justathought

I guess I should start by saying this book is a departure form a typical E. Lynn Harris book. One of my friends saw me reading this book on my lunch break and when I commented that it was the newest Harris offering, she was not impressed. She mentioned that she read one of his recent books and almost form the beginning it introduced the sexual escapades of his characters. Sex served right is how I would classify the majority of his past books. The scenes are very detailed. However, he does also take the time to humanize his characters so that we are connected to their everyday struggles which are no different form our own . . .despite the fact that most of his central male characters are bi-sexual and the majority of E. Lynn Harris’s readers are heterosexual women.

I say all of that to affirm that this book is not like those books. While sex is mentioned in this book, our senses are only tickled and teased by an author that usually gives us sensory overload in that department. This book is about a mother and her son. It is about an athlete and the responsibility one faces to be a role model while being attacked by the “everyone wants a piece “mentality society places on those that “do good”.

Our main characters are Carmyn “Niecey” Bledsoe and her college football star athlete son, Brady Bledsoe. Forced to raise Brady on her own due to uncertainty about her son’s paternal parent and due to being disowned by her own parents, Carmyn raises a son any mother would be proud to claim. He is a scholar, athlete, and Christian man. He has made a commitment to remain celibate until he marries (as I said a true departure from your usual Harris storyline). As the story unfolds the reader connects with Brady and his struggle to keep his celibacy commitment, dodge the grabbing hands of crooked sports agents trying to get a piece of his glory, and continue to play the sport he loves.

Once secrets are revealed, he must learn to continue to love the woman who has always been there for him . . .his mom. . .and come to terms with the reality that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. We all struggle sometimes and provided we are always true to ourselves, we all come through the hard times better than we were before and the real relationships that we have in our lives create stronger bonds through the test of adversity.

For those that love a good book, this is truly worth reading. . . . .