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LIGHTER SHADE OF BLUE Vicki Andrews Genesis Press December 1999 (4+) Wayne Jordan |
Contemporary Romance |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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REVIEW: |
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There are books that make you laugh, and there are some that make you cry. Then there are those that touch you in a profound way; that disturb you with the message it conveys. Vicki Andrew’s second book, LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN, is one that does all three, and in my mind established Ms. Andrews as one of the new authors of African-American romance to watch. LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN deals with an issue that for too long has obsessed many
black men and women. Michael
Jackson comes readily to mind as one of the many blacks who, by their actions,
appear ashamed of their blackness and aspire to be white, or at least to be as
light as possible. This issue is
central to LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN.
When
a well-know author become disfigured due to a revolutionary chemical intended to
make black skin lighter, she turns to attorney, Danithia Gilberts, to fight her
case. Danithia is horrified by
Patricia’s disfigurement and accepts the woman as her client.
She is unaware that there is more to Patricia’s problem that a simple
medical mishap. Danithia becomes a target of the evil minds behind the
conspiracy and meets security guard, Alex Powers, when he comes to her aid.
The two meet again and again until, slowly, the initial attraction
blossoms into much more. They fall in love. Unknown
to Danithia, Alex is actually a FBI agent, who is investigating the
disappearance of prominent black men and women, which is somehow connected to
Danithia’s case. Danithia
and Alex’s relationship is not a gentle one, but one which is filled with
passion and fire. The love scenes
are some of the hottest I’ve seen written in a romance novel, but remains
tasteful and sexy. There is so much to recommend LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN. It is an excellent effort from an author with only one book under her belt. LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN’s main weakness is its ending which does not live up to the promise of what comes before. I was expecting a stronger more dramatic ending. Despite this minor grouse, LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN is a major achievement for a relatively new author. Ms. Andrews has proven, with her second book, that she is a writer of immense talent. |
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wayne@romanceincolor.com (7th January 2000) |
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