THE COLORS OF FRIENDSHIP

This first installment of a new adult trilogy follows three college friends as they grapple with romance, jealousy, and threats.

Melody Wilkins, Imani Jordan, and Lance Dunn are best friends. The three students brave college, looking out for one another as love, classes, and perils get in their way. Melody is the romantic, hoping to find true love at college just like her parents. Studious Imani focuses on obtaining a chemical engineering degree, though a potential romance with her lab partner proves a distraction. And then there is charming football player Lance, who is always supporting Melody and Imani while trying to find a new woman to sleep with every night. After a fraternity party, Melody runs into a cute guy named Kevin, whom she instantly falls for. But Imani senses that something is off about him. When he exhibits signs of jealousy and suspicion, distancing Melody from her friends, Imani and Lance begin to worry. Meanwhile, Imani fights her feelings for fellow engineering student Trevor. When the two intern in Suffern, New York, for the summer, their banter fuels the sexual tension between them. As for Lance, he is hoping to land in the NFL, and though his storyline is less developed than Melody’s and Imani’s, his determination to protect his friends becomes a pivotal part of the plot. When a violent encounter threatens Melody’s life, the trio’s friendship is put to the test. Raye understands her new-adult audience and crafts likable, flawed, multidimensional players who are still trying to figure things out. Melody, Imani, and Lance are distinct characters yet their bonds and interactions enhance one another. It’s a bit unclear how the three became close cohorts, but their friendship is believable. The author’s depiction of a college setting is spot-on, from frat parties and dorm rooms to summer internships. Raye deftly navigates the feelings and dramas of these students’ college years as well as the protagonists’ strivings to find success, lifelong friends, and love.

A compelling series opener about friendship that will make readers want to devour the sequel.