Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review voluntarily.

The Madness of Miss Grey really took you to the Victorian era with the old terms to refer to women’s mental health - ‘hysteria’ and ‘nymphomania’. The injustice and cruelty of it all was felt. I found myself angry on behalf of Miss Grey more than once.
Dr Carter as the MMC fell flat for me. miss Grey had a little more depth to her character and her behaviours, but Dr Carter was set up to be the non-stereotypically average looking guy in a way that didn’t really portray any depth or description. It was just repeated more than once that he wasn’t the best looking guy out there. He’s a morally just character, but I really found him lacking in substance.
The plot was okay, fairly predictable though and I didn’t find myself rooting for the budding romance as the scenes didn’t depict much in the way of a genuine connection between the characters.
It was an easy read, and not overly long which I did enjoy. The setting was well described and I could easily picture what was happening.
Overall, this book wasn’t really for me.

A really excellent read by Julia Bennet! The Madness of Miss Grey took me on an incredible journey that piqued my interest from the start. The mystery of how and why Helen was at Blackwell was intriguing and heartbreaking, and I definitely felt her desolation in the dark, cold manor house.

Dr. Will Carter is truly the hero we all need! His immediate concern for Helen and his protective nature made me swoon, and once his feelings grew, the feeling only intensified - the cellar scene OHMYGOD!

Like many other reviewers, I was surprised by the topical nature of the story and impressed by the author's research. Women's health, mental wellness, human sensuality, morality, and medical ethics all featured heavily in the narrative, but nothing felt instructional or heavy-handed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely purchase once it's released. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for offering this ARC!

loved the premise, and the loyalty and love the MMC had for the FMC. Spice was also good! I thought the ending was perfect and i love a golden retriever MMC. i can’t wait to read the others in this series! i only wished some of the middle parts were sped through. i loved hector!

Unfortunately, I dnf The Madness of Miss Grey. I was not expecting the descriptions of the asylum and the “treatments” that went on to be so descriptive, and I got a bit triggered reading this. Please read other reviews and/or check trigger warnings before starting!

A lovely romance set in an asylum. It is well written and the male character is a little steamy (in a good way), but the love story didn’t quite resonate with me. The historical truths of this story are horrifying reminders of the past.

This book was nothing like I expected. It was much further back in time for diction than I thought it would be. I was super excited for the plot of doctor and patient, but it fell short. The vocabulary made it hard to connect or feel anything for these characters. Overall I was just bored, and let down. Although I could blame that on the expectations I set.

Mental health is the Victorian era has always fascinated me! I had to read this one.

Miss Grey has been institutionalized for ten years! What’s her diagnosis? Well no one is really sure but until a new doctor comes and questions everything about her case.

Basically she has been held against her will and has been abused by medical professionals all these years. She has tried to seduce other doctors to fight her way out. Should she try this strategy with the new doctor? Is there any other way out?

I enjoyed this one. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this opportunity to read it as an ARC.

This was fun! It felt like a classic Victorian-era novel with a fun modern perspective. The language could be a little boring and monotonous at times, I feel like that's typical of these types of books. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

I was really excited about this book and the idea of a Dr/patient romance mainly because you really have to do it right for it to work. Unfortunately this book just fell flat in plot. I was honestly pretty bored most of the time and I'd find myself looking for things to do around the house instead of read.
The characters did't feel very significant in any way and nothing really drew me to them. I would have liked Will and Helen to have been more curious about each other.
While I did enjoy the writing style, I did get confused about who was speaking and who was who. I kept finding myself curious as to how a lot of the characters looked and looking up terms that were used only to find definitions that were just more confusing but I'm chalking that up to my knowledge of the medical/mental field.
By the end, I felt there were a lot of loose ends (Her father & Fletcher?) and was rather surprised to realize I was at the end of the book.

A quick read of a gothic romance. Miss Grey has been wrongfully committed to an asylum for 10 years. She finds a means to escape through the rugged Dr. Carter if only she can convince him she’s worth risking his lively hood to help her.

Loved the plot line and couldn’t help turning the next page. I’m surprised to see that it’s the first of a series. Curious to see what character the next novel will focus on.

The Madness of Miss Grey - (Harcastle Inheritance Gothic Romance Book 1) by Julia Bennet is a rambunctious romp that I really was not expecting with the dark edge I was expecting from a Gothic Romance. Julia Bennet writes in the style of the old gothic horrors, the penny dreadfuls and the level of research that has gone into this book makes for a very strong backdrop to the storyline

Incredibly spicy for the time but not implausible and it certainly gives a powerful line for the narrative

Helen Gray has been committed to an asylum for nigh on a decade and she is plotting her escape. The dashing Dr Carter seems just the right vehicle to enable her escape, but his morals are a seemingly insurmountable barrier, or are they? However, where morals may be diverted, a mysterious benefactor may not and this is where our story takes an ever so quirky turn

A fun read and certainly not what I was expecting! A wonderfully well researched, genre crossing and hopping tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author Julia Bennet for this ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I absolutely loved the setting - it was dark and atmospheric and such a pleasure to experience in this quickly paced book! And as a bonus, I love a manipulative woman. Unfortunately, I didn't love the relationship between the FMC and MMC - which tragically is the most important part of a romance novel. It was fun overall, but I occasionally found the treatment of the MMC to be grating.

this title felt so fast paced and absolutely insane that i binged it all in one sitting! i don’t even have words! i think it’s absolute perfection and i will be recommending this to everyone in my life! can i give it 100 stars?

This was a quick, steamy historical romance. I was gifted a copy of this book through NetGalley, but my review is honest.

I really enjoyed this book!
1. Would I read a book by this author again: Absolutely! I really liked this read and I was very quick.
2. What is something I loved: The setting was very moody and ominous.
3. What is something I didn't love: How frequently all the characters discuss Will Carter's appearance (as ugly) without actually describing the things about him that they view as ugly.
4. What is a quote from the book I loved: "It's hard enough for us women to guard our own virtue. Why must you men insist on making us the guardians of yours as well?"
5. Is this couple still together after the book ends: If they are, I suspect it is out of duty for one another and not because they are still in love.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Julia Bennet for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Madness of Miss Grey coming out April 9, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’m just now getting into Julia Bennet’s books. I enjoyed another book of hers. I thought the plot to this was really interesting. Asylums are always an interesting setting. There are so many dark and gothic things about them. I loved the first half of the book. I thinking there would be more of a twist in the second half, but it didn’t quite come. The patient-doctor relationship isn’t my favorite. The power dynamic was pretty uneven. I thought there would be something to make them more on an even playing field, but it didn’t quite seem like it to me. I really enjoyed the book, but I think I would’ve loved it more if a couple things had been different.

TELL ME WHY THIS DEVOURED. this had all my favorite elements; dark, gothic, and victorian romance that was executed FLAWLESSLY. i can’t wait to read the second one!!!

2⭐️

Tropes:
age gap
instant connection
forced proximity
he falls first
marriage of convenience

things i liked:
* interesting plot! readers follow the story of a falsely institutionalized woman who is constantly misdiagnosed and mistreated by her scheming physicians in order to implore her mysterious benefactor to extend her stay thus ensuring his generous checks to the asylum will continue making their appearance. a new doctor joins the team, notices things are amiss and finds himself on a rescue mission to free this woman from her 10 year long imprisonment
* positive sex rep! the fmc has been diagnosed by her physicians as a nymphomaniac (ahem, sex addict) but really, the girl just enjoys sexual pleasure. oftentimes in romances, we see more lustful narratives from the guy’s pov but women are just as capable of having those same inner (and verbal) monologues. not every woman is shy and simpering when it comes to sex and it was nice to meet a character who embraced her sensuality.

things i wished for:
* consistent voice :( every paragraph had multiple changes and it felt really overwhelming to keep up with who was feeling/saying what.
* poor chemistry building. i think this couple’s chemistry was tremendously better than the one in “The Most Dangerous Woman in London” but between the awkward/choppy dialogue and a seemingly genuine lack of interest from the fmc, the romance felt unconvincing.
* the marriage of convenience was necessary for the plot but i found it a bit problematic that they remained together. when helen wasn’t challenging the quality of will’s sex life with his deceased wife, she was straight up antagonizing him for his looks? girl…

it would have been nice to see helen flourish in her birthright with the help of the family she found and for will to step into this great beginning with a newfound sense of self worth. i did enjoy the plot of The Madness of Miss Grey significantly more than the first book i read by this author so i’d honestly still pick up another title by her!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the free advanced copy!

Helen Grey spends ten years of her life imprisoned in in an asylum. I feel like that's enough to make anyone crazy.

Helen Gray is an outstanding character. I really enjoyed getting to see inside her head to understand the motive behind the decisioned she made. She would truly do anything to get out of the asylum, and I can't say I blame her. I would have loved to have heard more about her past as I feel that it would have established her character a bit more. I loved the glimpses into the past that we did get.

I would have also liked to see some more character development for Will Carter as well. I love that he isn't portrayed as someone who is conventionally attractive; that's so refreshing to read. It seems that every character I encounter is tall, dark, and handsome.

The chemistry that builds between Helen and Will is undeniable. I loved being able to see the wall of professionalism that Will worked so hard build come crumbling down during his interactions with Helen.

I have always been a lover of romances, and this period romance really scratched that itch for me. I loved the writing style. I would recommend this to any lover of period romances! I can't wait to read more from this author.

I want to extend a huge thank you to Julia Bennet, Xpresso Book Tours, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel.

The Madness of Miss Grey gives a vibe of a mini series that you’d watch on PBS or BBC. It’s entertaining, but not overwhelming in any way. It is a bit suspenseful towards the end. It’s a nice period cozy read, with mystery and romance.

This book was lists of fun! As someone who loves unique writing and storylines this book gave me everything I wanted! I cannot wait to pick up a physical copy of this book to add to my trophy shelf! I really enjoyed this take on a historical romance. The only reason this is not a 5 star for me was because it did get slow in a few places and I wanted to see if MMC consider/build his feelings a bit more, but other than that i loved it!