recommend checking it out, as I'll probably do myself later down the road.

This book caught my attention since it was written by a divorce lawyer and a family therapist, who happened to be married. It seemed like they'd make a great book and this topic and my expectations did not disappoint. This was a much more fun and light book than I expected since it can be a heavy topic, and I loved that about it!

I loved the broad range of topics that they covered and loved that it provided valuable insights into these topics. Overall, I enjoyed the couples' conversations and this book!

**Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

David and Julie Bulitt’s “The Five Core Conversations for Couples” offers couples sage advice that will undoubtedly contribute to a healthier and more satisfying relationship. I highly recommend!