The Mister

The number one New York Times best seller - a thrilling new romance from E L James, author of the phenomenal best-selling Fifty Shades Trilogy.

London, 2019. Life has been easy for Maxim Trevelyan. With his good looks, aristocratic connections, and money, he’s never had to work, and he’s rarely slept alone. But all that changes when tragedy strikes and Maxim inherits his family’s noble title, wealth, and estates, and all the responsibility that entails. It’s a role he’s not prepared for and one that he struggles to face.

But his biggest challenge is fighting his desire for an unexpected, enigmatic young woman who’s recently arrived in England, possessing little more than a dangerous and troublesome past. Reticent, beautiful, and musically gifted, she’s an alluring mystery, and Maxim’s longing for her deepens into a passion that he’s never experienced and dares not name. Just who is Alessia Demachi? Can Maxim protect her from the malevolence that threatens her? And what will she do when she learns that he’s been hiding secrets of his own?

From the heart of London through wild, rural Cornwall to the bleak, forbidding beauty of the Balkans, The Mister is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the listener breathless to the very last moment.

Book club questions for The Mister by E. L. James

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Classical music plays a prominent role in The Mister book, as well as others written by E L James. What’s the relationship between music and the progression of this story?

The choice to have a first person point of view for Maxim and third for Alessia was unique and fresh; many books do not utilize the back and forth quite like this (especially the third person present). Why do you think E L James utilized this technique?

The relationship between Caroline and Maxim is complex and intriguing. Is it dysfunctional? Is it relatable?

Is Maxim a trainwreck of a leading man? He’s grieving and drinking and sleeping around. In many ways he breaks the rules of the stereotypical romance hero, which is so fascinating and refreshing since we usually see broken heroes pretending to have their life together, and Maxim transparently does not. Is he a broken hero? A reformed rake? What trope does he best fit into?

Christian Grey was very much the tortured alpha male. Do you think Maxim follows this trope?

Maxim’s family, friends, and retainers are shocked by his profession of love for a woman he’s only briefly known. How does Alessia trigger Maxim’s emotional growth?

Does Alessia’s maestro-level skill play a crucial role in increasing her appeal to Maxim from what might have been a temporary fling to a deeper, more meaningful connection?

Oh, the panties! Let’s talk about a woman being comfortable, attractive, and beautiful in her own skin, without regard to what she is wearing or how en déshabillé she might be that day.

Think about Alessia’s experience as a woman in Albania and her harrowing journey to the UK. She has endured so much, yet she finds confidence and strength in her relationship with Maxim that allows her to face the ghosts of her past in an empowered fashion. Let’s talk about Alessia’s personal journey, how she becomes such a strong woman in her own right, and how Maxim comes to rely on her strength for his own personal journey.

What was your favorite witty/winsome one-liner from the book?

The settings to the story are of such key importance: affluent, urban, rainy London; windswept Cornwall; undeveloped-yet-majestic vistas of Albania. Where would you most like to see yourself after traveling this novel?

The allure of Cinderella stories… Would Maxim and Alessia’s love story ever be possible in real life?

Maxim was “the spare” who became the heir, and his nontraditional love interest caused friction with family and peers. E L James had this story in mind long before Harry and Meghan got the spotlight, but do you see any parallels?

The Mister Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the The Mister discussion questions