The Gray Line


Fiction - LGBTQ
280 Pages
Reviewed on 06/20/2022
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Gray Line by B.J. Cyprian is a thrilling novel that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and biting your nails as you read. The story follows Angel Lamb, a thirty-year-old woman coming to terms with grief after her wife passed away. Angel’s life was never perfect, but things improved after she was rescued at a very young age. It was blissful with Beth, but losing her on a rainy night in a car accident shook Angel. A local grief support group seemed like the best option to help her devastation, and for some time it was exactly what Angel needed. However, things went terrifyingly wrong when people from the support group were killed or went missing. As Angel and the rest of the group struggled to stay alive while also searching for those who targeted them, Angel learned some lessons she desperately needed to move on with her life after Beth.

Refreshing and entertaining, The Gray Line by B.J. Cyprian is the novel to read on a rainy day. The main theme of the story is that nothing in life is black or white, but living in the gray is the worst. Angel was the perfect protagonist. She was in a state of anguish after losing Beth in the way she did, and overcoming that trauma was hard for her. Getting help from Alex and the rest of the people in the grief support group gave Angel a new purpose, and that allowed her to look at herself in a different light. Grief can change a person, and it changed everything for Alex. The narrative was simple but very raw and powerful. If I had a paperback of this novel, my highlighter would have gone crazy. The dialogue revealed a lot about the characters, the tone was weighty and showed what the characters were hiding. I loved the foreshadowing and the twists in the plot. This novel is perfection! Outstanding story and even better execution!

Sheena Monnin

The Gray Line by B.J. Cyprian tells the riveting story of a grief support group’s accidental entanglement with strange events. The story begins with one of the main characters, Angel, dealing with the grief of losing her wife. Very quickly, grief support counselor Alex makes her way into the story and the two become friends, bonded over their shared sense of feeling like an outcast. Mysterious deaths of those they know both from within and outside the group seem to point to an abusive ex-lover but soon the police become involved and it’s clear something far more nefarious is going on. In the end, each member of the group chooses to walk a gray line between what is right and what they need to do to protect the people they care about.

This book is part psychology, part romance, and part thriller. The Gray Line by B.J. Cyprian is a page-turner of a story with the most shocking and unexpected surprises throughout the plot. Each character can stand on their own two feet in terms of how real and human they feel. The dialogue is witty, gritty, and utterly mesmerizing. The author has crafted an unforgettable story that deserves to be read by the masses for its authenticity and how it models the cycle of grief and the value of our shared humanity. The storyline is brilliant from start to finish with just the right amount of tension and intrigue among the characters. The way each detail ties together toward the end leaves the reader feeling astounded and pleasantly content with the conclusion. I loved every part of the story!

Christian Sia

Angel Lamb is married to Bethany, and even if the prospects of having children are something they slightly disagree about, they are deeply in love with each other. Angel has been through a lot of painful experiences, starting from an abusive childhood, but losing the love of her life in a reckless automobile accident drives her to the precipice. She joins a grief support group to seek help and heal from the devastating loss, but when members of the group begin to go through violent experiences, she will have to question her views about good and evil and navigate a gray line to establish the balance. Can she stay safe while helping those she has come to care deeply about?

The Gray Line by B.J. Cyprian is a thrilling read for those who enjoy character-driven tales that are psychologically rich and emotionally engaging. B.J. Cyprian writes about gay themes with confidence and respect, creating characters that readers will care about. They are genuinely flawed and believable. Angel’s relationships with her father and the people she interacts with are intelligently crafted and readers will love to watch as the bond grows stronger between them. I loved this character that evolves from having clear-cut views about good and evil to someone who steps into the gray line, considering other possibilities. The dialogues are sparkling and they greet the reader right off the bat. Yes, I loved the drama, which is confidently written to unveil the inner worlds of the characters while amping up the plot. The prose is beautiful and the plot features compelling moments that are unexpected and gripping, even from the prologue. The author has the gift of creating anticipation in readers and then throwing them off unexpectedly. It feels real and utterly absorbing. The Gray Line is like meeting people from real life.