1 star
I’m not going to spend too much time on this review, because many others have already expressed exactly how I feel about this book. It is not very well-written. It is way too long and dragged out. And most of all, it horribly represents BDSM as some sort of affliction one must rise above in order to be a functioning human being. It also glorifies a clearly abusive relationship. Extreme jealousy, stalking, tracing a person’s phone, and isolation is not sexy. It is textbook abuse.
In the end, this is one woman’s fantasy that got blown up into something that is rather harmful. Good on her, I guess, for being able to turn this into such a phenomenon, but it is a very problematic book with horrible representations and messages about abusive relationships and BDSM.
I don’t normally read erotic books or romance in general, but was interested in how this became such a hugely popular book. Honestly, most of the sex scenes weren’t even very sexy because Ana is unsure about the activities, is only putting up with them because she wants Christian to like her, or is downright scared of him and what he is doing to her. That’s not sexy. That is a terrible message about what BDSM is and what relationships should be like. I won’t even get started on Christian’s backstory and his defense of the woman who introduced him to the lifestyle. It added a whole new level of grossness to the book and its messages about sexuality and consent.
This book was not for me. For those who do like it, I hope they can at least separate the “sexiness” and “romance” from the clearly abusive tenancies and realize that such extreme behaviors are not indicative of love but of abuse and control.