Long Live Love by Rena Roberts Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: Long Live Love: Walking Out Freedom From Painful Generational Patterns

Author: Rena Roberts

Genre: Spiritual Memoir

Release Date: May 6, 2023

While utterly broken and at the end of herself, Rena Roberts broke free from spiritual bondage…and you can too.

In real life, victory over destructive generational patterns is rare. Psychologists have studied pathological family patterns for decades, trying to discover why they persist but to no avail. Part memoir, part psychological education and application, and part Christian living, Long Live Love is an invitation and opportunity for self-reflection and healing from family-of-origin issues.

Rena Roberts grew up in a profoundly dysfunctional home and set out to create a healthy, loving Christian family of her own. But when her daughter began to rebel in her late teens, Rena found herself stripped of her faith and everything she counted on from God. It was then that He began to radically transform her as she surrendered to His will and word, no matter what.

Rena’s approach to overcoming deep bondage and spiritual darkness will embolden others to go after freedom recklessly and bring the power of God’s supernatural love to their family line. This journey of freedom from generational jail is told in three sections: Longing, Living, and Loving. Each chapter ends with spiritual growth and reflection questions to examine the longings we have throughout our lives, how we try to live differently from our family of origin, and how we can truly love those we never thought we could.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is a good example of the transforming journey to Christlikeness and an intimate relationship with Him. This is a raw story showing the reality of growing up in a dysfunctional setting and the struggle, even after becoming a Christian, to find true freedom from past influences.

Much of Roberts journey includes battling what she identifies as generational curses or familiar spirits, transmitting desires and strong tendencies to the next generation. While I do not feel comfortable with the idea of generational curses affecting Christians (Jesus did free us from the Curse and curses), I do accept generational patterns of life being passed down from one generation to the next. She includes valuable insights on overcoming those patterns, on spiritual transformation, becoming Christlike and being free from influences toward spiritual bondage.

This is a good book for Christians who want an example of the struggle to be free of generational influences and move to live a life free to love as Jesus loves. Roberts has included penetrating questions to help in the growth process. Keep a journal nearby and be ready to be transformed.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

Rena Roberts grew up in poverty amongst a profoundly dysfunctional family. She muscled her way through college and a graduate degree in Psychology/Counseling. Rena became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 1998. She specialized in the treatment of eating disorders for twenty-five years. She has worked as a primary therapist at a residential treatment center, a clinical director of a day treatment center and in private practice over the course of her career. After homeschooling her three children and holding leadership positions in her local church, she underwent a spiritual crisis that ultimately led to the authorship of her first book, Long Live Love: Walking Out Freedom From Painful Generational Patterns. She now speaks by invitation to various women’s and youth groups sharing her life’s work and God’s work in her so far.

More from Rena

I wouldn’t say there’s anything fun about my book. It’s intense and raw and very real. It has been super fun to receive feedback from readers! They love it. They are inspired by it. They all thank me for writing such a vulnerable book. They love the reflections questions..I think my chapters on forgiveness are most inspiring to my readers and
some have applied the practices I encourage and report to me that it has been life changing, saved their marriages, etc. That’s super fun!

I also realized that I love to write and that I am a writer. I did not know that prior to this project. I hope you enjoy it. I look forward to your thoughts.

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I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)