The Mister by E. L. James
Published 16 April 2019 Arrow
Alessia cleans the stylish apartment daily.
She does the laundry, irons the shirts, changes the bedsheets, empties the bins and finally, when her work is done for the day, she sits at the beautiful piano and plays from memory.
Sometimes Bach that she learned back home in Albania.
Sometimes the composition half-finished on the music stand.
The Mister is often out when Alessia is cleaning. Once, she saw him. Lying on his bed. Naked. The first naked man she had seen and he was beautiful. Now Alessia hides in the laundry room when he is at home. She is nervous of him.
Maxim's life has just been turned upside down. Before, there was no work hard, play hard - he just played. Fast cars, expensive clothes, beautiful women - he flirted with the world and the world opened before him.
Then Kit died.
Without his older brother, the family responsibilities fell to him. Then his brother's widow fell into his bed. No, life is complicated enough for Maxim - so why can't he concentrate on what he should be doing and stop thinking about doing his Daily? Alessia is stunning - but so shy, afraid of him.
Maxim may not know of her past - that she was trafficked from Albania to the UK, but he knows for certain that he wants her in his future.
I didn't know what to expect with a new novel from E. L. James. An X-rated Made in Chelsea perhaps? There is no Christian and Ana. Instead of a businessman and a student we get a playboy and a scrubber. The setting is London. The storyline more...criminally inclined. The sex scenes seemed more tame but perhaps I am more worldly after reading the Shades trilogy. The Mister was a quick read, amusing in places, tense in others. I liked Alessia, she was resilient. Again it was a rescue read - they both rescue each other but it was the trafficking storyline that really held my interest. Human trafficking is a heinous act and is increasing - across England and Wales, 5144 modern slavery offences were recorded April 2018 to March 2019 and bringing it into reader's awareness can only be a good thing.
