Title: The Man Inside Me
Author: Sean Kerr
Genre: Gothic Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay/MM
Publisher: SGK Publications
Pages: 202
Reviewer: Melissa Brus, Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
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About The Book
Victorian London is a difficult place to be when you are gay, as Henry and Gabriel know all too well.
When they were young at Oxford University, Henry and Gabriel’s love burned hot and bright, and they thought to change the world together until a devastating tragedy ripped them apart.
Now, as youth fades away, Henry can no longer stand to see his own reflection in the mirror. All he sees is a sad, tired old man whose body has betrayed him. He craves the touch of another, to feel attractive and vital once more but his obsession with finding a cure for insanity has stolen his life away, and now his work has taken on a dark and sinister dimension. How far will he go to recapture the passion of his lost youth?
Gabriel fears that Henry is losing his mind, and when a brutal killer invades their lives, they are thrust into the dark depths of Victorian London in a fight for their very lives.
As their friendship is tested to its limits, Gabriel cannot help but wonder if there is still a chance for love. Can they move beyond the friendship that has spanned over thirty years and find the love that once made their hearts beat as one?
You may never be too old to find love, but will you be able to survive it?
The Review
This is an amazing retelling of a familiar story, but Sean Kerr takes this tale in new directions. The writing style is beautiful and compelling. Kerr creates a musicality with his words that truly draw the reader in.
There is an astonishing amount of detail that makes it so easy to “see” the characters and surroundings as the action unfolds. Kerr does not shrink away from the darkness inherent in this tale. The story follows him from his idealistic and joyful days as a student at Oxford, through the changes and tragedies he faces as he grows up, and into middle age.
He finds true love, but loss in his life becomes overwhelming. The struggles that face Henry, both external and, more importantly, internal, are brutal. The story definitely has very dark moments. And yet out of all of that, Kerr brings about a believable and satisfying ending.
Five Stars.
The Reviewer
In writing this bio I am taking a rare break from reading! I always have a book on hand just in case there is time to sneak in a chapter or two. As a military spouse and a mom of two boys, it is amazing how often I am hurrying up to wait. Luckily for me I don’t have a favorite genre so I get lots of fun authors to choose from. My education was in sociology and mental health counseling, so stories with strong character development are my favorites. Happily Ever After is the best part of romance for me because real life is hard enough.
The Paranormal Romance Guild, AKA (“PRG”), was formed by the banding together of paranormal romance genre readers and writers, through the internet, with the sole purpose of supporting and promoting authors of the paranormal romance genre through the organization’s website and special events. The Paranormal Romance Guild (PRG) was officially organized and recognized on October 31,2009. The PRG is a non-profit organization. All fees and dues collected are to sustain operations of the PRG. No assets of the corporation are to benefit the officers or members.
