10 Best Relationship Books of 2023

Loving is easy, but relationships take effort. All relationships experience good times and not-so-good times, and when those hard times do come, couples need support.

Support comes in many forms. It’s great to have trustworthy and reliable friends you can turn to for advice or with whom you can vent your frustrations. And seeking the services of a therapist or counselor can be very helpful. 

Books are another great resource for couples. They’re often easily accessible and can be digested at the reader’s chosen pace. Whether couples are thriving in their relationship or find themselves negotiating a tough spot, books can be a great resource for learning how to love each other better.

This list of relationship books includes a diverse array of relationship topics. Whatever kind of relationship support you’re looking for, one of these books is sure to lend some great advice. 

“Make Love Work” by Nic Beets

“Make Love Work” is written by Nic Beets, who is a clinical psychologist and family therapist. “Make Love Work” helps readers understand how their own insecurities and neurobiology may be negatively impacting their relationships. The book gives couples the tools they need to overcome hardships by identifying and dealing with insecurities and coming to terms with common past relationship issues.

Nic has specialized in relationship and sex therapy during his three-decade career in psychology and counseling. In “Make Love Work,” he gives couples practical strategies for handling areas that commonly cause stress, including fairness, sex and intimacy, parenting, and handling finances.

“Love & Autism” by Kay Kerr

“Love & Autism” is an intimate and uplifting celebration of neurodivergent love and life. The book traces five true stories about the lives and experiences of five people with autism, including Michael, who was on the hit Netflix show “Love on the Spectrum,” and Noor, a woman who has dealt with people-pleasing and big expectations for as long as she can remember.

Kay tells her subject’s stories with the voice and perspective of a neurodivergent person. Kay was diagnosed with autism while drafting her debut contemporary Young Adult novel, called “Please Don’t Hug Me.” As a neurodivergent person, Kay is passionate about autism and promoting wider disability visibility within Young Adult fiction.

“The Dating Couple’s Devotional Journal” by Tiffany Dawn

“The Dating Couple’s Devotional Journal” is an invaluable resource for Christian couples looking to strengthen their relationship using faith-based resources. This interactive journal offers couples 52 reflections that encourage them to speak openly, pray purposefully, and create the life together they’ve always imagined.

The journal is designed to give couples a reflection for each week of the year. Each reflection gives couples a Bible verse and an opportunity to apply the lessons of the verse to their partnership. The journal includes open-ended questions, personalized prayers, and guided activities for couples to complete together. The journal is designed for couples in any phase of their relationship, whether dating or married.

“Click or Clash?” by Dr. Ali Walker

“Click or Clash?” helps readers figure out how they connect with other people, who they’re really most compatible with, and, most importantly, why that is so. Author Dr. Ali Walker uses her unique Connection Type model to give people tools to understand their personal connection style and the connection styles of those they love.

Readers of “Click or Clash?” will learn about Dr. Ali’s 17 Connection Types, their own individual frequency and intensity preferences, and how humans make friends and fall in love. Dr. Ali writes about the four types of belonging and the three types of loneliness, giving readers tips for how to identify each. “Click or Clash?” helps readers learn how to communicate in alignment with who they are and the kind of relationships they seek.

“You Are the One You’ve Been Looking For” by Dr. Richard C. Schwartz

“You Are the One You’ve Been Looking For” takes the findings of Dr. Richard C. Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems Model (IFS Model) and applies it to intimate relationships. The IFS model came to be after Dr. Richard asked clients to describe various parts of their inner selves. Dr. Richard focused on the relationships within each part of the self and noticed there were patterns in the way these parts connected.

The IFS Model says that when each part of the inner self feels safe, individuals experience confidence, compassion, and openness. He calls this the state of Self. “You Are the One You’ve Been Looking For” helps readers discover how cultivating a relationship with the Self can be the most powerful thing a person can do to create resilient intimacy in their other relationships.

“An End to Arguing” by Linda and Charlie Bloom

“An End to Arguing” is a book for people who are trying to improve their relationships – romantic or not. In “An End to Arguing,” authors Linda and Charlie Bloom share what they’ve learned from their work with couples since 1975. The book shows how destructive conflicts can be avoided and gives couples the tools they need for personal and interpersonal growth.

Linda and Charlie have been married since 1972, and they have dedicated their careers as psychotherapists to helping couples forge strong relationships. “An End to Arguing” includes 101 valuable lessons for navigating relationships with more compassion and gentleness. The book shows couples that a relationship free of useless bickering is closer than they may think.

“The Empowered Wife” by Laura Doyle

“The Empowered Wife” collects author Laura Doyle’s findings after her marriage wasn’t working, and she knew it was time for a change. Laura and her husband weren’t seeing improvement when they tried couples counseling, so Laura decided to gather the thoughts and advice of women who had been happily married for years. She distilled everything she found into Six Intimacy Skills, which serve as the cornerstones of the book.

“The Empowered Wife” gives married women valuable insights and resources for navigating their marriages and finding a relationship with their partner that works for them. Laura teaches readers how to cultivate respect, tenderness, and consideration within their marriages through the real stories of other women’s romantic relationships and marriages. Laura’s book was designed to build up marriages and provide a solid foundation for women looking to connect more deeply with their husbands.

More About Laura Doyle

• Internationally Recognized Relationship Coach
• Host of The Empowered Wife Podcast

Facebook followers: 59,000

Couples need support after experiencing a separation or divorce. That’s where “Finding Love After Divorce” comes in. The book is author Carla Da Costa’s second book and explores why the journey to finding love after divorce often looks very different than it did before. Carla helps readers reflect on and identify the factors in their past relationships that did not serve them in hopes that they can navigate dating and romance with more clarity in the future.

Carla is a coach and author who has experience working with women who have gone through a divorce or the end of a long-term relationship. She helps her clients rebuild and rediscover themselves and the kind of love (and life!) they imagine for themselves post-separation. “Finding Love After Divorce” provides resources and support to readers who are going through the difficult process of divorce.

“You, Me, and the Space Between Us” by Matt and Sarah Davies

“You, Me, and the Space Between Us” is written by relationship counselors and married couple Matt and Sarah Davies. The book helps couples in any stage of their relationship learn the tools to sustain a supportive, secure, and stable relationship. “You, Me, and the Space Between Us” says that all relationships involve a third factor – the space between two people.

Matt and Sarah posit that by nurturing and protecting that space, couples can learn how to hold each other and their relationship with more love and care. “You, Me, and the Space Between Us” covers the topics of boundaries, communication, conflict, resolution, desire, and sense of self, among other relationship tools. The book helps couples understand why difficult stages arise and how they can navigate them with care for each other.

“Sex Talks” by Vanessa Marin

Sex therapist Vanessa Marin wrote “Sex Talks” along with her husband, Xander, to give couples the tools they need to start conversations that have the power to transform their sex lives. Vanessa knows how hard it is for a lot of people to talk about sex – her whole career has been formed around helping people discuss and explore sex and sexuality. ‘’Sex Talks” helps couples start the often difficult conversations around sex.

“Sex Talks” covers five conversations that Vanessa sees as essential for couples. This includes acknowledgment, connection, desire, pleasure, and exploration. These five topics help couples explore how they connect during sex, what they like, and what they’re interested in exploring. Vanessa and Xander have infused the book with intimate storytelling and useful, real-life advice.

Books Help People Navigate Relationships With Love

One of the best things we can do for our overall health is to foster healthy and high-quality relationships. Relationships with families, friends, and romantic partners have the ability to add so many wonderful things to our lives, and that’s why they deserve our effort and attention.

Even the best relationships need some extra care now and then. No matter what kind of relationship needs TLC, these books can offer insightful and helpful guidance. From weekly reflective journals to books that explore the relationship with self, each of these books has so much to offer folks looking to forge better relationships.