Life and marriage rarely go exactly as planned, but marriage can thrive even in the most difficult circumstances. Learn from 12 inspiring couples who have experienced child loss, infidelity, addiction, cancer, financial crises, brain injury, stranger rape, separation for military service, infertility, opposing religions, unsupportive families, interracial relationships, raising special-needs children, and much more. These couples found the pressures of life didn't destroy them; instead, they crystallized their commitment to each other. Each couple's story culminates with one important lesson to incorporate into your marriage. "In her new book, First Kiss to Lasting Bliss, author Lori Lowe artfully explores the life-changing events of married individuals and helps us to understand how couples manage to keep love alive against all odds. She weaves beautiful and inspiring tales of real-life challenges and helps readers see how people can rise above their circumstances and, like carbon compressed under severe pressure, emerge as bright and hopeful as diamonds." --Scott Haltzman, M.D., author of The Secrets of Happily Married Women, The Secrets of Happily Married Men & The Secrets of Happy Families