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Inferno #1
Clouded Hell
I survive on avoidance. Physical pain to avoid the mental. Disposable flesh to avoid relationships. Work to avoid attachment. My club became my empire of avoidance. Inside the ring millions are won and lost. The fight is confined to breaths, actions and reactions, fists and pain. Rules don’t exist. Only my opponent exists. I’d been avoiding my needs for far too long when Remi stumbles into the Inferno and I’m hungry. The promise of a submissive with no attachment is far too tempting. I can’t resist him. He was only supposed to be a distraction, but I know I'll never get over him. There isn't a chance in this clouded hell.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2016
123 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Gray
59 books1,272 followersWhen not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it's half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn't writing…well, that's not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
July 22, 2019
*** 3.5 Stars ***
I'm rounding it to 4 because I couldn't put it down.
I'm rounding it to 4 because I couldn't put it down.
March 17, 2016
2.5 stars
This was a different book. I had trouble following all the different ideas floating around in the book. From what I gather, Dante is a underground fighter and a Dominant/Sadist. He is sought out. Remi comes from California to New Orleans seeking out Dante to Dominate him, Remi is a masochist and a switch. He has a submissive in California Kai, who is also a switch and his best-friend. However, Kai and Remi have an open relationship they are really just best-friends with kinky benefits. Kai is also dating Kyle - a guy who is not in the lifestyle at all. So that is our main relationship in the book, in addition to Chris who is a fighter and helps Dante work out his urges ...Dante thinks they are just friends, but Chris seems to have some unrequited feelings towards Dante.
So of you can keep all that straight. Then let's add in the criminal and mafia aspect of the book. That's right, Remi is son of one of the mafia bosses from Las Vegas. Remi has to hide his sexuality because he has seen his dad kill people, family members for being gay. Somehow though Remi's Dad never questions why Remi and Kai live together in California, it's as if he ignores his sons sexuality until he is forced to face it.
So after seeking out Dante, Remi is able to get him to agree to scene with him. See Dante is leery of getting mixed up with anyone after his husband Masen disappeared and left him with a shattered life. But Dante agrees, and he sees that Remi is truly every sadists wet dream! These two have definitely chemistry.
Behind the sex, the criminal activity, the open relationship issues, and the jealousy between partners this book doesn't have much else of a plot. I kept waiting for the story to take off but all I was left with was more and more confusion. Maybe it was just me, but I really didn't get much out of this story.
2.5 stars
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
and Gay Book Reviews
This was a different book. I had trouble following all the different ideas floating around in the book. From what I gather, Dante is a underground fighter and a Dominant/Sadist. He is sought out. Remi comes from California to New Orleans seeking out Dante to Dominate him, Remi is a masochist and a switch. He has a submissive in California Kai, who is also a switch and his best-friend. However, Kai and Remi have an open relationship they are really just best-friends with kinky benefits. Kai is also dating Kyle - a guy who is not in the lifestyle at all. So that is our main relationship in the book, in addition to Chris who is a fighter and helps Dante work out his urges ...Dante thinks they are just friends, but Chris seems to have some unrequited feelings towards Dante.
So of you can keep all that straight. Then let's add in the criminal and mafia aspect of the book. That's right, Remi is son of one of the mafia bosses from Las Vegas. Remi has to hide his sexuality because he has seen his dad kill people, family members for being gay. Somehow though Remi's Dad never questions why Remi and Kai live together in California, it's as if he ignores his sons sexuality until he is forced to face it.
So after seeking out Dante, Remi is able to get him to agree to scene with him. See Dante is leery of getting mixed up with anyone after his husband Masen disappeared and left him with a shattered life. But Dante agrees, and he sees that Remi is truly every sadists wet dream! These two have definitely chemistry.
Behind the sex, the criminal activity, the open relationship issues, and the jealousy between partners this book doesn't have much else of a plot. I kept waiting for the story to take off but all I was left with was more and more confusion. Maybe it was just me, but I really didn't get much out of this story.
2.5 stars
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
and Gay Book Reviews
March 7, 2018
#Drumrole …. I just read “Clouded Hell” by J.R. Gray
Why #Drumrole you wonder ? … because I do not read this kind of genre – like in “never”, well actually I cannot say “never” anymore – can I ?
I feel like right in the middle of the Katy Perry’s song “I kissed a Girl” – because .. I LIKED IT…
The plot sounded so interesting that I could not stop myself from requesting an ARC for this book. It is dark, raw at times but honest and not at all what I would have expected it to be.
While it was difficult to relate to some things at certain points, it was still so well written that I had no other choice than to read it until the end AND like it.
The character development was good and I felt they were both equally strong persons even if in different ways, but still I liked Remi the most.
Even if the whole concept of him as a submissive took some time to get used to, it worked for him (somehow- don’t ask me why).…and on that note I especially liked him in the end.
So take it from someone who #never reads books of that genre when I say this is a good one…
dnf
May 13, 2022DNF at 6%
It’s nobody’s fault, just not the kind of BDSM I was looking for.
It’s nobody’s fault, just not the kind of BDSM I was looking for.
March 23, 2016
NOW LIVE!!! http://amzn.to/22uSfVo
So, SO good!! This is a must read!!
So, SO good!! This is a must read!!
March 13, 2016
** ARC received in exchange for an honest review **
I love JR and where I have loved every book that he has released so far, I didn't with this one. Yeah I LIKED it, but I didn’t love it quite as much as I thought I would.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a bloody good story and very well written, I just felt as though it was a bit unfinished. I think If he was to have left the epilogue out then it would’ve been totally fine. I just think it was pointless. For me an epilogue (if a standalone) should wrap things up and make the reader feel content with the ending for me, it made it feel unfinished. I expected more when I turned the page. I wanted more. So yes, I would’ve preferred it to have ended on the last chapter instead of the epilogue…but that’s just my opinion.
The characters were very well developed and I found it quite intriguing as well as easy to follow the sheer layers and dynamics of each character; especially Remi. He had so many layers, and lives that he slowly started to unravel. He wanted to be one person where other people expected him to be someone completely different. That is until Dante entered his life.
Dante lost the one person he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. Racked with guilt and the emotional pain of not having closure, he buries himself in his work, and the physical pain that comes with being the owner and fighter of his own Underground Fighting Club. He dominated inside the ring and outside. That’s until Remi walks into his life and causes feelings to stir which he swore he wouldn’t feel again.
“I had one revelation in the hell of this day: I liked him more than I should. I was fucked.” ~Dante
They gave each other what they both needed. It was meant to be easy, be exactly what each other needed without attachments, but none of them expected to fall fast and hard for one another.
But with all the backwards and forwards Remi has to do it’s only a matter of time before it explodes.
“This man kneeling before me was a bomb, and when he went off he was going to take out everything in his path.” -Dante
I loved Remi and Dante. I wanted to knock them over the head a few times over, but they were honest. They were real. You could feel the emotions they were feeling and although I wanted to bang their heads together I was routing for them. I wanted them to be together. I wanted them to finally say ‘fuck it’ and do what made them happy instead of trying to please everyone else.
The only thing I didn’t like was the epilogue, like I stated at the beginning.
I would still recommend it and think people would enjoy it as well.
I love JR and where I have loved every book that he has released so far, I didn't with this one. Yeah I LIKED it, but I didn’t love it quite as much as I thought I would.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a bloody good story and very well written, I just felt as though it was a bit unfinished. I think If he was to have left the epilogue out then it would’ve been totally fine. I just think it was pointless. For me an epilogue (if a standalone) should wrap things up and make the reader feel content with the ending for me, it made it feel unfinished. I expected more when I turned the page. I wanted more. So yes, I would’ve preferred it to have ended on the last chapter instead of the epilogue…but that’s just my opinion.
The characters were very well developed and I found it quite intriguing as well as easy to follow the sheer layers and dynamics of each character; especially Remi. He had so many layers, and lives that he slowly started to unravel. He wanted to be one person where other people expected him to be someone completely different. That is until Dante entered his life.
Dante lost the one person he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. Racked with guilt and the emotional pain of not having closure, he buries himself in his work, and the physical pain that comes with being the owner and fighter of his own Underground Fighting Club. He dominated inside the ring and outside. That’s until Remi walks into his life and causes feelings to stir which he swore he wouldn’t feel again.
“I had one revelation in the hell of this day: I liked him more than I should. I was fucked.” ~Dante
They gave each other what they both needed. It was meant to be easy, be exactly what each other needed without attachments, but none of them expected to fall fast and hard for one another.
But with all the backwards and forwards Remi has to do it’s only a matter of time before it explodes.
“This man kneeling before me was a bomb, and when he went off he was going to take out everything in his path.” -Dante
I loved Remi and Dante. I wanted to knock them over the head a few times over, but they were honest. They were real. You could feel the emotions they were feeling and although I wanted to bang their heads together I was routing for them. I wanted them to be together. I wanted them to finally say ‘fuck it’ and do what made them happy instead of trying to please everyone else.
The only thing I didn’t like was the epilogue, like I stated at the beginning.
I would still recommend it and think people would enjoy it as well.
March 23, 2016
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
4.5 Stars
I loved everything about this one except for that damn epilogue – but more about that later!
Clouded Hell is a story that drags you in from the first page. It sometimes leaves you feeling a little confused, it oftentimes leaves you feeling frustrated but overall it was addictive and difficult to put down. At 2am and 70% in I had to admit defeat and finish it the next day but that was a really difficult thing to do!
So if we were to look up the word dominant in the dictionary Dante’s name would be right there. This man defines the word in every aspect of his life. He owns a bar and runs an underground fight club. He is tough and pretty unforgiving. The only glitch in his armour is that he isn’t over the death of his husband – it was the one thing he couldn’t control and still has no control over and he certainly isn’t ready to love again, in fact he isn’t really ready to even feel again. Then in walks Remi and his whole world is turned upside down.
Remi is my kind of character. I totally loved him! He’s the mob boss’s son and is expected to take over and rule the world. He’s a gay man and if his father ever found out he would kill him – literally. He has sworn forever to his best friend Kai who is submissive to him. To the world he presents so many different facets of himself that even he is confused. What he wants, what he needs more than his next breath is a Dom who can take him apart and control him, someone with the strength to deal with all his crap and not be scared off. When he meets Dante he knows he’s found the one man able to give him what he wants but his life is a mess and completely out of control and getting what he wants may cost him more than he realises.
The story is tense, fast paced and extremely hot in places. The secondary characters that are Josh and Kai will raise your blood pressure and you will want to kill Remi’s father when you first meet him. The power exchange between Remi and Dante is intense – every single time.
The epilogue – what the hell! My only thought is that we are going to see more of these men. I really, really hope we are going to see more of these men! Clouded Hell has been left wide open for a second book and fingers crossed that is in the author’s plans as I don’t feel anywhere near finished with Dante and Remi. I would even like to know what happens with Kai as he finally pulled his selfish head out of his ass at the end and helped when needed.
4.5 Stars
I loved everything about this one except for that damn epilogue – but more about that later!
Clouded Hell is a story that drags you in from the first page. It sometimes leaves you feeling a little confused, it oftentimes leaves you feeling frustrated but overall it was addictive and difficult to put down. At 2am and 70% in I had to admit defeat and finish it the next day but that was a really difficult thing to do!
So if we were to look up the word dominant in the dictionary Dante’s name would be right there. This man defines the word in every aspect of his life. He owns a bar and runs an underground fight club. He is tough and pretty unforgiving. The only glitch in his armour is that he isn’t over the death of his husband – it was the one thing he couldn’t control and still has no control over and he certainly isn’t ready to love again, in fact he isn’t really ready to even feel again. Then in walks Remi and his whole world is turned upside down.
Remi is my kind of character. I totally loved him! He’s the mob boss’s son and is expected to take over and rule the world. He’s a gay man and if his father ever found out he would kill him – literally. He has sworn forever to his best friend Kai who is submissive to him. To the world he presents so many different facets of himself that even he is confused. What he wants, what he needs more than his next breath is a Dom who can take him apart and control him, someone with the strength to deal with all his crap and not be scared off. When he meets Dante he knows he’s found the one man able to give him what he wants but his life is a mess and completely out of control and getting what he wants may cost him more than he realises.
The story is tense, fast paced and extremely hot in places. The secondary characters that are Josh and Kai will raise your blood pressure and you will want to kill Remi’s father when you first meet him. The power exchange between Remi and Dante is intense – every single time.
The epilogue – what the hell! My only thought is that we are going to see more of these men. I really, really hope we are going to see more of these men! Clouded Hell has been left wide open for a second book and fingers crossed that is in the author’s plans as I don’t feel anywhere near finished with Dante and Remi. I would even like to know what happens with Kai as he finally pulled his selfish head out of his ass at the end and helped when needed.
Read
March 14, 2016Unfortunately this is my first DNF on a book that I've been asked to review, I gave it a shot and got to 64%. M/M is my thing at the moment and when I read this was M/M fighter, my ovaries flipped and reversed I was going to be in book heaven, it's a genre I'm loving hard.
BUT this book confused the hell out of me, I didn't know where Dante ended and Remi began, the first 50% was a complete game of tennis between the 2 main characters, but with no real background or subsistence about why Remi is seeking to be a sub in the relationship, I couldn't work out much of the time if it was Dante speaking or Remi, I re-read so many paragraphs something I never normally do unless my Kindle is hitting me in the face and it's time to sleep. I really gave Clouded Hell ago, it took me 3 days to get to 64%, normally if I'm into a book I can read in 4-5hrs. It won't put me off giving other books by JR Gray a read, and I actually took advice from a few bloggers as this is an ARC copy for review, but they all said if you can't read it you can't read it, everyone is different.
BUT this book confused the hell out of me, I didn't know where Dante ended and Remi began, the first 50% was a complete game of tennis between the 2 main characters, but with no real background or subsistence about why Remi is seeking to be a sub in the relationship, I couldn't work out much of the time if it was Dante speaking or Remi, I re-read so many paragraphs something I never normally do unless my Kindle is hitting me in the face and it's time to sleep. I really gave Clouded Hell ago, it took me 3 days to get to 64%, normally if I'm into a book I can read in 4-5hrs. It won't put me off giving other books by JR Gray a read, and I actually took advice from a few bloggers as this is an ARC copy for review, but they all said if you can't read it you can't read it, everyone is different.
April 8, 2020
I couldn’t decide if this book deserved three stars or five stars so I compromised with four. It is beautifully written and very entertaining. I love be both Dante and Remi. The ending came too quickly and resolved everything too easily.
March 28, 2016
4,5 stars.
Awesome book, loved Remi and Dante!
Now waiting for a sequel! There is one coming up, right? RIGHT? :)
March 12, 2016
I received an ARC from the author.
“I like to think of it as Clouded Hell. One of the rare cool days you’ve got to hold on to when everything else won’t quit.” - Dante
This is a story about two tortured souls coming together and almost tearing each other and themselves apart in the process. In fact, it is not overstating the situation when I say that while these two men are torturing each other, they’re putting the reader through the wringer as well. From the moment they meet it is clear that Remi and Dante are perfect for each other. They give and take, demand and grant, order and obey in a brutal yet glorious dance that somehow fails to bring them closer together despite their obvious need for each other.
Dante has lost what he thought was the love of his life and knows, with absolute certainty, that not only will he never get over his loss, he’ll also never love again. He fills his days with the fight club he runs, fighting because he needs the release, and alcohol.
Remi has hidden who and what he is all his life and has managed to lose himself in the process. Being all things to everybody leaves very little room for taking care of himself and by the time Remi meets Dante he is far closer to his breaking point than he’s willing or able to acknowledge.
“I’ve settled my entire fucking life. I’ve settled for what everyone else told me was best for me, and I really started to believe my own lies. I started to believe there wasn’t love, or a connection, there was only mutually beneficial ‘okay’. I didn’t think there was a happily ever after in my cards. That true love was bullshit.” - Remi
When Remi and Dante meet the pull between them is instant, overwhelming and irresistible. These two men were made for each other, even if neither of them is willing to recognise or accept the fact. Past issues cloud both their perspectives and may be an obstacle too vast for them to overcome.
As Remi and Dante come together only to pull apart again time and again, I wanted to knock their heads together in the hope of making them see sense, but, as characters are bound to do, they took their own sweet time. When push came to shove though, and everything was on the line, denying feelings was no longer an option and both men came through; for each other and for themselves. But until they got there they shredded my heart to pieces in the best possible way.
I have to be honest and say that there were moments these two men sounded too similar and I had to check the chapter heading to work out whose mind I was in. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing because I firmly believe that it is because they are so very much alike that they can’t walk away from each other, but it did throw me once or twice. For example, the following thought could just as easily have been Remi’s.
“I felt like I was holding my world together with my bare hands as life tore it to shreds.” Dante
At one point in the story I thought: THIS. This is how it’s all going to come apart. And I was right. With Remi and Dante being the men they are, I would have expected the same thought to have occurred to either if not both of them, but it didn’t. I apologize for being vague, but it is quite possible that years of reading thrillers has me conditioned to pick up on moments like the one I refer to, and if that’s the case I don’t want this to be a spoiler for anybody else reading the book. Especially since while it was something I noticed it wasn’t something that made me love either the characters or the story any less.
I’m sure I’m not the only reader who is never able to catch up with all the authors they want to read. J.R. Gray has been on my ‘must read asap’ list ever since Legally Bound was published. Or maybe it happened even earlier—when I first started following @TheOriginalGray on Twitter. And yet, here I am, having to shamefully admit that Clouded Hell is the first book by this author I’ve actually read. It is safe to say it won’t be my last and also that I won’t allow as much time to pass before I pick up the next one. After all, at least a few J.R. Gray titles have been patiently waiting on my Kindle for me to get my reading act together for some time now.
“I like to think of it as Clouded Hell. One of the rare cool days you’ve got to hold on to when everything else won’t quit.” - Dante
This is a story about two tortured souls coming together and almost tearing each other and themselves apart in the process. In fact, it is not overstating the situation when I say that while these two men are torturing each other, they’re putting the reader through the wringer as well. From the moment they meet it is clear that Remi and Dante are perfect for each other. They give and take, demand and grant, order and obey in a brutal yet glorious dance that somehow fails to bring them closer together despite their obvious need for each other.
Dante has lost what he thought was the love of his life and knows, with absolute certainty, that not only will he never get over his loss, he’ll also never love again. He fills his days with the fight club he runs, fighting because he needs the release, and alcohol.
Remi has hidden who and what he is all his life and has managed to lose himself in the process. Being all things to everybody leaves very little room for taking care of himself and by the time Remi meets Dante he is far closer to his breaking point than he’s willing or able to acknowledge.
“I’ve settled my entire fucking life. I’ve settled for what everyone else told me was best for me, and I really started to believe my own lies. I started to believe there wasn’t love, or a connection, there was only mutually beneficial ‘okay’. I didn’t think there was a happily ever after in my cards. That true love was bullshit.” - Remi
When Remi and Dante meet the pull between them is instant, overwhelming and irresistible. These two men were made for each other, even if neither of them is willing to recognise or accept the fact. Past issues cloud both their perspectives and may be an obstacle too vast for them to overcome.
As Remi and Dante come together only to pull apart again time and again, I wanted to knock their heads together in the hope of making them see sense, but, as characters are bound to do, they took their own sweet time. When push came to shove though, and everything was on the line, denying feelings was no longer an option and both men came through; for each other and for themselves. But until they got there they shredded my heart to pieces in the best possible way.
I have to be honest and say that there were moments these two men sounded too similar and I had to check the chapter heading to work out whose mind I was in. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing because I firmly believe that it is because they are so very much alike that they can’t walk away from each other, but it did throw me once or twice. For example, the following thought could just as easily have been Remi’s.
“I felt like I was holding my world together with my bare hands as life tore it to shreds.” Dante
At one point in the story I thought: THIS. This is how it’s all going to come apart. And I was right. With Remi and Dante being the men they are, I would have expected the same thought to have occurred to either if not both of them, but it didn’t. I apologize for being vague, but it is quite possible that years of reading thrillers has me conditioned to pick up on moments like the one I refer to, and if that’s the case I don’t want this to be a spoiler for anybody else reading the book. Especially since while it was something I noticed it wasn’t something that made me love either the characters or the story any less.
I’m sure I’m not the only reader who is never able to catch up with all the authors they want to read. J.R. Gray has been on my ‘must read asap’ list ever since Legally Bound was published. Or maybe it happened even earlier—when I first started following @TheOriginalGray on Twitter. And yet, here I am, having to shamefully admit that Clouded Hell is the first book by this author I’ve actually read. It is safe to say it won’t be my last and also that I won’t allow as much time to pass before I pick up the next one. After all, at least a few J.R. Gray titles have been patiently waiting on my Kindle for me to get my reading act together for some time now.
March 12, 2016
4.5 rounded to 5 stars...
Looking for a sexy story that plays with your mind? Here you go. Remington (Remi) just plays with you while he plays with Dante’s mind. Remi is a D/s switch and even though he is one, he much prefers and identifies with the other. Dante is most definitely a Dominant and uses pain as his distraction to what has happened in his life.
JR Gray weaves these two men together like a choreographed dance. One starts to lead then the other leads, both perfectly timed…just to mess with your head. I didn’t know if I wanted to like Remi or not. I hated that he played with Dante’s mind. But as you read each step of the dance, you really feel Remi’s personal pain and struggle and just can’t help but to cheer him on to realize what he has in Dante.
Remi’s bestfriend, Kai, who takes the part in the D/s with Remi, is just so frustrating, that I really hated him, until the very, very, very end. I think even then, Kai just moved up into dislike territory. I think without Kai, who was just a selfish prick in my opinion, Remi wouldn’t have played Dante so much, but then JR Gray wouldn’t have been able to tap into all your emotions while reading.
The steaminess between these two were just…oh my yummy. JR Gray does really well with the visual aspects of these two that you felt like you were in their heads. There was enough mystery and twists throughout the story that kept you reading and on the edge while wanting to get to know Remi and Dante and if they would ever have their HEA.
Even though Remi was playing mind games, you couldn’t help but to keep reading knowing you were getting sprinkles of what was causing him to do that. Dante truly deserved someone special with his heartfelt pain and I was so happy to see that Remi resolved his own mind games and became the man he truly was and for Dante.
This was well written by JR Gray and though it was a first from this author for me, it will most definitely NOT be my last. I am on a hunt for more.
*I received this ARC to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.*
Looking for a sexy story that plays with your mind? Here you go. Remington (Remi) just plays with you while he plays with Dante’s mind. Remi is a D/s switch and even though he is one, he much prefers and identifies with the other. Dante is most definitely a Dominant and uses pain as his distraction to what has happened in his life.
JR Gray weaves these two men together like a choreographed dance. One starts to lead then the other leads, both perfectly timed…just to mess with your head. I didn’t know if I wanted to like Remi or not. I hated that he played with Dante’s mind. But as you read each step of the dance, you really feel Remi’s personal pain and struggle and just can’t help but to cheer him on to realize what he has in Dante.
Remi’s bestfriend, Kai, who takes the part in the D/s with Remi, is just so frustrating, that I really hated him, until the very, very, very end. I think even then, Kai just moved up into dislike territory. I think without Kai, who was just a selfish prick in my opinion, Remi wouldn’t have played Dante so much, but then JR Gray wouldn’t have been able to tap into all your emotions while reading.
The steaminess between these two were just…oh my yummy. JR Gray does really well with the visual aspects of these two that you felt like you were in their heads. There was enough mystery and twists throughout the story that kept you reading and on the edge while wanting to get to know Remi and Dante and if they would ever have their HEA.
Even though Remi was playing mind games, you couldn’t help but to keep reading knowing you were getting sprinkles of what was causing him to do that. Dante truly deserved someone special with his heartfelt pain and I was so happy to see that Remi resolved his own mind games and became the man he truly was and for Dante.
This was well written by JR Gray and though it was a first from this author for me, it will most definitely NOT be my last. I am on a hunt for more.
*I received this ARC to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.*
March 16, 2016
Title: Clouded Hell
Author: J.R. Gray
Series:
Publisher:Gray Books
Reviewer:Melissa
Release Date:March 23, 2016
Genre(s):M/M Erotic BDSM
Page Count:175
Heat Level: 5 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
“‘But?’ I prompted him, too horny to wait for his leisure. ‘No, but, you’re beautiful, and I want more.’ More was a dangerous word.”
5 clouded stars!! Um, wow, dark, twisted and sexy as sin! I was hooked!
Dante likes to keep to himself, simply because he has a dark past. He enjoys feeling pain but hates dealing with any pain mentally. He’s not a relationship guy, more of the love them and leave them type. Basically he likes to be alone. What he does enjoy is his fight club, where there are no rules. That’s where he meets the sexy SUM Remi. Just the distraction that Dante needs. But after a passionate night together, Dante doesn’t think he can be done with Remi. Is it too much for this dark man? Or can he get let go of his dark past and be with the man he wants?
I’m the first to admit I love a good dark book and this one was it for me! I was sucked in the minute I started reading it!! It was twisted and sinful...I mean what’s not to love there! I love a great brooding man and that man for me was Dante. He’s so irresistible, I can’t say enough about him. This book was so overwhelmingly good, way better than I had anticipated. If you like a good dark book, then this one is for you.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Melissa from Alpha Book Club
Author: J.R. Gray
Series:
Publisher:Gray Books
Reviewer:Melissa
Release Date:March 23, 2016
Genre(s):M/M Erotic BDSM
Page Count:175
Heat Level: 5 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
“‘But?’ I prompted him, too horny to wait for his leisure. ‘No, but, you’re beautiful, and I want more.’ More was a dangerous word.”
5 clouded stars!! Um, wow, dark, twisted and sexy as sin! I was hooked!
Dante likes to keep to himself, simply because he has a dark past. He enjoys feeling pain but hates dealing with any pain mentally. He’s not a relationship guy, more of the love them and leave them type. Basically he likes to be alone. What he does enjoy is his fight club, where there are no rules. That’s where he meets the sexy SUM Remi. Just the distraction that Dante needs. But after a passionate night together, Dante doesn’t think he can be done with Remi. Is it too much for this dark man? Or can he get let go of his dark past and be with the man he wants?
I’m the first to admit I love a good dark book and this one was it for me! I was sucked in the minute I started reading it!! It was twisted and sinful...I mean what’s not to love there! I love a great brooding man and that man for me was Dante. He’s so irresistible, I can’t say enough about him. This book was so overwhelmingly good, way better than I had anticipated. If you like a good dark book, then this one is for you.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Melissa from Alpha Book Club
April 12, 2017
Dante owns a bar and runs an illegal fight club. Remi is the mob boss's son and he needs what Dante has to offer. Complete domination. OMG, can anyone say hotter than hell? Remi has a bff Kai who is his submissive. Yeah, a bit confusing. So everywhere except with Dante, Remi is the dominant. It's not really working all that well for him. Remi and Dante's relationship is the kind that they both need so badly but Remi doesn't seem to be able to get there. It feels like they're torturing each other through most of the book. For some reason, I really loved it. This is not for those who don't enjoy the BDSM.
May 15, 2016
I like Dante and Remi but I feel like nothing was really resolved. Where do they stand? Where do Remi and Kai stand? Dante and Remi were explosive together I just wish that the story resolved some major issues.
March 8, 2016
I LOVED the majority of this book. I wish there was a longer epilogue unless this is a series? The story kept my attention the entire time. Full review coming on The Smut-Brarians.
Read
April 25, 2016I'm dnfing, not because it's poorly written or a bad story or anything - it's just super BDSM and I'm having a hard time with it.
Those who love BDSM books might want to try it :)
Those who love BDSM books might want to try it :)
March 12, 2018
An illegal fight club run by a dom makes for a hell of an entertaining story. Seriously sexy and dark. I liked it a lot!
March 23, 2016
There are a few authors I turn to in this genre when I’m in the mood for something a little edgy, a little raw, a little gritty. One of them is J.R. Gray. And, as if you couldn’t already tell from its title, his new novel, Clouded Hell, is not a shmoopy romance.
What Clouded Hell is, however, is an interesting character study. Its protagonists, Dante Bane and Remi Caci, are both flawed in a variety of ways—Dante due to a loss from which he’s still trying to recover, with little success; Remi because he’s been so busy being someone he’s not for other people, and denying so much of who he is in the process, that he’s no longer comfortable in his own skin. The common bond between the two men is the fear of freeing themselves from the emotional and psychological ties that bind them, and it’s robbing them of even the smallest measure of peace.
Dante runs a fight club in the basement of his bar in New Orleans, where high stakes gambling ensures it’s a lucrative trade. Not only does he run the business, but he fights as well—it’s an alternative means of release when the sadist in him needs a fix. Remi is the son of a mobster who lives with his best friend Kai in California, owns a tattoo shop through which he launders a portion of his father’s dirty money, and has his own stable of fighters in Vegas.
Of the two men, Remi’s life is inarguably more complicated—it’s not easy being the closeted gay son of a homophobic father with mafia ties, a man who has no qualms about killing people, even family, he deems unfit to live. Remi toes an impossible line with the Caci patriarch: wishing he could live up to his father’s expectations…yet knowing to the core of his being that he never will. But being gay is not the only part of himself Remi’s been hiding. Though he’s been Kai’s Dom for years, Remi is a switch (perhaps even more natural sub than Dom) who’s not only been depriving himself of the need to submit but is also ashamed of the fact that the need to be dominated even exists as a part of who he is, seeing his submission as yet another weakness heaped upon his failings as a son.
Turning to Dante, the sadist Remi homes in on as the man he needs to be dominated by—no sex, no strings attached, just pain for the sake of fulfilling his masochistic side—seems like the answer to both of their problems. And it might have been too, if their scenes hadn’t evolved into a thing of intimate desires and complicated emotions. Dante can’t afford to become attached to Remi, or any man, for that matter. Remi can’t disentangle himself from the life he was born to, or the life he created for himself when he and Kai moved to California to put some distance between Remi and his family legacy. There seems to be little chance Dante and Remi will work together. And yet, they’re two pieces of a complex puzzle whose roughest edges fit together to complete a mutual need. Their heads may be saying, no, no, no, but their bodies are saying, yeah, right, whatever. And it’s this conflict heaped upon all the baggage they carry that creates the clouded hell alluded to in the novel’s title.
The fight scenes and the BDSM scenes in this book were both written with the same amount of intensity and a concurrent vibe—each visceral and serving a physical imperative for Dante and Remi. The eroticism is not in short supply either. In fact, Gray brings his A-game in terms of the scenes these two men are in together—whether there’s BDSM involved or not. There’s just a great chemistry between them that’s based partially in denial and partially in obsession.
Clouded Hell isn’t a perfect book—there was one continuity issue that had me scratching my head a little—but any niggles I had were outweighed by how much I liked this novel’s darker atmosphere, the characters and the conflict, and the message that sometimes the mere act of existing is complicated; sometimes we live in a hell of our own making; sometimes hell is forced on us by circumstance; and sometimes, if you’re lucky, you might find someone who’s willing to exist in your hell with you.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
What Clouded Hell is, however, is an interesting character study. Its protagonists, Dante Bane and Remi Caci, are both flawed in a variety of ways—Dante due to a loss from which he’s still trying to recover, with little success; Remi because he’s been so busy being someone he’s not for other people, and denying so much of who he is in the process, that he’s no longer comfortable in his own skin. The common bond between the two men is the fear of freeing themselves from the emotional and psychological ties that bind them, and it’s robbing them of even the smallest measure of peace.
Dante runs a fight club in the basement of his bar in New Orleans, where high stakes gambling ensures it’s a lucrative trade. Not only does he run the business, but he fights as well—it’s an alternative means of release when the sadist in him needs a fix. Remi is the son of a mobster who lives with his best friend Kai in California, owns a tattoo shop through which he launders a portion of his father’s dirty money, and has his own stable of fighters in Vegas.
Of the two men, Remi’s life is inarguably more complicated—it’s not easy being the closeted gay son of a homophobic father with mafia ties, a man who has no qualms about killing people, even family, he deems unfit to live. Remi toes an impossible line with the Caci patriarch: wishing he could live up to his father’s expectations…yet knowing to the core of his being that he never will. But being gay is not the only part of himself Remi’s been hiding. Though he’s been Kai’s Dom for years, Remi is a switch (perhaps even more natural sub than Dom) who’s not only been depriving himself of the need to submit but is also ashamed of the fact that the need to be dominated even exists as a part of who he is, seeing his submission as yet another weakness heaped upon his failings as a son.
Turning to Dante, the sadist Remi homes in on as the man he needs to be dominated by—no sex, no strings attached, just pain for the sake of fulfilling his masochistic side—seems like the answer to both of their problems. And it might have been too, if their scenes hadn’t evolved into a thing of intimate desires and complicated emotions. Dante can’t afford to become attached to Remi, or any man, for that matter. Remi can’t disentangle himself from the life he was born to, or the life he created for himself when he and Kai moved to California to put some distance between Remi and his family legacy. There seems to be little chance Dante and Remi will work together. And yet, they’re two pieces of a complex puzzle whose roughest edges fit together to complete a mutual need. Their heads may be saying, no, no, no, but their bodies are saying, yeah, right, whatever. And it’s this conflict heaped upon all the baggage they carry that creates the clouded hell alluded to in the novel’s title.
The fight scenes and the BDSM scenes in this book were both written with the same amount of intensity and a concurrent vibe—each visceral and serving a physical imperative for Dante and Remi. The eroticism is not in short supply either. In fact, Gray brings his A-game in terms of the scenes these two men are in together—whether there’s BDSM involved or not. There’s just a great chemistry between them that’s based partially in denial and partially in obsession.
Clouded Hell isn’t a perfect book—there was one continuity issue that had me scratching my head a little—but any niggles I had were outweighed by how much I liked this novel’s darker atmosphere, the characters and the conflict, and the message that sometimes the mere act of existing is complicated; sometimes we live in a hell of our own making; sometimes hell is forced on us by circumstance; and sometimes, if you’re lucky, you might find someone who’s willing to exist in your hell with you.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
April 24, 2016
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Okay, lets see if I can make sense of what I'm left feeling, shall we? I usually write a blurby bit, but I can't so here's the official one:
I survive on avoidance. Physical pain to avoid the mental. Disposable flesh to avoid relationships. Work to avoid attachment.
My club became my empire of avoidance. Inside the ring millions are won and lost. The fight is confined to breaths, actions and reactions, fists and pain. Rules don’t exist. Only my opponent exists.
I’d been avoiding my needs for far too long when Remi stumbles into the Inferno and I’m hungry. The promise of a submissive with no attachment is far too tempting. I can’t resist him.
He was only supposed to be a distraction, but I know I'll never get over him. There isn't a chance in this clouded hell.
And I'm gonna have to start with a bit of a confession. I was asked to read this, I didn't look too closely at the blurb, just that Gray wrote it, and after reading the Bound series a short time ago, I just said yes.
I will also admit to starting to read this an wonder whether I would finish it. Here's why. A long while ago, I was asked to read a book the was loosely, very VERY loosely similar to this, in that both parties needed physical pain. I couldn't read THAT book. I HATED that book.
BUT! THIS book?? Awesome, absolutely freaking awesome.
YES, its very dark.
Yes, both Remi and Dante need that pain, but they feed that off each other.
yes, both men are walking across the line of legal and illegal activities.
Yes, its written, in the first person, from both men's POV (lalalalalalalalalala, yeah yeah, I know, I KNOW!!!)
And it really is awesome. But not in a lovey dovey way, not in a hearts and flowers way. In a way that touches you, deep, in here *touching heart* regardless of all those yeses up there, regardless of the subject matter, or the way its delivered. We get deep into each man's soul, and each soul is a dark and as broken as the other. They NEED each other, not just for release, but just BECAUSE.
You don't get it, not all of it, in one go. You don't get why Dante still mourns his husband after 5 years. You don't get why Remi needs to keep his secret, just what Remi and Kai's relationship is really based on. I'm still not 100% sure I get it all, and this may well **insert gasps!** require a reread, and ya'll know how I feel about that.
I don't wanna gush, because this NOT a fluffy romance, I have doubts as to whether Gray could write such a book, and usually, I can gush about those and its an acceptable review. I CANNOT gush about this book. I CAN tell you, though, that this book is not an easy read. It is not one of those books you can breeze though and jump straight into the next one. I couldn't. I had to play cards, facebook and twitter about last night when I went to bed, because I could not bring myself to start a new book. My mind was whirling around about how to right this review and NOW, I'm waffling. I'm sorry. It made me, not quite cry, but very very nearly.
Bringing all that together, if you like darker books, with badly broken characters, who can't quite bring themselves to say what they need til pushed, HARD, then this might well be one for you.
5 deeply damaged but shining oh-so-brightly stars
**same worded review will appear wherever I can find this book, upon release**
Okay, lets see if I can make sense of what I'm left feeling, shall we? I usually write a blurby bit, but I can't so here's the official one:
I survive on avoidance. Physical pain to avoid the mental. Disposable flesh to avoid relationships. Work to avoid attachment.
My club became my empire of avoidance. Inside the ring millions are won and lost. The fight is confined to breaths, actions and reactions, fists and pain. Rules don’t exist. Only my opponent exists.
I’d been avoiding my needs for far too long when Remi stumbles into the Inferno and I’m hungry. The promise of a submissive with no attachment is far too tempting. I can’t resist him.
He was only supposed to be a distraction, but I know I'll never get over him. There isn't a chance in this clouded hell.
And I'm gonna have to start with a bit of a confession. I was asked to read this, I didn't look too closely at the blurb, just that Gray wrote it, and after reading the Bound series a short time ago, I just said yes.
I will also admit to starting to read this an wonder whether I would finish it. Here's why. A long while ago, I was asked to read a book the was loosely, very VERY loosely similar to this, in that both parties needed physical pain. I couldn't read THAT book. I HATED that book.
BUT! THIS book?? Awesome, absolutely freaking awesome.
YES, its very dark.
Yes, both Remi and Dante need that pain, but they feed that off each other.
yes, both men are walking across the line of legal and illegal activities.
Yes, its written, in the first person, from both men's POV (lalalalalalalalalala, yeah yeah, I know, I KNOW!!!)
And it really is awesome. But not in a lovey dovey way, not in a hearts and flowers way. In a way that touches you, deep, in here *touching heart* regardless of all those yeses up there, regardless of the subject matter, or the way its delivered. We get deep into each man's soul, and each soul is a dark and as broken as the other. They NEED each other, not just for release, but just BECAUSE.
You don't get it, not all of it, in one go. You don't get why Dante still mourns his husband after 5 years. You don't get why Remi needs to keep his secret, just what Remi and Kai's relationship is really based on. I'm still not 100% sure I get it all, and this may well **insert gasps!** require a reread, and ya'll know how I feel about that.
I don't wanna gush, because this NOT a fluffy romance, I have doubts as to whether Gray could write such a book, and usually, I can gush about those and its an acceptable review. I CANNOT gush about this book. I CAN tell you, though, that this book is not an easy read. It is not one of those books you can breeze though and jump straight into the next one. I couldn't. I had to play cards, facebook and twitter about last night when I went to bed, because I could not bring myself to start a new book. My mind was whirling around about how to right this review and NOW, I'm waffling. I'm sorry. It made me, not quite cry, but very very nearly.
Bringing all that together, if you like darker books, with badly broken characters, who can't quite bring themselves to say what they need til pushed, HARD, then this might well be one for you.
5 deeply damaged but shining oh-so-brightly stars
**same worded review will appear wherever I can find this book, upon release**
March 16, 2016
** ARC received in exchange for an honest review **
I love JR and where I have loved every book that he has released so far, I can only say I LIKED it, but I didn’t love it quite as much as I thought I would.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a bloody good story and very well written, I just felt as though it was a bit unfinished. I think If he was to have left the epilogue out then it would’ve been totally fine. I just think it was pointless. For me an epilogue (if a standalone) should wrap things up and make the reader feel content with the ending for me, it made it feel unfinished. I expected more when I turned the page. I wanted more. So yes, I would’ve preferred it to have ended on the last chapter instead of the epilogue…but that’s just my opinion.
The characters were very well developed and I found it quite intriguing as well as easy to follow the sheer layers and dynamics of each character; especially Remi. He had so many layers, and lives that he slowly started to unravel. He wanted to be one person where other people expected him to be someone completely different. That is until Dante entered his life.
Dante lost the one person he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. Racked with guilt and the emotional pain of not having closure, he buries himself in his work, and the physical pain that comes with being the owner and fighter of his own Underground Fighting Club. He dominated inside the ring and outside. That’s until Remi walks into his life and causes feelings to stir which he swore he wouldn’t feel again.
“I had one revelation in the hell of this day: I liked him more than I should. I was fucked.”
They gave each other what they both needed. It was meant to be easy, be exactly what each other needed without attachments, but none of them expected to fall fast and hard for one another.
But with all the backwards and forwards Remi has to do it’s only a matter of time before it explodes.
“This man kneeling before me was a bomb, and when he went off he was going to take out everything in his path.” -Dante
I loved Remi and Dante. I wanted to knock them over the head a few times over, but they were honest. They were real. You could feel the emotions they were feeling and although I wanted to bang their heads together I was routing for them. I wanted them to be together. I wanted them to finally say ‘fuck it’ and do what made them happy instead of trying to please everyone else.
The only thing I didn’t like was the epilogue, like I stated at the beginning.
I would still recommend it and think people would enjoy it as well.
I love JR and where I have loved every book that he has released so far, I can only say I LIKED it, but I didn’t love it quite as much as I thought I would.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a bloody good story and very well written, I just felt as though it was a bit unfinished. I think If he was to have left the epilogue out then it would’ve been totally fine. I just think it was pointless. For me an epilogue (if a standalone) should wrap things up and make the reader feel content with the ending for me, it made it feel unfinished. I expected more when I turned the page. I wanted more. So yes, I would’ve preferred it to have ended on the last chapter instead of the epilogue…but that’s just my opinion.
The characters were very well developed and I found it quite intriguing as well as easy to follow the sheer layers and dynamics of each character; especially Remi. He had so many layers, and lives that he slowly started to unravel. He wanted to be one person where other people expected him to be someone completely different. That is until Dante entered his life.
Dante lost the one person he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. Racked with guilt and the emotional pain of not having closure, he buries himself in his work, and the physical pain that comes with being the owner and fighter of his own Underground Fighting Club. He dominated inside the ring and outside. That’s until Remi walks into his life and causes feelings to stir which he swore he wouldn’t feel again.
“I had one revelation in the hell of this day: I liked him more than I should. I was fucked.”
They gave each other what they both needed. It was meant to be easy, be exactly what each other needed without attachments, but none of them expected to fall fast and hard for one another.
But with all the backwards and forwards Remi has to do it’s only a matter of time before it explodes.
“This man kneeling before me was a bomb, and when he went off he was going to take out everything in his path.” -Dante
I loved Remi and Dante. I wanted to knock them over the head a few times over, but they were honest. They were real. You could feel the emotions they were feeling and although I wanted to bang their heads together I was routing for them. I wanted them to be together. I wanted them to finally say ‘fuck it’ and do what made them happy instead of trying to please everyone else.
The only thing I didn’t like was the epilogue, like I stated at the beginning.
I would still recommend it and think people would enjoy it as well.
March 28, 2016
MORE…….I NEED MORE….My heart has fallen love with Remi & Dante.
Have you ever read a book that you knew would shred you to pieces and you weren’t sure whether or not the author would be able to put YOU….yes YOU back to pieces? Never mind putting the characters back to pieces but physically making the reader whole again because if you read a book that draws you in like Gray’s books do you become part of that book. Well…...Clouded Hell is one of those books.
I undeniably adore anything JR Gray writes which is why I am always nervous about reading one of his stories. He is an automatic read regardless of what he writes and I never (ever) read the blurb as I know he will give me one hell of a story.
I am not one to give spoilers as I feel each reader needs to read it to make their own opinion. I will however express my everlasting love for the characters that JR Gray creates for us and the amazing storylines that will suck you in and spit you out.
This story was hard to read (in a good way) as Gray had me thinking it would end in too many different scenarios. I was biting my nails and covering my eyes all while cursing him out for once again putting me through the emotional wringer. There were areas where I thought my heart would come out of my chest and the next I wanted to sob like a baby. (OK….I really did sob quietly for a bit). His writing is flawless and his characters are intense.
Remi & Dante each have their secrets which made for a passionate roller-coaster of OMG moments. If you have never read JR Gray’s work WHAT.ARE.YOU.WAITING.FOR! If you are a veteran of his work…well….you know what you are getting into.
The only complaint that I have about Clouded Hell is that I needed MORE…More of everything….More heartbreaking moments…More sweet moments between Remi & Dante……More intense moments between them…JUST MORE...of them.. This book is not short by any means and I am just greedy when it comes to fantastic stories that I could read about for weeks.
Job well done Mr. Gray! This is at the top of my all-time favorite reads ever. I beg and plead for more of Remi & Dante (and I’m not talking about the extended scene in the PB). I hope you re-visit them in the future!
Have you ever read a book that you knew would shred you to pieces and you weren’t sure whether or not the author would be able to put YOU….yes YOU back to pieces? Never mind putting the characters back to pieces but physically making the reader whole again because if you read a book that draws you in like Gray’s books do you become part of that book. Well…...Clouded Hell is one of those books.
I undeniably adore anything JR Gray writes which is why I am always nervous about reading one of his stories. He is an automatic read regardless of what he writes and I never (ever) read the blurb as I know he will give me one hell of a story.
I am not one to give spoilers as I feel each reader needs to read it to make their own opinion. I will however express my everlasting love for the characters that JR Gray creates for us and the amazing storylines that will suck you in and spit you out.
This story was hard to read (in a good way) as Gray had me thinking it would end in too many different scenarios. I was biting my nails and covering my eyes all while cursing him out for once again putting me through the emotional wringer. There were areas where I thought my heart would come out of my chest and the next I wanted to sob like a baby. (OK….I really did sob quietly for a bit). His writing is flawless and his characters are intense.
Remi & Dante each have their secrets which made for a passionate roller-coaster of OMG moments. If you have never read JR Gray’s work WHAT.ARE.YOU.WAITING.FOR! If you are a veteran of his work…well….you know what you are getting into.
The only complaint that I have about Clouded Hell is that I needed MORE…More of everything….More heartbreaking moments…More sweet moments between Remi & Dante……More intense moments between them…JUST MORE...of them.. This book is not short by any means and I am just greedy when it comes to fantastic stories that I could read about for weeks.
Job well done Mr. Gray! This is at the top of my all-time favorite reads ever. I beg and plead for more of Remi & Dante (and I’m not talking about the extended scene in the PB). I hope you re-visit them in the future!
March 24, 2016
If I was giving this review audibly, you wouldn’t hear much right now…I feel like a fish out of water with my mouth opening and closing. I’m going to be completely honest and tell you that the cryptic behavior of Remi and Dante was hard to follow and pissed me off at the beginning of the book. I actually started reading this book on Saturday but didn’t finish until Thursday because I put it down for a couple of days and read something else when I got about 1/3 of the way through this book. I’m so f*cking glad I picked it back up to finish it.
I will admit that I don’t understand the need for pain so I have a hard time reading those scenes. I was also extremely frustrated with not finding out the full story behind both men until getting pretty far into the book. The cryptic conversations between them had me wanting to strangle them. But when everything was stripped away and we were able to see who they are and what they feel, I had a hard time not choking on my emotion. I typically like books with heavy feels and lots of sappy romance. This book isn’t that, although it does have very heavy emotions and at the end of the book I know without a shadow of a doubt how Dante and Remi feel for each other and everyone else in their lives. By the end of the book you will be as raw as Dante and Remi and you will be glad you made it to the end with them.
There were a few scenes that completely took my breath away. There were several scenes that made me mad or frustrated me and made me want to lash out at Gray for putting me through this. But I’m so, so glad I read this and can’t recommend it enough – even if like me, you don’t care for the pain and really prefer the sappy romance stories.
And even though we don’t really get the sappy romance here, Gray does give us this…
“In the smallest ways, in those early hours, I realized I loved you in a million different ways, and none of them for the face you put on. I love you for who you are when you’re stripped raw.”
I will admit that I don’t understand the need for pain so I have a hard time reading those scenes. I was also extremely frustrated with not finding out the full story behind both men until getting pretty far into the book. The cryptic conversations between them had me wanting to strangle them. But when everything was stripped away and we were able to see who they are and what they feel, I had a hard time not choking on my emotion. I typically like books with heavy feels and lots of sappy romance. This book isn’t that, although it does have very heavy emotions and at the end of the book I know without a shadow of a doubt how Dante and Remi feel for each other and everyone else in their lives. By the end of the book you will be as raw as Dante and Remi and you will be glad you made it to the end with them.
There were a few scenes that completely took my breath away. There were several scenes that made me mad or frustrated me and made me want to lash out at Gray for putting me through this. But I’m so, so glad I read this and can’t recommend it enough – even if like me, you don’t care for the pain and really prefer the sappy romance stories.
And even though we don’t really get the sappy romance here, Gray does give us this…
“In the smallest ways, in those early hours, I realized I loved you in a million different ways, and none of them for the face you put on. I love you for who you are when you’re stripped raw.”
July 4, 2016
I went into the book blind, having no idea how this author was as a writer...or how this story was going to play out.
Dante and Remi. Dear Lord. These two....... I am afraid that I can't leave a review good enough without totally giving away major plot lines....but I will try.
Like the synopsis states: "I survive on avoidance. Physical pain to avoid the mental. Disposable flesh to avoid relationships. Work to avoid attachment. My club became my empire of avoidance. Inside the ring millions are won and lost. The fight is confined to breaths, actions and reactions, fists and pain. Rules don’t exist. Only my opponent exists" This is Dante. He has been suffering for years since the death of his husband. He's a Dom, he likes to inflict pain...but inside the ring, he also likes to feel pain. He barely sleeps, has few friends, and is just existing, mourning the loss of his husband.
"I’d been avoiding my needs for far too long when Remi stumbles into the Inferno and I’m hungry. The promise of a submissive with no attachment is far too tempting. I can’t resist him. He was only supposed to be a distraction, but I know I'll never get over him. There isn't a chance in this clouded hell" When Remi seeks out Dante, it's for his own selfish needs. But they both quickly realize that they are drawn to each other. Remi has baggage and he is torn between the life he lives and the life he wants. He puts rules in place, thinking he can fight what he needs and feels, but the need between these two is just too strong to resist.
I absolutely loved Dante and Remi. Together, they were everything. This story was wonderfully written and honestly, beautiful in my own opinion. It drew me in from the beginning and I could not put it down until I was finished.
My only regret is that this story is over. I didn't want it to end and I wish there was more.
Dante and Remi. Dear Lord. These two....... I am afraid that I can't leave a review good enough without totally giving away major plot lines....but I will try.
Like the synopsis states: "I survive on avoidance. Physical pain to avoid the mental. Disposable flesh to avoid relationships. Work to avoid attachment. My club became my empire of avoidance. Inside the ring millions are won and lost. The fight is confined to breaths, actions and reactions, fists and pain. Rules don’t exist. Only my opponent exists" This is Dante. He has been suffering for years since the death of his husband. He's a Dom, he likes to inflict pain...but inside the ring, he also likes to feel pain. He barely sleeps, has few friends, and is just existing, mourning the loss of his husband.
"I’d been avoiding my needs for far too long when Remi stumbles into the Inferno and I’m hungry. The promise of a submissive with no attachment is far too tempting. I can’t resist him. He was only supposed to be a distraction, but I know I'll never get over him. There isn't a chance in this clouded hell" When Remi seeks out Dante, it's for his own selfish needs. But they both quickly realize that they are drawn to each other. Remi has baggage and he is torn between the life he lives and the life he wants. He puts rules in place, thinking he can fight what he needs and feels, but the need between these two is just too strong to resist.
I absolutely loved Dante and Remi. Together, they were everything. This story was wonderfully written and honestly, beautiful in my own opinion. It drew me in from the beginning and I could not put it down until I was finished.
My only regret is that this story is over. I didn't want it to end and I wish there was more.
March 14, 2016
When book characters live in your head and you are NOT the author...then you know it's a good book. Remi and Dante have lived with me for the last week and all I could think about was what happens next? Worried, couldn't shake the feeling of danger, concern and excitement. It was all there this week as I read this book.
JR Grey writes an amazing story about two men, each with their own troubled past. Trying to find happiness, they struggle with trying to make themselves happy while pleasing everyone else. Does it work? Well... Dante and Remi have a lot to learn before they can find happiness but each step in the process brings another challenge or lesson for them. This is where the story gets really good. Just when you think they have figured it out, another twist and turn around the corner and bam, they are back to the drawing board. Emotional roller coaster one would say.
I love how JR Grey writes. The reader is always surprised and left to wonder what's next even if you think it's going to go one way. I came to love Remi and Dante, felt sorry for them, care about them and wanted to smack the heck out of Dante sometimes. Even the minor characters in the story are important to the ending. Liv and Josh play an important role in the outcome of the puzzle the author created.
JR Grey has written another fabulous book with amazing scenes between the characters in the playroom. The passion between the characters is obvious and can be felt through the book, as if the reader was in the room with them. Amazing scenes. I can't wait for another book by this author. What a talent!
JR Grey writes an amazing story about two men, each with their own troubled past. Trying to find happiness, they struggle with trying to make themselves happy while pleasing everyone else. Does it work? Well... Dante and Remi have a lot to learn before they can find happiness but each step in the process brings another challenge or lesson for them. This is where the story gets really good. Just when you think they have figured it out, another twist and turn around the corner and bam, they are back to the drawing board. Emotional roller coaster one would say.
I love how JR Grey writes. The reader is always surprised and left to wonder what's next even if you think it's going to go one way. I came to love Remi and Dante, felt sorry for them, care about them and wanted to smack the heck out of Dante sometimes. Even the minor characters in the story are important to the ending. Liv and Josh play an important role in the outcome of the puzzle the author created.
JR Grey has written another fabulous book with amazing scenes between the characters in the playroom. The passion between the characters is obvious and can be felt through the book, as if the reader was in the room with them. Amazing scenes. I can't wait for another book by this author. What a talent!
March 9, 2016
This book left me speechless. It was so much more then what I thought it would be by reading the description of it. It was just wow.....
Dante is a man who lost what he thought was he love of his life and never had any closure with the death. He owns an underground flight club but he also is a fighter himself. Not for the money or the fame but because he likes the pain and likes to punish himself for the loss of his husband.
Remington (or better known as Rem) is the son of a mob boss from Vegas. His dad has many expectations of his son but they are not he same as what Rem wants for himself. Rem hides who he truly is from his father which is a gay man and a switch as far as a Dom/submissive. His true self is submissive though he fights it.
When Dante and Rem meet wills clash, they are at war for dominance with one another, the heat from the two of them just flies off the pages.
This book is a book that gives you just enough information about what is truly going on to keep you pulled in and wanting more. It leaves you guessing what is going to happen next to only surprise you what actually happens. I kept finding myself questioning back in forth whether Dante and Rem should or should not end up together and whether they were or were not toxic to each other. But in the end I found myself rooting for them and hoping they would make it out on the other side. But again, JR Gray kept throwing in surprise after surprise to the very end. Definitely a book that kept you on the edge of your seat.
So worth the read. And will say many people will love this book as much as I did. Great job.
Dante is a man who lost what he thought was he love of his life and never had any closure with the death. He owns an underground flight club but he also is a fighter himself. Not for the money or the fame but because he likes the pain and likes to punish himself for the loss of his husband.
Remington (or better known as Rem) is the son of a mob boss from Vegas. His dad has many expectations of his son but they are not he same as what Rem wants for himself. Rem hides who he truly is from his father which is a gay man and a switch as far as a Dom/submissive. His true self is submissive though he fights it.
When Dante and Rem meet wills clash, they are at war for dominance with one another, the heat from the two of them just flies off the pages.
This book is a book that gives you just enough information about what is truly going on to keep you pulled in and wanting more. It leaves you guessing what is going to happen next to only surprise you what actually happens. I kept finding myself questioning back in forth whether Dante and Rem should or should not end up together and whether they were or were not toxic to each other. But in the end I found myself rooting for them and hoping they would make it out on the other side. But again, JR Gray kept throwing in surprise after surprise to the very end. Definitely a book that kept you on the edge of your seat.
So worth the read. And will say many people will love this book as much as I did. Great job.
March 11, 2016
Clouded Hell by J.R. Gray
4 stars
M/M Romance, SM
Triggers: Homophobic family, attempted murder, illegal activites
I was given this book for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
This was an amazing story. Remi and Dante have a great connection - they just seem to understand each other. Dante had a deep seeded desire to inflict control and pain on someone equally willing to accept his pain. It was intense, riveting and the bond that was formed between Remi and Dante was unbreakable.
I did dislike that their relationship was very push and pull. It was an "I love you, I'm leaving you, I need you" roller coaster and it became somewhat tired. I disliked how unsettled Remi was about his life, but could understand why, once all was said and done.
Watching the relationship develop between Remi and Dante was like watching a deer learn to walk - wobbly, unsteady, bu then, it just clicked.
I also really liked the secondary characters in Dante's life. You learned that perhaps he was not always so hard - past experiences had shaped him, but his friends had stuck it out and stayed with him through it all.
Kai was a pain, for me. I thought he was selfish and I had a difficult time feeling back for him. He seemed so spoiled and ungrateful. However, when it counted, he was able to pull it together and be the friend he claimed he had always been.
Overall, this was a great story with a lot of moving parts. The constant was how Remi and Dante felt about each other.
4 stars
M/M Romance, SM
Triggers: Homophobic family, attempted murder, illegal activites
I was given this book for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
This was an amazing story. Remi and Dante have a great connection - they just seem to understand each other. Dante had a deep seeded desire to inflict control and pain on someone equally willing to accept his pain. It was intense, riveting and the bond that was formed between Remi and Dante was unbreakable.
I did dislike that their relationship was very push and pull. It was an "I love you, I'm leaving you, I need you" roller coaster and it became somewhat tired. I disliked how unsettled Remi was about his life, but could understand why, once all was said and done.
Watching the relationship develop between Remi and Dante was like watching a deer learn to walk - wobbly, unsteady, bu then, it just clicked.
I also really liked the secondary characters in Dante's life. You learned that perhaps he was not always so hard - past experiences had shaped him, but his friends had stuck it out and stayed with him through it all.
Kai was a pain, for me. I thought he was selfish and I had a difficult time feeling back for him. He seemed so spoiled and ungrateful. However, when it counted, he was able to pull it together and be the friend he claimed he had always been.
Overall, this was a great story with a lot of moving parts. The constant was how Remi and Dante felt about each other.
July 3, 2017
Is that it?!?
Well, the story itself kept me on the edge of my seat with all the secrets between the Dante and Remi. Their story was told well and I am hoping there might be more to it by another book. IMO the ending was left with too much left, not just with each other, but with Remi's father, Kia, Josh and Liv. I don't want o go into anything specific since I don't want to give any any spoilers. I would say give it an epilogue, but even that would be not enough. I really enjoyed this book, and cannot wait to see what else the author has to offer.
Well, the story itself kept me on the edge of my seat with all the secrets between the Dante and Remi. Their story was told well and I am hoping there might be more to it by another book. IMO the ending was left with too much left, not just with each other, but with Remi's father, Kia, Josh and Liv. I don't want o go into anything specific since I don't want to give any any spoilers. I would say give it an epilogue, but even that would be not enough. I really enjoyed this book, and cannot wait to see what else the author has to offer.
March 21, 2016
Stunning cover! Release day review to come.
April 19, 2020
3.5 stars
there were a lot of things that really worked and that I really liked, but the writing style didn't work for me, and that's a personal thing, so nothing against the author or anything, it just didn't work for me.
I also
I would have liked for the writing to just be clearer at points. There were times when the dialogue or inner dialogue just didn't work for me or felt repetitive or unnecessary but there were seriously great moments of connection and depth.
I got frustrated with both characters at different times, mostly Remi, but that had more to do with Kai.
there were a lot of things that really worked and that I really liked, but the writing style didn't work for me, and that's a personal thing, so nothing against the author or anything, it just didn't work for me.
I also
I would have liked for the writing to just be clearer at points. There were times when the dialogue or inner dialogue just didn't work for me or felt repetitive or unnecessary but there were seriously great moments of connection and depth.
I got frustrated with both characters at different times, mostly Remi, but that had more to do with Kai.
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