Book Review: A Dangerous Madness by Michelle Diener

A Dangerous Madness by Michelle Diener 
Publication date: May 19, 2014
Publisher: Michelle Diener
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~~Reviewed by Ezrah~~

A Dangerous Madness is the third book in the Regency London Series by Michelle Diener and it is also the first book that I have read from this author. This book reads like a standalone and I was able to follow through with the story despite not reading the other two books in the series. I honestly had a hard time reading the first few chapters but as the story progressed, it became more interesting.

The story centers on James, the Duke of Whittaker - who is living a lie, pretending to be someone he is not because he works as a spy for the Home Office - and the newly jilted Miss Phoebe Hillier. These two get involved when Phoebe's ex-fiancé confessed that he had to leave the country due to the assassination of Spencer Perceval, the then British Prime Minister, and he feared for his life. James, on the other hand, had decided he wanted to end his spy career. Unfortunately, he was tasked by the Home Office to ferret out the mastermind behind the assassination. This brought him to Phoebe's doorstep.

I liked the story. The mix between romance and mystery is so well written that I felt a little bit like Sherlock Holmes trying to solve the mystery. The story is fast paced and is filled with obstacles throughout the book which doesn't make the book boring at all.

I also liked James. He has been pretending to be a rake and a libertine for a long time that reality and pretense blurred together. He felt sick of it all and wanted to leave the spying business behind. Because Phoebe was indirectly involved in the investigation, she jumped at the chance to partner with James and saw it as a way to be free from the strictures of her station.

While both characters are admirable as individuals, I did not feel that both connected with each other. I felt a kind of disconnect between the romance of the story because I felt there was more emphasis on the mystery rather than their romance.

All in all, A DANGEROUS MADNESS is an enjoyably fast paced read but I would have wanted more romance between James and Phoebe.  I will definitely be looking at Miss Diener's backlist, and looking forward to her upcoming books. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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