Our (current) Top 10 Books on Marriage

#1: The Circle Maker
By: Mark Batterson

If you believe in the power of prayer, this book will fundamentally shift your prayer life, and you will see changes in your marriage and life. Fun Fact: The cover of our “Connection Cards” is an homage to this book, to Mark and to Honi.

This book changed our marriage and every other aspect of our lives.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#2: Lasting Love
By: Drs. Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks

Not only were we mentored by Gay and Katie, this book they wrote, now a classic, 100% changed our marriage before we ever became Hendricks Institute certified relationship and transformation coaches. Gay and Katie had some of the best marriage advice on the market, long before the market really even existed.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#3: The Great Sex Rescue
By: Sheila Wray Gregoire

Looking for an incredible book on understanding God’s true design for sex in the context of Christian Couples? This book will unshackle you from beliefs that have more than likely hindered your sexual connection in ways you never knew.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#4: Getting the Love You Want
By: Dr. Harville Hendrix

Dr. Hendrix founded “IMAGO Therapy” which we consider one of the most transformational forms of work in our space. We use techniques from IMAGO that we have watched changes countless lives and marriages. In this book, you will deep dive some of the foundational concepts around how your childhood, and specifically, childhood relationships, come into play in your present day marriage.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#5: The 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work
By: Dr. John Gottman

Dr. John Gottman is widely considered the God Father of marriage research. If you enjoy learning about common ways to become successful in marriage that are founded in the “Love Lab” his personal marriage research facility, you will love this book. We use various Gottman research and technique when working with couples and we can tell you from personal experience, it is effective!

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#6: Mindsight
By: Dr. Dan Siegel

Mindsight is a book about personal transformation. What you bring into the marriage matters almost more than anything. When we are able to understand how we “tick” and the science behind powerful change in our personal life and attachments, we can show up in a whole new way in our marriage. His book combines understanding mindfulness and insight into an easy to read, highly enjoyable deep dive into our own “self”.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#7: A Return to Love
By: Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson has this way of helping you understand what it looks like to return to a place of love. Her book will help you deep dive aspects of yourself that will help you show up as a more deeply loving spouse.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#8: Learning to Love Yourself
By: Dr. Gay Hendricks

This is another great book by Gay Hendricks that will help you do for yourself what you must do FIRST, before being able to do it for your spouse, and that is loving yourself.

As Christians, we believe love flows like this: We receive and accept God’s love for us, which is perfect. Then, once we receive, acknowledge, accept and FEEL that love, we are only then able to truly give that love to our spouse. This book will transform your marriage by helping you, maybe for the first time, truly love who YOU are; a child of God!

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#9: The Way of the Superior Man
By: David Deida

This book contains an incredible deep dive about masculinity and femininity – two VERY key ideas we’ve spent a lot of time and money training around. If you do not understand the nature in which God made you as the feminine and masculine, you will cross wires with your spouse constantly.

WARNING: This book does contain several concepts that we do not personally align with, but the majority of the content is absolutely solid.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

#10: The Big Leap
By: Dr. Gay Hendrick

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Another incredible book by Gay Hendricks that will help you learn about the unconscious limits you are most likely placing on your marriage, personal happiness, success and more. This was the book that we read that lead us to the Hendricks Institute.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

BONUS BOOK #1: A Year of Marriage Connection
By: Austin & Rachel Holt

If you’re looking for a YEAR long workbook that contains 48 ways to create more connection in your marriage, look no further! We wrote this book based on years of working with couples so we’ve watched these connection techniques work time and time again.

Purchase this book on Amazon here.

BONUS BOOK #2: Our Favorite Bibles
By: God

If you’re looking for a larger print ESV(so you can read in low light in the peaceful mornings), beautiful Bible with great margins to write in as well, this is the Bible for you!

Purchase the bible Austin uses on Amazon here.

For a more feminine NIV journaling version, you can purchase Rachel's bible here. She loves it because it still fits in her bible bag she carries it everywhere in.