Hello, lovely ladies 🙂
So? Have you deserted your lives, and jobs, partners and children to play with Mr Grey? Has he swept you off of your feet or are you surprised by CG’s internal dialogue? But before I get to that, as the (fictional) man himself had a birthday this week, the world went Grey mad….
This clip from the Today Show – thanks to Susan 🙂
And the girls from the Laters, Baby site celebrated by attending a special birthday party…
Lucky ladies, huh?
Then, without further ado, let’s talk about Grey….
Please DO NOT read the review if you don’t want to hear my thoughts on Grey!
This week I read:
Grey by E.L. James, book four in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. Honestly, this is the first time I’m a little nervous to share a review. Let me start by expressing my expectations for this surprise book. I don’t believe we generally read a POV book because we want more of the story because, having read the original POV, we already know the tale. Rather, we enjoy POV books because it gives us MORE in another sense; they show us the thoughts and feelings, the internal struggles, and the melting moments that we could only have guessed at when we’ve read it from the first person’s POV. So, I expected nothing less from Grey. I wanted more of Christian in Grey, I wanted to see his reticence burn to ash, the absolute confoundment that he must have felt when this innocent woman scrambled his rigid world into the chaos that we call love, and the shock of that love hitting him like a two-by-four despite him not even recognizing the feeling when it hit. Also, Erika took a lot of flack for sloppy editing so I expected this book to be edited to perfection, absolutely flawless.
So? How did I feel reading my first book boyfriend’s thoughts? Initially a little detached. It took me a long time to get into the book, especially if I compared it with the way the original series gripped me – and by grip I mean grabbed me by the shirt collar with both hands and refused to let go! I found Christian’s thoughts to be on the light side. The frequent one-word exclamations expressing his feelings left me hanging. Yes, he’s a guy and probably not that deep when it comes to sex (at least not in the beginning) but it was pretty clear to me, even from the start of book one, that he was experiencing something new, something different, with Ana.
Take the following passage as an example:
This is an excerpt from the scene at Ana’s graduation ceremony where Kate introduces Christian to Ray as Ana’s boyfriend. I certainly don’t claim to do it better, but for the sake of explaining myself I inserted something along the lines of what I actually expected. I feel she missed so many opportunities to expound on his annoyance/surprise/frustrations/add your adjective of choice…. It has been suggested to me that over the course of the books this may change as Christian slowly gets in touch with his inner hearts-and-flowers guy – thank you, Susan 😉 I sincerely hope this is the case.
Having said that, I did eventually, at around 35% in, get into the book and enjoyed reading about GC’s world and the way Ana challenged and frustrated him. I found the level of animosity between him and Kate an interesting insight, and I also liked the additional material relating to his family; his feelings towards Elliot, Mia, and especially Carrick. It was fascinating to note that Christian feels that he let his father down by both his teenage years wayward behaviour as well as the choice he made by dropping out of Harvard and starting a business. I knew that his father didn’t approve of the choice at the time, but since Christian succeeded so spectacularly, I assumed that decision was water under the bridge. Instead it’s another aspect that plays further into his self-loathing, only adding more layers to the baggage he carries in his hurt heart. The end of the book is what saved it for me, and it wasn’t because it was new material but rather because James delved deep into Christian’s mind, following his path of self discovery, internalisation and rationalization right back to Ana’s doorstep. Why she didn’t follow this vein throughout the book remains to be seen…
As far as the editing is concerned I’m extremely surprised to say that some mistakes still slipped through, and it is worthwhile mentioning that there are some minute changes in the conversation from the original, but nothing big enough to mention. Personally, I’m not nuts about the appearance of vulva and labia – nothing sexy about vulva, though I know Erika also took a lot of heat for using the word “sex” when referring to Ana’s vejayjay. The other thing that I found really odd is Ana’s change of hairstyle from book one. In Fifty Shades of Grey, after their first night, she ties her hair in pigtails, but in Grey, Christian describes it as braids. My hubby suggested that as CG is a guy he probably doesn’t know the difference between pigtails and braids, but Christian frequently braids Ana’s hair so I’m sure this is not the case….
So, those are my thoughts in a nutshell. I’m very keen to hear how you experienced it, girls 😉
Facebook’s 50 Shades of Grey Support features Book Bub Blog‘s delicious excerpts from Grey…
I also read:
Revved by Samantha Towle, book one in the Revved series, was fantastic. A great mix of drama, hotness, and sweet, sweet love. This one is definitely going on my favorites list.
On my shelf I have:
Pucked by Helena Hunting.
LOL! 😉
That’s it from me, girls. Don’t forget to share your latest and greatest books with us! 🙂
fifty shades of grey and more 
Do you think you’ll ever write more to your story or a part 2. I really love your writing
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From:”fifty shades of grey and more” Date:Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 12:31 AM Subject:[New post] Between the covers book club – Grey – spoiler alert!
Monique Lain posted: “Hello, lovely ladies 🙂 So? Have you deserted your lives, and jobs, partners and children to play with Mr Grey? Has he swept you off of your feet or are you surprised by CG’s internal dialogue? But before I get to that, as the (fictional) man himself had”
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Thank you, so happy that you enjoyed my story. I would love to add an epi at some point in time, actually I was hoping that Grey would provide just the right inspiration for that, but so far I’m not feeling it….
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If I find the time and the inspiration I’d love to do an epi, but I’ve said goodbye to these two where bigger things are concerned 🙂
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Well, I feel a bit like you. At times, the book feels a little boring or tiryng, but I guess that ‘ s because I ‘ ve read 50 so many times before. But sometimes, it picks up speed, and is interesting again. I feel she could have made it less specific at some pasages, and elaborate more on Christian’s mind, but in general, I think I like it 65%. Is she writting the 3 books from Christian’s pov?
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I didn’t find it boring (despite the countless times I’ve read it), and in fact I missed some of the conversation that Erika abbreviated, but I wanted to see more of what went on in CG’s head. I think she is writing all three, this one followed the exact path of the first and it was also called Fifty Shades just like the first so it stands to reason that she will. She’s gotta’ fill the year and a half wait time for the next movie now…
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It seems logical, to fill the waiting with these books. I would read them all. Trust me, there are many things that I find appealing to see trough Christian’s eyes. Like the first time Ana touches him, when they get married, when she gets pregnant and is later in the hospital. But she needs to add more substance to the things he thinks! I also missed some of the conversation, also found weird the braid stuff. And found interesting all the insistence Christian puts into ana consent’s, I feel it’s there for the critics. So they finally see (though I doubt the will read), that he is not doing anything she does not want to.
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Yeh, there were times that I got that impression too, that she was playing to the haters out there, but I think we agree, we want more depth to CG! Bring it in the next! If she followed the groove that she got into with the final chapters, the post playroom smack, I think it would have been AWESOME!
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Well, finally finished the book. And yes, the depth CG shows in the final chapters, is what we need. I really hope she writes the rest of the story. This is like a huge tease! Specially the way it ends! The second book is the one that shows the biggest character development with Christian, that’s what I want to read now!
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Yes, bring it on, E.L. James!
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Hi Monique
To be honest I’m not sure about how I felt about Grey, on the one hand I was delighted that Erika wrote it and parts made me laugh out loud especially where he thought he was describing her men instead of her tea but I thought he would have been deeper and like you some of his internal musings left me feeling and?? I wanted more from him.
I don’t know if I would have felt differently if I hadn’t read any of the books from his POV on the internet?!
Saying all that he is still my all time favourite book boyfriend and if we do get more from his POV I will definitely read them
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Phew! I’m relived, Katherine. I was terrified that I was the only one. I’ve not read the GC POV fan fics out there. I did start one before I started my story but discarded it early on with Meander so I don’t have those experiences crowding my Grey read. It makes me wonder just how much it’s influenced how you experienced Grey. Great to hear from you, and I agree. I will read ’em all! 😉
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I’m actually half way through Grey and I’m liking it. Of course, it’s the same familiar story, from his perspective. Because it’s the same story, Erika had to stick to the same narrative and characters, she couldn’t add more drama or add new people. In the original, we see him only from Ana’s point of view and to her, an immature and inexperienced girl, he seems all powerful and in control. However, in Grey, the reader sees the insecure man behind the mask. He’s much more sensitive than he appears in FSOG and he genuinely cares about Taylor and the latter’s relationship with his daughter. Irrespective of his kink, he’s not the only 27 year old man, who has only used women for sex up until this point and who finds himself falling in love for the first time. I think Erika captures this rather well. Anyway, I’ll finish Grey today.
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I’m liking the fact that it’s the same story. In fact, at times she abbreviated the conversation that appears in the original and I miss the verbatim because again, I would have liked to see MORE of his thoughts around the matter, but you’re right; he does seem more insecure than I imagined.
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I have slowly let out a held breath reading your review. I agree 100% and as I read the book, I feared there would be a love fest today that I wouldn’t be able to connect to.
I’ve read a few other POV books, although the only one that I can think of off the top of my hat is Hudson, the POV of the Fixed series. (I’m correct about the series, right Monique?) That book had relatively little overlap of specific scenes in the trilogy itself and instead truly filled in the story, almost like mortar between stones. However, it seems that ELJ simply put the text of FSOG on her processor, highlighted the dialogue, deleted all the Ana stuff, and commented here and there. Not unpleasant, just not what was expected, required. Had she said she was donating all her profits to world hunger, etc, okay, maybe. That would explain the light fluff and repetition but make us feel not so bad for spending the money.
What did I expect? Well, actual scenes from his past, certainly more than the tiny vignettes that were there. Some more detailed explanatory scenes about his experiences and training with Mrs. R, his learning curve when he was in Dom training, his time in the playroom with previous subs….all with the goal of allowing us to compare and contrast how his behavior was so radically changed. How suddenly vanilla rocked his world. I certainly wasn’t thrilled with his baby talk scenes. There were enough in the original books. We got it.
Monique is spot on about the editing. I, too, expected perfection, with the publishers cracking the whip about having the action and language appropriate for Seattle in 2011 and American idiom. I happily shouted out when she had changed the graduation reception location from the marquee (for American readers, that word meant the sign in front of a theater telling you what is playing) to tented pavilion. Trash bin was absent. She didn’t try to replace the twice used ‘you’ll unman me’ which at the time sent me scrambling to the internet to find out what that exactly meant in British (or regional) English. I still think it must mean ‘you’ll make me come too early’, but I guess now I’ll never know. The use of ‘sort out’ to mean the American ‘take care of’ kept popping out like sore thumb, but with all the cultural interchange in TV and movies, it almost sounds okay. But she kept in a “bloody” something which, although adopted a tiny bit in the US, is in US English a bland modifier without the naughtiness in its use in British English….similar to our using the word shagging without the understanding that it’s not a polite word in England. And yes, Monique, the changing of pigtail to braid had me gritting my teeth. Here, it wasn’t even just the word…it was the whole premise that she wouldn’t be safe because of the juvenile pigtails. The helper at the Grey household had braids, right?
Okay, so why am I so upset about this. Well…for everyone who spent their hard earned money to buy the book and might feel that they are simply making the author richer and them a little poorer. I happened to have gotten it free with Amazon points, but I guess she still gets the royalties. This is a consumer issue. I won’t go so far as calling it a ripoff, since I cannot say I didn’t enjoy spending my time with this, but ELJ, or Erika as I guess everyone is now calling her, seems not to have “gotten it.” She is the master of her universe and is calling the shots. Did I read correctly that a different publisher published this book? And why didn’t the first? B/c they realized it might brand them for rolling out a ripoff? That they couldn’t tell her she needed better content? But she’s the cash cow and cash cows are coddled and never, ever corrected or confronted. And I fear this is how she is vis a vis the movies. Her husband writing the script? She’s going to direct? Her previous director and screenwriter having run for the hills. Her having controlled the film “for the fans of the book?” Hey, I’m a physician, but I ain’t gonna think of doing eye surgery or a kidney transplant. I know my limits. Does she?
At his point, with the massive success of the first movie, the second and third should have been scripted and scheduled to be filmed in tandem like Lord of the Rings was. While you can’t believe what’s in the papers and on the net, you do get the feeling that ELJ is throwing a huge monkey wrench into this project since she has so much control over the material. And I think that’s what happened to Grey too.
I have to thank her for creating this world, since the books grabbed me just the way Monique described and have given me an amazing insight into myself and some experiences I’ve had over the past twelve years or so. But I fear that ELJ (herself) has jumped the shark (need a reference for that Ozzies?) and only dissatisfaction and frustration is in the future of this delightful world of ours. Sort of like Christian using the wand repeatedly and we can’t say “red.” Very unsatisfying.
Sincere appreciation for letting me rant. I feel better. Just still a little sad.
Lissa Jeri
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Hey Lissa, great comment. Thank you. I’ve read what I would call “verbatim” POV books, two in fact that I felt complimented the mother book perfectly, showing almost the exact mirror image than the first POV and I felt sated because despite knowing the story and the outcome there was new meat on the bones, fresh perspectives and insights that I didn’t get from the first, but with Grey it all seemed a little superficial, a tad shallow. I’m hoping that it is on purpose, that Erika is working with a cunning plan where she starts out like this and that his growth will be reflected in the following books’s writing. That she’ll write how he evolves and changes, how he starts looking deeper inside himself and how he finds his redemptive healing in Ana…
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I think Erica does, indeed, have her ‘cunning plan’. My compassion for Christian increased in Grey: all those times he seemed so in control, and abrupt, and difficult — he’s just not aware of it. He’s struggling with his own internal difficulties. So the dialogue in this book comes over like he’s speaking in a normal way, but if we look at the dialogue from Ana’s POV she’s freaking out with his tone of voice. He’s less difficult and more hurting boy, and this is reflected in the concern his staff have for his welfare. And also less dysfunctional, which ‘outs’ for us in the Dr Flynn discussion.
I think we are so, so lucky to be enjoying the whole experience of FSOG. It seems mean to be complaining, given the enjoyment that a few dollars/pounds is bringing to our lives. It’s not even the cost of a McDonald’s…which would you rather have Grey or a burger?
….bravo Monique on your insights.
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Excellent point about the dialogue sounding so reasonable from Christian’s POV and yet we remember Ana’s freaking out with his tone of voice. Truly a communications lesson we all can benefit from for our personal lives. What we say might not be what is heard. What we hear might not be what was said. Thanks!
Lissa
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Love it. True words, Lissa 🙂
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Oh, that will be Grey for me above Maccas any day! LOL! Yes, I hear you on the complaining but damn, she set the bar so high to start off with…. I guess where these guys are concerned we are greedy. Like Ana, we ALWAYS want MORE….
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Finished it last night and must say I was utterly disappointed. There isn’t very much introspection…not enough of his past reflected on or even placed in the story to give us background here and there through one or more literary techniques. Found the writing flat – frankly, most of the fanfic writers, yourself included, who have chosen to either give us the story from C’s POV or switched back and forth with POV in their spins have done a much better job letting us into his head and, eventually, his heart. We just don’t learn anything really interesting – too bad, because he is clearly the more complex and intriguing character in this trilogy ;(
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I enjoyed the end bit very much, Maggie. There I feel she finally connected us with him.
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I hope you thoroughly enjoy Pucked. I loved it.
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Thank you, Jen. I hope so too 😉
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Jen, I LOVED Pucked! So funny!!!
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Spot on! I agree with your review of Grey completely. However just an FYI where I’m from pigtails are braided and ponytails are loose. So I saw no problem with this at all. Truthfully I always find it odd that people think pigtails and ponytails are the same thing. It just shows how detailed fans can really be and that’s awesome. There is excellent FF out there that has been in Christians POV and I just loved reading them. I was looking forward to seeing and feeling this relationship form his distorted view point and wanted a bit more insight to his thought process and details of his time away from Anna. I listened to this as an audiobook and the reader was just ok. As Anna put it so well… I just wanted “MORE”.
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Really? For me pigtails are exactly that, looks like piggy tails and almost always have to have a little curl where as a braid of course is actually plaited hair. Interesting that they are the same for you. Technically pigtails are shorter than ponytails but I could live with those two as synonyms rather than pigtails and braids. This conversation is seriously funny now! LOL! Semantics, huh? Yes, I think that’s the general consensus, Lynne – we wanted MORE! 😉
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Hahaha I am loving this conversation…………well where I’m from pig tails are 2 ponytails i.e. where the hair at the back of the head is split into 2 and can either be braided or not, thats pig tails. 1 is just a ponytail and 1 braided ponytail is a plait 🙂
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Yes, precisely, Katherine. That’s what I thought, too.
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If the hair is loose and together in one holder it’s called a ponytail. If the hair is loose in two holder (usuall up high on either side of the head) it’s called dog ears.
If it is braided in two seprate holders it is called pig tails and if the hair is braided in one holder we just call it a braid.
That here in Southern Oklahoma USA
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LOL! Who knew this was a discussion point?? I’m gonna’ have to consult ol’ Mr Webster and see what he says on the matter 😉
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Oh I was so disappointed in GREY. I was wanting to see the true Christian: a kick ass, no hold barred MF SOB Dom. But was I felt I got was a wassy, love sick, confused boy/man. Sorry but the two Christian POV written as fanfiction; (A Walk In The Cloud) and (Meet Fifty Shades of Grey), are sooooo much getter than Ms James version. At times I felt as thought Ms James had read the fanfiction and used some of their lines. Wording was so close. Reading GREY was like reading the first book with a little extra thrown in here and there.
Now I have delivered babies for 30 years and I have never seen a lay (non medical) use the words labia and vulva when talk to another lay person. They use pussy, lips, clit, cunt and other street names. Now can you see Elena telling Christian would you pleae lick or fuck my vulva or don’t you think my labias look cute. Get real!!!
Christian company was working on a solar power cell phone and in this book it went to a tablet/pad. In GREY Christian wanted to grease the palms of elected official to get their help with the shipment to Dafar, but none of this was ever mentioned in the other books. It makes him look sleasy and not the upstanding bussiness man all the other book made him out to be.
I guess having been a hugh fan of fanfiction I have read some really good stuff on what Christian, Taylor and others think so GREY left me a bit, no a lot flat.
I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, but found it way lacking. Maybe I just had too high of hopes.
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Dr. Flynn tells Ana in Darker, that emotionally Christian was just that, a confused boy/man. He never learned how to handle those hormonal hard ons other than by fighting, and then by what Elena taught him. So while he may be a brilliant business man in some respects he is child like…….in many other area’s. He has tantrums, he pouts, he wants his own way…..he’s confused by Ana because she keeps him off balance.
Just my thoughts…….
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I liked this part of him, the portrayal of his stunted emotional growth, but again, I wanted to see more of it…
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Whahahahahaha! That’s so funny, Crystal! Yeah, the vulva thing is NOT pretty! I can’t believe I missed the part about the solar powered phone! You’re right, it was a phone rather than a tablet. So strange that she would change these little details. As far as the sleazy palm greasing is concerned; having lived in a thirld world country for most of my life and seen the politics involved, I believe any businessman would be naive if he thought he could do business ANYWHERE in Africa and not grease a few palms, so that didn’t bother me. In fact I thought that was pretty realistic, especially if you consider that the official is either based in Darfur or a Sudanese embassy official, even if it was for aid. Hope that makes you feel a little better… Yes, she set the bar very high for the trilogy. It was always going to be hard to get to that pinnacle, never mind topping it…
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Crystal you crack me up!! I must admit I hated the use of vulva all the time really think she could have used a better word for Ana’s hairy mary than she did but I am delighted she didn’t use the C word I hate that!!
This is what I love about this site Monique, I’m sitting at 9.30am on a Monday morning having a conversation about the best word for a lady garden 🙂
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Yes, Katherine! Like hairy Mary!!!! Whahahaha!! So, so sexy! Say it again! I’m shivering!!! The fun is in the great friends on the site, Kath. Love that we can have a laugh! Even if it’s about lady gardens!! 😉 😉
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lol you have made my hubbys day by this comment – he also hates hairy mary, but that’s what my 2 sisters and I were taught to call it, our mary, both my sisters have daughters and they all say it.
The only thing is when your taking to someone called Mary they think you’re speaking about them 🙂
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Oh dear! That can be…. Awkward!? Whahahaha! Love it. Too funny!
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in my 30 years of delivering babies I remember the first thing we would do to women in labor was give them a shave. Now no one remembers what pubic hair is. So Ana’s hairy mary as you put it is really funny. HA HA HA
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This convo is still making me giggle! 😛
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So disappointed! I agree with everyone above, there just wasn’t much to it. I’m glad that I’m not the only one that found the use of the words vulva and labia annoying. Not that I walk around saying pussy and cunt all the time, but come on, really??? And PJ’s ??? That made me cringe! I couldn’t wrap my brain around that. What badass Dom talks about putting on his PJ’s? I don’t usually give negative comments. I comment on the books I like and don’t even mention the ones I don’t like. There were a few parts that I enjoyed, but overall, I was really let down. Booo
On another note, has anyone read “The Hacker series?” I was buying a stack of books the other day, my usual genre…of course 😉 and the gals behind the counter saw what I was reading and said I HAVE TO READ THE HACKER SERIES. They were so giddy they were practically jumping up and down…jeesh. So, I bought book one…blindly…without checking it out. I haven’t read it yet and was wondering what you ladies think of them? Happy Reading 😉
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LOL! for the PJ’s Tracy! Hopefully she’ll get back into the game in book two. The end had great redeeming qualities…
I’ve read the Hacker’s series. I enjoyed it, waiting for the last book now which seems to be taking forever, but I do think it would have been better concluding over 3 books instead of 5… You have to be an absolutely exceptional writer to stretch a series over that long and maintain your audience’s avid attention.
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I’d like to read a 5 book series by you…hint hint 😉
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LOL! Awww, you’re making me blush!! 😉
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I generally agree with all the comments. It provided much less that I had hoped. I was hoping for the detailed conversation with Elena when Ana went to Georgia and got blah blah blah 😦 I was looking for more exchanges with Taylor and even Gail, the little bits we got were just teasers. I thought what he felt when being touched was interesting – the total terror. More with Flynn his insight into the change in Christian were very good. The best of the book was after Ana left him – it was a narrative to the extended ending on the DVD – finally we see into his head and see his resolve to get her back. If there are 2 more I will certainly read them , but will be looking for more Christian. ps … miss your story like so many others 🙂
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Yes, that’s it. Teasing glimpses instead of big wholesome bites of CG. I completely agree, the end of the book was EXACTLY what I wanted more of! And thank you for your kind Ps… 😉
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I think we all have so many versions of CG spinning around in our heads that it was always going to be difficult for Erika to meet our expectations. But here’s the thing: she owns him; he’s her invention, not ours, and she has the right to characterise him how she sees fit. I certainly didn’t expect her to change her style or approach. She writes the way she writes.
The fact is, most of this material was written long ago – large tracts of it were previously published as fanfiction ‘outtakes’ when Master of The Universe was still up – you can probably find the outtakes still in circulation. I’ve read them all (including stuff I presume she will publish in Grey Darker and Grey Freed). They are very typical of the fanfiction structure for alternating POVs at that time.
I still enjoyed the book. It was a fun read. I think the reviewers who draw our attention to the fact that CG was really a ‘man/boy’ at this point in the story are very perceptive. It’s what Ana comes to realise in Darker and Freed – he’s her ‘lost boy’. But at this point in the fairytale, he doesn’t really know himself, he literally believes he has no heart. So to expect great insight or self-awareness from the character is, as he would say, moot.
I think the development of CG’s character in Grey reveals some influences on the pace and atmosphere of the film. In fact I think it was clearly used as source material because some of his ‘thought bubbles’ actually appear in the script. I found that interesting. I also think that, like the movie, this book does a slow burn. The build up to the flogging and the sudden disintegration of the relationship is well done. My two cents.
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Yes, I noticed that she kept the MOTU text and I fully expected that. I don’t think anyone wanted her to change him or her writing style, but if you look at the end of the book, post playroom fiasco, that was when we got our first full and deep glimpse of raw Christian. I think most readers feel that they simply wanted MORE of that throughout the book.
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Oh yes I reading Cherise Sinclair Masters of the Shadowland book “If Only” Two Dom and one Sub. Gives the best decription of anal and vaginal sex at the same time I have ever read. The Doms are FBI and the are partners, not gay, but do live together. They just like to top the same girl at the same time. They are hunting a sex slave ring. Lots of spy like stuff and pussy, thick long dicks, nice perky boobs and all things you can do with those combination.
It makes up for all that I felt was missing in GREY
Crystal
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Oh my! Can’t go wrong with a hot menage, Crystal!! And ALL the yummy anatomy that goes with it it!
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Ewww… Nice of you to find us an alternate read to take away our “pain and turmoil” of not getting a big juicy slice of Christian Dom Heaven….
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Crystal and Mac, check out Pucked!!! So funny and it has a extra special (extra large) character named MC that I just know you’ll love!
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Drum roll… Okay so the best part so far for me is the “Lelliot saying why don’t you talk? Are you stupid? Lelliot says it again and again… So I jump on him and smack him again and again… He cries a lot. I never cry. Lelliott never asks me why I don’t talk anymore!!”
Katherine, Crystal and Monique you L.O.G.S got it… I am afraid the drum has stopped rolling for me!! And I thought as did the other blogger that I really wasted 12.00!! How said is that. I LOVE Christian I would do anything to LOVE this book. I am still going but its slow because I really thought we were going to meet ” the dom” but I feel abit wishy washy and I hate that this might affect my view of Christian.
You know EL was the first to go BIG or go home with FSOG and sometimes less is more. Did she do this to give us our beloved’s secrets or do it to stall until the next movie comes out!! I know… I know I don’t want to be all judgmental but I feel like I am just rereading the other story only without the parts ” that grabbed me and held me breathless” … And I can guaren-dam-tee you the wacky choice to use vulva and labia has left me freakin SCARRED!!
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LOL! I think you’re voicing our main thoughts exactly, and you put it so beautifully eloquently. Love hearing your thoughts – as always 😉
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I might buy the story that he is underdeveloped in the emotional arena but bringing him out as such a dominant in the trilogy… A billionaire who takes no prisoners 😉 well unless they are in the red room of course!! Just makes his stuntedness not believable
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I so agree. I don’t mind to see his stuntedness, I simply wanted to delve deeper into it! 😉
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Sorry guys – I just finished Grey and loved it. I thought the way she very slowly showed us Christian’s emotional growth was brilliant. At the beginning of the book he has no insight into his feelings – in fact he simply refuses to even acknowledge how he feels. Clearly his ‘rough start in life’ has damaged him in so many ways. Isn’t this the reason for his nightmares? By the end of this story he has grown so much and is able to acknowledge (at least to himself) that he loves Ana.
For those of you looking for more explicit details about Christan the Dom – I don’t think this trilogy was anything more than a love story with a little ‘kinky fuckery’.
For me, Grey is the slow build up of what’s to come and I am really looking forward to more!
(PS Monique I loved your fan fiction – you kept me going as I mourned the fact I’d finished the trilogy. Have you written anything else?)
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I so hope you’re right, Carol; that she deliberately stoked it slowly and we’ll see him burn brightly in the coming books. Personally I could take or leave seeing him in action as Dom with previous subs. Like you, that’s not what drew me to the story. Thank you for your kind words regarding my fic, and no, since going back to work full time my time is not my own and I’ve done very little in the way of writing 😦
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Love seeing all the comments. And just because you are dying to know my opinion, a ponytail is hair pulled up in one tie, but loose. Two ties of loose hair are just plural – ponytails. Pigtails and braids were interchangeable names for the same thing. Braids were the correct term, pigtails more of a slang. Braid could be a noun or a verb. “I braided my hair for pigtails”, does sound better than “I braided my hair into braids.” But common usage was, “I’m wearing braids today.” If you had just one braid, it was not called a pigtail. You had to have two for it to be pigtails. It made sense to me for Ana to call them pigtails, as she was being a little silly, thinking it would keep her “safe from Bluebeard”, and Christian to call them braids, as he is always more formal in his speech patterns. My guess? That was deliberate on Erika’s part.
I just finished the book last night, and stayed away from bookclub so I could form my own opinion. But I’m right on board with most of your comments. I still very much enjoyed the book…but frankly, would enjoy anything with Christian Grey in it. I do think the fanfic Christian POV’s did a better development job, but that didn’t stop me from perving over Christian in this one. Admittedly, a book could have Christian sitting in a bare room, just gently rubbing his thumb over his lips and looking intently into my eyes, and I wouldn’t be able to tear myself away. Ever. However, like many of you, the only real sense of “more” that I got was at the ending.
I was REALLY looking forward to an AMAZING editing job – based on the big Kazillions that Erika has made so far on the Shades brand. Surely, the editing would have been a huge priority for this release. It would be the best of the best!! No need to be a low-budget publication! Then, I got to the school newspaper interview and saw Christian’s first quote attributed to Andrew Carnegie (re: the growth and development of people). No. It was Harvey Firestone, and it was CORRECT in the first trilogy, then changed in Grey. So my superb editing fantasy got popped right away. Really? What was up with that?!
And I certainly expected Christian’s thoughts to give us glimpses of the business genius that made him a youthful billionaire. Didn’t see any.
However, I did enjoy the descriptions of Christian starting the scary fall into love, and having no idea what the HELL that feeling was, and knowing he was in serious unknown and frightening territory. And the descriptions of the tentative back and forth displaying the sheer anxiety dance of a new relationship, “Will she call? Does she like me? Should I call her?” was spot on. And soooo completely new to him.
I thought Christian worshiped Ana’s body, ummmmm….quite nicely. Interestingly, Christian’s mental terminology of Ana’s vulva and labia didn’t bother me at all. Kind of similar to Ana thinking pigtails, and Christian thinking braids. He is a genius, and spent serious time studying and learning a woman’s anatomy, so Christian thinking of a body part as what it actually is, did not seem out of place to me…and actually seemed appropriate.
So my $7.99 was well spent – and I will gladly buy anything else Erika chooses to share about Christian. And remain grateful for the talent of Monique, and the other fanfic authors.
My favorite quote, “I close my eyes, fighting the disquieting sensation that surges and fills my chest once more. It’s like homesickness and a homecoming rolled into one…and it’s terrifying.” And so it is. And so we sigh. And we keep reading so that we can share in just a little of that same magic.
Short version: Didn’t rip out my heart, as I had hoped. Still enjoyed it, and will enjoy anything else Erika sends our way. I do hope that she will take the time to take us further into the world of Grey. He is such an amazing and complex man. He does deserve MORE.
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WOW, that’s a lovely and thorough comment, Sharon. You made some good points. Thank you for sharing, girlfriend! 😉
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It also took me awhile to get into CG’s POV. At one point I put the book down for a couple of days, mostly due to a comment made/thought that surprised me. It appears when Christian and Ana are at the coffee shop. He thought Ana meant she likes her men black and weak.
After much inner debate and acceptance of an author’s creative endeavor to entertain the reader, I picked up book and finished it.
I was left wanting more.
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LOL! That comment also made me go back and read again. It seemed surprisingly out of place. I wasn’t sure how to take it in the context. Thanks for reminding me 🙂
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Ok, I was caught up in the FSOG phenom and I thought then this is not terribly original. This subject has been done before and much better. But E.L. James hit at the right moment and there you have it. Then the movie came out and it was boring…… Finally this surprise(marketing) book came out and it is droll. I find Monique Lain’s take on FSOG much more interesting and definitely better written. E.L. James and all writers have my respect of putting their writings out there and being published.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Yes, timing is everything, isn’t it? Makes all the difference in the world, but kudos to her for crossing that barrier between mainstream and what was regarded as kinky freakery before 😉
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Monique
Loved your review. Somehow I too felt that this book missed on the substance that was there in Ana’s POV that made me curious to know what will happen next.
I so wish that you come up with Christian’s POV some of the important parts of Fifty shades meander. However, I won’t mind reAding the complete thing😜
Please please please something you many want to consider.
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Yeah, I think that hits the nail right on the head, it lacked depth until it got to the end of the book, post Red Room drama. There, for the first time, I feel, did we get a taste of Christian’s complexities. I don’t mind that he was shallow initially, especially in the way he viewed sex, in fact, I expected that, but I still missed a closer look at his inner workings.
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I want more, Monique… More of your version!!!
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The Truth. I enjoyed 50 Shades trilogy, considering it was my first “romance” novel; Ever. (Not typically my genre). And being a fan of the trilogy, I was excited to read Grey. It was a quick read, and I felt it was lacking. Like so many others, I wanted more internal dialogue. Christian himself admits he is a very private person, revealing nothing to anyone even unto himself. I wanted to “hear” more of his own internal discovery. The struggle of his awareness of self, being one who is in constant control, must feel a sense of schizophrenia when an alternate “person” begins to emerge. The devil is in the detail, and I was looking for the tiny bread crumbs that would give me that rare inside view of Christian. For example, in the book, the line reads, ” ‘Christian’, she answers, her voice soft. And the elevator doors close leaving my name hanging in the air between us, sounding odd and unfamiliar, but sexy as hell.”
This, right here, is where it all starts for me. So, naturally I wanted more of an internal mental struggle for understanding. Something on the lines of;
“And for some reason, I can’t seem to pull myself away from the elevators. Knowing she’s still here. In my building. What is it about this girl in particular that intrigues me? Is it the way she looks at me.? It’s not like I don’t get my fair share of women ogling me, but hers wasn’t so much an ogle, but meaningful somehow. Like the pictures in my office. She sees deeper than what is on the surface. Can she see me? Oh God. Can she SEE me? And if she does, what does she see? I realize I’m still standing in front of the elevators. I gland over at Andrea and Olivia, who pointedly busy themselves, but their puzzling look tells me I’m acting out of the norm. Shaking my head, and cocking it to one side, I turn toward Andrea and order, ‘Get me Welch. Now.’ “
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Hi Rowena, Yes, that’s precisely my feeling, and dare I say, the overall consensus regarding the book. We simply wanted MORE…
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I enjoyed this book so much more the 2nd read and even more the 3rd read. I must admit I wanted so much “more” of Christian backstory (more of what shaped him into his 5o shades-the good shades as well as the bad shades) and more about Ana low self esteem issues. I do appreciate the glimpses she gave us and I hope more will come as their story progresses. I loved going on the journey with Christian falling in love with Ana. He wasn’t kidding when he said there was something about her and he is like a moth to a flame. He is master of his universe in the business world but not with Ana. Now we see why he says-“What are you doing to me” “This isn’t me” “This soft sell approach is messing with my head. She has me in a tailspin, and I don’t know why” Kudos to Christian for realizing he didn’t want more with a “stepford wife”. Leila and the other subs that wanted ” more” would be a perfect fit for this. This quote reminds me of how I see Christian “more” with Ana. “……love you deeply because it is your heart that moves me, your head that challenges me, your humor that delights me, and your hands I wish to hold until the end of my days….”
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Hi Renee. Yes, it was awesome to get a glimpse at Christian but like you, the consensus was that is was just too little and too shallow a peek. I’m looking forward to Darker but I hope she gives us MORE….
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