A Man Like Mac

Fay Robinson's debut novel A MAN LIKE MAC is a true example of an author who knows how to involve her readers. The character that she creates leaves you feeling as if you are experiencing the tragedy life has dealt each of them. For anyone lucky enough to read this book it will leave you with a sense of satisfaction to know you have experienced something special. Keely Wilson, a successful Olympic runner, is involved in accident which doctors predict will end her Olympic career. Refusing to accept the doctor's grim diagnose she turns to her former coach, John "Mac" McCandless. She believes Mac will provide her the rehabilitation she needs to get her back on track for the Olympic gold. In finding Mac she is devastated to learn he also has been involved in an accident and is confined to a wheelchair. Mac McCandless has always held a secret infatuation with his once young track star Keely Wilson. Delighted to be given the opportunity to help Keely recover from her injuries he is unprepared for the reaction she has when she learns of his disability. Reviewing the medical records, he finds there is no hope for her to have a complete recovery. Now the challenge he is faced with is (1) to get Keely to accept her limitations, and (2) to get Keely to accept him as a man. This book illustrates the true meaning of love and romance as well as to the phrase "Love Conquers All." Be warned, the tears and laughter are sure to flow once you open the first page of this book. Not only is the romance wonderful, it also provides insight about the challenges the disabled face on a daily basis.

Beautiful. there's no other way to describe this extraordinary book. I've been searching for romance books with people having disablities, and found a gem in a million. About loving inspite of disabilities, this book touches the chord of the true meaning of love and romance. Keely, an olympic runner involved in an accident, is determined to continue her career inspite of the odds, and she doesn't intend to stop until she has a gold medal. So she goes to her old coach, Mac, to help with her rehab, and meets him after many years. But she's shocked to discover that he's crippled for life in a wheelchair. Their old attraction flames to life, but with a small obstacle....the disabilities of Mac. While's she unsure how to treat him and ends up fumbling and hurting his feelings, he thinks the relationship is doomed since he cannot lead a normal life doing basic things, like controlling his bladder or making love, and is embarassed a lot. But in the end love triumphs, and after a lot of trials and tribulations, they do indeed live happily ever after. The characters are truly lovable, especially Mac, and like the cover blurb says, you are really lucky is you read this book. The tears and laughter are sure to flow with this book. And not only is the roamnce wonderful, it also provides insight about how the disabled really live.

A Man Like Mac is a romance that tackles tough issues without losing sight of its most important element. A strong love story between two special people I know I will remember for a long time.It seems like romance publishers are so scared of heroes who aren't physically perfect in every way. Mac was in a wheelchair. I never thought Harlequin would have the guts to publish a book like this. I'm so glad they did. Who cares about the body when the hero is emotionally and mentally perfect? Then the writer goes and makes Mac sexy as heck too! Great, great, great!Mac and Keely both have humbling and emotionally devastating changes they're still trying to come to terms with. They don't do it with so much moping and self-pity. They show the kind of humor and grace that shows real character and strength. Ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances with like that -- to me that makes a true hero and heroine.I agree with what an earlier reviewer said. The point where this book drove me to tears wasn't one of the sadder moments. It was a sort of funny one where Keely does something to make Mac feel better after an embarrassing moment in bed. I started crying. What a great heroine!The ending was perfect. Mac and Keely get their triumphant moment and the writer doesn't stoop to quick fixes or miracles. The book is a real keeper, and the writer is one to watch for!

A MAN LIKE MAC is a breathtakingly wonderful story. It's filled with beautiful people, and shows the true meaning of love. We learn again that love is a meeting of two souls, and does not depend on the outer "packaging."I wish there were more books like this. It was fascinating and humbling to learn of the challenges the disabled meet and overcome everyday. It was also fascinating to see up close and personal a very interesting sport: wheelchair racing. It's easy to be condescending and think that wheelchair sports are not "real" sports, but this book will forever shatter that myth. Wheelchair athletes are proven to be as worthy of respect and awe as their ablebodied counterparts.As I said, there should be more books like this. Then we could see as well an exploration of the moral issues Ms. Robinson shows that the disabled face: such as in their intimate relations, and in the procreation of children.Beyond all this, A MAN LIKE MAC is simply a great story. Keely overcomes her self-image of being "only a runner" and learns to be a woman. And Mac learns to trust that a woman can love him even through the difficulties his condition presents. (I don't think I've ever laughed and nearly cried through a more unlikely scene before, but I did when Keely voided on Mac.)Read and savor A MAN LIKE MAC. Then encourage the publishers of popular fiction to publish more books like it. Brava, Ms. Robinson!

A car running a red light hits Olympic medalist Keely Wilson as she runs the streets of Midtown Atlanta. Rushed to a hospital, the medical team worries whether Keely will survive and if she does, whether she will ever walk again. The doctors believe her running career is over, but they do not know the obstinate Keely.By telephone, Keely persuades her former college coach John McCandless to oversee her training. When Keely meets Mac at Courtland College where he is the athletic director, she is stunned to see he is wheelchair bound. Because of her lung injury, Mac knows she will never be a world class runner again, but he will do anything for the woman he has loved since he first met her as a teenager. As Keely begins her soft training, her attraction for Mac grows, but she still has not reconciled the fact that her hero is a paraplegic. If she ever does, these two physically injured people will find a lifetime of happiness.A MAN LIKE MAC is an extremely sensitive look at the relationships between individuals with physical handicaps and those who are able-bodied. The lead protagonists are a warm duo and the support cast provides additional understanding to the audience. However, what makes Fay Robinson's novel a must read is the author's ability to escort her readers inside the heart and soul of her characters without turning them into weepy wrecks. Fans who enjoy a delicate, but potent contemporary romance starring enchanting individuals who will steal your heart will relish A MAN LIKE MAC.Harriet Klausner