Summer Breeze (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #2) (Paperback)

by Catherine Palmer (Author), Gary Chapman (Author)
Key Phrases: insulin kit, tea area, pork steaks, Deepwater Cove, Pete Roberts, Miranda Finley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In book two of this fiction series based on the best-selling non-fiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage, readers meet the blended family of Derek and Kim Finley. Kim has a set of twins--one boy and one girl--from her first marriage; Luke has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, and Lydia is acting out as a result of the attention now being showered on Luke. To complicate matters, Derek's overbearing mother comes to live with them. With all that's going on in their lives, Kim and Derek's communication begins to break down and their marriage slowly moves into winter. Although the second book will focus on Kim and Derek, readers will also encounter all their favorite characters--Patsy Pringle, Pete Roberts, Steve and Brenda, Esther and Charlie--as well as some new ones, like the proprietor of the new sandwich shop that's moved in next to Patsy's beauty parlor.

From the Back Cover

Nothing spells disaster like a meddling mother-in-law.

Unfortunately for Kim Finley, hers has come to visit . . . indefinitely. Not that Kim couldn’t use the help: she recently returned to work, leaving the care of her eleven-year-old twins to her new houseguest. What she didn’t count on was Miranda’s unwanted decorating tips and unending criticism.

Kim’s husband, Derek, soon finds himself volleying between the woman he loves and the mother he can’t escape. With the increasing demands of his job as a Water Patrolman, Derek can barely keep from drowning.

Winter may be drifting into the Finley household, but summer is in full swing in Deepwater Cove, and the members of the Tea Lovers’ Club intend to take full advantage. There are barbecues to plan, neighbors to help, and a new store owner to welcome. But when they lose the one person who brings them together, the community craves the calm only a summer breeze can bring.

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The Four Seasons fiction series is based on the ever-changing cycles of relationships detailed in Gary Chapman’s nonfiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage. The novels will focus on four couples, each moving in and out of a different season.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (May 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414311664
• ISBN-13: 978-1414311661
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #369,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Summer Breeze- Hot Topics, July 31, 2007

By	Eileen Key (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Patsy Pringle's hair salon takes the area's pulse within its newly formed group, The Tea Lovers' Club. It allows the ladies to share their good news and their worries. In Book Two of this series, Kim Finley is center stage. Her mother-in-law, Miranda, has come to visit indefinitely and care for the twins, and nothing Kim does is right. Kim's concern over her daughter Lydia's rebellious actions and worry over Luke's diabetes is very stressful. How will she handle Derek's perfectly put together mother? And how will Derek manage the two women he loves most?

The citizens have adopted Cody Goss, a homeless man, and when Miranda orchestrates his leaving, no one is happy about it. This mother-in-law has stirred up more than one family.

Chapman and Palmer have created characters who share real down-to-earth problems. Their blend of humor and honesty sheds a revealing light at how God would have us handle life's stressors.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Strong Women, September 1, 2007

By	Maryjane Munley (Woodridge, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As with the 1st book, depicted women are strong and faithful to their faith, however I find them somewhat unbending and rather shrewish, while the men are silently strong and see the women as difficult to get along with. I'd like a better balance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fine family drama , June 10, 2007

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Derek Finley feels his world is collapsing although he loves his wife Kim and her twin children Lydia and Luke from an abusive previous marriage. Helping him somewhat cope with his off the scale stress is he knows they love him too. Still he and Kim worry about paying their bills now that Luke has diabetes. Kim will need to return to the workforce, but both parents worry about caring for the children with no stay at home adult.

The answer is simple; Derek's mom Miranda moves into the household. However, the third adult causes all sorts of troubles between her son and daughter-in-law as Miranda needs to be in charge. Besides being the commanding general she also practices some odd religious beliefs that frighten Kim as her children might emulate their step-grandmother. This once solid marriage appears in deep trouble from tropical storms.

This story is based on Gary Chapman's belief that marriage changes like seasons and those in which the couple communicates their fears and desires will only get stronger. SUMMER BREEZE is an entertaining stand alone tale of two generations sharing a household that leads to conflict ironically because everyone "knows" what is best for Luke while Lydia feels left out. Using hyperbole to make the point that relationships run into storms followed by SUMMER BREEZE, this is a fine family drama filled with emotional people frightened that everything sacred to each of them is falling apart. Fans will appreciate the different reactions of the Finley family to Luke's diabetes while also reading the first marriage based tale, IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING

Harriet Klausner