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I Heart Romance

Registered Nurse by day | Romance Reader by night

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A Dangerous Madness by Michelle Diener

A Dangerous Madness  - Michelle Diener

Regency London #3
Historical Romance
5/18/2014
ebook ARC | free in exchange for an honest review
Buried Under Romance

Posted on my blog: I Heart Romance

 

“A fast paced mystery with less romance”

 

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 stand alone 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. The two get involved when Phoebe's ex-fiancé confessed that he had to leave the country because of something that had happened: the assassination of Spencer Perceval, the British Prime Minister, and he feared for his life.  James, on the other hand, had decided he wanted out of spying.  Unfortunately, he was called by the Home Office to find out who master minded the assassination. This brought him to Phoebe's doorstep.

 

I actually liked this story. The mix between romance and mystery is 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 become blurred together. He felt sick of all of it 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 see's it as a way to be free from the strictures of her station.

 

While both characters are admirable as an individual, 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 it was an enjoyable fast paced read but I would have wanted more romance between James and Phoebe.  I will definitely be looking at Miss Diener's backlist!