Neva Hafta

Hmmm. I don't know if I liked this book more than the last book or not. Anyways the main character definitely does a lot of growing up in this book. He went through some 'changes' so to speak, which added some dimensions to the character. At first I thought the whole 'mother dying of cancer' thing would be quite the downer, but luckily it isn't too heavy in the book. I thought the storyline with Mal was great but its resolution was absolutely terrible and unbelievable.

I liked this book much better than the first one. I would not recommend reading them out of order. You must know the dynamics between Nick and the other characters in order to understand how he gets to the point in this book. As the book picks up Nick has just landed in San Diego, and in my opinion still running from Jasmine. His mom is sick so he decides to get married before she dies. He dates a lot of women with issues that really get too much to fast from him, which is his greatest flaw. This guy falls in "like" too quick. Add to the mix his friends Malloy, Craig, (whose brilliant idea it is to write about it), Robert and Carlton then you get the standard friend story. What makes this story good is the fact that Nick does not blame his problems on the women. He gives them the benefit of the doubt and tries to make relationships happen when they just aren't meant to be. The ending was predictable, but it should make the next installment interesting. If you can get through the first one and make it to this one, I recommend this author.

My, my, my! Both the author and the main character Nick have come a long way. Not knocking part one of what HAS to be a trilogy, but both Nick and Mr. Jackson's writing have matured on their hiatus. It was well worth the wait. Loved the "Anonymous" column, it made the book a quick read and full of suspense. Being the hopeless romantic I am, I sincerely want to see Nick make a decision on the lucky lady that is his true soul mate. I'm putting my bet on the poetic soul sistah! Hurry up with the next one!

Los Angeles-based novelist Edwardo Jackson returns with an entertaining follow-up to his debut novel Ever After. Set in California, Nick (whose last name is not disclosed in this novel either) continues his saga in Neva Hafta, promulgating the notion that men suffer from flame-out love affairs and broken hearts just like women do.Tall, good-looking and well-educated, with a big bank account, Nick is every woman's dream. Better yet, their ideal husband, or so it would seem. But Nick keeps falling in and out of love with the wrong women. Still carrying a torch for his ex, Jasmine, a beautiful, cold and fiercely independent woman with a chip on her shoulder, Nick struggles with how to move on with his life. He considers himself a rarity - a black man who really does want to get married. And he doesn't hesitate to share his intentions with the women he meets.However, in the midst of all the trite pick-up lines, boot knockin' and bed hopping, Nick suffers a hefty emotional blow when his mother is diagnosed with cancer and given just two years to live. After he receives the somber news, Nick becomes obsessed with meeting Ms. Right and marching down the aisle before his mother dies. In an interesting twist, Nick and his best buddy, Craig, concoct a plan to lure prospective soul mates by penning a weekly newspaper column called, "Marriage-Minded." In the process, the two receive hundreds of responses from women, some of who meet the wife criteria and others who don't - but look good in heels and a tight, miniskirt.Jackson's sophomore novel reads more like an autobiography of a thirtysomething, straight, single, educated black man in the Big City rather than a work of fiction. Neva Hafta is more than just another book about dating, relationships and love gone wrong, it's a story about life. The dialogue and characters are believable and Jackson's writing is sharp and clear. The message is simple yet provocative - marry for love and never settle for anything less.

From Kirkus Reviews:Funny, juicy sequel to Ever After (2001, not reviewed). Not quite over Jasmine, the woman of his dreams who dumped him in Ever After, Nick leaves Chicago to sit on the beach in San Diego and watch girls, when not heading up to LA for auditions, since he wants to act. Getting married? Well, some of his player friends just did, but getting his heart broken by the fiercely independent Jasmine taught him to be more cautious. Later, though, when his beloved mother is diagnosed with cancer-given two years to live-Nick's priorities change in a heartbeat: he's got to marry a good woman before his mother dies. When his friend Craig offers Nick a chance to write an anonymous column on the dating wars for a San Diego giveaway newspaper, Nick jumps at it, titling it "One Man's Quest To Be Married In A Year" and signing it "Marriage Minded." He begins his research at a wedding where-as fate would have it-he catches the bride's garter. He then proceeds to date every female (or mix thereof) he runs into in a rakish, often hilarious series of erotic and platonic misadventures interspersed with a fair amount of from-the-heart philosophizing from the network of brothas he keeps in touch with all over the country. A gorgeous actress, and nurse, a WEMP or two (Women With Emotional and Mental Problems)-all provide material for his column. Installmentthree coming up. Nick's mother gets kind of forgotten, but the hero is irresistible: romantic, respectful, and cheerfully dirty-minded-sometimes all at once.