Yolande Kleinn

This is a great manny story, where the newly hired “help” comes flying in as if brought by the east wind, just like Mary Poppins. The one difference is that the widowed father knows who hired the unexpected support, but he and the children fall for the manny’s charms just as much as the family in the book by P.L. Travers does. This contemporary tale also has enough complications, hesitancy on both sides, and emotional obstacles to overcome to make it interestingly realistic. Both characters have their issues and flaws, and neither of them is willing to rush into anything.

Widower Daniel has lost his husband two years earlier, and he is not managing at all well. His two young daughters are doing okay, but Daniel doesn’t have the energy or headspace to write his next novel. When a friend “forces” a manny on him just so he has the time to write, Daniel is not happy at first. But gradually he can see things going back to more normal, and he is beginning to put the past behind him.

Corbin, an ex-baseball player, loves working with kids. He is also intensely curious about Daniel, and more than a little attracted. He knows better than to act on that attraction though, and focuses on getting Daniel to open up and deal with his grief and emotions. Corbin’s one attempt at more follows a major misstep on his part, and ends in total disaster. But reason prevails, and the real world of building a relationship can begin.

If you like stories about amazingly mature men who deal with their admittedly stupid mistakes in a sensible way, if a widower dealing with two young daughters and a manny sounds interesting, and if you’re looking for a sweet read that leaves no doubt where the main characters are heading without spelling it out, then you will probably like this short story.



NOTE: The anthology this story was published in has been provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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