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esoramme's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
RIP Ana and Christin they would've LOVED unironically comparing their relationship to the Joker and Harley Quinn
annakinsky's review against another edition
3.0
I think the first book is better than this one. I hate Steele's character in the first half. But i like how tough she is in dealing with the bastards around her including the exes. I love Grey's character all throughout but I don't think this kind of man will ever exist in real life. Well that why it's fiction ü Im still excited with the third sequel.
lifenomad2's review against another edition
5.0
IT WAS AMAZING <3. They both grew in an emotional way, Ana learned to be stronger and Christian saw his self. It's amazing. i really don't know why people hate on this book so much. If you get past all the porn you get to discover a tremendous book and you get to love the characters ;). So give it a chance. I asure you you won't regret. Can't wait to buy the last one <3
jess_s23's review against another edition
4.0
I can’t believe this, but i’m giving this 4 stars - I was gonna give it 3.5 but that ending bumped it up for me.
The things I didn’t like about the first book still apply:
1) Long AF chapters (long as Christian’s fingies
The things I didn’t like about the first book still apply:
1) Long AF chapters (long as Christian’s fingies
jeanrray's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the first book and when I started reading the second book to the trilogy I loved it. I kept reading it, but by half way through the book I was just overwhelmed and tired of all the sex scenes. I was getting bored of it - I know how it's going to end - with them both in orgasm and at least one of them screaming each others name. I started finding myself skipping over these parts and by the end of it, I skimmed over stuff ( I still read it but didn't have interest in it ). I don't think I'll read the last book even though I hate not finishing a series/trilogy.
kathydavie's review against another edition
1.0
Second in the Fifty Shades erotic romance trilogy revolving around Christian Grey and Ana Steele.
My Take
What a load of crap. James didn't write the first Fifty Shades well, but at least she gave it some heart and drama. In this one, the writing is simply horrible. Its only saving grace is Ana "saving" Christine Grey from himself. Otherwise, it's a lot of whine, whine, whine. I try to remind myself that she's young and hasn't had much experience, but, ohhhh, the whining…and the juvenile romancing. Yuck. Somebody, please, find me a bucket!
I do enjoy the emails they bat back and forth; I don't understand why Ana is such an idiot about refusing to use her BlackBerry for those inflammatory emails she does send him. I can't figure out if she's simply stupid or if it was an easy way for James to ensure Hyde got his hands on material.
Not unexpectedly, Grey is overly protective of Ana. And terrified of her touching him.
Okay, um, why does James make such a big deal out of José using Ana's image on his portraits? The way she goes on about the attention Ana gets at the opening, I was expecting to discover they were all salacious nudes. Instead, they're simply great pictures of her. I rather like Grey's reaction to them *she says with a grin*. It certainly is a good wake-up call for him.
Ana does make a good point about the difficulties of communication with Christian. After all, that contract back in Fifty Shades of Grey was pretty explicit. It's too bad that she doesn't communicate herself. Nor does she hold to her word. Any bump in the road and she forgets her promises and heads out the door on the run. At one point, Ana whines about not liking being scolded like a child. Well, if she doesn't like it, stop acting like a child. Then she whines about wanting "a calm, normal morning" and I can't help but wonder if it's even possible with her around.
I dunno, she's such a twit. Yet I try to remember, again, her youth, her inexperience. I do enjoy the teasing and the reactions of her inner goddess make me laugh. I like that Grey is trying so hard. He asks her to have faith in him, to have patience. And she finally considers that maybe she could do the same with him. Have some patience for the poor guy. He is doing so much to try and be what she wants. But she refuses to do the same for him. To have any thought for the work this is for him. She's not the only virgin here in this respect. Idiot.
She keeps pushing to go back into his playroom and Christian wants nothing to do with it because she left him the last time they were in there. After she said she'd never leave. She whines on about "How can he possibly want me? I can't give him what he needs?" Has he complained? Has he insisted on going back to the playroom you keep trying to push him into??? She pushes and pushes and pushes at him. They're back together, what, two or three days, and she has to know everythingthisminute. Then of course Ana will whine when it doesn't go well. Explain how someone as intelligent as him can love a doofus like her? James does not do this at all well. She gives us the words, but definitely does not make me believe it.
Anna claims she barely knows the man??
I do agree with Ana that Christian does have some double standards. If he expects Ana to accept his taking care of Leila, then he should be able to handle her having a drink with José. Trust is required in all aspects of a relationship.
Why does Ana have to keep bringing Mrs. Robinson up? She always manages to destroy the moments between her and Christian by...whining on about the past. Give it a rest! Ana does learn a bit about Christian's childhood from Mia that cause some pieces to fall into place.
I'm curious too. Why does Christian act so cold with his mother when he loves her?
Oooh, Ana is setting Ethan up with Mia. Another, ooohh, I love the gift Ana gives him for his birthday. The perfect gift for a man who has everything.
On the whole, borrow this from the library if you absolutely must read it. There are only a few bits in here that are worth reading. It's certainly not worth gagging through the ninety-percent of juvenile whinging that this installment consists of.
The Story
The story picks up where the first left off. With Ana starting her new job...and whining about how much she misses Christian. It's José's art show opening that gives Christian the opportunity to see Ana again and just being with him is enough to make her want to give him another chance.
Yet Christian doesn't understand boundaries. He wants to protect her from anything and everything. Her new boss, her new stalker. And the best way to protect is to install her in his own apartment.
It's an opportunity for them to get to know each other better, to test their hard limits. For Ana to talk with Dr. Flynn about her own concerns. Concerns that suddenly don't seem so important when the news comes about Christian's chopper going down.
The Characters
Anastasia Steele, a.k.a., Miss Snap Judgment, is now the assistant to an editor at SIP. A job she got on her own with a company that Christian doesn't own. She thinks. Ray Steele is the stepfather she considers her real father. José Rodriguez is a friend of Ana's who'd like to be more. His first photography show focuses on Ana as his muse.
Christian Grey is a billionaire interested in a wide variety of technologies although many seem to revolve around food. He's fallen in love with Ana and it takes awhile for him to realize it. He's incredibly controlling, although he does back down when he realizes it could lose him the woman he wants. Jason Taylor is his personal security; he has a seven-year-old daughter who lives with her mother. Gail Jones is his housekeeper. Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey and Carrick Grey are his parents; his siblings, all adopted like him, are Elliot who is involved with her roommate Kate and Mia.
Jack Hyde is an editor with SIP and Ana's boss. Seems he's interested in more than just her work abilities. He's an ambitious man who has worked his way up from nothing. There's also Elizabeth who seems to be Jack's boss, Courtney is another editor, and Claire works in reception.
Kate is still in Barbados with Elliot Grey and doesn't get back until almost the end of this installment and her brother Ethan.
Leila is an ex-submissive of Christian's. Seems she's desperate to get back with him. To the point of suicide. Lily is one of Mia's friends and has a hard-on for Christian who can't stand her. Dr. John Flynn is Christian's psychiatrist; Rhian is his wife. Elena "Mrs. Robinson" Lincoln is an old family friend of the Greys. Until Grace finds out. Liam McConnell is the captain for The Grace, Christian's state-of-the-art catamaran. Andrea is one of his assistants. Ros is his number two; Gwen is her partner.
The Cover
The cover is rather appropriate with its Italianate mask, hiding Grey from looking at himself or allowing others a peek at him under the gleam of satin and glitter of his wealth.
The title is not appropriate. I should have thought lighter more accurate than Fifty Shades Darker.
My Take
What a load of crap. James didn't write the first Fifty Shades well, but at least she gave it some heart and drama. In this one, the writing is simply horrible. Its only saving grace is Ana "saving" Christine Grey from himself. Otherwise, it's a lot of whine, whine, whine. I try to remind myself that she's young and hasn't had much experience, but, ohhhh, the whining…and the juvenile romancing. Yuck. Somebody, please, find me a bucket!
I do enjoy the emails they bat back and forth; I don't understand why Ana is such an idiot about refusing to use her BlackBerry for those inflammatory emails she does send him. I can't figure out if she's simply stupid or if it was an easy way for James to ensure Hyde got his hands on material.
Not unexpectedly, Grey is overly protective of Ana. And terrified of her touching him.
Okay, um, why does James make such a big deal out of José using Ana's image on his portraits? The way she goes on about the attention Ana gets at the opening, I was expecting to discover they were all salacious nudes. Instead, they're simply great pictures of her. I rather like Grey's reaction to them *she says with a grin*. It certainly is a good wake-up call for him.
Ana does make a good point about the difficulties of communication with Christian. After all, that contract back in Fifty Shades of Grey was pretty explicit. It's too bad that she doesn't communicate herself. Nor does she hold to her word. Any bump in the road and she forgets her promises and heads out the door on the run. At one point, Ana whines about not liking being scolded like a child. Well, if she doesn't like it, stop acting like a child. Then she whines about wanting "a calm, normal morning" and I can't help but wonder if it's even possible with her around.
I dunno, she's such a twit. Yet I try to remember, again, her youth, her inexperience. I do enjoy the teasing and the reactions of her inner goddess make me laugh. I like that Grey is trying so hard. He asks her to have faith in him, to have patience. And she finally considers that maybe she could do the same with him. Have some patience for the poor guy. He is doing so much to try and be what she wants. But she refuses to do the same for him. To have any thought for the work this is for him. She's not the only virgin here in this respect. Idiot.
She keeps pushing to go back into his playroom and Christian wants nothing to do with it because she left him the last time they were in there. After she said she'd never leave. She whines on about "How can he possibly want me? I can't give him what he needs?" Has he complained? Has he insisted on going back to the playroom you keep trying to push him into??? She pushes and pushes and pushes at him. They're back together, what, two or three days, and she has to know everythingthisminute. Then of course Ana will whine when it doesn't go well. Explain how someone as intelligent as him can love a doofus like her? James does not do this at all well. She gives us the words, but definitely does not make me believe it.
Anna claims she barely knows the man??
I do agree with Ana that Christian does have some double standards. If he expects Ana to accept his taking care of Leila, then he should be able to handle her having a drink with José. Trust is required in all aspects of a relationship.
Why does Ana have to keep bringing Mrs. Robinson up? She always manages to destroy the moments between her and Christian by...whining on about the past. Give it a rest! Ana does learn a bit about Christian's childhood from Mia that cause some pieces to fall into place.
I'm curious too. Why does Christian act so cold with his mother when he loves her?
Oooh, Ana is setting Ethan up with Mia. Another, ooohh, I love the gift Ana gives him for his birthday. The perfect gift for a man who has everything.
On the whole, borrow this from the library if you absolutely must read it. There are only a few bits in here that are worth reading. It's certainly not worth gagging through the ninety-percent of juvenile whinging that this installment consists of.
The Story
The story picks up where the first left off. With Ana starting her new job...and whining about how much she misses Christian. It's José's art show opening that gives Christian the opportunity to see Ana again and just being with him is enough to make her want to give him another chance.
Yet Christian doesn't understand boundaries. He wants to protect her from anything and everything. Her new boss, her new stalker. And the best way to protect is to install her in his own apartment.
It's an opportunity for them to get to know each other better, to test their hard limits. For Ana to talk with Dr. Flynn about her own concerns. Concerns that suddenly don't seem so important when the news comes about Christian's chopper going down.
The Characters
Anastasia Steele, a.k.a., Miss Snap Judgment, is now the assistant to an editor at SIP. A job she got on her own with a company that Christian doesn't own. She thinks. Ray Steele is the stepfather she considers her real father. José Rodriguez is a friend of Ana's who'd like to be more. His first photography show focuses on Ana as his muse.
Christian Grey is a billionaire interested in a wide variety of technologies although many seem to revolve around food. He's fallen in love with Ana and it takes awhile for him to realize it. He's incredibly controlling, although he does back down when he realizes it could lose him the woman he wants. Jason Taylor is his personal security; he has a seven-year-old daughter who lives with her mother. Gail Jones is his housekeeper. Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey and Carrick Grey are his parents; his siblings, all adopted like him, are Elliot who is involved with her roommate Kate and Mia.
Jack Hyde is an editor with SIP and Ana's boss. Seems he's interested in more than just her work abilities. He's an ambitious man who has worked his way up from nothing. There's also Elizabeth who seems to be Jack's boss, Courtney is another editor, and Claire works in reception.
Kate is still in Barbados with Elliot Grey and doesn't get back until almost the end of this installment and her brother Ethan.
Leila is an ex-submissive of Christian's. Seems she's desperate to get back with him. To the point of suicide. Lily is one of Mia's friends and has a hard-on for Christian who can't stand her. Dr. John Flynn is Christian's psychiatrist; Rhian is his wife. Elena "Mrs. Robinson" Lincoln is an old family friend of the Greys. Until Grace finds out. Liam McConnell is the captain for The Grace, Christian's state-of-the-art catamaran. Andrea is one of his assistants. Ros is his number two; Gwen is her partner.
The Cover
The cover is rather appropriate with its Italianate mask, hiding Grey from looking at himself or allowing others a peek at him under the gleam of satin and glitter of his wealth.
The title is not appropriate. I should have thought lighter more accurate than Fifty Shades Darker.
annka's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ritasreadingcorner's review against another edition
5.0
OH MY GOD!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. DAMN! This one is even better than Fifty Shades of Grey. I would give this book more than just five stars!
So, let's talk about the story. I was very sad in the beggining because Anastasia and Christian weren't together and she was miserable (and so was he, of course). So, when she received his flowers I was really happy because he wasn't giving up on them. When they decided to meet for José's exhibition I was like YES, YES, YES!!! (SO MANY FEELINGS OMG) Only one night was enough for them to see they couldn't stay away from each other. It's amazing how Ana's humor changed in a couple of hours. She was really happy.
It was wonderful seeing them together at her apartment having dinner the next day. They looked like a normal couple.
I was really glad that they were able to get back to normal so quickly.
Then Leila happened. Oh boy. Big problem. And there was also Jack, that pervert. When Ana went drinking with her colleagues and Jack was hitting on her and Christian appeared I was like "Hell yes. Back off, asshole." Christian Grey, the knight errant. Anastasia should really use Christian's advices. And, of course, there was Elena. Oh God, I hate that woman SO MUCH I wish I could just enter the book and kick her ass. Why can't she stay away?? Thank God Christian finally saw her true self.
The ball was amazing. Anastasia and Christian were so cute. I loved Lily's reaction when he gave all that money for her at the auction. That's right, bitch. Leave Christian the hell alone. He's too much for you.
I found very funny Mia and Ethan's reaction to each other. I'm curious to know how that's going to end though I ask myself what happened to her boyfriend, Sean. He just vanished.
Everything was ok, and then, suddendly, Christian disappears. Oh man, my heart skipped a beat, literally. Poor Christian. Poor Ana. Poor family. But then he returned!! Thank God. I had this grin on my face while reading about their reunion and it was just so sweet. And being in front of all that people just made it sweeter.
When Christian finally let Anastasia touch him I went all emotional. She's doing a great job helping him with his monsters. AND HE FINALLY SAID HE LOVES HER. *LET ME SCREAM AND CRY AND THEN SCREAM AGAIN*
About Christian's first present: I KNEW IT!! I was so sure she would give him something saying 'Yes' and I was right!!! I love them so much. He was SO happy.
His party didn't start the best way. Katherine shouldn't had gone through Ana's stuff but since she did it, I kinda understand her reaction. If I found out something like that in my best friend's stuff, I would be really scared for her and pissed off. But everything ended up fine.
I totally ship Katherine and Elliot. I hope they get married too. :)
Everything was supposed to be ok in the end, BUT NO. There's that son of a bitch trying to harm Christian. Ugh. That's Jack, right? I want to kill the guy, for God sake.
Anyway, this is an amazing book. It's worth it.
So, let's talk about the story. I was very sad in the beggining because Anastasia and Christian weren't together and she was miserable (and so was he, of course). So, when she received his flowers I was really happy because he wasn't giving up on them. When they decided to meet for José's exhibition I was like YES, YES, YES!!! (SO MANY FEELINGS OMG) Only one night was enough for them to see they couldn't stay away from each other. It's amazing how Ana's humor changed in a couple of hours. She was really happy.
It was wonderful seeing them together at her apartment having dinner the next day. They looked like a normal couple.
I was really glad that they were able to get back to normal so quickly.
Then Leila happened. Oh boy. Big problem. And there was also Jack, that pervert. When Ana went drinking with her colleagues and Jack was hitting on her and Christian appeared I was like "Hell yes. Back off, asshole." Christian Grey, the knight errant. Anastasia should really use Christian's advices. And, of course, there was Elena. Oh God, I hate that woman SO MUCH I wish I could just enter the book and kick her ass. Why can't she stay away?? Thank God Christian finally saw her true self.
The ball was amazing. Anastasia and Christian were so cute. I loved Lily's reaction when he gave all that money for her at the auction. That's right, bitch. Leave Christian the hell alone. He's too much for you.
I found very funny Mia and Ethan's reaction to each other. I'm curious to know how that's going to end though I ask myself what happened to her boyfriend, Sean. He just vanished.
Everything was ok, and then, suddendly, Christian disappears. Oh man, my heart skipped a beat, literally. Poor Christian. Poor Ana. Poor family. But then he returned!! Thank God. I had this grin on my face while reading about their reunion and it was just so sweet. And being in front of all that people just made it sweeter.
When Christian finally let Anastasia touch him I went all emotional. She's doing a great job helping him with his monsters. AND HE FINALLY SAID HE LOVES HER. *LET ME SCREAM AND CRY AND THEN SCREAM AGAIN*
About Christian's first present: I KNEW IT!! I was so sure she would give him something saying 'Yes' and I was right!!! I love them so much. He was SO happy.
His party didn't start the best way. Katherine shouldn't had gone through Ana's stuff but since she did it, I kinda understand her reaction. If I found out something like that in my best friend's stuff, I would be really scared for her and pissed off. But everything ended up fine.
I totally ship Katherine and Elliot. I hope they get married too. :)
Everything was supposed to be ok in the end, BUT NO. There's that son of a bitch trying to harm Christian. Ugh. That's Jack, right? I want to kill the guy, for God sake.
Anyway, this is an amazing book. It's worth it.
mariposa26's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5