E.L. James’ brand new book The Mister has only been on shelves for a few days now, but fans of the Fifty Shades of Grey book, its sequels and its movie counterparts have already cleverly spotted a reference connecting her new romance to her past trilogy.
The new book follows a modern fairytale romance between Maxim Trevelyan and Alessia Demachi, and one of those two lead characters in the novel has ties to the Fifty Shades universe.
If you are an eagle-eyed reader or Fifty Shades of Grey movie fan, you may already have noticed Maxim Trevelyan’s last name is the same as Christian Grey’s mother’s maiden name, his adopted mother that is.
So far, E.L. James has acknowledged the connection, but it mostly seems like she won’t be elaborating anytime soon, as she hasn’t wholly established that connection yet. She told EW:
There is a story behind it but it’s not one I want to talk about right now. I might talk about it later. But – there’s a connection, I don’t know what it is yet.
Of Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey, we know the woman is a pediatrician and the matriarch of a wealthy and connected family in Washington state. Her story isn’t fleshed out as much as Christian Grey’s is, although she is the person who meets four-year-old Christian after his biological mother is dead and he is found, hungry and abandoned.
Of Maxim Trevelyan, we know Maxim is a new Earl who falls in love with his housekeeper who has been trafficked into the country from Albania. Maxim is also a bit of a sex fiend and has other hobbies outside of being the thirteenth earl of his name. Unlike the Trevelyan matriarch in Washington, Maxim is an English aristocrat, and the action in The Mister is basically all in London, Cornwall and the Balkans rather than the U.S.
Because we don't know a lot about Grace's family history, we don't know when her family came to the United States or what connection they might still have with England.
Thus, the real question remains: Do Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey and Maxim Trevelyan know one another? If yes, then would there be an opportunity for the characters from Fifty Shades to interact in this universe? The Mister is a contemporary tale, despite being about an Earl, so this is not as far-fetched as it might seem at first glance.
If The Mister does well—and it’s all over shelves at bookstores already and was no. 1 on the book charts—there could be more of an opportunity to expand the narrative, maybe even on the big screen and likely through a sequel. We’ll let you know if the studios have an appetite for Maxim and Alessia’s story. In the meantime, you can order your own copy now.
