Customer Reviews

I'm Your Girl

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I really don't think I'm willing to purchase another book by J.J. Murray.

This book had so many things wrong with it, I'm not certain where to begin. Talk about recycling plot ideas - many of the tropes he uses in I'm Your Girl have showed up in his previous books - the tragedy-stricken white male writer (him) who may have once been a teacher (him again); the educated if somewhat naive and opinionated "sister girl" (his wife? I certainly hope not); the evil mother who is supposedly looking out for her baby's best interests - it didn't work for me in Renee and Jay, and it certainly doesn't work in this book.

A part of me wonders if it truly is the fault of the editors/publishers who are looking to sell to this demographic by literally dumbing it down and instead of giving us characters whom we can relate to on some level, turn them into so-called "hip" stereotypes. Or maybe, Murray just isn't that great at writing I/R's period.

He wouldn't be the first.

The book isn't super-fast paced, and I wouldn't have mind that if it had better written. I also didn't care about the lack of sex scenes (though I'm partial to them, especially in BW/WM IR's). However, the first two-hundred pages reminded me of a train wreck. It's ghastly, bloody and apt to give one nightmares, but I couldn't stop turning the pages, hoping that something would save this book from the "it sucks" category.

Diane Denise Anderson - another black woman, like Renee, I just couldn't be friends with. She was like this poster child for neurotic black women. This is a twenty-five year old woman who could have had a dating life but because she's so 'sheltered' has allowed her happily-married for decades mother decide who she should/shouldn't be with? This is a woman who's mother was 'shamed' because she danced with a white boy way back in junior high but has no problems with an aimless sister who has three out-of-wedlock kids (the Qwans)? So much for independence. She's got a nice body including a nice butt and she's complaining? When many women shoot themselves into body shapers and corsets and push-up jeans just to look like Beyonce?

Okay, most women somewhere in their lives have body image issues, so I can let that pass.

Still, her whole self-pitying attitude was right up there with a lot of the chick-lit characters I've never liked. Don't get me wrong because I do like characters with flaws, but it didn't take her too long to get on my last nerve. For a woman trying not to be the "typical librarian", she certainly made no real attempt at changing the notion - single, depressed and lonely - this is a modern educated black woman? Eek.

Diane scored a few brownie points near the end of the book when she finally lets her mother have it - after the woman finds out she's been "seeing" a white man. And speaking of that - what's up with that typical "white guys smell funny" stereotype Mr. Murray likes to use a lot? Trust me, I've dated enough white guys in my life - including European men - and they don't smell any different than anyone else.

Jack Browning is somewhat more sympathetic - dealing with personal tragedy after the loss of his wife and son - but again, this is a plot device Murray has used ad nauseum (divorce = loss), and it's old. I liked many of his inner monologues, especially his brainstorming process. I loved his drunken discusion of his work-in-progress with his son's teddy bear, Mr. Bear. That was adorable and had the book started off that way, rather than having to slog through nearly two-hundred pages of one self-pitying black woman and her rather narrow-minded views, it might have been a far more enjoyable read. However, like in many of Murray's books, Jack comes off as the bumbling but sincere white guy looking for love and who just happens to find it in a black woman.

Rachel Anderson, Diane's version of "mommy dearest" - the woman whom even the devil would tip his horns to. Predictably she comes around to liking Jack (like at the last twenty/thirty pages of the book); until then she's voicing her opinions about the kind of man he grown daughter should be dating. His past books have all had these psycho moms from hell and makes me wonder if he's having real life issues with his in-laws.

And what, pray tell, is this nonsense about Diane not feeling comfortable about getting married in her old church? Are many church folks so stuck on the race thing that they'd forget to be happy that two people are coming together to build a loving and stable family? Stuff like this would almost make an atheist out of me.

I gave this book a chance even though the author has greatly disappointed me in the past because a previous novel, Original Love, was actually okay. Even though there's a dearth of good I/R romances featuring black women and white men, I'd rather wait than read something that just makes me go "hmm?"

I borrowed this book from a friend who didn't like it at all. Couldn't even make it past the first few chapters. I am an avid reader at times and decided to give a look. I was intrigued after the first few chapters. The going back and forth by the main character, Diane, when she is reviewing books early on, was kind of annoying but I did enjoy the book overall. I think it is a solid, believable romance and I was able to identify with the Diane character a great deal. I am sure this is why I liked the book and my friend did not. She had nothing to identify with personally. Anyway if you like a romance which takes it step by step and moment by moment I think you will like this book. I especially like the touch of Jack talking to himself. I saw it as a kind of therapy for his loss. I like the book a lot. I would recommend it to anyone for some light reading about an everyday romance in the melting pot we call America.

I'm Your Girl is J. J. Murray's latest installment in a series of tales involving interracial couples. Diane is a mild-mannered librarian living and working in Roanoke, Virginia. She fills most of her days enduring redundant and sometimes mind-numbing inquiries at the reference desk. As a reviewer for her online book club, Mid-Atlantic Book Review, she suffers through books that should never see the inside of a book store. Her nights are filled with love and tenderness.. .normally in the form of a paperback romance. When Diane is not working or reviewing books, she is defending her dateless existence to her mother who is anxiously waiting for an African American Prince to sweep Diane off her feet.

Jack Browning is slowly regaining his grasp on life after losing his wife and son in a tragic car accident. The teacher-turned- author is quickly approaching the first deadline for his next book and decides a trip to the library will help motivate him. During a brief encounter at the reference desk, Jack finds Diane to be a breath of fresh air in his stale life. Diane suddenly finds herself the inspiration for Jack's next book as well as his real-life love interest.

J. J. Murray takes a humorous and light-hearted approach to a historically complex and explosive topic. The characters are affectionately flawed and lovable. Diane's review book excerpts that are interspersed throughout the book are lengthy and distracting at times but Murray eventually makes the connection for the reader. Readers will enjoy the nuances and laugh-out-loud moments that poke healthy fun at the literary world of librarians, writers and book reviewers.

Reviewed by M. P. McKinney

APOOO BookClub

As an avid reader, I tend to be a little snobby about the authors I read. I have my favorites and would rather read their books over and over than to be disappointed by a new author. Never had I felt the disappointment so acutely than reading this book. The main character Diane is a librarian who reviews books in her spare time. A clichéd black woman with a curvy body and 'junk in the trunk', who spends her narrative time complaining, and I mean complaining. I was annoyed with her by the second chapter. Ironically enough, while his heroine is dogging the writing style of other writers, his writing is seriously lacking. The author spent so much time with Diane's book reviews that there was barely any time on the character herself. I bought the book to read about a romance between two characters, not to hear your soapbox views on how other authors write clichéd interracial romances.

Then there was Jack. I mean, I understand grief, I have been through it myself, but there are better ways to express a character's grief, than the ranting JJ Murray indulged in with this character. He makes Jack seem crazy and erratic and in no way a man I would ever want as a mate. I read romances to escape. I can find a crazy man like this character hanging outside of the Family Dollar asking me for spare change, I don't want to read about him. I couldn't even finish the foolish book. I know I won't be reading another by this author.

Diane Anderson is a librarian and book reviewer who lives her life vicariously through the stories she reads. As a reviewer, she gets the opportunity to read advanced reading copies prior to the release date and she has no problem sharing her opinion, even when she hates a book. Jack Browning is an author whose book is about to be released and instead of experiences new author jitters, he is morning something much more serious; the death of his wife and son who died in a car accident a year earlier. When he finally decides to get out of the house, after a long hiatus from the outside world, he ends up at the library, returning his son's overdue library books.

Jack meets Diane and piques her interest after asking where the African-American section of library is located. She wonders why a white man would be interested in African-American fiction and amidst coming up with her own versions of the unkempt white guy she sees before her. Her brief interest of Jacks motives and her diatribes over several of the books she's currently reviewing lend for a bit of excitement to her otherwise boring life. Little does she know, Jack is the author of a book she recently wrote a scathing review for on Amazon.com. When she finds out, and later learns he is interested in her, the stage is set for a nice little romance, but she has to decide how to break the news of who she is, without upsetting him.

In J. J. Murray's latest novel, I'M YOUR GIRL, Murray continues to deliver characters the reader will enjoy "meeting" and a storyline that both entertains and inspires. He also does a wonderful job of focusing on romance, in an overly-sexed era where books often forget about the romance and jump into something else. While the various storylines of the other books may throw the reader off, or even appeal to them more than I'M YOUR GIRL, as a book reviewer myself and one who constantly talks out loud when reading books, I instantly connected with Diane, and I simply loved Jack. Murray offers a very touching view of a man and his feelings on love and the loss of his loved ones, as well as his fears of moving on to the unknown. His quips and "talking to himself" and his deceased son's teddy bear are hiliarious at points and emotionally moving at others. I enjoyed getting to know Diane and Jack and traveling with them on their journey of getting to know each other.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal

of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I'm a librarian, I'm a black woman and I've dated white men in the past, so I was intrigued when this book came in. Disappointed does not begin to describe how I feel after reading this book. Diane's voice is not mine, nor any other black woman (espcially single) that I know. What intelligent woman says "booty" or "caboose" to refer to her behind during conversation- even while flirting? So much of the language was not even remotely close to how real black women think or speak, I started to believe that the author was in fact not black and probably not a woman. When I looked up J.J. Murray, lo and behold, my hunch was right. I liked the "Jack" sections and the text of the so called original Wishful Thinking. Perhaps if J.J. took a cue from his own book and wrote from the perspective of the white man instead of trying to represent a black woman, this book would have been much better.

To each his own...that is what I say, not everyone will like a book, not everyone will enjoy it.

Diane a young librarian and a reviewer for unreleased books picks up Jack Browning's first work, only to hate it and write an scathing review. Their chance meeting is when Jack is cleaning out his son's room and find overdue books. He takes them back and decides to do research for his next one, since he wasn't satisfied with the first. A simple moment passes betweent the two that Diane doesn't notice, but means the world to Jack. Thus begins Jack's need to use Diane as his muse for his next book and the beginning of a relationship that takes it time through the course of the pages. With alternating chapters the characters tell their story.

I found the writing of Jack's Point of View and his "prose" was great and I loved reading Jack more than Diane. As I noticed with Jack, he had no one to bounce his thoughts off of or help him, so the "talking to oneself" was a way of working through his grief. The difference of the characters as they met, developed a relationship, and Jack finally dealing with his loss, it was realistic. Most romance novels have the couples doing a 1, 2, 3 by the tenth page, the rest of the story, you have to weave in something else in order to make the other 200 odd pages count. If this is what your looking for, I doubt your going to get it here. I found they were opposite when it came to the speed of the relationship, where as Diane was hurry up and go and Jack was slow down take his time. He needed to tread lightly and feel comfortable with being in another relationship.

It wasn't the best book Mr. Murray has written, but it wasn't horrible either and I did enjoy reading it. Can't wait for your next one.

I'm Your Girl
By J.J. Murray

A little ditty about Jack and Diane!
W hat a Craptastic waste of time! The author said it best on page 164. "Okay you are over doing the clueless part, D.J. Browning...Let's speed things up."
Since she (Diane) is a member of a book club, she has to introduce 2 or 3 different books that she is reading to her audience. I don't like to read multiple books at the same time. I like to concentrate on the story at hand. And the stories she was reading were no better than what the author (J.J. Murray) was trying to portray in this stinking book.

Pg. 175
"I can't believe it either. Dan is a mistake in so many ways and anyone reading this book is making a mistake. I know I'm supposed to suspend my disbelief, but there are limits. This book is an insult to anyone's intelligence. I add "insult to intelligence" to my list of synonyms for "ridiculous."

Wow, I couldn't have said this better myself. Sorry J.J. I'm not buying this story or any of your sub-stories within your plot. J.J., I feel robbed of my $4.97 discount store book. Would it be rude of me to ask for my money back?
I love a great story build up between characters but it took way to long and the details were useless. It's almost like the author had mini brain farts while trying to put this story together. The only part of this story I liked was the working through of Jack's emotions of the death of his family. That touched me and it was very real. It made think how I would deal with this situation. And the answer is I don't know!
By chapter 23, they finally meet and have a conversation. But from that point on it's a rush to the finish. You find out that she is a virgin who wants to have sex. They take a mini lunch date and the sparks were there but everything was so rushed and over the stinking top it was unbelievable. I refuse to be pulled in by such nonsense. But I kept reading...like an idiot. I don't want you- the potential reader to think that I give up.
Then the typical story line of most horrible interracial romance novel appears. You know where someone hates the idea of them being together from his mother -in-law to her mother. The situation was believable with his mother in law because it was just 6 months after his wife and child were killed in a car wreck/drowning. I can understand her pain sort of...it was her daughter that has just been replaced. Diane's mother was silly and unbelievable with her hatred. And then remarkably changes her mind in the span of 25 pages. She then suggests that waiting until August is too long for her daughter to wait to get married. She suggests they elope. Are you kidding me? So, that's what the plan is. They run off to Jamaica to get married but can't because of the legalities of lack of birth/death certificates and lack of preparedness for this so called surprise wedding. So they skip to the chase and have sex. Which is what I believe is the main goal for both of them. I understanding how some people view sex before marriage and they want the holy matrimony part but don't take me on a ride and drop me off with a weak conjugal visit to the beach. Come on now!
My review may appear to be choppy and disoriented but that is what this book has left me feeling. This book offers a hint of romance and dilutes it with unbelievable nonsense.

In the words of j.j. Murray on page 291, "It was `wishful thinking' indeed for the publisher to think that anyone with half a brain would ever call this literature."

A little ditty about jack and Diane Two American kids growin' up in the heartland...
Oh yeah, life goes on
Long after the thrill of living is gone, sayin'
Oh yeah, life goes on
Long after the thrill of living is gone now rock on!

This song captivates my imagination in so many ways. Why J.J. did it take you so long to get to the point?
John Mellencamp is a true author of a simple love story and he did it in in only 2 and a half minutes.

I will continue to rock on... but my assumption of this author is that he doesn't know Jack!

P.S.
Nice photo on the cover!

I will be honest when i first started reading this book i was bored. But then about halfway through the book the story line started to pick up. I loved the chemistry between Jack and Diane. It wasn't all about sex, but about love, and needing that love from someone when you thought it would never happen. I would like to read more books by him. I just hope the story picks up a lot faster than this one. Other than that i really liked this book.

I started this book with the highest of hopes because it has an interesting and refreshing premise but it failed to deliver. The pace of the book was poor to say the least, spending too much time on stories within the main story and left me more interested in finding out what happened in them that with the main characters.

The other thing I was puzzled about is how Jack and Diane actually got together, not met because it was obvious from the moment he found the books that they would meet at the library. But Diane is this cynical, judgemental, hypocritical, I-have-something-to-prove, petty person and in the turn of a page she turns into putty because this guy with nice eyes flirts with her; totally unbelievable.

The the other thing is that this guy lost his wife, first love/lover, mother of his first and only child whom he also lost in an accident that he blames himself for and only a mere 6 months later he's ready for another relatonship? Doubtful, very very doubtful. Yes he has to move on with his life but 6 months? After such a tragedy? With that kind of grief and guilt? It's ludicrous to think that in 6 months he'll be packing his families stuff in a box and giving it away - not in 6 months, unless he was Scott Peterson; I digress.

Diane's mother; petty, immature and bit racist, then in the turn of a page she's the inter-racial welcoming committee? Sigh. The writing itself was poor, dialogue sucked, who says the name of the person they're speaking to after every sentence?

What would've worked was if Diane was a (white) woman that Jack met (same way, when she touched his hand, etc) a year and a half after his family died. She's nice and she's a distraction and she's into books so they have something in common; but then he meets Jenny when she comes by to see the car (who should've been the black woman) who's sunny and free spirited like his wife was but still very different and then the relationship could've grown from there, with him having to make a distinction between the superficial rebound relationship with Diane and the real feelings he's developed for Jenny.

This book could have been sooooo much better; it was very disappointing and I won't read another book by J.J. Murray because I suspect there'll be much of the same blah.