Rewritten by J.R. Gray Instagram Tour

Movie star 102: The headlines are never what they seem.

Quellcrist wasn’t new to fame or the effect it had on a relationship. He’d been married in the spotlight for as long as he’d been famous. But that was before Hale. He knew it was going to test him but even he hadn’t known the toll that months apart would take on his fledgling relationship.

Long days of shooting, different time zones, calls every day dwindled to days without calls, and rumors were all over the rags. Through it all Quell had to battle his own worst enemy but he didn’t know how to win against something inside him. Depression ate him whole and pain took over.

There was so much more at stake than losing his boyfriend, he was losing his best friend. His lifeline, the love of his life. Was there any way to come back from the damage done?

Can they rewrite their ending?

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Rewritten is the second book and starts off right where Unscripted left us. You cannot read this one as a standalone, you have to read book one first to understand the past and current relationship.

In Unscripted, Quell and Hale finally get together, now we get to see how they navigate their relationship and the media. I love a good angst-filled read and this did not disappoint. The emotion is raw and so real. Quell's depression takes hold, it’s heartbreaking it's so authentic.

This book can take the reader down a path they weren't expecting so be warned, it is an emotional read but so worth it in the end.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars of sadness and miscommunications

This is the second book in the series, and you absolutely have to have read book one to be able to fathom what is happening here and why.

We start off back with Hale and Quell in their new home, filming over, enjoying their newfound love, but keeping it out of the tabloids if they possibly can. It is difficult to tell whether that is really what either of them want, but as they both only voice their fears in their heads, they just travel along a path, fraught with potential risk. Once Hale gets signed up for a new superhero role and Quell gets his filming schedule for his long time Bond-like role, the die is cast for how they will cope with the distance between them. Given the problems that Quell has always had when on set, Hale feels he should possibly relinquish the role in favour of supporting his lover, but in the end, to different destinations they go.

What should be an amazing experience for Hale is tinged with guilt at not having time for Quell, and it only gets worse. I felt that Hale's feelings, attempts at being supportive, his guilt at being selfish, and his sadness as things go from bad to worst are all very well written. We also get Quell's side of the story and one can only feel for him too – but it is tough reading. It is sad, frustrating and I think most likely very true to fact. But after we had had such a wonderful story in Unscripted, that it felt like it was undoing everything, and nothing could ever be the same again. Naive of me, quite possibly, but I do mostly read for escapism, and whilst I often wish for more of a couple, when we see them settled and happy, this was a difficult story to wade through. Thankfully the men have good, supportive friends who do all they can to get some kind of closure for them both, ideally together, but at least by reducing the damage inflicted and endured.

Am I glad I persevered, yes, for sure – there are some poignant, hot, and lovely parts to the book, but it is also a painful read, so be ready going in.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I really enjoyed the first book, which you should read first. I wasn't prepared for this book. It picked right up at the end of the first book and I was happy how things ended in the last book. This book threw me for a doozy. I was sad to see a couple I loved go through all this crap. It just made me sick to my stomach. I didn't like this book as much.


Sarah – ☆☆☆
There is a reason that most romance novels end with a Happily Ever After. Romance readers want a fantasy. We want an escape. And the first book in this series offered a great fantasy escape. A new actor and an established Hollywood star meet and fall in love on the set of a TV show. I loved first the book. But I don’t think it needed a sequel.

This sequel follows Quell and Hale as Hale’s career takes off with a Marvel-like role and Quell’s mental health starts to fall apart. This isn’t Happily Ever After, it’s months of angst-filled separation, gritty tabloid headlines, and a relationship that starts to crumble.

Yes, the sequel is probably the more realistic of the two books but it doesn’t work as a romance novel and it isn’t realistic enough to fit within more serious contemporary fiction genres. There’s a touch of Hollywood fantasy here – the men live the pampered, privileged lives of movie stars – but it is a tarnished fantasy that focuses more on the costs of fame than wealthy pleasures. This is the book that explains why no one in Hollywood manages to stay married.

Again, I loved the first book, but this one was hard work. Neither Quell or Hale is likeable through much of the story and the lack of communication between the men is infuriating. It’s a slow read and I really missed the chemistry and sexual tension that drove the first book.

Also Available in the Unscripted Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our Unscripted Instagram Tour.

Gray is a cynical Chicago native, who drinks coffee all day, barely sleeps, and is a little too fashion obsessed. He writes realistic and damaged characters because everyone deserves a happily ever after.

J.R. Gray is Gender Queer and prefers He/Him/His pronouns.

Connect with J.R. Gray

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Gray Pack Facebook Group

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Rewritten (Unscripted #2) by J.R. Gray to read and review for this tour.

Unscripted by J.R. Gray Instagram Tour

Movie star 101: A smile hides all pain.

Quellcrist King has been playing a part his entire life. The more famous he becomes, the more he hides. The only person he ever let see the real him rose with him from nothing to the very top.

They were the king and queen of Hollywood— and then she wanted a divorce. The only way to survive his depression is to bury himself in work. If he can be a character, maybe he won’t have to remember himself. A gay role can’t be any different than playing a straight one, can it?

But instead of finding solace in the character, he finds it in his costar. Hale becomes his best friend, his lifeline, the light in his darkness. Quell is forced to examine everything he thought he knew about himself while filming intimate scenes with Hale that feel more real than anything ever has before.

He’s lived his entire life following the script. What would life be like unscripted?

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
I was hooked into this story from page one. I couldn't get enough of Quell and Hale's chemistry. The buildup and angst were at an all-time high and kept me flying through the pages to find out if they were going to get the ending they deserved.

Quellcrist is a Hollywood name everyone knows. After reading a heavy m/m book series, Quell knows he can make it come to life on screen, he has to. He buys the script and makes a pitch to one of his friends to help produce it. He's going through a divorce that no one knows about, he's agreed to keep it secret until his wife's current movie comes out and this project is complete. It's a secret that going to affect him more than he thought possible.

Hale is a no name actor paying his bills by doing commercials and small parts in television shows. When he comes in to read for a secondary character, he's immediately noticed and asked to read with Quell for the lead. He's perfect for the role and starstruck by how gorgeous Quell is in person. The chemistry between the two is obvious as soon as they read together, it's exactly what they are looking for. Being extremely attracted to his co-star won't be a problem, especially during those very naked sex scenes. right?

The way that J.R. Gray wrote this story, I was so invested in the characters, hell even the movie they were producing. He definitely brought this story to life for me. I finished it in one sitting and was sad coming to that last page. A definite must read!!


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Oh wow! I loved everything about this book. It’s a steamy, angsty read that made me feel just about everything for Quell and Hale. This is a fabulous Hollywood romance that offers all sorts of behind the scenes excitement but it is also a very personal story about an unlikely friendship that slowly turns into something beautiful.

I’m not sure whether it’s Hale, the outsider and Hollywood newcomer who I loved most or Quell, the established star whose fame has come at the expense of privacy and genuine relationships. Both men are beautifully written and wonderfully human. The author uses a few m/m romance tropes that usually annoy me, but I found Quell’s questions about his sexuality believable and I was even able to understand his reasons for keeping a relationship private. I had more sympathy for Hale at times, but I loved both men. The heat in this story is a painful slow burn but the explosive chemistry between Quell and Hale is well worth the wait.

Sadly, I do feel that this story falls down a little bit at the very end. Without spoilers, this was the least emotive part of the whole story – and it should have been the most exciting. However, I really loved the book and I can overlook the slightly disappointing last few chapters.

J.R. Gray is a new author for me, and I enjoyed this so much that I quickly downloaded everything I could find by the author on Kindle Unlimited. Sadly, I didn’t find anything of the same quality. So, either J.R. Gray is an author whose writing has really improved in a relatively short time or they’ve found a new editor. Either way, I’m already excited to see what J.R. Gray does next because this is a fabulous read.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I really liked this book. I have never ready anything by this author before, so I am eager to read more. This book really hit home for me, my brother recently went through a divorce and I finally saw how much he was manipulated and wasn't himself for years because of his wife, just like Quell was because of his wife. I loved the slow burn between Hale and Quell and usually that drives me nuts, but it worked in this story. There wasn't a lot of sex – which also drives me nuts – but again, it worked for this story. Hale and Quell just worked together. It was a great story and I highly recommend it.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this book – it has so many layers of interest to it, so many questions which it addresses, and such a lovely, slow burn, deep and intense romance at its core.

Quell is the big movie star, perfect marriage, always at his wife's side... until she decides she's had enough of following him around, and that though he needs to support her public events for the next 18 months, they should quietly divorce. This it would seem is partly because she is fed up of dealing with his mental health issues and wants to have fun, and partly because she has gained enough from his fame to not need to bother any more. Either way, it leaves him vulnerable and alone.

Hale is one audition away from having to go back to working in a bar to keep eating. The bit parts he has had have not been frequent enough, but then at another audition he is pulled out of the crowd and given the biggest opportunity of his life. Taking the lead opposite Quell as the pirate in a TV series is big – and yet wonderfully, Hale is far more excited about working with Quell, and confused by his feelings for the straight, married actor, than thinking about his career.

I loved the whole behind the scenes adventures that we are party to in this book – utterly engrossed in the detail, the honesty of the cold days, the constant hard work, the unremitting nature of the job when the light has to be caught, the moment has to be perfect. Both the director and producer add much to these moments, but also act as great friends and buffers to the two men as they play their roles and consider the feelings that they are developing for each other.

I don't want to say more, as you need to read it for yourself to get the full picture, but I will say, even if one of them seemingly does wrong, give them the benefit of the doubt. Gray makes it clear that we ought to, and it is definitely worth the patience.

I have added J.R. Gray to my ‘authors to keep an eye on’ list, as this was a really well written and engaging book, thank you.

Gray is a cynical Chicago native, who drinks coffee all day, barely sleeps, and is a little too fashion obsessed. He writes realistic and damaged characters because everyone deserves a happily ever after.

J.R. Gray is Gender Queer and prefers He/Him/His pronouns.

Connect with J.R. Gray

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Gray Pack Facebook Group

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Unscripted (Unscripted #1) by J.R. Gray to read and review for this tour.