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FREED

FIFTY SHADES FREED AS TOLD BY CHRISTIAN

Of interest only to long-term fans of the series, and even they might be disappointed.

Ten years after the publication of Fifty Shades of Grey, the series closes with the final installment of the trilogy from reclusive billionaire Christian Grey’s point of view.

The book opens in the summer of 2011 on the night of Christian’s engagement to his girlfriend and submissive, Anastasia Steel. There is no summarizing or recapping, just a plunge back into the fast-paced life of Seattle's favorite billionaire. In the last book, Darker (2017), Christian’s helicopter crashed, and now the investigation shows evidence of foul play. Christian’s main concerns are securing his future with Ana, battling the inner demons that have plagued him since childhood, and finding the mysterious villain attacking him both personally and professionally. The plot is episodic, just a series of small, urgent crises that fail to gel into a cohesive or interesting story. Christian is not an introspective man, which makes the 755 pages of first-person narration difficult reading. A description of his favorite turkey sandwich merits as much space as a fight with his father. When Ana challenges him—for example, by refusing to use the word obey in her wedding vows—he stomps and rages but doesn’t once consider why she might find it offensive. One of the flaws of the series has always been the stereotypical portrayal of childhood abuse leading to an interest in kink and BDSM. Both Christian’s father and therapist hold him responsible for having had sex as a teenager with one of his mother’s friends, and only Ana is clearheaded enough to insist he was abused, both morally and legally. By the end, Christian learns the truth about his birth mother and makes peace with his past, but there is nothing new or interesting in the tale.

Of interest only to long-term fans of the series, and even they might be disappointed.

Pub Date: June 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-72825-103-5

Page Count: 757

Publisher: Bloom Books

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021

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IT STARTS WITH US

Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.

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The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.

Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.

Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.

Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022

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IT ENDS WITH US

Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...

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Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.

At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.

Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.

Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016

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