Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian (Fifty Shades of Grey Series) Paperback – Large Print, December 19, 2017

Well, I thought when I read the original Fifty Shades Trilogy, that nothing EL James came up with could top it. Then I read Grey, the first book from Christian’s POV and loved it. I’d always understood why Christian Grey was the way he is. Having had a less than ideal childhood myself, I could relate so much to how he felt and reacted.I loved Grey, but Darker surpassed it. OMG, being in his head. It was painful seeing him as an angry man, who still had that frightened little boy within him, who couldn’t get close to anyone, who was so scared of being touched, he wouldn’t sleep with anyone, for fear they might touch him in their sleep, and his need to tie up women so they couldn’t put their hands on him during sex.Watching him fall in love. Feeling so vulnerable and insecure because he’d never felt before, the way he feels for Ana. His fear of losing her. His self hatred and sadly not being able to see the good man he really was. I loved seeing him blossom under the gentle touch and love of Ana. I loved everything about this book. It was such an emotional read. I couldn’t get enough and hated it when I came to the end of this book. I can’t wait for the author to write Freed from his POV. Well, I hope she writes it. I can honestly say, that after having read the original trilogy 17 times, that the books from Christian’s POV are my favourites. I think for anyone who misjudged Christian and accused him of being a cold, arrogant man who was abusive towards women, they should really read the books from his POV. He is not cold or arrogant, or abusive. He is a man who had a horrific start to life, who learnt over the years to cope the only way he knew how. He unfortunately was introduced to sex by the wrong kind of person, but it taught him a way he could be in control, something so important to him. Something I understood because when you have no control as a child, you crave it as an adult.Ana certainly turns Christian on his head. Everything that is familiar to him and helps him cope is gone, and yet, he takes to his new lifestyle so well. This is an incredible love story. It’s the love story between a damaged young man and the woman who comes into his life and loves him, flaws and all. Who slowly but surely shows him there is another way and who teaches him to love, and to start to at least like himself. I LOVED everything about Darker.

50 Shades fans will be consumed in Christian Grey’s DARKER point of view. This book clearly gives the reader a much deeper understanding to Christian’s strong feelings for Ana of which he has difficulty admitting to himself. The effects of his first four years of life with a drug addict birth mother and her prostitution life that dragged him with her, always referring him by the name of Maggot, comes to the surface as his love for Ana grows more intense.Dr. Flynn has made a critical difference in helping Christian not only admit his feelings of love for Ana, but making him see he is “not afraid of commitment.”The depth of story in Charlie Tango’s crash, really brings to life the seriousness of Christian extreme need for a loving, intelligent, independent, compassionate but very strong, Ana.For fans of this saga, Darker is a must read.

This is what we were waiting for in the first book. That one was a rehash of the same story and was so disappointing. Obviously James listened to us and wrote this one the right way. It is actually getting into his head and revealing what he is actually thinking and feeling which is not revealed in the original trilogy. It also explains some of the things that went down between Mrs. Robinson and himself and also Leila. Those are the tidbits that we were all looking forward to reading in the first novel. It also lets us see into his relationship with his family and how his miserable birth mother treated him. We all knew it was a nasty first four years and it carried over into his adoptive parents relationship as well but it at least explains more as to why he is so distant and complicated. I thought that it was very well written and I really look forward to the final book. Continue this in the third book and we will all be very pleased. I truly wish you, Ms. James. had written the screenplays as well for I do not think the writers have done your work justice in the films.

I read and listened to Darker.. whispersync yay!!! it was a good book, i love that we got to see many of the scenes that we like on Christian's mind, his thoughts and also the conversations he had .. like the dialogs between Christian and Elena or Christian and Leila .. also how annoyed he was with Elena, we get to read his struggle while Ana is touching him, or when he thinks she is going to leave him again, his memories when he was just a child.. his memories of the bad men in his mothers life.. so many key scenes are written here in his POV and i love how we understand him more.I love how dirty and sexual he is when he is having sex with Ana or when he is around her.. he always has sex on his mind and is thinking how much he wants her.. we can also see how much he needs her.. he is a true gentleman, always protecting her and making sure she is always safe..at some point i got annoyed that his internal dialog, was way TOO much i mean i know is a POV but sometimes it was too much.. it was a long book 18 freaking hours lol yea...but it was good..can't wait for the last book !!!

I didn't think I'd like these books at all, so I didn't read them until they became movies. I always read a book first before seeing the movie, so I read all three books...in about 3 days! It wasn't about the sex (although that was great!) I fell in love with Ana and Christian as a couple. Their instant love and "can't get enough of each other" reminded me of my true love, who I finally found at the age of 42. Both "Grey"and this book fill in a lot of who Christian really is and why he has such self hatred. I felt they both were better reads than the originals! I hope she's working on book#3, I need to know the mind of Christian the husband!! Thank you for keeping Ana and Christian going. For someone who didn't even want to read the first book, you've now got me hooked, from the first trilogy, the movies, and now these two books...I'm waiting, impatiently, for "Freed" as told by Christian!!

How very disappointing! E L James has announced on TV that there might NOT be a 'FREED' from Christian Greys point of view book published! Maybe 'Christians points of view story' may not sell quite as many copies as the original Fifty Shades Freed but with the vast money earned from the publishing of these books I would have thought that E L JAMES would, at the very least, produce FREED, from Christians point of view story for her 'fans'. Personally, after reading 'Grey' and now 'Darker' I feel that the films really warranted Christians version of the story, because the film revolves entirely around Christians deeply troubled and horrific past, and way of life, also the inclusion of Flynn (his shrink) would have given a clearer insight into why, and just how desperately deep rooted Christians lifestyle has been and how the innocent, beautiful Anastasia eventually changes his way of thinking. He learns to love! Please don't think I didn't enjoy the 'Trilogy', it is a totally different love story to beat any other love stories. I found it fascinating, compelling and so very memorable. The movie; A sincere, dedicated portrayal in the movie, by to brilliant actors, Jamie and Dakota. I really do hope Christians story of 'Freed' 'WILL' be written.... so that the 'FANS'' can complete their collection!!! Considering the vast support by the fans and the after the huge fortunes made so far... YOU CANT LET YOUR FANS DOWN NOW....SURELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : PLEASE NOTE: E L JAMES!!!! GRRRRR!! STILL WAITING!!!!!!!!!!!! still no news on E L JAMES writing 'FREED' ' from Christians point of view!!!! (READ ABOVE) At least E L JAMES wont have to repeat the contract word for word in FREED. (a mistake last time, I think.) We need 'FREED' FROM CHRISTIANS POINT OF VIEW to complete our collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please don't disappoint your fans, COME ON E L JAMES....GET WRITING...... PLEASE!

I’m still very much enjoying the re-telling from Christian’s point of view, though to be honest I’m not sure if it’s because Christian is a much more interesting character or if it’s because I’m already familiar with the story. I’m thinking it might be a bit of both. Whatever it is, I love it and can’t wait for book three.In Darker we continue to follow the events from Christian’s point of view but we also get flashbacks to relevant memories, all of which - I think - helps us to understand him better. We get to see a softer more naïve side to him. His therapist says that he’s finally going through his adolescence and we get to live it right along with him, which means we get to see him grow as a person. Being able to see his reasoning, see him growing, we get to understand and connect with him better. So much so that you actually start to feel sorry for him; which I wasn’t expecting as I didn’t feel that way in the original telling. I also found several scenes had a greater impact when seeing them through Christian’s eyes, probably because they were pivotal moments for the character and were not being merely observed by an outsider. So rather than just seeing the connection Leila and Christian had we get to feel and experience it, making Ana’s reaction to it all the more understandable if you ask me. The family reunion after the helicopter crash is another scene that was significantly improved in Christian’s telling. It finally seems to sink in for him that his family love him and that’s a really sweet moment. A breakthrough moment even. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching his relationship with his mother strengthen through their interactions, even if she wasn’t always happy with him.So what are you waiting for? Go read it and enjoy.

I have only given 3 stars as I personally would have preferred more in-depth description on the conversations we were not privy to in the fifty shades darker book, for example the conversations and texts between Elena and Christian in general. Also what Elena said to Grace about Ana when she left him and Grace then went on to mention this to Christian. I would have preferred to read more about his reaction to Elena and the interaction between them when Elena kept interfering and his thoughts on it and how his feelings started to change toward her. For those of us who regularly revisit and read the FSOG trilogy a lot of the interaction covered in this book was what we already knew(in my case word for word) in that respect it was not as good as Grey which I did feel gave us more insight and new information. Towards the end of the book we did start to learn things that we did not know,such as it was Grace who insisted Christian cut all ties with Elena and not just Christians decision. However still a must for any die hard fan like myself bring on Grey Freed.

My honest review.Having read, and enjoyed, the original books from Ana’s point of view, and quite enjoying the first of this set of books, I felt a bit deflated with this one at times.There’s not going to be the same page turning effect as the first books because the storyline is the same, but all the same I thought I’d be relishing revisiting the tale as seen through the eyes of Christian.I nearly stopped reading the book at around the third chapter, then I was glad I kept going, then I was struggling to pick it up again.I would have been better re reading the original books I think. I thinks it’s personal taste, but I like Ana’s perspective better and those books hold my attention much more.

As with the first one (from Christian’s POV) it’s refreshing to have his side of everything. I feel like we’re finally getting an insight to the ever mysterious Mr. Grey.I loved how we get to see into his mind, how he’s feeling about being thrown into the unknown. It was a pleasure to read and I found myself laughing at him in places.I’m also very glad we got to hear, properly, what happened with Charlie Tango. It was terrifying to read the ordeal but I felt such elation at the end of that scene; though I already knew what happened.I feel these books written in Christian’s POV is MUCH better written then the original Fifty shades trilogy. It was more gripping. I feel the author has learned a lot since writing them and has improved immensely.Another superb read!