| Home » Fifty Shades Darker: Book Two of the Fifty Shades Trilogy | | | | | | | Description: | | Daunted by the singular tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.
But 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.
This book is intended for mature audiences. | | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
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Average Customer Review:
 ( 7206 customer reviews )
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2153 of 2248 found the following review helpful:
 It's awful, but oh so addictingApr 30, 2012
By cupcake
After surviving 50 Shades of Grey, and after taking a break for a few days from Ana and Christian's tortured romance, I girded my loins and cracked open the second book of the trilogy, 50 Shades Darker.
For those of you intrigued by the words "butt plug" or "fisting," half of you will enjoy your lucky day, because one of those is kinda sorta featured in this book. As it is, the only fisting we ever see - ever come close to seeing - is that of Ana's or Christian's hands in the others' hair. And that happens a lot. Not as often as Ana or Christian gasping, or Christian setting his lips in a hard line, or Ana biting her lip, or Ana coming undone, or Christian frowning. In fact, Christian's frowning is such a "thing" that, when Ana frowns, another character observes that she's turning into Christian.
It's just ... WHERE THE HELL WAS THE EDITOR?
But I digress.
To dig too deeply into the spectacle that is 50 Shades of Grey is to approach Sisyphean frustration. Trust me, because I know of what I speak. I spent an inordinate amount of time wondering how it was that Christian Grey was 27 and a billionaire as I read the first book. I don't think we are meant to really ponder this stuff. I think we're supposed to strap on our dildos and have at it, as it were.
Okay, so. When we last left Christian and Ana, she had walked out on him, horrified at the depravity entailed in his life of BDSM. (Go ahead and Google THAT, people. I had to, so you might as well.) As with its muse, Twilight, we see our heroine descend into despair, but unlike Bella's months on end, Ana really only suffers for five days. Christian gets in touch with her, and it's game on, kids. Christian is prepared to let go of his need for dominance in his playroom, because all he really wants - all he really needs - is Ana. She has admitted that she loves him, but it takes Christian a little longer.
Now, before you start thinking that this is the end of the Red Room of Pain, let me tell you that it is not. Don't worry - Christian keeps the room, and Ana remains inexplicably drawn to it. So those butt plugs come in handy (no pun intended), although - SPOILER - Christian does point out that for the anally virgin, a finger is a better start. So Ana has something to look forward to, so to speak.
Back to the plot, such as it is. It turns out that one of Christian's former subs remains fixated on him, so she enters the story to muck up Christian and Ana's relationship. Also causing trouble is Ana's boss at the publishing house. He wants her, which pisses off Christian, who reacts as only Christian can. Meanwhile, Christian and Ana's romance progresses in fits and starts. She loves him, he really cares about her, can he say the "L" word, can they get past his need for control, why does he love her, why does she love him, can he overcome his tortured childhood, blah blah blah.
What you really want to know about are the sex scenes, right? RIGHT? I'm pretty sure you butt plug searching people aren't concerned about the dialogue.
In this book, they rock the headboard in an elevator, on a boat, in Christian's childhood room, in the shower (again - evidently they enjoy that spot), Ana's apartment bedroom, Christian's apartment bedroom, and - YESS! - the Red Room of Pain. Oh, and on top of a piano and a pool table. There may be more. Did the desk happen in this book, or the previous one? I think they wind up on Christian's desk in this one, too.
During one of the many times Ana challenges Christian, they are in the library, competing in a billiards game.
"You know, Anastasia, I could stand here and watch you leaning and stretching across this billiard table all day," he says appreciatively.
I flush. [SHE FLUSHES A LOT. That's another thing that is repetitive, and so again, I ask, WHERE THE HELL IS THE EDITOR? Oh - those are "shouty caps," according to Ana. Back to the program.] Thank heavens I am wearing my jeans. He smirks. [HE SMIRKS A LOT. So does she. Sometimes they smirk, bite lips and eye roll, all at the same time.] He's trying to put me off my game, the bastard. He pulls his cream sweater over his head, tosses it onto the back of a chair, and grins at me, as he saunters over to take his first shot.
He bends low over the table. My mouth goes dry. Oh, I see what he means. Christian in tight jeans and white T-shirt, bending, like that ... is something to behold. I quite lose my train of thought. He sinks four solids rapidly, then fouls by sinking the white.
Foreplay, Christian styles.
And now, for the butt plug seekers:
"What's this?" I hold up the silver bullet thing.
"Always hungry for information, Miss Steele. That's a butt plug," he says gently.
"Oh ..."
"Bought for you."
What? For me?
He nods slowly, his face now serious and wary.
I frown. [AGAIN - she always frowns. Or he frowns. They frown a LOT.] "You buy new, er ... toys ... for each submissive?"
"Some things. Yes."
"Butt plugs?"
"Yes."
So there you go. They come up again, so buy a copy and knock yourself out.
Is 50 Shades Darker good? Hell to the no, it is not good. But is it entertaining? Yes. Is it hot? Yes. Is it worth reading? Yes. If you can get past all of the awful writing, it's very enjoyable. I admit that I read it cover to cover, and I look forward to 50 Shades Freed. Do not, however, mistake an enjoyable read for something well written, because this is NOT well written. It's like literary crack. You know it's bad for you, and you feel dirty and low for enjoying it, but you can't stop.
I gave this 4 stars. Don't judge me.
If you want to know my thoughts on Fifty Shades Freed, check it: http://www.amazon.com/review/R16U7WCSXSQRJR/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
565 of 639 found the following review helpful:
 And the award for the most unlikable lead character in a book goes to...Apr 26, 2012
By Deshawn Taylor
Anastasia Steele! Oh my God, was she awful! "I want you...I can't please you...I'll never leave you...I can't give you what you need...and on and on and ON!" Grow up! At one point in the book, she stated that she doesn't understand why Christian likes her. You and me both, sister! And then there's the sophomoric writing! It's soooo repetitive...repetitive...repetitive! But wait! Just when you think the same phrase is going to be used, YET AGAIN, the author throws in some arbitrary word that causes you to have to use your Kindle dictionary and doesn't fit in with any of the other elementary wording that takes place throughout the book. Who uses the word "avuncular" in everyday talk? Am I really supposed to believe that a word that advanced is coming from the same person who constantly refers to her female anatomy as "down there"? I'm rolling my eyes (which is quite ironic because that was a central theme in this book)! I haven't even finished the book but after the marriage proposal, I could take no more! I had to stop what I was doing just to write this review! And I probably won't finish the book because it will most likely be another 100 pages of "His eyes are gray...He looks impassive...I bit my lip...Gasp...Oh my...He finds his release...blah blah blah!"
402 of 458 found the following review helpful:
More of fifty shades of highly overrated tripeMay 03, 2012
By write1
Side note to anyone who cares ( I am an avid reader and curious by nature. Everyone was going on and on about this and the sucker that I am, I read it and hated it. This is my OPINION. If you don't like it, you DON"T have to read it!!!!!) The book DOES suck by the way!!! The last time we met our intrepid hero, I mean dom, he was standing in shock over Ana leaving him all alone in his red room of pain. What did he expect her to do jump and down and thank him for that beating? The book was an exercise in how not to write a sequel. There is virtually no plot. Ana can't even go five days without her needy, controlling sorry excuse for a boyfriend. Yes, he's needy and controlling and can't seem to get his head around the fact that Ana should have a life. All they have in common is sex which isn't a good foundation for any relationship, and are soon back together. It has't even been a week! There isn't much of a plot, just Ana and Christian questioning each other and themselves.
And amidst all this supposed romance is page after repetitive page of sex. Not much there considering all the stuff they seem to do to each other. It gets really boring by the way. At one point I felt like a spectator at the horizontal olympics. I mean, come on! If they're at each other that much, how can she even walk? That's all they seem to have in common. It's "I don't trust you," "Don't leave me", " How can you find me attractive?" I wonder about the mental stability of both characters. Not to mention an annoying back story about how Christian doesn't like to be touched and about his need to dominate women just because they remind him of his mother. There's a little sub-plot about a former submissive who's so unstable and emotionally fragile you wonder about Mr. Grey and why he's not in prison. I also find it hard to believe that at 27 he'd be at the helm of some massive corporation and still feels the need to whine about how Ana left him and how he needs her. Buddy, you're a ruthless gazillionaire and head of a powerful corporation. People need you, you don't need anybody!
But alas, Christian is finding his fragile, needy, stalking, controlling self, and can't seem to find a leash long enough to put around Ana who constantly needs breathing space from her handsome psychotic boyfriend who was basically molested by an older woman we call Mrs. Robinson in the book. This woman gave birth to his sadomasochistic tendencies. He says she helped him by beating the crap out of him (he's so stupid he can't see it for child molestation) and he can't bear to be touched because of what his birth mother's pimp did to him (he constantly refers to her as the "crack whore" how touching and downright annoying).
He can't break ties with Mrs. Robinson and tell her to go to hell. Guess who does? Ana tries to, but she's no good at it...it's his adoptive mother who was by far, the strongest woman in the book. Towards the end, I was kind of tired of all the sex, the whining, the stalking, the whining, the sex, more whining, there's a marriage proposal in there somewhere. I can't imagine why'd she want to marry a mess of a man who is so broken by the mere thought of leaving him, he constantly needs reassurance that she won't do it again! Another mess of a novel. By the time Christian's helicopter goes missing, you wish he had stayed missing so Ana can go whine about her insecurities in peace. Another boring end to boring characters who really should have been put out of their misery before they even made it to book one.
457 of 522 found the following review helpful:
Repetitive and redundant.Mar 15, 2012
By Ebeth822
Someone please give this author a thesaurus and an editing team that cares. It's not just that the same actions are repeated over and over (and over... and over again), it's that the same words are used to describe them every time. It's like someone put 50 words in a bag, pulled them out and mashed them into a semblance of a sentence, then tossed them back in the bag and repeated the process to fill 300+ pages.
Inspired by another review I actually used my Kindle to count the ones that were most painful/annoying to read:
Lips bitten: 25
Eyes widened: 21
Eyes rolled: 51
"oh my": 45
Scowls: 48
Gasps: 62
"jeez": 76
Smirks: 91
Flushes/blushes: 133
F-bombs dropped: 173
Whispers: 251
Do the math! Lips are bitten and eyes are widened in every chapter. Someone gasps once every six pages. The main character "flushes" at least once every three pages.
Yes, the British author uses British colloquialisms that make no sense in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, the female protagonist is two dimensional and boring. Yes, her leading man is given a forced and contrived backstory in an unnecessary attempt to make sense of his kinkiness in a vanilla world. The sex scene was okay the first time I read it, but by the time it was recycled for the twelfth time or so it was just boring. Yes, in between the repetitions listed above the author inexplicably throws whatever was on her "word a day calendar" into character conversation where it sounds silly and awkward. But none of these things really destroy a good book quite like reading "I flush" for the hundredth time. Oh my!
Apologies to the fans out there. Imagine I'm writing this review with an "apologetic smirk."
129 of 145 found the following review helpful:
 I liked some parts, but I got tired of it after a while. It's long. Lovers of book 1 will like it.Feb 01, 2012
By Jane
FIFTY SHADES DARKER by E L James.
This is graphic BDSM erotic romance. There is no paranormal. There are no vampires.
If you're considering my opinion on this book, please read my review of book 1, Fifty Shades of Grey. I didn't want to duplicate that review here, but it applies.
This is book 2 in a trilogy. You must read book 1 before this. Both books are longer than average. The first book had the couple meet and get to know each other. Book 1 ends with a conflict, and the couple is apart. This book starts with Ana grieving over their break up, and then they get back together. Most of this story is Ana questioning and worrying about how Christian feels.
This is an erotic story, filled with many lengthy sex scenes. There is bondage, spanking, sex toys, and one instance of rear door activity.
These stories were originally written on the fan fiction website under Twilight. The characters' names were Edward and Bella. The author changed the names to Christian and Ana for this ebook publication. I can see how Twilight fans loved being in that world and were eager for almost any story about Edward and Bella. In that sense this was probably very satisfying. But as an independent story, it didn't do much for me. About 2/3 the way through I was impatient for it to be over. I was not interested enough to read book 3 (Fifty Shades Freed). So I was delighted that another reviewer summarized the book 3 plot for me so I could know what happened without spending time to read it. If you are interested, see the second comment below. Several reviewers were unhappy with book 3.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
There is a lot of angst and worry on Ana's part. She is jealous and feels insecure when Christian interacts with women from his past. She thinks he needs BDSM toys and sadism to enjoy sex. She believes they are incompatible, and that she will never be able to give him what he needs. He keeps saying no that's not true. Christian is jealous and takes action when other men are interested in Ana. For conflict, the author added a couple of characters doing threatening things. Those were ok, but they felt like add-ins rather than part of an overall plot plan. One of the draws of the book might be watching Christian spend lots of money living an expensive lifestyle.
DATA:
Kindle count story length: 10,495 (1776 KB). Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 16, some very long. Setting: current day mostly Seattle, Washington. Copyright: 2011. Genre: erotic contemporary romance.
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