Summer Breeze, Four Seasons Series #2

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.

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.

Cold, cruel words from an unsympathetic mouth. Harsh, quick judgments. A small town where relentless gossip spreads faster than a manically sugar-crazed two-year-old with a bag of candies and chocolates. Does this sound like a relaxing summer breeze? Such is the scene in Summer Breeze by psychologist Gary Chapman and author Catherine Palmer.

Main characters, Kim and Derek Finley, along with their ten-year-old twins, Lydia and Luke, find themselves stuck in a continual swirling vortex of clichés. Derek is the stepfather of the twins and finds himself in a constant battle against the never-ending, “You’re not my real father” routine. Luke has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, putting Kim into a frenzied panic. Lydia hates not being the center of attention and lashes out, insistent on being just like her best friend, who supposedly gets away with everything from dating boys to using gaudy makeup to wearing shorts to church. In order to “help” the situation, none other than the mother-in-law moves in. A mysterious drowning has water patrolman Derek Finley obsessed with his work. So, his mother, Miranda, officially moves in, and criticizes Kim on every aspect of her lifestyle and insists on innocent intentions in every crisis. Gossiping old women of the town only add to the marital doldrums and triteness of the entire plot.

In this second installment of The Seasons of Marriage series, the co-authors aim to illustrate the summer of marriage. With springtime marriage, everything is new and fresh, and then it eases into the fun and safe times of summer. Keeping this in mind while reading, I expected to see it demonstrated by the main couple of the book. So, I read. I waited. I read some more. I waited some more. I ignored cliché after cliché and grew almost desperate for something original. Not only was I left starving for creative plots, characters, and dialogues, I also found a theme contradictive to the placed title and purpose of the book.

A recurring theme of hypocritical Christians did not seem to relate much to this supposed “fun and safe” theme of the book. The ceaseless fighting of Kim and Derek caused me to wonder how this was the summertime of their marriage. Even with make-ups and resolutions, it seemed more like a fall or winter with all the icy tensions. An easy book to read nonetheless, it was unfortunately made complicated in that several times events that had already taken place in the first book were not clearly explained. Having never read the first book, it took me several chapters to understand certain characters or situations.

When reading a Christian novel, I excitedly await to learn something new about faith or to expand my perspective on Christ. I was sorely disappointed to find the entire book nothing but milk, perhaps even baby formula, for a reader craving hearty meat. – Madelyn Wiley, Christian Book Previews.com

Average Rating:

4 of 4 Reviews Showing:

Reviewed by Bonnie Geske (Bonney Lake, WA), December 03, 2008

A wonderful series with endearing characters facing realistic challenges that touches the readers heart and soul.

Reviewed by Grateful Gramma (Southwest Virginia), January 21, 2008

Summer Breeze, by Catherine Palmer and Gary Chapman, is one of a series of four novels based on the seasons of relationships described in Chapman’s The Four Seasons of Marriage. This is the first of the series I’ve read but I’m definitely looking for the other three. Recently I heard Pam and Bill Farrel on the radio, discussing their book Men Are Life Waffles – Women Are Like Spaghetti, so it was especially interesting to follow the characters of Derek and Kim in this book and see how they fit the Farrels’ categories. Derek, the water patrolman, wants to keep the areas of his life in neatly separated boxes (the sections of the waffle) while Kim sees everything as being intertwined (like pieces of spaghetti) and reacts accordingly. Predictably, their different perspectives and their different love languages create some tense moments. I also enjoyed eavesdropping as Derek’s neighbor Charlie explains how he used fishing techniques (empathetic listening) to resolve a touchy situation with his wife. Derek is a quick learner and puts the ideas in play with his step-daughter and later his wife, who then uses them successfully with her mother-in-law. Altogether an entertaining book with some interesting lessons hidden inside. Recommended!

Reviewed by Eleanor Harter (Newark, OH), September 04, 2007

I wanted to kick the mother-in-law out right away, at least to an apartment of her own, maybe even close by. I also wanted to boot Derek in the fanny to wake him up to what trouble his mother was causing...I liked the book, it turned out OK considering the interfering Mom-in-law, and again I was looking forward to book 3.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner (Morrow, Ga), May 18, 2007

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

Write a review of Summer Breeze, Four Seasons Series #2

• Books
• Books >> Fiction
• Books >> Fiction >> Contemporary
• Books >> Fiction >> Contemporary >> Women's Fiction
• Fiction
• Fiction >> Contemporary
• Fiction >> Contemporary >> Women's Fiction
• Start A New Christianbook.com Search

I'm the author/artist and I want to review Summer Breeze, Four Seasons Series #2.