TW: Talk about grooming, disordered eating, drug abuse and addiction, stalking, physical abuse, physical abuse of children, teacher-student relationships, statutory rape, abortion, some discussion of BDSM practices including gagging and whipping, #MeToo and blackmail; language use We would like to introduce you, dear listener, to the concept of "hate reading," because Jackie sure as heck hate-read Fifty Shades. Jen, meanwhile, read the trilogy for the first time, and decided it wasn't completely terrible. So they sat down and had an in-depth (very long) discussion about the trilogy as a whole, the characters they hated, their favorite and least-favorite scenes, what they did and didn't like, and just how much Elena upset them both. So here's a question for you, you sparkly romance nerd: if Fifty Shades were written in 2021, could it have been written any better? The below links are resources for you to use at your own discretion. We here at Raging Romantics support and love you. National Domestic Violence Hotline National Teen Dating Hotline RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline National Resource Center on Domestic Violence National Eating Disorder Association Hotline   Terms Love Bombing: The process of overwhelming someone with effusive signs of adoration and attraction such as texting, gifts, complements, etc. This is designed to manipulate the recipient into spending more time with the bomber and can be part of the cycle of abuse. (Psychologytoday.com) Grooming: "Grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them." This can happen online or in person, and involves a variety of tactics designed to "create" the "perfect" victim (NSPCC.org.uk) Books mentioned: Fifty Shades Trilogy by EL James Grey by EL James Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades, ed. by Lori Perkins Jen didn't get to read this one, but wants to: Hard-Core Romance: "Fifty Shades of Grey," Best-Sellers, and Society by Eva Illouz Author Alexa Riley Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss Bonus reading: Could Christian Grey be a narcissist? Here's a good article about narcissistic traits: Psychology Today And a good psychological discussion of Fifty Shades Master of the Universe pdf for download (og fanfiction) Case of Mary Kay Letourneau Books to read if you want to read something similar to Fifty Shades (but better): Crossfire trilogy by Sylvia Day On Dublin Street series by Samantha Young Lotus House series by Audrey Carlan King series by TM Frazier Anything by Lila Dubois Between the Covers bookclub (feel free to join in!) Virtual on Zoom