I just finished my second read of Daze in the Valley. I really like Jay's stories, and have read most of his longer stories once, a couple of them twice. What I like most is both the size of the stories, but also how he writes the drama in them. I have a quote from DitV that puts it into words for me:
"Even during the rough times earlier in the week, none of them thought of bailing out. They let their frustration show - and boil over at times - but none of them were ready to quit. It wasn't even considered."
There is drama and tension in the stories, but the relationships are mostly rock solid. I say mostly, because there are often small things like in the baseball one where she went partying in New York (though I think it was concluded that she didn't sleep with anyone, don't really remember), or the girl flirting over the phone with an old crush and agreeing to an (to her) innocent dinner in Unforgettable Weeks, or Travis adapting to living with a music star in Runaway Train. The most drama in relationships was probably in Learning Curves, but even then it's very minor compared to alot of stories here. There's no tear jerking, no real cheating and relationships going up in flames. There's drama in other aspects of their lives instead. That's what I'm looking for, stories that are somewhat romantic and dramatic, but the relationships are never really in any real jeopardy, and are long enough to sink some time in. Thanks for your suggestions!