Customer Reviews

Renee And Jay

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

J. J. Murray's debut novel, RENEE AND JAY is the interracial Romeo & Juliet for the new millennium. A snowstorm leaves Renee stranded out front of Luchesi's restaurant, where she meets the owner's son, Giovanni, aka Jay. Though Renee professes herself to be strictly into black men, she finds herself very intrigued by Jay, and by the next morning Renee and Jay are wistfully thinking of love and a relationship with each other. Renee's own pessimism plays a key role in defining her could-be relationship with Jay, but her mother and Jay's father...as well as their small-minded community questions the "colorful" relationship. If that's not enough, the surprise of a baby drives everyone, including Renee into even more confusion, but Jay is steadfast in his love for Renee and is determined to prove to her that the two make a perfect pair.

Renee and Jay is a great read, and I really could not stop reading it until I got to the last page. The characters were outrageous and funny, the humor in the novel was obvious. I will admit; however, that the story is heavy with the "my people" comments presented by Renee, the main character, and oftentimes, I found myself saying, okay, we get it, you're black, it was that thick at times. Aside from that, the story was funny and well written, and I think Murray did an excellent job with this debut novel and the subject matter, and I look forward to reading more books by him.

Reviewed by Shonie

This book made me smile.:-)It was nice to finally read a book that was not all bitterness, anger, depravity, etc. The relationship between Renee and Giovanni was refreshing, real and very touching. Renee is a young African-American woman, who like most women today, are looking for "Mr. Right". She just doesn't expect her soul mate will be a white, pale, Italian. What both Renee and Jay learn is that you can't choose whom you love. The heart knows no racial barriers. Mr. Murrays' characters are well developed. Giovanni is an honest, caring, hardworking, young man who is not afraid to express his emotions. Renee reminds me of friends I've known through the years, beautiful, fun-loving, intelligient and faithful to family and loved ones. It was also good to see the acceptance of the relationship by Renee's mother and Giovanni's father. Everyone knows that the relationship will have extra burdens because it is an interracial one, but it was nice not to have that thrown in your face throughout the whole book. It was basically a funny, down-to-earth love story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would like to see more of these characters. (Maybe a sequel). Can't wait to read more from this author.

JJ Murray gives us a delightful and entertaining debut novel about the interracial relationship of Renee and Jay. When Renee is stranded in the blizzard of the century the last thang on her mind is falling in love. She is more interested in eating and was happy that if it must happen at least her car slid and got stuck in front of Luchesi's restaurant. Enter Jay Anthony Luchesi's to the rescue. Jay has had a crush on the chocolate honey since high school and it's love at first sight when Renee is stranded in front of his restaurant. For Renee "what's love got to do with it" all she wants is a nice meal, the last thang on her is mine is a man, especially a "goofy white man" who believes in love at first sight. After being stranded overnight with Jay, Renee has been bitten by the love bug and begins to sing a new tune. Just one (of many) problem, she and Jay have to keep their relationship underwrap. Even though its a new millennium, its still Roanoke, VA and jungle fever just ain't happening their. And then there's the matter of family and friends...what will they do when they find out that Renee and Jay have been sneaking around and "engaging with each other". Murray weaves hilarious sub-plots and gives new meaning to "colorful characters" as we journey with Renee and Jay in an unlikely courtship.

Renee and Jay is a refreshing and witty look at interracial relationships that rings true to life. I was hooked from Chapter One and I enjoyed how the writer developed the relationship of Renee and Jay. Although, Murray sometimes falters by focusing too much on "my people", constanting referencing body odors(Jay's...what was up with that), and sometimes the AA female characters appeared overly stereotypical. For example, when Renee wasn't complaining about body odors or constantly saying "my people" she was coming across as too sharp-tongued, attitudinal and with a significant chip on her shoulder. Sometimes I wondered how Jay even wanted to be around her more or less in a relationship with her. Shirl-Renee's mom was sometimes so over the edge that I lost all credibility where she was concerned. And then their was Renee's, loud mouthed friend, Collette who gave new meaning to the word "sistagal". These situations aside, I was pleasantly surprised that a white boy could tell a story from a sister's perspective and he didn't do too shabby a job. With Renee and Jay, Murray gives us a romantic, sensitive, engaging and humorous look at relationships across black&white color lines. Renee and Jay is a page turner and will have you swiftly turning the pages as you anticipate the next twist and turn in the storyline. The storyline was so engrossing that I finished the book in one sitting. If you're looking for a refreshing, change of pace read then check out Renee and Jay by JJ Murray. Oh but I must warn you this book is highly controversial and not meant for everyone...but for those with an open mind you will enjoy it for what it is...a fictional novel.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I am a fan of I/R books/movies, so I try to get my hands on any that I can. My first JJ Murray book was Original Love. I was a bit letdown by that novel, but I decided to give him another shot. I am truly afraid that this may be the last time I read his work. Let us count the ways:

1.The stereotypical black woman: Whenever I see (read) a character like RENEE, I am constantly rolling my eyes. She's loud, pushy, brash, and mostly a mess. I found it ironic that she worked in a call center b/c my first job out of college was in one and I saw many women with her characteristics. Anywhoo, I found no reason in the book, other than she "git it from her mama" for her attitude about several things. I would not wish her on ANY of my male friends. She was bossy, overly critical, racist, prejudice, etc. She picked on poor Giovanni about everything. From his smell, to the way he talked, it got on my nerves. Plus, I struggle to believe that a man with an immaculately clean living space would have trouble controlling his B.O. Anyway, she never came off to me as someone I could identify with on any level. The "my people, your people, our people" FOOLISHNESS got on my last working nerve. It was so uncalled for. Everything she said was colored by race, it made her hard to tolerate.

2.Giovanni--WHAT A PUSHOVER. I could not believe he took so much from this girl. Who cares if he had been crushin' on her since high school. No excuse for putting up with her crap. I thought the games she played should have pushed him over the edge. I would agree that for his character to have been a lead, he was severly underdeveloped. Since it was a story about BOTH of them, it would have been nice to have heard each of their sides instead of Renee's voice all the time.

3.Renee's mom: ANNOYING. Sounds like she wanted to be her friend not her mom. I can see where Renee got her ways from. Oh, I wish my mother would take pee samples to see if I'm pregnant. Not only is that gross, but it's too far out there.

4.Another thing that got me about this novel is that for a pair that hooked up in 12 hours (read: decided to get married) how could the I/R aspect possibly be your biggest issue? What about the fact that you really don't know each other?

5.The pregnancy. This seemed to never be taken seriously. And a baby IS serious. First, Miss Renee is playing games before she even knows if she's pregnant. We never read about the doctor appointments (EVER!). Renee's mom forbids (um, your daughter is 26) them to speak for about four months. Hello! Baby in the picture! That was such a ridiculous thing to do.


Anyway, I could be typing all night pointing out the displeasing things in the book. I will say it was an extremely quick read, but other than that, the actual story left a lot to be desired.

... Renee [came] across as a spoiled mama's girl.Sometimes I just wanted to smack that girl,she was so mean to Giovanni. The scene where she and her best friend Colette set up poor Giovanni in the restaurant was indicative of her somewhat teenage behavior. I found it difficult to believe that two 26 year old women would indulge in such a childish prank.And find it funny. I wish that Giovanni had been more assertive and really let them both have it. As it was, he came across as somewhat of a doormat.He was just toooo happy that Renee was seeing him. Also,Renee's mama,while a very funny character,was just a little too much. As a contemporary of hers,I can tell you that her decision to have Renee by herself and keep the father out of the picture was really unbelievable. Are these college educated black women?! Please! They don't act like it. But on the positive side ,there were some laugh out loud moments in this book and the author has a very easy and readable style which kept me entertained even when I was shaking my head over some silly behavior by Renee or some other character. Maybe his next book,which is excerpted in the paperback edition that I read,will have more realistic and sympathetic characters. I for one intend to find out.

...but disturbingly sterotypical. A tale about the unexpected romance that blooms in all the wrong places...between the young, single, African-American Renee Howard and the equally young and single--although Italian--Giovanni Luchesi. The two meet one snowy night when Renee becomes snowbound in front of the Luchesi family restaurant....and Giovanni offers his assistance. Fresh out of a relationship with a two-timing, gorgeous African prince, romance with a White boy is the last thing that Renee Howard can imagine. But there is something so gentle, so loving and so sincere about Giovanni that Renee finds him incredibly attractive, and soon the two of them become the most unlikeliest of couples. Giovanni professes his love for Renee, and she for him....; if only she can get Giovanni to pass muster with the most important person in Renee's life--and the most difficult; Shirl Howard, her mother.

Although a cute tale that basically reinforces the belief that "love conquers all," the story left me feeling that Black women are indeed overbearing, bossy and loud--compelling characteristics of the three main female characters in the book. I disliked Renee, and the way she spoke to Giovanni--I found it demeaning and emasculating. Colette struck me as loud and lacking decorum...as did Shirl, Renee's mother. I disliked them all, and could not for the life of me figure out how either of them had a man at all. The saving grace of this novel for me was the fact that it was based on the author's true life romance with his African-American wife. Despite the sterotypes in the characterization, I did find the subject matter to be somewhat of a refreshing change.



DYB

I don't know where to start with my criticism of this book.

I suppose I was hoping for something with a lot less dependency upon trite stereotypes of black womanhood. I was trying very hard not to be offended at yet another white male fantasy of what black women are about, even one written by a man in an interracial marriage.

Renee, for all her supposed education and sophistication, was a tiresome character, and her personality was far from being amusing. In fact, she came off rather ignorant, especially when it came to trying Italian cuisine for the first time. I mean, did the woman live in a vacuum? It seemed that Renee had never enjoyed a pizza or spaghetti before. If Roanoake, VA is that backwards, I for one most certainly wouldn't want to live there.

Renee's views of Italians came off as biased and prejudicial. Her comments about Giovanni having a "smell" that she found distasteful was bothersome. Does the author really believe that most black people in America have never been around Italians? Has the author ever lived in New York, or somewhere a tad more cosmopolitan?

To me, Renee came off as selfish and far more concerned about what other people might think about her growing relationship with Jay, and less about her own true feelings. I was very disturbed by her refusal to allow Jay to hold her hand or bestow a kiss on her in public because she didn't want anyone to see them together.

In many ways she was petty and juvenile, and if I had been Giovanni, I'd have married someone who had their heads on a little straighter than "sister girl" Renee. Renee's overbearing mother and best friend left a lot to be desired as well.

Giovanni was too typically the "romantic" hero and he could have used a lot more guts. The entire "hip-hop" poet aspect, also left me feeling a little unsure. It seemed almost contrived somehow, as if the author was trying to convince the reader that Giovanni's interest in Renee was sincere.

The only decent characters with any sort of warmth and likeability were Giovanni's father and sister, who was a lesbian. Their reunion was probably the most touching moment in a book rather bereft of them.

Being in an interracial relationship myself, Renee's behavior just reinforces my belief that some people simply are not emotionally mature enough to handle going against the grain. For myself, the only happiness I care about is that of my partners' and my own. The rest of the world can go hang.

I will say, in spite of my disatisfaction with much of the novel, I still read it in two days, the only reason being the lack of interracial romances in general.

This book has also given me impetus to write an interracial romance of my own, because it shows me the mistakes NOT to make.

The phrase "love at first sight" is not just a saying, but a reality with the novel, RENEE AND JAY. A hard-working african-american woman and a italian waiter meet after her being stuck in a snowstorm in Roanoke, VA, and from there, the seeds of love were just being planted. Neither one of them knew it yet, but that storm would change their lives. It was realistic about the opposition from his father and her mother, and even though Jay was stronger in his conviction of love for her, Renee had enough self-doubt to lend this story true credibility. It's all about how much you are willing to give of yourself and how hard you are willing to fight, just to stake your claim at happiness. The best part of this novel is the characterization of Renee. I don't know if Mr. Murray lived around african-americans for an extended amount of time, or if it is in fact that his wife is black, but he hit the nail dead center on how to interpret Renee. The mannerism were so in touch and on point, it was almost scary to think that this book was written by a white man. Definitely talented, Mr. Murray gets my vote to support a second novel. Good Work!

Traveling home from work during a blistering Virginia snowstorm, Renee encounters an intriguing entity just as white as the snow....Jay.

Renee is a brazen around the way sister...confident and sassy, bossy and aloof. Jay is a soft spoken, naive, and all too willing to please Italian. What a combination! The eccentrics of these two characters collide, exploding into a hilarious romantic tale that is sure to entertain you.

The bright, candid characters, humorous words, and speedy story line make this novel an enjoyable delight. Mr. Murray did his homework and plunges head first into the wispy and frank mind of a strong, sometimes difficult, black women. Although the throngs of courtship swarm throughout the story, Renee and Jay isn't void of trouble in paradise. The young couple encounters a string of problems and characters that will keep you wanting to read more.

What a welcome addition to the contemporary world of fiction.

Bold, sassy and full of humor, Mr. Murray introduces a novel about an inter-racial couple who fell in love at first sight. But does love really conquer all? How can Renee break the news to her "smart talking" mother that she's fallen in love with Jay, a man she met by chance, in only a few days, and oh........he's not black.

Filled with all that you can imagine about a mixed relationship, can Renee and Jay overcome the obstacles that society has set in place? Will they make it past the family introduction?

A novel that has you guessing until the very end, Renee and Jay is a story that's written and told candidly about exactly what happens when opposites attract.

My hats off to Mr. Murray for writing such a GREAT BOOK! I absolutely loved it!