Book #47 - Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades #2)

Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades #2), E. L. James
532 pages
romance, erotica
Started 4/20/12
Finished 4/22/12
5 STARS

I have a new favorite book. I can't really say what might have been my favorite book pre-Fifty Shades - there were several I really loved. Several I loved enough to re-read several times (I'm not generally a re-reader). And then along came Fifty Shades Darker.

At the risk of sounding all gushy - WOW. I mean, wowwowwowwow.

I'll warn you now - it will be difficult to talk about this book without giving away some spoilers. So, if you haven't read this book and don't want to know certain things, please stop reading now. And, don't say I didn't warn you.

Ok, so Ana and Christian have had a tough time of it. Especially Christian. He's feeling all these...feelings. And, he has no idea what to do with them or how to act. But, he at least recognizes the fact that Ana is something new - something special. And, he's willing to make a lot of changes and sacrifices for her. Ana, on the other hand, is afraid of those changes. Afraid she will never be good enough for him, which makes her cautious and insecure. But, Christian has never shared anything with anyone before. And, as the depth of both of their feelings grow, they both realize that they can never be apart again.

In my humble opinion, this is the best of the three books in the series. A lot happens in these 530-odd pages. Ana and Christian redefine their relationship, share details of their lives, fall completely apart at the seams and build each other up again with their love. Oh, and they have sex. Lots and lots of sex. But, the sex, which is what has made everyone talk about these books, is so secondary. It's just background noise. What has taken center stage is the story of this damaged man who starts to claw his way back to a real, whole existence, one "first" at a time.

And the ending...oh, the ending is so epically satisfying, I read it three times before I could officially say I was "done." This was an amazing, astounding, shocking, romantic, sexy book. What more could I say about my most favorite book ever?