Gray
by Maesha Stone
My review:
“Gray” by Maesha Stone was very difficult to rate. This story features a mysterious billionaire, a talented violinist and the strange relationship that develops between them. Yes, this story is a twist on the classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. However, if you’re not familiar with the original, it won’t affect your reading of this book.
Dorian Gray can have anything he desires, and he loves to collect beautiful things. When he sets his sights on the exquisite Sylvia, nothing is going to prevent him from collecting her and moving her into his house. Sylvia is trying to be independent of her mother’s overbearing ways and determined matchmaking. Dorian stalks Sylvia in a very civilized way, until she rebuffs his advances and then he just has her taken from her apartment to his place in the middle of the night. She’s afraid of this man, and yet she isn’t really. He’s afraid of what she makes him feel, deep inside. Dorian never takes no for an answer, using his money and connections to indulge his every whim. When he gets Sylvia in his clutches, his sadistic domination is perfectly matched by her masochistic submission.
This book was entertaining because I was intrigued, reading to see what would happen next. Individually, both lead characters are interesting, although I wanted to learn more about him than what I ultimately did. Dorian and Sylvia have a hot and steamy connection when they are together, but I really would’ve liked to feel more of a connection between them on other levels. Overall, I commend the author for putting her own twist on this classic story.