We’ve been sold a myth about modern relationships.

That marriage doesn’t matter.

That living together is just as good.

That if love is strong enough, everything else will fall into place.

It’s not true.

In Reliable Love, Dr Harry Benson draws on psychological theories of commitment, his PhD research tracking more than 3,000 couples over their first 14 years of parenthood, and real-life stories to show that marriage remains our strongest foundation for lasting love.

His findings reveal something striking: previous research has seriously underestimated the impact of marriage.

Even the poorest couples who marry are more likely to stay together than the richest couples who don’t.

Marriage is not just a marker of stable couples. It helps create stability by strengthening commitment, reducing ambiguity, and changing behaviour.

For couples, parents, policymakers, and anyone searching for reliable love, this book offers a bold, evidence-based message.

Marriage isn’t outdated. It’s misunderstood.

If you want reliable love, stop waiting for proof. Get married.

Dr Harry Benson is Research Director of Marriage Foundation and has a PhD on the psychology of marriage and commitment from the University of Bristol.

Reliable Love – The Psychology of Marriage and Commitment

is available now from Amazon in e-book/paperback/audiobook format and also from Audible in audiobook format

What the experts say about RELIABLE LOVE:

• “An absolute joy to read. Dr Benson makes science interesting, digestible, and applicable. Well done! I loved it. His thoughtful integration of theory, research, and real-world relevance marks this as a standout and highly impactful contribution.”
  Professor Galena Rhoades, director, Family Research Center, University of Denver, USA
• “Reliable Love is a tour de force. Whether you are a starry-eyed couple wondering whether to tie the knot, a parent, a policymaker, or simply someone who cares about family life in society – this book is for you.”
  Katharine Hill, author, speaker, and director at Care for the Family, UK
• “The decline of marriage is one of the most dismaying trends in modern Britain. Yet Harry Benson at the Marriage Foundation is one of the few people to fly the flag for this battered institution. He has dug deep into the social and psychological causes of the decay, but Reliable Love is also full of the distilled wisdom drawn from real life dramas and dilemmas that should be widely shared”.
  David Goodhart, Head of Demography, Immigration and Integration Unit, Policy Exchange, UK
• “Harry Benson has a remarkable gift for distilling complex psychological and social research into observations that feel immediately recognizable. I found myself smiling throughout this book, often at the clarity and originality with which Benson explains the ambiguities and frustrations of modern relationships.”
  Professor Spencer James, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, USA
• “Strong societies are built on strong families and this book puts the importance of commitment squarely at the heart of both. It builds the objective evidence base around what many people will intuitively know – that despite its decline, marriage still matters.”
  Edward Davies, policy director, UK
• “Harry offers a clear and compelling case for something we all long for: reliable love. Wise, accessible, and timely, it is essential reading for anyone serious about love, marriage, and the common good.“
  Dave and Sophie Matthews, Head of Family Life, HTB The Marriage Course, UK