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ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS E. Lynn Harris Doubleday July 2001 (4+) Nathasha Brooks-Harris |
Contemporary Romance |
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Die hard E. Lynn Harris fans have been waiting for his latest novel, ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS, with baited breath.
He left us hanging in his last novel, NOT A DAY GOES BY, when John Basil Henderson (the resident bad
boy character) after a stint of romancing the ladies, swore that he was back in
all his bisexual glory. Indeed, those were words to
keep fans of Harris’s work hooked for the next few months until his latest
tome was released. In a word, Basil didn’t lie. He’s back in full form and
still wowing men and women with his sweet talk, charm and stunning
handsome looks. Except this time, he has some competition. Just when we thought
that Basil was a lowdown bastard, Bartholomew Dunbar a.k.a. Black Bart, enters
the scene with a new brand of dirty. He makes Basil look like a saint. Bart’s
lying, scheming and conniving affects the lives of everyone with whom he comes
into contact. Yancey Harrington, formerly a
successful Broadway star, is now an R&B recording diva with a hit record on
the charts. She thinks she is home free now that she resides in Los Angeles
after having left New York City shortly after Basil jilted her at the altar.
But such is not the case. Her past catches up with her when she least
expects it. Her mother, the diva Ava
Braxton, returns and she outdoes herself with some of the schemes she cooks up.
She sets forth some of the best comedy and high drama scenes. This novel lives up to the
fans’ expectations and more. The
regular cast of characters is back and Bart’s addition to the mix, gives them
a new set of problems to deal with. However,
Windsor Adams, Yancey’s wise, goody-two shoes best friend, adds balance and
harmony to the plot as it unfolds. Harris proves once again that
he is a master of the storytelling craft. All of the elements of writing are
addressed well and blend perfectly. There is the right amount of dialogue and
narrative interspersed throughout the
book. The characters are so real that readers are sure to want to slap Basil,
Ava and Bart upside their heads at regular intervals. It seems that they are
right there in the same room as the readers pulling yet another stunt. Nothing
about the way this story is told is out of place or jarring. The story moves
rapidly and it is indeed a page turner. ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS
is a book to read from beginning to end. It’s one you won’t be able to put
down, nor would you want to. So
just give into the temptation and read it from cover to cover. It’s a promise
that you will react in some way to something you read in this novel. The
characters and interesting (sometimes volatile) situations will evoke that
much emotion from you! Please be warned that this book has gay characters and snippets of the gay lifestyle are shown. As such, it might not be for everyone. But if you’re open-minded and enjoy a good story, this novel’s fits the bill and is the one for you! |
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nathasha@romancincolo.net 5th September 2001 |
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