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A fascinating, insightful and oh-so-wise look at love, through the eyes of a master psychoanalytic therapist, long versed in the compassionate practice of rooting out “dilemmas we face in relationships, which draw couples together and tear them apart.”

Through the composite sketches provided of thirteen semi-fictional couples, the author draws out universal themes, age-old patterns and defenses, all too easy to fall into in our struggles to mask our fragility and avoid painful feelings – leaving us,unfortunately, mired all the deeper in the inevitable outcome of the “desperation and despair of never feeling understood or safe”.

Still carrying our childhoods, (which may be laden with neglect, trauma, fear, abuse, and shame), we approach our most intimate relationships numbed with alcohol or drugs; protecting, denying, or distorting the shared realities of life with our partners; building walls, repressing our rage, running away, or toxically battling; exhausted and unsupported in facing the challenges of parenthood.

As the author gently and painstakingly ekes out guidance to each of the couples in their journey to their own understanding, it’s impossible for the reader not to be captivated and touched by the insights gleaned – many of which, unfortunately, come too late or not at all for the couples involved.

I could not put this book down.

A riveting and engaging look at the mysterious enigma of love, as it may play out, in all its glory and mayhem, in a world defined and shaped by our uniquely-challenging patterns of experience, this book should be obligatory reading for anyone with an interest in human psychology, psychoanalytic practice or couples therapy.

My stop today on the @RandomTTours #blogtour for #TellMeTheTruth @SusannaAbse

A great big thank you to the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts provided are my own.

@EburyPublishing @PenguinUKBooks @ChristianLLewis