Chocolate Sangria

by Tracy Price-Thompson

Riding the waves of her national bestseller, Black Coffee , Tracy Price-Thompson keeps the rhythm rolling with this page-turning tale of sexuality and self-identity that puts a startling spin on the bonds of friendship and the devastating consequences of keeping secrets, telling lies, and betraying those you love.

Juanita Lucas is a young woman living in a housing project in Brooklyn. Although she has a very light complexion, she is proud of her blackness, even as she takes a beating from the very sistahs she tries so hard to emulate. Her only friend, Scooter Morrison, is an upwardly mobile brother who also happens to be young, gifted, and . . . gay. While Juanita spends her time finding ways to fit in with the girls in the ’hood, Scooter’s frustration over his sexuality makes him an easy target, and in his tough inner-city neighborhood he finds himself catching hell coming and going.

A chance encounter with two fine Puerto Rican men changes Juanita’s and Scooter’s lives in ways they could never have imagined. There is Conan, a hardworking man who wrestles with both his love for Juanita and his guilt over his brother’s death, and Jorge, an unscrupulous bad-boy thug who has no problem using what he’s got to get what he wants, until he comes dangerously close to getting scorched by his own flames.

Fast-paced, suspenseful, and unpredictable, Chocolate Sangria explores the hearts of two lovers who get caught in a great cultural divide, and the trials they face when black love and Hispanic love spill across racial boundaries.

Genres: Fiction, Urban

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Tracy Price-Thompson is the national bestselling author of the novels, Black Coffee, Chocolate Sangria, A Woman's Worth, Knockin' Boots, and Gather Together in My Name. Tracy is a highly decorated Desert Storm veteran who graduated from the Army's Infantry Officer Candidate School after more than ten years as an enlisted soldier. A Brooklyn, New York, native who has traveled extensively and lived in amazing places around the world, Tracy is a retired Army Engineer officer and Ralph Bunche graduate Fellow who holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a master's degree in Social Work.

Tracy is also the co-editor of the anthologies Other People's Skin and Proverbs for the People and composes professional literary reviews based on established elements of writing for several print sources.

Tracy lives in Hawaii with her wonderfully supportive husband and several of their six bright, beautiful, incredible children.

Reviews

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a true pageturner.Kept me reading and wanting to get the end quickly. The end was a bit predictable,but overall a really good book.

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book, at first you think it's going to be about a love story, but it's also about a drama at the same time and the characters in it dance back and forth as you rush to read each chapter to see how it's going to end...I love what happens in the end. This story has betreyal and rape and tales of boys being gay, and all that... you'll love it.

[Brooklyn Donne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jorge was crazy. I liked this one. Now I shall read this Black Coffee

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One word: Loveee. I bought this book from Black Expressions (I believe that they merged with another book dealer). Anyway, I was curious about this novel when I glanced at the title...something about the mixtage of chocolate and sangria deeply intrigued me to the core plus I was attending middle school at the time so I barely knew what the term, 'sangria' meant--found out it was an alcoholic drink. Now, after finding that piece of information out, I was intrigued even more. So, let's get the story. The novel is mainly focused around different characters such as Juanita, Scooter (her gay best friend), Conan (her future boyfriend) and Jorge (Conan's cousin). Conan ends up being impressed by Juanita after seeing her on the bus since he thought she was a Latina but his cousin disagreed with this statement. Conan begins to pursue Juanita but Juanita is a shy girl and has problems of her own--especially towards her racial heritage. You see, Juanita was biracial yet she never met her biological parents--she was raised by her "Aunt" Hattie Mae. But, she never knew that. She was very light-skinned but mixed looking. Also, she faced a lot of negative backlash from black girls (who were not mixed) and they bullied very badly.

Also, her friend Scooter was sexually assaulted at a young age by an older boy in the neighborhood. He was forced against his will to perform oral sex. I am not sure if this sexual assault is the reason for him being gay when he became of age, it could've played a part in his homosexuality. Plus, he works at a bank where the married white male manager (married to a woman with kids but had a black gay lover in college) is lusting after him...and Scooter is smitten and begins to flirt back which engages in a sexual relationship. Also, he begins a sexual relationship with Conan's cousin, Jorge.

While Conan is being Conan, he recently lost his brother Thor. Plus, his cousin is very rude to people plus later in the book, you find out what really happened to Thor (hint, it had something to do with cousin). Also, something explosive happens to Juanita, Scooter, and Conan because of Jorge whom jeopardized all of their lives.

This novel is definitely a page-turner. You won't be disappointed with this novel. I was glued to this novel for hours.

[Kiana. Kiana. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely original tale, with a fresh ppint of view.

[Peace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was addicting, although incredibly ridiculous. I like that it goes into issues that mixed people face, and that it has a well-developed gay character. But I was not a fan of the dialect use or the overdramatic, adjective-heavy writing style.

Just one example: "For the first time in weeks, Juanita's stomach heaved and bucked, unaided by her sweeping fingers. Scalded by an ocean of tears, she retched and swooned as she scrambled down the flights of stairs, yanked open the heavy glass doors, and flung herself into the taxicab waiting at the curb."

[Dalesha R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reason I gave this book 3 stars is because I really didn't like how every time throughout the story there was constant mentioning of people's race, as if we didn't already know.
I also didn't get the reference to the chocolate and the sangria… First of all they said in the story she was really light skinned and so how could she be chocolate?
Basically over all I feel as though the story didn't flow very well.

[Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Chocolate Sangria" was a brutally honest book about stereotypes and racism, loving oneself and finding oneself. Tracy Price-Thompson created a well-woven tapestry of characters and gave them life. I gave it three stars, instead of four because the book is extremely graphic, and I felt it took a way from the beauty of the writing. Other than that, I thought it was an amazing read.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very fast paced and exciting! it had so many twists and turns I never knew what to expect! Very fun read!

[Kuwana]

Surprises unvailed throughout the story. Deviations from the expected enhanced through "mini-stories" from each main character.

[Marlynn Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-told story that really kept my interest. I really couldn't put it down. I will definitely be checking out other titles by this writer!

[Latoya · Rating 3 out of 5]

definately entertaining

[Linda Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow in the begginning, but picked up in the end. Good Read.