White Chocolate

by Henrietta D. Elmore-Smith

PONTIA DELEON is a college coed at Langston Hughes College in the state of Louisiana. She is quite excited about moving up to the rank of lead majorette in her Junior Year. Her college love, Dominique Charles, is a star quarterback and sprinter at Langston Hughes College, NFL bound, and is very desirous of making Pontia Mrs. Dominique Charles. Xavier DeLeon is her elder brother and is attending medical school at Columbia University in New York City. He is very bright and talented like his sister. As loyal siblings they frequently exchange their views of how they plan to conduct their lives, careers and loves. Pontia believes she has her goals in place. After she earns her bachelor's degree she intends to enter graduate school majoring in Journalism and Broadcasting. She loves Dominique very much but is not yet ready to hear her wedding bells ringing. Uncertain of how to handle the romantic developments of her relationship Pontia suddenly discovers that she has a secret admirer. She is puzzled by the mysterious multitude of red roses that appear at her doorstep. In time this secret turns public and even though the laws of attraction appear quite normal, family and friends have one particular concern: she and he do not share the same skin tone. Now Pontia must choose who will be the love of her life; by happenstance she finds herself in a delicious, White Chocolate situation.

348 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2006

Reviews

[OOSA · Rating 3 out of 5]

White Chocolate vs. Black Chocolate

Pontia is a smart, intelligent, artistic female who is being moved to the position of lead majorette. She has great future plans and is now beginning a relationship with Dominique Charles, a star quarterback and sprinter at Langston Hughes College. Dominique is handsome, smart, and athletic. He can have any female, but he wants Pontia.

Pontia has her priorities in place, but when it comes to a relationship, she is not educated in that department at all. She seeks advice through her family, friends, etc., but will their advice enlighten or confuse her? Pontia begins to receive gifts from a secret admirer and does not have a clue what to do. Dominique develops stronger feelings for Pontia, but does she feel the same? Pontia is stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to determine which is better, white chocolate or black chocolate?

The scenes were ordinary and dull. The story was not exciting nor did it have any shocking or twisted outcomes. I give White Chocolate three stars for effort.

[D.smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon my completion of reading this novel I felt so good and uplifted. WhiteChocolate (I love the symbol of the heart inserted)makes you think about your own clouded or unsearched feelings of interracial romance and yet the way Elmore-Smith has posed the subject or topic in this saga is so natural and entertaining. The protagonist, Pontia (a unique name)is a college girl with an active campus life. She is from the north but is attending school in the south and has cultivated the so called "Southern ways" much to the chegrin of her boyfriend who is a star athlete. This is a book I could not put down, well perhaps to go to sleep but afterwards I quickly returned to where I paused. For me it captured what true feelings lovers should have for one another and that's all that is required. The tempature rises just a taste when Pontia realizes that she has a mystery admirer and I liked his style of pursuing her-rather old fashioned; I like old fashioned. In the process her boyfriend senses the drama that seems to unfold suddenly before him. How fortunate and unfortunate Pontia's situation seems to be. Obvioulsy there's nothing new about this kind of story and yet it has a fresh and engaging labyrinth and is written masterfully by talented author, H. Elmore-Smith. I am now reading her newest work, SOUL-ARIS.