ncbooknut - , reviewed on 4/22/2012 + 18 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 15

WOW... just... WOW!!!

I just finished all three "Fifty Shades" books and I really cannot write a review about the books individually, so my review applies to entire series, which I consider to be one story.

I had heard so much about this series that I was almost afraid to start reading it. It seems like people either really love it or hate it. I, for one, really loved it!

I was expecting something much darker and, while there are certainly elements of BDSM in the story, the focus is on the growing relationship between Christian Grey - a very rich businessman with LOTS of baggage - and Ana Steele - a college student turned recent graduate with a surprising inner strength, who refuses to lose herself to his will.

There were a couple of scenes in the entire series where I almost hated Christian for reacting in certain ways, but overall, I really liked both characters throughout the books. Both were flawed to various degrees and had to work and compromise with each other around those flaws to grow as individuals and as a couple.

I certainly wasn't expecting the humor I found in the books. Some of my favorite parts were Ana's internal dialog with her "subconscious" and her "inner goddess" throughout the story. I also really liked the emails exchanged between the two main characters.

You absolutely have to read all three books to get the entire story and I HIGHLY recommend having "Fifty Shades Darker" on-hand before you finish "Fifty Shades of Grey". Trust me - you will want to go straight from the first one into the second one.

In addition, at the end of the last book ("Fifty Shades Freed"), there is an extra short story that re-tells the incidents of their first couple of meetings from Christian's point of view. (They were told from Ana's point of view in the first book.)

All in all, I am very glad that I read these books and that I had all three on-hand before I started reading the first one. I rarely give books 5 stars, but these books get a perfect rating from me because they drew me into the story to the extent that when I finished the last book, I felt a sense of loss because I will miss these characters. In my opinion, that is the mark of a great story-teller and a great story. I look forward to future works by Ms. James.

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