Turning the Page M/M Romance
Dreamspinner Press
August 19, 2016
182
Reviewed by: Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team
Fifty-two year old Malcolm Webber has been drifting through life for the past thirteen months since the death of his partner David. Ever since David succumbed to cancer, Malcolm has been existing, not living, in spite of the attempts by his family and friends to get him to try to move on, if he isn’t ready for love at least go out and try to have fun, but Malcolm is far from ready.
Malcolm is a tax attorney and when a new client comes in with a tax problem, he is immediately drawn to the man. Hans Erickson is an author and his eyes remind Malcolm of David’s. Although attracted to Hans he is not willing to go any further because his heart and mind are centered on David. In addition, Hans is a client and ten years younger than him.
When Malcolm’s brother Peter arrives for a visit and they meet Hans by accident at a restaurant they are at Peter can’t help but interfere. He gets Hans’ phone number and begins pressuring Malcolm to call him. Everyone understands that Malcolm may not be ready to love again but it doesn’t hurt to at least meet someone and have fun.
Taking Peter’s advice Malcolm calls Hans and when a dance leads to a kiss Malcolm makes it clear that it can go no further even though his head tells him it is okay to move on his heart doesn’t seem to want to go along with it. Malcolm knows that he has to try to move on but how does he do it without feeling like he is betraying the man he loved? Malcolm does agree to go on a ski trip with Hans and one thing leads to another but the realization that he cannot do the things Hans can do is another reason he needs to stop them from going any further.
There are problems with work, problems with his budding relationship with Hans and through it all, there is the memory of David. Malcolm is facing what so many people face when they lose the love of their life, the belief that you can never love again. As human beings, we have the capacity to love many people and each love is different, the love of a parent, the love of a child, the love of a spouse, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a new kind of love different from the first but still wonderful in its own way.
Life really does go on but can Malcolm move forward? Can he accept that he will always miss and love David but that doesn’t mean he has to go through life alone? Can he learn that he doesn’t have to do all the things that Hans can do and that they can find new things to do together?
Okay every time I read an Andrew Grey novel, I turn into a sappy senior, but what can I say? His books always move me.
