Love on the Line

by Laura Castoro

Identity, attitudes, and culture collide as a mother and daughter's values and backgrounds are challenged by everyone around them in this newly updated version of a Laura Castoro classic.

Thea Morgan—no, Thornton—is thrilled about starting life with her new husband Xavier. After so many years apart, it was truly a blessing that they found each other again. But the new life is going to take some adjustment.

Used to being high-powered lawyer, Thea is having difficulty balancing that with her new role as the preacher’s wife in small town Arkansas. And the townspeople in Xavier’s new parish are watching her life a hawk—most of all, Mrs. Hattie Patterson, the chairwoman of Pastoral Relations Committee, who has her own ideas about how things should be done. With her demanding job and light skin, Thea will have to go far to prove to the people—Mrs. Hattie—of St. Hurricane AME Church that she can be who she is and still be one of them.

On the other side of the country, Thea’s daughter Jesse is having an identity crisis of her own. Off at college and away from those who’ve known her for her entire life, Jesse has the chance to reinvent herself. But is it a chance worth taking? The child of a light-skinned black woman and a white man, Jesse has blond hair and blue eyes. No one would know her heritage if she didn’t tell them, leaving Jesse to face a difficult realization: is she forging a new path in life, free of any preconceived notions? Or is she hiding her identity and denying her roots?

With skill and grace, Laura Castoro deftly examines issues of race and women’s place in the world that fans, new and old, will revel in for years to come.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

AKA Laura Parker

Born in Ft. Worth, Texas, Laura Castoro grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and lived for many years with her husband and three children in the Dallas, Texas, area. Recently, she moved back to her hometown. She enjoys reading, traveling (she's been to Australia, several European countries, Canada and Mexico), theater, movies and listening to R&B and classical music.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not the target audience for this. It reminded me a bit of One of Our Kind, which I hated.

Thea Morgan is white passing. So is the author. For this fact alone, I thought I would enjoy reading about their struggles in a very Black, very Christian, and very southern society. I did not. So many of the women felt like pick-me girls. All of it felt very holier than thou.

📖 Thank you to Goodreads and William Morrow Paperbacks

[Sharonbrown · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok -- biracial (trust fund babies) characters (look white) with issues (black problems) --- oh woe is meeeeeeee! puh-leeeeeeeze!

[Mikaela (Booklover1974)]

I won this in Goodreads giveaway but unfortunately this was not for me :(

When I read about it I didn't get the vibe that it would be a lot of religious talk but boy, was I wrong. Since I'm not a person of faith I'm not interested in reading what the Bible says.

Two years ago I read "The Dearly Beloved" by Cara Wall and loved it, even though it's about people who works in the church. The difference between these two books are that this one is about religion and Cara Wall's book is about the main characters.

So if you like to read about the Bible and talk about the religion, this may be a great book for you.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am ambivalent about this book. The truth of the matter was that I did enjoy parts of the book but I felt that the story lines were all over the place and that there were too many that were left hanging. It is about a corporate business woman trying to fit in her new husband's life as a minister's wife. Another story runs almost paralles to the main story of Jesse, the woman's college age daughter who is struggling with issues of sex, love and being biracial and not looking particularly biracial. I feel that the themes of the book were worth looking into but I feel that it left me ... not involved.

[Chantelle ellesbooksandbakes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay, but it just didn't really capture my attention. The main action took place inside the characters' heads, so if that's your thing, maybe this is the perfect book for you. This is definitely women's fic, with a major focus on more drama and romance than anyone reasonably experiences haha. The pacing seemed off, with things either moving too fast or not fast enough. I'm sure this would be a great book for the right reader!

[Pam Papworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for sending this book. Unfortunately, I just did not enjoy it. I struggled and read 1/3 of it, really giving it a try. But I did not like the characters, and finally decided they were not worth my time. It was easy to read, however, and I would try other books by this author.

[Chelsea Northrop · Rating 2 out of 5]

its alright so far. but im not totally sure if im going to like it, only time will tell

[Georgette Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Castoro told a beautiful story. I liked her character Jesse Morgan. A super book to read while waiting for an appointment somewhere or on your lunch break!

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much going on to enjoy the actual plot, which sounded great!

[Layla Wiegner · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok book, just didn’t grab my attention like i thought it would

overall: 2.5/5

[Anne Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could you take a voluntary vow of poverty?
In Love on the Line by Laura Castoro, Thea has rekindled her relationship with Xavier who has become a minister. Thea is a widowed mom of Jesse who has worked her way up in the Petrochemical industry to become a VP. Xavier was a football star and multimillionaire who has now dedicated his life to the ministry. They were in a relationship as teens which resulted in Thea being pregnant and giving their baby up for adoption. They are both older and wiser now having learned some serious life lessons. Xavier is intent on them being an example for his congregation at his new church in Arkansas and living in the little dilapidated rectory house beside the church. Thea has worked her way up so that she can have nice things now, including a nice house. She’s determined to be the type of wife Xavier wants and needs. Can she really not enjoy all the fruits of her hard labor though! Thea is such a strong woman, much stronger than I could ever be. All of the characters in this book were larger than life and such a joy. The relationship between Thea and her sister Selma is a hoot. And the relationship between Thea and her daughter, Jesse was amazing. This is a fun read especially for me since I’m from Arkansas. I’ll definitely be picking up more of Laura’s books.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun romance read.
In Love on the Line by Laura Castoro, Thea has rekindled her relationship with Xavier who has become a minister. Thea is a widowed mom of Jesse who has worked her way up in the Petrochemical industry to become a VP. Xavier was a football star and multimillionaire who has now dedicated his life to the ministry. They were in a relationship as teens which resulted in Thea being pregnant and giving their baby up for adoption. They are both older and wiser now having learned some serious life lessons. Xavier is intent on them being an example for his congregation at his new church in Arkansas and living in the little dilapidated rectory house beside the church. Thea has worked her way up so that she can have nice things now, including a nice house. She’s determined to be the type of wife Xavier wants and needs. Can she really not enjoy all the fruits of her hard labor though! Thea is such a strong woman, much stronger than I could ever be. All of the characters in this book were larger than life and such a joy. The relationship between Thea and her sister Selma is a hoot. And the relationship between Thea and her daughter, Jesse was amazing. This is a fun read especially for me since I’m from Arkansas. I’ll definitely be picking up more of Laura’s books.

[rania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book, read from the book summary that the protagonist was a lawyer, and immediately decided to buy it. I’m a sucker for books with a career woman as a character — more so in the legal field. Plus, the book was on sale! Score!

However, while I enjoyed Jesse’s perspective, I couldn’t say the same for Thea’s. I thought it would focus on the ins & outs of her career as a corporate lawyer, but I was wrong. The backdrop focused on the more religious aspect relating to the protagonist’s love interest. And I mean no disrespect, but that backdrop was not for me. As someone who thinks of herself more as a spiritual person (read: personal faith) rather than a traditional-religious one, I couldn’t help but cringe at some of the scenes. I’m sorry but it’s just not my thing.

[R. J. Dott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a romance person but I did enjoy this book!

I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it's an easy read. The plots were interesting enough, and the romance was pretty clean which I appreciated. As someone who grew up in a teeny tiny town, I found that the portrayal of the small town in the book was pretty authentic.

I think I found myself more interested in Jessie's story than in Thea's, but I found both to be likable characters. I think I wanted more interactions between the two, but from what we got I did enjoy seeing their relationship.

Maybe I'll give more romances a chance! I had a good time with this one.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

This book has the worse college student dialogue I have ever had the displeasure of reading legitimately took me out of it. The texting is so stereotyped it is unbelievable. The roommate conversation is not real at all I cannot believe that two people did not bother to look into each other before living with each other at all. The college captain saying that she runs the team is so insane. The other storyline is mediocre at best, controversial points being saying damn is so unrealistic it is unbearable.

[Michelle Hannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Love on the Line” is a colorful modern-day love story told from the point of view of mother and daughter. It’s all about setting a balance between work, family, and love while being true to yourself. Sound familiar? I find Thea, the main character, very human in her struggles and yet an inspiration as she works to rise above the stress and frustration of dealing with difficult people and situations. She reminds me to find balance in my own life and I’m thankful for the reminder.

[Marsha Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It felt like I was right there in the story with the characters. Easy to read, it was a refreshing getaway for me to immerse myself in. I will be looking for more from this author.

[Kelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not personally care for this book. The story follows two characters Thea's life and Jessie's life. Up until the end of the book, the books could have been completely separate. This story does deal with real life events, but I felt the characters as people I would easily get annoyed with.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. Romantic. Just could not cut it for more than 3 stars.

[Aleena · Rating 1 out of 5]

not a fan. there were essentially two story lines that could have been separate books. not my vibe but cute ending

[Hilary B · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an easy read.. Kept me wanting to continue.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Love On the Line, Laura Castoro writes a sweet story that deals with a delicate subject that most people do not want to talk about – the color of one’s skin and peoples’ perception of who they are. Corporate executive, Thea Morgan is a fair-skinned black woman who is about to marry Reverend Xavier Thornton, a former athlete who received the call to serve. Thea fell for Xavier when she was sixteen, but after a summer fling circumstances had them both going separate ways and now they have found each other again. Thea, a widow, in her mid-forties was married to a white man from a wealthy family who liked to use their influence to benefit their family. Thea’s daughter, Jesse Morgan, is a biracial blue-eyed blonde about to impart on an adventure of her own, college. As each of the characters go forward to their new situations, each will be faced with unexpected challenges. One will be faced with having to make the choice between her career versus her husband’s, and while she negotiates complex transactions for a living will she be able to read the real situation in her personal life and make the best deal for herself? The other character ponders whether she made the correct college choice as she contemplates her budding sexuality, the role of her racial heritage, and wonders if her happiness for her mother is a betrayal to her father along with worrying if others will find out her family connection to the college.

While Thea and Jesse are mother and daughter, and the story begins with the relationship between the two, at times, it felt like I was reading two different stories without many touch points between the two story lines. But this allowed the author to address two different racial storylines with different issues and different generations; the issues faced by a fair-skinned black woman and those faced by a biracial person in contemporary times. Because the racial storylines were well integrated into the whole situation for each of the characters, the book allows the reader to examine their own perceptions on these issues.

I found Jesse’s storyline to be the more engaging story and authentic and enjoyed reading about her freshman year. While I enjoyed the secondary characters in Thea’s storyline, I found the character of Xavier to be too passive for a main character. I do not doubt that Xavier was a good man but at times I felt Thea was having a conversation with herself.

This would be a wonderful book for mothers and near college-age daughters to read and discuss with each other to help prepare the daughter for her freshman year. I recommend this book to readers, who are interested in stories about mature relationships, enjoy a good woman’s story without too much sex and violence and for readers of the author’s prior work.

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO BookClub
February 19, 2009

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I would like this book because it seemed a little romantic for my taste.

The characters are quite different from the ones in my typical genres, but they were true to life. It was a quick simple read and would be a great pick for traveling or sitting by a pool.

[Kim Schubert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I read it, but didn’t capture my attention how I thought it would. It didn’t get in depth in the struggles of being biracial in a black community. Or the struggles of finding your faith in a Christian community. It was ok, another quick read if you are looking to pass some time.

[Sasha]

I won this book on goodreads back in July. I still have never received this book. So unable to write a good review. Very very disappointed