Vincent Norton is a college professor who recently lost his life partner of twenty years. Since Drew's death three years ago, he has pretty much lived a solitary life, not quite ready to venture back out into the dating scene and feeling more than just a little bit lonely because of it. When he almost trips over a young man at his apartment complex, he recognizes the guy as one of his neighbors - a group of college students. Vince is immediately attracted to the younger man, whose name is Rob, but Rob is twenty-one, and Vince is forty-five. The age difference is just too great a barrier between them.

Rob has always liked older men and has had a crush on Vince for quite awhile. He's not worried about the age difference and couldn't care less about the opinions of others. He's determined to pursue the handsome Vince, catch him, and become a permanent part of his life.

Vince can't let the issue go, however. When his older lover died, it devastated him. He doesn't want to cause the same kind of hurt for Rob in the future and figures that the only way to protect him is to not get involved with him. Vince is determined to keep the younger man at a distance, even though it may just break both of their hearts.

Cassandra Gold's novella Fool for Love is about overcoming obstacles - whether real or self-induced - and holding on to love when you find it. This is a well-written May-December romance which is unique in the fact that the elder member of the couple is not necessarily the wiser of the two.

In this story, the two heroes are opposites who complement each other perfectly. Rob may be a little quick to discount the opinions of others, but this trait is very typical of a person his age. He is a complete contrast to Vince, who is overly cautious, almost too afraid of the judgment of others, and perhaps even overanalyzes issues. In his fear, he almost allows happiness to slip through his fingers, and it takes intervention from a very unexpected source to make him pull his head out of the sand.

One aspect that I really enjoyed about this story is the quote Ms. Gold adds at the beginning of each chapter. She borrows from many different sources - from writers to actors to politicians and more - and each quote succinctly describes the theme of the chapter that it heads. I thought this to be a unique and very welcome touch, and it definitely enhanced my reading experience. Nicely done, Ms. Gold.

Reviewed by: Whitney