Book Review – Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Freed: Book Three of the Fifty Shades Trilogy

QUICK NOTE!! SPOILER ALERT. Actually… not a spoiler for this book, but for the series in general. YOU MUST read the other two books before reading this review, so as not to spoil all of the crazy excitement that you’ll go through with those. This is one of those absolute must read trilogies that you must read from the start, spoiler free! Believe me. You will love it!! If you haven’t read the first book, stop right now and go get it!! Fifty Shades is a masterpiece!! Check out my first review if you’re new to the series, and go from there 😉

Interested in the series? —> E.L. James – Fifty Shades Trilogy Reading Order

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So let’s talk about this. I’m going to say right out that I *did* love it, and I adored the deep emotional connection that this book allowed us to explore. It was pure “Christian Grey” and it indulged our need for Christian-style emotion. Angry Christian, gentle Christian, loving Christian, insecure Christian… despondent Christian. He was 100% perfectly “Fifty” and beautifully “mercurial” and every moment with “Fifty” is a moment worth reading. I still adore him, almost above all other alpha-male heroes.

Most of our favorite *touches* were there. The fun and silly (and/or) angry/emotionally charged emails. Christian laying down the law (as is his way), and Ana completely and happily defying his wishes. Her unavoidable face-palming whenever her decisions got her in trouble and she found herself questioning “Why again, did I DO that!?”.

“Crap, Christian’s mad – and he has enough to worry about at the moment. What was I thinking?”

Their tender exchanges, their steamy moments, and Ana still completely overwhelmed by just how incredibly wealthy Christian is. Christian’s tenuous hold on the reality of accepting and giving love and affection. Being touched. Being close to someone, in a “normal” way.

My beautiful man who cannot bear to be tickled, who cannot bear to be touched just a short while ago, yet now he tolerates my touch. I must ask him if he likes it, or whether he lets me touch him for my pleasure rather than his.

And of course, enemies continue to haunt their lives.

And while there weren’t as many shocking situations and heart-stopping moments as there were in book #1 and 2, there were a few.

“Anastasia, if you leave me, you might as well take everything.”

In fact there was one that almost almost equaled *that* horrific moment for me in book #2. I clutched my heart, and gulped my tears back because the pain was so deep. And as you read, and come across a pretty bad part, a stressful, coldness will encompass you. And then… another moment.

I realized these moments existed when I started seeing these comments (all at about the same percentage of the book, but I won’t tell you, where):

Desmond: … WTF Fifty.

patricia: I know right!!!!!!!!!

I started avoiding you guys like the plague at that point (here and on my Facebook) ’cause I was so far behind, and was scared something might slip (my business trip completely collided with the release of this book) and I knew I’d have to read the rest of the way through, in hiding.

But then I got *there* (where y’all were freakin’). And I realized something. I don’t know if everyone felt like I did at a certain point past that part, but for you new readers out there… you’ll think you’re there, and you’ll think of me when you get there, but that wasn’t the part that absolutely freaked me out. Oh it had me, but something had me worse. It comes after and it broke my heart. I could hear him. I could see him. I could feel him.

*sob*

Thank you E.L. for bringing Christian to life, like that.

Oh right! What’s it about?

*sucks in breath through teeth*

Ummm…. hrmmm… Ya gotta read the first two, to fully *get* this whole thing, and anything will be a spoiler, at this point, so I’ll keep it simple:

It’s about a wealthy gorgeous alpha male (read: “Dom” although in this one, there’s a lot less of that) and a sweet “normal” girl. They’re into each other (oh sheesh… that doesn’t even come close to describing it). Ha! But he’s got issues, and she’s… “dealing”. Sorta. At times though… she really tries his patience, and yet… that keeps them interesting. 😉 The man who has everything and the one thing he wants, well… not as easy as he expects. Or demands.

“Even though you make me so mad – I feel so alive with you.”

But it’s all fun. Except when things come crashing down, and then we’re all freaking out! Them’s the good parts!! (*cringe* hee hee – I know. Grammar – I got it covered 😉 )! Growth, discovery, and regression. Exploration. Testing limits. YES!! That’s it!!! Maybe not this book, but this series is about testing limits. Surpassing limits. And not just her. But… him.

“Don’t worry baby, I’ll look after you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about, it’s you,” I grumble. “Who’s looking after you?”

Anyhoooooo, it was a GREAT book. Very happy to have read it, and let me tell you. If you’ve read the first two, you need this one. NEED IT!

BUT!!! While it was great, and overall, I mostly loved it, I will admit something that might make me a *tad* bit unpopular. I found that I wasn’t obsessed with it like I was with the others. I wondered (and still wonder) if it was possible that my hectic work weekend  was preventing me from becoming fully absorbed in the book.

When my fellow Facebook friend Sandra stated:

Sandra: “I liked it the last half more. But it was my least favorite in the series. The other two I couldnt put down and was irritated when I was forced too (like ugh going to work). This one however was easy to put down and pick up. Not that I didnt like it but I didnt squee….”

A few of us had to agree:

Maryse’s Book Blog: “Sandra… ditto. I wondered if it was my constant work interruptions (and you know, it *might* be that) but I didn’t find myself obsessively re-living the scenes in my head while I worked. I still loved it, for the “time” with them… and the depth of their emotion, but #1 & #2 rocked my world and #3 cuddled me, instead.”

Amy: “… I almost felt like they fought and then made up a little too repetitively so for me it down played the “big WTF moment” that happened. The epilogue was awesome.”

Sali: “… totally agree ….this book felt a little bit safe . Which I love in a way bcoz I didn’t get to anxious…” (side note: true… this was needed.)

Jenny: “… I loved it…..but…and I wasn’t sure what the “but” was, but you nailed it on the head. I didn’t obsess about this one the way I did the other two. I too didn’t get the chance to sit and read it in one go and wondered if that was why but I don’t think so. I could also put this down and walk away whereas that just wasn’t an option with the first two. I did love the conclusion and the extra Fifty bonus was awesome, I would love more of that.”

Yep. Awesome, but… and that’s just it. *shrug*

Just… but.

However… many loved it to death, and I could hear the *squee’ing* from my hotel room.

Jeanette: “…I was dying to know what happens and then sad when I finished! Crazy addiction this is!!!”

Yanira: “I just finished and OMG!! I loved this so much, I laughed and cried, still teary right now. It’s so good.”

Gitte: “‎……and breathe Gitte….finished Fifty Freed and uhm wow..it was everything and more, it was AMAZING!!! Am speechless….”

And as Tina and I discussed it (after all, she is the one who introduced me to “Fifty”):

Maryse: I had so many (work-related) stops and starts this weekend that I didn’t get to read it in proper flow. I got all the right feelings, felt all the right things, but because I kept having to put the book down, I didn’t “simmer” in my emotions…

I  enjoyed her disobeying. I just laughed every time she face palmed… she kept doing what she wanted and then saying “ahhh why did I do that? Now he’s mad!” LOL!!!!

Tina: “Yes, but it was a plot driver so it had to be there. If she obeyed him he would never get angry. It’s been her obstinance, her defiance that really attracted him to her.”

Yep. It had everything… “but”. I bet a quiet uninterrupted re-read in my peaceful, pink, fluffy bed would do the trick nicely but I felt the need to “review” ASAP.

So overall. I’d say close to perfect. Near it, but not quite *that*.

I mean, how can anything compare to the perfection of book #1 & #2? Perfect simply because they made me react, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Kept me in that “reaction mode” from start to finish. The introduction, the attraction, the deep dark secret that would send most running for the hills. The pursuit. The interaction. The actual “heading for the hills”. The emotional overload. The growth. The one step forward, two steps back. It was ALL there. Those books absolutely flipped my reading world upside down and I LOVED it. Those books were a GREAT BIG magic half-circle. This one just… completed it. A little less magic, but a little more… something else.

It’s all good. I was happy to be a part of their world. And of course, I’d love more like it!

4 stars!

Interested in the series? —> E.L. James – Fifty Shades Trilogy Reading Order