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Mama Dearest
One of E. Lynn Harris's incomparable heroines, Yancey Harrington Braxton, is working her way back to Broadway and beyond. And this diva supreme always stirs up drama in and out of the spotlight....
New York City, you've been warned: Yancey Harrington Braxton is back. The ambitious singer and actress is fired up to move past her recent professional and personal setbacks -- i...more
New York City, you've been warned: Yancey Harrington Braxton is back. The ambitious singer and actress is fired up to move past her recent professional and personal setbacks -- i...more
ebook, 400 pages
Published
September 22nd 2009
by Gallery Books/Karen Hunter Publishing
(first published July 14th 2008)
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Feb 09, 2010
Christina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
E. Lynn Harris fans
Recommended to Christina by:
My Mother
Shelves:
52-books-in-52-weeks
This was E. Lynn Harris' book before he died. This book ended on a beautiful note, but it took a great deal of time and drama to get to the good parts. This book talks about how a generation of motherless care can cause a person great anguish, and also make a woman feel unloved, and not capable of loving a child on her own.
Yancy Harrington Braxton was the victim of motherless care by Ava Middlebrooks. She was brought up in a verbally and physically abusive childhood, and came to hate her mother...more
Yancy Harrington Braxton was the victim of motherless care by Ava Middlebrooks. She was brought up in a verbally and physically abusive childhood, and came to hate her mother...more
Yancey Harrington Braxton is back. She has been gone from the acting and singing celebrity main stream for a while but she is ready to get back to work and in front of the spotlight. Yancey has two problems...There names are Madison B. and Ava Middlebrooks. Madison B is the hottest, young talented song bird since Miley Cyrus. The other woman, Ava Middlebrooks just happens to be Yancey's mother!
Yancey meets a sexy, dashing, mysterious man by the name of S. Marcus Pinkston. He is very rich and ver...more
Yancey meets a sexy, dashing, mysterious man by the name of S. Marcus Pinkston. He is very rich and ver...more
As I was reading this book, I couldnt help but feel slightly depressed that this was the last of great books by E. Lynn Harris! Oddly enough, at times it felt as if he knew this while writing the book.
Harris did a great job of delving more into Yancey's character and how she had grown since the last time we saw her. At times the old Yancey was still in there, but with age came a great sense of maturity. I wish we had gotten more of the story of her youth, but the few stories that were shared ga...more
Harris did a great job of delving more into Yancey's character and how she had grown since the last time we saw her. At times the old Yancey was still in there, but with age came a great sense of maturity. I wish we had gotten more of the story of her youth, but the few stories that were shared ga...more
I read a few E. Lynn Harris books years ago (Invisible Life, As I Am, and something else) so I was somewhat familiar with Harris' writing styles and his characters. This book is about Yancy Braxton, a former Broadway diva who is struggling to get back on top of the game. Derailing her plans is her mother, Ava, who has recently been released from prison.
The story is very slow moving, although it does make you want to keep reading to see what Ava's plans are for Yancy and just how low she will go....more
The story is very slow moving, although it does make you want to keep reading to see what Ava's plans are for Yancy and just how low she will go....more
This is more like a 2 1/2.
One I've have read several E. Lynn Harris books over the years and sadly I found them more and more unsatisfying. You will read Mama Dearest with the need to find out what happens but unfortunately by chapter 5 you already know what will happen. The plot had hope but it was never fully discussed.
First off the dialogue is terrible. “Whatever” was over used. What African Americans are ending arguments with “Whatever”? The slang usage was totally, out of touch. What could...more
One I've have read several E. Lynn Harris books over the years and sadly I found them more and more unsatisfying. You will read Mama Dearest with the need to find out what happens but unfortunately by chapter 5 you already know what will happen. The plot had hope but it was never fully discussed.
First off the dialogue is terrible. “Whatever” was over used. What African Americans are ending arguments with “Whatever”? The slang usage was totally, out of touch. What could...more
Jan 31, 2010
Michelle
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Michelle by:
avid reader of all his books
Oh..this is geting good. Ava is a real B$%*&. On page 167. Still trying to figure out what Ava is cooking for Yancey. That poor girl really has no clue. How many times does Ava have to burn you before you stop falling for her stunts???/ DUH.
After finishing the book. IT left me wantingm more...not a cookie cutter ending. Really enjoy his book just I have all of the rest. Looking forward to getting my hands on the other books not yet released here inthe US. trying to wait for the euro to have...more
After finishing the book. IT left me wantingm more...not a cookie cutter ending. Really enjoy his book just I have all of the rest. Looking forward to getting my hands on the other books not yet released here inthe US. trying to wait for the euro to have...more
E. Lynn's last book was one of his best; in it he showed that even some the most devious, self-centered, seemingly unflapplable people can come full circle. Yancey had the worst reputation in previous books but her heart changed in a way one would never expect. As for her mother Ava...what can I say, she's a socipath with little or no hope. Amazingly, E. Lynn wrote the book in a way that readers aren't left hanging wondering what will happen next. Nonetheless, he will truly be missed.
I'm not sure if the book was finished before Harris died, but it seems that the conclusion was missing. I wanted to know specifically what happened to Seneca/Stephen and that bit of information was missing completely. Also, it seems that some of the chapters were out of sequence. There were things that were already resolved/explained in a chapter that were later introduced/addressed several pages/chapters later.
Mar 30, 2010
Gail
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all E. Lynn Harris fans.
Shelves:
worth-reading
This book will make you clear your throat, say a prayer, and wish that there would be more to come. It is a good comfortable read that makes you hold your breath (maybe cuss a little, if that's what you do), and then settle in for revenge and redeption. It is a fitting and stylish end to a wonderful career.
Well done, Mr. Harris.
Well done, Mr. Harris.
Not the strongest of these stories but I love these characters and I'm in with them for all their adventures. Only one left! I'm saving it for a vacation or a day when I just want to get away for one last time to the world E. Lynn Harris created that has always helped me understand my own world, my friends and myself.
I thought that this was a good ending to a series. Even though I wished the ending was a little different but not too much I am happy to see that Yancey was a different person surrounded by love and good friends. She had really grown up and sometimes u have to be faced with your past to do that. Good book from a great author.
I was exited to read this book because it picks up from A Love of My Own which I really enjoyed. But this book dragged to me. A lot of the story line was very predictable and it didn't get really good til the end. I did enjoy the ending though.
This book was amazing never met a mother so dirty so hateful of her own child and willing to bring her down at all cost. But the good thing is the main character clean up her lack of mother skills and eventually got it right....
Reading this book was like going home and catching up with an old friend. Mr. Harris did not disappoint. The characters were well developed and brought back full circle. One of the best sequels I have read in a long while.
Character Development =5
Plot= 5
dialouge= 5
Point of View= 5
I am sadden that this is the last installment. I loved Yancy and the sea of other unforgettable characters.
E. Lynn Harris is the best!
Plot= 5
dialouge= 5
Point of View= 5
I am sadden that this is the last installment. I loved Yancy and the sea of other unforgettable characters.
E. Lynn Harris is the best!
It was a good read, but I did know how the storyline would develop very early into it. I did enjoy seeing the former characters emerge. Mama Dearest, Ava was quite the villain...but I love a good villain..
Being an avid E. Lynn Harris fan since the 90s, I must admit that I was highly disappointed with his last three novels. When reading all three novels, at certain points I would put the novel down for weeks at a time. The story lines just didn't hold my attention. In Mama Dearest, I did not like how all the characters except for Ava seemingly redeems themselves of all the pain they caused in previous novels. I feel the characters are not well- rounded. The first 250 pages were just overly descrip...more
Great book! I loved the reunion of some of the older characters. Basil still has to be my FAV character of his.
Read this book for my book club. It was a very quick read, and brought back characters from previous books.
The book was very predictable. I'd figured out the plot after reading the first couple of chapters.
This novel was a little disappointing. Nevertheless, I will always be an E.Lynn Harris fan.
E. Lynn's last book. RIP E. Lynn This was a struggle to read knowing this was his last book.
I know it's impolite to speak ill of the dead, but man, did this guy need an editor. Badly.
Love, love, love all of E. Lynn Harris books, and this one is no different.
Not much suspence, but it did have alot of turns that you would never guess would happen.
Seems to-be using the same characters but its good
Harris' last novel doesn't disappoint. It was bittersweet to end it, knowing that there won't be any more books from him.
I loved E. Lynn and I am going to miss him. RIP E. Lynn
Very enjoyable trashy chick lit read. RIP E. Lynn Harris
I couldn't put this book down, it's a real page turner!! Ava is something else!
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E. Lynn Harris was born in Flint, Michigan and raised, along with three sisters, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where he was the school's first black yearbook editor, the first black male Razorbacks cheerleader, and the president of his fraternity. He graduated with honors with a degree in journalism.
Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard,...more
More about E. Lynn Harris...
Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard,...more
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Dec 19, 2009 05:42am