The gentlemen with the wicked, brown eyes, the beautiful young man, whose image had been immortalized more than two centuries before by the artist’s brush, seemed much more than pigment and paint and canvas. When best-selling author Rachael Lafferty sees the painting on the auction block, the beautiful young man captures her heart and her writer’s imagination. She knows she has to have the … painting—it would make the Victorian townhouse she was restoring complete…
More complete than she ever could have guessed, for when she brings her prize home and lovingly hangs it on the wall, Dorian Gray’s trapped soul steps out of the painting and into her life.
Cold. Dark. His much-deserved hell. Those were the only things Dorian had known for more than a century. But, now, impossibly, he finds himself in his own home once more, though a century has passed. He feels warmth once more. And love—his love for Rachael makes him corporeal to her. A love that just might redeem his jaded soul, make him into a new man…
Make him alive again…
But his presence in the house stirs jealously. Someone dear to Rachael wants the ghost gone from Rachael’s life, someone who knows just how to get the job done.
And that person won’t stop until Dorian Gray is again banished from this earth.
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**I received this book in exchange for an honest review.**
I’ve always enjoyed the premise of Dorian Grey, so I was immediately intrigued by the idea of this novel. This book is great. Compelling writing, a captivating story and a great twist ending.
I was curious to read this book but I was worried that the author wouldn’t pull it off, so many try to use a well-known classic as a base and fail miserably. I needn’t have worried in this case, the author absolutely achieved what she set out to and wrote a great book.
I don’t want to give anything away about the story. This is my first book by this author but it won’t be my last, it is very well written, the characters are strong with plenty of background and understanding of them, great world building. You are sucked into the story from the start as Rachel’s new mysterious painting is delivered to her lovingly restored new Victorian town house, the portrait of Dorian Gray.
Rachel is a historical romance author, living in her dream house where she soon discovers she is not alone but sharing the house with a charming ghost who leaves her beautiful gifts. After Dorian’s painting is delivered back to his old house his portrait releases his ghost after over a 100 years of being trapped within it. He is fascinated by Rachel, who is the only person that can see him. There are characters you will love, others you won’t like at all, some cool twists to the story. It is really worth reading and I will no doubt read it again.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely loved this book!! I started to read it, planning on only to just start it and ended finishing it one sitting. I found the whole situation interesting and honestly could not stop.
I love fan fiction as much as I love completely original works, and this feels like a great blend between the two.
*I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this after receiving a free copy via Voracious Reader.*
(Actual rating: 4.5 stars)
Behind the Eyes of Dorian Grey was an intriguing romantic read that I tore through in a matter of days.
I was not very familiar with the story of Dorian Grey when I started this book but I had read another book by Freely before and I was curious to read more of her writing. I don’t think my ignorance affected the story at all and I still managed to enjoy it greatly despite not knowing the backstory of Dorian.
I enjoyed the romance between Dorian and Rachael. Although it moved very quickly I liked their instant attraction to each other and I was rooting for them from the start. My least favorite character was Tessa, and yes – we were supposed to hate her, but at times I found her almost too vicious to be believable.
Dorian wasn’t a perfect love interest either but in a way that made me like him more. He was haughty and selfish but above all else he loved Rachael and their bond was special and unique.
Overall I loved this book and I would definitely read more by this author!
This was spectacular to me. The author seamlessly entwined Wilde’s classic with her vivid imagination.
This isn’t a re-imagining. It’s more of a continuation.
Hopefully if you decide to read this you will be familiar with the classic story of Mr. Dorian Gray, because this gives you an idea of what possibly could have happened afterwards.
The author grasps on the the magic that is ever present in the original. Because who says that magic should have to die just becauseDorian did? She modernized things and created a paranormal romantic suspense hybrid that my literary heart adores.
I wish there was more but I’m satisfied nonetheless.