This book is about a young woman, Anastasia Steele, who is just graduating for college. She meets a wealthy business man when she helps her friend with an interview for the school paper. Christian Grey is young for the wealth he has acquired. He is only in his late twenties though his strict professionalism makes him seem older. He is fascinated with Anastasia as she is with him. They begin to see each other and Anastasia is introduced to the world of BDSM. Christian wants her to become his submissive, but inexperienced Anastatia isn't sure. As Chrisitan shows Anastasia what it's like to be submissive, she has to examine herself to determine if she can handle this intense "relationship"/

This book has been marketed towards the general public. I know that many moms, teachers, and bloggers have raving over it. I've noticed that reviewers who primarily work with YA books seem to be loving the 50 Shades series, while more seasoned erotica reviewers are critical.

The writing is pretty straight forward. There is not a lot of flowery descriptive language, and the author has some key phrases that she repeats over and over. There isn't much variety there. There is a lot of dialogue in the book as well as e-mails between the two characters. All that being said, it was a quick and easy read. I read this 540 page book in 5 evenings before going to bed at night.

I was pleased with the cover of the book, a simple picture of a tie is nothing to alert the people around you that you are reading erotica, however the widespread media attention has ensured that everyone knows what this book is about.

This paperback was pretty sturdy, published by Vintage the binding was well done and easy to carry in a purse or bag without worrying it would tear.

While the sex was hot, this book didn't get into the BDSM themes quite the way I expected. However, this is only the first book, so I will probably finish the series to see. The writing style and descriptions were fairly uninspiring, but the chemistry between the characters was well written. The plot is a little weak for me, but the dialogue kept it entertaining and it was an easy read. I will probably finish the series, but I doubt I will re-read it as so many have.

If you are a seasoned erotica reader, don't expect to be overwhelmed by this novel. If you are new to the genre then give it a shot, you may really enjoy it. But this novel is clearly written for the hot sex and novelty of the subject. Don't expect a great literary work.