Whenever I see a new novel co-written by a prominent expert in some field and a best-selling author, I'm skeptical. So when I discovered the first in "The Four Seasons" series, I hesitated.
But the cover and the back copy appealed to me: 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...etc.
I loved "The Mitford Series" by Jan Karon, and adore any book set in a small, quirky town setting, so I took a chance and bought "It Happens Every Spring". I enjoyed it...most of it.
I have to admit, while the characters weren't flat, it seemed that there were just too many of them to fully develop an interest in them. I thought that Brenda and Steve were too extreme in their personalities, and I didn't care for Esther at all. But I could tell she was going to star in her own novel in this series.
In fact, by the time I finished the book, I could tell you who would be in which novel discussing which season of marriage.
Because this series is designed to tie in with "The Four Seasons of Marriage" by Gary Chapman. And it is blatantly obvious. The message of his book is thinly disguised in her novel.
So, I read the story, skipped over the "therapy passages", and longed for the ending. But I must admit, I did tear up at the predictable ending a little. I just never really cared about what got them there in the first place.
I will probably read the entire series, just because I've started reading it with this one. But, then again, I never did finish the series written by Gary Smalley and Karen Kingsbury...pretty much for the same reasons...
So, if you liked the Baxter series by Smalley and Kingsbury, don't let me discourage you. This is more of the same, only not as well written. So, on my new rating scale...
This book gets three bookmarks from me!
Happy Reading!
Deena
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