Delvina Jones is a young African American woman who is as lovely on the outside as she is on the inside. Her intelligence and diligence land her a job as an administrative assistant at a financial firm. Still in her early thirties, Delvina has time left to start a family, but the hourglass is running low on sand, so she struggles to balance career ambition with her mother’s insistence on grandchildren. True, she pines for her college boyfriend, but that relationship always had its ups and downs and is currently in limbo. Brandon George is Delvina’s new boss. He is handsome, powerful, single… and white. Sparks fly between the two, but neither wants to go down a road that will end in tension and distress from their narrow-minded and intolerant family members. She’s been hurt and let down by men before, and he’s spent years running from the hatred in his own past. Instant attraction, forbidden love, and a lot of missed opportunities abound in this story that is balanced by a dynamic and culturally sensitive twist.
Black And White Are More Than Just Colors in a Crayon Box is an engrossing romance novel about a couple fighting against the odds. This timely story, which is just as much about family and honoring those we love as it is about balancing the negative influences that they can exert, also teases an intriguing love triangle among Delvina, her college sweetheart and her new boss. The themes of racism and bigotry are contemporary and the worthy progression of some of the secondary characters is heartening. In fact, the most intriguing characters don’t have the largest roles in the novel. For example, I truly enjoyed Delvina’s friend Bea. Bea is upbeat and positive, but mostly she is a sensible anchor when drama threatens to consume her friend. Brandon’s father is another complicated character, one who learns that a person is more than the color of their skin. A worthwhile novel, Black And White Are More Than Just Colors in a Crayon Box is a reminder that people do change and things can get better.
