Redonk Nutshell: An intense physical attraction between a shy woman and an indulgent man leads to a deep and complicated attachment
I came across this book through browsing around the Kindle store. Â After reading the premise and the reviews I was intrigued enough to add it to my library. Â I sped through it like a woman starved, incredibly grateful I had come across it. Â I knew nothing of this author or her previous work, and had no idea what the history of this series was. Â I’m excited to share it with you all, because I bet many of you will enjoy it.A quick synopsis: Â Anastasia Steele is a few weeks away from earning her degree at Washington State University. When her roommate Kate gets sick with the flu, Ana volunteers to take her place to do an interview with the illustrious Seattle CEO Christian Grey. Â When Ana meets Christian she immediately senses a spark, an attraction so intense she finds herself struggling to keep her cool. When Christian shows up a few days later at her part time job, Ana entertains the notion he may share the attraction, though she’s completely stunned that a man like Christian would have any interest in someone like her.Christian is a very private man. Â Rich, brilliant and ambitious, Christan has no qualms about going after what he wants. Â And what he wants is Anastasia. Â The problem, however, is that she is completely ignorant of his lifestyle, a dark and secretive need to dominate. Â He tries to warn her away from him, but neither can resist the pull of their attraction. Â When he presents her with a legal contract detailing the depths of his expectations in their BDSM relationship, Ana is shocked. Â She’s never partaken in any sort of physical relationship let alone a Dom and Sub one. Â But her feelings for Christian overule her worries, and she agrees to give it a try.
What we get is an emotional rollercoaster of sensual awakening. Â The attraction between these two is like gasoline to a raging fire. Â What really makes this story shine, however, is watching these two struggle with the emotional ramifacations of their blooming emotional attachment. Â It goes beyond physical, beyond the need to possess or dominate. Â And neither or them know how to handle it. Â It’s dark, addictingly so. Â It’s a character driven story where our hero and heroine get way in over their heads.
I really loved this story. Â I found myself drawing comparisons to Twilight a few chapters in – really, it’s impossible not to. Â It’s set in Washington state, our hero and heroine are mirror images to Bella and Edward, and the intense emotional and physical attraction to one another is remarkably similar. Â Some might be disappointed by this. Â I personally didn’t mind. Â In fact, I found myself reveling in it. Â Â Afterall, how many of you out there are like me when reading the Twilight series and can’t help but feel disappointed at the lac of erotic description. Â Yeah, well, I’m Raunchy Ryan – I have NEEDS. Â Fifty Shades of Grey reads almost like an super adult version of Twilight, minus the whole supernatural aspect.
After finishing this (and book two) I did some research into this author – because I had to know who this person was and why I was only just now finding her – and it turns out Ms. James got her start writing Fanfiction for….get ready for it…Twilight.  HA!  Suddenly it all made sense.  I personally thought this was fantastic.  I don’t mind fan fiction – in fact I like it.  What really made it for me, though, was the fact that Ms. James writes  just as well, if not better, than Stephanie Meyer.  The ridiculous teenage angst is replaced with brutally intense sensuality.  The stalker-esque mannerisms of Edward are addressed by our Ana, and it’s done in a way that had me laughing and giggling like a moron.  I loved it.
So…a few things to bear in mind should you opt to pick this baby up.  It’s a series:  Book one is a major cliffhanger, so don’t expect any HEA’s.  Book two has something of an ending but we’re definitely left wondering what’s in store for book three, which has yet to be given a date of release.  Be prepared for Twilight XXX.  Whether or not you see this as s good or bad thing is most definitley subjective.  I myself enjoyed it immensely.  In fact, I’m earmarking this as one of my favorites for 2011.  Fo realz.  Hot, feisty, dark yet funny, and crazy emotional, Fifty Shades of Grey is fifty shades of fantastic.
Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James
(currently only availble through Amazon or The Writer’s Coffee Shop or iTunes)
Rating: B
Have you ever seen the movie “Secretary” with James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal? You might be interested in that movie, if you are interested/fascinated with the psychological aspects of BDSM.
I HAVE seen it! I loved that movie. I’ve had a geek crush on James Spader since Stargate, and that movie really toed along a line that made me all flustered and such. 🙂
HAHAHA, Oh girl, I know. I always have geek crushes (Jeff Goldblum, anyone?), and definitely Spader in Stargate. I watched Secretary a few years ago with my husband, and it was totally awkward because it was, let’s be honest, kind of hot, but in a taboo sort of way, but also in a, hey, this is kind of a turn-on and maybe you should spank me? sort of way, lol. Needless to say, it spurred lots of funtimes.
Also, I now have a hard time watching James Spader on the Office, because every interaction he has feels loaded with dirtiness.
I am not into BDSM stories, but I have to say that I really loved “Fifty Shades of Grey”! This was one of those books that keeps you glued to the pages; staying up reading into the early morning. I found it to be very addicting which is really disturbing for me.
This is the love story of Anastasia & Christian. Christian is such a complex character. You love him and hate him at the same time and it’s really confusing. He’s the ultimate alpha male, bad boy with a very dark and disturbing desire to inflict pain. He literally gets off on it. He meets and falls for Anastasia. When they meet she is an innocent college student and happens to still be a virgin. This is their love story and its deeply disturbing. Our boy Christian has some serious demons and its making Ana think long and hard about their relationship. This is not your typical boy meets girl let’s date and fall in love romance. He wants to dominate her and he wants her submissive. He comes up with a contract that he wants her to sign. She’s torn between her love for him and her fear of him. She wants to know why he is so Fifty Shades of “f’d” up. She wants to get to the bottom of what happened in his past to make him need this type of relationship and why he hates to be touched. He introduces her to the “dark side” of his sexual habits and in his desire to keep her and make her happy, tries for the “vanilla relationship” she desires. Will Ana embrace Christian’s dark side or will it be more than she can handle? The way he makes love to her is so erotic, steamy, sexy and scary all at the same time.
I know it does not sound like it, but there is a real love story in this book. Ana brings out feelings in Christian that he has never felt with anyone else. As crazy as it sounds, I have a lot of hope for these two and I am eager to read the next installment.
Have a lovely day,
Wendy