e.l. james
Everything you need to know before diving into "Grey," the latest in the "50 Shades of Grey" series penned by E.L. James. Pictured: E.L. James alongside husband Niall Leonard at the 65th Annual Berlinale International Film Festival in February 2015. Reuters

The wait is finally over. “Grey,” the latest installment in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” book series, became available for purchase Thursday.

While the book is not a complete departure from the previous three, writer E.L. James did take a bit of a different approach to writing the highly anticipated novel. For her fourth book the British author opted to provide readers with a new perspective, telling the sexy tale from the lens of fictional billionaire BDSM connoisseur Christian Grey.

Before you jump into this steamy work of fiction, here are seven things you should know:

1. “Grey” was written for fans.

E.L. James dedicated her fourth novel to fans who repeatedly requested such a story.

2. “Grey” is told from Christian Grey’s perspective.

The first three books in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" series were told from the point of view of Anastasia Steele. Each one navigates her thoughts and feelings from the moment she meets Christian in his office, through their sexual journey together and beyond. Now, fans will get a look inside the mind of Christian.

3. Christian is not as confident as he previously came off.

Throughout the course of the book readers will find that Christian often struggles with his feelings for Anastasia, or Ana as he calls her. He spends much of the book over thinking his feelings for her and trying to suppress them as he does not feel he deserves to be loved by such a woman.

4. The real reason for Christian’s love of BDSM will be revealed.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” fans will finally learn what it is that attracted Grey to this lifestyle.

5. “Grey” will reveal important details about Christian’s past.

In the novel readers will learn about Grey’s troubled childhood, as well as his mother’s struggle with addiction and an abusive partner.

6. The fourth book will feature some of the most intense sex scenes of all.

This should really come as no surprise, being that the story is told from Christian’s perspective. “Grey” will feature descriptive sex scenes, both real and imagined. Many fans have already begun sharing some of the sexiest bits of the book on Twitter.

7. It appears highly likely E.L. James will write more books from this point of view.

The ending of “Grey” is said to leave the door open for James to create more stories from Christian’s perspective.

Will you be buying the book? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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