The Madness of Miss Grey is book #1 in the Hardcastle Inheritance series. I really enjoyed the story of Helen Grey and William Carter. She's the asylum patient and he is the new doctor, but we soon find out that there is more to the story. If you enjoy gothic romance, then you will enjoy The Madness of Miss Grey.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this before the release date! I absolutely loved this one! It’s dark gothic, but also kind of Victorian romance. It was fast paced. It is set in a psychological asylum for women. Miss Grey does not need to be there and isn’t sure why no one will let her leave. A new doctor comes on board who she is sure she can seduce into helping her. This was frustrating and exciting and they of course fall in love. This would be a great spooky season read.

I throughly enjoyed this book. I thought it was very new and refreshing from other regency books I have read. The cover and title is what initially brought me in but the story kept me hooked.

Beautiful beautiful story with prose to die for. I found myself in love with these characters from page one and I didn’t want to leave the confines on this book.

This story follows Helen, an asylum resident and denounced crazy person who may not be mad at all. Quickly into the book, we meet our very sweet very gentlemanly MMC, William. William is determined to get Helen released after releasing the reason she is here is much of a reason at all.

This book made me fall in love with historical romance and was a great book to dip my toe into.

This book sounded really really good, however.. it just wasn't. It was extremely boring, I wanted to DNF it but I already made so much progress waiting for it to get better that I forced myself to finish it. I think I could have been better if they focused some more on the mistreatment of Miss Grey while in the asylum's care but there was so much build up to the romance between her and a new doctor, that seemed to be all the story was about. I also found the
"spicey" scenes to be forced and super cringey. The first time they're intimate she tells him to wait and he proceeds to go anyways, lasting all of 2 seconds and then turning his back on her when he's done leaving her disappointed and wondering what happened. If that's not the cringiest "love" scene then I don't know what else is. Although this book wasn’t for me, I’m sure there are others out there who would enjoy it.

I loved the gothic romance of this book. This gave me Jane Austen vibes in the best way. I wasn’t head over heels for either character but I did enjoy them both! Especially together. I also really appreciated the researched aspect of this book.

It was so good until it took a weird turn and left me with questions. This book broke the cardinal rule for me- DO NOT leave me with unanswered questions. If at the end I’m confused about someone’s motive such as why and how did she get institutionalized then the book loses its luster. The ending had no consequences or repercussions for the people who hurt her. That bothered me. Now, to the couple, seriously how ugly is Dr. Will Carter, it’s mentioned a lot by several characters. Helen’s character was interesting because I don’t think she was manipulative as much as she was desperate to find some solace or glimmer of hope.
Now will this couple last? I would say a resounding yes. She has little experience of stability and feeling protected which Dr. Carter provides. Dr. Carter was completely, absolutely, maddeningly in love with Helen.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC. My opinion is my own.

I liked this well enough, though I didn’t love either character. It took a while to get going, which is fair considering the premise and setting of the story. It wasn’t magically romantic, but it was quite nice to see a woman be forthright even in her manipulation is a historical romance novel, and even when those manipulations were known, she was never judged poorly for them (by anyone who mattered, at least). Still, the characters never had my full attention and the ending didn’t wrap up the loose threads (what happened to Fletcher? Was Jim ever punished for his participation in Helen’s abuse? Did Dr Sterling lose his license to practice medicine?).

Will is the new psych doctor at an insane asylum which happens to be located within the manor where he grew up as the housekeeper’s son. The old owner of the manor had passed away and his heir had sold the house to the doctor who now runs the asylum. One of the patients, Helen, is considered to be a difficult case and has a habit of trying to either run away or gain assistance by seducing other doctors. Will is wary of Helen’s manipulations, but doesn’t actually believe that she’s insane. As they spend more time together, Will decides he needs to help her escape the asylum, even though he’s not sure whether or not he’s being manipulated. This book was fascinating to read and kept me hooked the whole way through.

"She took a step away before she caught herself. She would not show fear. Not in front of a doctor. Not in front of anyone."

Jane Eyre vibes 😍 Went in not really sure what to expect and was so pleasantly surprised! I didn't know spicy-gothic-romance was a thing but I am a big fan. Helen is one of those women labeled as hysterical and kept locked in an asylum.

"With his arms around her, she’d believed no one would ever hurt her again."

I loved their story so much, the progression from professional relationship to refrained passion. Will was everything, so sweet and protective yet respetcful and admiring of Helen. He's so insecure and humble, Helen is perfect for him just as him for her.

“There are times when giving up feels like fighting,”

I really liked the parts with the mean staff and their abuse towards the patients, it felt plausible and was quite shocking as it got more progressively more intense. It made Will's efforts to help Helen even more important (and hot).

"Would he still play the gentleman as his big body pinned hers to the bed?"

I highly recommend this for anyone who loves a bit of gothic and a bit of romance or a lot of both.

"Just like that, she knew. Hearing him insulted hurt her a thousand times more deeply than any affront to herself. She admired him, she wanted him, she chose him, and every moment spent in his company was a gift. Of course she loved him. It seemed so obvious now."


[review posted on goodreads and maybe at a later date on instagram and tiktok]

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy. This is the second book I read by Julia Bennet and I feel like it's a case of "it's not you, it's me". The book has everything I typically love in historical romances: unconventional heroine, stoic hero, class difference, etc but for whatever reason I don't get drawn into the story as much as I want to. I think this is a great read for anyone who enjoys any of the above-mentioned tropes, with the bonus of a romping lovable overgrown pup.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you know anything about me, it’s that I am a sucker for a historical romance. It is easy to get lost sometimes in the “sameness” of a genre. The Madness of Miss Grey has a unique story and setting not often found in the genre.

I was excited to get in and read this story and I really wanted to love it. However, I at first struggled to find or feel the chemistry between the two MCs. I wish we could have gotten to know them each a bit more. Toward the last third of the book, I warmed up more to their relationship.

While it was slow at the start, I found the story compelling and was interested to see where it went and it did pick up after a bit. Overall, I enjoyed this read.

If you love gothic romances and historical romances you’re going to love this book. It follows our main characters Helen Grey and Dr. Carter. Helen Grey has been kept in a private asylum for years and is seen as “untreatable”. Dr. Carter is set to be her new doctor, and he soon finds that what is said about her may not be true.
This book was thrilling from the beginning to the end. The things that are done to Helen are horrible and left me angry, but that anger was soon turned with how Dr. Carter treated Helen. I loved that Dr. Carter was characterized as being “plain” and not conventionally attractive, as often times we do not see male characters characterized as such. I also loved that Helen was strong, yet she was also flawed. I loved that Helen is seen as a woman who wants sex, oftentimes authors are too scared to make the female main character have a high sex drive.
I highly recommend this book to any who love historical romances and want gothic vibes!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶/5

Tropes:
-age gap
-instant connection
-forced proximity
-marriage of convenience
-doctor-patient

Favourite Quote:
“Kindness was her weakness, not a handsome face.”
“With his arms around her, she’d believed no one would ever hurt her again.”
“He was powerful, he was strong, he was sensual…he was everything. How could he feel jealous of Vaughn, of anyone for that matter?”
“She could spend her days like this, just trying to make him look that way.”
“What a trio they made: lunatic, lordling, and doctor.”
“Even her faults he turned into virtues.”
“I promise you I will never leave you. Never. They’d have to tear me out of your arms.”
“You look so beautiful,” he said without thinking. “Sometimes it hurts to look at you.”
“Hearing him insulted hurt her a thousand times more deeply than any affront to herself.”

Review:

Loved the instant connection between Helen and Will. They were both enamored and protective of each other and I was obsessed. The banter and wittiness between them lead to a very fun read. They were also both very upfront and not afraid to call each other. I did feel like the drama and conflicts were never truly resolved or brushed over without a real solution. The spicy parts felt rushed and awkward which was disappointing following a lot of tension and build up. The epilogue left me wishing for more of an emotional ending and view into their relationship outside of the asylum. Overall I did find this read very enjoyable and easy and would recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Julia Bennet for the ARC!

Though Miss Grey is a misunderstood mental patient held against her will for the past 10 years in HELL, she somehow manages to maintain her sanity, heart and humor. Dr. Carfter is the first medical provider that treats her with an ounce of empathy. Though this book is dark and presents a whole host of power dynmic issues between doctor-and-patient, because Julia Bennet wrote this as a dual POV, I rooted for the two leads. Dr. Carter struggles in his position with crossing lines but also trying to save Miss Grey. Be warned this is a darker romance read.

I will defintiely check out more from Julia Bennet. The Madness of Miss Grey comes out April 9th, 2024!

What a sassy and fascinating read! Helen is the absolute best part of this book — she doesn’t shy away from who she is or what she wants. She’s such a bad ass, especially with the situation she’s in. I love the dynamic and slow burn romance between her and Dr Carter. He’s such a gentleman and so smart. What a fascinating setting too — a “madhouse” though of course Helen is far from crazy. It’s dark, it’s sexy, it’s emotional. Great read!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I tried. I tried this entire book, but the whole doctor/patient romance is not for me. It's too similar to teacher/student and it gave me gross vibes the whole time. It doesn't matter that she not truly "mad," and it doesn't matter that Dr. Cater knows better or even if Helen is manipulating him. While I could tell it was well researched and it was an inventive plot - it was hard to read about how women were treated and know that it doesn't get that much better and we still have a long way to go.
I did not like this story.

Everyone thinks Helen Grey is mad but, despite ten years imprisoned in a crumbling Yorkshire asylum, she’s managed to cling to sanity. When a new doctor arrives, she sees an opportunity. William Carter may seem like an honorable man but she's sure he'll prove easy to seduce…and trick into helping her escape.
Will would never bed a patient, no matter how tempting she might be. But once he realises Helen's been imprisoned for no good reason, he's determined to save her. They need to work together but freeing her won’t be easy, not when her mysterious benefactor is determined to keep her locked up and hidden from society forever.
When Helen is entangled in her own trap and begins to fall for Will too, she must fight not only for her liberty but for her right to love.

A stark depiction of what happens to unwanted women of the time.

Helen Grey has been in an asylum for 10 years. With the arrival of a new doctor, she tries to use seduction on him to get out of the asylum.

This story was a bit depressing, since how women were treated in those times was brutal. The romance also did not seem to have quite the build up.

First of all thank you to netgalley, the publisher and Julia Bennet for letting me read this book and for the chance to experience it first hand.

The Madness Of Miss Grey holds an exciting premise in the sense that it sets out to tackle taboo subjects like a patient and doctor relationship on the backdrop of it being a story of survival and the historical suffrage of women. In my opinion the artwork on the cover was really beautiful and combined with the description of the novel, i was really excited to have the opportunity of reading this as an arc.
Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me, as it felt like there were incontinuities within the writing style. The author sets out for one which aims to represent many classics of the period, but often it lapses and reveals colloquials which don't match the pacing of the novel otherwise. It just feels like this book needs a further copyedit, and then it has the potential to be a really strong novel.

Moreover, the characters held strong personalities - for example I love how headstrong Miss Grey was despite the traditional representation of women in a hierarchical society of at the time. As well as the author not straying away from creating unlikable and evil characters.

Unfortunately this book wasn't my cup of tea. The characters fell flat and even though I'm a fan of a victorian setting all of this was too much stereotypical for me.