Lady Dixon's Niece

by Chele Crawley

England, 1812

When Annaliese Schmidt is invited by her well-to-do aunt, Lady Dixon, to trade her agrarian life on the wild moors of Devonshire for the sophistication of high society, near London, she assumes this will be her ticket to social mobility. However, the naive eighteen-year-old will soon learn that the path to society comes at the cost of her moral compass.

Masquerading under a cloak of deception, Annaliese must navigate challenging social conventions, fend off the unwanted advances of a saccharine-tongued neighbourhood creep, and quell the whims of a cunning blackmailer who threatens to expose her secret.

In a game of cat and mouse, can Annaliese keep up the pretence?
Can she continue to lie once she finds herself falling for a kind, handsome and unassuming son of a baron?
Will the audience spot the elephant in the room when she is coerced into performing on stage in a ridiculous farce that parodies her rags-to-riches scheme?
When will the façade come tumbling down?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2026

About the author

Chele is a writer, a wife, a mother and a teacher who lives in the midlands of Ireland. In 2026, she released her #1 bestselling novel on Amazon.ie, Lady Dixon's Niece. This debut novel is the first in her Of Social Standing historical romance series set in England during the Regency era.

Chele particularly loves writing about the past as it combines her love of the written word with her interest in history. When she isn't stuck in historical fiction, she's re-imagining what the future could look like with her humorous blend of dystopian fiction. In 2025, Chele's dystopian flash fiction, Clean Cut, was the only story selected by Midlands Science 'Curious with Words' competition to feature in the 2025 National Science Week pamphlet.

Chele has also been double long-listed in the Write by the Sea 2025 competition for her humorous memoir, Ode to a Bob, and her short story; The Sawmill.

Reviews

[Niamh Bowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance & drama set in the Regency Era always pulls me in!!! Such an enjoyable read getting to know Annaliese & the members of the ton. Can't wait to see where the journey takes her in the rest of Chele's Of Social Standing Series!

[Alan Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut novel from Irish writer Chele Crawley is a fun, fast paced and enchanting read.

Annalise Schmidt, our heroine, finds herself caught between two opposing brothers, both competing for her attention but for very different reasons.

This regency period drama will leave you laughing and wanting more. Crawley's writing has you feeling like you're in an episode of Downtown Abbey or Pride and Prejudice.

[Susie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Irish author Chele Crawley! I found myself wholly drawn into the Regency era and became invested in the main characters, who are layered and flawed and believable. I thought the dialogue was especially well done, with authentic language for the time period. In addition, the groundwork has been cleverly laid for the next book in the series, which I'm already eagerly anticipating!

[siobhan yeoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual genre but I loved it I couldn’t put it down.

Set in high society it tells the story of a ‘farm girl’ lady Dixions niece who goes to stay with her aunt and integrate herself into high society it centres around her relationship/friendship with two brothers. The brothers are very different and I really enjoyed Emmets character arc and complicated feelings for Analsise and cannot wait for book 2.

[Blubonnet1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

04/30/2026

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel,particularly the way the story follows Annaliese as she gets entangled in a web of deceit and love between the two brothers,the narrative flows smoothly,keeping the reader engaged as the plot unfolds it’s a beautiful read well written,looking forward to the sequel.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this debut novel - for me it was a real page turner, with a fast paced, well written story, emotional depth and believable characters. Annaliese is such a bright, hopeful, aspirational girl, caught out by the rigid social structure of the time as her rural background has not prepared her for the snobbishness and sheer nastiness of many of the circle she encounters. It's about identity and integrity and includes fraternal rivalry, misunderstandings and elements of farce. Whilst Emmett is very unlikeable most of the time, he is shown to have some redeeming qualities and Edward, the nicer brother, comes across as a bit self righteous, so it will be very interesting to see where this goes.

Why didn't I give it 5 stars? I did find some historical errors (and I did check that my thoughts were correct). I know that the book does not purport to be historically accurate, but I found them slightly glaring and surprising as the author has also included some quite obscure, but accurate facts, suggesting she does research for her writing. Whether or not this matters to you, it's a great story and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

Many thanks to Chele and BookSirens for a free advanced review copy. This review is voluntary and entirely my own opinion.

[Fiona Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this book, a debut novel and the first in a trilogy. Set in The Regency, it follows the adventures of Annaliese who leaves her rural home for London's High society.
Sense of place is strong and I loved visiting London of the 1800s.
Sense of time is strong too, this book takes the reader back to an age of unique glamour and romance and in this case, a fair sprinkling of intrigue.
Two brothers, each different. I did change my mind about both a lot. A lot. Then there's a villain that evoked Du Maurier's Rev. Francis Davey for me.
Annaliese has a lot to navigate and taking this journey with her is a joy. I did sometimes want her to be more astute, I always rooted for her and I cannot wait for the next one.

[Charlene Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read that had me hooked from the first page!
A Bridgerton-esque read in a regency-era society that draws you in with emotional depth of a character driven story. What sets this novel apart is its emotional authenticity. It grappled with issues of identity, Integrity and the cost of aspiration. It gave me every wave of emotion throughout reading and the descriptive writing immersed me and kept me ending each chapter wanting to read the next.
It’s a delightful read of historical romance and regency inspired fiction. It sets a strong foundation for what promises to be a compelling series!
Already excited for what comes next 😊

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is about to have a different type of life when her estranged aunt asks her to go to London. She believes she will finally get to see and be a part of society but it is not going to go the way she thought it would go. She will be pulled into some lies which will leave her to deal with a blackmailer. Her life is going to get interesting and complicated at the same time. See how she will deal with it all
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and really enjoyed reading it

[Holly Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed promising in the beginning but slowly went downhill. I was disappointed. It was kind of juvenile and didn't end the way I expected it to. I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily. I probably won't read anymore of this authors books.

[Annemarie Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down! It pulls you in right from the beginning and stays on your mind even after you finish it. I already can’t wait for book #2 to come out!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intrigued by the multi book plot of the same FMC!