Diana Tor is a writer whose husband was killed in an automobile accident over a year and a half ago. The drunk driver hit him head on, causing instant death and leaving her a single mom raising two children. Deciding to make a fresh start, she closes her eyes, points her finger to a spot on an open map and chooses her new home, Dack.

Daxton Marrok is an architect who designs buildings. The single father of four, Dax lost his wife, Laura, two years ago when she chose to commit suicide. He does the best to raise his children. Laura wasn’t the mothering type and the years they were married, she had left Dax a broken and embittered man. When Diana moves to town, he feels an instant attraction but his heart tells him to be cautious. She is beautiful, but often a person can be lovely on the outside and poison inside; he learned that the hard way with Laura. Now, he feels that Diana may be the key to release the troubled man within himself. They begin dating and one thing leads to another until they marry. In time, Diana learns of the terrible secret that Dax holds, but she still loves him; that has never changed. Her concern and compassion extends to him as she wonders how he can ever break the curse he is under. The special love they share for each other opens up Dax’s heart and he feels that together they can erase all his hidden fears from his life.

The Man Within is a story with heart and soul, and moves ever onward, even as Dax suffers painful memories and low self-esteem. The reader can get a feel of his emotional state as he tries to find a love that understands his situation. Diana’s empathy, with her own plight of loss and the determination to find answers to help Dax, is heart-tugging. Ruby Moon-Houldson tells a story of mental and verbal abuse caused by an uncaring woman that only the love of a good woman can repair. She creates a character in Dax that was so poignant; I often wanted to reach through the pages and offer him some solace. The consistent flow of the story keeps the reader flipping the pages. Compassion, love, romance and learning to look within the heart, inspires a great recommended read that shouldn’t be missed in this mesmerizing tale.

Reviewed by: Linda L.