Book Review: Partners In Passion 14

Partners In Passion: A ReviewAuthors: Mark A Michaels and Patricia Johnson
Reviewed By: Jenne

Passion: a word that evokes many emotions and something that many who have been in a long term relationship are seeking to either retain or recapture.

Life partners often struggle with the concept of change, and in turn how to keep that initial passion that is felt by most at the start of a new relationship. Many seek that feeling which can be powerful feeling can be found seeking it in the form of an affair, rather than looking to recapture it closer to home.

This is where the book Partners In Passion can help. The Authors Mark A Michaels and Patricia Johnson are a married couple who are seeking to help not others understand how to recapture that feeling of passion, but also to maintain it within their own marriage.

As a 408 page volume, Partners in Passion, can at first seem like a somewhat daunting read, but the book itself is broken down into easy to read chapters that make sense. Each chapter can be read as a stand alone chapter on a specific struggle, chapter of the readers relationship, or as a powerful reminder of what is really important with a relationship.

The first chapter deals with new relationship energy and all that entails. There are some great descriptions and so many things I could identify within this chapter. Like all the chapters it is written in a non nonsense easy to read style that well simply put makes sense.

The second chapter deals with the top ten myths about relationships. The authors cover things such as the happily ever after myth that still prevails today, that you have one soul mate and only one, it’s just a question of finding that one, and there is a right way to be sexual to name just three of the ten.

Chapter three looks at these myths and societies perception as a whole of a long term relationship and turns the spotlight on how to change the way a reader may choose to reexamine these popular perceptions.

Chapter four was by far the chapter that resonated the most with me as the reader. It is designed to give you the tools to help you overcome the perceptions and talked about in previous chapters and put them into real life action. Being able to communicate with your partner is important, but as the authors point out connecting with your partner first is fundamental to being able to communicate. There are so many good pointers within this chapter it was hard to pick just one to be honest.

During chapter five we move onto the important subject of sex in a longer term relationship. I love how the authors tie their concepts into the first four chapters of the book, and made me realize as a reader that without letting go of the myths that surround long term relationships it’s all but impossible to obtain good sex long term within the context of monogamy.

Chapter six moves us to anatomy and how a little knowledge can take us a long way. It is not as basic as many books that I have seen that delve into the subject. The authors take the subject and make it easy to digest and there are several diagrams that also help the reader to understand.

Chapter seven delves into Tantra, and it quickly became obvious to me that this was where the authors true passions lay. As someone who has never tried or thought of practicing Tantra I have to say I am new considering taking some of the easier lessons within the book and applying them to my own sex life. Like many westerners I’ve been intrigued by Tantric sex but have always thought of it as somewhat mystical. My opinion of that has been somewhat changed whilst I was reading this chapter. The authors managed to make the seemingly mystical practice much easier to digest and understand which is a good thing in my book. I’ll let you know how it goes….

Chapter eight, takes until the territory of sexual adventures. It deals with important subjects like sexual trust, and more importantly how to build it within your own relationship. Fantasies, sex toys and taking things outside the privacy of your own home.

Chapter nine and we continue our journey of exploration. This time we are forced to look at what on the surface can be the restrains of monogamy in a different light. We are taken through the various forms of non monogamy that exist, from affairs, to polyamory and just about everything in between. This chapter aptly features a section on safer sex, as well as looking at the pitfalls and strengths that can be gained from a non conventional relationship.

Chapter ten delves into the kink and again many of the possibilities, fun and pitfalls that might be found within this form of sexual expression when practiced within the context of a long term relationship.

Chapter eleven is all about how we can deal with the things that can throw us out of our love fest and nest. Conflicts exist within any long term relationship and learning how to navigate those conflicts can often be the key to a successful long term relationship and this chapter is a great read. It made me think of things within my own marriage that could be done differently.

Chapter twelve concentrates on going the distance. It asks the reader to open their mind and look into the future. As we age, we change, our bodies change, and so do our attitudes towards our partners. By looking at those changes in a different light we can change our attitude to aging and in turn to our partner.

Conclusion: I personally enjoyed Partners in Passion. It’s a well thought out, informative book, that above all else, made me think about my own long term relationships in a somewhat different light. The authors took me on what seemed a natural journey and opened my mind to new possibilities that are available to me within the confines of my own long term relationships.

This is one of those books that I personally felt many who are either in a long term or even seeking a longer term relationship could benefit from. Each page made me think, reassess my thought process, and in some cases look at mistakes that I know I’ve made in the past, and that’s not an easy thing to do. The writing is easy to relate to and while this is a large book, it’s broken down into easy to read chapters that simply make sense.

If you are looking to keep that passion alive, this books come highly recommended…

You can purchase your own copy of Partners In Passion by clicking HERE. You can also read an interview with the authors Mark A Michaels and Patricia Johnson HERE

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14 thoughts on “Book Review: Partners In Passion

  1. Reply Ali Mar 19,2014 1:01 pm

    Nice review! I have just reviewed this myself, it’s a great book and I’m happy you enjoyed reading it too.

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