JUST SHORT OF CRAZY

Author: Nina Foxx ISBN: 0060847999 6/2006 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: AVON TRADE

When smart, successful, levelheaded lawyer Alexis Pearson gets blindsided by her faithless fiancé, who disses and dumps her, she decides to change everything. Gone are the trendy dreads in favor of her own soft and natural tresses. She's going to get her body, mind, and spirit in shape with tae kwan do classes -- and maybe kick some butt in the process to work out the aggression brought on by the abandonment . . . and her boss's unsubtle offers to help mend her busted heart. Of course, she never intended for it all to get out of hand -- and she certainly didn't mean to break the elbow of her first-time sparring partner, Remedy Brown. At least she got the attention of this tall, dark, and very handsome nightclub owner with the unfortunate name. And though Alexis is wary about diving recklessly too soon into the relationship fire again, she can't help wondering if sexy, warm-hearted Remedy might be a remedy for what's ailing her. But the man comes with some crazy baggage -- namely Ayzah, his estranged and deranged ex-wife, who's pure, unadulterated 'hood. And suddenly both the personal and professional lives of the "new" Alexis Pearson are about to get a lot wilder . . . and riskier.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

JUST SHORT OF CRAZY is a spin-off of Nina Foxx's MARRYING UP featuring Alexis Pearson, a secondary character from that book. While JUST SHORT OF CRAZY revolves mainly around Alexis and her relationships with men, her career, her friends and family, this story really is more of a character study about two women: Alexis and Ayzah Brown, Alexis's new boyfriend's ex. While Alexis's struggle to stand on her own two feet and take charge of her life after her fiance, Walter, suddenly walks out on her unannounced makes for interesting reading, it's Ayzah's dismal and misguided life that I found more compelling and kept me hooked.

This is definitely a story of two African American women in severe contrast. Alexis is a professional who became a lawyer through hard work and dedication, with the support of the family that took her in and raised her as their own. She encounters sexual discrimination on her job and clashes over differing goals with the aunt that raised her. She has anger management issues which come front and center when she meets Remedy at a Tae Kwon Do class and accidentally breaks his arm. While Remedy, a sexy and handsome self-made man, might look like the best catch of the season, he does come into the picture toting a lot of baggage—he has the sole custody of his son and an ex-wife (Ayzah) from hell. It's through Remedy and his past that the tenuous connection between Alexis and Ayzah comes into play.

Ayzah is the exact opposite of Alexis. She's made all the wrong choices in her life. A stripper by trade on the rebound from a recent breakup, she and Remedy had a one-night stand that produced their son, Jamal. They married for the child's sake, and though life with Remedy was the best thing that could have happened to her, Ayzah couldn't let go of her ex-boyfriend, Prince, and within a few months had walked away from her marriage and child. Now Prince, who's a lowlife, is pushing her to get custody of her son, not because Jamal belongs with his mother, but because Prince wants the support money. Alexis is too blind to see this, too starved for love, affection and a family of her own. When Remedy strikes up a new relationship with Alexis, Ayzah sees green. It's not that she necessarily wants Remedy for herself—she's sure her love lies with Prince—she just can't stand Remedy moving on. Perhaps because she has so much to gain if she leaves her boyfriend, so many ways in which to change her life, that Ayzah becomes the more fascinating character. Tension filled confrontations with Prince, Remedy, Alexis, her mother, even her friend, Erica, seem to define her life, and you begin to wonder if she will ever wake up to smell the coffee.

JUST SHORT OF CRAZY makes for a compelling and fascinating story, a drama with a bit of suspense, a dash of humor, and seemingly real characters. My only criticism and the reason that made this a 4 Rose rather than a Top Pick, is that Jamal, the son, is only mentioned—he's never seen or heard from directly. References are made to him, but nothing more concrete about him ever develops. It puzzled me because if Remedy is such a dutiful father I would have thought Jamal would have surfaced by his side at least once somewhere in the plot, providing some added depth to Remedy's characterization as a parent.

Nancy Davis