Love on the Line (Avon) is my featured Book of Color Pick of the Day. It is written by author, Laura Castoro.

At first glance, someone might assume this is yet another chica lit novel, but Castoro delves deeper with her characters. First off, the main character, Thea is, a full-blooded Black American woman but she was born with blond hair, light skin, and green eyes. She deals with internal racism of her own community as well as those outside of the community being a light skin, corporate type who is well-off. Thea’s family life is just as complex as she marries a Black minister with a calling that could take him far from her, and negotiates the mother-daughter dynamic with her biracial daughter who is the search of her own sense of self as she leaves for college.

Castoro has written over 38 books and is an Essence Magazine bestseller. She, too, like her main character is a woman of color that shatters the stereotypes and hopes to continue to do so in many books to come.


Jeff Rivera is the author of "Forever My Lady" and the founder of GumboWriters.com