Jade'JADE is the second book in the Shades of Style series. Readers met Lily Chau briefly in the first book PINK. Lily, an Asian American, work as a pattern maker at Garments of Praise along with Chenille, Raya and Jean. Lily dreams about having her own line of clothes and a marriage proposal from her long-time boyfriend. Unfortunately, her boyfriend continues to drag his feet and taking care of her mother has grown strenuous for Lily. To add to matters, her feisty co-worker, Jean, has taken it upon herself to secretly send in Lily’s designs to the reality show The Next Design Diva. When Lily is chosen for the show, her life really spins out of control when she meets her incredibly handsome mentor. Waiting around for her boyfriend — soon no longer becomes her only option!

Marilynn Griffith’s Shades of Style series is incredibly unique and just plain fun to read. It is probably the truest “multicultural” book series I have had the opportunity to read. The author does a great job developing the character and relaying culture nuances about her to the reader. Like the first book PINK, Griffith touches upon daily struggles her reader can relate to from their own experiences. Being a caretaker for an older parent is becoming a common household occurrence. Illnesses like depression and Alzheimer’s are touched upon a great deal.

While JADE is apart of a series, it is not necessary to read PINK first. If readers have read PINK first, they will get a peek back into Raya and Flex’s life in JADE. The third book in the series, TANGERINE, highlights Jean whose story I’m sure will make a truly intriguing reading experience.

Reviewed by Tyora Moody