Oh man what a disappointment! This started off so strong for me and then just deflated totally. I hated the murdered sex workers plot and the truly terrible kink representation - which I bet will continue in Hart’s story. Ugh! The writing was wonderful and there was some lovely scenes between Beth and Ian (and the other brothers!) but ultimately this book relied on some real bullshit plots. I’m curious about the rest of the series, so I may read on but my expectations have been severely managed. ( )

I really liked this one!! This was a really unique read!! I loved the autism rep. I also really loved how this book had a mystery element the kind of was weaved into this whole novel. I also liked how this book set up the other sbilings book and it was really quick read. I also really liked how this book was also a widow romance! I def would read more by this author in the future ( )

I really liked this one!! This was a really unique read!! I loved the autism rep. I also really loved how this book had a mystery element the kind of was weaved into this whole novel. I also liked how this book set up the other sbilings book and it was really quick read. I also really liked how this book was also a widow romance! I def would read more by this author in the future ( )

I'll say for the record that if Ian is considered insane then I shudder to think how his family would receive my peculiar moments. In a lot of ways I think The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (hereby shortened to Lord Ian) is a very refreshing novel to read in the genre. I can't think of too many heroes, offhand at least, who were out and out crazy. You'd see fiancees, ex-lovers, brothers, fathers, Uncles, cousins, jilted lovers--all of them would be varying degrees of crazed, but I haven't seen any true romantic leads who were insane.

Though I'm not convinced that what was wrong with Ian was insanity. It felt more like the poor man started out with ADD and a social anxiety problem (small wonder given his father) which only got worse with his father's barbaric treatment, the sorry excuse for help the asylum offered and society's overall treatment of him and his family. I'll lay some blame on Hart's doorstep too because he was a right bastard on occasion too.

I liked Ian a lot and despite things I could never see him capable of harm. I'll amend--unprovoked harm. I have no doubt that if a person hurt one of his family he'd come after them with murderous rage. I wasn't keen on Hart, but he wasn't really portrayed as being a guy you want to have around for a laugh. I was mightily interested Cameron and his son Daniel though, they seemed like awfully fun guys. Mac I was indifferent to by in large. I liked his estranged wife Isabella quite a bit, though she seemed flighty as all get. Incidentally each brother gets their own book (Book 2: Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage (Mac), Book 3: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Cam), Book 4: The Duke Takes a Wife (Hart) as taken from author's website).

Beth was sometimes very fun to read and get to know and other times a little too stereotypical. I feel she gave in to Ian a little too easily and made too much of her need for intimacy with a man again. It was delightful to read whenever she'd make a joke, or sarcastic comment and Ian would either take her at face value (bless his soul) or just stare at her until she explained herself. Her confrontation later with Hart is pretty interesting too! He had no idea what to do with the spitfire his little brother was interested in. Her backstory, retold a couple times by a couple people, was just a shade too dramatic. Disgraceful French alleged aristocrat who frank a lot Father deceased when she's young, fragile beautiful frail Mother who died when she was young, the horror of a Workhouse and facing an unknown future, romantic clergyman sweeps her off her feet (very little is said of their courtship by the by so I was surprised when no one thought to bring up that maybe it wasn't all consuming love she felt, but relief and infatuation), he dies and she's taken in by a kindly gossipy old woman with no relatives who leaves her everything. Beset by fortune hunters! Despicable indebted society man calmly asks for her hand (and newfound fortune) in marriage.

And that's all before she meets Ian!

The subplot of Detective Inspector Fellows is sometimes annoying and sometimes menacing. He pushes too hard at times and comes off as a comical foil to the better prepared Mackenzies who can guess and thwart his moves. I didn't see the revelation coming though, but I paid him very little heed overall.

The romance elements were high, though unique in a lot of ways. Ian, being rather awkward with society's rules and courting practices, pretty much meets Beth and tells her flat out 'You're too high class for me to just make a mistress--so marry me so I can tumble you in bed all the time'. He's blunt to the point of brutalness at times, but which works well with Beth who has lived so long with people looking down on her or treating her as invisible. He does court her--its not a courtship for marriage (that's an already foregone conclusion in his mind), its a courtship to explore pleasure with her however. Something Beth very much enjoys and participates in.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and shall be giving the next three a look. I'm not certain I'll care much about Mac's estrangement and reconciliation with his wife, but I'm interested to see how Cam fares and what Hart's mysterious Lady Eleanor Ramsay--a lady who jilted him originally--is like. ( )

Interesting man with an interesting illness back in a time when no one understood. The murder mystery was kinda lame and convoluted, though. But I like this family and will be interested to see the other stories. You realize early on that the inspector has personal issues with the family. I thought it would be one thing, but it turned out to be something else. I didn't really love that particular twist. ( )