Ewan and Greer have been betrothed for 12 years but have never met. So, on arriving to Crieff to finally meet and wed, Greer finds herself confronted with the news that Ewan, the 5th Duke of Crieff has died and his cousin, Malcom is the new Duke. Despite her grief, Greer believes that something is amiss and that the bloodied and battered man that she saved on her journey to Crieff, is her Ewan.
This novel was both delightful and beautiful. Delightful in that the letters that Greer and Ewan write to each other over the twelve years, shows their experiences and growing affection for each other. The story was beautiful in that the love this couple felt for each other, had grown from friendship and was able to be realised when they finally met. This is a book that is difficult to put down so be prepared to set aside a day to enjoy it!
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Five stars.

A thoroughly enjoyable read with admirably strong main characters in Greer and Ewan. Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Marry is action-packed from the beginning to the end. This novel is refreshingly different from its contemporaries in its format of dual timeline that blended the past and the present incredibly well.

The past, which told of the lovers' courtship through the years, was narrated through their correspondences. I really appreciate the talent and skill of Ms. Essex in showing her characters' growth in years and personality and the development of their attraction to each other through the letters. The present was equally engaging with its intrigue and suspense.

I am happy with the pacing. Although there was a sense of urgency, the events were not rushed and happened in a logical progression.

The hero and heroine, Ewan and Greer, both impressed me. Ewan, though physically weakened, was determined to recover his memory, to prove himself worthy of being Crieff, of being Greer's love. And Greer - she's magnificent. She's capable, independent, fearless, determined, practical, and very smart. They were not perfect, which is wonderful, because nobody is. They had doubts and insecurities.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters-- from Dewar the moorkeeper to Greer's parents, to the villains, to Ewan's friends, Crieff's inhabitants, and the animals - Gent and Cat Sith.

Another aspect of Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Marry I appreciate is that of being highly readable on its own despite being part of a series. There was no confusion, no necessity to refer to older books to understand the story.

I am glad I requested and received the ARC book from the author through NetGalley. I haven't read many books by Elizabeth Essex before this but MB&DtM ensures I will read more. I find her writing style fluid, fantastic.

This was a really sweet read with an inspiring heroine and a poetry-loving hero who find love with each other in spite of the odds against them. I loved the backstory of letters and the way the author described the countryside. I had no problem picturing each scene and becoming absorbed in the lives of the characters. This is definitely a book to read more than once, as I'm sure I missed things as I was speeding my way through the story.

Ewan Cameron, the Duke of Crieff, and Lady Greer Douglas have been engaged for twelve years. Paired together as children, sight unseen, they have been exchanging letters constantly, getting to know their likes and dislikes, their accomplishments and their failures. They find it easy to fall in love with each other, so when the time comes to wed, they are eager to begin their lives as man and wife. When Greer arrives at Ewan's home in her wedding finery, she discovers that not only will there be no wedding but there is also no Ewan. Not anymore. He has died and now Greer is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. She finds solace in helping a young man found on the side of the road, who can't remember who he is, and as the mystery surrounding Ewan's death becomes clearer, the identity of the young man does as well.

I was immediately intrigued by the idea of two people who fall in love through letters - how much more romantic does it get? Apparently, Elizabeth Essex found a way. As you can guess, Ewan lost his memory, and while he doesn't know Greer, she eventually determines that the young man with no memory is Ewan. They fall in love all over again, and it's just the cutest thing I have read in a long time. I loved how Ewan was so kind and gentle towards Greer, and her generosity of spirit comes out quite frequently in the story. While it did get frustrating later on when Ewan starts to remember everything and everyone *but* Greer, I was confident that their love was stronger than that. It was a very uplifting story of loss and hope, and I really enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Elizabeth Essex is a brilliant writer, able to come up with unique stories and characters that I will remember for a long time. I am always eager to read her books, and I can't wait to read her next story.*

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Marry is the 4th book in the Highland Brides Series by Elizabeth Essex. This book can be read as a stand alone but it is an excellent series so I recommend reading them all. Lady Greer Douglas has been betrothed for 10 years to a man she has never met in person, only through the hundreds of letters they have exchanged. On her wedding day she arrives at Crieff to find that her groom Ewan Cameron, Duke of Crieff is missing, presumed dead and that his cousin Malcolm Cameron is presenting himself as the Duke and suggests that she marry him instead. Heartbroken Greer cannot believe the stories that Malcom is telling about Ewan’s death and vows to find out the truth as the man Malcolm implies Ewan was is not the man she knew and loved from his letters. The chapters of the book begin with the letters allowing us to watch their love story unfold while the tale continues on in real time as Greer tries to solve the puzzle and uncover what is real and not. I very much enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it. Quite steamy. Available now. #MadBadAndDangerousToMarry #NetGalley

When I requested this ARC, I promised to give a fair and honest review. Very well written with the story playing out quite well. Love and loss and frustration abound.

Mad Bad is a fast-moving, swash-buckling. thriller of a romance. Essex brings the excitement and the heat in this tale of a Duke who’s life has been stolen from him. But the thief has not reckoned with the stalwart Duke and his Duchess to be.

I quite enjoyed the story of Greer and Ewan. The story line never had a drag and flowed nicely. The story idea was different than what you're used to seeing. Greer had backbone to stand up for what she believed in and Ewan, even though he didn't know who he was, knew what kind of person he was. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the "letters" between the chapters. I found myself skipping reading them entirely after the first 3 chapters. Otherwise, a really good book! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

In my world with a full time job and a house full of family, reading a book can sometimes be a luxury. Reading past your bedtime is very much a luxury but when a story is so good that you would sacrifice sleep, it's all worth the next day's exhaustion. MAD, BAD and DANGEROUS to MARRY by Elizabeth Essex is worth every lost minute of sleep.



Ewan and Greer have been betrothed since they were children, but have never met in person. Over a decade of their engagement, the pair share a courtship through letters sent back and forth to one another. These letters give each an insight on their deepest feelings and thoughts like no other engaged couple of the time could possibly have.



When the time finally comes for them to finally meet and be married, tragedy strikes leaving Greer heartbroken and bereft, but something is afoot in the land of Crieff , and Greer will not sit back and let life just pass her by.



Without going too much into the story, this tale of Lady Greer Douglas and Ewan Cameron, the Duke of Crieff is one of the best I have read this year. Elizabeth Essex has expertly woven a web which I will gladly be caught in. Even if this is your first Elizabeth Essex book, dive in. You will love MAD,BAD and DANGEROUS to MARRY and then go back to read more of Elizabeth Essex's remarkable novels.