THE MISTER by E L JAMES

‘She feels safe with him. She hasn’t felt safe for so long,’

When The Mister by EL James landed on our Kindles at midnight, we dived right in. We’ll be completely honest with you, we had a myriad of emotions going through our minds as we embarked on this Authors new journey, a mix of nervous anticipation and ecstatic excitement if you will. After all, this is not Fifty Shades, one of our most beloved book series, this is something brand spanking new, minus the spanking. And after finishing The Mister this rings completely true in a positive way as it showcased that EL James is not just synonymous with Fifty Shades, she is more than that, she can write any type of romance, though her formula of the classic fairy-tales is once again present. Where Fifty Shades was wonderfully dark, captivatingly erotic and its own brand of Beauty and the Beast; The Mister is more of a slow burn and an almost tender and vulnerable romance with a Cinderella feel to it.

“You know, you can hold me too.”

Our brand of reading is that we stay away from anything about a book we know we’ll eventually read. We don’t read excerpts nor do we read reviews or spoilers. So, other than the synopsis we go in completely blind. That’s the way we roll and the way we like it. So to be honest with you we actually had no idea what to expect.

The prologue had us hooked, it was sombre and haunting and started the story off with a kick to the emotional gut. We loved that. We could immediately tell that EL James has honed her craft as her writing was flawless and whilst we absolutely recognised the Author and her words it felt new and exciting. What better way to showcase your writing than to do a one-eighty. One of the aspects we loved about The Mister is the underlying message of humanity, societal and economic issues as well as the depravity and inequality evident in our world today. Whilst at times The Mister had an almost historical feel it was written in today’s world with the relevance that goes hand in hand.

‘Eyes closed, he’s feeling the music, every note expressed on his face. As she watches him – his brow furrowed, head tilted, lips parted – he takes her breath away.
She’s captivated.
By him.
By the music.
He’s talented.
The piece is sad, full of longing and grief….’

The romance was quite simply, swoon-worthy. It’s the stuff dreams are made of and what we hopeless romantics crave. We fell in love with Maxim and Alessia and their wonderful romance, which grew out of both tragic and haunting circumstances. Innocence versus experience. Have versus have not. Status of nobility versus the status of an immigrant. Their paths cross when each one of them needs the other the most. It was beautiful to watch through the vivid writing and the tone set so aptly by the atmospherically placed musical undertone.

“I like sleeping with you”
“Well, that makes two of us.”

The way in which The Mister is written allows the reader to fully connect with both characters and really get under their skin. The connection ran deep for us and we championed both Maxim and Alessia all the way. Each shaped by their own past and their current place in the world.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper….

Maxim had a boyish, cheeky quality and a wicked sense of humour. A bit of a bad boy who is in some way lost and desperate for a loving touch. He almost craves it. We fell in complete love with him. Alessia is just adorable, so incredibly sweet with an endearing innocence and timidness. Yet when the occasion calls for it Alessia gets feisty. They were just so perfectly suited and their romance shone like a bright beacon at sea.

‘I know I should look away, but I’m distracted by her underwear. They cover her backside and come up to her waist. They are possibly the largest knickers I’ve seen on a woman.’

As you all know, we don’t do spoilers so we won’t give you any more story. Just know that this is such a wonderfully written romance that will pull at your heart strings and you’ll get carried away by the words. A romantic escape touched by an ugly reality with an emphasis on the human touch. We wanted more at the end and whilst this is a standalone we’d love more!

“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“Saving me…”