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In this third episode of the Besties in the Books mini-series Fifty Shades of May, hosts Ashley and Liz dive deep into Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James, the final installment of the original Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. They explore how the controversial dark romance series influenced pop culture, the rise of dark romance in mainstream fiction, and why Freedmight not mean what you think it does. The episode teases what's next in the series, including a parody read of Fifty Shades of Earl Grey by Andrew Shaffer and a full wrap-up comparing the books to the films. Join the Besties for unfiltered reactions, spicy cover art commentary, and plenty of laughs—plus behind-the-scenes chaos from their Fable book club chats. Perfect for fans of romance, satire, and pop culture deep-dives.

It’s Fifty shades of May over here on the Besties and the Books podcast. Welcome back to our spring mini episode series all about the extremely popular yet widely discredited book series: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. We’re officially concluding the original trilogy with book three, Fifty Shades Freed. Freed from what exactly, you might ask? And to that, we say… we have no idea.

Start from the beginning??
WATCH OUR 50 SHADES OF GREY PLAYLIST HERE | https://youtu.be/vykksEF9PJw?si=phSGimqOBOXXgfJa

We think that whether you find these books problematic or not, credit must be given where credit is due. The fact that these books have been stigmatized, criticized, and repeatedly knocked down is indicative (we think) of a larger societal problem: misogyny. Because as a society, it seems we just can’t stand it when women are successful… or when they enjoy something. Whether it’s objectively “good” or “profitable” or not.

And don’t miss next week’s final mini episode in this series where we give our final thoughts, cover the parody book Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin, and discuss the movies!

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! Now a Barnes & Noble & Amazon best seller titled: Kiss of the Basilisk! https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!
Ashley is wearing: “The Suriel” Tee from Amazon | * https://amzn.to/4h2v5im
Liz is wearing “Obey Me” Tee by @darkanddisturbedshop | Use Code: VEGAN10 to save! | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/praise-me-tee?_pos=2&_sid=81592a902&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Liz
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Ashley
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