This one has some pretty mixed reviews but is one of this author's highest rated so if I can find it I'll give it a try.

I have to say, that I am really glad that I kept my copy of this book all these years. I really enjoyed reading it as a teenager and I thank Kitt for exposing me to interracial romances as a teenager as well. I didn't even know that was a genre til I got older.

In "The Color of Love", Kitt explores an interracial relationship between an African American woman named Leah who is a graphic designer and a white man named Jason, who is a New York City police officer.

Kitt tells the story focusing on now just Leah and Jason, but also a street wise kid who is also African American who is angry that he feels that Jason is now overlooking him due to dating Leah. He gets weirdly obsessed with her, and I honestly don't get why that character was included. It just didn't fit the overall story that Kitt was trying to tell in my opinion.

Besides the interracial aspects of this relationship that Kitt takes a close look at, she also looks at how Jason's views of African Americans shifts since he may be what would be called a "casual racist." When he's interacting with suspects he thinks nothing of letting the "N" word slip, but quickly feels sickened by what he has said and thinks that he doesn't view Leah that way at all. If Kitt had more moments like that in this book, it would have been five starts to me. I like that it was open and honest about the issues that many black women have with dating outside of their race that it would have worked for me more. Leah does get accused of not being "black" anymore by a few people, but in the end, the book just wraps things up neatly and I really wish there had been a follow-up to this one.

Some of the characters did not work well at all. Leah's sister needed slapped upside her head. She does something that Leah ends up hard shrugging about that really didn't work for me at all. Let's just say that it would never occur to my sister or I to do something foul to each other like what happens in this book.

The setting of New York felt very alive and just dark to me at times. Maybe because of all the recent police shootings that involve African Americans, I just could not get into this book the way that I was able to as a teen. I just found the whole thing implausible.

Still enjoyed this look back at an older romance fave. ( )

Since this was written more than 20 years ago the social pressures against Leah and Jason’s relationship were a bit dated but the insights into their feelings made this seem like a contemporary romance. There was also a foreboding hint of suspense throughout the story that made for a dramatically emotional ending. I just wish there had been some sort of epilogue with a glimpse into their future. ( )