A Review for Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) by E. L. James

Posted by Jess
Published Date: May 26th, 2011
Finished Date: January 1st, 2012
Publishers: The Writers Coffee Shop Publishing House
Format: Paperback
Genre: Adult/Erotica (18+)

Pages: 372

The Blurb from 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 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? 

The Review: "Did you just splash me?" "Yes." Holy shit...that look. "Oh, Miss Steele." He grabs me onto his lap, sloshing water all over the floor. "I think we've done enough talking for now."

Ah what can I say. I sort of want to keep this short and sweet, but I can't guarantee that will be the case. It's been a long time since I read anything remotely adult, and the first time since I read something classed as 'Erotica'. I wouldn't say Fifty Shades is erotica, it's more romance that has lots of hot sex in...almost every other chapter, and there are 26 chapters.  I picked up Fifty Shades mostly due to the rave reviews that it got. And it didn't disapoint at all. From what I could tell this book (before published) was on Fan Fiction.net under a Twilight fan fiction. Christian was Edward, and Anastasia was Bella. However don't let that put you off, Fifty Shades ISN'T remotely Twilight-esque. Yes, there are simlarities; Continental US, Sexy rich guy, shy naive girl, but that's about as Twilight as it gets. Fifty Shades is in a whole other world of it's own. 

I liked Ana from the first moment, she isn't whiny. I don't like whiny heroines. She's strong willed yet innocent in most things (sexual). Through out the book Ana grows and when she meets Christian (*fangirl scream) she becomes stubborn and determined to figure this obscenely rich (And I mean obscenely rich, he's like a Gazillionaire Entrepreneur) with a darrrrk secret. He doesn't like to be touched, but that doesn't stop Ana, from trying to get him to allow her to touch him. Christian, is albeit, a little stalker-ish, but he makes up for it in 'other' ways. And in the end Christian is completely and utterly swoon worthy. Trust me on this. There were times I wanted to punch him, a some times I was like 'UGH! You absolute control freak!' but as you'll soon find out, his control freak-ness comes with the lifestyle that he lives behind his closed apartment doors. 

Fifty Shades is the first BDSM relationship book that I've read, I thought I'd find it weird to read the sex scenes in Christians 'Playroom' but it wasn't, I generally looked passed the fact that he was controlling her and 'trianing' her to be his Sub. As I said in the beginning, Fifty Shades isn't really erotic, its just another romance story with a lot of hot sex every other chapter. It sort of got a little annoying reading a sex scene every other chapter, but I looked passed it, because the romance between Christian and Ana is one of complete and utter incompatibility, that it leaves you wondering whether this couple could last.

Fifty Shades, was sexy, funny and completely new to me! Most of the bits that had me out right laughing were the email interactions between Christian and Ana, those were incredibly funny, with each of them changing the 'Subject' line before writing something relating to it. Christian would sometimes change his signature that would relate to the said subject line. One email that got me laughing was this: "Sir, If you recall, I was going through the list when I was distracted and bedded by a passing control freak. Goodnight. Ana." LOL. Had me in stitches. 

The ending left me in utter chaos! I need the second book (I'm glad there's a second book that's already published), because that ending was incredibly heartbreaking for Ana, Christian and even me as a reader.

Anyway, I don't regret reading this book at all. I think everyone (well everyone OVER the age of 18) should read this. It's funny, sexy, hot and it has it all. Unlike most 'Erotica' novels, this one has a plot, romance and a story. It's not a book you'll likely to forget anytime soon. And if you don't fall for Christian (even with his Dom side to him), then there is something seriously wrong with you. Go read it, you won't regret it.