Clouded Hell, by J.R. Gray
Release Date: March 23, 2016

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I survive on avoidance. Physical pain to avoid the mental. Disposable flesh to avoid relationships. Work to avoid attachment.

My club became my empire of avoidance. Inside the ring millions are won and lost. The fight is confined to breaths, actions and reactions, fists and pain. Rules don’t exist. Only my opponent exists.

I’d been avoiding my needs for far too long when Remi stumbles into the Inferno and I’m hungry. The promise of a submissive with no attachment is far too tempting. I can’t resist him.

He was only supposed to be a distraction, but I know I’ll never get over him. There isn’t a chance in this clouded hell.

Gay Characters
M/M Pairing
BDSM (see review)
Fighting - Boxing

J.R. has an extremely unique writing style that I genuinely love reading. His books have a fantastic combination of gritty realism and darkness, but also that lovely romance that lets the reader enjoy the book as an escape. Clouded Hell was a perfect example of this: two men from very different backgrounds, both with a lot of pain in their pasts, but an emotional connection that they can’t seem to shake!

The first thing you have to know when reading a J.R. book is that it’s almost definitely going to be kinky. I mean, kinky. Not light flogging and sensual shibari, but bruises and whips. A very rough BDSM dynamic is at the heart of this novel: a Dom who craves submission, but can’t risk seeking it out, and the man who gives him exactly what he desires.

I really enjoyed reading this relationship. Remi and Dante have a fantastic connection, one where they’re both evenly matched both in and out of the bedroom. There’s a bit of sass, a lot of verbal games, and of course a lot of secrets waiting to be revealed.

“You may be able to read me, but I can read you just as well. You need it as much as I do. I can feel it coming off of you in waves.”

I do wish the POV hadn’t shifted back and forth though. That was my one and only regret with this book… I kept getting confused about whose head I was in because each chapter was a first person POV switching between Dante and Remi.

I think fans of the more “romantic” BDSM will find this novel difficult, but I really enjoy the unique style and characters that J.R. brings to the genre!

J.R. is the author of the Bound series, as well as several other novels. He writes a lot of kinky romance, and has also been featured in a few anthologies, including Lead Me Into Darkness (which is free!).

You can find J.R. on his website at http://jrgraybooks.com/, or on Twitter or Tumblr.

There were no pre-order links available at the time of me writing this post, but check the following retailers for one coming soon:

Amazon / Evernight / iBooks / AllRomance eBooks

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.