AUTUMN HARVEST: FALL BETWEEN THE PAGES BLOG HOP TOUR (Sept 19-26)

Click picture for linky list of participating authors and blogs.

Bona Fide Reflections will be featuring the author E.L. James for the blog hop. Ms. James has written two emotionally poignant contemporary erotica novels. The first book in her trilogy is Fifty Shades of Grey and the second book is Fifty Shades Darker. Her third book will be published some time in 2012.  I will be giving away one copy of each book to one lucky winner. The winner will be announced September 27th. You must be 18 or over to win these books due to the sexually explicit love scenes contained in them.

I have posted reviews of both E.L. James' books below.  For the weekend, I will be posting an interview with Ms. E.L. James. The only thing you need to do to enter the giveaway is complete the  Rafflecopter (at the end of this long post) and leave a comment on this blog post with your name and e-mail so I can contact the lucky winner September 27, 2011. The other options are just that - optional. Thanks for stopping by.

Review of Fifty Shades of Grey:

Phenomenal  Erotica Reading

Fifty Shades of Grey, (Fifty Shades #1) by E. L. James is a fantastic debut contemporary erotica romance novel (with some BDSM elements) that I absolutely loved. The magnetism between Christian and Ana is nothing short of phenomenal. Ms. James has a way of engaging the reader and fully investing them in an unforgettable romance that is Mr. Grey & Ms. Steele. They are a perfect foil for each other.

Anastasia Steele must interview Christian Grey who is an entrepreneurial mogul for her school’s paper because her best-friend and roommate, Kate, is stricken with the flu. So, ensues the fateful meeting of Ms. Steele and Mr. Grey. Their attraction to each other is immediate. He is cool and all smooth masculine grace while she is a bit klutzy but proves herself to be smart and competent during their interview even though she does tend to let her inner dialogue filter through to some of the questions which she would like to completely forget once she leaves his office.

He follows up her fateful interview with him by stopping by her place of employment to see her and engage her in more conversational byplay. Their romance is not your plain vanilla variety once it gets started. His predilections in the bedroom go way beyond Ana’s innocence and non-existent sexual experience - to put it mildly. He wants her; but, there are some very interesting strings that will be attached to their relationship if she chooses to participate in an affair with the sexy, enigmatic Christian Grey.

As they get to know each other, there are some serious juxtapositions that occur on a personal level for both of them opens their eyes and their hearts to each other. He is controlling and all kinds of fifty shades of messed up; but, she recognizes the emotional turmoil in Christian and it calls to her on a level she never thought to experience. While, she has no frame of reference on which to guide herself through this tumultuous and challenging relationship, especially when he continues to hold himself at an emotional distance, she is captivated by him. The reader becomes enraptured as much as Ana in the mystery that surrounds Christian and only serves to cause the reader to fall hard for this charismatic, controlling, provocative man.

This story is full of personal growth, heartache, and a lot of capriciousness supplied by Mr. Grey that is constantly giving Ms. Steele emotional whiplash which lays down a gauntlet of emotional challenge. Ana's inner goddess and subconscious play a comedic role in helping her deal with her Fifty Shades of Grey. Her innocence, tenacity, and sense of self is the perfect antithesis to Mr. Grey's overwhelming personality.

Adding to the sweetness and hilarity of the story is the e-mail communication between the hero and heroine that also pulls you in to the enjoyment and magic of the story. Fifty Shades of Grey is the first book in a trilogy that starts an emotional journey and is a profoundly moving and dynamic story. The ending will leave you feeling understandably shocked, yet craving and coveting more of Ana Steele and Christian Grey. This is a prodigious debut novel that I highly recommend to all romance genre readers. The talent that is Ms. E.L. James is not to be missed.

Review of Fifty Shades Darker:

Amazing Romantica/Erotica Read

Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades #2 by E.L. James is another stunner of an erotic romance book. It starts up where Fifty Shades of Grey ends. Anastasia Steele has broken up with Christian Grey because his demands were too overwhelming for her manage. Even though not much time has passed since their separation, they are both heart sick and make their way back to each other through Mr. Grey’s crafty machinations. Meanwhile, fresh out of college, Ana is trying to establish her career in the publishing industry.

The plot of this book takes Ms. Steele and, especially, Mr. Grey down a much more treacherous impassioned journey when it comes to opening up and laying bare a myriad of feelings compounding the confrontation of deep rooted emotional scars. As layers of Christian’s past are stripped away, Ana and Christian grow exponentially as a couple by learning to meet each others emotional needs, further entwining their already connected hearts.

Reinforcing the plot are two women from Christian’s past who push Ana’s hot buttons forcing the couple to confront the outcome of Christian’s past predilections. Concurrently, Ana is having to contend with issues at work involving her boss and his questionable intentions towards her. The much needed comic relief comes in the form of Ana’s inner goddess and her subconscious that help her through her emotional ups and downs. Adding to the reader’s spectrum of emotion are the emails between Mr. Grey and Ms. Steele that cast poignancy and some additional humor to the story line.

This novel also has Christian and Ana dealing with his past in a very “in -your- face” fashion that will have the reader cringing at moments from the emotional voracity, making the reader’s heart ache, and bring the reader to his/her knees. E.L. James’ ability to rent such feeling from the reader is extraordinary. Fifty Shades Darker is an all together different journey than it’s predecessor; however, it demands no less from the reader’s affections. If anything, it demands more. E.L. James offers readers a story that is unforgettable, stunning, passionate, sexy, needful, cathartic and glorious.


View all my reviews


Happy Reading from Bona Fide Relfections!!






Autumn Harvest: Fall Between the Pages Blog Hop Tour Linky List