Near Perfect: A Novel

By Sharon Mitchell

Book Overview

The acclaimed author of Nothing But the Rent now gives readers Near Perfect, a novel about love and friendship and the powerful ties that hold women and men together.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525946217
• ISBN13: 9780525946212
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Length: 325 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.7" x 1.1" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

A book of love/family/lies and happiness......a good story

I was nearly blown away with this book, Near Perfect was a wonderful choice, I am a sucker for a good book and I must say that Sharon Mitchell has given her readers a true story. The fact that Roxanne loved her husband so much that she wanted to give him a child was her main goal. No matter how she did it Jamal was willing to go through what ever measures it took to make his wife happy. Linc was a great friend to them both even though he held Jamal's secret, I felt that he did the right thing by not wanting to hurt Roxy. A baby, their own baby meant so much to her, and if she knew about Honey, her happiness would have burned into a lake of fire. I wanted to choke Honey for destroying Jamal, he was so stressed that he died with a painful lie that he knew would have destroyed Roxy and his marraige. I loved t he fact that Ms. Mitchell let realism drip from the pages of this book. And to think, the baby wasn't even his!! On the other hand Roxy should have known that her mother was up to something by all of a sudden wanting toplay Mommy......bottom line-this book is very good.

Heartwarming and Engaging Read!

Near Perfect the semi-sequel/follow-up to Nothing But The Rent by Sharon Mitchell grabbed me from page one. I recall that I didn't really care for Nothing But The Rent and was a little skeptical about reading a sequel so I was pleasantly surprised when I was drawn into the read so quickly. I've read all of Mitchell's book and I must say that she continues to show growth as a writer with every book as each book from her is better than the previous one.Mitchell reunites us with Roxanne Steele who appears to have the "perfect life"-phine and loving husband, luxurious and large home, money in the bank, great job and all the material possessions she could ever want. However, she is still unfulfilled in one area of her life and that is being a mother. She's almost obsessive about having a child to round out her happy home and perfect life. Unfortunately, her idyllic life will be turned upside down by a tragic event. It's at that junction in the road that she's slapped hard in the face regarding her husband and her marriage. Roxanne's friends and mother rush to her rescue to help her pick up the pieces and move on but it's Linc, her handsome and protective friend since childhood who helps her to move on and in a new direction. As Roxanne journeys forward, we ache, we cry and then finally we smile again and we rejoice as Roxanne discovers that life and living is near perfect at best.Near Perfect is a wonderful relationship novel that combines fine writing with suspense and intrigue. Mitchell's tone was engaging, warm, friendly and heartwarming as she allowed the characters to bring the story to life. I must admit that she really threw me for a loop regarding Jamal's character as I was caught completely off guard. However, once I got over the initial shock that twist just added more to the compelling nature of the storyline for me. Near Perfect is an endearing story about love, friendship, family, committment, trust, betrayal and redemption and I highly recommend this novel to others.

Read in One Day

I just enjoyed the storyline of this book. In real life, there is so much drama with athletes being unfaithful to their spouses with "groupies" but this had a surprising ending.And it exposed an African American couple who were in the limelight as positive people which, at times can be very lacking in our community. I say positive because they were not just characters who lived the "rich and famous lifestyle" but were also involved in community service, assisting those less fortunate. But the fact that the media tends to try to dig up the worst when tragedies happen is very realistic. Sharon Mitchell is a wonderful writer. I have read all her books, and like the way she makes her stories so realistic that you can relate to the characters and the settings.

BREATHLESS

BREATHLESS...That's exactly how I felt after completing this novel. Boy, I tell ya...That's a welcomed feeling.A little skeptical about purchasing this one, since it was the follow up to "Nothing But The Rent", which was not one of my favorite or most memorable reads, to say the least. But I was curious all the same.To the reviewer that got discouraged, when the story-line stopped going in the direction she wanted it to, simply remember that not only is this a work of fiction, it mirrors actual day to day life for the average person. Things don't always turn out the way we would like.To the author, if she get the chance to read these...this stems from you previous novel "Nothing But The Rent", but focuses primarily on Roxanne....Does that mean we can look forward to future novels based on the other three main characters?? Also, can a sista get a follow up to Sheer Necessity?? I loved that one also.This was truly a pleasurable read. Actually one of my favorite reads for 2001. I highly recommend this to everyone.Many blessings to you Ms. Mitchell...I look forward to your future endeavors!

The perfect story

What does a happily married wife do when her seemingly perfect world crumbles, when the stability that she shares with her spouse is snatched from her, and the dreams she's had for her life disintegrate with some of the troubles ending up as front-page news? Roxanne Steele, a sassy, loving, and vivacious woman who is married to Jamal, a wealthy and famous football player, deals with this and more in this delightful story about love, commitment, friendship, trust, betrayal, and family. Fortunately, Roxy doesn't have to bear her troubles alone. First of all there is Lincoln, her handsome and protective best friend that she's known since childhood; Linc has also become Jamal's teammate and good friend. Then there are her female buddies, Cynthia, Monique, and Gayle. And let's not forget her mother who is dealing with her own troubles but tries to be there for her daughter.Near Perfect, the sequel to Nothing But the Rent, is a solid and magnificent effort from writer Sharon Mitchell. It's filled with everything I love in a novel: Humor, suspense, an array of emotions, tension, romance, eroticism, believable dialogue, fully developed, vibrant and realistic characters, a unique plot with several twists, and fluid action. Each of these characteristics makes it easy for me to declare that, thus far, Near Perfect is my favorite read of 2001. It's the kind of story where you wish you did know the characters, not just the men, but the women too. These people are smart, upwardly mobile, sassy, go-getters, and they're human, prone to err, yet lovable. It's a feel good novel, one that makes you regret you've come to the story's end, but glad you were fortunate to read such a wonderful novel in the first place. It's highly recommended.