Second-time-around couples may be wiser and even more determined than before to make things work when they wed, but if the divorce statistics are grim for first-timers, they are even more sobering among those tying the knot again.

That concern prompted father-and-son counselors Gary and Greg Smalley to write The Heart of Remarriage (978-0-830-74677-4, $22.99, Regal Books), releasing this month. The pair surveyed hundreds of remarried couples to learn more about the particular challenges faced by those for a second time, or more.

The Smalleys concluded that the real issues are not about practicalities like step-parenting—though they are addressed with hands-on advice and ideas—so much as emotional baggage and blind spots from previous relationships.

"In many remarriages, couples get together thinking that their hearts are wide open to each other and will stay that way," they write. "In reality ... the doors are actually closed."

Addressing the need for someone to have an open heart and to provide emotional safety for others they know in successful relationships, the writers acknowledge that much of the first portion of their book is applicable to anyone. They look at how best one can heal from past hurts and establish healthy boundaries.

In the second part of the 256-page hardcover book, they get down to some of the emotional tangles specific to remarriage—unresolved issues with ex-spouses, feelings of guilt and anger, and the different tugs and pulls in blended families. They emphasize the need for the couple's relationship to take prime place if the new stepfamily is to survive and thrive.

Each chapter includes brief Heart Healer ideas and suggestions, Heart Monitor questions for reflection and discussion and Heart Protector advice. The book ends with a series of relationship quizzes to identify areas on which individuals may need to focus.

A publicity campaign with secular and faith media—print, television, radio and Web—in addition to online promotions will support the release.

For more information, go to www.regalbooks.com. To order, call 800-4-Gospel.