What happens when authors use fiction to explore self-help principles? Chapman, the relationship expert whose juggernaut The Five Love Languages
has sold more than five million copies, teams up with novelist Palmer for a series that intentionally dovetails with Chapman’s nonfiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage
. This lackluster concluding installment explores the “spring” season of marriage by profiling fictional newlyweds Brad and Ashley Hanes, whose marriage is not turning out to be as idyllic as either had expected. Can God transform the winter of their discontent into a spring of mutual appreciation and rekindled love? Yes, and there are sweet moments along the way. Still, the novel feels contrived despite Palmer’s competent writing and characterizations. (July 1)
