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A review by bottleblondebookworm
The Madness of Miss Grey by Julia Bennet
4.0
I’d heard great things about Julia Bennett, and this book, specifically, so when I saw it was being
re released with a new cover, I finally took a chance and requested an arc!
Helen is sent off to an asylum at a young age and has been stuck there for a decade. When the new doctor, Will, arrives, he quickly realizes that Helen isn’t as mad as the staff have made her out to be. Torn between duty to the Hippocratic Oath and his growing admiration and attraction for Helen, Will must find a way forward that doesn’t take advantage of his patient or his own status.
I’m always hesitant to read any book where there is a tab00 power dynamic of doctor/therapist/patient. I’ll read pretty much any other tab00 pairing but this one gives me the ick so I stay away. However, I took a chance due to some friends loving this book, and I’m glad I did!
Bennett does an amazing job of exploring the power dynamics at play and keeping a balance between Will and Helen. At no point did I feel Will was taking advantage of Helen. If anything, she was taking advantage of him, and good for her, doing her best in a terrible situation. Both characters were well-rounded and fleshed out. The romance was believable with Will falling first and Helen being a bit more hesitant when I came to matters of the heart. My only wish is that we’d gotten a longer ending! It felt a bit abrupt. I’d have enjoyed an epilogue showing Will and Helen’s life after the events of the end to fully appreciate their story.
There are some darker themes in terms of “treatment” used on the patients at the asylum, but overall I didn’t ever feel uncomfortable or that it was too dark. Do check TW for yourself though!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.
re released with a new cover, I finally took a chance and requested an arc!
Helen is sent off to an asylum at a young age and has been stuck there for a decade. When the new doctor, Will, arrives, he quickly realizes that Helen isn’t as mad as the staff have made her out to be. Torn between duty to the Hippocratic Oath and his growing admiration and attraction for Helen, Will must find a way forward that doesn’t take advantage of his patient or his own status.
I’m always hesitant to read any book where there is a tab00 power dynamic of doctor/therapist/patient. I’ll read pretty much any other tab00 pairing but this one gives me the ick so I stay away. However, I took a chance due to some friends loving this book, and I’m glad I did!
Bennett does an amazing job of exploring the power dynamics at play and keeping a balance between Will and Helen. At no point did I feel Will was taking advantage of Helen. If anything, she was taking advantage of him, and good for her, doing her best in a terrible situation. Both characters were well-rounded and fleshed out. The romance was believable with Will falling first and Helen being a bit more hesitant when I came to matters of the heart. My only wish is that we’d gotten a longer ending! It felt a bit abrupt. I’d have enjoyed an epilogue showing Will and Helen’s life after the events of the end to fully appreciate their story.
There are some darker themes in terms of “treatment” used on the patients at the asylum, but overall I didn’t ever feel uncomfortable or that it was too dark. Do check TW for yourself though!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.