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Yancey Harrington Braxton #1
Not a Day Goes By: A Novel
"Love, loyalty and misplaced motives. . . . Harris delivers." --"USA Today"
John "Basil" Henderson has always played the field, both as a professional football player and as an equal opportunity lover. After retiring his jersey for a career as a sports agent, the dashing playboy is surprising everyone--including himself--by deciding to settle down and commit to his new love, Yancey Harrington Braxton. A fiercely driven Broadway star on the rise, blessed with beauty, charm, and a fondness for the finer things in life, she appears to be his ideal mate. A lavish wedding is planned, but just before the nuptials, fate and a little comeuppance threaten the happy couple's future. Charged with narrative exuberance and sumptuous detail, Not a Day Goes By proves that nobody spins a sexy urban love story like E. Lynn Harris.
John "Basil" Henderson has always played the field, both as a professional football player and as an equal opportunity lover. After retiring his jersey for a career as a sports agent, the dashing playboy is surprising everyone--including himself--by deciding to settle down and commit to his new love, Yancey Harrington Braxton. A fiercely driven Broadway star on the rise, blessed with beauty, charm, and a fondness for the finer things in life, she appears to be his ideal mate. A lavish wedding is planned, but just before the nuptials, fate and a little comeuppance threaten the happy couple's future. Charged with narrative exuberance and sumptuous detail, Not a Day Goes By proves that nobody spins a sexy urban love story like E. Lynn Harris.
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First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
E. Lynn Harris
47 books737 followersE. 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, and AT&T for thirteen years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He finally quit his sales job to write his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black-owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book clubs before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994, and thus his career as an author officially began.
Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), Abide with Me (1999), Not A Day Goes By (2000), Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), A Love of My Own (2002), I Say A Little Prayer (2006), Just Too Good To Be True (2008), Basketball Jones(2009), and Mama Dearest(2009),all published by Doubleday, and In My Father's House(2010), published by St. Martin's Press. Ten of Harris's novels hit the New York Times bestseller list, and his books have also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. In 2003, Harris published his first work of nonfiction, a memoir entitled What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, which was also a New York Times bestseller. Today, there are more than four million copies of his books in print.
Harris's writing also appeared in Essence, Washington Post Sunday Magazine, and Sports Illustrated, as well as in the award-winning anthology Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America, Go The Way Your Blood Beats. His novella, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" was published in Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories. Freedom in This Village, a collection of short stories edited by Harris, was released in the fall of 2004. His short fiction appeared in Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writers (Harlem Moon), a 2002 collection he edited with writer Marita Golden.
Harris won numerous accolades and prizes for his work. Just As I Am was awarded the Novel of the Year Prize by the Blackboard African-American Bestsellers, Inc. If This World Were Mine was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Abide with Me was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award. His anthology Freedom in this Village won the Lambda Literary Award in 2005. In 1999, the University of Arkansas honored Harris with a Citation of Distinguished Alumni for outstanding professional achievement, and in October 2000 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. He was named to Ebony's "Most Intriguing Blacks" list, Out Magazine's "Out 100" list, New York Magazine's "Gay Power 101" list, and Savoy's "100 Leaders and Heroes in Black America" list. Other honors included the Sprague Todes Literary Award, the Harvey Milk Honorary Diploma, and The Silas Hunt Award for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Harris was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hurston/Wright Foundation and the Evidence Dance Company. He was the founder of the E. Lynn Harris Better Days Foundation, a nonprofit company that provides support to aspiring writers and artists.
E. Lynn Harris passed away in 2009.
http://us.macmillan.com/inmyfathersho...
Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for thirteen years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He finally quit his sales job to write his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black-owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book clubs before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994, and thus his career as an author officially began.
Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), Abide with Me (1999), Not A Day Goes By (2000), Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), A Love of My Own (2002), I Say A Little Prayer (2006), Just Too Good To Be True (2008), Basketball Jones(2009), and Mama Dearest(2009),all published by Doubleday, and In My Father's House(2010), published by St. Martin's Press. Ten of Harris's novels hit the New York Times bestseller list, and his books have also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. In 2003, Harris published his first work of nonfiction, a memoir entitled What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, which was also a New York Times bestseller. Today, there are more than four million copies of his books in print.
Harris's writing also appeared in Essence, Washington Post Sunday Magazine, and Sports Illustrated, as well as in the award-winning anthology Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America, Go The Way Your Blood Beats. His novella, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" was published in Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories. Freedom in This Village, a collection of short stories edited by Harris, was released in the fall of 2004. His short fiction appeared in Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writers (Harlem Moon), a 2002 collection he edited with writer Marita Golden.
Harris won numerous accolades and prizes for his work. Just As I Am was awarded the Novel of the Year Prize by the Blackboard African-American Bestsellers, Inc. If This World Were Mine was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Abide with Me was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award. His anthology Freedom in this Village won the Lambda Literary Award in 2005. In 1999, the University of Arkansas honored Harris with a Citation of Distinguished Alumni for outstanding professional achievement, and in October 2000 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. He was named to Ebony's "Most Intriguing Blacks" list, Out Magazine's "Out 100" list, New York Magazine's "Gay Power 101" list, and Savoy's "100 Leaders and Heroes in Black America" list. Other honors included the Sprague Todes Literary Award, the Harvey Milk Honorary Diploma, and The Silas Hunt Award for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Harris was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hurston/Wright Foundation and the Evidence Dance Company. He was the founder of the E. Lynn Harris Better Days Foundation, a nonprofit company that provides support to aspiring writers and artists.
E. Lynn Harris passed away in 2009.
http://us.macmillan.com/inmyfathersho...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
December 14, 2017
On the surface, E. Lynn Harris’s books seem like predictable, mildly escapist fiction. His characters, mostly upper-middle-class African Americans, live glamorous, exciting, great-sex-filled lives in the arenas of sports and entertainment.
But one thing sets him apart from his best-selling-author colleagues. Since his first novel, Invisible Life, the former IBM executive has explored the lives of Black bisexual males. Boy meets girl. Boy meets boy. Girl finds out. Which one does he end up with?
It’s a brilliant formula for middle-brow literary success, the stories full of conflict, nice fashions and a li’l bit of sexual-orientation consciousness-raising. Plus, Harris is no fool. He knows his fiction appeals to several demographics. Straight women are reading him because the men in his books are more sensitive than the ones they know. Gay guys enjoy the locker-room talk and the man-on-man action.
Okay, so he’s no James Baldwin. But as he proves in Not a Day Goes By, he’s also not a bad novelist.
The book opens with sports agent John Basil Henderson phoning his fiancée, up-and-coming Broadway star Yancey Harrington Braxton (gotta love that name). It’s their wedding day, and Basil wants to call it off, claiming Yancey knows the reason.
Harris then flashes back, filling in details about Basil’s glory years as a football star, his promiscuous days and nights with men and women, Yancey’s All About Eve ambition, her mysterious romantic past and the high-profile courtship between the two celebs.
With the introduction of a third character, a gay sports agent and former pro athlete named Zurich (seriously – these names!) who’s about to sign with Basil’s firm, things heat up. But they really start cooking when Yancey’s scheming mother walks on the scene to air the closets of her future son-in-law.
Apart from the page-turning plot, Harris delivers some fine insights into the importance of coming to terms with one’s past. By the end, he’s explored ethical dilemmas that apply to any relationships, and his main characters have all advanced one big emotional step forward.
Now, if only they’d change their phony names.
But one thing sets him apart from his best-selling-author colleagues. Since his first novel, Invisible Life, the former IBM executive has explored the lives of Black bisexual males. Boy meets girl. Boy meets boy. Girl finds out. Which one does he end up with?
It’s a brilliant formula for middle-brow literary success, the stories full of conflict, nice fashions and a li’l bit of sexual-orientation consciousness-raising. Plus, Harris is no fool. He knows his fiction appeals to several demographics. Straight women are reading him because the men in his books are more sensitive than the ones they know. Gay guys enjoy the locker-room talk and the man-on-man action.
Okay, so he’s no James Baldwin. But as he proves in Not a Day Goes By, he’s also not a bad novelist.
The book opens with sports agent John Basil Henderson phoning his fiancée, up-and-coming Broadway star Yancey Harrington Braxton (gotta love that name). It’s their wedding day, and Basil wants to call it off, claiming Yancey knows the reason.
Harris then flashes back, filling in details about Basil’s glory years as a football star, his promiscuous days and nights with men and women, Yancey’s All About Eve ambition, her mysterious romantic past and the high-profile courtship between the two celebs.
With the introduction of a third character, a gay sports agent and former pro athlete named Zurich (seriously – these names!) who’s about to sign with Basil’s firm, things heat up. But they really start cooking when Yancey’s scheming mother walks on the scene to air the closets of her future son-in-law.
Apart from the page-turning plot, Harris delivers some fine insights into the importance of coming to terms with one’s past. By the end, he’s explored ethical dilemmas that apply to any relationships, and his main characters have all advanced one big emotional step forward.
Now, if only they’d change their phony names.
March 17, 2024
This was a great weekend read.
August 20, 2015
Captivating, Intriguing Twists & Turns! An Excellent Read! I Loved It!
August 25, 2019
Not typically a book that I would read, but I loved the drama ! Definitely a page turner and a surprising ending. Basil Henderson is an ex football player that is on the DL. His fiancee Yancey Braxton is a broadway star. They both have secrets that they are hiding and are later revealed. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
April 29, 2012
I used to see E. Lynn Harris books in the African-American section of local bookstores, decades ago, and have leafed through several. I was always captivated by the chatty language and frank discussions of sexuality but never actually bought one. He's something of a local legend, having gone from selling books out of the trunk of his car (because publishers were scared of stories about black bisexual men) to finding his audience and becoming a NY Times bestseller. When he died a few years ago (too young sadly) and I read the eulogies I remember being very impressed at his achievements.
So I decided to remedy my lack of E. Lynn Harris books, starting with Not a Day Goes By. It was a hell of a lot of fun, and drastically, refreshingly different from the usual m/m style and plot.
Not that this is m/m romance. Not at all. It's centered around the relationship between a bisexual man and a straight woman, and it's a romance-in-reverse: it starts off with a happy couple and ends with them… not so happy. I don't consider that a spoiler, by the way, since the book opens with a wedding being called off.
All these characters are well-off ex-sports-stars and entertainers, and the whole Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous vibe turned me off in the beginning, especially with the long interior decorating lists I had to suffer through. But I still got hooked. Our two leads, Basil and Yancey, are not nice people. In fact, they're both vain, shallow, manipulative ASSHOLES. I kept wanting to hate on them for being such soap-style villains, and then a little character detail would pop up to humanize them, and I'd feel sorry for them. Each has an acquaintance who's just a little bit worse—Basil's homophobia-spewing partner Nico, Yancey's raging narcissist of a mother—and also one who's a little bit better. Basil, for example, meets someone who's reconciled his sexuality with his religion and morality, and is determined to live his life with total integrity. And Yancey has her roommate Windsor. The part where she tells Windsor to lose weight if she wants to be a bridesmaid, and Windsor calmly replies, "No thanks, I'm happy with my body," was awesome.
Even with the telegraphed conclusion, the plot kept up a fantastic amount of suspense. I found myself shaking my head at quite a few OH NO YOU DIDN'T points. And the voice, of course, is charming. The book reads like someone sitting next to you gossiping in your ear. The intimacy and conversational tone allowed me to excuse a lot of defects in the writing—the interior decorating lists, the dated references to celebrity hairstyles—because they're so in line with how someone would actually speak.
Although the storyline is, yes, a bit frivolous and a lot melodramatic, there's also enough sense of humor that it's not pretentious, and the book does have some pretty serious things to say about sexuality and gender roles. There's not any preaching by the author—some characters do the preaching, sure, but it's in their natural voice. A compassionate but unflattering light is cast on gender expectations and sexuality for African-Americans. Strengths and weaknesses. Misogyny, homophobia. People who have overcome, and people who have not… who have destroyed themselves and/or others under the weight of their social and religious demands.
Unfortunately, this kind of ethnic literature—it's a problematic phrase, but I'm using it to reflect that E. Lynn Harris was a black man writing pretty much all-black characters and not particularly marketing his books towards a white audience—is stereotypically supposed to only refer to its own ethnicity and not be "universal". Ugh. This story DOES have universal things to say about sexuality and gender, however, and I loathe and reject that dynamic where "white characters"="universal".
Sorry for side rant. OK, back to the book. The last refreshing thing is that E. Lynn Harris writes about good bisexuals, bad bisexuals, and everyone in between. There's a warning to "lock up your sons and daughters" at one point! A lot of portrayals of bisexuality in fiction suffer from the "sneaky bisexual" stereotype: either they're lying liars who lie—or, to escape the stereotype, they're utterly and unrealistically saintly. It's very enjoyable to see a more three-dimensional and fictionally entertaining portrayal. Basil is pretty bad. Will he turn himself around? I don't know. I think I'll have to follow up with some more E. Lynn Harris books to find out…
So I decided to remedy my lack of E. Lynn Harris books, starting with Not a Day Goes By. It was a hell of a lot of fun, and drastically, refreshingly different from the usual m/m style and plot.
Not that this is m/m romance. Not at all. It's centered around the relationship between a bisexual man and a straight woman, and it's a romance-in-reverse: it starts off with a happy couple and ends with them… not so happy. I don't consider that a spoiler, by the way, since the book opens with a wedding being called off.
All these characters are well-off ex-sports-stars and entertainers, and the whole Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous vibe turned me off in the beginning, especially with the long interior decorating lists I had to suffer through. But I still got hooked. Our two leads, Basil and Yancey, are not nice people. In fact, they're both vain, shallow, manipulative ASSHOLES. I kept wanting to hate on them for being such soap-style villains, and then a little character detail would pop up to humanize them, and I'd feel sorry for them. Each has an acquaintance who's just a little bit worse—Basil's homophobia-spewing partner Nico, Yancey's raging narcissist of a mother—and also one who's a little bit better. Basil, for example, meets someone who's reconciled his sexuality with his religion and morality, and is determined to live his life with total integrity. And Yancey has her roommate Windsor. The part where she tells Windsor to lose weight if she wants to be a bridesmaid, and Windsor calmly replies, "No thanks, I'm happy with my body," was awesome.
Even with the telegraphed conclusion, the plot kept up a fantastic amount of suspense. I found myself shaking my head at quite a few OH NO YOU DIDN'T points. And the voice, of course, is charming. The book reads like someone sitting next to you gossiping in your ear. The intimacy and conversational tone allowed me to excuse a lot of defects in the writing—the interior decorating lists, the dated references to celebrity hairstyles—because they're so in line with how someone would actually speak.
Although the storyline is, yes, a bit frivolous and a lot melodramatic, there's also enough sense of humor that it's not pretentious, and the book does have some pretty serious things to say about sexuality and gender roles. There's not any preaching by the author—some characters do the preaching, sure, but it's in their natural voice. A compassionate but unflattering light is cast on gender expectations and sexuality for African-Americans. Strengths and weaknesses. Misogyny, homophobia. People who have overcome, and people who have not… who have destroyed themselves and/or others under the weight of their social and religious demands.
Unfortunately, this kind of ethnic literature—it's a problematic phrase, but I'm using it to reflect that E. Lynn Harris was a black man writing pretty much all-black characters and not particularly marketing his books towards a white audience—is stereotypically supposed to only refer to its own ethnicity and not be "universal". Ugh. This story DOES have universal things to say about sexuality and gender, however, and I loathe and reject that dynamic where "white characters"="universal".
Sorry for side rant. OK, back to the book. The last refreshing thing is that E. Lynn Harris writes about good bisexuals, bad bisexuals, and everyone in between. There's a warning to "lock up your sons and daughters" at one point! A lot of portrayals of bisexuality in fiction suffer from the "sneaky bisexual" stereotype: either they're lying liars who lie—or, to escape the stereotype, they're utterly and unrealistically saintly. It's very enjoyable to see a more three-dimensional and fictionally entertaining portrayal. Basil is pretty bad. Will he turn himself around? I don't know. I think I'll have to follow up with some more E. Lynn Harris books to find out…
July 18, 2019
How lucky I was to stumble across this book in my building's 'library'! Found it just lovely! I purposely read it slowly to make it last longer, and to savour it. I researched this author and apparently what I didn't realize how popular an author he was during a time when I was focused more an academic materials than relaxing novels. I tried to stretch it out through the hot month of June, and he had very short chapters, which worked perfectly.
E. Lynn Harris is from the African American and LGBTQ communities and his work is sexy, kind, warm and inviting. Occasionally dazzling. Nice plot, structure and dialogue. I really enjoyed the perspective this novel offered me in terms of African American Vernacular English. Hope this does not sound in any way patronizing on my part, but I found the AAVE 'cool' - learning deeper about a culture and people this white girl never met growing up. Was saddened to read his bio. May Harris' work live on in his readers. 5 stars for pure enjoyment!
E. Lynn Harris is from the African American and LGBTQ communities and his work is sexy, kind, warm and inviting. Occasionally dazzling. Nice plot, structure and dialogue. I really enjoyed the perspective this novel offered me in terms of African American Vernacular English. Hope this does not sound in any way patronizing on my part, but I found the AAVE 'cool' - learning deeper about a culture and people this white girl never met growing up. Was saddened to read his bio. May Harris' work live on in his readers. 5 stars for pure enjoyment!
November 27, 2013
I remembered reading this years ago. Harris had a way with making you face the reality of being bi-sexual. For many people, this is a very uncomfortable subject both personally and fictionally. However, Harris found a way to draw the naysayers into his grasp and get them to understand the plight of his character's sexual longings. I wouldn't go as far to say that Harris was poetic in his writing, but he had a way with creating situations that were shocking, yet readers kept wanting more.
Basil was a dream for both men and women. A character that many people wanted to hate because of his indecisiveness about his sexuality from the previous novels. However, in this novel, Basil is broken, his dreams of having a normal life shattered. I think Harris wrote this book to appease the readers who hated Basil for being gay/bi-sexual. A gay/bi-sexual man who denied his attraction to men vehemently. I think this was a mistake. I didn't like Basil because he was arrogant, demeaning, and selfish. I didn't like him because he cheated, point blank, whether it was with a guy or a girl. Not because he was a gorgeous black man who just happened to be gay. I believe Harris decided to appeal to his African-American women readers who couldn't wrap their brains around a fine black man such as Basil desiring men over women. So, Harris made Basil the broken man to avenge this uproar from AA women who believed black men this fine couldn't possibly long for the back door! Although, I enjoyed his books, I think Harris made a mistake by rectifying the Basil problem many of his readers exclaimed against on a consistent basis by breaking the man down, bringing him to his lowest point, making him a martyr per se. The very reason why I didn't read the next book in the series. The breakdown of Basil was unnecessary and therefore to read the remainder of the series became that way as well.
Basil was a dream for both men and women. A character that many people wanted to hate because of his indecisiveness about his sexuality from the previous novels. However, in this novel, Basil is broken, his dreams of having a normal life shattered. I think Harris wrote this book to appease the readers who hated Basil for being gay/bi-sexual. A gay/bi-sexual man who denied his attraction to men vehemently. I think this was a mistake. I didn't like Basil because he was arrogant, demeaning, and selfish. I didn't like him because he cheated, point blank, whether it was with a guy or a girl. Not because he was a gorgeous black man who just happened to be gay. I believe Harris decided to appeal to his African-American women readers who couldn't wrap their brains around a fine black man such as Basil desiring men over women. So, Harris made Basil the broken man to avenge this uproar from AA women who believed black men this fine couldn't possibly long for the back door! Although, I enjoyed his books, I think Harris made a mistake by rectifying the Basil problem many of his readers exclaimed against on a consistent basis by breaking the man down, bringing him to his lowest point, making him a martyr per se. The very reason why I didn't read the next book in the series. The breakdown of Basil was unnecessary and therefore to read the remainder of the series became that way as well.
November 28, 2007
A Diva + a Dawg = a Page Turner,
I would have never thought after reading some of E. Lynn Harris's preceding books where Basil makes an appearance, that I would actually like this character. I've always kinda despised Basil. But in this book, I couldn't help but like him. Sure he's in deep denial about his sexuality, and he is wrong for not telling his fiancée that about his bisexual past. And I think he is basically a very weak person. But, bless his heart, he is trying in this book. He believes he is in love with Yancey so he works at it and he really does try to make it all work. So I give him a lot of credit. Unfortunately, Basil really is the only major character who is in this book (Although a very minor character, Windsor, is also very admirable). I disliked Yancey a lot. I applaud Mr. Harris for creating such a seriously flawed character who, unfortunately, rings true. Yancey is supremely selfish and self-absorbed. She is jealous, manipulative, materialistic and completely dishonest. Yes, the book addresses why Yancey is such a messed up person, but in my opinion, the little glimpses of humanity we see in Yancey are a little too little to late. And don't get me started on her mother...grrr!
Altho there are some real unsympathetic characters in this book, it is a page turner! It is a very entertaining and fun read.
I would have never thought after reading some of E. Lynn Harris's preceding books where Basil makes an appearance, that I would actually like this character. I've always kinda despised Basil. But in this book, I couldn't help but like him. Sure he's in deep denial about his sexuality, and he is wrong for not telling his fiancée that about his bisexual past. And I think he is basically a very weak person. But, bless his heart, he is trying in this book. He believes he is in love with Yancey so he works at it and he really does try to make it all work. So I give him a lot of credit. Unfortunately, Basil really is the only major character who is in this book (Although a very minor character, Windsor, is also very admirable). I disliked Yancey a lot. I applaud Mr. Harris for creating such a seriously flawed character who, unfortunately, rings true. Yancey is supremely selfish and self-absorbed. She is jealous, manipulative, materialistic and completely dishonest. Yes, the book addresses why Yancey is such a messed up person, but in my opinion, the little glimpses of humanity we see in Yancey are a little too little to late. And don't get me started on her mother...grrr!
Altho there are some real unsympathetic characters in this book, it is a page turner! It is a very entertaining and fun read.
January 31, 2012
Wow - talk about skeletons in the closet! This book was a clear illustration of just how deeply some people's backgrounds run and how unwilling people can be to face what's staring at them in the mirror.
Unfortunately, there are far too many women out there like Ava and Yancey: selfish, cold, gold-digging and unfeeling. I do feel that Yancey could be "rehabilitated" if you will, because it appears she was very curious about the child she gave birth to. Ava, on the other hand, appears to be a lost cause.
Basil, unfortunately represents men of all races, although the stigma of being a gay Black man has plagued the Black community for ages. In the end, it appears that Basil was beginning to face the demons of his past and beginning to live his life again. From the epilogue, though, it seems that "rebirth" will undoubtedly contain LOTS of play things men and women!
Good read!
Unfortunately, there are far too many women out there like Ava and Yancey: selfish, cold, gold-digging and unfeeling. I do feel that Yancey could be "rehabilitated" if you will, because it appears she was very curious about the child she gave birth to. Ava, on the other hand, appears to be a lost cause.
Basil, unfortunately represents men of all races, although the stigma of being a gay Black man has plagued the Black community for ages. In the end, it appears that Basil was beginning to face the demons of his past and beginning to live his life again. From the epilogue, though, it seems that "rebirth" will undoubtedly contain LOTS of play things men and women!
Good read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2015
Basil Henderson is on the DL(down low). Meaning he claims to be heterosexual while sleeping with men. He is very much bisexual, but does not want to admit it. He has a girlfriend, Yancy, that proposes to. Her mother finds out all of Basil's secrets, and wants Yancy to extort money from him.
The book is very well written and gives a glimpse into the life of bisexual men who are not open about their sexuality.
The book is very well written and gives a glimpse into the life of bisexual men who are not open about their sexuality.
September 1, 2011
Lots of fun & a very quick read, but it's also not a book you can dismiss. There is a lot of insight into bisexual identity & narcissism as well, plus despicable characters you love to hate & follow along for the ride to see them get what's coming to them. Not as good as Basketball Jones but still quite good. Looking forward to reading the sequel.
February 17, 2014
3.5 Ok read, nothing really exciting to write home about. Basil is the bisexual ex athlete who is currently in denial about who he is and why. His fiancee Yancee is a selfish, self centered, conniving woman being led by a mother who is only capable of teaching her how to come up in the world.
August 5, 2017
Good read.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Not a Day Goes By - Nevisande : E. Lynn Harris - ISBN : 1400075785 - ISBN13 : 9781400075782 - Dar 288 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2000
June 16, 2019
page-turning plot! If only the characters had more realistic names lol
October 12, 2022
I remember reading one of E. Lynn Harris's books as a kid, so I decided to revisit his books as an adult after having the Yancey Harrington Braxton books on my to-read list for years. At first, I was put off by how insufferable Yancey was in the book. She wouldn't take specific roles, wouldn't socialize with certain people, and was always stuck-up and rude, but it was revealed by the end why she acted and treated people the way she did. I enjoyed it and liked the small redemption arc of Yancey in the end.
Basil's character was excellent but seemed secondary, almost a throwaway to Yancey's character. He was interesting, and his struggle with his sexuality was something you could empathize with, but Yancey was much more enjoyable to read about and see redeem herself a bit.
The best part of the book was the nostalgia trip! The characters using cordless phones and CD players and the general early 00s vibe of the book made me feel a way.
Basil's character was excellent but seemed secondary, almost a throwaway to Yancey's character. He was interesting, and his struggle with his sexuality was something you could empathize with, but Yancey was much more enjoyable to read about and see redeem herself a bit.
The best part of the book was the nostalgia trip! The characters using cordless phones and CD players and the general early 00s vibe of the book made me feel a way.
June 13, 2018
Definitely a page turner! I was just waiting to see how karma would whip Yancey's ass for being such a selfish, jealous, evil bitch! For what she did to Nicole, the negative energy boomeranged back on that ass!
The more I learned about Basil, the sorrier I felt for him. Campbell and Cade is good for his spirit and soul. Their unconditional love has made him a better man. Though he omitted the truth of his past from Yancey, I truly believe he was in love with a woman incapable of returning true love. Her deception will probably make the bad guy come back, but I think his sister will help him be that great guy again.
Ava...nothing to say but pure rotten, stinky evil! She has managed to turn her daughter's life upside down with no care in the world. Now this made me feel sorry for Yancey....hoping she finds a better person in herself and be a better mother someday.
The more I learned about Basil, the sorrier I felt for him. Campbell and Cade is good for his spirit and soul. Their unconditional love has made him a better man. Though he omitted the truth of his past from Yancey, I truly believe he was in love with a woman incapable of returning true love. Her deception will probably make the bad guy come back, but I think his sister will help him be that great guy again.
Ava...nothing to say but pure rotten, stinky evil! She has managed to turn her daughter's life upside down with no care in the world. Now this made me feel sorry for Yancey....hoping she finds a better person in herself and be a better mother someday.
July 18, 2020
I give the author praise to captivate the reader and take them on a wild ride. This was a book I didn’t want to put down. From the opening page all the way to the epilogue, I wanted to know why and how it would end. Kudos to him. As far as the characters they both had there flaws and self hate. It was hard to root for anyone. Especially Yancy she was deplorable. However, seeing that they both had terrible childhoods and are in need of tons of therapy I’m willing to give them a slight pass. Not to mention the pressure of the black community to be seen as “normal”. However, sometimes you have to live your truth even when it’s hard. Again praise the author for portraying how difficult than can be and how hard it is to get over your faults to let someone else close.
June 27, 2017
Picked this up while scanning through an old library. Not the kind of book I usually go for.
Started very lightheartedly that I would have mistaken it for a comedy. This author has a way of painting characters that feel human. Something I haven't come across in a while.
Yancey is a struggling diva, seeking validation from crowds and from people who never would love her. Basil is a women-hating bisexual sports enthusiast. Basically, diva + dawg.
Never really fully empathized with LGBTs before nor with black people but this book put me directly in their shoes.
Started very lightheartedly that I would have mistaken it for a comedy. This author has a way of painting characters that feel human. Something I haven't come across in a while.
Yancey is a struggling diva, seeking validation from crowds and from people who never would love her. Basil is a women-hating bisexual sports enthusiast. Basically, diva + dawg.
Never really fully empathized with LGBTs before nor with black people but this book put me directly in their shoes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2024
My first from this author.
I’m late to the party as this is my first book by this author but I’m so happy I found it!!
Basil is a man’s man, ex football player, handsome and successful. He has some strange feelings towards women….and men. Then he meets the beautiful Yancey and plans to spend the rest of his life with her but Yancey has some issues of her own.
As secrets come out and lives are changed we follow their story to see if their relationship will survive.
I will definitely read the second book in this series.
I’m late to the party as this is my first book by this author but I’m so happy I found it!!
Basil is a man’s man, ex football player, handsome and successful. He has some strange feelings towards women….and men. Then he meets the beautiful Yancey and plans to spend the rest of his life with her but Yancey has some issues of her own.
As secrets come out and lives are changed we follow their story to see if their relationship will survive.
I will definitely read the second book in this series.
November 11, 2020
This is a hard no for me. Where do I even start. The style or writing is amateur looking, and the characters are bad. I understand Basil, didn't judge him. Those were different times, but he was okay, trying to resolve his problems with women. On the other hand Yancey... I don't have a nice thing to say. Without even dwelling into her past she is a class A b****, like her mom. I don't understand the high reviews this got.
September 15, 2018
Love this book!!!! I basically read it in one sitting. There’s just so much drama that happens in this story that u just don’t want to stop. It was like watching bad tv, u might dislike the show but u can’t seem to stop watching and it ends up growing on u l. Totally gonna read the sequel to this story.
February 15, 2025
Well gottttt damn 😳this was unexpected. I didn't know that Yancy and her mama were clatchet😏fake classy/ratchet. They were skeeming the whole time😔. In the end Yancy realized right and wrong but damn🤦🏾. Sometimes you have to go through shit in order to find your way to the right path in life. I'ma say just check it out for yourself. Some may like it some may not🤷🏾
April 15, 2018
Had this on my shelf a number of years and finally read it. It was well-written though I'm not sure that the ending was satisfactory enough for me. A man and a woman are in love, or at least appear to be. But they're both keeping secrets from each other.
May 5, 2021
7.25/10. I can’t quite put my thoughts into words about this book.... I want to say I liked it but I also want to say it was “meh.” I would for sure recommend other books way before this one but I don’t regret reading it (it was a quick read, too).
August 3, 2023
This author writing gives me a good illustration of what the LGBT world is like. I am so intrigued about learning more about the LGBT community and the relationships they have to endure by means of a small group of people who feels threaten by the LGBTQ+
June 29, 2025
So here's the thing. I read this book in high school. That was between 94-99...I didn't recall anything from the book at all. It was like I read it for the first time. I've read all of E. Lynn books back then. But today as an adult- I cringed a lot lol!
October 30, 2018
Another interesting romantic novel by E. Lynn Harris.
February 21, 2019
Love the book
I love e. Lynn harris. One of my favorite authors. No matter who you are we can all relate. I hate ava.
I love e. Lynn harris. One of my favorite authors. No matter who you are we can all relate. I hate ava.
May 5, 2019
Not sure how i managed to pick this up from the library. Choppy writing. Didn't like the story much. I guess it's a classic. Not my thing.
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