Dark romance · 2023
In the GraySpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by B.B. Reid
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 5/5 (No light) · 10 trigger warnings flagged · Standalone
From B.B. Reid, 2023: In the Gray, a standalone. The pull here is mafia, captive and enemies to lovers. We score it spice 4 (explicit) and darkness 5 (pitch black). The heaviest flags readers report are taboo, violence, grief. Our scores lean on what readers report, not on a full reread, so treat them as a guide. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 2023. Standalone.
In the Gray tropes
On this shelf, In the Gray is filed under Mafia dark romance, Captive romance and Enemies to lovers. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
In the Gray spice level
Is In the Gray dark romance?
Yes, at the very dark end. In the Gray scores 5 of 5 on our darkness scale (No light).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More no light books. How we rate.
In the Gray trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 29 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: sexual content, death of parent, toxic relationship, gun violence, drug use, terminal illness, abandonment, chronic illness, cursing, suicidal thoughts. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (9) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full In the Gray trigger warnings
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like In the Gray
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Passion & Venom
Passion & Venom
Shanora Williams, S. Williams
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Captive romance, Mafia dark romance
- Dante
Dante
Sadie Kincaid
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Captive romance
- Heavy
Heavy
M.L. Burns
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Captive romance
- Karma
Karma
Lauren Biel
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Captive romance
- Sweet Captivity
Sweet Captivity
Julia Sykes
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Captive romance
- Fatal Cure
Fatal Cure
Kathy Lockheart
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Captive romance
- Now You're Mine
Now You're Mine
Morgan Bridges
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Captive romance
- Beautiful Carnage
Beautiful Carnage
Caroline Peckham
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Captive romance
Books like In the Gray, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of In the Gray?
In the Gray spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 5 of 5 (No light).
What are the In the Gray trigger warnings?
Graphic: Taboo, Violence, Grief, Psychological abuse, Murder, Stalking, Sexual assault, Abuse, Blood. Moderate: Cheating. Minor: none flagged. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 29 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is In the Gray dark romance?
Yes, at the very dark end. In the Gray scores 5 of 5 on our darkness scale (No light). The book is not interested in pulling the punch.
What tropes are in In the Gray?
On this shelf In the Gray is filed under Mafia dark romance, Captive romance and Enemies to lovers.
Who is In the Gray for?
For a reader who wants mafia and captive with explicit spice. Read the warnings first.
What are some books like In the Gray?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Passion & Venom by Shanora Williams, S. Williams; Dante by Sadie Kincaid; Heavy by M.L. Burns; Karma by Lauren Biel; Sweet Captivity by Julia Sykes; Fatal Cure by Kathy Lockheart. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/in-the-gray.
Is In the Gray a standalone?
Yes. This shelf files In the Gray as a standalone.
What is the In the Gray age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 5/5 (no light). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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