Three traitor lords plotted to kill the king; now their sons must deal with the aftermath.When butler Daniel Rivers finds his employer, the Earl of Lynster, has shot himself, confirming he was one of the traitor lords plotting to kill the king, Daniel’s only thought is to protect his childhood friend James, the new Lord Lynster, from the scandal. He’s been quietly looking out for Lord James ever … James ever since the day by the pond when James’s “experiment” of a kiss proved to Daniel that he loved the young lord.
James had heard rumors of traitor lords and a plot to kill the king, but he didn’t realize his father was one of them until he read a newspaper story hinting the traitors were on the verge of being arrested and finds his father has shot himself rather than be tried, making James the new Lord Lynster. Fortunately, his father’s butler, Daniel Rivers, found the body. Daniel knows James’s deepest secret, and James knows he can trust Daniel, even when the Crown decides they’d like another traitor lord to put on trial.
When it’s discovered there may be more traitors involved in the conspiracy than the ones the Crown already knows about, James will need all his resources to prove he isn’t one of them. And Daniel will do anything he can to keep the former Lord Lynster’s scandal away from the son, even if it means allowing himself to be suspected.
A gay – M/M romance novel set in the Regency period with a medium heat level. 70,000 words/ approx. 280 pages
This book was previously published with different distributor under the same title and cover. No changes have been made.
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** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
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Lord Lynster Discovers (The Traitor Lords Saga, #1) by Adella J. Harris
193 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Content Warning: deals with suicide and mourning
Lord Lynster Discovers is a roaring historical mystery wrapped up in a historical romance, sitting next to a family saga. There is romance, political intrigue, Lords and Ladies, and an issue of love between two vastly different classes.
This was one of those that I’ve seemed to have forever, and was just never able to find the time to fit it in. Every time I was about to pick it up, a work schedule was changed, I was too sick to concentrate, or another deadline appeared. Finally! Finally, I was able to find an extra week, where I was free of all other obligations, and pick up this book. I’m so glad I did! It was exactly the balm I needed for an exhausted, overworked mind, filled with all the dark, unhappiness of the news.
While it entails a political intrigue, the romance between Daniel and James was a running concern, and a constant that kept me reading more, hoping for a resolution. At first, Daniel’s love appears to be unrequited. As friends since childhood, it looks like Daniel – a butler – grew to love his Master, James, and would never see a happy ending to that love. Then, while the political storyline takes hold, Daniel is arrested just as James is beginning to understand that he’s loved Daniel all along. Never realising. Too blind by their positions in society, and expectations, to understand how he felt.
I loved the characters, most of all. The staff were all characters in their own right, rather than just there as background noise. They had their parts to play, their moments to shine, and I loved that. The same goes for Connie, Allister, and Stedmon. I most especially loved Daniel and James, both individually and as a couple.
I don’t want to say too much more about the plot, because it would give too much away, but I’m eager to read more. This is my first book by the author, but it won’t be the last. I’ve now bought the rest of this series, and a few more of their books, so I know what I’ll be reading the rest of this week.
The style of writing was perfect, the intrigue nicely balanced by romance, the sex scenes were spicy without being obscne, and the plot had great foundation, excellent pacing, and a really nice use of all the characters and their talents. There were a few minor hiccups, where words were missing and the editing wasn’t spot-on, but this is (was) an advanced copy and I imagine all those issues would have been fixed since then. Even still, it didn’t detract from how much I loved the story.
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Favourite Quotes
“Daniel slid his hand along the seat until it brushed James’s fingers. “I suppose this means we’re going back to the house.”
“I suppose it does.” James sobered as he remembered what was waiting for them. “Maybe Connie’s had a chance to sort things out there.”
He could tell from Daniel’s expression he’d also forgotten about Thomas while they’d been preoccupied with Nestore. “There is that.”
James slid his hand over a little further and hooked his smallest finger into Daniel’s. “And I was just beginning to enjoy myself at the Clarendon.” He glanced at Daniel out of the corner of his eye. “But we’re registered for three more days. We could always go back. Unless you’re in a hurry to leave for Brighton.”
“Brighton has become less appealing in recent days.”