WOW, WHERE HAVE BEEN TO NEVER NOT READ THIS AUTHOR? I was bored with a naïve Melody who was book but not street smart. Why did she not listen to her two best friends? I laughed so hard at Imani's name for Kevin and to go after him when she heard Kevin disrespect Melody, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO READ BOOK TWO!! ( )

This is book 2 of this amazing series. The author has done another outstanding job with her writing. Lance, Imani, and Melody are still trying to deal with the aftereffects of the trauma and the choices they make in their life. I found the story to feel truly realistic and original. You can feel your own heart palpitating at some of the action in the book. At some times, you feel the angst or other feelings that they go through. The plot is well-written, with even a few twists thrown in. I found the characters relatable. I was engrossed in the story right from the start. I cannot wait to start book 3. Well, done! ( )

This book was a pretty intense, emotional ride. Three young friends in college end up on a scary adventure noone really wants to be on. Lance is sowing his oats. Imani is just trying to decide what she wants and her plan. She doesn't even know that Trevor is in love with her. Melody, naive and believing in romantic fairy tales, is preyed upon by a controlling abusive boyfriend. Her friends are just trying to watch out for her. Who will she believe? This stuff breaks up friendships. Can they survive this. You have got to read this book. It's one of the best fiction books I've read this year. This maybe a trigger for some. I could relate to all three, especially Melody, as I've had my share of those relationships in my younger years. This is one of those stories where you feel what they feel all the way to your soul. Melody is basing her view of romance off her parents marriage. Not naive, just not a realistic picture. She puts herself in danger and yet doesn't listen when her friends are pointing out red flags. Imani and Lance are great friends who place themselves right there in dangers way when required. The plot was well-written with twists where needed. I found it to be very realistic but also inspiriting because her friends wouldn't give up. The characters are very well-developed. It was nice to get a look into the families over the summer. Keeping the mystery of Kevin was a nice touch. The detective in me wants to know more about who he is. Great story, I'm looking forward to finishing the series. ( )

The book was given by the author in exchange for an honest review. Very baby spoilers to expand on a pro or con of the book.

I am a fan of the abstract cover concept. However, with this particular cover, the author may have missed the mark slightly. In the first book, The Colors of Friendship, the young lady in the yellow (Melody) is standing in the center. For me, whenever a character is in the center, it represents one being the focal point of the story, which she was for the very 1st book. In this cover, Lance looks to be the one in the center; however, the story really does seem a bit more about Imani with Lance sprinkled in here and there. It is slightly misleading.

In addition, the author is still very heavy with starting off sentences with conjunctions, both in narrative and in dialogue. I understand that in dialogue, it may be more natural, yet I do think they should be used within reason.

Supplemental characters were brought into the mix, and some were quite crucial in dictating the lives of the main characters. However, there were a few that were brought in way too soon, and others that were given a name, were in a couple of chapters, and then disappeared. One for example was the very wacky roommate that did the bird calls.

Another thing was the comparison of some of the characters to actors in movies. Yes, I know some of the actors mentioned in The Colors of Love. As a matter of fact, Johnny Depp is one of my favorites. If there are readers who don’t know those actors or who don’t look at movies, they may be loss when the author says that “so-and-so reminds me of the Johnny Depp that was in Pirates of the Caribbean” (for an example).

The Colors of Love touched on a lot of topics, including but not limited to:

1. Handling of tragedy on college campus
2. The difficulty of long distance relationships
3. Pride can keep you from the Love one deserves
4. Pro-black: a matter of choice or another form of discrimination?
5. New York City is NOT New York state

Handling of tragedy on college campuses: The reality is that what happened between Kevin and Melody has fast become the norm as opposed to the exception. Yet, not many people report it. One is because of shame and two, because the college is more concerned with covering things up than dealing with the problem. What would the donors say? How would it affect the college’s reputation? I do wish that how everyone was handling the tragedy was touched on a bit more beyond Imani was handling it fine, while Melody was still struggling and needed more therapy sessions.

The difficulty of long distance relationships: The strong demeanor of Imani was tested due to moments when she had to deal with long distance. Her desire to control everything, in many situations, cost her some key relationships. One that stood out in the beginning was the connection she experienced with Julian aka DJ. They appeared to have a good thing going, but when it got time to go their separate ways, Imani suggested that he “experience what’s out there first” despite him saying that he wanted to be exclusive with her.

For me, Imani lost a whole lot of kudos, and it all started with this incident.

My disdain with her increased because of her Pride, as well as her Pro-black stance.

Let me explain.

Many times, Imani would throw out mixed signals to different guys, as far as her interest. Yet the moment the guys recognized it and responded in kind, Imani would revert to behaving like a scared little girl or ultra defensive. In the first book, it was Trevor she was throwing signals to, yet all the time, rationalizing “he’s not my type”. In this book, it was a little of the same. The thing that angered me the most about the scenario in The Colors of Love was that it was with someone she had always been fully open with before, yet the moment he went out of his comfort zone, rather than both of them having an adult conversation about it, she assumed that she was just like the rest. To her rejection, he believed that everything was a mistake. Because of her pride (fear that she was just one notch in the belt as opposed to special), Imani put a great strain on a friendship that didn’t need to be there. Yet, at the same time, she would act weird, as well as get defensive, whenever someone would ask about him.

The more Imani’s character developed, the less respect I had for her, particularly during her interactions with Melody (the Pro-black issue). At times, Imani seemed to forget Melody’s nationality, and I cheered when Melody finally had her fill and told her off. If a woman wants to stick to her own race, that’s fine, but there’s no need to do it in a way that causes disrespect to someone else. Especially when you are friends with someone who is biracial. Although she somewhat redeems herself at the end, for me, it still wasn’t enough for me to feel as much fondness about her as I did before.

Melody, I would have loved to have tracked her progress, outside of her being hungry for love and just wanted to be in a relationship because other people around her were in relationships as well.

I do like the way the author painted out that the mentality of all New Yorkers isn’t the same. Many people, when they think of New York, they mainly think of New York City as opposed to New York. When, in reality, New York City is liberal, yet other parts, like upstate New York, can be quite conservative as well as discriminatory. There were key scenes that placed spotlight on that fact, and I applaud the author for interweaving that into the storyline as well.

So how did I feel about The Colors of Love? Let me do the overall Pros and Cons breakdown, followed by the verdict.

Pros

Touched on very important points as it pertains to race relations and relationships
Main characters are developing
Supplemental characters pushed the story along
Football segments well written
Lots of conflict
Narrative voice engaging
Like abstract approach to the covers

Cons

Too much conjunction use in narrative and dialogue
Not enough spotlight on Melody’s development
Feel like most of the spotlight should have been on Lance and his vow “to protect” as opposed to the dating life of Imani
Too many new characters introduced towards the start of the book
The way the author started Part Two was slightly misleading (point outlined by Mini Truth)
Looks of the non black characters compared to movie stars
Slightly too much filler information
Danger element towards the end felt rushed (which would have been alleviated if some of the filler had been minimized or eliminated)

Unleashed Verdict: 3.25 out of 5 Stars

Despite the narrative voice and the touching on important topics, The Colors of Love had a bit too much going on with it. The filler chapters slowed down quite a bit of the action, and the resolution seemed thrown together and rushed to make up for it. It was too Imani centered when it should have been Lance centered, and Melody’s coping with her tragedy felt brushed over, making it seem insignificant. Yes, I will proceed with the next installment because there is a great story line here, but in comparison to the first book, The Colors of Love’s reflection is not as strong. ( )

This is the abbreviated version of the review. For the full version, please stop by The Review Board.

Before I get to the bulk of my review, let me present some things that were slight deterrents in The Colors of Friendship.

Cons

1. I think in dialogue, the use of conjunctions to start off sentences were a bit excessive.
2. The main characters almost (and in some points, did) veered into the stereotypical. Lance, the playboy. Melody, the excessively naïve hopeless romantic. Imani, the somewhat cynical black woman who’s a bit rough around the edges and slightly overbearing.
3. Although a person looking good can be important, I think the author kept going to the well a bit too much with this in Melody’s adoration for Kevin, and the whole “love triangle” (that is what I deem it)between Imani, Trevor, and Lance.
4. In some parts, dialogue segments were too long.
5. Some key points the author was trying to make kept getting repeated unnecessarily. It was constantly stated throughout the book that Melody was naïve and a hopeless romantic. I don’t think it has to be said constantly. In addition, the makeup of Imani being into her education and leery of getting romantically involved with anyone—didn’t need to be on replay over and over. The actions of the characters speak a lot louder than repetition in dialogue or narrative.

With that being said, there was so much to enjoy about this first book in the Colors trilogy. The main pleasure point was that it was relatable.

I could identify so much with the character of Melody. She didn’t have a lot of relationship experience. She gave her virginity to her high school sweetheart and being at college was her first true adventure away from her family and what was familiar. Yet, she wanted to hold on to the dream of finding that one right guy—the true love that would sweep her off her feet. In her zest to connect with someone, Melody gravitates to the first man that mirrors the very traits that she desires.

Kevin was designed a bit over the top gorgeous, but I think the author had to do that to make the attraction and the relationship between the two of them very believable. A guy that looks the part and says and does the right things in the beginning doesn’t act like the type of man that can ever cause any harm to a woman. The person that causes the most harm isn’t the stranger in the night but the warm body next to you by day. Yet the very thing that causes a lot of women not to report any type of abuse is the fact that the guy looks like the boy next door, very well known in the community, or incredibly smart or athletic.

I do like the character of Imani as well. She is very strong and has a great intuitive sense, as well as a strong mothering nurture to protect.

It was also great how the supporting characters also played a role in some of the action, as opposed to just being thrown in for the purpose of more background or filler. There was never a dull moment, and each chapter served to provide more layers to a character or add a bit more leeway into potential conflict.

The resolution was a breathtaking one, the impact lingering long after finishing the last word. I give the author enormous credit with providing an ending that was not cookie cutter and continued with the realistic edge.

The Colors of Friendship is a lot more than a stirring work of contemporary fiction. It opens up an honest conversation about the atmosphere of college as well as the blueprint of relationships. Although it is lengthy, the engaging narrative style, the conflict, and the healthy balance of telling the stories of all three characters, make this easy to get through. I look forward to picking up the other books in the trilogy to see how everyone fares.

Overall verdict: 4.5, rounded up to a 5. ( )