There are some good things with this book and some things that are less than stellar (in my opinion), but it still gets 5 stars. Allow me to explain.

A Bible study group I was a part of in college played a sermon of Ben Stuart's one night for our gathering. It was on the seven principles about who to date. Being young and about that age where everything seems to be about dating (and thinking a lot about it myself), I remember thinking that he gave some stellar advice. I have to say that his that that one sermon changed the way I thought about dating substantially and saved me from headache and heartache in the following years and up to today. I've watched friends date many people and not have any of them go anywhere, and I've watched other friends be in a dating relationship for years without it resulting in marriage (yet). But thanks to Ben Stuart's sermon and the wisdom it gave, I truly feel like I was spared a lot of pain and had confidence carrying myself because of the wisdom and principles I had been equipped with.

What does any of that have to do with this book? The seven principles he laid out in that sermon are the same ones he lays out in the "who to date" section of this book. In fact, you might be able to find all of the material in this book online for free in the form of sermons from him. But that's besides the point.

What I'm trying to say here is that the wisdom that helped me back then is still helping me today, and this book has it all. The chapters address singleness, who to date, how to date, how to break up, sex, engagement, and marriage. Some of the subjects (like sex) he can't do a deep theological dive on because of space and the purpose of the book, but there are other great books that address that.

I would have no problems recommending this book to a brother or sister who had questions about the subject matter it addresses. I believe that if you want to date and find a marriage partner in a way that honors God, then this book will help you do that.

Now for some of the negatives. I didn't deduct any stars from my review because the following points are really personal preference issues, not things that are objectively wrong with the book.

First, it's clear that Ben was a minister to college age people. His writing style is funny and entertaining, but heartfelt and compassionate. His tone is "authentic" (which college people seem to love). Personally I'm more academically minded and usually enjoy more seriously written works (or dryer senses of humor). But again, this is not a problem with the book, just a preference issue.

Second, and associated with the first, is that the writing can seem repetitive. He repeats some words and expressions many times, which can sometimes get annoying. To be fair, however, the expressions he repeats are rock solid advice and no harm is done in repeating them, especially since we are forgetful people (at least most of us).

Now for a criticism some people have that I think are misplaced. Some have been disappointed with the chapters on singleness because it feels like Ben assumes that the reader wants to be married and will one day most likely be married. To which I say, "Well, yeah." The title of the book, coupled with the fact that Ben used to be a minister to college students and other youth, should be all a reader needs to understand what the book is about and how it's likely to be presented. Points shouldn't be deducted because he doesn't address singleness in a way that a long-term or even lifelong single person would resonate with. There are other books and sermons that can help with that. That's not the purpose of this book.

By the way, I say all of this a single person myself.

All in all, I would recommend this book for yourself or anyone you know who has questions.

I recently read Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age, and I found it to be both thoughtful and practical.

The book is well-organized, walking you through each stage of relationships with relatable examples and real-life advice. I appreciated how it doesn’t just focus on dating tips but also explores emotional growth, communication, and maintaining healthy relationships over time.

The writing style is engaging and easy to read, making it feel like a conversation rather than a lecture. I found myself nodding along to many points and even pausing to reflect on my own experiences.

One thing I especially liked is how the author addresses challenges and common pitfalls without being judgmental—there’s a lot of practical wisdom for navigating modern dating, engagements, and marriage.

A minor note is that some sections felt a bit repetitive if you’re already familiar with relationship advice, but overall, it reinforces the key lessons effectively.

Overall, this is a great resource for anyone looking to understand modern relationship dynamics and gain actionable insights for each stage of love and partnership.

This is a an awesome book! It has given me great insight and aspects to focus on for my future dating. I love that it has biblical references to solidify its ideals on relationships!! I would definitely purchase other books by this author!

Great read!

This book is so well written and an extremely helpful and valuable tool while considering or in a relationship. I have read SO many dating and counseling books and this one tops all of them, with its Godly wisdom, stories and insights about how to be faithful with your single, dating, engaged and married life.

First page was folded but other than that it is a good book.

LOVE This book!

Great book for young individuals in all seasons!

Learned a lot from this book, has a lot of insights when it comes to relationships in all stages.

Great book for single and married ppl

Thanks 👍