Review for Fifty Shades Darker

Title: Fifty Shades Darker
Author: E L James
Series: Fifty Shades Trilogy
Publication Date: September 15, 2011
Source: Bought
Summary: (from Goodreads)

 "Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.

But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life."

                                  Review
 

We start Fifty Shades Darker with a very short look at the nightmares that haunt Christian Grey. Hmmm…was I the only one wondering from those first few lines why he found it sexually enticing to “beat” women when he saw what his mother went through? Ah, but the answer awaits us.

Ana is moping in the beginning of the book, missing Christian and his “fifty shades of fucked-up” until flowers arrive and ta-da with a little - and I mean very little - convincing she accepts Christian back into her life with open arms. But wait, can it be? This is not the same Christian. Okay, it is in the controlling, angry, eat-or-I’ll-force-feed-you way, but there’s been a change. A change, people! And this Christian I warmed up to a little bit.

We learn about and meet a crazy ex of Christian’s, have more interactions with Elena aka Mrs. Robinson, who strangely I wanted to tie up and beat – and not in a sexual kind of way either, and are those bells I hear?

In my review of Fifty Shades of Grey I said Christian had a kinky side. Well, I retract that. With what we learn about him and why he has a “fondness” for brunettes, it’s not a kinky side. It’s a dark obsession, and I really couldn’t help but feel sick when I read it.

But as sick and twisted as he is, there’s this broken man inside him, almost like a little boy begging for understanding and not receiving it because he doesn’t know how to behave properly in the world. And that’s what tugged at my heart.

Now, like I said, despite his dark obsession, Christian did grow on me in this book. Maybe it’s because he tried, really tried, so hard to change who he was and what he did so Ana would love him and come back to him. Which of course she did. But he didn’t just say he’d change, he actually showed her he would when it came to his Playroom.

What I didn’t like was how Ana totally confused the hell out of him all the time. She left him because of the acts in the Playroom, yet when she came back to him she wanted him to take her back in there. Hello? Are you fucking insane? What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve already proven the only thing you can handle is a few spanks here and there and being tied up, and yet you want him to take you back to the scene of the crime. Why? So you can ask him to belt you and run away once again?

The woman infuriated me, but there were things I liked about the book much better than I liked about the first one. I enjoyed seeing Christian open up and trust Ana, and not only with the touching thing but the way he included her in his favourite things to do. I really liked that he grew a backbone when it came to Elena and told her where to go, and I especially liked it – no, I loved it when Grace overhears 

the conversation between Elena, Christian and Ana. That scene is by far my favourite in the book.

The ride James takes us on in Fifty Shades Darker was a lot more enjoyable for me than the first time around. But I still feel like there is no plot to this book. It's all about Christian being angry, and Ana being annoying and them jumping into bed every few pages which is still not at all erotic. 

And now there’s a third instalment… Fifty Shades Freed. Will I read it? Yes. No. Well, maybe. I really have no idea. If I don't read it I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I want a story that's going to suck me in, consume my life, make me feel like I need to read it just as  much as I need air. The Fifty books just don't do that for me. It's mediocre writing at best and the lack of plot makes the books boring.

I guess hubby can spank me with his belt for all the women in the world who I have offended with my words on this “fabulous” series. Hmm...now there's an idea....