Just Too Good to Be True

A Novel

By: E. Lynn Harris

Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Bahni Turpin, Mirron Willis

Harris serves up a treat that will capture and enchant audiences everywhere—a big, bold, and irresistible novel about football, family, and secrets.

Brady Bledsoe and his mother, Carmyn, have a strong relationship. A single mother, faithful churchgoer, and the owner of several successful Atlanta beauty salons, Carmyn has devoted herself to her son and his dream of becoming a professional football player. Brady has always followed her lead, including becoming a member of the church’s "Celibacy Circle." Now in his senior year at college, the smart, and very handsome, Brady is a lead contender for the Heisman Trophy and a spot in the NFL.

As sports agents hover around Brady, Barrett, a beautiful and charming cheerleader, sets her mind on tempting the celibate Brady and getting a piece of his multimillion-dollar future—but is that all she wants from him, and is she acting alone?

Carmyn is determined to protect her son. She’s also determined to protect the secret she’s kept from Brady his whole life. As things heat up on campus and Carmyn and Brady’s idyllic relationship starts to crumble, mother and son begin to wonder about the other—are you just too good to be true?

A sweeping novel about mothers and sons, football and beauty shops, secrets and lies, JUST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE has all the ingredients that have made E. Lynn Harris a bestselling author: family, friendship, faith, and love.

Critic reviews

“Steamy, funny, and real.”—The News & Observer“Harris is a great storyteller who knows how to tug on the heartstrings with wit and sensitivity.” —USA Today “Harris's books are hot, in more ways than one.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer“[E. Lynn Harris] tucks in plot twists bound to keep his readers turning pages late at night.” —The Washington Post “The storyline involving the exploitation of star athletes—a hot-button topic to be sure—is excellent.”—Chicago Sun-Times“Electrifying.... Widely entertaining and heartwarming.”—Urban Reviews“What's got audiences hooked? Harris's unique spin on the ever-fascinating topics of identity, class, intimacy, sexuality, and friendship.”—Vibe“Harris is a wonderful writer. His romantic scenes...are always touching.”—San Francisco Chronicle“From naked cocktail parties to religious conundrums, Harris gives you just the right amount of raunchiness and redemption.”—Upscale“E. Lynn Harris is the Beach Read King. All hail.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram“Harris has stimulated a dialogue within the African-American community desperately needed for so long about the complicated issues of sexuality.”—Southern Voice

Great read from start to finish!!

Where does Just Too Good to Be True rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I first read this book about 7-10 years ago. It was such an amazing read I finished it within a weekend. I locked myself in the bathroom sank in the tub and injected myself in the book like an invisible character.
This Audible version is amazing!! I was able to feel every character’s emotions as if I were right there with them. Great production!!

What did you like best about this story?

Never a dull moment

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

The villainess Barrett/Raquel

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! However, I dragged it out so my work day would be more enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

Enjoy!! Just like all his other books this one is an amazingly exciting read.

good read

loved listening to this book, it kept my interest from beginning to the end.

Overall great book. Disappointed in presentation.

I didn't like how the three narrators read like three totally different personas. I felt like each changed the roles. One would read Brady one way and the other another. It kind of took away from getting into the story and changed the way you understood and felt about a character to the point of frustration. Especially with May Jean. All 3 narrators had a different presentation of May Jean and I did not like that. Overall story was great. Wish there was more developed after Brady graduated. I felt like it was a bit rushed just to finish the book. I hope there's a sequel well worth listening to.

It is a nice story…

It is a nice story… but was a bit “PG-13” for this author in my opinion. 🤷🏾‍♂️

Great Story

wonderful book about hypocrisy, judgement, lies & forgiveness. The characters are relatable and it's an easy read.