Review: 'Starting Point ' by NR Walker
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 24, 2014
“Living and dwelling in your past hurt and failures will get you absolutely nowhere in life. Accepting the past learning from your failures and letting go of your hurt and pain is the starting point that will allow you to live your life, achieve your goals, and better your future.” ~ Vince MaldanodoMatthew Elliot, of 'Starting Point' by NR Walker, is definitely a man whose happiness has been hard won. Throughout the 'Turning Point' series, I've watched him struggle, for his sanity and his life, in more dangerous situations than most of us could imagine; but in this, the third book of the series, Matt faces the biggest fight of all—discovering his true self.Matt is determined to turn his life around. He knows that he can't manage that by himself, that he needs a great deal of support and plans on taking full advantage of the assistance at his disposal, whatever that entails. Matt is intent upon proving to Kira that he's worth his love and forgiveness. Matt wants to see in himself what everyone else seems to see. To do that, he knows he has to change. Kira's understanding and forgiveness makes Matt fall even deeper in love with him and he can't tell Kira enough how much he appreciates him. Leaving the police force has significantly changed his life. Working at the FC (fight club) youth center is just as challenging, but in a different way. Matt is content being able to put his many talents to work, helping the many young people who filter through, all of whom need guidance. Matt knows he must keep things in perspective and stay as detached as possible. That was something he was good at as a cop, but in his journey to become more in touch with his own feelings, means that this openness permeates every aspect of his life, including the kids’ youth center.  Try as he may, he can't avoid getting involved with a brother and sister, Reuben and Claudia, who frequent the club. This association provides both happiness and sadness to his life and that of Kira and his family, but it's all part of his journey.Kira is such a loving and forgiving man. Even after all Matt put him through, the lies, deception, betrayal, and dishonesty, he still finds it in his heart to forgive him. Even with all the negativity involved in their experiences, some good things happened as well. Total honesty being an important one. Kira and Matt have learned a lot about what didn't work, but it gives them a new starting point. One major issue was their communication skills. Kira and Matt now have a policy of full disclosure. If there's a disagreement, they talk about it; no more holding back; no more lies or half-truths, just complete truth. Even though Matt must do most of the work himself, Kira is his rock, always there to support him and, sometimes, push him in the right direction. Although they are frequent, each declaration of love, each touch, or each kiss, helps cement their hearts and souls back together again, stronger than ever. Whatever comes into their lives be it dogs, children, friends, and family, Kira and Matt will face it together.After all of the pain and heartbreak of the first two books, this story was like a healing balm, soothing things over and proving that a new start can occur for those who can look forward rather than back and have a strong desire to change. There's some sadness in the book, but no heart-stopping crises, putting Matt and Kira in mortal danger. In essence, this story is to show that, even in the worst of situations, there's hope and with a lot of work, there's a real chance for happiness. Even though most fans of the series have come to know it as a rough, tough, gritty portrayal of life, I'm hoping that they will be able to accept this calmer, gentler, but just as meaningful story and agree that Matt and Kira have been through enough and deserve to be happy. Thanks, NR, for the healing message this book provides.Originally published at Rainbow Book Review.