Modern Erotic Trilogies: To/In/With You and 50 Shades

           Despite the fact that lots of people and groups should be mad about the books; [women over 22, women who can’t orgasm, virgins, the entire BDSM community, mothers, fathers, I could go on] The 50 Shades trilogy have done increasing well. I am referring to 50 Shades: of Grey, Darker and Released. These books have made a serious amount of buzz and money for E.L. James.

I will admit to having read all three. I will go so far as to say, before I read the first one, I was very excited to read them. E.L. James did a nice job of fan fiction. Although overall; I did not enjoy any of the books. None of them can stand alone as good writing. Overall I was disappointed by the series as flat and poorly written.

This is mostly because I expected a very good story. Moreover, I expected a VERY sexy story. One that brought a good sex story into characters that are somewhat familiar. I was very let down. The sex was horrible. In the end, the guy has to give up his desires. Not sure what either character comes away from it with. Many people have said how much love Ana and Christian have for each other. But Ana just gets Christian to change for her. That isn’t love. That is simple compliance. And Christian is obsessed with Ana which once again is not love.

There is a book out that is more satisfying in its storyline. Mostly because the characters are slightly more realistic [by slightly I mean very slightly]. But we are not talking Sex and The City vs. Girls type of realism. Just an adjustment of some of the outlandish things.

The book I am referring to is ‘Bared To You’ by Silvia Day. The book is a very adult and very hot. It is the first in a trilogy. The next two are scheduled for release within the next six months. The second book is now out and I am working my way through it.  

It clears up the unrealistic parts of 50 that I won’t give away. But the ‘To/In/With You’ series hopefully will stay in the realm of ‘Super-Rich” but possible. So far, it is pushing the limits of what normal people have access to. It would be nice to see something more realistic but C’est La Vie.

Still these two trilogies will have so many comparisons that it might get lost in the genre of ‘HardCore Adult’/Erotica that has been marginalized to ‘Mommy Porn’ because of their appeal to women and the main characters of both as females.

But both have very similar aspects as apparent below:

50 Shades		To You
Anastasia ‘Ana’ Rose Steele	YOUNG female main character [only child to birth mother and father]	Eva Trammel
Christian Grey	Insanely Rich male main character	Gideon Cross
Harvard	Ivy League School male lead dropped out of to start company	Columbia
Kathryn Kavanaugh	Promiscuous Best friend	Cary Taylor
Leila Williams	Pining Ex-girlfreind of the male character who married someone else	Corrine Giroux
Carla May Wilks Adams	Worrying mother of female	Monica Stanton
Franklin Lambert	Absent birth father of female	Victor Reyes
Robbin (Bob) Adams	Newest Step Father (of 3)	Richard Stanton
Taylor	Driver of the male character	Angus
Elliot Grey	Promiscuous Brother of the male lead	Christopher Vidal Junior
Mia Grey	Younger sister of the male lead	Ireland Vidal
Elena Lincoln	Disillusioned Female Stalker of male main character	Magdalene Perez
Young Brunettes	Type of woman the male lead likes	Young Brunettes

           

I am pulling for Silvia Day because I like her more frank addressing of the issues. Specifically the way she addresses sex. That doesn’t mean I agree totally with her story. But honestly, I think it is more realistic. The underlying reason for their actions actually make some sense.

            This does stand to reason. Silvia Day is a military veteran like me. So I would be drawn more to her. As opposed to E.L. James who is British and I am not sure specifically what she does but it is something to do with TV in the UK.

            The really deflating thing was, after reading Bared To You, I saw that Silvia Day acknowledges E.L. James. That makes me much more suspect of the similarities to the book.

            Silvia Day has said that her book Seven Years to Sin inspired Eva and Gideon. But I am not really sure how having read both. One is about immediate gratification and the other is about long term pinning. Eva and Gideon are much closer to Ana and Christian than Jessica and Alastair. That is just my opinion.

            In all honesty, Seven Years To Sin has a much hotter two characters in Hester and Michael. But that is a whole other story. And a much hotter one!

            The good thing is, there are lots of holes that still need to be filled in for the ‘To/In/With You’ series. I am hoping that Silvia Day goes in a different direction that shows why we should enjoy these characters she is building in Eva and Gideon. And I really hope Silvia Day “keeps it real”.

            As I begin the second book, Reflected In You; I am hopeful that this story is more realistic in figuring the ins and outs of a relationship. All relationships are complicated adding money is not a specially complicating factor. So why make the super rich sympathetic? Millionaires are tortured for the reasons that they themselves control. I could say more but it would give away the plotline. I am hopeful Silvia Day does a better job at addressing this disparity it than E.L. James did.  Because just having to give up something you enjoy is not healthy a healthy relationship message for anyone: male, female, rich, poor, any race, color or creed.