Kenneth E. Summers continues the emotional journey of Steve Williams in the newest addition to the Marcie & Steve series, a story that steps away from the familiar and dives headfirst into the uncertainty of starting over. With his life already shaken by grief and routine, Steve finds himself staring at a choice he never expected to have again: the chance to fall in love.
The book opens with Steve sitting alone in his Los Angeles office, smiling at his phone after speaking with Marcie — a woman he met less than a week ago, yet can’t seem to get out of his mind. It isn’t puppy love or a passing distraction. It’s something deeper, something that scares him a little. In his own words, he realizes he’s “crazy in love,” and that realization sets the tone for everything that follows.
But Summers doesn’t make it easy for him. The beauty of this chapter of the series lies in how unpolished and inconvenient love can be. Steve isn’t a carefree 20-year-old.
Pete questions Steve’s sanity, but he also sees a man who’s finally waking up after years of emotional numbness. Their exchange is raw, almost uncomfortably honest, and it reveals how much both men desperately need a win in their personal lives.
And while the tension with Pete is compelling, the heart of the book rests with Samantha, Steve’s daughter. Their relationship is layered with love, guilt, fear, and the desire to understand each other more clearly. When Steve calls her on a whim and asks her to fly down for the weekend, it’s not just because he wants to see her — it’s because he needs her. Samantha represents the part of his life that can’t be disrupted, and Summers writes their interactions with a tenderness that feels deeply real.
Their conversations are some of the most touching in the story. Sam is supportive, but she’s also unsettled. Marcie is only a few years older than she is, and that alone is enough to shake her. She’s worried her father is rushing into something, worried she might lose her place in his life, and worried that the world he’s stepping into is moving too fast. Summers doesn’t shy away from her discomfort; instead, he lets it sit between them, forcing both father and daughter to confront what love means at different ages and in different stages of life.
When Sam finally speaks to Marcie, the book takes a softer turn. Marcie isn’t defensive or dismissive — she listens, reassures, and handles Sam’s concerns with genuine care. It’s an early glimpse of how these two women might find their place in each other’s lives. The promise Marcie makes — that she isn’t trying to replace Sam’s mother and that Sam will always have a room in their home — feels like a bridge being built in real time.
The story, at its core, is about second chances, but not the glossy, perfect kind. It’s about the messy, scary kind — the kind that forces a person to risk comfort for connection. Steve’s decision to go to Tokyo isn’t portrayed as a grand Hollywood romance. It’s a leap of faith made by a man who has learned the hard way how fragile time can be.
In this new chapter, Kenneth E. Summers blends emotional honesty with everyday realism, giving readers a story that feels intimate, imperfect, and profoundly human. It’s a reminder that love doesn’t always arrive at the right time — but it might still arrive exactly when it’s needed.
Contact:
Author: kenneth-e-summers
Amazon: THE MARCIE AND STEVE SERIES: Sydney Where Love Was Found
Client email: ken0874@aol.com
