Guest Review: He’s The Man by M. Malone

Posted April 3, 2014 by Judith in Reviews | 0 Comments

Judith’s review of He’s the Man (The Alexanders #3) by M. Malone

Matt Simmons is over Army doctors poking him. But when his sister won’t stop nagging him to see their old babysitter, now a sought after physical therapist, he gives in just to get some peace.

Penny is finally putting down roots after a lifetime of moving around. She’s got everything she wants, except the settled suburban life she longs for. All she needs is the perfect guy, which means NO military men.

When Matt realizes that his old babysitter is h-o-t, he’s suddenly seeing the benefits of therapy. But Penny still sees him as the bratty kid she used to babysit. Suddenly he has a new mission in life.

Growing up in the military is definitely not easy. There are many positives about that life–travel, learning to live with and be in relationships with people of all ages and races, and the sense that even families of military personnel are involved in doing something important for our country. But that life also has its down side. My hubby was in the military for over six years and while I was glad to have the hospital costs for birthing three children paid and getting beautiful housing in a European country, there is no way you can form any kind of long range connection to people and places. The fact is that you are always pulling up roots.

It is in this context that Penny’s life has been shaped and her vision for her future did NOT include a military man, no matter how masculine and sexy. And when her friend Matt shows up at her Physical Therapy clinic, needing her nearly miraculous touch to get him ready to resume his active military status, she knows he is not the man for her, even though he makes her engines fire on all cylinders.

Matt, on the other hand, is in an equally difficult place, and this story weaves the difficulties that he is facing with his PTSD (which he doesn’t acknowledge) and his recent injuries and surgeries into his struggle to keep his life balanced. His connection to the Alexanders is probably one of the most stabilizing in his life. He knows he is loved and respected, appreciated and claimed. Yet his sense of self has been damaged and the only way he knows to regain that is to move forward with his dream of becoming an Army Ranger. Like so many who are in that life, Penny is there for him, but neither Matt or Penny see each other as being together in the future.

M. Malone has written this delightful series of novels about a rockem’ sockem’ family that are ruled by Mom and Dad Alexander and whose open and generous hearts never seem to waver in reaching out to nearly anyone who is in their immediate vicinity. Matt is best friends with the brothers and is even living temporarily in a condo owned by one of the brothers so that he doesn’t have to drive long distance for his PT appointments.

This story brings together two people whose hearts are kind and loving but who have been negatively affected by some of the experiences connected to the military lifestyle. For Penny it was the instability of family life; for Matt it was the hell of open conflict and the loss of buddies who were closer than brothers and sisters. Both are working to help Matt regain his dream. Yet their attraction to one another is nearly overwhelming and both struggle to find some way to maintain a relationship that is far beyond anything either have experienced in the past. This story is deeply emotional and probes the depths of what it means to find a mutually beneficial journey forward when it seems there’s just too much in the way. Behind all this is that supportive and wonderful group known as the Alexander family. Readers are treated to updates on those who have been featured in previous books–one of the things I like best about series of novels. However, the crux of this novel, IMHO, is about choices–choices that are based on reality and not on fear, willing to take risks instead of demanding assurances, prizing relationships that are based on respect and the meaning of self-worth and not on the drive for success in a world that cares little for one another as we should. Both Penny and Matt have to learn important lessons about themselves and about what they are willing to live WITH as well as what they know they can’t live WITHOUT.

I adore this series and have loved all the book in about these characters. I hope there are more coming. M. Malone has such a delightful and readable style, a way of telling a story that keeps all the characters in balance and uses these caring and loving people to craft a picture of family and friendship that we would all like to experience. I hope you will take the time to experience this book and the other two in this series if you have not already read them. This is one of the really good ones, folks, and I sincerely appreciate the privilege of reading and reviewing this novel.

I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5

The Series: