Darker and Freed

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the New York Times Bestseller and the most buzzed about book of the moment, "Fifty Shades of Grey."  The sequels were just as entertaining if not more so than the first.

"Fifty Shades Darker" begins just a few days after "Grey" left off.  Ana is determined to stay away from Christian but he's just as determined to win her back.  I don't think it's a spoiler to confirm that they reunite.  This wouldn't be much of an erotic romance if you didn't have a romantic couple.  However, new complications threaten and deepen their relationship.  I actually think a better title for this book would've been Fifty Shades Deeper as it took you deeper into Ana and Christian's personal lives, family backgrounds, and the structure of their relationship.  And of course, being an erotic romance, there are a ton of fun, frisky sex scenes. As well as the continued, unintentional humor I found with the terms "inner goddess" and the one I can't write here, but I'll just abbreviate it as KF.

"Fifty Shades Freed," is the conclusion to the trilogy and just when Ana and Christian seem to have found their happily ever after, unexpected complications jeopardize their relationship and their lives.  This book really upped the ante on dramatic events and the sex.  I wasn't really pleased with one of the obstacles Ana and Christian faced and I found the conclusion a little too neat.  However, I really enjoyed the edgier sex scenes in this book and the dramatic events moved at such a frenetic pace, that it was hard to put this book down.

This is honestly the most entertaining and fun series I've read in a long time.  It's no fine work of literature and it's not extremely well written but if you're just looking for a good time, give them a read you won't be sorry.  I read through "Darker" and "Freed" in just a matter of days.

I recently had the privilege, to meet the author E.L. James.  My awesome dad agreed to take May 8th off of work to take me and our friend to meet E.L. James at a signing at the Barnes & Noble in Paramus, NJ.  Paramus isn't too far away from where we live in NY and the event didn't start until 7:30PM.  However, Barnes & Noble began handing out wristbands at 9AM that day to the first 300 guests.  So to ensure we got in, we embarked on our adventure early that morning.  We arrived at the store a little after 9AM and about 100 ladies were already waiting to get in the store to buy the book and obtain a wristband.

The line moved pretty quickly and one woman, who had already gotten her wristband, was passing out coupons for her store.  She said, "everything that is in the book is in my store."  I appreciate her marketing skills but unfortunately her shop, which we visited later, did not include everything mentioned in the book.  For example, there was no Charlie Tango and even sadder, no Christian Grey.

Anyways, back to the line, we got in around 9:30 and got our books and our wristbands. We spent the rest of the day cruising around the Paramus area.  My dad took me and our friend to IKEA for awhile because we had both never been to one.  It was pretty awesome.  I considered moving into the one mock apartment.

Later we headed back to the store and my dad patiently waited with us and a few hundred other woman and only a couple other guys.  Seriously, if there are single guys out there looking to meet women, an E.L. James signing is good place to look.   We were able to enter the "event space" at 6:30 and they had 300 chairs for the wristband folks.  Anyone who did not have a wristband could line up outside the event space.  They weren't guaranteed a signature but odds were good Ms. James would stick around until she had signed everyone's book(s).

Needless to say E.L. James is the one signing my book.

Finally, at 7:30, Ms. James came out and greeted the crowd with the sweetest english accent I've ever heard.  Due to the size of the crowd, you couldn't pose for photos but someone, like your awesome dad, could try and snap a picture while you got your book signed.

I didn't just get a book signed for myself, I got another copy of "Fifty Shades of Grey," to give away, right here on our blog !

So, if you haven't read the book yet, here is your chance to get find out what all the fuss is about.  Or, if you've already devoured the book, here is your opportunity to have a copy of a book signed by the author herself.  This giveaway is open to US residents who are 18 or older as of today's date. Now to Charlie Tango, I mean the Rafflecopter we go !






a Rafflecopter giveaway