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Lord Dixon's Shadow #1
Released
Lord Dixon is known among the wilder members of the ton for two things, his very exclusive brothels specializing in the most exotic of pleasures and his habit of keeping a concubine, a well-paid, full-time prostitute, at his country home for a year at a time.
Jim Smith has just finished two years working for the notorious Lord Dixon as his concubine, a private, full-time prostitute at his country house, but it’s gotten him what he wanted, enough money to leave behind the brothels of London and buy himself a small country cottage where he can grow plants and live quietly with no one knowing about his time at Dixon’s or the years before that working as a prostitute.
Sir Lionel Westin has spent his life so far getting his brother and the family business out of one scrape after another while building his own successful tea business, and he’s just learned it was for naught. His father left the entire business to his older brother with no mention of all Lionel’s work. At least he’s enjoying the journey to back to his country estate with the amusing and understanding Mr. Smith, so much so that he invites Mr. Smith to stay with him at Hensley House. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith doesn’t seem to have found the trip as enjoyable as he turns down the invitation.
Jim knows he should keep his distance from the handsome, kind Sir Lionel Westin, and he intends to until a storm forces Jim to take Lionel’s offer of a room at Hensley House, and then it seems only natural to offer to warm his bed. But as they spend time together, Jim realizes he’s falling in love with Sir Lionel Westin. He also knows he’ll need to leave before Lionel realizes it. Surely Sir Lionel Westin deserves better than a prostitute and former concubine to the notorious Lord Dixon. And when Jim learns Lord Dixon purchased a country house nearby, he knows it’s only a matter of time before all his secrets come to light.
A steamy gay - M/M romance novel set in the Regency period with some BDSM elements. 68,000 words/ approx. 270 pages
Jim Smith has just finished two years working for the notorious Lord Dixon as his concubine, a private, full-time prostitute at his country house, but it’s gotten him what he wanted, enough money to leave behind the brothels of London and buy himself a small country cottage where he can grow plants and live quietly with no one knowing about his time at Dixon’s or the years before that working as a prostitute.
Sir Lionel Westin has spent his life so far getting his brother and the family business out of one scrape after another while building his own successful tea business, and he’s just learned it was for naught. His father left the entire business to his older brother with no mention of all Lionel’s work. At least he’s enjoying the journey to back to his country estate with the amusing and understanding Mr. Smith, so much so that he invites Mr. Smith to stay with him at Hensley House. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith doesn’t seem to have found the trip as enjoyable as he turns down the invitation.
Jim knows he should keep his distance from the handsome, kind Sir Lionel Westin, and he intends to until a storm forces Jim to take Lionel’s offer of a room at Hensley House, and then it seems only natural to offer to warm his bed. But as they spend time together, Jim realizes he’s falling in love with Sir Lionel Westin. He also knows he’ll need to leave before Lionel realizes it. Surely Sir Lionel Westin deserves better than a prostitute and former concubine to the notorious Lord Dixon. And when Jim learns Lord Dixon purchased a country house nearby, he knows it’s only a matter of time before all his secrets come to light.
A steamy gay - M/M romance novel set in the Regency period with some BDSM elements. 68,000 words/ approx. 270 pages
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2017
25 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Adella J. Harris
15 books33 followersAdella J. Harris lives in Ohio where she writes, watches far too much British television, and reads anything with words on it.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 11, 2018
I've read some books by this author and I liked quite a few of them just fine. Since they released quite a number of books basically at the same time, I can't really tell if the problems I had with this one can be attributed to being an early book. I hope so. Because... *sigh*.
a) Insta-love, add hot water and stir.
b) Big miscommunication. They'd have had to be blind and deaf in the early 19th century to be less able to communicate with each other. Good grief!
c) Shoddy, shoddy research (read as - none). 4,000 pounds in the Regency era is a whole shedload of money. Enough, actually, to lead a quietly respectable (if modest) life on the interest alone for basically forever - without even having to get an occupation! In Jane Austen novels interest is evaluated at about 4%, so that would make it a whopping 160 pounds per year. To put this into perspective - a female servant during the Regency period would get about 5 to 15 pounds per year, a male servant 20 to 60 pounds (of course). Even after thingy happens and Jim's funds are drastically diminished, he wouldn't have been destitute. Far from it.
I'm sorry but I can't un-know this. I knew it and then a lazy Google search reaffirmed it.
So, eh, sorry, not my jam. The writing is decent but... nope.
a) Insta-love, add hot water and stir.
b) Big miscommunication. They'd have had to be blind and deaf in the early 19th century to be less able to communicate with each other. Good grief!
c) Shoddy, shoddy research (read as - none). 4,000 pounds in the Regency era is a whole shedload of money. Enough, actually, to lead a quietly respectable (if modest) life on the interest alone for basically forever - without even having to get an occupation! In Jane Austen novels interest is evaluated at about 4%, so that would make it a whopping 160 pounds per year. To put this into perspective - a female servant during the Regency period would get about 5 to 15 pounds per year, a male servant 20 to 60 pounds (of course). Even after thingy happens and Jim's funds are drastically diminished, he wouldn't have been destitute. Far from it.
I'm sorry but I can't un-know this. I knew it and then a lazy Google search reaffirmed it.
So, eh, sorry, not my jam. The writing is decent but... nope.
November 21, 2019
Two nervous nellies running around each other thinking the other one is thinking they are thinking that they don’t want them. Sweet story but made me groan a lot in frustration. Men!
December 22, 2018
A Garden of Love!
A chance meeting, a cottage in the country and a bit of family drama are all elements of the romantic story involving Jim & Sir Lionel. Well written, good characters developed and interesting enough premise. Although, I did think the story relied on thought dialogue too much.
A chance meeting, a cottage in the country and a bit of family drama are all elements of the romantic story involving Jim & Sir Lionel. Well written, good characters developed and interesting enough premise. Although, I did think the story relied on thought dialogue too much.
August 28, 2017
Not a bad effort for a Regency romance
I'm not sure I'd consider this to be erotic, there's only a few sex scenes and they're mostly oral but it is quite a decent Regency romance with two interestingly drawn characters and a good setting.
I'm not sure I'd consider this to be erotic, there's only a few sex scenes and they're mostly oral but it is quite a decent Regency romance with two interestingly drawn characters and a good setting.
July 27, 2017
I loved this book. It was one of those I started reading on the bus, then swore when I got to work and proceeded to sneak off at every opportunity to read another chapter or two before devouring whole heartedly the second I got home.
The plot isn't anything special, following the classic trope of 'lover with a dark secret waiting to be revealed' but it hits those beats with pretty perfect timing to keep the suspense up without over egging it to the point it becomes annoying.
What really makes the book sing though are the characters. The main couple of Jim and Sir Lionel are well painted, with well thought out personalities that tie in with their backstory perfectly. Their conversations are a joy to read. I especially liked the ones where they were misunderstanding each other's intent, which seemed natural rather than convoluted by the author to be misinterpreted.
It even managed to set up the next book in the series, which is based around Sir Lionel's friend. obert, without making it obvious that here was a character that was being set up for the sequel (something that is really annoying me the more romance I read...) I would have liked to have seen an epilogue set a few months or a year later, but hopefully this isn't the last we see of Jim and Lionel in the series.
The plot isn't anything special, following the classic trope of 'lover with a dark secret waiting to be revealed' but it hits those beats with pretty perfect timing to keep the suspense up without over egging it to the point it becomes annoying.
What really makes the book sing though are the characters. The main couple of Jim and Sir Lionel are well painted, with well thought out personalities that tie in with their backstory perfectly. Their conversations are a joy to read. I especially liked the ones where they were misunderstanding each other's intent, which seemed natural rather than convoluted by the author to be misinterpreted.
It even managed to set up the next book in the series, which is based around Sir Lionel's friend. obert, without making it obvious that here was a character that was being set up for the sequel (something that is really annoying me the more romance I read...) I would have liked to have seen an epilogue set a few months or a year later, but hopefully this isn't the last we see of Jim and Lionel in the series.
September 2, 2017
This book started off with a good premise, but the promise of it fell through. I'm not completely opposed to insta-love. However, there must be acceptable axioms in story/world building to make it work. It didn't work here. Even then, I didn't give up on the story, though it had so much more potential than was realized. I almost feel angry on its behalf. In particular, the last few chapters of the book felt like complete rubbish. It was filled with enough salacious content that seemed included for the mere purpose of shock value and titillation. I finished this book feeling soured on the idea of reading anything else by the author.
December 26, 2020
You will need oven gloves to handle this book!
Let me say now that the author keeps the mm action to Jim & Lionel. There are no graphic scenes at Lord Dixon's manor. Let your imagination build the scenes... or not.
The book centers around Sir Lionel - a wealthy man not seen by his father and is used by his lunkheaded older brother Randell - and Jim - a young and kind man despite the past he is trying to forget. Class was very strong at this time in history. Your past, despite whatever darkness it was, will never leave you & you will be judged by it. Jim is not judged by Lionel at all. Unfortunately Jim has had his class beaten into him. He keeps thinking what he believes Lionel thinks of him, which is that as Jim is the lowest scum on the earth, he is meant to be used as anyone in a higher class wishes.
These two men need to really talk to each other!
Each book is a stand alone story all in the Lord Dixon universe. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the mm romance.
Let me say now that the author keeps the mm action to Jim & Lionel. There are no graphic scenes at Lord Dixon's manor. Let your imagination build the scenes... or not.
The book centers around Sir Lionel - a wealthy man not seen by his father and is used by his lunkheaded older brother Randell - and Jim - a young and kind man despite the past he is trying to forget. Class was very strong at this time in history. Your past, despite whatever darkness it was, will never leave you & you will be judged by it. Jim is not judged by Lionel at all. Unfortunately Jim has had his class beaten into him. He keeps thinking what he believes Lionel thinks of him, which is that as Jim is the lowest scum on the earth, he is meant to be used as anyone in a higher class wishes.
These two men need to really talk to each other!
Each book is a stand alone story all in the Lord Dixon universe. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the mm romance.
September 23, 2017
Geez, I bought all the books in this series and the next before I'd even read the first book. I don't know if that's a good thing or not considering how disappointed I am with Released, book 1. It started off nicely and very promising but the unnecessary verbosity I had to wade through to get to one good, lively, sentence or particle of lively dialog between Jim and Lionel is unbelievable.
All the pages and pages of Lionel and Jim's tedious 'misunderstandings' of each other's motive and their inner ruminations were so not needed. In the end after chapter 12 or so, I just skip to the bleeding end of the book and that was bloody that!
This story has such promise though -even had it been a bit more lively.
Now what the blazes am I going to do with all the other books I bought in this series and The Traitor Lords'? Well, start reading I suppose (or not) and see if any is better than the first.
All the pages and pages of Lionel and Jim's tedious 'misunderstandings' of each other's motive and their inner ruminations were so not needed. In the end after chapter 12 or so, I just skip to the bleeding end of the book and that was bloody that!
This story has such promise though -even had it been a bit more lively.
Now what the blazes am I going to do with all the other books I bought in this series and The Traitor Lords'? Well, start reading I suppose (or not) and see if any is better than the first.
June 25, 2025
I almost put this down and walked away, the thought of Jim going back to Dixon and letting those people use him broke my heart and made me furious. Dixon is a shitty dom and it makes me want to choke him with his own flogger, I'm not even sure if I can stand to read the rest of this series. The ending was good, I'm becoming strangely fond of male prostitutes from the Regency, who knew that would be something that came up very often? Honestly, I almost cried, I still might cry the night is young, but I was furious these two idiots couldn't get their shit together until Jim was greased up and naked and about to be taken by a room full of men.
December 13, 2017
2.5 stars rounded down.
This wasn't as good as I was hoping for. The stuff with Lord Dixon was awkward and unnecessary, and the instalove might have worked better had the two MCs actually spent more than a few days with each other. The switching back and forth between character pov's happened far too often for me, and there was a lot more telling than showing going on. I have the next two books in the series already downloaded, but to be honest, I don't think I'll ever read them, because I really didn't enjoy this reading experience.
This wasn't as good as I was hoping for. The stuff with Lord Dixon was awkward and unnecessary, and the instalove might have worked better had the two MCs actually spent more than a few days with each other. The switching back and forth between character pov's happened far too often for me, and there was a lot more telling than showing going on. I have the next two books in the series already downloaded, but to be honest, I don't think I'll ever read them, because I really didn't enjoy this reading experience.
May 9, 2020
Interesting. Hot. Sweet.
However, I'm not sure why this is centered around Dixon. I know that he links these characters together because they all have something to do with him, but I'm not sure it's strong enough to make this series "Lord Dixon's Shadow." Of course, I haven't read the others, so maybe that will become clearer.
However, I'm not sure why this is centered around Dixon. I know that he links these characters together because they all have something to do with him, but I'm not sure it's strong enough to make this series "Lord Dixon's Shadow." Of course, I haven't read the others, so maybe that will become clearer.
July 23, 2022
I liked all the characters that went related to Dixon and I feel like the Dixon stuff really messed with the love story of the book and I’m only reading the next book because the synopsis looks promising that it will have even less Lord Dixon but don’t read it if you have any problems with sexual assault or violent sex of what I think are slave living conditions
November 24, 2018
Too vanilla for what it was described as.
June 8, 2021
Meh
It was ok. I thought it was long and drawn out. They should have had better communication but that wouldn't fill a whole book. Not my favorite.
It was ok. I thought it was long and drawn out. They should have had better communication but that wouldn't fill a whole book. Not my favorite.
September 9, 2021
Don't bother
This was positively awful. The "plot" beggars belief and the writing itself is disjointed. I give it 1 star because it's not possible to give 0.
This was positively awful. The "plot" beggars belief and the writing itself is disjointed. I give it 1 star because it's not possible to give 0.
added-it
November 26, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/26/2021)! 🎁
August 19, 2020
The author probably thought they were being sex positive. They werent.
Bad name to sex positivity.
Bad name to sex workers.
Bad name to bdsm.
Bad name to sex positivity.
Bad name to sex workers.
Bad name to bdsm.
January 22, 2022
Oh my god these boys where crazy running back and forth. I don't think I've read a pair of nervous romantics before and it was a little frustrating.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews