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, … 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?
more
Divorce brings the end to a marriage. But love is being kindled in a new relationship. So how do you stop ‘being in love’ while still loving someone? How do you determine what your previous relationship really consisted of, where you went wrong and how far you’re moving away from that in a new direction?
A famous actor, and his ‘want to be famous’ wife, split up and he develops feelings for his costar. Now they just need to decide how publicly open they’re going to be, and how to hold onto their privacy.
A wonderful story with great characters. I love the romance!
This book just took me in. Maybe because I had already read Unwritten first cause the book came up of my BookBub email of suggested reading. I loved that book so much I looked up J.R. and decided to read the rest of his books. I was already hooked on the characters from that book, so when I started reading and found it was to be Hale and Quell’s story, I was all in. I felt this was sooo well written in the storyline and was all consumed, but did at times find confusion as to who was speaking in the “I” context of the chapter. I found myself having to go back to the first page of the chapter to see who “I” was… BUT regardless of that, the story was sooo good. The insight to the internal struggles of someone coming to terms with their sexuality was so real. Quell had been happily (or so he thought) to his wife Rachel, long before fame…. he was content with their marriage, even though he struggled with depression and anxiety. She loved the limelight that came with fame, but he did not. Blindsided by her want of separation and divorce, he delved himself into work project. Being as famous as he was, left doors and opportunities to work on projects that he wanted to do, not only as the star, but also as director. This led him to meet Hale, an up and coming bit actor, who just by sight was perfect for a show that Quell had pitched. From the start they had chemistry, not realizing where that would lead. Quell was still by Rachel’s request for all intents and purposes still half of a happily marriage Hollywood couple. He had promised her that they could keep up the pretense until her big movie premiere… Living a lie, the hurt from the break-up, his attraction to Hale and questioning of his sexuality were driving Quell into a deep depression… one that only seemed to be calmed when he was near Hale. This slow burn had me yearning for their eventual coupling. Quell struggle to touch and be with Hale and the realization of their feelings for each other made my heart melt. I was so proud of Quell, after fearing all the backlash that could come from his divorce and new found sexual preference and finally realizing what it would mean to lose Hale, grabbed the bull by the horns and took charge…. Diving right into the next book.
How absolutely beautiful! This was such a touching and loving story! Lots of angst and heart wrenching moments but so many many moments that take your breath away!
Friendship is such a great thing in a relationship. Without that what happens when time goes by and you have nothing left?
So well written and told! My first JR Gray book didn’t disappoint at all!
I am so glad I bought this book! This story had a little bit of everything, from friendship, anger, sadness, angst and love. The author ‘s characters were on point. I could actually feel the raw emotions of both Quell and Hale as I read each of their points of view. This story is about an amazing friendship before love. We should all be so lucky to have someone like that in our lives. This book is not for the faint of heart. Triggers do exist, but I promise you that if you keep reading to the end it is so worth it to find out what happens. I can not wait to delve into the 2nd book and neither will you!
This is the first book in a series. I can’t wait for the next one.
Lifestyles of the rich and famous vs lifestyles of an actor trying to make his mark in Hollywood. There’s a big difference between those two things. What if fate were to step in, and close the gap? Hale woke up, got ready, and headed out to audition for a small side character. That’s not what happened, though. Before he could say much, he was plucked out of one line, and taken straight to read with the leading actor…as a lead. That’s the moment where everything began to change.
Keeping up appearances is the name of the game for Quell…and his estranged wife. She called all the shots and he went along with it for over a year. He had secrets, and not very many people knew about it. His ‘ex-wife’ knew, and from what I gathered, she took advantage of it. His secret? He suffered from anxiety and depression. Being alone made things worse. Cue Hale. They became friends, then best friends, then they both secretly fell for the other one, BUT NO ONE WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO SAY ANYTHING. Ugh! I wanted to jump in the book, shake them both, and make them admit it!
This book is definitely a slow burn off-set, but on-set it was all heat and chemistry. The sock bit was interesting, and I found myself wondering if that’s really how they do it, in real life? Oh well…I will never know. I liked their off-set chemistry and easy banter. You could feel how much they cared for each other.
Overall, I liked the book, and feel J.R. Gray did a good job with how he wrote the story. I felt the way Quell struggled with his depression and anxiety felt authentic. This is book one, in the Unscripted series, and it’s off to a promising start. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who comes upon it.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. ***
I received an ARC of this from Give Me Books PR on behalf of the author.
3.5*
Books about celebrities aren’t usually my jam. But this M/M romance from an author I’ve enjoyed a few from in the past was better than most.
Hale and Quell are both actors and pretty stand up guys individually. While the story was slightly slower paced than I’m used to these days I didn’t have a problem staying invested until the end.
So glad I already have the next one and am ready to jump right in.
4.25 stars
“Unscripted” by J.R. Gray features struggling actor Hale who is unexpectedly thrust into the limelight when he is chosen for a series with a big name actor, Quellcrist King, who is surprisingly willing to star for the first time in a gay feature, despite his wife’s misgivings. The chemistry between Hale and Quell is only for the story…or is it?
This adult contemporary gay romance is the first book in the series and gives an intriguing glimpse of the movie industry and the maneuverings required to achieve and maintain stardom. The shift in Quell’s life, sexuality, and philosophy is vividly detailed as is Hale’s journey to stardom and love. I love the instant chemistry between the main characters and between Hale and Ella.
It was a little disconcerting to me to have the chapters alternate in the characters’ points of view because I tend not to read the chapter heading, so sometimes I had to go back to see whose viewpoint was being featured. This, added to the shifts between the roles the guys were playing and the drama of their real life got a little confusing for me, but I was still entangled in their struggles and mesmerized by their story. The gay-for-you and opening the closet door themes provide plenty of angst, and the mental illness issues are sensitively touched on, and the developing romance is lovely to watch. It would be nice to have a little more depth to several of the secondary characters, but I am hopeful that the next book in the series will rectify that.
Quellcrist King is an actor at the top of his game, but he’s been part of a couple for so long that his strong relationship with his actress wife is part of their brand—except that brand has broken beyond repair. Struggling with the anxiety and depression that’s always been part of him, he chooses a new project to take his mind off the fact that his wife of ten years wants a divorce…but not until her latest movie comes out. In her eyes, it’s all about the publicity, and a divorce right now wouldn’t look good—even though she’s the one who asked for it.
The project Quell chooses is a fantasy gay romance, with him playing one of the leads, even though he’s as straight as they come. Finding a costar that he can develop enough chemistry with to make the sex scenes work isn’t easy—until Hale shows up for a casting call. Hale is hoping for a bit part with a few speaking lines, but the tall, handsome actor somehow clicks perfectly with Quell. In their first interaction in character, Hale blows Quell away—he becomes the pirate, and beneath Hale’s perfect approach, Quell embraces his own character, well aware they’ve found their second lead.
He also finds himself questioning his own sexuality. His inner turmoil is powerful and feels so real for a man who has always loved his wife and identified entirely as a heterosexual male.
I could not set this book aside, which is difficult when you don’t have the time to sit and read it in one sitting, but the characters in this story are so strong, and for both of the men, their inner turmoil and often deeply personal confusion absolutely spot on, that even when I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about them. By the time I finished the story, Quell and Hale had gone well beyond characters and were more like intimate friends I was cheering for as the story raced to the end.
J.R. Gray is a “new to me” author (and as I’ve said before, a big reason why I love BookBub) but I have already purchased his next book in the series, REWRITTEN (Unscripted: Book 2) which releases June 4. I’m really glad it will be here next week—I don’t want to wait any longer than I have to. And yes, I highly recommend this first in the series. UNSCRIPTED by J.R. Gray is beautifully written and an absolutely perfect read.
Unscripted is my first read from this author and it want be my last, actually I plan on reading Book 2 in this series immediately. I loved the storyline, the characters, the smoking hot chemistry and the emotion.
This is Quell and Hale’s story. A big time Hollywood actor and one soon to be up and coming co-star. Their chemistry is there from the start, a friendship builds quickly and it heats up with a slow burn. Where Hale is an open book, out and proud, Quell is hiding his true self from everyone, he’s straight and married, or is he? The issues in Quell’s life are causing him to spiral and without his past coping mechanisms he is falling fast. Hale steps in as the friend he needs but the sexual tension is through the charts.
Can’t wait for Book 2. Need more of the story, now.
Unscripted is by J.R. Gray, a new to me author. This is a M/M romance, a beautiful story of two men who weren’t looking for each other, but found each other, and maybe found themselves at the same time!
Quellcrist (Quell) King is twenty nine years old. He’s a very successful actor who has been married and faithful to the same woman for ten years. Until she told him she didn’t love him anymore and wanted a divorce. Only for now, they are keeping their separation a secret. Quell suffers from anxiety and depression. It’s a daily struggle he is forced to deal with. Quell recently bought the rights to a book series he has loved for years, a gay romance story of a pirate and a prince. He is going to sell it as a series to a streaming service. Quell is going to play the part of Prince Flint. Now they just need to find the perfect actor to play the pirate, Sehver. That’s when Hale walked in the door.
“When people said someone brought light to a room, I finally knew what they meant.”
Hale, twenty four years old, is openly gay and is virtually an unknown actor. He’s played small bit parts, enough to pay the rent and eat. He was scheduled to audition for a very small part in the new series. But he was pulled from line and brought in to audition for the lead role, with Quell King! The Quell King! He could do this, right?! If he didn’t throw up first!
Quell and Hale hit it off from the start. But as far as Hale knew, Quell was a straight married man. They became best friends. He knew about Quell’s depression and did his best to help him with it. The script called for some steamy sex scenes together. As filming progressed, it became difficult for both of them to figure out where their onscreen chemistry ended and their off screen chemistry began.
“He felt like home.”
Being in the bubble created by living on site of a filming project for months was one thing. But what happens when it’s time to get back into the real world? Quell and his ex still haven’t gone public with their pending divorce. It was obvious she was using him for publicity but he was allowing it. Was there any hope that what they felt for each other would survive past the end of this project?
This was a beautiful story with a large focus on Quell’s struggle. It was tough to see how much he struggled but he has a strong support system in place. I have had this book on my to read list for awhile and when I recently learned that Quell and Hale’s story was going to be continued in a new book, Re-written, I knew I had to jump in and am so glad I did. I can’t wait for more.
“You are my perfect.”
I could not get enough of Hale and Quell and this cast of characters! Let’s start with the secondary characters in Mel who was always down for a laugh and Ella who was always down for a drink and a sympathetic listener added so much to this story. Hale and Quell were absolutely the sweetest couple and their story was touching and emotional and had all the feels. While there are bits and pieces of each man’s background, this story focuses on the present and how each had to work through their current issues in order to move forward for a future together. I absolutely loved this story!
This is a new to me author, but the cover, title, and blurb drew me. Quellcrist (interesting name) and Hale have such an awesome story. Quell is going through a divorce, struggles with depression, and has to act out gay scenes with an openly gay co-star. Both he and Hale are good guys who are considerate and I love them. Quell’s ex sucks big time but they do have good friends who are supportive.
This isn’t just a light and fluffy love story. It is so many feels, ups and downs, I was totally captivated by these two. And the chemistry and heat were so so good. Some very hot scenes on these pages! I’ll totally read more by JR Gray for sure.
I love friends to lovers! This one is sure to please! It also had 1st time gay, which is another plus! Pick it up, you won’t be sorry! Put it down once you start reading, I dare you!
Unscripted and completely wonderful
It goes without saying love is love. If you’ve looked at this book, read the blurb, or downloaded it, you must feel the same. Or you want to…
Unscripted is beautiful love story. It’s not porn. It’s not erotica. There’s nothing gratuitous about the love scenes but it is hot AF. Not gonna lie, I definitely enjoyed the tent action and have sympathy tree burn. J.R. Gray gave me everything I wanted, needed, and hoped for in Unscripted.
It’s emotional, sexy, and intense. Insecurities, fear, and loneliness are just as prevalent in these Hollywood heartthrobs as us little people. Depression is real and too many people are ashamed of something they can’t change. Unscripted gives a shining light on maintaining balance and a healthy relationships. It’s also a swoony romance filled with undeniable chemistry for your best friend and fear of never being accepted.
Laugh, cry, and love unabashedly. I did. One wistful glance at a time. One doubting, blind to moment to the next. One hot and heavy session leading to truths they never wanted to face. It’s all Unscripted in the best way possible.
J.R. Gray is a new to me author and Unscripted was my first read by him. I was absolutely hooked from page one and loved every minute of this slow burn, friends to lovers read. The backdrop of the story was unique and I really enjoyed experiencing the behind the scenes process of shooting a series. When Hale meets THE Quellchrist King, the attraction and chemistry are immediate. The sparks are definitely there and mutual, the only part that has Hale unsure is Quell is straight. Not only straight but has been married to his wife for 10 years. Unscripted was not only sweet and sexy with well developed characters, but J.R. Gray handled weighty issues such as depression and sexuality with such grace and care. I was 100 percent vested in this story and I felt a full range of emotions while reading. Loved these boys and the way they loved each other. I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.
I enjoyed this book. Quell and Hale were both great characters, and I loved watching them become friends and so much more. I liked their interaction, and I was embarrassed right along with them during the sex scenes they filmed for their series. Mel and Ella were good supporting characters. It did get confusing occasionally that all of these characters had rhyming names, but it didn’t take away from the strong storyline.
I would have loved seeing some interaction with the other cast members and crew for the series. The filming scenes were interesting to me, and it would have been nice to see some of the bonds that form onset – especially for Hale, who was in his biggest role to date. Regardless, I was involved and engrossed from the first page to the last. (I wanted Quell’s wife to fall off a building, but I can imagine that as an epilogue.) I questioned almost to the very end how Quell and Hale would make it work, and I have to say that I was satisfied with the way things were wrapped up. This was a very good story!
When Hale is cast in the role of a lifetime aside a gorgeous, very straight, Quell, it changes his life in more ways than just professionally. When a friendship springs up between the two men, neither expected the way things would end up. Will Quell be able to be out with Hale AND keep his career? How long is Hale willing to be kept a secret?
Unscripted is a slow burn story that deals with some serious subjects. I like how the author treated the mental health issues that Quell suffered from, and how nothing was swept under the rug. I liked both leads, and the story itself. The only reason I couldn’t give this 5 stars is because I thought the way Hale came back to Quell was a bit abrupt and not given enough weight. Aside from that, though, I liked everything else about the story and am looking forward to more from this author.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. The blurb hooked me because co-stars falling for each other? Perfection.
Quell and Hale were perfect together. This is a huge slowburn with dual POV. Unlike many books with the best friends to lovers theme, we get know them from their first meeting itself. I really loved the growth in their relationship. There were a lot of times I felt sad for Hale, ’cause he thought he was pining for a straight married man. This book is full of feels.
I loved the secondary characters, especially Mel and Ella. They are amazing friends. I also fell in love the book they were adapting into a series, so much that I really want to read it. I want Sehver and Flint, damn it!!
Really great book and I loved the ending! Unscripted is my first book by J R Gray and even though I love books with a lot of sex, this slow burn was just perfect.
*ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
4.5 Brilliant Stars ! A slow burn story that gave me all the feels.
Unscripted by J.R. Gray is one of those stories that grabs your interest and curiosity from the first chapter . And as the story unfolds , it throw you into a maelstrom of emotions that it’s near impossible to stop reading or/and thinking about it until the end.
A tale that smartly and with a lot of compassion deals with mental health issues as depression ; as well as, friendship, loneliness, self discovery/sexual awakening/acceptance , fame , notoriety and feelings happy and free in your own skin.
Book is about the inner workings of casting, producing and acting on a Netflix type of TV series, the highs , low and compromises of being a Hollywood Movie Star. It’s told in the two heroes POV.
An emotional, sweet and poignant , slow burn , MM Romance story. Written in a style that feels intimate, raw and vulnerable , leaving you with a happy, empowering and hopeful feelings.
Unscripted is my first book by J.R. Gray and it’s also, one of the few romance books that I didn’t mind, it took the heroes until 74% to begin having sex.
I don’t deny it , I enjoy reading/listening books with a lot of sexy times. Yet, with this book , I enjoyed the built up, UST ~ Unresolved Sexual Tension ~ the touches , getting to know each other, and gorgeous and breathtaking intimacy Hale and Quell developed.
And HFS , when heroes finally got together it was Hot AF.
Gave a 4.5 stars rating ; yet wanted to give it a 5 stars. However, 2 things stopped me.
1~The time between the heroes finally being together, out for the world and the ex-wife to see , and the end of the book was minimal, in the last chapter.
2~ No epilogue. Yes, heroes get their well deserve HEA but I wish I got a glimpse years into the future. See how , with their profession , shooting schedules , notoriety , they made it work, when so many cannot.
I loved reading this book and it’s likely, I will be re-reading it again in the near future.
Through LesCourt, I received a complimentary copy, and this is my honest opinion.