Customer Reviews

Skin Deep

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nina Moore faces many of the same obstacles that many African-American women face. She's in a relationship that she believes has run its course. She's employed at a university who's just beginning to recognize the importance of African American's contribution to society and is having to fight tooth and nail to make sure the university commits to increasing opportunities for African American students and faculty. She comes from a loving family, of a jazz musician father, a loving mother and funny, bright brother. She is trying to strike balance in her life while continually reconciling with herself and to others the fact that she's not like all the other "sisters" because she is trapped in a white woman's skin.

Skin Deep explores the prejudices of both blacks and whites against African Americans who are on the lighter end of the color spectrum. Nina reveals these prejudices from her fiancé' Derrick who's with her because she looks white, Ahmad, who loathes her (in the beginning) because she looks white and the white administration she works with who promote her over her dark skinned best friend, because she's more palatable to their taste. However the question of color runs deepest for Nina who has a degree of self-loathing because she is so different from other "sisters". A recurring nightmare is a product of that fear but is also a key to the secret of who she really is. Her parents explained to her that she was the product of an affair that her father had with a white woman. But the truth comes out in dramatic fashion during a deathbed confessional.

Skin Deep is a slow read at the beginning. The reader may get the feeling that this is one of those typical black vs. white, light is right diatribes. However Cross skillfully weaves into the mix, how lies, drugs, the criminal justice system and racism can affect the dynamics of family life.

Nina Moore is 100% sistah. However, to the world, she appears to be white despite the fact that 1/2 of her heritage is African American.

Nina wants acceptance and she struggles to find it.
The world questions her identity as an African American woman.
Her current man Derrick is color struck and she is haunted by
a recurring nightmare.

Nina meets Ahmad who has an imperfect past. He's now trying to make good by raising her daughter.

A slow deep friendship develops between Nina and Ahmad. They later take their friendship to the next level.

Nina's nightmare does not end until she discovers the truth about her past. A truth that will almost shatter Nina's world.

Skin Deep is a bold and sizzling romance novel. It delves not only into race relations, but also, intra-race relations within the African American community.

I would highly recommend this book.

This year, I came across a ... novel that was romantic, suspenseful and real, and had me crying at the end because it wrenched every emotion from you. That novel is Kathleen Cross' "Skin Deep". I had the privilege of interviewing Ms. Cross..... and without a doubt, I have to say the author is just as real as her writing.

SKIN DEEP is the story of Nina Moore, an African American woman who up until her move to Arizona, never considered herself to be anything else BUT a black woman. Even with her pale skin and blue eyes, it didn't bother her when others mistook her for being white, but she soon realizes, through her fiancé (whose own past creates a need to be with someone "like" Nina), her need and want to find a true love (enter the ever sexy, yet recently released ex-convict, widower and single father, Ahmad) and the secrets that slowly leak from her past, that the most important things in life and love are truly SKIN DEEP.

This novel is a definite must-read for all readers, white and black. For romance readers, the sensuous scenes will leave you wanting an AHMAD, STAT! For suspense readers, the secrets that spill from Nina's past will definitely leave you spent! For realist, the racial identity issues (between blacks and whites, as well as blacks and blacks) will definitely leave you nodding your head in confirmation and shaking it in dismay.

Shonell Bacon....

I read Skin Deep in a matter of 3 days. It is a gripping story and the author painted extremely vivid pictures with her descriptive writing. I found myself getting emotional at some parts of the book and that is not an easy feat to perform for a writer. There is a difference between making someone smile on the outside and inside as well. For a novelist to do both shows a remarkable gift. Its hard to believe this is her first novel. Her style of writing is amazing and her attention to every detail was refreshing.

The underlying theme of judging the inside of a person rather than what is on the outside really hit home and I commend her for such a bold debut into the writing world. She boldy ventures into a world of black on black and white on black racism and is real with it.

I look forward to reading her future novels.

To read ova and ova and ova again!

Ms. Kathleen Cross has a dynamite novel on her hands.

Prior to reading this author's work I thought I had been catapulted to the pinnacle of romance mountaintops via the writing of such big guns as Rochelle Alers, Bette Ford, Gay G. Gunn, Brenda Jackson, Evelyn Palfrey, Donna Hill, Sandra Brown and Terry McMillan, just to name a few. And the brothas that also launched me to those mountaintops, we can't forget them either, such as Eric Jerome Dickey, E. Lynn Harris, James Earl Hardy, Louis Edwards and Michael Baisden.

Well, guess what Yall, we have to build more mountaintops and put Ms. Cross along with the greats. Just imagine all of the above greats rolled into one with Donna Hill leading the pack for her mystery input and you come up with Ms. Kathleen Cross. I told you this woman is dynamite (say it like JJ used to say it on "Good Times").

It's hard to believe that this is the sistah's first time out in the literary arena. You have just got to give her major props for this book.

Get ready to have your head blown completely off your shoulders. This woman's pen is loaded down with mind-blowing dialogue. On the cover of the book Ms. Rita Ewing astutely lets us know what type of writer Ms. Cross is. The book is "filled with the best ingredients: love, intrigue, conflict and hidden secrets." Well, anyone who is privileged to read "Skin Deep" had better put on your safety belts before getting on the roller coaster of emotions that Ms. Cross has in store for you.

Take a ride through the caverns of hidden secrets (and there are many); get slam dunked in the bed of LOVE, then ride through the underworld of intrigue, and we finally exit into the world of conflicts (again, there are many) - but not necessarily in that order.

Now lets wrap the whole package around a stellar cast, created by the one and only Kathleen Cross. Meet Nina Moore - a black woman sealed in a white body; Ahmad Jefferson - a beautiful black specimen who has been wrongfully imprisoned for "5 years, 3 months, 4 days and six hours" (and when you read how he gets slam-dunked in the bed of LOVE you'll recognize the effect of this imprisonment). This brotha wants nothing more than to forget about the harm he encountered at the hands of white people who professed to love him. Now put this in the mix - Nina sets her sights on this fine brotha from the gitty up (getting you interested in reading this book)? You can imagine the conflicts which will arise out of this situation.

Now meet some subordinate cast members, but very important ones to the story, and each in their own way creates much drama. Mitchel Moore - Nina's father, Tonya - Nina's best friend (is black and looks black) Nathan - Nina's half brother and the creme De La creme supporting cast member, Morris Michaels.

The plot that brings Nina together with her man/apart from her man and..., and the reasons surrounding this mismatched, star crossed couple will keep them on your mind long after you've read the last punctuation mark and have you wishing that there was more to read.

The ending will blow you out of romance heaven, as never before captured on paper.

The poem by one of the characters I neglected to mention (Rasheed Steele who is Tonya's lover) is so real and pertinent to our people as it puts forth what was taken from us by a people who never had it themselves will have you reflecting on its importance for a very long time. Please, Please, Please just buy the book and experience and breathe this woman's work of art. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.

Though I share all of my books with ten other people, I'm going to buy another (or maybe even two more) to keep, just in case this one never makes it back to me. The book is all that!

By the way, I wish the people putting the pictures on the covers of these novels would take the time to read the book so the faces would coincide with, or at the very least, resemble what the author depicts in the written word. I'm open for the job!

We are not dumb. We know a light skinned black woman (as depicted on the cover of the book) from a woman that could easily travel on the other side and they wouldn't even know it unless we told them (or rather Ms. Cross). The publisher would have done better by using the picture of Ms.Cross herself. I definitely had trouble recognizing our own there.

I hope you readers get to read my opinion. I know its long, but it will surely get more book sales for Amazon.com and also Ms.Cross.

To the author -- THANK YOU for something different! I'm at the point where I can't read another book about three, four or five Black women and their silly relationships. SKIN DEEP was skillfully written and I enjoyed the multicultural theme. The twists and surprises were so well done that I couldn't quite believe this was her first book. I've recommended this to several friends and the best part is -- the book is not expensive. You won't have to plunk down a hefty $25-plus to enjoy this realistic slice of life. Great job, Ms. Cross! I'm looking forward to your next book.

Like others who picked up this book, i assumed it was a love story. But it IS so much more,
it tackles a racial issue that is constantly swept under the rug....Nina deals with the racism of all the races,
she deals with being too light for some, and too dark for others. With an incredible amount of inner stregth she faces the struggle with her environment and with herself.
She meets a man at a crossroads of his life, Ahmad. Their love story is absolutely beautiful. Kathleen Cross makes everything perfect about the story of Nina and Ahmad, From their first bumpy meeting, to his own battles with her appearance, and to the very end and the way they come together. If she had changed anything about this, it would have stolen its intensity! The author balanced the stories perfectly, Skin Deep, has alot of substories going to build one incredibly intoxicating journey for 6 people. But it never gets dull, it never drags, and it never gets confusing. Each story carries just enough weight, and the mystery following you the whole time ends beautifully

Just get though the fisrt few chapters trust me this book will keep you up at night.This book will surprise you just stick with it and trust me if you think you know the ending YOU DON'T just keep reading.Ms Cross I'm ready for you next one GOD BLESS

Very good Kathleen Cross. It took me a few chapters to really get into it. But once I go to know the characters which was after 4 chapter. I was really into it. I like the character plots as well as storyline. Very creative the way you ended the book. I'm also a light skinned sista so I can relate. I cant wait to read your next work. Good luck on next book.

The plot of SKIN DEEP is by no means an original ideal, but the creativity of Ms. Cross has definitely open some eyes and hearts with this story, dealing with issues of black/white parents, family secrets, interracial relationships, injustice in society, single/male parenting, and enabling the reader to be more tolerant of these issues. I truly enjoyed reading SKIN DEEP and look forward to more of Ms. Cross novels in the future. Congratulation! Betty