Ava Ward is a highly unusual woman, who has always felt as if she were different from everyone else in the world. Her striking features and stark white, long hair make her appealing to men, but her profession sends them running for the hills. Seeing her father die such a long, lingering death had a huge impact on Ava, and it is because of this experience that she is who she is today. Even her profession was chosen with her father's death in mind. Though everyone is grateful for the existence of doctors, Ava's specialty keeps the men away. She is a protocologist, and sometimes wishes she had gone into a different specialty – until she thinks of her father. Ava would love to meet a man whom she could settle down with, but so far she has found no one. But it seems that her best friend, Lorna, knows a man with the intelligence to match her own, even if he doesn't use it to its full potential. When she sees Arnie for the first time, having arrived in Flintlock for Lorna's wedding, there is no question that something is going to happen between them. She just doesn't know at first whether it will simply be a temporary fling or something more long term…

Arnie has been different all his life. He stands out in his family like a sore thumb, often wondering how his parents spawned him. He is a man of high intelligence and attended MIT on full scholarship. Plenty of companies keep trying to entice him into working for them, the most talked about being NASA. Though he would love to work for NASA, his insecurities and self testing make him believe he is not up to the job. So, he remains in his home town of Flintlock, and works as an overqualified airplane mechanic. In contrast, his siblings are hog farmers with seemingly nary a brain between them, though he does love his family. It's not only his family who are not on his level – it's everyone. Arnie has never met a woman he could consider marrying, until he meets Ava. Now if he can only figure out if she really is an alien from outer space, or a highly intelligent human like himself…

I have been awaiting Arnie's story ever since I finished reading the prequel, Miss Behavior. Arnie endeared himself to me in the previous book, and I was (I do believe) the first to beg Miss Hardin for his own story (though I know not the only one!). Had I even attempted to imagine what path Arnie's own romance would follow, I would have found myself stumped. One thing is for sure: I surely couldn't have come up with the imaginative yet often times confusing tale that Out Of This World is. Mixed into this plot is intelligence beyond your wildest dreams (and not only of the earthly kind!), along with science, a fascination with space (and aliens), and a cast of fabulous yet highly different characters. Oh, and it would be impossible not to mention the electric chemistry between Ava and Arnie. Wowza! Their attraction sizzles right off the screen and seems so real you can picture it in your minds eye. All intimate encounters are described in explicit detail, though they don't all end in sex. There is anal sex in this tale, but otherwise no other sex acts that are likely to offend some readers. I am very happy to have read Arnie's tale, but there were many times I thought 'huh?' and had to move on a tad confused. This may well be a book that needs reading twice to be able to follow and understand the story properly, but it is well worth it – especially if you have been looking forward to Arnie's tale as much as I.

Reviewed by: Elizabeth