Unscripted

Unscripted Series, Book 1

By: J.R. Gray

Narrated by: Joel Leslie, John Solo

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? 

Contains mature themes.

©2019 J.R. Gray (P)2020 Tantor

It is always good to see perspectives of a Hollywood romance come to life through a book

The chemistry between the two leads were absolutely amazing. I loved hearing both leads perspectives, it was truly a sexy and beautiful story.

I was pulling for these characters….

…but honestly, this was one of my least favorite options from this author—who I usually love. The story had every trope in the book right down to the single bed in the only room left in a fully booked hotel. The writing just was not up to her usual standard. Sorry. I just wanted it to be over. Great narration though.

Frustrating

It wasn’t a cute or happy love story. It seemed more sad and pathetic. Hale getting involved with someone who he believed to be in a solid marriage was so icky even if they didn’t physically do anything they were both wrong. Quell was annoyingly spineless throughout and Hale definitely deserved better. Maybe they are meant for each other seeing as Hale was okay with the emotional cheating and Quell wasn’t treating Hale with the respect he deserved and still giving in to his spouse’s selfish demands. It was so frustrating to see how it played out. The narration was great though! Love these narrators.

A must read

This is my first time reading J.R. Gray and I’m pleasantly impressed. This story though a bit heavy, was very well written and developed. I love how J.R. tackled the taboo topic of mental illness without overselling it or dismissing how serious and dangerous it an be. I wanted to hug Quell so badly. He didn’t deserve the BS his ex put him through and I’m glad he found someone like Hale who understood what he was going through without making him feel worthless. Definitely loved this story.

Mental health is one thing! Being a weak man is another !

first, I want to start with a positive and say overall the book was interesting. it was great to see the perspective of Hollywood and relationships and what probably does happen behind closed doors with these high-profile relationships. it's easy to see how people can fall through their costar due to proximity. what I did not like about this story but I just made myself finish, was the week behavior and mentality of the main character. I never want to be one of those people that try and say that men don't be in abusive relationships however, she did not hold the power so it doesn't make sense that he allowed this. he knew as well as his friends told him that she was using him for publicity and of her career. it's one thing for people to stay in situations because of security, financial, blackmail, threats of being abused, children, etc. but she literally had none of that over him and he's still bend to her will. it was very frustrating because they wanted to play the mental health of him always having to be underneath someone in the fear of being alone and not having someone and having anxiety when he go out in public. But none of those explain his weak behavior when it came to his wife and standing up for himself and being a man. I'm sorry you can be needy but still put somebody in their place. you can be needy and still stand up for yourself, especially when you've already established a support group outside of that person. it just really pissed me off and I felt like the two did not go hand in hand. him having an issue with not being alone had nothing to do with the way he allowed her to treat him.

I did not like the fact that he allowed their separation to be for 15 months and was upset that hale wanted him to put an end to it. I feel at that point he was doing to hale what his wife did to him. you using someone's weakness or fear to get what you want? heal was very fearful that if he left him he would drink himself to death or commit suicide and I think that was a horrible pressure to put on someone coming into relationship that you should have been ended. and this whole promise thing news flash, she originally break the promise and vows that they made before God until death do us part and loving the person through sickness and in health. so why are you so worried about a promise when she break the original promise. and the idea of putting your mental health issues on the side for someone who you know for sure is using you is crazy because at that point he wasn't even getting the benefit of not being alone from her, he was not even with her. so what was the purpose? overall I got through the book. I like the whole Hollywood part of it and relationship part of it but the character himself it just pissed me off because once again we tried to link mental health to weakness and that's how the main character came off. how can you be in a high profile career but want to cling to a private life, that's insane. I understand wanting it but it came at the cause of your new love staying in the closet. you force yourself to be in the public for Rachel. even after knowing y'all were separated. I'm pretty sure you can force yourself to be out in the public with your new love interest to prove that this is something you want. you want this man to believe you love him but you keep putting your ex before him and to the world you are still married so if anything had leak prior he would have came off as a homewrecker and that is what could have really turned his career. because as usual people would have assumed that the gay man corrupt the married man and ruined his marriage.