The Mad Baron by Summer Devon

Medicine in the 1880’s was not very advanced. At that time, some cures were as harmful as the illness. This is why when they claimed the new Baron Felston was insane and needed the prescribed opiates, the local help didn’t question anything. No one knew the opiates and other drugs in his food where causing his problem and making him The Mad Baron.

Nathaniel, the new Baron Felston, awakes from a fever to discover he’s a prisoner on his own estate. At first, certain he’s gone insane, Nathaniel learns potent opiates are the cause of his strange vision. But, barricaded in a small room, he can’t outwit his mysterious jailer.

Determined to steal back one of her father’s swords, Florrie Cadero gets more than she bargained for when she breaks into the baron’s mansion. The dashing, drugged man in the locked room soon sweeps her into his story—and his bed. When she discovers they’re trapped together, she devises a clever escape. Addicted to his captor’s drugs and bent on revenge, Nathaniel seeks out the feisty thief who freed him. Florrie, now a shopgirl, has foresworn her life of adventure. But Nathaniel’s offer of employment intrigues her. Together they must break his addiction and expose the villain who would destroy his life.

After his father’s death when he was young, Nathaniel was sent to be raised by his uncle, Lord Bessette. His mother, Lady Margaret, would never hear anything against her brother nor believe the cold and cruel treatment he received. Lord Bessette is known for his pious and moral reputation and Lady Margaret as an up-tight (stuck-up) follower of her brother. After becoming an adult, Nathaniel has clashed with his uncle, but tries to appease his mother as much as possible (if that is possible). The recent death of an old uncle (father’s side) leaves Nathaniel David William Felston the new Baron Felston of Willsbourne. But not everything is as it should be. As soon as he visits the estates, he becomes a prisoner where they are claiming he is crazy and giving him various drugs to maintain this illusion. Between the hallucinations brought on by these drugs and being locked up in his own mansion, he starts to doubt his hold on reality.

Martin Cadero was a country gentleman but considered eccentric because he was a blacksmith, enjoying making swords and fancy daggers. Unfortunately for his children, being a gentleman meant he didn’t force payment for his work. He maintained the family holdings during his lifetime, but now that he has passed on, things aren’t as easy. This has left Felicity and Duncan without enough money to support the estate or themselves. The renting of the family estate maintains the lands only, and Duncan seems to always have some scheme or another going hoping to improve their lot…The latest of which uses Florrie’s climbing skill to retrieve (i.e. steal) their father’s work that was never paid for.

It is during the fourth and last ‘retrieval’ that Florrie has problems. She gets trapped with Nathanial overnight and even ingests some of the drugs he has been given in his food. During this night, they learn a little about each other and share ‘intimacies’ to keep a hold on reality. The next morning, Florrie is able to help Nathanial escape from the prison his own home has become. But they must go separate ways if she is not to be compromised and he is to find friends for his own help…

But Nathanial does not know who was behind claiming he was insane or holding him prisoner. He also finds he is still addicted/has side effects to some of the drugs used on him during that time. He feels Florrie is the only one he can trust. By the time he finds her, she has gotten a job as a shop-girl and sworn off all adventures after her narrow escape last time. But she is also attracted to Nathanial and feels for him/his situation. When he asks for help finding out who is after him, how can she refuse? But does she realize that she is his replacement for his current addiction for the drugs? And can they find out who is after him when there are no real clues, but still several people to choose from?

The Mad Baron is not your average historical! Summer Devon does an excellent job with several aspects in The Mad Baron. One such aspect is the medicine of the time is just scary. It was way too easy to put Nathanial under the drugs influence and ‘declare’ him crazy. Kind of makes one wonder how many were really crazy back then, especially when one thinks about ‘too strong female issues’ or war stress/flashback were also call crazy, locked up, and given similar drugs as Nathanial in this story. Another historical aspect is the changing, and highly charged, moral and political issues of the times. This is the background for the problems between Nathanial and his uncle Bassette. Then there is the fact that women are known for being overlooked and thus make great thieves and many are famous throughout history. The only thing that is never explained in The Mad Baron is where or why Florrie learns to climb. She is not a master thief, just gets pulled into her brother’s schemes and likes the thrill of climbing and adventure. Summer Devon doesn’t go overboard with the history, but mixes all this in with the subtlety of a great storyteller’s skill.

As I said, The Mad Baron is not your expected romantic historical. No balls, riding in the park, or standard courting. But we have a truly wounded hero, with someone out to get him no less. Nathanial finding the courage to ask a woman for help shows how far he has fallen, no man of his times should have to do that. But he still manages to come across as strong even while fighting off an addiction force upon him. And Florrie is complex! Raised a gentlewomen, but not a lady. She may want a safe, steady future, but she craves adventure. She also happens to be a smart, caring girl and I really like her.

The Mad Baron is a wonderful mix of mystery and steamy romance. This novella is not too long and doesn’t drag on the history details. And even when we think the mystery is solved and things are wrapping up, another little twist is thrown at Nathanial and Florrie to prove adventure is always right around the corner for these two. I quit enjoyed the fast paced romp The Mad Baron turned out to be.