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Falling
Bobby Jack believed in anarchy. He was taught, keep the races separate and let the best man survive. Fresh out of jail, he searches for his son, born while he was locked up. The journey takes Bobby Jack to dark places, ultimately leading him to an eye opening truth. Whit stepped in to take the toddler when his mama was arrested. She has her own troubles but couldn’t stomach watching the little fella be taken away by Child Protective Services. Given her circumstances she does the best she can with what she has. He's a monster whose hate runs deep and she’s a woman doing the best she can to keep from letting life break her. An unexpected turn of events sets these two people on a collision course and no one will walk away unscathed. Sometimes you can’t stop from falling. ***Warning*** There is explicit use of derogatory (racist) names used in this book you will find offensive. Graphic violence and sex scenes. ***
232 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2014
32 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Kassanna
81 books184 followersKassanna is a strong believer in love at first sight and happily ever afters. After meeting her husband in November and marrying him three months later in February the two have survived and mostly enjoyed every adventure life has thrown their way. Ten years, two children, a couple of dogs and a wild turkey that came out the woods and somehow adopted them - later- the adventure continues.
Writing has always been her passion but fate sometimes has other roads that must first be taken . Navigating the road less traveled was not only unexpected but in the end extremely rewarding. Her books are mainly contemporary romance but she has delved into the paranormal and plans on expanding into other areas as the ideas come to her. Right now she is enjoying life and seeing her work come into fruition make it that much more pleasurable especially when her books make others smile. Kassanna wouldn't have it any other way.
Writing has always been her passion but fate sometimes has other roads that must first be taken . Navigating the road less traveled was not only unexpected but in the end extremely rewarding. Her books are mainly contemporary romance but she has delved into the paranormal and plans on expanding into other areas as the ideas come to her. Right now she is enjoying life and seeing her work come into fruition make it that much more pleasurable especially when her books make others smile. Kassanna wouldn't have it any other way.
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September 19, 2015
2.5* because I do believe this author is talented. All the components of a great story were there; the execution just needed work. What this story needed was an editor, a good one. The typos start on page 1 (second paragraph) and the content is choppy at times.
Let me start by saying that I'm not a militant black woman; I've actually had friends joke about revoking my black card once or thrice. I believe everyone should be with whomever they please, regardless of race, religion, class or any other factor. I believe that people deserve a second chance - ex-cons, white supremacists, whomever AND I'm also a fan of this new trope, ex Supremacist/black woman, so none of these things were my issue with this book. Having said all that, this book stirred a lot of strong emotions in me, none of them good. As free-loving as I am, this book made me feel like I marched with Martin, read with Malcolm, sat on the bus next to Rosa and dined with Marcus Garvey. It just hit all the wrong notes and left me feeling this is exactly NOT the way to write this trope.
Whit and Bobby Jack meet because Jessi, Whit's neighbor, is arrested and begs Whit to take care of her son Isaac. Bobby Jack is Isaac's father, who Jessi believes is still incarcerated but who has made parole. Whit and BJ see each other across the way when he first gets off the bus from prison but, of course, at that point they don't know each other. They meet again in front of the prison where Jessi is doing her time and exchange words but still aren't aware of their common link (this is ridiculous as I'll later point out), then Whit is attacked by her racist boss and as she crawls to the road, broken and bleeding, BJ drives by. They recognize each other, he takes her home and at that point realizes that this is the 'Whit' taking care of the son he's been looking for.
Right! Let's start with Whit. I am yet to read one of these white supremacist/black woman books where the woman isn't somewhat stupid. They were all varying degrees of stupid - kinda dumb, hella stupid, too stupid to live and then there's Whitney, who trumped them all and crossed into 'you cannot be serious.' I respected her for getting herself off the streets, getting an apt and job, taking care of Isaac and getting her education, but when it came to Bobby Jack, her actions just defied logic. Yes, she waited to have sex with him.; yes she was mouthy, but when she made not a mention about BJ calling a black man a 'n*gger' , addressing him as 'boy' and telling him he was 'too dark to be any brother of his' in her presence; when her only rebuttal after he told her she was 'the only colored person he liked' (like that was a compliment) was that 'no one took a crayon to her skin', and when she took his side against the black man BJ had just verbally abused and physically threatened, truly, TRULY, all was lost. The black guy, thinking she was only with BJ under duress (because what sane black woman would actually be with a guy like that) finally realized she was taking BJ's side and asked her if she would choose white trash over him. Her response was, 'I'll stick with the devil I know.' Yes, folks, YES! She actually chose to walk out of there with Bobby Jack after all the things he'd just said, when he was the one who was treating her like owned her after one kiss; the black dude was just trying to holler. She let a white man berate a brother because he dared to talk to her, a black woman, and turned around and was ready to stand with BJ against his (racist) family over an issue that had nothing to do with her. ("Do you want me to come with you? I'll have your back"). Really???? Come on now. With us writing these books ourselves, who needs the Klan? Seriously. She was just everything that was wrong with a black woman trying to date one of these guys. Dag girl, can you have some pride? Can you at least stand up for your race? Can you check him when he does something crazy? Ok, forget checking him, can you at least acknowledge it?? At least the women in other books held the dude's feet to the fire sometimes. At least they didn't let a racist talk to non-white men crazy. I really like this trope, but I wish the women didn't all seem so desperate and weak just because the guy has a few muscles and 'oh my, his ink of lynching my people is so hot'.
Let's talk about their first in-person meeting. Jessi tells Whit that Isaac's father's name is Bobby Jack and that his family is racist, yet Whit speaks/flirts with a man a) named Bobby Jack, who b) has a tattoo of a noose on his neck next to the words 'The only good n*gger is a dead one', whom c) she overhears saying he needed to be on time to see JESSI because he needs to find out where his son ISSAC is, while d) standing in front of the prison where JESSI is incarcerated, and it only occurs to her as she's driving off that 'it must be a coincidence'. Really?? No, really??? An editor was needed here. And yet, with every clue short of a huge neon arrow and Maury Povich jumping out going, 'He IS the father', what makes her realize who he is, is because she's changing the baby the next day and realizes they 'have the same eyes'. *Pinches nose bridge*. *Loud sigh* The stupid hurts my brain. Whit dealing with a racist employer, who felt she owed him sex, made the likelihood that she would even remotely entertain BJ, with his blatantly racist tattoos, even more ridiculous. Yes, she didn't give him her name and only spoke to him briefly, but the thoughts that we were privy to betrayed her. Just once I would like to see these black women make these dudes work for it. Just because a racist has now deemed you worthy of his attention doesn't mean you need to swan dive into his arms. What makes him worthy of yours??
BJ - He was ok. He wasn't the most redeemed of the male supremacists I've read, and the attempt to show that he started having doubts about white supremacy before he met Whit was a little clunky in the beginning. He came off as confused/all over the place, rather than conflicted. He settled into things after that, and the author did well with how realistic it was for him to go from being totally racist to portraying him giving things a go, but things weren't explored long/deeply enough to flesh out his character. At no point does he even acknowledge his actions/racism to Whit with any remorse/agreement to change. At no point do he and Whit even remotely have a serious conversation about him being a racist. It's just mentioned jokingly by her a time or two in passing, and by the other residents ("Where is our resident Aryan?") Ha ha hee hee. His sole attraction to Whit is based on the fact that she's a good mother to his son. A bit more story and just a little tightening and accountability with his character would have gone a long way.
An editor was also needed in terms of positioning of the story eg. One minute BJ is all crazy trying to find his son, but in the next scene he's at his dad's house hanging out, waiting to talk to him. I'm sitting here like ummm shouldn't you be out looking for your kid?? Then we find out he'd memorized the address wrong so he hasn't been able to find him, but you've already spent three pages thinking, hmmm guess his kid isn't that important. Editing/placement.
The build up to the 'romance' between these two is non existent. I get falling in love quickly but we, the readers, need to be able to follow along! BJ meets Whit, thinks she's a nice 'colored girl', and that she's sexy. Whit, meanwhile, is having her 'he has a noose tattooed on his neck, and insults my people, WHY, OH WHY do all the hot ones have to be bad?' moment (rolls eyes HARD). The only reason that BJ even goes to her apartment the first night is because he'd had a fight with his dad, it was raining and he had nowhere else to go. Yet, we're supposed to think (with ZERO prior evidence - oh wait, he sat up with her while she was injured; it must be true love!) that 'all BJ could think about that night when there was a chance he might be arrested was that he hadn't kissed her.' WHAT???? I almost fell off my bed, that's how 'out of nowhere' that was. That scene laid the (non existent) foundation for a 'relationship' that made me cringe every time they tried to get sexy. I think I read their sex scenes with one eye closed, praying for them to be over quick o'clock!
The secondary characters, while entertaining, also kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I loved Ms. Mays (at least she threatened BJ and meant it, even though she was willing to accept him with open arms so easily; really, is no one concerned about the horrible tats?) I also loved the queens. Maurice was the only person who wasn't rolling out the welcome mat. With the exception of Maurice, everyone was too happy to shove Whit into the arms of this guy. This brings me to the fact that the only black men in the book are the one Whit spurned for BJ, and two drag queens. That kind of didn't sit well with me. I loved that Maurice was bad ass and no nonsense, but we could have at least made the drag queen couple interracial or something. It just felt weird that the three black males in the book were either a jilted love interest, or comic relief. Ugh. The scene with the black guy at the courts was even more distasteful because it almost sends the message that even a white, racist ex-con gets more respect and loyalty from a black woman than a hard working black man in a suit. Just sad. And again, I'm so not militant! But some of these messages are so blatant, whether it is the author's intent or not.
Sigh, so why 2.5 stars and not one? The author has a clear writing style that I liked and the characters are funny. Like I said, all the ingredients were there for a five star read; the story was just badly executed. Because I like this trope, you really start out ahead of the game with me and then have to really mess up to bring the stars down. This is my first book by this author. I'm going to press on and read Riley's book and I hope I like it better than this one. Because he walked away from the family on his own, he's already starting out in a better position than BJ did.
Let me start by saying that I'm not a militant black woman; I've actually had friends joke about revoking my black card once or thrice. I believe everyone should be with whomever they please, regardless of race, religion, class or any other factor. I believe that people deserve a second chance - ex-cons, white supremacists, whomever AND I'm also a fan of this new trope, ex Supremacist/black woman, so none of these things were my issue with this book. Having said all that, this book stirred a lot of strong emotions in me, none of them good. As free-loving as I am, this book made me feel like I marched with Martin, read with Malcolm, sat on the bus next to Rosa and dined with Marcus Garvey. It just hit all the wrong notes and left me feeling this is exactly NOT the way to write this trope.
Whit and Bobby Jack meet because Jessi, Whit's neighbor, is arrested and begs Whit to take care of her son Isaac. Bobby Jack is Isaac's father, who Jessi believes is still incarcerated but who has made parole. Whit and BJ see each other across the way when he first gets off the bus from prison but, of course, at that point they don't know each other. They meet again in front of the prison where Jessi is doing her time and exchange words but still aren't aware of their common link (this is ridiculous as I'll later point out), then Whit is attacked by her racist boss and as she crawls to the road, broken and bleeding, BJ drives by. They recognize each other, he takes her home and at that point realizes that this is the 'Whit' taking care of the son he's been looking for.
Right! Let's start with Whit. I am yet to read one of these white supremacist/black woman books where the woman isn't somewhat stupid. They were all varying degrees of stupid - kinda dumb, hella stupid, too stupid to live and then there's Whitney, who trumped them all and crossed into 'you cannot be serious.' I respected her for getting herself off the streets, getting an apt and job, taking care of Isaac and getting her education, but when it came to Bobby Jack, her actions just defied logic. Yes, she waited to have sex with him.; yes she was mouthy, but when she made not a mention about BJ calling a black man a 'n*gger' , addressing him as 'boy' and telling him he was 'too dark to be any brother of his' in her presence; when her only rebuttal after he told her she was 'the only colored person he liked' (like that was a compliment) was that 'no one took a crayon to her skin', and when she took his side against the black man BJ had just verbally abused and physically threatened, truly, TRULY, all was lost. The black guy, thinking she was only with BJ under duress (because what sane black woman would actually be with a guy like that) finally realized she was taking BJ's side and asked her if she would choose white trash over him. Her response was, 'I'll stick with the devil I know.' Yes, folks, YES! She actually chose to walk out of there with Bobby Jack after all the things he'd just said, when he was the one who was treating her like owned her after one kiss; the black dude was just trying to holler. She let a white man berate a brother because he dared to talk to her, a black woman, and turned around and was ready to stand with BJ against his (racist) family over an issue that had nothing to do with her. ("Do you want me to come with you? I'll have your back"). Really???? Come on now. With us writing these books ourselves, who needs the Klan? Seriously. She was just everything that was wrong with a black woman trying to date one of these guys. Dag girl, can you have some pride? Can you at least stand up for your race? Can you check him when he does something crazy? Ok, forget checking him, can you at least acknowledge it?? At least the women in other books held the dude's feet to the fire sometimes. At least they didn't let a racist talk to non-white men crazy. I really like this trope, but I wish the women didn't all seem so desperate and weak just because the guy has a few muscles and 'oh my, his ink of lynching my people is so hot'.
Let's talk about their first in-person meeting. Jessi tells Whit that Isaac's father's name is Bobby Jack and that his family is racist, yet Whit speaks/flirts with a man a) named Bobby Jack, who b) has a tattoo of a noose on his neck next to the words 'The only good n*gger is a dead one', whom c) she overhears saying he needed to be on time to see JESSI because he needs to find out where his son ISSAC is, while d) standing in front of the prison where JESSI is incarcerated, and it only occurs to her as she's driving off that 'it must be a coincidence'. Really?? No, really??? An editor was needed here. And yet, with every clue short of a huge neon arrow and Maury Povich jumping out going, 'He IS the father', what makes her realize who he is, is because she's changing the baby the next day and realizes they 'have the same eyes'. *Pinches nose bridge*. *Loud sigh* The stupid hurts my brain. Whit dealing with a racist employer, who felt she owed him sex, made the likelihood that she would even remotely entertain BJ, with his blatantly racist tattoos, even more ridiculous. Yes, she didn't give him her name and only spoke to him briefly, but the thoughts that we were privy to betrayed her. Just once I would like to see these black women make these dudes work for it. Just because a racist has now deemed you worthy of his attention doesn't mean you need to swan dive into his arms. What makes him worthy of yours??
BJ - He was ok. He wasn't the most redeemed of the male supremacists I've read, and the attempt to show that he started having doubts about white supremacy before he met Whit was a little clunky in the beginning. He came off as confused/all over the place, rather than conflicted. He settled into things after that, and the author did well with how realistic it was for him to go from being totally racist to portraying him giving things a go, but things weren't explored long/deeply enough to flesh out his character. At no point does he even acknowledge his actions/racism to Whit with any remorse/agreement to change. At no point do he and Whit even remotely have a serious conversation about him being a racist. It's just mentioned jokingly by her a time or two in passing, and by the other residents ("Where is our resident Aryan?") Ha ha hee hee. His sole attraction to Whit is based on the fact that she's a good mother to his son. A bit more story and just a little tightening and accountability with his character would have gone a long way.
An editor was also needed in terms of positioning of the story eg. One minute BJ is all crazy trying to find his son, but in the next scene he's at his dad's house hanging out, waiting to talk to him. I'm sitting here like ummm shouldn't you be out looking for your kid?? Then we find out he'd memorized the address wrong so he hasn't been able to find him, but you've already spent three pages thinking, hmmm guess his kid isn't that important. Editing/placement.
The build up to the 'romance' between these two is non existent. I get falling in love quickly but we, the readers, need to be able to follow along! BJ meets Whit, thinks she's a nice 'colored girl', and that she's sexy. Whit, meanwhile, is having her 'he has a noose tattooed on his neck, and insults my people, WHY, OH WHY do all the hot ones have to be bad?' moment (rolls eyes HARD). The only reason that BJ even goes to her apartment the first night is because he'd had a fight with his dad, it was raining and he had nowhere else to go. Yet, we're supposed to think (with ZERO prior evidence - oh wait, he sat up with her while she was injured; it must be true love!) that 'all BJ could think about that night when there was a chance he might be arrested was that he hadn't kissed her.' WHAT???? I almost fell off my bed, that's how 'out of nowhere' that was. That scene laid the (non existent) foundation for a 'relationship' that made me cringe every time they tried to get sexy. I think I read their sex scenes with one eye closed, praying for them to be over quick o'clock!
The secondary characters, while entertaining, also kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I loved Ms. Mays (at least she threatened BJ and meant it, even though she was willing to accept him with open arms so easily; really, is no one concerned about the horrible tats?) I also loved the queens. Maurice was the only person who wasn't rolling out the welcome mat. With the exception of Maurice, everyone was too happy to shove Whit into the arms of this guy. This brings me to the fact that the only black men in the book are the one Whit spurned for BJ, and two drag queens. That kind of didn't sit well with me. I loved that Maurice was bad ass and no nonsense, but we could have at least made the drag queen couple interracial or something. It just felt weird that the three black males in the book were either a jilted love interest, or comic relief. Ugh. The scene with the black guy at the courts was even more distasteful because it almost sends the message that even a white, racist ex-con gets more respect and loyalty from a black woman than a hard working black man in a suit. Just sad. And again, I'm so not militant! But some of these messages are so blatant, whether it is the author's intent or not.
Sigh, so why 2.5 stars and not one? The author has a clear writing style that I liked and the characters are funny. Like I said, all the ingredients were there for a five star read; the story was just badly executed. Because I like this trope, you really start out ahead of the game with me and then have to really mess up to bring the stars down. This is my first book by this author. I'm going to press on and read Riley's book and I hope I like it better than this one. Because he walked away from the family on his own, he's already starting out in a better position than BJ did.
July 12, 2024
You know when someone says, "You're pretty for a black girl." And said black girl blushes like that's the best compliment ever despite it obviously being...er, not? That's.... That's basically both main female characters in books 1 and 2.
June 15, 2014
This was Bobby Jack and Whit's story.
I loved the story. I thought it was brave of the author to even touch this theme. I loved the couple they found their own way to love. Even when a couple is singing off the same hymn sheet so long as there is a mix whether white/black Asian/black you will always have to fight some elements of how you were raised in connection with other races.
Since the civil rights movement all races have come a long way but there is still a ways to go. I hope Kassanna will be brave enough to write more stories on this theme. Love can survive arising out of all kinds of conditions with all kinds of people. Even during slavery times there was genuine love between black slaves and their masters, that was a very racist and hostile time period when the N word was used every day. So I don't see the stretch being that wide from slave master to Klan member!
The only thing I would have liked to see more of is interaction and dialogue between the couple about their feelings for each other and their thoughts about how others may perceive them as couple.
I look forward reading more from the author on this theme.
I loved the story. I thought it was brave of the author to even touch this theme. I loved the couple they found their own way to love. Even when a couple is singing off the same hymn sheet so long as there is a mix whether white/black Asian/black you will always have to fight some elements of how you were raised in connection with other races.
Since the civil rights movement all races have come a long way but there is still a ways to go. I hope Kassanna will be brave enough to write more stories on this theme. Love can survive arising out of all kinds of conditions with all kinds of people. Even during slavery times there was genuine love between black slaves and their masters, that was a very racist and hostile time period when the N word was used every day. So I don't see the stretch being that wide from slave master to Klan member!
The only thing I would have liked to see more of is interaction and dialogue between the couple about their feelings for each other and their thoughts about how others may perceive them as couple.
I look forward reading more from the author on this theme.
October 14, 2015
Better then I expected.
Be warned, this book has a lot of racial slurs and language throughout the book.
I was prepared to dislike Bobby Jack being he was a racist. But as I read on, I realized he wasn't so bad. This story clearly shows people are not born racist, that are taught to be that way. Bobby Jack's father was the worst. A lot of the things he said made me cringe and shake me head. But sadly that's that way a lot of people still think today. It was great seeing Bobby Jack open his eyes and see that the way he was brought up was wrong. He became his own person and fought for what he wanted, that being Whitney and his son Isaac.
Whitney was a sweet heart with a big heart. She was strong and believed in the good in people. She saw the confederate flag tattooed on Bobby Jacks chest. She heard his family was racist and so was he. But she didn't let that stop her. Whit still gave into her feelings for him and that worked out for her in the end. Come to think of it, their relationship went relatively smooth from the beginning, and there weren't any rough patches. Maybe a bit unbelievable in the aspect but I went with it. I also don't think Bobby Jacks is going to go from a racist to loving all non white people overnight. It just doesn't happen that way. With that being said, I do believe his love for Whitney, even though she was black.
I enjoyed this story and loved the secondary characters, especially Ms. Mays. I wish we could have seen a little more of Bobby Jack's and Whitney's relationship post new job. But I still give this book a solid 4 stars. It wasn't perfect but I enjoyed it.
Be warned, this book has a lot of racial slurs and language throughout the book.
I was prepared to dislike Bobby Jack being he was a racist. But as I read on, I realized he wasn't so bad. This story clearly shows people are not born racist, that are taught to be that way. Bobby Jack's father was the worst. A lot of the things he said made me cringe and shake me head. But sadly that's that way a lot of people still think today. It was great seeing Bobby Jack open his eyes and see that the way he was brought up was wrong. He became his own person and fought for what he wanted, that being Whitney and his son Isaac.
Whitney was a sweet heart with a big heart. She was strong and believed in the good in people. She saw the confederate flag tattooed on Bobby Jacks chest. She heard his family was racist and so was he. But she didn't let that stop her. Whit still gave into her feelings for him and that worked out for her in the end. Come to think of it, their relationship went relatively smooth from the beginning, and there weren't any rough patches. Maybe a bit unbelievable in the aspect but I went with it. I also don't think Bobby Jacks is going to go from a racist to loving all non white people overnight. It just doesn't happen that way. With that being said, I do believe his love for Whitney, even though she was black.
I enjoyed this story and loved the secondary characters, especially Ms. Mays. I wish we could have seen a little more of Bobby Jack's and Whitney's relationship post new job. But I still give this book a solid 4 stars. It wasn't perfect but I enjoyed it.
November 3, 2016
This was a good story with realistic relateable characters. I would've liked to see more of a conclusion to the story. It felt a little open-ended. Perhaps another installment is in the works?
June 10, 2014
We usually see paranormal IR from this author so it was refreshing to see the author branch out into new territory. What I liked about this story is that this is different from most books in the IR genre I only wish the author could have expanded on a few issues. For instance Bobby Jack (the male lead; that name Lord!) He is just being released from prison for robbing a store he has hopes of returning back home to his baby mama Jessi.
Now is when the story takes a turn Jessi is a hot mess of a character she has a son Issac which she cant take care of and enlists the help of her friend Whitney. Now Whitney a child of the system has a heart of gold and is willing to help all in need. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Bobby Jack comes from a very racist family (Klans men) of course he himself shares some of those same stereotypes about non-white people. Bobby Jack meets Whitney under less than ideal circumstances and there is an attraction. Now this is where I feel the author should have expanded on a lot.
Much of the story was surrounded around Bobby Jack's family. I wish as a reader I would have gotten more on the relationship between the two characters. It was as if the relationship was semi-glossed over. Bobby Jack is trying to convert his ways or as it says in the story but he sees Whitney as a different kind of black. Except she is just as black as the people he called out of there names. I would have liked to see some redemption on his characters behalf.
Whitney had a backbone at times and other times I wish she stood up for herself more. She mentions in the story that Bobby Jack has a problem with minorities but he is working on that. Ummm....How?! * there is this one scene but too me more of character building was needed*
This story despite the subject matter had some very light and funny areas. Maurice, Edward and Mama Mays are all characters who were not only Whitney's support system but kept it real with her. There were very few typos at one point Jessi was spelled Jessie and a character who name was Richard was named Robert in the next paragraph. This book had plenty of Jerry Springer moments his family was backwoods...... All in all this was a very good story. I think it could have been better with more interactions and development between the two characters.
Now is when the story takes a turn Jessi is a hot mess of a character she has a son Issac which she cant take care of and enlists the help of her friend Whitney. Now Whitney a child of the system has a heart of gold and is willing to help all in need. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Bobby Jack comes from a very racist family (Klans men) of course he himself shares some of those same stereotypes about non-white people. Bobby Jack meets Whitney under less than ideal circumstances and there is an attraction. Now this is where I feel the author should have expanded on a lot.
Much of the story was surrounded around Bobby Jack's family. I wish as a reader I would have gotten more on the relationship between the two characters. It was as if the relationship was semi-glossed over. Bobby Jack is trying to convert his ways or as it says in the story but he sees Whitney as a different kind of black. Except she is just as black as the people he called out of there names. I would have liked to see some redemption on his characters behalf.
Whitney had a backbone at times and other times I wish she stood up for herself more. She mentions in the story that Bobby Jack has a problem with minorities but he is working on that. Ummm....How?! * there is this one scene but too me more of character building was needed*
This story despite the subject matter had some very light and funny areas. Maurice, Edward and Mama Mays are all characters who were not only Whitney's support system but kept it real with her. There were very few typos at one point Jessi was spelled Jessie and a character who name was Richard was named Robert in the next paragraph. This book had plenty of Jerry Springer moments his family was backwoods...... All in all this was a very good story. I think it could have been better with more interactions and development between the two characters.
July 11, 2014
I don't generally like giving poor reviews but in this case I feel compelled to do so. I usually love this author's work but this book was not up to the author's normal level. This book had so much potential but it definitely fell flat.
This book contained racial remarks that were expected from the book blurb. The characters were not really believable or relatable to me. The hero of this story shows slight growth but his racist ways are not truly changed. The heroine comes off as needy and desperate. The ending of this book is rushed and nothing is resolved.
The secondary characters added some comic relief in spots but all in all they didn't really add anything to this story.
This book didn't really have any depth to me but I will still support this author because she is truly one of my favorites.
***** SPOILERS BELOW *****
If I could suggest anything to help make this book better I would tell the author to:
- Show true change for Bobby Jack. He should do more than see the heroine changed from colored to black in his eyes. I feel that if he was truly redeemed he would see that the color of ones skin does not determine your worthiness. I see where you were trying to go but you missed the mark.
- Whitney should have stood up more to the hero and she should not have stood idly by and allowed him to call someone a n****r in her presence. She accepted him without any change. How could she make love to someone with the only good n****r is a dead one tattooed on his neck? How did his tattoos make her feel?
- Show what happens with Jessi? Does she have a change of heart? Does she get better? Does she find out about Whitney and Bobby Jack?
- A few times in the book Whitney is referred to as Whitey. I know that this was a typo but especially in this book it's a little distracting.
- The ending is rather abrupt. An epilogue would allow closure to this book by showing a peek into their lives at a later time.
This book contained racial remarks that were expected from the book blurb. The characters were not really believable or relatable to me. The hero of this story shows slight growth but his racist ways are not truly changed. The heroine comes off as needy and desperate. The ending of this book is rushed and nothing is resolved.
The secondary characters added some comic relief in spots but all in all they didn't really add anything to this story.
This book didn't really have any depth to me but I will still support this author because she is truly one of my favorites.
***** SPOILERS BELOW *****
If I could suggest anything to help make this book better I would tell the author to:
- Show true change for Bobby Jack. He should do more than see the heroine changed from colored to black in his eyes. I feel that if he was truly redeemed he would see that the color of ones skin does not determine your worthiness. I see where you were trying to go but you missed the mark.
- Whitney should have stood up more to the hero and she should not have stood idly by and allowed him to call someone a n****r in her presence. She accepted him without any change. How could she make love to someone with the only good n****r is a dead one tattooed on his neck? How did his tattoos make her feel?
- Show what happens with Jessi? Does she have a change of heart? Does she get better? Does she find out about Whitney and Bobby Jack?
- A few times in the book Whitney is referred to as Whitey. I know that this was a typo but especially in this book it's a little distracting.
- The ending is rather abrupt. An epilogue would allow closure to this book by showing a peek into their lives at a later time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2014
Falling, by Kassanna, is definitely not your typical romance story. It is the story of an ex-con racist who is “falling” for an African American woman. That set up alone, while not how it is described in the blurb, made me want to read this story.
Whit is a soft-hearted woman who has nothing herself, but is always ready to give to others. The one person whom she cares for the most is baby Isaac. When circumstances lead to her having custody of him, she also inherits his ex-con racist father.
Bobby Jack is a man who was raised to be a racist, with all the body tattoos to show for his beliefs. The one thing that gets him through his prison sentence is the knowledge that when he is released his son and baby mamma will be waiting for him. As the book progresses we see the evolution of Bobby Jack into a slightly different character than he was at the start. Seeing a character evolve over the course of a story is something I thoroughly enjoy, since in life we all evolve. When you add in the romance between Whit and Bobby Jack and how he is handling falling for an African American, you can only root for them to have a happily ever after.
The part of this book that actually shocked me the most, which shouldn’t have, was how many different types of “white racist” there are. We all know the KKK, skinheads and Aryans. I never thought about the differences between those three groups and how there are others. Ms. Kassanna truly did her research for this book! I understand there will be a sequel to this work and recommend that everyone read this book and the sequel. I will warn readers that because of the subject matter there are some harsh scenes and language used.
-Reviewed by Selina
Whit is a soft-hearted woman who has nothing herself, but is always ready to give to others. The one person whom she cares for the most is baby Isaac. When circumstances lead to her having custody of him, she also inherits his ex-con racist father.
Bobby Jack is a man who was raised to be a racist, with all the body tattoos to show for his beliefs. The one thing that gets him through his prison sentence is the knowledge that when he is released his son and baby mamma will be waiting for him. As the book progresses we see the evolution of Bobby Jack into a slightly different character than he was at the start. Seeing a character evolve over the course of a story is something I thoroughly enjoy, since in life we all evolve. When you add in the romance between Whit and Bobby Jack and how he is handling falling for an African American, you can only root for them to have a happily ever after.
The part of this book that actually shocked me the most, which shouldn’t have, was how many different types of “white racist” there are. We all know the KKK, skinheads and Aryans. I never thought about the differences between those three groups and how there are others. Ms. Kassanna truly did her research for this book! I understand there will be a sequel to this work and recommend that everyone read this book and the sequel. I will warn readers that because of the subject matter there are some harsh scenes and language used.
-Reviewed by Selina
May 15, 2015
Whitney is a young woman who knows about hard times so when she opens her apartment door and finds her neighbor and friend being hauled away to jail she steps in to take care of her young son. Booby Jack,member of the Aryan Nation, is fresh out of prison after serving a two year sentence and is looking for the woman he left behind who gave birth to his son while he was away. When Whit finds out that the little toddler she has grown to love is the son a white supremest she feels the need to protect the little guy from all the hate, but what she doesn't know is that Bobby Jack's time in prison and a series of events since he has gotten out,has opened his eyes to a few things mainly the truth about his family and other races.
Not a bad story, it had some finer points like the drag queen neighbors and the lady lord were funny and the concept was good, but this story could have been so much better had the author explored a little more into why Whitney left home in the 1st place and fleshed out Bobby Jacks and Whitney's relationship a little, I think it would have made the story a little more believable.It just seemed she accepted whatever he said and didn't ask him why he changed or what caused him to leave the movement. to me it made no since she would just be with him with all the racist tattoos and remarks so easily. All in all it was ok.
Not a bad story, it had some finer points like the drag queen neighbors and the lady lord were funny and the concept was good, but this story could have been so much better had the author explored a little more into why Whitney left home in the 1st place and fleshed out Bobby Jacks and Whitney's relationship a little, I think it would have made the story a little more believable.It just seemed she accepted whatever he said and didn't ask him why he changed or what caused him to leave the movement. to me it made no since she would just be with him with all the racist tattoos and remarks so easily. All in all it was ok.
March 30, 2019
Great read
A story of two people who have been through a lot. Bobby Jack stated it best at the lowest points in his life, his family was not there but black folks were. Just wish it would have been a little longer didn't want it to end.
A story of two people who have been through a lot. Bobby Jack stated it best at the lowest points in his life, his family was not there but black folks were. Just wish it would have been a little longer didn't want it to end.
July 19, 2014
This was an interesting ride. Right off, I will say that I wasn't impressed with the heroine. She seemed very...weak. Actually, there comes a point where the hero mentions that it feels like standing in her presence is standing close to redemption or something--a wonderful piece of dialog. It was out of place. Or rather, I felt it was out of place.
First, I couldn't connect with the heroine. She seemed exactly like the kind of girl that ends up on the back of a milk cartoon, because she's too busy taking candy from strangers to notice that she's in a very dangerous situation. (TSTL) Also, I kind of have a problem with the fact that this character's identity began and ended with her compulsion to care for other people (and their children.) No identity outside of taking care of other people. None. Codependent!
I wasn't impressed with Whit. Ever.
The hero was interesting, but two dimensional. I liked him better than I did the heroine, but as I was reading him, I was VERY, VERY aware that this was a woman trying to write in a man's voice. Not only that--she was trying to write in a racist man's voice. And coming from someone that actually comes from a "hood" background like that, it sounded really, really contrived. Racism starts with hatred and his conflict with dealing with all that was slim to none. Very, very meek development. The author was trying very hard to make him macho sometimes, and then, would slip up and make him a complete sap other times. And rarely were we dealing with the trauma and consequences of his choices. He wasn't a real character. And it showed. Almost like a caricature of the real thing.
The plot...
It was kind of all over the place.
That being said, I really did enjoy the premise of the novel and I think the author has nice style. I enjoyed the description, scene setting, and the sex scene was appropriate to the characters. Nothing too mind blowing though.
First, I couldn't connect with the heroine. She seemed exactly like the kind of girl that ends up on the back of a milk cartoon, because she's too busy taking candy from strangers to notice that she's in a very dangerous situation. (TSTL) Also, I kind of have a problem with the fact that this character's identity began and ended with her compulsion to care for other people (and their children.) No identity outside of taking care of other people. None. Codependent!
I wasn't impressed with Whit. Ever.
The hero was interesting, but two dimensional. I liked him better than I did the heroine, but as I was reading him, I was VERY, VERY aware that this was a woman trying to write in a man's voice. Not only that--she was trying to write in a racist man's voice. And coming from someone that actually comes from a "hood" background like that, it sounded really, really contrived. Racism starts with hatred and his conflict with dealing with all that was slim to none. Very, very meek development. The author was trying very hard to make him macho sometimes, and then, would slip up and make him a complete sap other times. And rarely were we dealing with the trauma and consequences of his choices. He wasn't a real character. And it showed. Almost like a caricature of the real thing.
The plot...
It was kind of all over the place.
That being said, I really did enjoy the premise of the novel and I think the author has nice style. I enjoyed the description, scene setting, and the sex scene was appropriate to the characters. Nothing too mind blowing though.
June 13, 2014
3 stars.
The story was too damn short. I needed more!
Would've been better if it had an epilogue.
There was too much going on for it to end like that. It was like "wham Bam! Over." Just.. No.
Bobby Jack and Whitneys relationship came out of the blue. I was like what the heck? How'd this even happen?!
It was confusing.
Overall 3 stars from me :)
The story was too damn short. I needed more!
Would've been better if it had an epilogue.
There was too much going on for it to end like that. It was like "wham Bam! Over." Just.. No.
Bobby Jack and Whitneys relationship came out of the blue. I was like what the heck? How'd this even happen?!
It was confusing.
Overall 3 stars from me :)
September 3, 2014
SPOILERS....
So I just finished reading Falling and while I really enjoyed I wished there was more. I was hoping to read more about the fall out for Bobby Jack with his family. Who is Issac's father? I thought his family would contact Jessi and manipulate her to get back at Whit and Bobby Jack? Also I wanted to read about Riley. I was left wanting more and the ending felt rushed.
So I just finished reading Falling and while I really enjoyed I wished there was more. I was hoping to read more about the fall out for Bobby Jack with his family. Who is Issac's father? I thought his family would contact Jessi and manipulate her to get back at Whit and Bobby Jack? Also I wanted to read about Riley. I was left wanting more and the ending felt rushed.
July 14, 2015
Interesting plot, racist male lead and black female falling for each other but they were not fleshed out enough and I didn't really feel their chemistry. Also I agree with another review female lead took it way too easily how her guy casually used racist slangs...myself I would have kicked him out until he learnt respect!
October 28, 2014
This was actually a good book. You felt sorry for Whit and all she had to put up with. I guess I wanted a little more out the story than that.
July 14, 2015
I loved everything about this book except for the ending. Don't worry I won't give any spoilers, but I jus felt that it was a little rushed when it came closer to the end.
November 21, 2022
I love a good interracial romance. This one was good but also problematic for me. Whitney, Whit, is a young, pretty, black female who is financially struggling but is determined to improve her lot in life. Bobby Joe, BJ, is fresh out of jail and wants a fresh start with his gf and baby son he has yet to meet. Oh, he is also a Skinhead and grew up to follow the Areyan rhetoric.
First the good.
The characters were engaging. I liked Whit. She was sweet, open hearted and patient af. I also like that she was attending school, although the author never goes into depth of her field of study.
Oh, and I love her interaction with baby Issac.
Bobby gave off big Alpha male vibes. He was so protective of Whit and tried to be loyal to his family although he realized that the ways of his kin was not the route he should be taking.
Now the serious issues I had with the story.
I understand that BJ grew up groomed to he a big time bigot and I also realize that his turn around has to be slow to be believed. But Whit's reaction, or lack of one, really got to me at times. One of the major ones was the scene of them in court. Whit is approached by a lawyer that she had previously dealt with on a professional basis. He just happened to be Black. BJ goes OFF! And during their interaction he calls the lawyer a Ni$$er! With a strong ER if you know what I mean. Whit say nothing. Absolutely NOTHING!!???
That's when the book lost me. I don't care how IN LOVE I am. That's a no-go. And that pretty much carries on throughout the book.
We don't get to see a transformation. The only impression I got was that BJ accepted Whit only because she was a female that he is attracted to.
First the good.
The characters were engaging. I liked Whit. She was sweet, open hearted and patient af. I also like that she was attending school, although the author never goes into depth of her field of study.
Oh, and I love her interaction with baby Issac.
Bobby gave off big Alpha male vibes. He was so protective of Whit and tried to be loyal to his family although he realized that the ways of his kin was not the route he should be taking.
Now the serious issues I had with the story.
I understand that BJ grew up groomed to he a big time bigot and I also realize that his turn around has to be slow to be believed. But Whit's reaction, or lack of one, really got to me at times. One of the major ones was the scene of them in court. Whit is approached by a lawyer that she had previously dealt with on a professional basis. He just happened to be Black. BJ goes OFF! And during their interaction he calls the lawyer a Ni$$er! With a strong ER if you know what I mean. Whit say nothing. Absolutely NOTHING!!???
That's when the book lost me. I don't care how IN LOVE I am. That's a no-go. And that pretty much carries on throughout the book.
We don't get to see a transformation. The only impression I got was that BJ accepted Whit only because she was a female that he is attracted to.
June 8, 2025
This book was so ratchet— I’m not even sure what to say. I liked the found family element of the community (Edwina and Maurice in particular). I liked the real life depiction of racism— and that the MMC grew while staying true to his character. I loved the side characters and laughed out loud and the antics.
What needed work:
The errors, girl hire an editor or find someone to proofread. There were so many it took away from the story.
Pacing— this book didn’t feel like a romance. 85% of the book was about the day to day problems of the MMCs and when they finally got together it was rushed and unresolved. Again, editing could have drastically improved the story.
PG13 spice— if I’m only getting one scene at the end I need more— was he hung like a horse? Did he twist her like a pretzel? Tell me what was happening and what the characters are thinking for sticking with this mess.
What needed work:
The errors, girl hire an editor or find someone to proofread. There were so many it took away from the story.
Pacing— this book didn’t feel like a romance. 85% of the book was about the day to day problems of the MMCs and when they finally got together it was rushed and unresolved. Again, editing could have drastically improved the story.
PG13 spice— if I’m only getting one scene at the end I need more— was he hung like a horse? Did he twist her like a pretzel? Tell me what was happening and what the characters are thinking for sticking with this mess.
December 6, 2020
The writing is good and makes you want to read on. I finished in one sitting. Story Started out realistic but then did a crazy change. I like the family unit Bobby has created or put himself into. This book leaves so many unanswered questions: Does Bobby’s family come after them, esp. after the final beating? Does he stop using the n word? Is it Bobby’s baby? Does Andy come after him? The story just closed up so perfectly- too perfect leaving lots of typos (made reading the story at times confusing) and questions unanswered.
April 12, 2020
Bobby Jack and Whitney
I laughed at these two. Bobby Jack was giving s rough deal but, his heart was in the right place. He only wanted his family and live the dream. But, with his old life and father set in his ways to keep the Aryan nation flowing. He had to make choices. I had a great time reading this story. I never wanted to put it down. I read it right through.
I laughed at these two. Bobby Jack was giving s rough deal but, his heart was in the right place. He only wanted his family and live the dream. But, with his old life and father set in his ways to keep the Aryan nation flowing. He had to make choices. I had a great time reading this story. I never wanted to put it down. I read it right through.
February 21, 2020
Good book
This my first time reading a book by this she the book was well written and kept my attention. My only issue with this book was that I felt it left me with a lot of questions like what happened when Jessi got out of prison what did Bobbyjack ever confront his cousin's
This my first time reading a book by this she the book was well written and kept my attention. My only issue with this book was that I felt it left me with a lot of questions like what happened when Jessi got out of prison what did Bobbyjack ever confront his cousin's
March 10, 2020
Too short
I enjoyed the read although some of the mistakes in sentence structure were evident. However, the one thing that I was really disappointed in was the ending. I think it should have been a little longer.
I enjoyed the read although some of the mistakes in sentence structure were evident. However, the one thing that I was really disappointed in was the ending. I think it should have been a little longer.
Read
March 18, 2020Well... wow. And wow not in a good way. Extremely disappointing. Was glad when it was over. Story had potential but too excruciating too get through. Will not read this writer again. It there a part two? I would hope there was but do I care to try and find out? No. Can't believe how bad it was.
August 11, 2021
Not a good Ending
I think I liked the story but the book seemed rushed and it was a very abrupt ending I think we needed a little bit more character building and resolution unless it’s going to be a part two or something
I think I liked the story but the book seemed rushed and it was a very abrupt ending I think we needed a little bit more character building and resolution unless it’s going to be a part two or something
October 12, 2022
Black n White Side by Side ?
The story is a good read for anyone who has these racist beliefs. We aren't born racist but are raised to be racist, to hate. Bobby Jack seemed like a good person so was Whit. Give this book a reed to see how it starts and where it goes.
The story is a good read for anyone who has these racist beliefs. We aren't born racist but are raised to be racist, to hate. Bobby Jack seemed like a good person so was Whit. Give this book a reed to see how it starts and where it goes.
March 7, 2017
So this was everything I was afraid this genre would be. When you approach a subject as sensitive as a white racsit /supremacist falling in love with a african american women you open the doors to some very hot topics and criticism. Now when I read the N Word all the things I was mostly afraid of were eased. For the most part the author handled all the things I was afraid of well enough that I didn't feel insulted or disgusted even though I understood how it was both wrong and a difficult transition to change so drastically. This book however did everything wrong...Not only did the characters exhibit the worst behavior no one around them seemed to mind. When the main male charachter uses the actual N word in a derogatory way towards someone the black heroine doesn't even blink an eye ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Then everyone, and I mean everyone they run into is a KKK or Aryan national member...remind me to NEVER go to Alabama. On top of that the things the main male charachter admitted to doing ( some of the most awful things to) we are still expect that he just suddenly had a two second change of heart when coming across the first pretty black women? He never goes through any struggle he just simply decides he doesn't believe that way anymore woo! as for the main female charachter from going to homeless to suddenly being a sophomore in collage, having a job, working and falling in love with a racisit she seems super realistic. I'm not saying three of those four things aren't possible but it would defiantly be more of a struggle then the the author exhibited. Overall the only reason this wasn't a complete one star was cause at least the writing was readable even if the plot was the worst.
February 9, 2020
Liked this story. Wish their story was continued.
September 18, 2021
Been wanting to read this book for a while now and I must say it was not what I expected.
It could have so much more potential.
It could have so much more potential.
November 23, 2016
should have been longer
June 19, 2014
What if one day you came to the realization that everything you'd been taught, everything you'd been raised to believe in was a lie? This is the realization Robert "Bobby Jack" Johnson is coming to. A born and bred Aryan white supremacist, the soon to be released prison inmate is rethinking his beliefs, especially since his heart was never truly in it - and the people he's been taught to hate seem to the ones who deliver help when he needs it most. Now he just wants his release day to come so he can grab his girlfriend and the infant son he's never seen and get far away from his family.
Whitney isn't a racist, she's just defensive...to everyone. During a lifetime spent in the foster care system and on the streets, the young Black woman has known little kindness, and has learned she only has herself to depend on. She's not completely jaded though, and still has a heart big enough to help others, which is how she meets expectant mom, Jessi. It is while trying to help Jessi that she inadvertently finds an apartment and gets off the street. Whit knows little of Jessi's past, but is there for the birth of her son, Isaac, and becomes Jessi's instant support network...and rescuer. Jessi's lifestyle and descent into drug addiction leads her to prison and the loss of her son. After a bit of finagling, Whit gets custody of baby Isaac, and a whole new load of trouble.
Part of that trouble includes Bobby Jack getting released from prison. He comes looking for his son, but not before he and Whit cross paths a time or two...and the last time he's just in time!
Both concerned about Isaac's well-being, Whit and Bobby Jack begin a shaky friendship. The quiet but tough Black woman, and the pseudo-white supremacist whose body art glorifies the Aryan beliefs. The undeniable attraction between the two catches them both off guard, and simmers just below the surface. They both try to ignore it as Whit has to come up with a game plan for taking care of Isaac while wondering how long Jessi will be in prison. Bobby Jack has no intention of returning to prison and plans to break ties with his racist family after he finds out who hooked Jessi on drugs and deals with his overbearing father.
This is not a pretty story. This is not a fun story. Many would find the dialogue (and most of the storyline) offensive. But that's why I feel it works. The author lays it right out in the open, much the way you would find it in the streets. The reader has to navigate through the story much the same way Whit and Bobby Jack must navigate their way to each other. They get help along the way from Mrs. Mays, Whit's mercenary land lady...who has a heart of gold; and Edward and Maurice - two very masculine, yet gay drag queens.
You won't find the HEA (Happily Ever After) here. These two have an extremely long road to traverse with many obstacles along the way. But you do get the HFN (Happy For Now). Regardless of what Whit and Bobby Jack come up against, you know they will handle it together. And that's enough.
Whitney isn't a racist, she's just defensive...to everyone. During a lifetime spent in the foster care system and on the streets, the young Black woman has known little kindness, and has learned she only has herself to depend on. She's not completely jaded though, and still has a heart big enough to help others, which is how she meets expectant mom, Jessi. It is while trying to help Jessi that she inadvertently finds an apartment and gets off the street. Whit knows little of Jessi's past, but is there for the birth of her son, Isaac, and becomes Jessi's instant support network...and rescuer. Jessi's lifestyle and descent into drug addiction leads her to prison and the loss of her son. After a bit of finagling, Whit gets custody of baby Isaac, and a whole new load of trouble.
Part of that trouble includes Bobby Jack getting released from prison. He comes looking for his son, but not before he and Whit cross paths a time or two...and the last time he's just in time!
Both concerned about Isaac's well-being, Whit and Bobby Jack begin a shaky friendship. The quiet but tough Black woman, and the pseudo-white supremacist whose body art glorifies the Aryan beliefs. The undeniable attraction between the two catches them both off guard, and simmers just below the surface. They both try to ignore it as Whit has to come up with a game plan for taking care of Isaac while wondering how long Jessi will be in prison. Bobby Jack has no intention of returning to prison and plans to break ties with his racist family after he finds out who hooked Jessi on drugs and deals with his overbearing father.
This is not a pretty story. This is not a fun story. Many would find the dialogue (and most of the storyline) offensive. But that's why I feel it works. The author lays it right out in the open, much the way you would find it in the streets. The reader has to navigate through the story much the same way Whit and Bobby Jack must navigate their way to each other. They get help along the way from Mrs. Mays, Whit's mercenary land lady...who has a heart of gold; and Edward and Maurice - two very masculine, yet gay drag queens.
You won't find the HEA (Happily Ever After) here. These two have an extremely long road to traverse with many obstacles along the way. But you do get the HFN (Happy For Now). Regardless of what Whit and Bobby Jack come up against, you know they will handle it together. And that's enough.
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