I want to get this out of the way so there is no suspense. I loved reading "Fifty Shades of Grey". By now, most people know what this story line is about. This is the first book of a trilogy about an innocent virgin about to graduate college, who does a favor for a sick friend and interviews Mr. Christan Grey, the twenty-something head of his own multinational company. Immediately they both have an instant attraction and they fill their lives with thoughts of each other. It took me over half the book to believe their attraction to each other. You need to start reading this book and be willing to accept this bond even though you want to say, "Huh?"

During the interview, Miss Anastasia Steele fumbles and angers Mr. Grey as she interviews him. She is obviously unprepared and rather than doing her research and preparing her questions, she reads from a list put together by her friend. Mr. Grey is angered by some of her questions and the fact that she knows nothing about him or his company. Miss Steele is intimidated by Mr. Grey from the start, something that pleases him very much. The day after the interview, Mr. Grey sends her an inappropriately expensive gift of rare, first edition books valued at well over $14,000. Miss Steele is uncomfortable about this and plans to return the books.

Miss Steele and her gorgeous, charismatic roommate decide to celebrate their graduation and head to a bar with a male friend (Jose) who wants a relationship with Miss Steele, who sees him as a brotherly friend and that is it. After several drinks, Jose makes a pass at Miss Steele at the same time she is making a drunk call to the controlling Mr. Grey. BOOM! Just like that Mr. Grey leaps into the bar to rescue her. The reader is asked to beleive that the sophisticated Blackberry he has utilizes a GPS to track her down. This is the first hint of his need for control.

Fast forward through many pages of banter between the two, much hot sex, a Domination/Submissive contract and we arrive at Mr. Grey's playroom, well equipped with all manner of whips, canes, paddles, restraining items and just about everything a good Dominate wants to have on hand. He has told Miss Steele that he wants to train her and begins slowly. She has already received a spanking from him and is torn between enjoying the experience in an erotic way and thinking that it is just plain wrong. The play escalates in this playroom and her internal conflict continues. I have to stop here, or I will find myself being a spoiler and sharing the end of book one with you!

OK, I admit it. What I read about Domination and Submission intrigues me very much. I love sex and have (what I consider to be) passionate sex with my boyfriend. Often. We have sex often. Hot, steamy, spur of the moment sex. Mostly we do what I will refer to as "traditional" sex: missionary, doggy, or oral, and utilize the bedroom, living room, wherever. I'll even admit that occasionally I've had my hands tied and once I blindfolded and tied him up and wouldn't let him touch me. It was hot. It was very hot. Usually one of us will surprise the other with our itty bitty D/s, but my experience begins and ends in the bedroom.

This book explores the deep-down need of Mr. Grey to control Miss Steele. He enjoys punishing her, hurting her and wants her to enjoy the pain also. Wherever they are, in a restaurant, the graduation ceremony or his parents home, he is bold and threatening. This excites and irritates Miss Steele. It only hints at what a full life of D/s would be like. Also, it hints at the need Mr. Grey has to Dominate, both sexually and all areas. I would like to know more, but this book leaves me wanting. Wanting my own Mr. Grey.

Those who are "living the life" will find this book soft and probably humorous. They may even be insulted because Mr. Grey is described as evil and with emotional/behavioral "issues", making the reader think that somehow this life is "wrong". In that sense, this novel fails the reader.