When Everything Isn’t Enough by Ed Wyns
“When Everything Isn’t Enough” traces the lives of three very disparate souls: David Tanner, who leaves his mother’s broken home and hangs with his drug-dealing cousins; Mia Collins, the oldest of three children growing up in the comfortable home of two middle-class parents; and CJ Fields, an orphan who as a child moves from one abusive home to another. Each finds the strength, though, to become financially successful and soon appears to have all that they would ever desire.
Then David discovers he is unable to father children, sending him into a downward spiral of depression as his very definition of what being a man means no longer applies to him. As he grows apart from his wife and high school sweetheart, Mia (née Collins) Tanner, he succumbs to an affair with the 24-year-old daughter of one his company’s largest clients.
Shattered, Mia bounces between forgiveness and anger, uncertain if she ever can resurrect her marriage with the one man who means more to her than anything. Then, one day, she meets a man she only could despise, CJ Fields, yet slowly finds herself more and more attracted to him and eventually has an affair with him, ends up getting pregnant, but isn’t sure of the paternity of the child.
CJ spends his adult life amassing a fortune and using women as his sexual toys, all in a vain attempt to vicariously exert his will over those who caused him so much pain. Soon, though, CJ discovers he has a daughter, and when her mother dies, faces a major decision: Should he become something he believes himself wholly unprepared to be – a father – or let the daughter he never knew enter the very foster care system where he once was abused? Then he meets Mia, a woman who is entirely not his type, and finds himself irresistibly attracted to her.
As their three lives become entangled, each one literally realizes that “everything isn’t enough” as they must decide with who their loyalties and future lies.
Book Review
Urban Fiction News Review – K.C. Blaze
Once in a while there is a book that provokes so many emotions I can’t keep up. When Everything Isn’t Enough is just that type of book. I read the story in a matter of a days which is a big feat with the amount of requests I receive on a daily basis not to mention my full time work schedule and family obligations. This story had me at hello, I was pulled in immediately with the author’s compelling writing style.
The story follows an adolescent David Tanner through family trouble, x-rated sexual encounters and into the arms of his one true love Mia Collins. The young couple grows together over the years and find themselves living the American Dream. That is until the young couple decides to get pregnant. I must admit I was a bit skeptical with the direction of the story leaning toward male infertility. I wasn’t sure where the author was going to lead me.
I yelled at the characters, I flipped pages with the speed of light and I almost skipped meals to finish it. I don’t like giving spoilers but this book will definitely have you writing the author asking them to hurry up and publish the sequel. I would definitely give this book an A+. My only recommendation would be to reduce the amount of time spent on the younger years to leave more room for the characters as adults. I also thought the dialogue was a bit unrealistic during their teen years would have loved for it to be a bit more youthful.
Overall, this book is a quality read and would be enjoyed by lovers of any genre. This eloquently told tale is a must read and would complement your reading back log.
When Everything Isn’t Enough by Ed Wyns
Genre: Urban Fiction
Primary Topic Discussed: Infertility
Purchase from Amazon: http://amzn.com/1482078228
