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	It Happens Every Spring (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #1) from Tyndale House Publishers
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Product Details Dewey Decimal Number 813.6 Format Kindle Book Manufacturer Tyndale House Publishers Number Of Items 1 Number Of Pages 304 Publication Date January 03, 2007 Availability Usually ships in 24 hours Product Description Meet the characters that live, work, dream, and love in the community of Deepwater Cove. Best-selling authors Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer team up to show how four married couples, all in different stages in life, experience the joys and hardships of marriage as examined in Gary Chapman's The Four Seasons of Marriage. In book one, Steve and Brenda face a common problem among middle-age couples: empty nest syndrome. Steve works too much, and with their two children out of the house, Brenda feels lonely and unfulfilled. In order to save their marriage, the two must learn to reconnect. Readers are also introduced to many charming characters, like Cody, the mentally challenged homeless man that shows up on Steve and Brenda's porch; Pete, who owns the Rods ‘N' Ends tackle shop; and Patsy Pringle, who owns the Just As I Am beauty parlor, where much of the action takes place. The series is based on the marriage principles found in Gary Chapman's non-fiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage. Similar in tone and light-hearted, quirky humor as Jan Karon's Mitford series, Fannie Flagg's books or Steel Magnolias. Each book has a study guide that talks about the four seasons of marriage and the healing strategies depicted in that volume's story. Relational expert Chapman rewrites his core message in fiction, teaming with prolific Christian novelist Palmer in this first in a projected tetralogy highlighting the concepts taught in Chapman's The Four Seasons of a Marriage. The plot and characters evince Chapman's thesis that marriage is a journey back and forth through different 'seasons,' while the neighborhood of Deep Water Cove and little town of Tranquility, Mo., provide the settings. Five local women start a club ('TLC') to help one another through problems in their relationships and their community. In a squeaky-clean nod to Desperate Housewives, a charming handyman is steaming things up with Brenda Hansen. Meanwhile, romance is brewing for Patsy Pringle, who runs Just As I Am, a 'faith-based beauty experience.' Palmer's descriptions can go over the top; the obligatory 'autumn' character 'was a windblown shock of wheat, a ripe apple hanging heavy on the tree, a mourning dove that gathered her little ones close about her and cooed in the wind.' A homeless, mentally handicapped man gives Palmer some engaging opportunities to flesh out the other characters as they respond to his plight. However, the novel's scenes too often conspire to illustrate a counseling point, and the included study guide reinforces the idea that this is self-help disguised as fiction. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Gary Chapman, author of the best-selling books The Five Love Languages and The Four Seasons of Marriage, brings his teaching and insight to a completely new audience with It Happens Every Spring, the first book in the new 'Four Seasons' series. In combining Chapman's practical knowledge with award-winning author Catherine Palmer's considerable writing abilities, Tyndale House Publishers may have found a winning team, if this first offering is any indication. The fictional counterpart to Chapman's non-fiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage, It Happens Every Spring is set in Deepwater Cove, a small community on the Lake of the Ozarks. It tells the story of Steve and Brenda Hanson, a middle-aged couple who are drifting apart. Steve is consumed with his business, while Brenda is languishing from a lack of attention. It Happens Every Spring is well-written and insightful. Many couples may just recognize themselves while reading the Hanson's story, hopefully in time to avoid some of the same mistakes. Recommended. Four stars! -Craig Allen Hart -- Christian Fiction Online, February 21, 2007 Brenda Hansen is lost. The last of her three children have left home to go to college and she's facing the empty nest for the first time. She has looked forward to this time, puttering around and tending her husband, Steve. But Steve is totally engrossed in his real estate business and never at home. When he does come home, it's just to fall in bed exhausted. He never notices anything she does around the house, and doesn't seem to care. Brenda decides to remodel the basement and hires handyman, Nick, to do the work. Nick is attentive and constantly complimenting her on her choices, her appearance, and he notices even the slightest little thing. Soon, Brenda is living for Nick's appearance at her house, and putting Steve's physical needs off. Will Brenda come to her senses before its too late, or are Steve and Brenda headed for divorce court? It Happens Every Spring is book one in the Four Seasons series. It is a wonderful story with real characters. I laughed out loud at times in the book and cried in other parts. Even the secondary characters are real. I loved the quirky hairdresser just as much as I loved Brenda and Steve. In addition to being a great story, It Happens Every Spring also teaches a bit about Gary Chapman's the languages of love. I recognized my husband and me in this book and could see where some of the problems can happen. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book, making it excellent for small groups. A teaser from the next book in the series (coming summer 2007) is also included. This is a series for the keeper shelf. Don't miss It Happens Every Spring. Reviewed by Laura. -- A Romance Review - January 2007 Time to Read! Since I went back to college full-time and started a part-time job a couple months ago my reading time got shoved to the back burner. Not that I haven't been reading, I've just been reading textbooks, and lots of them. During this time my `advanced reader copy' books have still been coming in, and boy have they ever piled up! When I saw 'It Happens Every Spring' I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It didn't look like a book I'd be very interested in, and I was hesitant to pull out that book during my very limited window of opportunity for reading. Once classes start back up in January, the piling up will begin again, and I didn't want to waste my chances. Being fair, I decided I needed to go ahead and read this book in the order I had gotten it, and then I noticed that it was co-authored by Gary Chapman. That name stuck in my mind for some reason, so I scanned my bookshelf and noticed that I had another of his books-'The Five Love Languages.' Since I really liked that book, I decided that it might not be such a bad book after all. It Happens Every Spring The Four Seasons: Book 1 by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer Brief Synopsis Brenda and Steve Hansen have had a great marriage and a great life. Their kids are grown now, and that youngest has finally gone off to college. Brenda thought that this would be the best time of her life, time when she finally gets to do what SHE wants to do. She thought this would be the time for her and her husband to really spend some time together, to be a couple rather than being a parent. As time goes by, however, Brenda is left feeling alone and lonely when her husband starts working more and more and she feels his love and presence less and less. It's like her marriage is dying a slow and painful death. Finally, she starts to think that she's ready for it, that if Steve was no longer in her life it would actually be a good thing. Things in Brenda's life get turned upside down when a strange man appears at her door during a power outage. Frightened at first, Brenda realizes that Cody isn't a danger, he's `simple' but needy and he fills the need to `mother' in her life. Of course, his presence only causes problems between Brenda and Steve-at first. Brenda starts walking down a slippery slope when she has a handyman refinish her basement to make it a crafter's dream space. She starts to connect with the handyman, feeling the relationship from him that used to be felt from her husband. When everything comes to a head what will become of Steve and Brenda? Will there even be a `Steve and Brenda'? I really was surprised at how much I enjoyed 'It Happens Every Spring.' Almost from the moment I opened it up I was drawn into the cast of characters and the idyllic setting of Tranquility, Missouri. Growing up, and still living in, a small and close-knit community myself I could really identify with the interconnectedness of the community and the way everyone looked out for everyone else. As much as I enjoyed the overall story, what eventually won out for my favorite aspect of 'It Happens Every Spring' was the relationship between Steve and Brenda. I don't know a single married couple who hasn't gone through a time in their marriage where it feels like winter. There's no life left, no hope and everything looks bleak. Both Brenda and Steve had their faults, and both of them contributed to the devastation of their marriage. At the same time, both of them viewed the other as being the primary source of the problems. What married person doesn't think the other is to blame? It just felt so real, almost like I could have lived it myself. As thought-provoking as 'It Happens Every Spring' can be, it also has it's lighter, more entertaining moments as well. It's an excellent story and there are some parts of this story that will warm your heart-especially the child-like Cody. You won't be able to help falling for him. Conclusion I simply loved 'It Happens Every Spring.' Despite its serious theme, it had its lighter moments as well and balanced out to make an excellent story. The writing is top-notch, easily keeping up with the excellence of the plot itself. I would recommend 'It Happens Every Spring' for every Christian married woman, and even for those women not yet married. Even though it's a piece of fiction, there's a lot to be learned from it about the realities of marriage. Reviewed by CindyJean -- Epinions - Dec 22, 2006 Meet the characters that live, work, dream, and love in the community of Deepwater Cove. Best-selling authors Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer team up to show how four married couples, all in different stages in life, experience the joys and hardships of marriage as examined in Gary Chapman's The Four Seasons of Marriage. In book one, Steve and Brenda face a common problem among middle-age couples: empty nest syndrome. Steve works too much, and with their two children out of the house, Brenda feels lonely and unfulfilled. In order to save their marriage, the two must learn to reconnect. Readers are also introduced to many charming characters, like Cody, the mentally challenged homeless man that shows up on Steve and Brenda's porch; Pete, who owns the Rods ‘N' Ends tackle shop; and Patsy Pringle, who owns the Just As I Am beauty parlor, where much of the action takes place. The series is based on the marriage principles found in Gary Chapman's non-fiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage. Similar in tone and light-hearted, quirky humor as Jan Karon's Mitford series, Fannie Flagg's books or Steel Magnolias. Each book has a study guide that talks about the four seasons of marriage and the healing strategies depicted in that volume's story. Word travels fast at Patsy Pringle’s Just As I Am beauty shop. So when a simple homeless man appears on Steve and Brenda Hansen’s doorstep during a thunderstorm, the entire town is set abuzz, especially when Brenda lets him sleep on their porch. But that’s not all the neighbors are talking about. Spring may be blooming outdoors, but an icy chill has settled over the Hansens’ marriage. Steve is keeping late hours with clients at the country club, and the usually upbeat Brenda is feeling the absence of her husband and her college-age kids. Add to that the unsavory business that’s moving in next to Patsy’s beauty shop, and the entire community gets turned upside down. Now Brenda’s neighbors must unite to pull her out of her rut and keep the unwanted store out of town. But can Steve and Brenda learn to thaw their chilly marriage and enjoy the hope spring has to offer? Catherine Palmer lives in Missouri with her husband, Tim, and sons Geoffrey and Andrei. She is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and holds a master's degree in English from Baylor University. Her first book was published in 1988. She has published nearly forty novels. Catherine has won numerous awards for her writing, including the Christy Award, the highest honor in Christian fiction. Total sales of her novels number nearly two million copies. Dr. Gary Chapman is the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc.; an internationally known speaker; and the host of A Love Language Minute, a syndicated radio program heard on more than 100 stations across North America. He and his wife, Karolyn, live in North Carolina. This is a story that grips one's heart. And it's made much richer by the strong performance of Jill Shellabarger. The story revolves around Steve and Brenda Hansen, whose marriage of many years is falling apart. When a homeless man enters their lives, surprising things begin to happen. A wide cast of characters, including neighbors and friends, makes this a lively book, and Shellabarger delivers all their emotions believably. Authors Chapman and Palmer weave in a strong message of faith and hope without being preachy. The engrossing story will sometimes bring the listener to laughter, and parts of it may bring some to tears. N.L. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine Customers who bought this item also bought Summer Breeze (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #2) Falling for You Again (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #3) Winter Turns to Spring (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #4) The Four Seasons of Marriage Home to Holly Springs Customer Reviews for: It Happens Every Spring (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #1) Rating - Uneven portraits I've read and enjoyed many Inspirational/Christian novels that fall into the romance category. But this one is not the most enjoyable I've ever read. I did read it all, to see where it was going, but found it to be very repetitious and preachy. On the other hand, there were several important life lessons to be learned here, some of which the characters never did seem to get a really firm grasp. Cody is treated well by the authors and ... Read More Rating - Can This Marriage Be Saved? First in a series of four novels, It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer does a great job at illustrating the two sides of a marriage in trouble. Brenda feels lost, now that the children are gone and Steve has immersed himself in his new job. She needs to feel a part of something and she needs attention and support from Steve. Steve needs physical affection and attention from Brenda, to believe that ... Read More Rating - Can't Put It Down This book caught my attention from the very first line I read, and it just got better and better. The characters were unique; the plot was very suspenseful and it kept building and building. Wonderful story teller, and based on the works of Dr. Gary Chapman. Great combination!!!! Rating - Entertainment That Teaches I love Christian fiction because you can learn while being entertained. Based on concepts from his non-fiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage, Dr. Gary Chapman joins forces with CBA best-selling author Catherine Palmer to launch The Four Seasons series. Anyone who's been married or contemplates marriage will enjoy this first book. A page-turner, I read it in It Happens Every Spring in two sittings. An explosion of trouble in the opening ... Read More see more reviews See More Tyndale House Publishers products

: It Happens Every Spring (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #1)