3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Killing Me Softly, August 4, 2002
This review is from: A New Day (Mass Market Paperback)
The words of Roberta Flack come to mind as I recall the pages of "A New Day". I felt the author (MJH) looked into my life, and told my story. While there was no disclaimer in the front that the characters were fictional, I was confident that she wrote AS IF she knew me. While I didn't appreciate MJH telling my business, making me cry, and keeping me up all night to read this amazing novel, I was drawn into the deep well of lyrical words used to describe the characters and their emotions. Like the musician of Roberta's song, MJH was 'singing my life with her words'. Unlike Roberta, I was not 'embarassed by the sound'. Instead, I read on with astonishment because I fell in love with this book and its dimensional characters.
This story is intense from its beginning expressions of yearning to its happy ending of self discovery and true love. "A New Day" begins with a new approach - taking readers into the life of a real 'man crying in the dark'. Max Scutter is a sensitive, intelligent, stable and handsome man longing for a new day. He finds it in Carol-Anne Phyllis McClementine. As if seeing a ghost, there were several occasions when I closed the book while gasping for air because the passionate words literally took my breath away!
Though I have not met Max yet, almost everything else from the novel is a page from my life. Beginning with Carol-Anne's middle name being my first, Phyllis. Her last name, McClementine, is uncanningly similar to mine, McLaughlin. Add to that, her single mamahood to daughter, Nadia (who has glistening eyes), vs my daughter, Dasia (whose eyes sparkle when she laughs). If the names can be written off as sheer coincidence, how do you explain why Carol-Anne (like myself) quiets her passions, fears, and LOUD Thoughts with mellow jazz music and books late at night in her comfortably, worn chair? And here I sit confessing even more in this review at 3:46 am EST. As I savor every word of this delectable read, I wondered is MJH psychic or is this coincidence? I couldn't let my skepticism stop me because my heart was already consumed, and my eyes were already soaked.
When Max meets Carol Anne and almost immediately pours out his wealth upon her poverty, I thought to myself, get real Margaret. Who would believe such nonesense? What man would do so much for a woman he just met? Not even a hopeless romantic like me will fall for that. Then I was reminded when I turned back to pages 1-3, 11, 90, and many pages throughout that unveil Max's uniqueness.
After reading more, I thought again... Aha! I caught the diva of romance with her pen down:-)! Feeling somewhat victorious at the discovery that MJH never gives an explanation of why, how or when Max comes to love Carol-Anne, I could not deny Max's strong emotions that permeate the pages. The author convinces readers that Max is distinguishable from all others. So, don't bother trying to compare Max to your Dad, your best lover, and not even Superman. Just accept him because he is very real and real compassionate. Though Max is not the primary focus of the novel, I learned to love him too... just like I love myself, Carol-Anne, and Nadia. MJH makes sure you feel him and all the characters as they jump off the pages and into your heart!
With amazement and sheer ecstasy, MJH entices readers with details of fiery love scenes throughout. Not being satisfied with a brief declaration of the couple's love, MJH drowns readers in unbelievable passion as she lusciously describes the scenes with such grandeur.
Eeew wee! If the detailed love scenes are not enough, prepare yourself for the intense account of Max's anguish over being without his family, Carol-Anne and Nadia. The breathtaking account begins on page 133 and literally climaxes on page 135 as he is 'seduced by memory'. Oh my goodness, I 'wept out loud' with this man and stopped breathing too.
MJH knows how to cleverly evoke intense emotions that will make you wonder how she got into your heart and mind to create such an ache and inevitably, tears. Makes me marvel at how MJH is able to contain the creative talents that God has poured into her. Then I realize, she manages by writing and dumping on hopeless romantics like me... poetic justice, I guess.
"A New Day" is very enlightening and will encourage readers to search within for the new day that makes every day more beautiful than before. This is a must read for those bold ones who dare to dig deep within themselves. I HIGHLY recommend this novel!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A LESSON ON HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF, April 19, 2001
This review is from: A New Day (Mass Market Paperback)
A New Day the sequel to The Real Deal starts like a story book, two souls looking for love. But Max and Carol-Ann bring so much baggage to the table, they had me wondering 'who's zooming who'? Max Scutter, 36, single, very successful, is lost and hurting. He is afraid of marriage, children, and has "I'm not ready", engraved on his forehead. One mistake cost him the love of his life and his unborn child. He meets Carol-Ann and her eight year old daughter, does a 360 degree turn and wants to be their Knight in armor, but Max still loves Samone. Carol-Ann is 38, a single mother, has always lived in the basement of life, has never felt loved or needed, all she's ever felt, is not good enough. She learned from her mother that children out of wedlock was ok, so Carol dates her boss, gets pregnant on purpose and quits her job. For eight years she's lived in Spanish Harlem between condemned buildings, struggling to make ends meet. But, Carol never brought closure to her relationship. Then, she meets Max and when he offers a solution, she accepts and moves in with him. She soon resents Max for trying to make her fit his life style and she's on the move again, she just can't get it right. Max has now decided to be a player, and Carol is prostituting herself with her ex, for child support. But they both know their lives can't live here, they need to take a timeout, take a nap and wake to a new day.
Ms J-Hodge, creates her characters with such realism, you don't just read the story, you share it. I love that she doesn't take her characters back, she allows them to look back, but with a gentle hand, she pushes them forward. Some books tend to linger, for me, A New Day is one of them.
aNN Brown
The RAW Reviewers
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