First Impressions: Off-Screen Conversations with a Bachelor on Race, Family, and Forgiveness by Matt James with Cole Brown Book Review

In First Impressions, Matt James opened up about his personal life story and how he became the first Black Bachelor on the hit reality tv show, The Bachelor after two decades of it being on air. He explained how he led a prayer to God at the start of the first episode and this led to controversies. In the book, he shared how his mother accepted Jesus as her Savior. Most of it was because she saw her coworker life and how joyful she was. He explained how his mother married his dad and how unfaithful he was in their marriage. She stated how she never trashed him in front of her two children. She chose forgiveness towards him and Matt revealed his personal struggle with forgiveness and seeing it as a weakness. He explained how he grew in his own personal faith and how his brother stopped believing later on after he went to prison a few times. In the book, he also opened up about being half white and how people viewed him differently when they learned that his mother was white. He opened up about his experiences growing up and how his own grandfather treated him differently. He also discussed the topic of racism, the wrongful death of George Floyd, and the protests that occurred. In the book, he also shared how he became an NFL athlete and the experiences he faced during that. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who enjoyed watching him on the Bachelor. I don’t watch this show personally but I enjoyed reading about his personal life and how he is a Christian trying to assist others through his nonprofit, ABC Food Tours. I loved how in his Bachelor book he focused more on his roots and Christian values. I was deeply touched by his story of his grandfather and how he refused to tell his brother, John and him that he loved them. He also shared how he wouldn’t help John with his math homework and judged him for his grades. Even though he has a degree in chemical engineering. He would show the other grandchildren more love and attention then John and Mark. I also love reading about how all that changed when his grandfather needed help after falling down. This story is a wonderful example of forgiveness and change.

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/First-Impressions-Conversations-Bachelor-Forgiveness/dp/1546002081/