Mama Dearest

I was so glad to hear that we would get another dose of Yancey and Ava the mother and daughter that you love to hate. Mr. Harris did a fine job in developing the story and allowing us to see a character that is not mainstream or seen in a lot of stories. The ruthless way that Ava dealt with her daughter and the jealously was classic. I found myself laughing and crying at some of the treatment. Ava was a villain to the nth degree and I was so happy when she got hers at the end. I had the opportunity in getting an advance copy and I couldn't put the book down. The drama and the plot twists of the story were brilliant.

E Lynn Harris definitely knew how to keep you guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. I hope this will not be his last book even though he is no longer with us. I am praying that there is more books out there that just have not been released. I recommend this book as a must read, there was even appearances by Raymond Tyler and Basil Henderson that was very compelling in the story. I loved the way it ties up a lot of loose ends from previous books. I am the author of [[ASIN:1607430274 My Eyes Are Green]] and this author pushes me to become a better writer.

Very entertained and satisfied, after a long week this was a refreshing getaway from all the stress of life.

Personally, I love any and everything written by E. Lynn Harris. RIP to my favorite author. I've read 9 of his novels and his memoir. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book the way I thought I would. The plot consisted of an evil character that has become typical in his latest books. I was very excited about the guest appearances of Raymond, Basil and Nicole (THOSE ARE THE CHARACTERS THAT I WANT TO READ ABOUT) This was the most predictable of them all. I grew so annoyed with Ava and wondered why Yancey hasn't given up on her long before now. I wanted to put the book down when Yancey basically let Ava put her out of her own house. Maybe this book wasn't for me because it didn't seem real enough. However his earlier books were complete classics. I love E Lynn Harris and his books will be greatly missed.

This was the worst of all of his books to me. It does not seem as if it was really written by him. There were so many things that just didn't gel together. Number one is "how did Ava meet S. Martin". Don't get me started on the typo's.

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't. I found it to be rather poorly written, not at all what I expected from E. Lynn Harris. The verb tense was constantly shifting from present to past and back again, not just from chapter to chapter but from paragraph to paragraph. It was extremely distracting and by page 77 I gave up, removed my bookmark, and closed the book. I have no trouble recommending Harris' other books but not this one. Frankly, it's a wonder to me that this one ever made it past the editors at Pocket Books. Someone's been sleeping on the job.

E. LYNN DEAREST

First of all, rest in peace to a very dear author who has paved the way for many others. E. Lynn Harris will be truly missed. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet him in person and for the years he blessed us with literary works and memorable characters. And those characters are back in Mama Dearest.

Mama Dearest is bittersweet. Yancey Harrington Braxton tries to revive her singing and acting career. Being a has-been and doing Broadway isn't enough to pay the bills in her New York townhome. Then she gets an unexpected roommate: Ava Middlebrooks, the mother she helped send to jail. Ava is released early and sets out a plan of revenge on her own daughter. Ava teams up with a mystery man to bring Yancey down and give her a dose of undeserving medicine. With the plan in motion, a whirlwind of events happens and the past becomes the future. Basil and Raymond return as the heroes we love them to be!

The editing and proofreading is not up to par. Chapters are out of sequence. Typos are freckled throughout the pages. However, it doesn't diminish from the story. ELH fans should read and purchase this novel to complete your collection, but keep in mind that he may not have completed this book himself.

The beginning and middle of the story is written in true ELH style. The characters are well developed; the plot is suspenseful, and it's a page-turner. Towards the end, the book changes as if a different writer took over. I am skeptical whether E. Lynn Harris actually wrote the ending. It seems unfinished, and not in a suspenseful way. Was S. Marcus found and charged? Did Ava rat him out? Did the Pinksney family realize the real home wrecker was Ava? And the most pressing unanswered question: who is the father of Yancey's twin boys? These are questions that readers will have to answer on our own...unless ghostwriters continue writing in ELH name.

October 6, 2009

' L Marie '

Mama Dearest was a fast read for me. The story was very interesting and kept my attention, but the book lacked consistency. I could definitely tell that E. Lynn's writing was tampered with. For example in chapter 20 of the 2nd part of the book Derrick called and told Yancey that Madison has agreed to meet up with her, then three chapters later Yancey is with Derrick asking him if Madsion would be willing to meet her, mind you three chapters earlier he had set up a lunch date and everything. Now here we are and Yancey is asking for something that was already solidified. And that wasn't the only thing that didn't add up and run smoothly throughout the book. I'm glad E.Lynn's book was released but wished his new editor would've stuck to E. Lynn's original style of writing.

THIS BOOK IS NOTHING BUT SOFT CORE PORNO! what is the point of writing so incredibly explicit? It's tacky and it really says something about the author..[...] I really found myself disrespecting his level of writing all the more. I usually think he writes like an uneducated adolescent (I have read every one of his books) but this book hits an all time LOW! It's too bad he can't redeem himself somehow from the grave.

Finishing my collection, have all his books

omg where do i begin, his last book he wrote before he passed
and he is truly missed....mama dearest gives you everything you
want as a e. lynn harris fan...go get it and read it...easy read as well
read it over a weekend....

Yancey Braxton's character is back and I did not realize how much I missed reading about her and her mother Ava's crazy antics. I won't get melodramatic here, but I do feel like Yancey must have whispered in E. Lynn's ear that his time here on earth was coming to a end, because he gave her the very best ending that an author can give to a character that he cares about.

I do not like sharing plots, but be prepared for more of Ava's crazy antics. She really is the star of this book. Be on the look out for memorable characters from E. Lynn's past books and take note on how Yancey has changed. She is not completely transformed, but she is no longer the evil diva spiking drinks and marrying men for money. This book is a great read.