Fifty Shades Darker by EL James

Today I'm reviewing the second book in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, Fifty Shades Darker. In the first book you met Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey the hero and heroine of this trilogy. They are completely different people who meet for the first time because Ana's friend had an exclusive interview with the elusive entrepreneur Mr. Grey. The first book left off with Ana and Christian having made love for the first time in what some people call in straight vanilla way without her signing the contract that Christian had original given to her before they started their relationship. But as Ana got to know Christian she wanted to please him in the way that he likes and even though he knew that in some part of Ana that she wasn't ready for it he gives in to her. Christian gives her a taste of the BDSM world he is a part of by spanking her and the experience leaves her both enticed and slightly confused. This confusion is worsened by Christian's extravagant gifts, and the fact that he brings her to meet his family. After successfully landing a job with Seattle Independent Publishing, Ana further bristles under the restrictions of the non-disclosure agreement and the complex relationship with Christian.

The tension between Ana and Christian eventually comes to a head after Ana asks Christian to punish her in order to show her how extreme a BDSM relationship with him could be. Christian fulfills Ana's request, beating her with a belt, only for Ana to realize that the two of them are incompatible. Devastated, Ana leaves Christian and returns to the apartment she shares with Kate. In this book Ana's 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. Through this journey that both Christian and Ana take they both experience new feels that they've never had before because they have now found someone that they can see living out the rest of their lives. I really loved that both Christian and Ana start to realize that they need to change a little bit for one another if they ever want to make this a successful relationship.



We get to see Christian open up to Ana while Ana tries to understand all the darkness that has been festering inside Christian to make him Fifty Shades of F**ked Up. Meeting one of the women from his past was a real eye opener but I think it also showed her that he has changed so much since meeting her because he never made her sign that initial contract. He found that she was so much more than the women in his past and that Ana is someone who he couldn't treat the way he treated his past lovers. In some way since Christian and Ana have met they have been slowly realizing that even with those heartbreaking experiences that have separated them for a time that they still love each other to find a way to be together. Also meeting Christian's family Ana also finds out more about him because of those relationships with his parents and siblings are so different from her own. In the end after some rough patches that both Ana and Christian go through with his past lover coming into their lives to upset everything and also Ana's position at the Seattle Independent Publishing company that Christian eventually buys Ana gets a nice surprise. Christian proposed to Ana and she says yes which is going to change there current relationship to something so much more for both of them. I was very anxious to get started on the third and last book since I practically devoured this one in just under three days. I give this book 4.5 Open Books: