A popular Christian preacher, Jakes has produced many books (e.g., Woman, Thou Art Loosed!), videos and audio tapes that are gaining ever-increasing mainstream attention. Here, he demonstrates an unusual ability to inspire, uplift, teach and comfort. An eloquent wordsmith, this African-American minister writes with an abundance of memorable metaphors and yet speaks to women's hearts in practical, often humorous terms, about "three relationships that must be balanced in order to achieve some semblance of fulfillment"?with their husbands, God and themselves. Rather than suggesting that women be selfless and restricted to hearth and home, Jakes directs them toward healthy self-love, success and creative expression, to become and be treated as "women of excellence." Jakes maintains an intimate bond with readers to the last page, through deeply personal stories: his helplessness in the face of his wife's grief over the death of her mother; the joy and hope he feels at the sound of his little girl's footsteps; the memory of his own mother, "a gentle woman with the strength to build a home and the power to create a family." Despite his book's romance-novel title and strong Christian slant, this masterful preacher offers all women sound advice and gentle, respectful encouragement. Author tour.