"Sex in a Different Color"
Maybe I am just getting acclimated to what Jay Hughes
refers to as his "blue collar" romance style, or maybe this
down-to-earth story was just too appealing to put down.
Aside from being rather loaded with sex, they are colorful,
amusing, sharp-edged stories. All of it becomes the Jay you
know and love despite his rumpled personality and his (few)
bad habits. You will wonder, "Why is he such a low-life?"
and spend the next two chapters trying to figure out how
and why YOU find him so attractive. This inter-racial tale of romance between Jay and Jill
(told in flashback sequencing) takes place in the same town
as Jay's other stories, COMPANY INK and RAVEN. This town
has winters -- cold ones, with snow. That fabulous dive he
hangs out in (Soapy's) is a welcome and familiar landmark,
giving the story an added bit of familiarity for those who
have read the previous two books. But back to the inter-
racial problems. The government is overly interested in
Jill, and Jay doesn't get to see her enough. The neighbors
hate her, she gets harassed by the rednecks in Soapy's.
Vicky still tends bar there, and befriends Jill, who must
win over the townsfolk despite her completely alien nature. Of course Jill is completely hot for Jay, who once
again does his competent best to keep her (and the reader)
sexually satisfied, another source of disapproval from the
townies. It's bad enough he hangs with her, but SLEEPING
with her?! Once Jill gets to be sort of famous, suddenly
everyone decides she's one of their own, forgiving her for
her tremendous strength, her tree-eating habits, and the
fact that her olive green skin and black lips look odd in
an evening gown. It's tough being an out-of-towner in
middle America -- and she's from outer space! Jay is sure she is just a passing fancy, although you
and I know he is completely whipped by this woman. And he
is not prepared to discover how much he is in love with
her, much less lose her (due to an illness) completely.
Jill is light on details concerning her past, her planet,
her mating season and other details at first, but she
finally lets Jay in on her Big Secret Plan. Much more of a romance, complete with HEA and, with any
luck -- a sequel about Jill's daughter. Sex: You bet! Nothing kinky; some very amusing -- but
lots of it!
Language: Coarse language, but no derogatory names for
women.
Purple Prose: low
Recommended: Very much! But Why Couldn't He Have:
. . . gotten that dog housetrained? Or gotten Jill to do
it?
Reviewed by Dana Dietrick
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted March 25, 2002
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