Close Encounters

I first discovered Sandra Kitt when I read "The Color of Love" and was absolutely blown away by it. With "Close Encounters" Ms. Kitt continues to see and write about the world as it really is. She understands that while the world is Black and White there is no color boundary when it comes to love. As usual her characters are real. They could be the people next door.The herione Carol Taggert gets caught in police crossfire in more ways than one. As a Black women in NYC gunned downed by a stray police bullet, her first thoughts would be to sue the City wouldn't it? Carol's family background and the lessons taught to her by her father and mother keeps her from doing that, but it doesn't stop her from having misgivings about how she feels about the White police officer who may have been the person who shot her. For me, "Close Encounters" was more than a interracial love story, and I don't think that it was meant to be just that. This book is about understanding who you are, how you feel about yourself and how you fit into the scheme of someone else's life and how they fit, whether you like it or not, into yours. And how 10 seconds can change your life forever. After the shooting, Carol starts to think about her past, how she treated her loving adoptive parents and about the husband she had chosen for all the wrong reasons. Police Officer Grafton realizes that outside of his fellow police officers, the only other people he has any real contact with are women that he sees for one reason only and the "scum" of the City. His total tunnel vision focus on "policing" had a negative effect on his broken marriage and is now having the same effect on his daughter. Both characters go through a lot pain and suffering as they reasses their lives and try to fight what they both know is a losing battle. They are bound together by more than the accidental shooting. He realizes it first and together they fight the odds against them. This is the kind of novel that I will read again and again.This is a wonderful book.

Close Encounters is a wonderfully well written story. Sandra Kitt does a great job of pulling the reader into the story. I was positively mesmerized by the story. I read Close Encounters from cover to cover. I could not put this book down.Carol Taggert happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and is shot during a police undercover operation. Carol is a single African American woman who is struggling with family issues and still sleeping with her ex-husband.Lee Grafton is the cop who thinks he shot Carol during a drug bust by accident. He may or may not be the shooter but he visits Carol several times and realizes that they have a connection. Carol's ordeal is explosive because the cop who shot her is white and the NYPD has a horrible reputation in the black community. Carol realizes that the shooting has given her a second chance at life. Lee also struggles with his career choice. Can he continue to be a police officer?Close Encounters moves at a very fast pace. The supporting characters are involved up to their necks in action and the story proceeds full speed ahead. I can't wait to get my hands on another Sandra Kitt book.

Close Encounters is an arduous interracial romance tale sagaciously laced with excitement and suspense. Without omitting societal prejudices and stereotypical presupposes, Sandra blends a poignant love story that embraces more than the common obstacles that many interracial couples endure. Close Encounters over flows with vivid situations that will leave you anxious and intrigued. Carol Tagart and Lee Grafton are thrust together one night during a heinous situation that changes both of their lives forever. Against all odds, they fight unrelenting adversaries that threaten their relationship, their character, and their existence.What I like most about this novel is the engrossing and passionate story line that deals with a myriad of delicate subjects, and the graceful and pivoting way that the story is told. The added subplots of suspense were thrilling and riveting. Make sure that you block off plenty of time to read this book because once you start, you won't be able to stop reading until the very last page.

Sandra Kitt just keeps getting better. It's rare to find an author not afraid to write intelligent and moving romances that feature black/white couples. Keep em' coming, Sandra. If you haven't read her other books, you're missing out.

This is my second Sandra Kitt title, the first was The Color of Love. The story is current and interesting. The police involved in an accidental shooting and how this can be used or misused. I really enjoyed the fact that two sides: the police and the black victims were shown without bias. I also enjoyed that the romance developed slowly and in a logical manner. A great deal went on in this book but it was fast paced and kept my interest. If you are looking for a nice summer read this is the book for you.