Book Review – Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy
Stayed up until 4am. Woke up at 9am to continue and read straight through (ecstatically) until it was done. I’m fifty shades of obsessed with this. I just finished this MOST AWESOME book, one that will DEFINITELY make my next “top list”, and I can’t stop thinking about it (BTW: all the quotes below, come from only the first 19% of the book. Can you imagine how much more there will be!!?)

And I gotta thank the one who recommended it to me by saying…

“Hey woman.  You have to read ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ … I could not put this one down and I am still lamenting over the story in my head.”

She’d been recommending it for a couple of weeks now. Then she said the magic word (cause I was yet again, pining over a favorite hero):

“Wait until you read Fifty Shades – then you’ll be measuring Travis against Christian Grey.  Talk about tortured hero.”

Now THAT got my attention. Hey! A girl’s gotta read what a girl’s gotta read, and we all know what kind of hero I like. So I read it, and LOVED it to death!! And now that I’d finally settled into it, she was nowhere to be found. So I sent her some reactionary, one-sided emails. My gasping moments. My heartaches. My confusion. My realizations.

T!! Where are you!? I. Am. LONEEEELYYY. I miss them!! I want more.

But I lucked out! Book #2 (Fifty Shades Darker: Book Two of the Fifty Shades Trilogy) has just recently been released (and thank goodness for that considering the “cliffhanger” of sorts at the end of this one). How cruel for all of you that had to wait! Lucky I don’t have to. Except I hear there is a book#3 on the way which now has me nervous that book #2 will try to kill me like book one did.

So what’s the book about, you ask?

Ana is unfortunately volunteered to help her best friend with a newspaper article, by interviewing the elusive, rich and powerful, Christian Grey. Unfortunately? Well sorta. Because had her friend not asked her to do this, she would never have met Christian, and she wouldn’t be caught in this predicament (this mutual infatuation) with someone she deems so completely out of her league. But Christian can’t get his mind off of Ana once she leaves. What he wants, he gets. And while she’s not his typical choice (he only associates with those already in his lifestyle – Lifestyle? I’m getting to that 😉 ), there’s just something about Ana that calls to him. And ditto for Ana. She knows better then to entertain the thought of dating someone so pompous and seemingly as cold as Christian, but she is drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

“… you were looking up at me all ‘kiss me, kiss me, Christian’,” he pauses and shrugs slightly, “I felt I owed you an apology and a warning.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Anastasia, I’m not a hearts and flowers kind of man, I don’t do romance. My tastes are very singular. You should steer clear of me.” He closes his eyes as if in defeat. “There’s something about you, though, and I’m finding it impossible to stay away. But I think you’ve figured that out already.”

My appetite vanishes. He can’t stay away!

“Then don’t,” I whisper.

He gasps, his eyes wide.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

And Christian does try to resist his desire for her. He knows better than to open his world to someone so innocent. Because of who he is, emotionally, he’s certain that he couldn’t ever give her what she wants out of life. He can’t give her “normal”.

I let the irrational tears fall unrestrained. I am crying over the loss of something I never had. How ridiculous. Mourning something that never was – my dashed hopes, dashed dreams, and my soured expectations.

But he just can’t stay away. Yup, he pretty much stalks her. No worries, there is comedic relief in her reactions to him (and his stalker-ish ways) that will make you chuckle, even while you’re cringing.

He pulls up to my duplex. I belatedly realize he’s not even asked me where I live – yet he knows. But then he sent the books; of course he knows where I live. What able, cell-phone-tracking, helicopter-owning stalker wouldn’t.

I LOVED ALL OF THE CHARACTERS in this book. All of ’em. The friends, the employees, the families. The hero – Christian Grey (but of course!!), and especially the heroine, Anastasia Steele (Ana). She didn’t irritate me not one bit, not ever. Everything she thought, I would have thought. Everything she said I would have said. All of her insecurities, her apprehensions, TOTALLY me. I get her. I bonded with her. I felt her elation when things were good, and I felt her pain when things got rough (well, emotionally, and thank goodness I didn’t have to feel it physically).

“Are you going to continue to scold me?”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

“I think so.”

“You’re lucky I’m just scolding you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you were mine, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week after the stunt you pulled yesterday.”

And there’s that lifestyle thing I was talking about earlier. Yes, it’s *that* type of book folks. A non-submissive, fairly independent girl falling for a “Dom” guy. BUT, surprisingly, as much as the book seems like it might revolve around this alternative lifestyle, it doesn’t only focus on it. But listen, it’s not what you think. It’s so much more. Her “more”. Not necessarily his “more” (you’ll get what all this “more” business is, when you read the book).

I mean, Christian isn’t all that he appears to be. Outwardly, he’s all discipline and order. Power and control. But what happens when Christian starts breaking his own rules?

Despite the alternative lifestyle, this story was still the kind I could (and wanted) to relate to. It is about self-discovery, healing, compromise and connection. There is life in this book, outside of the bedroom, and in fact, there are even tons of “vanilla moments” to make the harder stuff go down easier for some of us who might be apprehensive with these kinds of “scenes”.

For example: the heroine is nowhere NEAR interested in the lifestyle, so I was completely able to experience her trepidation perfectly, with her.

“Say something,” Christian commands, his voice deceptively soft.

“Do you do this to people or do they do it to you?”

His life, however, revolves around it, and she comes to realize quickly, that he has some very specific needs. He has issues. Serious issues. And she has serious reservations about submitting so completely. Yet I understood her reluctance and her desire to accept his… “fifty shades” 😉

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You know that don’t you?” His tone is so earnest, desperate even, his grey eyes impassioned. He takes me by surprise.

“I’d never do anything I didn’t want to do, Christian.” And as I say the words, I don’t quite feel their conviction because at this moment in time I’d probably do anything for this man seated beside me.

So… you ask. Who IS this guy, anyway? His name is Christian Grey. A self-made ruthless, filthy-rich, business tycoon (in his late 20’s), who gets what he wants, when he wants how he wants it, always.

“You sound like a control freak.” The words were out of my mouth before I can stop them.

“Oh, I exercise control in all things, Miss. Steele,” he says without a trace of humor in his smile. I look at him, and holds my gaze steadily, impassive. My heartbeat quickens, and my face flushes again.

He’s always in control. In business, in personal, in love. Wait. Christian doesn’t do “love”. Not our kind of love, anyway. His version is very physical, very hard, and can be painful (depending on how good of a “submissive” you are to him. And that’s only if he chooses you). Who wants that, you ask? Who wants to be “chosen” for that kind of… ummm…. love? Well after reading this book. Maybe you would. Shocked? Appalled. Titillated?

Ohhhh believe me, girls. Even if you don’t comprehend this lifestyle choice (I admit, I remain baffled),  you’ll still find yourself pining for Christian. Consequences be damned. You will. And if you don’t.. well *shrug* I dunno 😉 Maybe it’s just me?

Mind you, it was hard. I was at serious odds with myself!! There were a few jaw dropping moments that had me slightly… okay. Simply put. Horrified. Angrified. I was all… OMG NO WAY! Kinda hate him.

Wanna see what he looks like to me? David Williams, the Rugby player! Muscular, gorgeous with tousled copper hair. Come on. Now tell me you wouldn’t contemplate *maybe*… tee hee!!! LOOK!!! (BTW – thank you Jane for that very special email featuring this very handsome sports star). What a coincidence that you send me a gorgeous copper-haired male, and that evening, I started a book featuring one 😉 It was meant to be…

Oh yes. There will be reading moments of pure, unadulterated glee. Their amazingly fun email interactions, their easy-going banter, sweet moments, insight into how well their personalities match despite their very different needs. A friendship evolves, regardless of the “elephant in the room”.

But it can, and will get dark. This book DOES deal with some terribly sensitive subject matter. You’ll experience uncomfortable moments. You’ll occasionally be appalled, and even outraged at his “methods”, his harsh tones, and his explanation of who he is and what he expects of those in his entourage. Especially her.

Don’t let that scare you though. Just do yourself a favor, if you’re in the mood for that *love-adrenaline* feeling, and an intense, tortured, but unbelievably gorgeous, alpha-male, keep an open mind for this one. Christian’s own torture runs deep. It’ll keep you on your toes, trying to guess where it’s taking you. It is just plain amazing. A+. 5 stars. One of my favorites, to be sure.

This is another case of “just go with it”. Don’t think too much. It’s just so much fun *feeling* along this dark (and sometimes light) path, with Ana. The euphoria (lots of it), the worry, the self-reflection, the delicious, addictive angst. The choices. Oh yes. There are always choices. He may be a Dom, but who is really in control here? Right. Just remember that. 😉

“Okay, and what do I get out of this?”

He shrugs and looks almost apologetic.

“Me,” he says simply.

5 stars!!!

Interested in the series? —> E.L. James – Fifty Shades Trilogy Reading Order

➔➔➔  Looking for more of my must-read recommendations? Browse my 5 star and 4.5 star reviews. 😀