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What Passes as Love
A young woman pays a devastating price for freedom in this heartrending and breathtaking novel of the nineteenth-century South. 1850. I was six years old the day Lewis Holt came to take me away. Born into slavery, Dahlia never knew her mother―or what happened to her. When Dahlia’s father, the owner of Vesterville plantation, takes her to work in his home as a servant, she’s desperately lonely. Forced to leave behind her best friend, Bo, she lives in a world between black and white, belonging to neither. Ten years later, Dahlia meets Timothy Ross, an Englishman in need of a wife. Reinventing herself as Lily Dove, Dahlia allows Timothy to believe she’s white, with no family to speak of, and agrees to marry him. She knows the danger of being found out. She also knows she’ll never have this chance at freedom again. Ensconced in the Ross mansion, Dahlia soon finds herself held captive in a different way―as the dutiful wife of a young man who has set his sights on a political future. But when Bo arrives on the estate in shackles, Dahlia decides to risk everything to save his life. With suspicions of her true identity growing and a bounty hunter not far behind, Dahlia must act fast or pay a devastating price.
335 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2021
2705 people are currently reading
8252 people want to read
About the author
Trisha R. Thomas
17 books568 followersTrisha R. Thomas is the author of the highly acclaimed Nappily Series, best known for her debut novel Nappily Ever After (Random House).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 492 reviews
September 26, 2021
Quick thoughts:
What Passes as Love is the heartrending novel about Dahlia, born a slave, knowing little about her early life or family.
Her father is the owner of the plantation, and she’s brought inside to work as a servant once she’s old enough. This leaves Dahlia lonely and missing her friends, and not only that, she’s forced to live “in between” two worlds and not really belong to either one.
Later in her life, she meets a white man looking for a wife. This puts Dahlia in a dangerous position when she marries Timothy Ross. Dahlia’s friend from childhood arrives on the estate where she’s living and his life is in danger. Will Dahlia protect her friend and risk her own life?
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
What Passes as Love is the heartrending novel about Dahlia, born a slave, knowing little about her early life or family.
Her father is the owner of the plantation, and she’s brought inside to work as a servant once she’s old enough. This leaves Dahlia lonely and missing her friends, and not only that, she’s forced to live “in between” two worlds and not really belong to either one.
Later in her life, she meets a white man looking for a wife. This puts Dahlia in a dangerous position when she marries Timothy Ross. Dahlia’s friend from childhood arrives on the estate where she’s living and his life is in danger. Will Dahlia protect her friend and risk her own life?
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
August 16, 2021
How are we really supposed to believe that Dahlia/Lily is fair enough to 'pass for white', and yet the house slaves can all figure out that she's one of them? Even without a scar on her back more impressive than Harry Potter's scar on his forehead, it's clear that she can't really get away with her deception.
I'm not fond of lightweight historic fiction. I hoped this would be a bit more weighty than it was. I didn't 'buy' the deception at the heart of this fluffy little novel. Dahlia almost accidentally gets herself 'rescued' by two English brothers who meet her in the local town and take her away to become the wife of the younger one. She then tricks them into 'buying' her childhood friend Bo. We're supposed to believe she's able to disappear and yet is still sufficiently connected to her old world to figure out that Bo is on the market. Hmm.
The ending is ludicrous and very abrupt. It was as if the author's submission deadline was racing towards her and she didn't have a 'proper' ending. It was just silly.
I'm not fond of lightweight historic fiction. I hoped this would be a bit more weighty than it was. I didn't 'buy' the deception at the heart of this fluffy little novel. Dahlia almost accidentally gets herself 'rescued' by two English brothers who meet her in the local town and take her away to become the wife of the younger one. She then tricks them into 'buying' her childhood friend Bo. We're supposed to believe she's able to disappear and yet is still sufficiently connected to her old world to figure out that Bo is on the market. Hmm.
The ending is ludicrous and very abrupt. It was as if the author's submission deadline was racing towards her and she didn't have a 'proper' ending. It was just silly.
August 17, 2021
Quite amazing
Very well written. I am a 93 year old white woman. Almost a century old. Raised and lived this life in areas of the country with very little interaction with any black people. So considering the possibility of truth that such families lived such lives gives a lot of chance for pondering. I hope someday there will be peace and accord and equality of life and opportunity in this country among all ethnics.
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Very well written. I am a 93 year old white woman. Almost a century old. Raised and lived this life in areas of the country with very little interaction with any black people. So considering the possibility of truth that such families lived such lives gives a lot of chance for pondering. I hope someday there will be peace and accord and equality of life and opportunity in this country among all ethnics.
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August 1, 2021
Based on a true story, “What Passes as Love” is an immersive story of antebellum fiction with a twist.
Dahlia or Lily, as she comes to be known, is the fair skinned negro daughter of a white plantation owner. She is being raised with 2 other young daughters that are her half sisters. After a terrible fire, life as she knows it changed dramatically and Dahlia runs away from everyone and everything she knew, including Bo, her best friend.
It’s not long before she renames herself Lily, as protection from slave hunters. She meets two wealthy brothers, one of whom is very kind to her. They hit it off and she finds herself at their plantation and before too long, she’s married to Timothy. Life at the Ross Plantation isn’t what Lily expected and the story has much to be revealed.
Altho’ this is historical fiction, it’s been contemporized. Early on in the story an homosexual theme is introduced that runs thru the majority of the book. There’s no graphic love scenes but a decided agenda exists that is not appropriate for the time period.
The struggle of slavery and landowners seen from the POV of a slave pretending to be white is quite a unique twist; one I’ve never read before. Not too much time was spent developing the overall plantation operations. Most of the focus was on family characters and their relationships. These folks needed therapy!
Complex back stories could have used a bit more investigation but the antagonists are nasty and the protagonists are flawed but worthy of being cheered for.
Bo & Dahlia’s story isn’t a typical love story or maybe it is for the time and place that they lived. No, I still think it’s satisfyingly unusual. It does feature two great souls with hopes and dreams that exhibit kindness
for those around them. You won’t be disappointed with this aspect of the story.
Clean language, mild violence and sexual situations without much descriptive prose would give this book a PG-13 rating. I would have given it 5 stars were it not for the woke agenda📚
Dahlia or Lily, as she comes to be known, is the fair skinned negro daughter of a white plantation owner. She is being raised with 2 other young daughters that are her half sisters. After a terrible fire, life as she knows it changed dramatically and Dahlia runs away from everyone and everything she knew, including Bo, her best friend.
It’s not long before she renames herself Lily, as protection from slave hunters. She meets two wealthy brothers, one of whom is very kind to her. They hit it off and she finds herself at their plantation and before too long, she’s married to Timothy. Life at the Ross Plantation isn’t what Lily expected and the story has much to be revealed.
Altho’ this is historical fiction, it’s been contemporized. Early on in the story an homosexual theme is introduced that runs thru the majority of the book. There’s no graphic love scenes but a decided agenda exists that is not appropriate for the time period.
The struggle of slavery and landowners seen from the POV of a slave pretending to be white is quite a unique twist; one I’ve never read before. Not too much time was spent developing the overall plantation operations. Most of the focus was on family characters and their relationships. These folks needed therapy!
Complex back stories could have used a bit more investigation but the antagonists are nasty and the protagonists are flawed but worthy of being cheered for.
Bo & Dahlia’s story isn’t a typical love story or maybe it is for the time and place that they lived. No, I still think it’s satisfyingly unusual. It does feature two great souls with hopes and dreams that exhibit kindness
for those around them. You won’t be disappointed with this aspect of the story.
Clean language, mild violence and sexual situations without much descriptive prose would give this book a PG-13 rating. I would have given it 5 stars were it not for the woke agenda📚
September 1, 2021
Book 257 of 2021
This was a beautifully done book. I enjoyed the plot, the stakes, the characters, and the writing. The writing was vivid and sucked me in. In a time when I wasn't reading any paperbacks, this one had me going back to it every chance I got.
Dahlia is the main character of this book, and just like most characters in this book, she's complicated. She isn't inherently good or bad, and to some extent she's selfish. But it's a selfishness borne of desperation because she's fighting for her life and freedom. She's light skinned enough to pass as white, but she's the daughter of a slave and after her chance escape, her father/master sends a bounty hunter after her. She has to take some steps to ensure her survival.
The story is told through two POVs. Dahlia's first person POV and Bo's third person POV.
Bo Carter is a childhood friend of Dahlia's and they grew up on the Holt plantation together. After Dahlia became a house slave, her friendship with Bo was forbidden, but their feelings for each other could never be denied.
Life, reality, and so many years passed by and took their toll on Dahlia and Bo. They change, their circumstances change, and the dynamics between then change as well.
This was a heavy read to some extent. Lots of serious, dark, and heavy themes, scenes, and subject matters were covered over the course of this book and might be triggering to readers.
Fans of slave era historical fiction like Conjure Women, and books that heavily feature a black woman passing as a white woman like The Vanishing Half will love this book.
The book isn't without it's issues, and the biggest one for me was the ending. I wasn't expecting a tidy good triumphs over evil ending, but I feel like we should have gotten some closure to some plot points.
✨✨
I was provided with a copy for review purposes.. this in no way affected my voluntarily written review.
This was a beautifully done book. I enjoyed the plot, the stakes, the characters, and the writing. The writing was vivid and sucked me in. In a time when I wasn't reading any paperbacks, this one had me going back to it every chance I got.
Dahlia is the main character of this book, and just like most characters in this book, she's complicated. She isn't inherently good or bad, and to some extent she's selfish. But it's a selfishness borne of desperation because she's fighting for her life and freedom. She's light skinned enough to pass as white, but she's the daughter of a slave and after her chance escape, her father/master sends a bounty hunter after her. She has to take some steps to ensure her survival.
The story is told through two POVs. Dahlia's first person POV and Bo's third person POV.
Bo Carter is a childhood friend of Dahlia's and they grew up on the Holt plantation together. After Dahlia became a house slave, her friendship with Bo was forbidden, but their feelings for each other could never be denied.
Life, reality, and so many years passed by and took their toll on Dahlia and Bo. They change, their circumstances change, and the dynamics between then change as well.
This was a heavy read to some extent. Lots of serious, dark, and heavy themes, scenes, and subject matters were covered over the course of this book and might be triggering to readers.
Fans of slave era historical fiction like Conjure Women, and books that heavily feature a black woman passing as a white woman like The Vanishing Half will love this book.
The book isn't without it's issues, and the biggest one for me was the ending. I wasn't expecting a tidy good triumphs over evil ending, but I feel like we should have gotten some closure to some plot points.
✨✨
I was provided with a copy for review purposes.. this in no way affected my voluntarily written review.
November 1, 2021
A black woman passing as a white woman is more common than i ever knew.
Is it Power or is it Shame🤔
I really enjoyed listening to this book on audio. The story was very interesting and the female's voice was very engaging. Not very many slave stories end with the slaves as winners but this one did, not just one slave but two slaves.
This author created her story with a positive vision and i commend her for that. It's well said that if you don't like what you are reading then create your own story. The ending was a little flat for me but as a whole, job well done!!
Is it Power or is it Shame🤔
I really enjoyed listening to this book on audio. The story was very interesting and the female's voice was very engaging. Not very many slave stories end with the slaves as winners but this one did, not just one slave but two slaves.
This author created her story with a positive vision and i commend her for that. It's well said that if you don't like what you are reading then create your own story. The ending was a little flat for me but as a whole, job well done!!
August 6, 2021
Interesting
It pains me how women suffered in slavery. Loved the history lesson, so sad. Would love a sequel, that covers more.
It pains me how women suffered in slavery. Loved the history lesson, so sad. Would love a sequel, that covers more.
February 8, 2025
I don't think these books about "passing" are for me. This is the 3rd one I've read over the last year and a half or so. My reading experience for all three books has been full of stress and anxiety. Combine the "passing" with the actual save time time frame and I'm even more stressed. So lesson learned. This will be the last type of book with those majoy plot points for me.
With that major thing being said about the general plot, I also 1. Don't think Dahlia/Lily was very cleaver. She had no kind of "poker face" at all. She was bound to give herself away. No need for anyone to tell anything about her. 2. I don't think Dahlia's original escape was a bit realistic. Not any part of it. Especially not in that time period or place. 3. I don't think the climax part of the ending was realistic, and what was written for the very, very end was completely unsatisfying. It left me with a ton questions.
With all that being said, I was completely vested in the story. I truly wanted Dahlia to be free and happy. So this story still gets 3 stars. I can see lots if people enjoying this book.
Happy reading!
With that major thing being said about the general plot, I also 1. Don't think Dahlia/Lily was very cleaver. She had no kind of "poker face" at all. She was bound to give herself away. No need for anyone to tell anything about her. 2. I don't think Dahlia's original escape was a bit realistic. Not any part of it. Especially not in that time period or place. 3. I don't think the climax part of the ending was realistic, and what was written for the very, very end was completely unsatisfying. It left me with a ton questions.
With all that being said, I was completely vested in the story. I truly wanted Dahlia to be free and happy. So this story still gets 3 stars. I can see lots if people enjoying this book.
Happy reading!
October 6, 2021
Very unrealistic
This was a massive disappointment. I can't believe that the author did any research at all. It was all very Disney, fairy tale, sanitised and full of lazy stereotypes. Tragic, Cinderella -type heroine (complete with 2 'ugly' sisters), rescued by two attractive men (Prince Charming 1 and 2), one of whom marries her. Then the story gets really ridiculous! Without giving the story away I can't say any more. Suffice to say, the main baddie undergoes a complete personality transplant at the end of the book and becomes a goodie allowing a happy ending of sorts. The ending was so abrupt that I presumed the author had become bored and just given up.
I do like historical fiction but it has to reflect the time it was written (attitudes, language etc). It can't just be a modern story, with people holding modern views and using modern slang but set in days gone by. This was a great idea for a book, and of course the subject matter is very current, but I just feel the story has too many holes and suspensions of disbelief.
This was a massive disappointment. I can't believe that the author did any research at all. It was all very Disney, fairy tale, sanitised and full of lazy stereotypes. Tragic, Cinderella -type heroine (complete with 2 'ugly' sisters), rescued by two attractive men (Prince Charming 1 and 2), one of whom marries her. Then the story gets really ridiculous! Without giving the story away I can't say any more. Suffice to say, the main baddie undergoes a complete personality transplant at the end of the book and becomes a goodie allowing a happy ending of sorts. The ending was so abrupt that I presumed the author had become bored and just given up.
I do like historical fiction but it has to reflect the time it was written (attitudes, language etc). It can't just be a modern story, with people holding modern views and using modern slang but set in days gone by. This was a great idea for a book, and of course the subject matter is very current, but I just feel the story has too many holes and suspensions of disbelief.
August 6, 2021
Two and a half stars rounded up to three. Dahlia is a house slave, sired by her owner. When the opportunity to pass as white presents itself, Dahlia becomes Lily Dove and marries an English gentleman. One day, a slave from Dahlia's old plantation is bought by her new family. Bo and she were very close as children. Can Dahlia/Lily find a way to save him?
The plot of this book sounded intriguing. Unfortunately, the lack of character depth and disjointed writing made this story flat and uninteresting. Would not recommend.
The plot of this book sounded intriguing. Unfortunately, the lack of character depth and disjointed writing made this story flat and uninteresting. Would not recommend.
October 14, 2024
Have you ever read something and it felt incomplete? This book was good…. until the end….it seems the story ran out around chapter 46 (there are 48 chapters in all). The way it ended was unrealistic and it sort of dropped off a cliff on the last page.
Had the book ended well I would have been able to give it a 5 star…but because it ended like a generic love story, I could only give it a 3. This one leaves you hanging.
Had the book ended well I would have been able to give it a 5 star…but because it ended like a generic love story, I could only give it a 3. This one leaves you hanging.
August 20, 2021
More than I can put into words!
I was mesmerized by Dahlia and Bo's story.Pulling myself away and setting my kindle down was guttwrenching. I felt so much love for so many of the characters (Dahlia, Bo, Cleo,especially ) but also a lot of loathing for others! Having just finished reading, I'm still too emotional for a proper review, so I'll just say....it's definitely worth the read!
I was mesmerized by Dahlia and Bo's story.Pulling myself away and setting my kindle down was guttwrenching. I felt so much love for so many of the characters (Dahlia, Bo, Cleo,especially ) but also a lot of loathing for others! Having just finished reading, I'm still too emotional for a proper review, so I'll just say....it's definitely worth the read!
August 22, 2021
Excellent historical fiction story! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I could really feel the intensity of the some of the scenes that were written. If I could change one thing, it just ended to abruptly for me. I was looking for a bit more. Other than that this was excellent!
January 8, 2022
Oh, what was I doing reading a romance novel?
Sappy, sappy, sappy.
At least the history in this one was well researched and the plot twist was novel. The tangles our heroine got into through no fault of her own as a beautiful half white/half black slave woman trying to achieve freedom and love at the start of the American Civil War were semi-plausible.
Thank God there were no dukes or earls.
Sappy, sappy, sappy.
At least the history in this one was well researched and the plot twist was novel. The tangles our heroine got into through no fault of her own as a beautiful half white/half black slave woman trying to achieve freedom and love at the start of the American Civil War were semi-plausible.
Thank God there were no dukes or earls.
September 16, 2021
Multilayered, atmospheric, and alluring!
What Passes as Love is a vivid, captivating tale that sweeps you away to Virginia during the 1850s and into the life of Dahlia Holt, a young woman of mixed race who struggles to find her true place in a world where her skin is too light to be comfortable amongst her fellow slaves and a little too dark to be confident in her own home with a husband who mistakenly believes she is white.
The prose is clear and precise. The characters are determined, impulsive, and lonely. And the plot told from dual POVs unravels quickly into an intriguing tale of life, loss, love, friendship, injustice, jealousy, guilt, self-identity, loneliness, family drama, and survival.
Overall, What Passes as Love is an immersive, tender, engaging story by Thomas that doesn’t pack quite the emotional punch of some of the other Antebellum-era novels I’ve read recently but is still nevertheless an absorbing, satisfying tale.
Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
What Passes as Love is a vivid, captivating tale that sweeps you away to Virginia during the 1850s and into the life of Dahlia Holt, a young woman of mixed race who struggles to find her true place in a world where her skin is too light to be comfortable amongst her fellow slaves and a little too dark to be confident in her own home with a husband who mistakenly believes she is white.
The prose is clear and precise. The characters are determined, impulsive, and lonely. And the plot told from dual POVs unravels quickly into an intriguing tale of life, loss, love, friendship, injustice, jealousy, guilt, self-identity, loneliness, family drama, and survival.
Overall, What Passes as Love is an immersive, tender, engaging story by Thomas that doesn’t pack quite the emotional punch of some of the other Antebellum-era novels I’ve read recently but is still nevertheless an absorbing, satisfying tale.
Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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September 3, 2021Trying to be kind because ok, not everything needs to be realism, and perhaps this book isn't meant to be, except it's set up as it were historical fiction which implies some degree of realism. But this book was dreadful. Think of any cliche you can think about antebellum literature and it's in this book. And the main character? How could this woman have been born enslaved and grown up on a plantation and be so utterly clueless about the evil institution? I don't know why I finished it, except every time there was a new plot point (yet another trope plucked from this type of novel, none believably executed), I thought, no, this book isn't going to do that too is it? Yep, it did.
Maybe it was supposed to be a romance and I just missed that? Because some of the romance genre moves so far from believability.....one reason I don't read romances. Whatever, this book was dreadful. I guess it deserves the one star, though, because I did finish it, even if it was mostly just to see how bad it could get. (Answer: really bad).
Maybe it was supposed to be a romance and I just missed that? Because some of the romance genre moves so far from believability.....one reason I don't read romances. Whatever, this book was dreadful. I guess it deserves the one star, though, because I did finish it, even if it was mostly just to see how bad it could get. (Answer: really bad).
October 27, 2021
This is a tough book to rate. I found the story to be good, somewhat predictable at times.
Dahlia was born a slave. Her mother was a slave and her father was the master of the house. At an early age her father took her into the big house and raised her there. She looked white but was never treated as an equal by her sisters.
One day while out Dahilia meets two white men and she spends the day with them. After some chaos she isn't able to find her way home and ends up with one of the brothers. Posing as a white woman named Lily, Dahlia decides to try the free life.
"Freedom is never free. It always comes with a price." Prologue
I listened to this on audio and that is what makes this hard to rate. The narration was phenomenal. The emotion was dripping from my headphones and without a doubt made this story for me.
Dahlia was born a slave. Her mother was a slave and her father was the master of the house. At an early age her father took her into the big house and raised her there. She looked white but was never treated as an equal by her sisters.
One day while out Dahilia meets two white men and she spends the day with them. After some chaos she isn't able to find her way home and ends up with one of the brothers. Posing as a white woman named Lily, Dahlia decides to try the free life.
"Freedom is never free. It always comes with a price." Prologue
I listened to this on audio and that is what makes this hard to rate. The narration was phenomenal. The emotion was dripping from my headphones and without a doubt made this story for me.
September 15, 2021
A beautifully written historical fiction!
August 13, 2021
Dahlia, a young woman born into slavery, taken in to her slaver fathers home, not quite as his daughter but not quite as the other slaves.
She lives in a world where she doesn't belong, between white and black, belonging to neither.
When freedom is dangled in front of her, she learns that everything comes at a cost.
Bo, a slave, who daren't dream of anything past the horses he grooms. Except the woman whom occupies his every thought, as hard as he tries to separate himself from her.
My Heart aches for the Dahlias and the Bos that lived through such hardships, all because of the colour of their skin or where they were born, or to whom they were owned.
A heartrendering story about love and freedom. A must read!
She lives in a world where she doesn't belong, between white and black, belonging to neither.
When freedom is dangled in front of her, she learns that everything comes at a cost.
Bo, a slave, who daren't dream of anything past the horses he grooms. Except the woman whom occupies his every thought, as hard as he tries to separate himself from her.
My Heart aches for the Dahlias and the Bos that lived through such hardships, all because of the colour of their skin or where they were born, or to whom they were owned.
A heartrendering story about love and freedom. A must read!
August 6, 2021
I loved this story
This was one of those books that you don't want to end, but you want to find out what happened. It gives you a glimpse of the lives of slaves, without going into gory details. Interesting to see how all the personalities of slaved people are there, even though they hide it well around the slave holders. I can only imagine the hopelessness of their lives, and wonder that they still found a way to make the best of it. But this is a story of courage and love and hope, as well as finding ways to make it happen. There is also a history lesson about how the southern landholders felt about retaining their lifestyle to the point they were willing to go to war for it. Also the attitude that it would be a short war. I hope that there will be a sequel to this so that we can follow Lily and Bo.
This was one of those books that you don't want to end, but you want to find out what happened. It gives you a glimpse of the lives of slaves, without going into gory details. Interesting to see how all the personalities of slaved people are there, even though they hide it well around the slave holders. I can only imagine the hopelessness of their lives, and wonder that they still found a way to make the best of it. But this is a story of courage and love and hope, as well as finding ways to make it happen. There is also a history lesson about how the southern landholders felt about retaining their lifestyle to the point they were willing to go to war for it. Also the attitude that it would be a short war. I hope that there will be a sequel to this so that we can follow Lily and Bo.
February 5, 2022
Enjoyed most of the characters and the story. Essie, I just don't know what to think about her!! Annabelle is evil and is willing to do anything to keep her secret.
July 16, 2022
Lightweight historical fiction.
The main character is naive and behaves in a careless manner that produces unrealistic results.
The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying.
The main character is naive and behaves in a careless manner that produces unrealistic results.
The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying.
October 22, 2021
Dahlia is a young bi-racial girl living in her slave owners home, who happens to be her father. She doesn’t really fit in with her privileged white family or the slaves. On her 16th birthday she stumbles upon a path to freedom. But, it will come with a cost…
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What Passes was a captivating reading experience! I absolutely loved Dahlia’s risky (and dangerous) journey to freedom, passing as a white woman.
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The characters were so richly developed, some I loved and some I loathed. Bo had my heart with his strength and fierce love for Dahlia. Dahlia was brave, and spoke her mind. I admired the natural ease in which she morphed into her new world as Lily. She had a heart for and showed respect for the slaves in her new world. Timothy surprised me. Ryland angered me and kept me guessing his next move.
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A big plus for me is that this book was not overbearingingly slavish. It wasn’t as heavy or violent as most other similar stories. The synopsis piqued my interest because it was multilayered-mystery, history, romance and a unique spin on “passing” in a multitude of ways.
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There were several jaw dropping scenes throughout that triggered a range of emotion or just heightened the intensity of the story. My heart dropped with the suffering Bo endured. I wondered if Lily ever sat back and laughed to herself that she had fooled so many people!
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I always love to see an author branch out and explore different topics and genres, show some versatility in their writing style. @femininevigor hosted a discussion with the author last month, which I was excited to join. We talked about the growth of the main character, the different outlooks on passing, love, and so much more. Getting the author’s insight gave it more depth and deeper perspective.
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I made a commitment to myself early this year that I would not read any more slave books. But, I made an exception for What Passes as Love, because I’m familiar with the author’s previous works and love her writing. (The Nappily series is forever ingrained in my heart)
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This is theee perfect story to take the day off, curl up under the covers, fully engrossed in these pages. Another magnetic story deserving of all the stars! 👏🏾
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What Passes was a captivating reading experience! I absolutely loved Dahlia’s risky (and dangerous) journey to freedom, passing as a white woman.
⠀
The characters were so richly developed, some I loved and some I loathed. Bo had my heart with his strength and fierce love for Dahlia. Dahlia was brave, and spoke her mind. I admired the natural ease in which she morphed into her new world as Lily. She had a heart for and showed respect for the slaves in her new world. Timothy surprised me. Ryland angered me and kept me guessing his next move.
⠀
A big plus for me is that this book was not overbearingingly slavish. It wasn’t as heavy or violent as most other similar stories. The synopsis piqued my interest because it was multilayered-mystery, history, romance and a unique spin on “passing” in a multitude of ways.
⠀
There were several jaw dropping scenes throughout that triggered a range of emotion or just heightened the intensity of the story. My heart dropped with the suffering Bo endured. I wondered if Lily ever sat back and laughed to herself that she had fooled so many people!
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I always love to see an author branch out and explore different topics and genres, show some versatility in their writing style. @femininevigor hosted a discussion with the author last month, which I was excited to join. We talked about the growth of the main character, the different outlooks on passing, love, and so much more. Getting the author’s insight gave it more depth and deeper perspective.
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I made a commitment to myself early this year that I would not read any more slave books. But, I made an exception for What Passes as Love, because I’m familiar with the author’s previous works and love her writing. (The Nappily series is forever ingrained in my heart)
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This is theee perfect story to take the day off, curl up under the covers, fully engrossed in these pages. Another magnetic story deserving of all the stars! 👏🏾
September 27, 2021
I love when a fictional story can draw you in to help you learn and understand the past, while also have you on the edge of your seat.
What Passes as Love is the story of Dahlia Holt, mixed-race daughter of a plantation owner who passes as white to escape enslavement, but finds herself in a loveless marriage to a man with secrets of his own.
As Dahlia tries to navigate a white world, she is in constant fear of being found out - and finds herself not feeling like she truly belongs anywhere. And it’s so interesting to follow her choices as you feel distraught when her impulses fail, inspired at her determined triumphs - but also see the lines drawn on both sides as you watch how far she will go to live the life she deserves.
For readers of Passing and The Vanishing Half, What Passes as Love is written beautifully, and has a captivating and absorbing plot that never lets go and is equally hard to put down. There are several twists and turns I didn’t see coming at all, and I appreciated it’s historical accuracies. It's ultimately a heartbreaking, yet compelling story of courage, hope, love, and the strength and resilience of the human spirit.
I need a sequel please!!
What Passes as Love is the story of Dahlia Holt, mixed-race daughter of a plantation owner who passes as white to escape enslavement, but finds herself in a loveless marriage to a man with secrets of his own.
As Dahlia tries to navigate a white world, she is in constant fear of being found out - and finds herself not feeling like she truly belongs anywhere. And it’s so interesting to follow her choices as you feel distraught when her impulses fail, inspired at her determined triumphs - but also see the lines drawn on both sides as you watch how far she will go to live the life she deserves.
For readers of Passing and The Vanishing Half, What Passes as Love is written beautifully, and has a captivating and absorbing plot that never lets go and is equally hard to put down. There are several twists and turns I didn’t see coming at all, and I appreciated it’s historical accuracies. It's ultimately a heartbreaking, yet compelling story of courage, hope, love, and the strength and resilience of the human spirit.
I need a sequel please!!
March 31, 2022
I really wanted to love this book. It's very disappointing because I can imagine a near identical plot in the hands of another author being a much better experience for me but this felt very poorly executed. Poor pacing, thin character development, just nothing in this felt "real." This was trying to deal with a lot of complicated, nuanced issues and just failed to deliver anything compelling.
October 12, 2025
Love In The Midst of Chaos
I love historical fiction. Even though I hate reading about the horrors of slavery, I like when the story ends happily. I couldn't wait to see what happened to Dahlia/Lily, to see if she would succeed in her efforts. There was a good plot twist toward the end, and a HEA ending.
I love historical fiction. Even though I hate reading about the horrors of slavery, I like when the story ends happily. I couldn't wait to see what happened to Dahlia/Lily, to see if she would succeed in her efforts. There was a good plot twist toward the end, and a HEA ending.
August 18, 2021
Interesting and inspiring
I really enjoyed this novel, a glimpse into the life of slaves and there inner strength and determination. Although the main characters were slaves in the deep south of America I don't think that it was a particularly dark narrative and for this it seemed a little whimsical on occasion. Still a good light read and I enjoyed it very much.. will there be a sequel I wonder....
I really enjoyed this novel, a glimpse into the life of slaves and there inner strength and determination. Although the main characters were slaves in the deep south of America I don't think that it was a particularly dark narrative and for this it seemed a little whimsical on occasion. Still a good light read and I enjoyed it very much.. will there be a sequel I wonder....
August 6, 2021
Loved the complex characters and the twists in the plot!
I’m normally into sci-if, but passed up the kindle reread from that genre because something in the sample of this book reminded me of Octavia Butler’s Kindred. Getting into the story was a little bit slow at first, but when it took off, it kept me reading well into the night. I loved the characters, who all seemed like real people with understandable motives - though those motives may not be clear at first. I saw one other review refer to this as a love story - it’s not, the plot has almost nothing to do with romance, though the main character ends up happily ever after with someone in the end (which I appreciated). Speaking of the happy ending, another thing this author did really well was to display the precariousness and horror of life in slavery without relying on graphic descriptions of violence.
I’m normally into sci-if, but passed up the kindle reread from that genre because something in the sample of this book reminded me of Octavia Butler’s Kindred. Getting into the story was a little bit slow at first, but when it took off, it kept me reading well into the night. I loved the characters, who all seemed like real people with understandable motives - though those motives may not be clear at first. I saw one other review refer to this as a love story - it’s not, the plot has almost nothing to do with romance, though the main character ends up happily ever after with someone in the end (which I appreciated). Speaking of the happy ending, another thing this author did really well was to display the precariousness and horror of life in slavery without relying on graphic descriptions of violence.
September 14, 2021
It’s just not believable. There’s too much going on. And at the same time, it’s all too shallow.
The details are right, but lightly touched on. The actions of the central characters are too fantastical. Dahlia/Lily, the brothers, Tilda. They are all too extreme.
If the purpose of the story was to explore racial identity of mixed race slaves, brought into the world because of rape, this story just scratched the surface. You get the sense of Dahlia/Lily being unsure of how to fit in, to what world does she belong, but it’s superficial. It’s all more about her lies and not being exposed — not a depth of character. Not a national emotional scar.
Were their abusive drunks running around the Antebellum South? Certainly. Were there gay men? Of course. Were their manipulative mothers? Every damn day. But these characters were not memorable.
The surrounding characters are credible to a point. Angry Essie, however, caters to a really unfortunate stereotype. I wish she could have been given some dignity. A wild card like Essie would not have been let into the house by a secretive and protective Cleo if there were other options. The overseer and his son are easily recognizable. We see the same red neck bullshit on the nightly news.
The most believable character, and most sympathetic, is Annabelle. Her horrid behavior is understandable given that she is everything the south would deny as truth. She is just consumed by self-hatred. Her story arc actually rings true. She is trapped. As duplicitous as an arsonist can be, she deserves some empathy.
What’s going to happen when the mixed race babies produce babies of their own? Southerners at the time seem to be short-sighted in so many ways.
There are a few inconsistencies as well in the question of property and money. How could Ross family have lost everything in England, only to have a warehouse full of treasures, French brocade upholstery? With all that, they could have crawled out from under the noisy Aunt. Why would a prideful woman not have those items out and in use, displaying the wealth? The robbery also failed to make sense. An English accent would be remembered. And why would a woman who wanted a grandchild so relentlessly suddenly become such a materialistic bitch, and then ignore the baby?
Instead of an emotional exploration of shameful behavior and scars that will not heal, it’s an episode of a nighttime soap opera with an action-adventure sequence.
Inconsistent.
The details are right, but lightly touched on. The actions of the central characters are too fantastical. Dahlia/Lily, the brothers, Tilda. They are all too extreme.
If the purpose of the story was to explore racial identity of mixed race slaves, brought into the world because of rape, this story just scratched the surface. You get the sense of Dahlia/Lily being unsure of how to fit in, to what world does she belong, but it’s superficial. It’s all more about her lies and not being exposed — not a depth of character. Not a national emotional scar.
Were their abusive drunks running around the Antebellum South? Certainly. Were there gay men? Of course. Were their manipulative mothers? Every damn day. But these characters were not memorable.
The surrounding characters are credible to a point. Angry Essie, however, caters to a really unfortunate stereotype. I wish she could have been given some dignity. A wild card like Essie would not have been let into the house by a secretive and protective Cleo if there were other options. The overseer and his son are easily recognizable. We see the same red neck bullshit on the nightly news.
The most believable character, and most sympathetic, is Annabelle. Her horrid behavior is understandable given that she is everything the south would deny as truth. She is just consumed by self-hatred. Her story arc actually rings true. She is trapped. As duplicitous as an arsonist can be, she deserves some empathy.
What’s going to happen when the mixed race babies produce babies of their own? Southerners at the time seem to be short-sighted in so many ways.
There are a few inconsistencies as well in the question of property and money. How could Ross family have lost everything in England, only to have a warehouse full of treasures, French brocade upholstery? With all that, they could have crawled out from under the noisy Aunt. Why would a prideful woman not have those items out and in use, displaying the wealth? The robbery also failed to make sense. An English accent would be remembered. And why would a woman who wanted a grandchild so relentlessly suddenly become such a materialistic bitch, and then ignore the baby?
Instead of an emotional exploration of shameful behavior and scars that will not heal, it’s an episode of a nighttime soap opera with an action-adventure sequence.
Inconsistent.
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