Fifty Shades of Grey

by: E.L. James

Book reviews by Lilith (My 1st guest reviewer!)

I’ll admit it; I bought into the hype of this trilogy. I heard it compared to Twilight with soft core porn. Who doesn’t like a little naughty with their sparkly vampires? As I started to read the first book in the series, I kept asking myself why people compared this to Twilight. I did some research and found out why, but to be honest I thought the people who were making the comparisons were reaching. Yes the original way this story was written, the main characters were named Edward and Bella and there are some similarities, but you could read 20 books and find the same thing others were saying were the same. I really like the series, well sort of.

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Fifty Shades of Gray

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis (Goodreads):
When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

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I honestly read this book in one day! I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I wanted to see if Ana gave in to the dark desires of Christian and I have to admit this book did not disappoint! I’m not saying it’s going to win a Pulitzer for best novel, but it accomplishes what it set out to do. Yes this book is “mommy porn.” You go on a thrilling ride with Ana into the world of BSDM and you will be swept away with everything that happens. This book is not for the faint of heart. There are some very heavy sex scenes. If you read this book with an open mind, it will NOT disappoint. I don’t want to give too much detail because I don’t want to give anything away!

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Fifty Shades Darker

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis (Goodreads):
Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.

But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

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This book was a good as the first one. Again, I found myself reading this book in one day! I wanted to find out if Ana and Christian got back together and if their relationship would finally work out. This book has many twists and turns, highs and lows. Again, it takes you on a thrilling ride! One thing that started to get on my nerves in this book was Ana’s insistence to dig deeper in to Christians past. If the man doesn’t want to talk about it, stop drilling him for information. He’ll talk when he’s ready. I will say the ending of this book shocked me. I SO did not see that coming!

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Fifty Shades Freed

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis (Goodreads):
When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed.

Now, together, they have more – love, passion, intimacy, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control, and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present.

Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, misfortune, malice and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true. Alone and desperate, she must face down the poisoned legacy of Christian’s past.

Seductive, shocking, sad and funny, Fifty Shades Freed is the compelling final volume in the Fifty Shades trilogy.

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The final book in the trilogy finds Ana and Christian living the life they had always hoped for. Of course we all know that means something is going to come along and screw things up! It’s not just one thing, its several things. We find out more about why Christian is the way he is and more about his past. For some reason, this book didn’t hold my interest as much as the first two and I found myself going hours without reading it. Maybe because I knew it was the last book in the series, but I think it was because the writing wasn’t as good. Don’t get me wrong the story still had highs and lows and shocks, but toward the end it felt rushed. Almost like the author had it in her mind this series was going to be a trilogy and she needed to finish it quickly. I really wish she would have extended it to a fourth book and kept the writing similar and hadn’t rushed.

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I think the series lives up to the hype and anyone who isn’t afraid to read something a little risqué will thoroughly enjoy this series!