Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid?

by Rachel Sims

If you could uncomplicate your love life, would you do it? Well, look no further! Marriage and relationship expert, Dr. Rachel Sims, has written this comprehensive guide to understanding and identifying the limiting and damaging myths that prevent many of us from experiencing fulfilling relationships. In this book, Dr. Sims provides an invaluable source of information, applicable real-life examples, as well as clear and concise takeaways to put you on the right path to finding and keeping love. This book will make you laugh, cry, and come away with a clear plan to uncomplicate your love life!

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

134 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2022

About the author

Dr. Rachel Sims is the founder and owner of Uncomplicated Therapy, where she practices as a Professional Licensed Counselor specializing in marriage, relationships, and individual therapy. In her practice, Rachel applies attachment and cognitive-behavioral theories to assist others in pursuing and maintaining loving, healthy, and successful relationships. You can find her many helpful tips, tools, reflections on mental health, and her weekly Q&A about relationships on her highly successful Instagram account, “Uncomplicated Therapy.” She received her doctorate from Liberty University, and her undergraduate degree in education, and her master’s degree in counseling and guidance from Texas A&M-Kingsville. After working for over a decade in schools as a counselor, she chose to go into private practice. Rachel currently lives and practices in Fort Worth, Texas.

Reviews

[Brean · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read!

A great read whether you’re single, in a relationship or already married. Eye opening to needs and wants of your own and your partners! Great tips on how to keep a healthy relationship.

[John Luck · Rating 5 out of 5]

We receive advice from different people concerning relationships. But this advice is based on personal experiences and thus, doesn’t hold water.

But, reading the book Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid?: Debunking the Myths That Stop You from Finding and Keeping Love left me in awe due to the way the book tackles each of the myths you have heard about relationships, debunks them, and establishes the right advice based on reliable research and experience of Dr. Rachel Nicole Sims.

Are you Love Smart or Love Stupid? is simply a masterpiece of ideas based on research. Consequently, it is very resourceful to individuals committing themselves to love relationships. It explains dating, handling new relationships, deciphering the good from the bad in a relationship, and the modern-day dating scene.

The book is intriguing and thrilling due to the incorporation of a smooth narrative that often captures interesting scenes instead of an advising tone all through. The language is amusing and exciting, and I must say, getting my eyes off the book was hard!

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it’s safe to say that all of us, at one point or another, have faced some struggles when it comes to love and relationships. Dating is messy and being in a relationship can be hard, but thankfully Dr. Sims has created here the most excellent and accessible fountain of advice that all of us, whether single or taken, will benefit from.

Engaging, relatable and packed full of real-life examples and anecdotes, this is the book we all need in order to have healthier relationships. Like having a chat with a friend, Dr. Sims offers real and practical advice in a completely judgement-free way, breaking down some of the ‘myths’ or cliched advice that we’ve all heard at one time or another and offering up actionable solutions in a way that feels genuinely attainable. I feel like I understand myself and my relationship a little better after reading, and have already recommended it to a number of friends who I’m sure will find it just as beneficial. Highly recommend!

[_sassy_39 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid?" penned by Marriage & relationship expert Dr Rachel Sims is a guide that will help readers to identify damaging myths that prevent them from having fulfilling relationships. This book will guide you on the right path to finding and keeping love in the modern day.

I agree with the author when she says that individuals must learn to love themselves before seeking a romantic partner. We believe in many dating myths and that complicates our love life. The author is suggesting readers to be more realistic while looking for a date/love.

Various love quotes mentioned in the book are something I really like. I have noted all of them in my journal. The myths that have been mentioned in this book have opened my eyes. I needed to learn such details from someone and I am thankful to the author for sharing such details with us.

If you want to uncomplicate your love life, then you should get your hands on this book. Tv shows, movies, book names mentioned in between the chapters are great recommendations. Rachel's writing style is highly impressive. I laughed at various occasions while reading this book. I like to strongly recommend it to my fellow readers. It is one of the best books that I have read this year. I will definitely reread it in future. Also, I am looking forward to reading more of Rachel's work in the future.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a really useful, easy to read book. I highlighted loads of ideas and tips to carry forward in my relationship. It’s a quick read and I like the way it summarises the points to takeaway at the end of each charter.

Highly recommended!

[Ramu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave good tips to keep love in a relationship, and it also said about how to maintain a good relationship. It helps us to go in a right path to find perfect love and a good life. And finally, anyone can who read this book will know how to maintain a relationship and how to live happily.

[Kristen Sancomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for anyone trying to navigate romantic/intimate relationships! I love the author’s approach of identifying and challenging the myths we incorrectly follow in relationships. I imagine this book will help guide readers and allow them to shape different perspectives on how they engage in relationships. Love that the book was written by a couples therapist!

[Marge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wise and realistic. Every man should read this too. We don't always learn from our mistakes, take ownership or apologize. I learned a great deal and hope to put it all into practice soon😊

[Niecie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. I liked that the author tackles many myths about dating and marriage, and I share many of her takes on them. Especially the myths that speak to the work that goes into maintaining relationships.

There were some missed opportunities that soured the overall messages, though. She makes references to white people as being desirable with no references to non-white people as also being desirable. There was one sentence where she mentioned about 4 white men and only 4 white men with desirable qualities, and I was thinking, “Are Black or Asian men not desirable too?” I saw some mention of Black people given in our usual “supporting roles.”

There’s also no consideration given to non-heterosexual relationships. Like, none. I don’t think any book that is marketed as comprehensive in the 2020s can really get away with not being more inclusive with sexuality or race. And forget about gender-expansive folk.

*I received an advance review copy of this book for free. All opinions are mine and are honest.*

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read from a relationship therapist who's seen the mistakes and successes of many couples. She approaches difficult topics with humor and honesty, and she doesn't hesitate to call BS when she sees it.

The book is organized around exposing and confronting the myths people hold in relationships, sorted by the different topics that couples will inevitably face. The topics are mostly relevant to secular couples, so religious couples seeking advice may need to look elsewhere.

I would highly recommend this book to any individual or couple feeling pressure to conform to social or cultural norms so they can learn to separate personal wants, needs, and values from expectations.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very quick read over the weekend. I thought the author's style of writing was easy to follow and she brought humor and human-ness into the book. At times, I thought the book lacked transitions- ending of chapters or when transitioning from one myth to another. I liked how to added a takeaway at the end of sections, as well as the checklists in the back of the book. The quotes were cute, although at times the metaphors seemed to be too much. Many of the suggestions were repetitive, and I found myself losing focus when that happened.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are millions, zillions, gazillions of relationship advice books out there. Throw them all out. Keep only this one.
This gives you deep and valuable insight into a research-based relationship do’s and don’t’s. Be it a marriage, be it dating, you will find useful things there. My personal favorite is debunking of alllll the ages-old stupid relationship myths. Seriously, though, read it and you will sit there wondering just like I did – like, why, WHY do people still believe those and blindly follow those?

[Books Bliss and Biscuits Karolina & Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for a book review.

I enjoyed Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid by Rachel Sims. Although nothing in this book was groundbreaking for me (I have been reading self-help books for over a decade now), there were still good reminders and great tips to make your love life better. Great short book!

[Amber Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, I enjoyed reading it and learned a lot from it.

[Zoe Haugen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! The author is an amazing therapist and helps you navigate relationships in a very healthy way.

[krissi31 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great advice. Although I'm married already, I found some advice that really pertained to those already betrothed. I would have given it more stars had I not found so many typing errors.

[Karolina Przebinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for a book review.

I enjoyed Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid by Rachel Sims. Although nothing in this book was groundbreaking for me (I have been reading self-help books for over a decade now), there were still good reminders and great tips to make your love life better. Great short book!

[Harish kumar Vegi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Rachel Sims' book titled 'Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid' is a valuable read that deals with various aspects of love and relationships. The author provides relatable examples from her couple counseling sessions to illustrate her points.
The author explains the importance of having a strong emotional connection, commitment, and shared vision for the future, which holds a couple together. The book also covers the topic of marriage which is a meaningful and respectable institution where two individuals are brought together in a lifelong partnership based on love, commitment, and mutual respect.
The author encourages couples to make each other a priority.
Marriage is associated with family formation, which involves having children and raising them together, which eventually provides stability to the whole relationship.
The book includes several anecdotes that help to illustrate each topic. The chapter on the challenges couples face provides good solutions for real-life issues. Overall, I rate this book 5 stars for the way it is written.