Ex–Navy SEAL Alex Marco and Dallas both have histories shadowed by violence. But Alex is also haunted by his own tragedy. Narrated from the alternating perspectives of Dallas, Valerie, and Alex, Between Friends is a sensual, unforgettable story about friendship, secrets, and a love that transcends barriers.  

Beginning a relationship with a perfect stranger is completely out of character for Leah. But something about Jason Horn strikes a chord deep within her. They couldn’t be more different. Jason is white, a streetwise New York cop haunted by his own demons. He’s stunned by his instant attraction to this vibrant black woman who arouses both desire and his fiercest protective instincts.   

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. 

Very poignant story I was happy to read again.

Author Sandra Kitt was the first author that I read that ever had an interracial relationship as the main story in a romance book.

I read this when I was about 16 or 17 years old and I remember just being astounded because at that time in my life I didn't even understand that I could date somebody outside of my race because it was always seen as not being acceptable as a black girl for me to date a white boy.

What I really like about this book and why I kept this for all these years is that I liked Kitt initially has these two people who honestly shouldn't be together. The two main leads (one is a black woman and the others a white man and she's a graphic designer and he's a police officer in New York City)  come together because of a set of circumstances and though everybody's telling them not to be together, can't help feeling close to each other.

I wish it had dealt a little bit deeper in the some of the interracial issues when a black woman dates a white man. I mean take a look at what's going on with the bachelorette right now. If any of you guys have seen this new season for the first time ever we have a black bachelorette and she is dating these sorry-ass men. Excuse my language. And it's infuriating because as a black woman, if one is successful, heck even if you are doing okay, it is still hard to find a guy to date.

You will meet somebody, you click, and you like them, but then you have to kind of do the whole well he might not be into black woman dance that we have to do because then it's super awkward when somebody tells you oh no I like you I just don't date black women.

And even then when you do meet somebody that likes you there's all these host of issues you have to be careful about. You have to be careful that they don't like you because they think we're going to do something weird in bed, you have to be careful that they don't like you just because they think that they can use you for something, which often seems to be the case, they don't have to make you their real girlfriend they can just keep you as this person that they see who they never really want to be committed to.

So this book is bringing up all kinds of feelings in me right now as I read it.  

And I'm also going to say though though I do like this book I think the writing could just be a little bit better. I mean this book takes place in the 90s so there's obviously some references that don't hold any more in this day in age And of course I wonder how this book would be perceived taking place in 2017 with all the black lives matter movement and issues with police. But other than that, I like I'm really enjoying it and I'm glad I'm reading it tonight before I go to bed.