The RoMANtics Guide: Hundreds of Creative Tips for a Lifetime of Love (Paperback)

by Michael Webb (Author) "When winter begins to fade away we know the joys (and perils) of spring will soon be here..." (more)
Key Phrases: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Memorial Day (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Brilliant! -- Knight Ridder News Service, February 14, 2000

Run, don't walk to your nearest bookstore. -- The Star, June 6, 2000

This book is out to break men of their bad romantic habits forever. -- Chicago Tribune, February 9, 2000

Use to fire up a cooling relationship or to maintain a steady flame on an already sizzling one. -- Toledo Blade, February 13, 2000

Product Description
The Romantic's Guide contains hundreds of tips for the romantically impaired. There are unique ideas on gift-giving, creative dating, having fun with food, and all the little things you can do each day for increasing the romantic potential of even the most stoic of lovers. The perfect gift for anyone involved in a loving relationship.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (February 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786884347
• ISBN-13: 978-0786884346
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,402 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

220 of 221 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Good, But Great, February 16, 2001

By A Customer

I'm a marriage counselor and am always looking for material to recommend to my clients. Unfortunately, most of the books of this nature fall way short of being able to give my professional recommendation.

A lot of couples that I work with are in trouble because of their skewed view of romance. So many couples have tremendous debt that strains their marriage and many of the books I read only increase that problem with suggestions of cruises, exotic flowers and jewelry. Michael Webb has the right approach with his hundreds of ideas that are heartfelt, yet don't cost a lot of money. So many men in my practice tell me that they cant afford to be romantic. They are already maxed out on their cards. This book shatters the myth than romance must cost an arm and a leg.

What I like most about this book is that the ideas show and inspire couples to be romantic in ways that are meaningful to their relationship. Too much romance out there is too generic -- bought right off the drugstore counter. Michael's ideas and suggestions bring a deeper level of intimacy that can enrich even the most loving of marriages.

While this book will give you hundreds of ideas (more than you could ever possibly need), more importantly, it will inspire and teach you how to come up with your own inventive and sincere ways of expressing your love. You don't just give a starving man a fish, you teach him how to fish. The RoMANtic's Guide doesn't just give romantically challenged people ideas, it provides them with resources and knowledge to become a changed man or woman.

I can without any hesitation recommend this book. It is far more useful than almost any book I've read written by guys with "Dr." in their title. This is coming from a guy who has two of those degrees.

Buy the book and be prepared to live a lifetime of love.

153 of 158 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad, But Not Great Either, January 25, 2001

By A Customer

I bought this book online because of the great reviews that it received from so many readers. I was excited about finding new and creative ways of being romantic, ones that were truly sentimental, as opposed to being sappy. And I did find a handful of good ideas.

The problem is that out of hundreds of entries in the book, I only ended up with 8 or 9 good ideas. Don't get me wrong - the author has the right attitude about romance. He doesn't like doing what everyone does; he realizes the importance of personalization, originality, variety, and fun. The philosophy of always, always thinking about the perfect ways to express your love is a very good one, and one which I think would benefit almost everyone. The author does come up with many creative and thoughtful ideas for gifts, activities, etc.

The big issue I have with this book is that I don't feel it suits those who already have the attitude that the author has. A great many of the ideas in this book were ones which I had already thought of and carried out before, and many of the remaining ideas were (I felt) a bit too everyday or cheesey. It doesn't take a whole lot of thought to come up with the idea of writing "I *heart* you" in the snow, for instance.

This book is a pretty good one for those who don't normally think about romance all that often but really want to become a romantic person. But what the average rating of five stars does not tell online shoppers is that it is simply NOT THAT GREAT.

Would I recommend this book? It depends on what kind of person you are. I STRONGLY recommend going to a bookstore and flipping through it before buying it here. I naively assumed without seeing the content that this book was indeed the best romance guide for me, and payed good money for a handful of tips. Don't make the same mistake. On a lighter note, I wish everyone happiness, and happy romancing. :)

109 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sceptic Turns Into a Believer, July 24, 2001

By A Customer

I was looking for a book a few months ago on dating ideas and one of my coworkers highly recommended this book. I reluctantly bought it and began leafing through it. I was sceptical at first and now I am hooked.

What I appreciate most about this book is that the author really does appear to be a true romantic -- someone who openingly and willingly expresses his love and emotions.

So many people consider themselves romantics but in reality they do and buy things more to impress others than to show their love. How is calling FTD and ordering a $75 bouquet romantic? It took very little thought and no effort. All it does is show that you are willing to spend money for someone. I loved the author's idea of having his wife's bridal bouquet recreated and dried for their anniversary.

I initially wanted the book just for dating ideas and there were plenty of unique ones like the Quarter Date and the Millionaire Date. But soon I was inspired by this book that romance is not limited to dates and special occasions. So many of the ideas in the book can be "anyday" expressions. In fact true romantics I have come to learn are romantic mainly on everyday -- not on special occasions when it is "obligatory."

I was wanting to do something special on the anniversary of the day we moved into our first house (the book shares a lot of unconventional holidays you can celebrate). There were a lot of ideas in the book I could have used but I opted for the "Love Builds a House" idea. We had such a wonderful time that I think I will make it an annual observence.

I had some friends who were having problems in their marriage. They were about to file for separation. They said they lost the "spark" and all the love was gone. I bought them each a copy of the book and suggested they just do one simple idea a week for one month. After two weeks they told me they were staying together permantently. They rediscovered romance -- what they thought was only important in the courtship phase of their relationship.

If you are looking for a book of ideas simply to impress someone else with your credit card spending habits then you should buy a different one. If your desire is simply to seduce someone (these ideas are magical enough that will certainly do that too) you have the wrong motive. If you think that the only reason for romance is to end the night in the sack, then you will never be a romantic.

But if you think romance is opening your heart, sharing your emotions, cherishing and honoring the one you love - this book is for you. If you believe that time and experiences shared are more important than expensive gifts that never really last, then buy this book. If you want a lifetime of love, then get this book today.