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The Victorian
Alicia Brenner isn’t adulting very well.
After her parents kick her out for being gay, she moves to a new city and tries to start over. But when she loses her job and goes to the bar to drown her sorrows, she makes out with a couple she’s never met, and wakes up to a strange bed and an even stranger offer – stay at the house and become an artist.
Pearl, who is all business (both at work and play), and Danna, who beguiles Alicia from the start, are a phenomenal couple and impossible to resist. Together, they run The Victorian, a unique artist colony and auction house, where the artists are eclectic and the patrons are loyal and have deep pockets.
After passing her “interview” with flying colors, she begins her journey into art and self-discovery. Before long, The Victorian and the artists she’s come to know mean everything to Alicia. When the house, too, is threatened, what will she do to survive?
After her parents kick her out for being gay, she moves to a new city and tries to start over. But when she loses her job and goes to the bar to drown her sorrows, she makes out with a couple she’s never met, and wakes up to a strange bed and an even stranger offer – stay at the house and become an artist.
Pearl, who is all business (both at work and play), and Danna, who beguiles Alicia from the start, are a phenomenal couple and impossible to resist. Together, they run The Victorian, a unique artist colony and auction house, where the artists are eclectic and the patrons are loyal and have deep pockets.
After passing her “interview” with flying colors, she begins her journey into art and self-discovery. Before long, The Victorian and the artists she’s come to know mean everything to Alicia. When the house, too, is threatened, what will she do to survive?
- GenresLesbian
436 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2019
11 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 4, 2019
The Victorian by Lydia L. Vaughn had a very exciting start, some problems in the middle and went out with a bang, not bad for a first novel.
I was excited about the plot because after reading a lot of Watasin I have become somewhat of a fan of polyamorous characters and triads. This book has plenty of that.
After a bad coming out experience that leaves our main character Alicia homeless and broke she finds herself ‘adopted’ by this older couple Pearl and Danna who give her a home in The Victorian. There are some conditions to her stay as you will find out.
Basically, Pearl and Danna mentor a group of artists who come together every week at their house to have their art and skill set auctioned off to clients. Or to be blunt, The Victorian is a bordello for rich women to get their kicks under the guise of buying art. It is all very cloak and dagger for a good reason. But like one of the reviewers mentioned, it all feels quite wholesome in a way (as in none of the women gets coerced or manipulated).
I thought the start was very interesting and sexy but as the story progressed it loses steam. As long as Alicia was exploring the delights in this Sapphic candy shop it was fun, but as soon as she develops feelings for one artist in particular we pull away from the delights and never find out what’s behind door #2, or 3 or 4. The drama is provided by Alicia’s crusading sister, a nosy neighbor lady and a family crisis.
Although some reviewers added this book to their BDSM shelf, I struggle to see where that fits in. Sure, there was a playroom with toys but no actual BDSM scenes played out. There is strap-on sex and some light kink in the form of toe sucking, ass play (the clean variety with dental dams) and a proper orgy at the end.
I found that the orgy at the end at least livened things up a bit so we could go out with a bang. The writing shows promise but this author still has some growing to do. Looking forward to her next adventure.
f/f, f/group explicit
Themes: coming out, homeless and broke, art for sale, cloak and dagger, exploration, finding yourself.
3.7 Stars
I was excited about the plot because after reading a lot of Watasin I have become somewhat of a fan of polyamorous characters and triads. This book has plenty of that.
After a bad coming out experience that leaves our main character Alicia homeless and broke she finds herself ‘adopted’ by this older couple Pearl and Danna who give her a home in The Victorian. There are some conditions to her stay as you will find out.
Basically, Pearl and Danna mentor a group of artists who come together every week at their house to have their art and skill set auctioned off to clients. Or to be blunt, The Victorian is a bordello for rich women to get their kicks under the guise of buying art. It is all very cloak and dagger for a good reason. But like one of the reviewers mentioned, it all feels quite wholesome in a way (as in none of the women gets coerced or manipulated).
I thought the start was very interesting and sexy but as the story progressed it loses steam. As long as Alicia was exploring the delights in this Sapphic candy shop it was fun, but as soon as she develops feelings for one artist in particular we pull away from the delights and never find out what’s behind door #2, or 3 or 4. The drama is provided by Alicia’s crusading sister, a nosy neighbor lady and a family crisis.
Although some reviewers added this book to their BDSM shelf, I struggle to see where that fits in. Sure, there was a playroom with toys but no actual BDSM scenes played out. There is strap-on sex and some light kink in the form of toe sucking, ass play (the clean variety with dental dams) and a proper orgy at the end.
I found that the orgy at the end at least livened things up a bit so we could go out with a bang. The writing shows promise but this author still has some growing to do. Looking forward to her next adventure.
f/f, f/group explicit
Themes: coming out, homeless and broke, art for sale, cloak and dagger, exploration, finding yourself.
3.7 Stars
July 18, 2019
The Victorian combines serious issues with joyful lesbian sexual awakening in an entirely unique storyline.
Vaughan takes the main character, ala Alice in Wonderland fashion, on the adventure of a lifetime. Drunk, unemployed, broke and abandoned, Alicia Brennan stumbles upon an amazing lesbian couple while hanging out in a bar on the day that she lost her job. Danna and Pearl Adler live, work and play in their Victorian home. They mentor and rescue lesbians who live on the margin of dog eat dog society. Art work and sex work thrive as integral elements in The Victorian business plan and polyamorous lifestyle. With safeguards set firmly and enforced gently, a strong group of women hold art showings, art auctions and private sessions once a week.
Alicia suffers a case of cognitive whiplash when she wakes up hungover in an unknown location. Danna and Pearl welcome her into the fold and offer her well meaning support. Their evolving relationship includes sex, love, creative mentoring, job leads and a place to live. This loving and supportive environment clashes fundamentally with Alicia's upbringing in Colorado Springs which ended when her parents and sister tossed her away after she came out. If her birth family represents hell, then her new family must be heaven.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this short novel. Given the storyline, the lesbian sex scenes are varied and plentiful. These scenes weren't mid-story payoffs that conveniently advance the plot, but they are pivotal for Alicia's burgeoning self-awareness. I enjoyed Alicia's journey as she wandered into the Victorian and discovered herself.
Vaughan takes the main character, ala Alice in Wonderland fashion, on the adventure of a lifetime. Drunk, unemployed, broke and abandoned, Alicia Brennan stumbles upon an amazing lesbian couple while hanging out in a bar on the day that she lost her job. Danna and Pearl Adler live, work and play in their Victorian home. They mentor and rescue lesbians who live on the margin of dog eat dog society. Art work and sex work thrive as integral elements in The Victorian business plan and polyamorous lifestyle. With safeguards set firmly and enforced gently, a strong group of women hold art showings, art auctions and private sessions once a week.
Alicia suffers a case of cognitive whiplash when she wakes up hungover in an unknown location. Danna and Pearl welcome her into the fold and offer her well meaning support. Their evolving relationship includes sex, love, creative mentoring, job leads and a place to live. This loving and supportive environment clashes fundamentally with Alicia's upbringing in Colorado Springs which ended when her parents and sister tossed her away after she came out. If her birth family represents hell, then her new family must be heaven.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this short novel. Given the storyline, the lesbian sex scenes are varied and plentiful. These scenes weren't mid-story payoffs that conveniently advance the plot, but they are pivotal for Alicia's burgeoning self-awareness. I enjoyed Alicia's journey as she wandered into the Victorian and discovered herself.
April 18, 2021
"Everyone has an artist lying underneath their skin. It needs to be awakened."
Another reviewer describes this book as "sexy but wholesome", and theose were precisely my thoughts on finishing it.
Alicia is rejected by her family when she comes out to them, then she loses her job when her employer downsizes. Things are looking grim for her when she gets falling-down-drunk in a bar and is taken in by two women she had been flirting with. The women, Danna and Pearl, own a Victorian-style house in the suburbs, in which they hold art auctions and run a bordello staffed by the artists and servicing a select female clientele.
Every denizen of The Victorian we meet is delightful, and I almost wish the book had a hundred more pages in which we could get to know more of them before drama happens and the reader is (reluctantly in my case) steered away from the sex and love and art to deal with external challenges facing Alicia and her new friends.
Lydia L. Vaughn writes wonderful, warm -and- hot sex scenes and there are plenty on offer here, culminating in a lavish "house party" for artists.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm very keen to read more from the author.
Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys steamy WLW fiction.
Another reviewer describes this book as "sexy but wholesome", and theose were precisely my thoughts on finishing it.
Alicia is rejected by her family when she comes out to them, then she loses her job when her employer downsizes. Things are looking grim for her when she gets falling-down-drunk in a bar and is taken in by two women she had been flirting with. The women, Danna and Pearl, own a Victorian-style house in the suburbs, in which they hold art auctions and run a bordello staffed by the artists and servicing a select female clientele.
Every denizen of The Victorian we meet is delightful, and I almost wish the book had a hundred more pages in which we could get to know more of them before drama happens and the reader is (reluctantly in my case) steered away from the sex and love and art to deal with external challenges facing Alicia and her new friends.
Lydia L. Vaughn writes wonderful, warm -and- hot sex scenes and there are plenty on offer here, culminating in a lavish "house party" for artists.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm very keen to read more from the author.
Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys steamy WLW fiction.
July 10, 2019
Sexy yet wholesome. That's pretty much how I described this book to myself when I finished it. I was pleasantly surprised by both aspects, as the description for the book was intriguing but vague.
Alicia, a lesbian recently thrown out of the house by her parents, stumbles upon Pearl and Danna at a bar. They end up taking her to their Victorian home and invite her to live with them while she gets on her feet. In the process of finding her artistic side, Alicia meets (and sleeps with) a slew of different women artists, each with their own unique medium and personality.
The book hooks you from the first few pages and you can't help but read on, trying to figure out just what exactly goes on at this Victorian-style house. Is it a brothel? Is it an art gathering? Is it both? Does it really matter if you get many pages of steamy scenes sprinkled throughout the book? No. No, it does not. But it does have a wonderful "finding yourself with the help of your friends" vibe underneath it all, and it does mesh well together with all the crazy sex going on.
A good editor would fix the typos and probably give the book a trim because the length is just a bit too much, but other than that, it's a solid book. I'd read more from the author if she ever writes more.
Alicia, a lesbian recently thrown out of the house by her parents, stumbles upon Pearl and Danna at a bar. They end up taking her to their Victorian home and invite her to live with them while she gets on her feet. In the process of finding her artistic side, Alicia meets (and sleeps with) a slew of different women artists, each with their own unique medium and personality.
The book hooks you from the first few pages and you can't help but read on, trying to figure out just what exactly goes on at this Victorian-style house. Is it a brothel? Is it an art gathering? Is it both? Does it really matter if you get many pages of steamy scenes sprinkled throughout the book? No. No, it does not. But it does have a wonderful "finding yourself with the help of your friends" vibe underneath it all, and it does mesh well together with all the crazy sex going on.
A good editor would fix the typos and probably give the book a trim because the length is just a bit too much, but other than that, it's a solid book. I'd read more from the author if she ever writes more.
October 10, 2019
Creative, flirty, and fun!
Alicia gets kicked out and falls on hard times. While drowning her sorrows one night she meets enigmatic Danna and her partner Pearl. It leads to the opportunity of lifetime. Wary of what she is getting herself into, Alicia is hesitant but she really needs a place to stay, and some stability in her life. She is also curious, so she graciously accepts Danna and Pearl’s offer. Alicia discovers an artistic, creative, scene, but it isn’t all it seems.
I loved the creative, artistic air this story had. Mixed with erotica it made it sensual and gave wonderful descriptions that gave vibrant imagery to the words. When I read the title of this book I thought it might be historic, and a bit dark, but I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful this story is. It was a feelgood story about how kindness is key to building meaningful, trusting relationships, and finding good, true friends. Alicia’s experience is one you really get to live with her, and it isn’t without surprises either. This was such a sensual read, and will be perfect for any erotica fan.
I just enjoyed the story, it was well written, and exciting. There wasn’t anything not to like.
Alicia is quite the realistic character. Her circumstances are relatable to many, and her position is also one some might recognise. She is curious but hesitant, like most of us, but with nothing to lose she takes a chance. I loved how she was hesitant, yet willing to experience what she had the first time she met Danna and Pearl. She also really embraced their world once she realised it would make her feel safe.
Her interactions were different with the characters she encountered depending on how they fitted into the story. Allies were treated with caution but she opened up, those how threatened her she remained wary of, and was good at using her intuition to know someone wasn’t all they seemed. The most intense relationship of Alicia’s is that with her sister. It is strained, and Lydia really captured this well in their interactions.
A great read for any erotica fan. I would recommend this book.
Alicia gets kicked out and falls on hard times. While drowning her sorrows one night she meets enigmatic Danna and her partner Pearl. It leads to the opportunity of lifetime. Wary of what she is getting herself into, Alicia is hesitant but she really needs a place to stay, and some stability in her life. She is also curious, so she graciously accepts Danna and Pearl’s offer. Alicia discovers an artistic, creative, scene, but it isn’t all it seems.
I loved the creative, artistic air this story had. Mixed with erotica it made it sensual and gave wonderful descriptions that gave vibrant imagery to the words. When I read the title of this book I thought it might be historic, and a bit dark, but I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful this story is. It was a feelgood story about how kindness is key to building meaningful, trusting relationships, and finding good, true friends. Alicia’s experience is one you really get to live with her, and it isn’t without surprises either. This was such a sensual read, and will be perfect for any erotica fan.
I just enjoyed the story, it was well written, and exciting. There wasn’t anything not to like.
Alicia is quite the realistic character. Her circumstances are relatable to many, and her position is also one some might recognise. She is curious but hesitant, like most of us, but with nothing to lose she takes a chance. I loved how she was hesitant, yet willing to experience what she had the first time she met Danna and Pearl. She also really embraced their world once she realised it would make her feel safe.
Her interactions were different with the characters she encountered depending on how they fitted into the story. Allies were treated with caution but she opened up, those how threatened her she remained wary of, and was good at using her intuition to know someone wasn’t all they seemed. The most intense relationship of Alicia’s is that with her sister. It is strained, and Lydia really captured this well in their interactions.
A great read for any erotica fan. I would recommend this book.
September 22, 2019
3.75 ⭐
July 11, 2019
I very much enjoyed this book. There are quite a number of hot sex scenes that are well written. The storyline was enjoyable and easy to follow. You got to know all the characters. This book quickly grabbed my attention from the first chapter. It was fun to read and the story kept me engaged. It was very different than anything I've ever read before - in a good way. I’ll be looking for other books from this author.
I received the book in exchange for an honest review.
I received the book in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2019
What an interesting story! Lydia has done a great job writing a story about a couple who “rescue” women that are in turmoil & give them shelter from their personal storms. Dallas has a lot going on & she gets taken in by the owners of the “art” house! Man, is she lucky! Lots of hot sex & a bit of romance ensues. I enjoyed reading this book & can’t wait to see what Lydia puts out next! I think you’ll enjoy this work if you like a bit of kink in your life!
January 23, 2020
Interesting story that hit a bit close to home. The being alone and not having anyone in your life to depend on part that is. The main character and her chance on better life...that is amazing. The growth, the chance to stand on own feet. I know the story is more than the House. It is more about the people in the house and their love for another human being.
Very easy read.
Very easy read.
September 22, 2019
I did not know what to expect when I received my copy of The Victorian! I was delighted by a wonderful story full of unique characters and deliciously intimate scenes. I am hoping there will be a sequel to Alicia's story!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2019
Note: this review is based on the ARC.
The Victorian is a deep, engaging story, exploring the sensuality and sisterhood of an artists "commune" with thoroughly modern sensibilities.
The Victorian is a deep, engaging story, exploring the sensuality and sisterhood of an artists "commune" with thoroughly modern sensibilities.
February 9, 2020
Well!
Quirky ,heartwarming and especially sexy! Lots of beautiful wonderful women. Strong, sexy and generous women..What more could you ask for in a story ?!?!
Quirky ,heartwarming and especially sexy! Lots of beautiful wonderful women. Strong, sexy and generous women..What more could you ask for in a story ?!?!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews