Buy: Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback

---

---

Review

I HAVE SOOOOO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS BOOK!

I have just finished yet another reread of this book – one of my all-time favourites. So I figured it was about time I wrote a review for it.

I think, by now, everybody knows what this book is about. Ana Steel, beautifully innocent (almost) College graduate, and Christian Grey – the original sexy, controlling, possessive and dominant billionaire. Wickedly seductive, the man is sex on legs! But he is also struggling with all kinds of issues stemming from his tragic past, which he deals with through engaging in strictly regulated BDSM relationships. And from the moment that he sees Ana, he wants her. She is equally enthralled, although has absolutely no idea what she is in for. And in a delicious twist – neither does he.

“His head turns fractionally toward me, his eyes darkest slate. I bite my lip. “Oh, fuck the paperwork,” he growls. He lunges at me, pushing me against the wall of the elevator. Before I know it, he’s got both of my hands in one of his in a vice-like grip above my head, and he’s pinning me to the wall using his hips. Holy shit. His other hand grabs my ponytail and yanks down, bringing my face up, and his lips are on mine.”

The relationship between these two is so incredibly intense, and I loved watching it develop and change. I loved Ana’s honesty, and so completely understood her feelings and confusion about Christian and what he wanted from her. He introduces her to his world, and while he’s not exactly patient, he’s certainly thorough! And despite his experience and his dominant nature, he’s tender with her when he senses she needs it, which I absolutely love.

And on Ana’s part – despite how scared she is of the unknown, she doesn’t hide her confusion and I love her inquisitiveness, and how she is constantly asking him questions. And her fear and apprehension of all that he wants of her is totally understandable. But I love how brave she is, and how willing she is to explore her limits and try to be what Christian needs. She knows that she wants him like she’s never wanted anybody before and she knows he feels the same, and so, equally turned on and terrified, she dives on in, relishing the power that she has over her oh-so-powerful man.

But she never loses herself to him. She keeps her sense of self, is a total smartass, and as much as Christian wants her to submit to him, she retains that cheekiness, and an element of control with him. And he is dumbfounded. Shocked that she backchats him, and doesn’t submit to his every whim, but even more surprised that he likes it, and allows her to get away with it. I love Christian’s open admiration of her – of who she is, and of what she is willing to do for him, and, feeling safe with another person for the first time in his life, he starts to open up to her.

“Why don’t you like to be touched?”
“Because I’m fifty shades of fucked up, Anastasia”

And that is what makes this book so awesome. The openness and honesty between them, the willingness to compromise, and the need that the two of them have to be together, that they are willing to do anything to have each other. They both have intensely strong feelings for each other, but with both of them wanting the other in completely different ways, neither of them know what to do about it. Watching them open up to each other, be willing to explore what the other wants, and slowly fall for each other, is absolutely beautiful.

“You beguile me, Christian. Completely overwhelm me. I feel like Icarus flying too close to the sun.” I whisper.
He gasps.
“Well, I think you’ve got that the wrong way around,” he whispers.
“What?”
“Oh, Anastasia, you’ve bewitched me. Isn’t it obvious.”

Being in Ana’s head we see her confusion about the whole situation, and my heart broke for her. But it is my beloved Christian who owns my heart. He so obviously wants Ana in his life, but he has no idea how to go about it.

“I don’t know any other way, Anastasia. This is who I am.”

And as experienced as he is in all things sexual, innocent Ana still manages to give him so many firsts.

“Anastasia, it’s been a weekend of firsts for me, too … What are you doing to me?”

Christian is a serious and uptight man. He is controlled in pretty much everything, and is not open with his emotions. But then he’ll call her “baby”, and I just melt. And for all of his broody intensity, I love playful Christian. The teasing, flirty banter is sensational, and it’s never more evident than in their emails to each other. THEY WERE F***ING FANTASTIC! (yes! shouty capitals!). Honestly, one of my favourite parts of the book.

And now, on a serious note… I’m all for respecting that different people are going to take different messages away from the same book, but I have to say that I get really annoyed when people read this book and dismiss it as a ‘sex’ book, or a ‘BDSM’ book when they don’t even bother reading it first! Reading this book was my first exposure to the BDSM lifestyle, and I remember being surprised by the intricacy of it all. Not just the physical side of things, but more the psychological aspects, I found it fascinating, and felt like I was going on a journey right alongside Ana.

There is so much to Christian and Ana’s story, and it saddens me when people are so distracted by the sex, and the nature of it, that they miss the emotional intensity of the story, and the changes that these two amazing characters undergo. Yes, there is a lot of sex, and yes, it’s explicit, but the sex, and, more importantly, the nature of it, are such an important part of the story. It’s a reflection on Christian and Ana, where they are at, and their feelings towards each other. Ana, an innocent, sexually naïve virgin, is willing to experiment with what she sees as extreme behaviours because she feels so deeply for Christian that she wants him whichever way he comes. And Christian, a man who has known nothing but dominant, largely impersonal sex, slowly begins to explore his ‘vanilla’ side, allowing sex to become personal, and embracing the emotion that comes with that, as Ana slowly works her way into his heart. Originally adamant about every aspect about what he wants his ‘relationship’ to be, he wants Ana so badly that he’s willing to compromise for the first time in his life.

This is an incredibly, beautiful romantic story about the healing and redemptive power of love. And the emotion! OMG, the emotion! The end of this book had me in tears, grasping for tissues and book number 2. It’s an amazing read, and an incredible roller coaster!!! I remember falling in instant love with Christian and Ana, and was completely drawn into their world. And that is why this remains one of my favourite series of all time.

5 amazing stars.

 

The Fifty Shades series