This was an interesting story as it was a modern retelling of the classic novel Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Toren's story was well written and thought-provoking.
I liked how James Rubart weaved the truth of Christ's love and forgiveness throughout the story. The war between our old self and new self in Christ was clearly pictured in the story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. I also purchased a copy for myself. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

In a way this book reminded me a lot of Dr Jekyll and Mr hyde in the way that it views the "good and evil" or "good vs evil" trope in a very black and white kind of way.
Which isn't to say thats a bad thing! (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is one of my favorite classics!) but for me a modern day story needs to be a bit less black and white to me to really enjoy it. Because nothing is just black and white. Nothing is either good or evil. Or at least i really hope it isn't.


Still this book was very well done and entertaining. it has a great plot and if you don't think about it too much its very entertaining and fun to read.

Even if this might sound insulting, i think this book would be a fantastic airplane read. Its fast paced, it pulls you in and carries you through and you are entertained and swept up in the story. But its also not one you want to ponder about for hours, so once you are done and closed it, you can look back with "this was fun" and thats it.

Take from that what you want!

This was an interesting premise, and I thought the author handled it really well. The writing bothered me a bit, but overall, it was a good read.

This re-telling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde left me questioning how much Rubart meant to be real-life and how much was fantasy. The lines were blurred, perhaps by intention, but it made it a challenging read.

*thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2 stars.

This retelling of the Classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was an OK read. I liked the whole idea of the storyline. It was somewhat interesting but unfortunately this one took alot to get through and it took me awhile to finish it. But that's just me. The writing style was not of much interest to me but I can see how it would be for others. My mind just kept drifting but I wanted to see if it would improve. It didn't. But that's life. I would give this author another go though.

This book had me creeping out at times. The writing is so vivid I could feel the inner turmoil Toren felt every waking moment. I have been disoriented when waking up at times, but never have I woken up and not known where I was. He does remember his life as a husband and father, but his memory has been erased for the last eight months. This is about the time I would be having a panic attack and dialing 911. I'm not sure that would be the best idea, but really I'm not sure what I would do if I was Toren.

This story had me on the edge of my seat anticipating the next twist in the story. How could you be gone for a length of time and not recollect anything? Have you ever felt like there was a darker side to you? In the classic Rubart style he threads a Jekyll/Hyde theme that breaks the barrier between good and evil.

Toren wrestles with himself as he discovers how dangerous his anger has become. What happened to his football career? Can Toren recover his life and become a better person? I must mention the friction between him and his wife. What great writing the author achieved showing their love/hate relationship. It would be so hard to forgive Toren for his behavior but can he change his wife's mind? Will Toren find strength to fight the evilness inside of him? There is much to gleam from this story of hope and redemption.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion.

This was too preachy for me but I would buy this for my library because of the shortage of Christian fiction that is not romance and would be more attractive to male readers.

Mr. Rubart has a fantastic way of weaving his storyline and even if you don't want to like his character- by the stories end you are rooting for him on his quest to find answers. To find hope to the age-old question of sin. and even with our best intentions to reform - to do better.

This story looks at a man full and overflowing with anger and compares his struggles with the Dr. Jekyll & Hyde characters in a modern day twist of this famous tale.

Toren Daniels, a somewhat-famous football player, wakes up in a strange hotel room with no idea how he got there, and finds he has been missing for the last eight months. He has no idea where he has been, but he realises he has changed into The Man He Never Was.

He is no longer angry. But as time goes—and as he tries to reconnect with his wife and children—Torren finds the anger returning. This leads him on a quest to find where he was during those missing eight months, and what he can do to make the anger go away forever.

The Man He Never Was is a modern twist on old tales: Jekyll and Hyde, Banner and Hulk, Saul and Paul. One character says:

"If we're willing to admit it, we all have a monster inside us, and we're fighting to stop it from taking over our lives."

That was definitely Toren’s visible battle, but the statement got me wondering? What monsters were inside the other characters in the story? What about in real life? What monsters are inside the people I know? What monster is inside me? They are interesting questions, and they got me thinking …

But then the tone of the novel changed. The second half of The Man He Never Was contained some deep spiritual truths. But it also contained some speculative woo-woo stuff (that’s a real term, right?). Unfortunately, the speculative elements didn’t work for me. I prefer to see characters work through their problems in something that approximates the real world, working through some kind of replicable solution. Yes, I know James L Rubart writes speculative novels, and I should have expected this. But I didn’t—perhaps because this novel was based on Jekyll and Hyde.

I have read and enjoyed several of James Rubart’s earlier novels, but The Man He Never Was didn’t work so well for me. The writing was as outstanding as ever. The first half was brilliant, and it raised lots of questions. But the second half didn’t answer my questions, although I’m sure diehard Rubart fans will love it.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

James L. Rubart’s The Man He Never Was takes the good-versus-evil struggle of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and transports it to the modern day. Toren Daniels lost his career and his family because of his anger issues, but when he wakes up without eight months of memories, he discovers his anger issues gone. As Toren tries to learn what happened to him, earn his family’s trust, and maintain his anger-free state, Rubart’s story prove gripping, page-turning, and insightful. I was intrigued from the start and had to keep reading to discover how Toren’s situation would turn out. I enjoyed it all. I think The Man He Never Was is a good choice for readers of contemporary fiction looking for something thought-provoking—I recommend it.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I didn't like the writing or the story line.

Wow. The only coherent thought I had when I finished this book was, “I want what he’s having.” I may not have the same anger problem as Toren, but so many of the truths he works through in this story are truths that I still struggle with—and this book drove home just how much I still struggle with them. I feel like this book has opened the door to my own octagonal room (read the story and you’ll understand the reference), and just like Toren, I feel like I’ll need several visits so I can continue to absorb these truths into my heart. It’s one thing to know the truth at an intellectual level, but to feel the truth in your heart and live it out the way Toren must here? Wow.

This book doesn’t just reimagine The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; it answers it. Robert Louis Stevenson presents half of the truth in his story—that it is impossible to bring Hyde under full submission through our own efforts—but he leaves the reader without the truth that there is One who DOES have the power to overcome Hyde. In fact, He has already done so. But in order to claim that victory as our own, we need to die to ourselves. We must overcome the evil with good, with love. Much easier said than done, as Toren discovers.

The real-life aspect of this story is just as compelling. Having believed Toren was dead for nine months, his wife hasn’t just moved on with her life; she’s relieved. She’s heard Toren’s promises of change hundreds of times before, and she’s not prepared to go down that path again, especially since she’s met Levi. Thus, Toren is not just seeking change for his own sake; he needs to defeat Hyde if he wants any chance at being reconciled to his wife and children, and somehow, he needs to prove that the change is real.

I was so intensely invested in this story that I had to put it down for about half an hour at the 80% mark. I wasn’t at all certain how it was going to play out, and I needed to take a fortifying breath, so to speak, just in case. Beyond that, I will simply say: This is gripping, thought-provoking storytelling. Don’t miss it.

An intensely intriguing story that will leave readers looking into their own dark sides wondering whether dark or light will win the ultimate battle.

The Man He Never Was is so fascinating. I couldn't wait to read it. It was like reading Dr Kekyll and Mr. Hyde - wow wee. The poor guy - to be torn apart - to be aware of your awful alter ego - or old self - the one that hurt the ones you love so much that made them glad you were missing and scared you were back. Then again you didn't know you where gone, how you changed - who is the one what changed -me? Wow I would be so confused and I wouldn't blame him for wanting those answers but I would want to stay the good guy the one who makes my family happy - not they guy who lets my old scary self comes out - how long will he let that happen? Will the good changes be permanent? Will we find out why he changed? Where he was? Will he be able to fight that dark side of him permanently for the love of his family? Will he see GOD? Will you let HIM help you?

The Man He Never Was
A Modern Reimagining of Jekyll and Hyde
by James L. Rubart
Thomas Nelson--FICTION
Thomas Nelson
Christian , General Fiction (Adult)
Pub Date 20 Feb 2018
I am reviewing a copy of The Man He Never Was through Thomas-Nelson-Fiction and Netgalley:


What would happen if you woke up one morning to find that your darkest parts were gone?



Eight months ago Toren Daniels vanished and his wife and kids moved on. Toren was a good man but he had an explosive temper that often went off without warning. When he shows up on the doorstep without warning they are shocked to see him alive but even more shocked to see the radical change in him.


Toren's anger is gone and he is oddly patient , Kind even fun. He's the man he always wanted to be. Toren has no idea where he was but he does know he's radically changed. He focuses on three thing finding out where he had been, finding out what happened and getting his family back.



When Shards of his old life begin to peek through and his old self start to rise from deep inside like the man kicked out of the NFL for his fury and Toren must face the battle of his life.


I give The Man He Never Was five out of five stars!


Happy Reading...

Toren Daniels awakens one morning in a strange hotel, even though he remembers falling asleep beside his wife at home the day before. Getting up and venturing into life, he realizes he has been missing for eight months and was presumed dead. Where has he been this entire time and what has happened to his fierce anger that was driving a wedge between him and his family?

Toren was a NFL player who had troubles managing his anger on the field. So much so that he lost his spot on the team and in the NFL overall with no team wanting him. Instead of having that outlet for his anger, he instead starts taking it out on his family until the day he disappears.

Toren spends this story trying to figure out what exactly happened to him during this time. He feels like he can control his better anger now – where was he? How can he use this control to get his family back? As he explores he starts to realize it is related to the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novella of Jekyll and Hyde. Every person has a dark version of themselves that sometimes during hardships is unleased. Jekyll was trying to figure out how to control and destroy that version of himself, has someone managed to figure out how to do this in the modern age?

I was intrigued by the entire premise and I really enjoyed the bringing in of the Jekyll and Hyde story as well as discussion of how that was used in the modern age for Hulk. I also wanted to know along with Toren -where was he and I enjoyed his journey. His journey took a deep look into his past and abuse at the ends of his father and how that led to his present. Toren wants to be a good person for his family and to be able to regain his spot in the NFL, how can he get there?

Favorite Quotes:

“Because in Jekyll and Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson portrays one distinctly good personality and one distinctly evil personality. Henry Jekyll ends up in an all-out war with his dark half, Edward Hyde. Jekyll says that he and every other man and woman is ‘not truly one, but truly two,’ and he sees the human soul as the ultimate battleground of our lives – one part of us an angel, the other a demon, both struggling for mastery and destruction of the other.”

“Only love matters in the end. So only love matters in the present.”

Overall, The Man He Never Was is a very interesting and original story of a man’s self-discovery. It’s a mystery/thriller as he tries to figure out what mysterious forces have been at work in his life.

Book Source: E-book Review Copy for being a part of TLC Book Tours

So loved this story! Right from the start I was hooked by the writing. It was engaging, the story held my interest and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next. I found myself wanting the main character to succeed, and I liked the aspect of the interplay with Hyde.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was the first “WOW ME!” book of 2018. Toren’s story can be a lot of our stories. Whether or Mr. Hyde is anger, depression, “insert your biggest struggle here.” Too often our tendency is to try and conquer our problem ourselves.

I don’t want to say a lot more, because I don’t want to give away too much. But I will say I really liked the characters. Each one of them brought so much to the story.

I will admit it took me longer to read this story than I normally take. I think because as I read Toren’s story I kept thinking about my own struggles. And although anger isn’t really my greatest issue, I have similar struggles and could relate to Toren.

As a normal Rubart story it’s a little “out there” but very enjoyable read. If you enjoy this author, you’ll enjoy this story as well. If you are new to Rubart this will give you a great taste of his writing style and his storytelling abilities. Excellent read!

Mr. Rubart's new book, The Man He Never Was, is a retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I believe I read the novella as a freshman in high school, which was a long time ago. If you are not familiar with the story the basic premise is good vs. evil.

One of the reasons I enjoy novels by James Rubart is because there is always an element of the supernatural, with God as good, and satan as evil, and his new book is no different.

I read a lot of historical romance with a female character as the heroine. It's refreshing to have a male character at the lead, and Mr. Rubart writes a male character that not only pulls on the heart strings of women readers, they are able to identify with the inward battle that he creates for his characters.

Toren is a broken man in lots of ways, I can't tell you or I'll ruin your experience, he knows he is and wants to rid himself of the anger that is holding him captive but he's not really sure how to do it.

We all can identify with Toren and the inner battle that he is going through, mainly because at one time or another we've been him. The cast of characters that Mr. Rubart adds to this story are both supportive and aide Toren through the darkest moments of his life.



My Bottom Line:

This book is a fast-paced thrill ride that starts at the first sentence and doesn't let up until you read the last one. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. When I finished the book last night, rather early this morning, I felt as if I had just spent time listening to the testimony of someone older and wiser than myself. I walked away from this book with lessons. While there are quite a few the one that I can't stop thinking about is when Eden asks Toren what the father in the parable of the prodigal son says to the son about his great sin when he comes home. He says nothing, he never addresses it. In all my years of being in the church that is the first time I realized that God says nothing about our sin, and that is grace.

This is a must read!

I never quite know what to expect when I pick up a book by James L. Rubart. This one really had me stopping, setting the book down and thinking before I could pick it up again.
There is never a book that touches everyone. For me, this genre is not my normal genre. I love women's fiction and historical. This is nowhere near either of those genres. For me, this story is a tale of a man that allowed the evil to control him, the evil that is within many, and it nearly destroyed his life and his family. It is the story of the journey that he takes to conquer it, which when done in your own strength is impossible.
I was deeply touched at certain parts of the book. Some of the thoughts were so deep, it made me have to wrap my mind around it.

I will say while this book is not about domestic abuse or child abuse, it touches on both of those. There are a couple of descriptive scenes that if you have been there, will either endear you to the characters, or will cause a trigger to arise depending on where you are in your healing. For me, it was healing.

If you read this book with the mindset that you are just going to read a nice story, you may not get the meaning of this one. It is much more than that. But if you are reading this book to see what true love and repentance can look like, this one does share that.
Very unique story, that I highly recommend.