Relationships come in many forms; most people’s social connections comprise a mix of family, friendship, and romance. Still, despite the central role they play in our lives, relationships are rarely easy and often misunderstood. With UNVEILING 11 RELATIONSHIP STYLES: Secrets Nobody Told You, author Ahmad Aljazeeri seeks to demystify relationships by uncovering “insights, evolutionary secrets, and alluring scientific theories, distilling the cumulative work of thousands of scientists across centuries into an accessible format.”

Key to his approach is what Aljazeeri calls the “PICCK A SPICE” framework, an acronym that stands for “Playful, Intellectual, Creative, Culinary, Kind, Adventurous, Spiritual, Physical, Inspirational, Caring, and Empathetic.” The idea is that all relationships fall into one of eleven “style” categories. For instance, readers who identify with the statement, “Participating in creative activities together can enhance the bond between partners, providing a shared experience that is enjoyable and stress-reducing,” may be in the midst of a Creative Expression-style relationship. Readers who resonate with Elena and Marco’s adventures zip-lining in Costa Rica will likely identify with the Adventurous Bonding style. With nine additional ones, such as Culinary Sharing, Spiritual Bonding, and Caring Companionship, Aljazeeri’s overview feels undeniably comprehensive.

As for the book’s layout, the information in UNVEILING 11 RELATIONSHIP STYLES is logically presented, with the first half dedicated to identifying and sustaining current relationships and the remainder outlining “tools for initiating new connections.” Where the eleven styles will likely inspire some fun, “Hey, that’s me” revelations is in the book’s final third: where readers will look for tangible food for thought and actionable advice for how to improve their connections with others.

Unfortunately, much of this portion of the book is tethered to an app Aljazeeri developed called TerriTie. Chapters like “Solutions For Social Anxiety” and “Loneliness and the Human Need for Connection” all adhere to the same format: a brief discussion of said topic as a means to highlight the app. With the final chunk of pages dedicated to the detailed inner workings of Aljazeeri’s app, UNVEILING 11 RELATIONSHIP STYLES feels less like a self-help relationship guide and more like a sales pitch with each turn of the page (something the promo codes, in-app currency offers, and numerous calls to action only serve to reinforce).

Still, Aljazeeri succeeds at creating an air of authority. With over six hundred citations, UNVEILING 11 RELATIONSHIP STYLES is as meticulously researched as it gets. Add to that Aljazeeri’s refined writing and multicultural perspective, and you have a refreshingly unique take on the self-help relationship template—all of which makes the final third of this book all the more disappointing.

Ahmad Aljazeeri’s UNVEILING 11 RELATIONSHIP STYLES: Secrets Nobody Told You begins as a meticulously researched, comprehensive guide to identifying, sustaining, and creating relationships; but it eventually transforms into a sales pitch for an app in development.

~James Weiskittel for IndieReader