In the Gray

De: Christina Lee

Narrado por: Nick J. Russo

Foster
I moved to a new city for a librarian job at the university, and though I’m enjoying the change, it does little to dispel the dull grayness of my world. When my dog, Oscar, forms an instant bond with a man living in a yellow tent, my surroundings begin to feel more vibrant and full of possibility. I’m first drawn to Lachlan’s soulful eyes, and then to his kind nature and resilient spirit. I want to know more about him, and Oscar seeking him out on our daily walks provides me with that opportunity.

Lachlan
One split-second decision leads to losing everything and living on the streets. Still, I’d choose my current conditions over being harmed by someone I loved. The only bright spot in my struggle to survive is the handsome stranger and his dog. Despite how compassionate Foster seems, I don’t want any handouts. I need to stay safe and stand on my own two feet after what I’ve been through. But when I find myself in a bind, I allow Foster to rescue me, if only for a night.

Our circumstances couldn’t be more different, and yet I’m drawn to Foster in ways I hadn’t expected. When our attraction skyrockets, Foster assures me that finding comfort in each other doesn’t hurt anyone. But when it becomes something deeper—meaningful conversations and mind-blowing intimacy—it occurs to me that I might’ve met the right man at the wrong time. Story of my life.

*CW: Discussions and depictions of domestic violence, mental health struggles, and experiencing homelessness.

©2023 Christina Lee (P)2023 Christina Lee

Foster & Lachlan

This was such a cute story and I think Nick J Russo gave a phenomenal performance. Lachlan and Foster work so well together. The "meet cute" 😍 I love Oscar! To me the story was lighthearted but there may be some elements that others will find difficult. I really enjoyed it.

Sensitive and sweet romance

In the Gray, a novel by Christina Lee, is a wonderfully thoughtful story about two men struggling with the blows that life can deliver. From the detailed portrayal of life for the unhoused, to living with chronic depression, Lee weaves a tale that has romance at the center, but also gentle hopes for how people can face adversity, get support, and find their way to more joy. Lachlan teaches Foster about the realities of the streets, and Foster helps Lachlan understand depression, as well as explaining spoon theory, an idea originally coined Christine Miserandino in her 2003 essay "The Spoon Theory," which has since been adopted by many in the disability rights community, especially those with "invisible" disabilities (I realize that many people may know this, but the origins aren't mentioned in the book, so I wanted to make sure to credit Miserandino here). I received a copy of the audio version, acted powerfully by Nick J. Russo, whose work I love. In the Gray is a short, but powerful novel, and one I'm grateful to have listened to.

Well-written & well-read

I really enjoyed how the author wrote about difficult, and sometimes triggering situations. It was well-written in the way she made it sound incredibly realistic, but in a way that didn't cast down light on the characters.

As always, Nick J. Russo's narration was perfect. I never had trouble telling the characters apart, and he put his all into making the steamy scenes extra steamy [insert sweating James McAvoy gif]

Houseless guy and Guy with dog meet cute

Who'd a thunk it? This book made me think about people experiencing homelessness in a way I never thought of before...along side a cute dog and a healthy portion of sensual romance...but then again Christina Lee seems to be good at that - somehow marrying social issues of the day with a steamy romance. As much as I liked this book, were it not for the performance of Nick J. Russo who is adept at breathing life into the characters of any book I don't think I would have immersed myself as much into the lives of Lachlan and Foster and of course that charming Oscar! But I am glad I did.

4 stars - worthy of a repeat listen

"I want to hold you"

"I want to hold you when you’re in the gray, and we’ll look up at the stars together.”

What a wonderful story by Christina Lee and awesome narration by Nick J. Russo. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I can't say enough about how much I loved this!!! When I first read the book blurb I couldn't wait to listen. This touched upon several emotional subjects that could be triggers for some. This book really made me see certain things in a different light.

I especially loved the following quotes:

'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. - Oscar Wilde'

“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear."