Finished the first book this past weekend. Starting the second one tonight (I think). Interesting that some say they fall in love with him in the second book.

Has anyone listened to the music she references in the books?

I totally understand u BM...inasmuch as when I started reading I thought this is crazy by the 2nd book I was totally in love with and felt pretty much the same as Ana (willing to do anything for him LOL) I also re-read the books and will more than likely end up reading them a third time over the summer when i am on vacation.

Yes - she has a playlist for each book on youtube...you can also get it through her website

I think I loved him before the end of the 1st book, but the 2nd book definitely sealed it Too bad it had to take a woman to create such a perfect (even with his messedupness) man...

I didn't get a chance to start the 2nd book. Maybe this weekend. There are certainly some endearing qualities in Mr. Grey, but I find some of the stuff a little creepy- like the stalking.

I just downloaded the first book last night. I was a little hesitant after reading some really bad reviews, but I just have to see what all the fuss is about!

I'm getting to that point, too, BSAdiva. I just have a big problem coughing up the $10 each for books I'm told have atrocious editing and questionable smut quality.

We have very high standards when it comes to smut. I havent forked out the money either. Several girls in my running group were oohhing and aahhing over them...I just laughed and said it sounded pretty weak compared to the BDB.

Nope. I am on book two. And it really reminded me of BDB. Thanks for that suggestion, by the way.

I haven't read this entire thread - who or what is BDB?

Maybe it's just me but I didn't find it as smutty as everyone was making it out to be...what I really enjoyed was the relationship between Christian and Ana... and I don't know what BDB is either... will I like that as much as I liked FSG??

Respectfully disagreeing here...Christian Grey and BDB...not even close IMO.

BDB = Black Dagger Brotherhood. It is a series written by JR Ward.

One of the girls here read them recently and was asking what I thought (she assumed I'd read them because - and I'm quoting her exact words - I've "read everything else"). I told her I'd heard the smut was kind of tame and the editing was really bad. She agreed about the editing and said that they were "racy if the raunchiest thing you've ever read is Danielle Steele" but that she could see where they'd be considered tame compared to "some of those strange books you (meaning I) read."

RR Becca - that is hilarious!

I haven't read the BDB, but 50 Shades is, IMO - racier than Outlander - or maybe it's just the way they go about it (if you know what I mean). I prefer the romance in Outlander to the racy in Fifty Shades, but I've only read the first book and I have heard the second one gets better. I will agree, however, the editing in Fifty is HORRIBLE.

I haven't read Outlander yet. It's on my list, but sci-fi will forever get bumped back when I run across dark, urban, or medevial fantasy material. I'm just not a huge sci-fi fan.

Oh- Outlander is not sci-fi like Stars Wars. It is more like fantasy. You really have to believe one far out thing and that's it. They are really good books and I highly recommend them, but I won't steal this thread!

Oh, OK. I understood that they were primarily time-travel, which I tend to lump in with sci-fi.

Where would you rank them on the smut scale compared to Fifty?


ETA: Better yet, if you've read anything by Laurell K Hamilton, where would you rank Fifty's smut compared to her work?

Youtubed it and O M !!!!

Well, to be fair, it is time travel, but it is based on historical events and, in my view, more about the love story between the characters than the time travel- although that is part of their problem!

Fifty is smutty than Outlander, IMO.

I can't Youtube at work and I keep getting an error on my phone!

We'll have to try to remember to youtube it at home.

I read the Fifty trilogy twice because I wanted to make sure I was giving them a fair shake with my assessment the first go round. Here's what I can tell you about the smut. The second time through I skipped over most of the sex scenes. I NEVER do that with Anita or Merry.

Wow. OK - that tells me a lot. Both Anita and Merry can get very "really? that's the best you can do?"

But you have to give it to LKH, she can be very creative!

LOL! That's one word for it.