Review: Into the Gray by F.E. Feeley Jr.

Life after college is not what Aaron expected. Isn’t he supposed to have what he wants to do figured out by now? David never expected his marriage to be rocky, let alone about to end. How is he supposed to move on from this? December in Detroit is normally unforgiving, but an unexpected blizzard puts David and Aaron on a course toward each other. Despite the frozen ground and battleship gray sky, these men find heat together. It’s intimate and illicit, stretching what was supposed to be a one night stand into something more. Sometimes the touch of a stranger, however forbidden, is just what we need when we enter the gray.

I’ve been a big fan of this author’s stories since The Haunting of Timber Manor and if you haven’t read Objects in the Rearview Mirror, please do yourself a favor and go get it now. So, when I saw that he was writing an erotic romance I was anxious to get my paws on it and get his take. It was honestly what I wanted and expected considering how he writes and how much his style appeals to me. In short, I’m a big fan of this new venture and I plan on following along for every story he releases.

I love me some fluff now and again, but it can also drive me a little nutters because too much can just be too much. It just doesn’t read realistically to me and I have to take it in small doses. Now, give me some fluff with a side of snark, good natured ribbing and a willingness to acknowledge relationship roadblocks and I’m in. Into the Gray gave me all of that.

Into the Gray is a character driven romance between two lonely men who are both at crossroads in their lives. What starts as a one night stand turns into a snowed in weekend full of bonding both physically and emotionally. Reading about grinding of tingly parts is fun and I like fun, but when you add an emotional connection, the sex elevates to something so much more and Aaron and David have this connection in spades. Once you add in where they both were in their lives and their weekend together became even more meaningful.

Aaron is coming off a bad relationship and getting his bearings and David is in the process of divorcing his wife and is finally going to be able to live an authentic life. They both have a lot to navigate and a new relationship, in theory, is probably not ideal, but I have to take a sentence to say how much I appreciated the author making the idea of a new relationship an opportunity and not a burden.

Sometimes stories take the flux that characters are going through as a chance to have them deny themselves and the manufactured angst of it all can be distracting and I feel like those characters are cheated because of “reasons”. I don’t need extra angst, life has plenty as it is, and it’s the same for MCs (well, it’s usually more for them). Let them take their happiness in a meaningful way, let them talk about and acknowledge what they are going through and then provide one another with support and orgasms. THAT is what I love and THAT is what Into the Gray gave me.

Aaron and David complemented one another so well and it was obvious they were both smitten from the beginning. It started with them being all lusty with lust but when they were snowed in together for a weekend (and I do love the “snowed in” setup very much) and they got to know one another with no outside pressure or influence, just homemade chicken soup, baths, movies and cuddles. I’m a fan of all of those things and when Aaron and David do them all it’s even better.

I read that there could be more coming for Aaron and David and I can’t wait for that to be a thing. I really enjoyed the direction the story is taking and I hope to read more of these guys and meet new characters. Also, major love to the secondary characters, they are fully fleshed out and they added a lot with a minimal amount of page time which says a lot. I’m adding Into the Gray to my reread list, it’s my flavor of erotic romance and I’m anxious to read more.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**