Turning the page in a book is very exciting because you never really know what’s on the next page: it could be something good, or something bad, or a total surprise. Life can be exactly like that too, and the newest novel by Andrew Grey proves that. Second chances, late-in-life lovers, and May/December relationships are some of my favorite kind of books, and ‘Turning the Page’ is all of the above. It’s a very warm and gentle love story with two slightly older characters – not ancient by any means, but in their forties and fifties, respectively - and it’s a beautiful tale.

While Malcolm and Hans are very different in many ways, they share a need for companionship and love that makes them reconsider what they are doing with their lives. Add some initial reticence on both sides but for different reasons, office intrigue that causes Malcolm to become a lot more active in his job than he had planned to be, and meddling friends and relatives, and you’ve got the elements that make up the core ingredients for this touching romance with an adventurous edge.

Malcolm is a successful tax lawyer and, sadly, expects very little from life at this point. He lost his partner of twenty years to cancer just over a year ago, has not stopped grieving, and isn’t ready to follow everyone’s advice to start living again. Then he meets Hans, a writer who needs help clarifying an issue with the IRS. Malcolm’s personal assistant has been nudging him for months, and when Malcolm’s brother joins the chorus of people who tell him to have some fun, Malcolm has no choice. Basically he is ready, but he has a hard time accepting and admitting it.

Hans is a successful author of adventure novels, and he loves experiencing some of the things he puts his characters through. It makes him a very interesting and lively companion for Malcolm, but because Hans is also a decade younger, Malcolm fears he won’t be able to keep up with him. Between those fears, a colleague at Malcolm’s firm going crazy, and a health scare, the suspense is certainly high. But the main focus of the novel remains Hans and Malcolm’s fears, hopes, and budding relationship – and that was an emotional roller coaster in its own right.

If you like intense stories, if mature lovers who also face an age difference sound interesting, and if you’re looking for a read that explores love as you get older while proving that does in no way need to be boring, then you will probably love this novel as much as I do. It’s moving, the main and supporting characters leap off the page, and the issues are very real.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )