Secrets

By Jude Deveraux

At age twelve, Cassandra Madden fell in love with Jefferson Ames, a young man she met at one of her mother's business conferences. Over the years, during periods of loneliness and struggle, Cassandra held on to this unrequited love in order to cope with her isolated heart and the pain of a cold mother. Even when Cassandra grew up, went off to college, and met a man she thought she'd marry, her heart yearned for Jeff.

In a decisive moment, she breaks off her pending engagement and travels to Williamsburg, Virginia, where the now-widowed Jeff lives with his young daughter. Cassandra becomes the child's nanny but, even though she sees the object of her desire every day, Jeff has yet to even notice her.

Then, one day, she hears shots coming from the mansion of Althea Fairmont, an eccentric woman who is thought of as the world's greatest living actress. Cassie runs to investigate and, in an instant, her safe little life is turned upside down. She begins to learn that all the people around her aren't who they claim to be. Everyone has secrets - and until Cassie unravels those secrets, she and Jeff will never have a chance to be happy together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Dec 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781471104183

Jude Deveraux

Jude Deveraux is the author of more than forty New York Times bestsellers, including Moonlight in the Morning, The Scent of Jasmine, Scarlet Nights, Days of Gold, Lavender Morning, Return to Summerhouse, and Secrets. To date, there are more than sixty million copies of her books in print worldwide. To learn more, visit JudeDeveraux.com.

Reviews for Secrets

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

How far is too far to carry a childhood crush? Casandra Madden fell in love with Jefferson Ames when she was twelve years old. Now she's his nanny, and he's engaged. Awkward? You betcha.Complicating matters, he's CIA and responsible for protecting an aging actress (don't ask). The plot is complex, far-fetched, and weak, and the characters aren't all that endearing. Give this one a miss and read Wishes or one of Deveraux's other older titles instead.

[ruthhill74 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although this is the first book I have ever read by Jude Deveraux, I have seen her name all over book sites and the web for some time. I was under the impression that she was just a good romance author, and so when I picked up the book, I figured that was what I would be reading. Something light and nice with a basic romance plot.Nothing could be further from the truth! I now understand why this author is a best-selling novelist. She is so much more than a typical romance novelist. She is a master as romantic suspense writing, and I was completely engrossed in this book.There was so much I appreciated about this novel. It had a strong romantic story--which was what I was initially looking for. In addition to this, she added a fantastically suspenseful plot with lots of twists and turns. I remember thinking halfway through that I was not even assured what would happen at the end! Would it even end how I thought it should?I would certainly put Jude Deveraux in the same category as Agatha Christie, and that is saying something. I found myself not wanting to put this book down once a chapter finished because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. There was never a dull moment in this book, and the writing was dynamic!The other thing I appreciated about this book was the absence of steamy sex scenes. While sex was mentioned as having happened, it was not described in detail. I also appreciated the absence of vulgar language. There was an occasional mild word, but nothing that was truly horrendous. This author has easily become one of my favorite romance novelists, and I can hardly wait to read more of her books. I now know why she is considered one of the greats!

[lrobe190 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cassie Madden fell in love with Jeff Ames when she was 12 years old and he was a young man of 20-something. Years later, as an adult, she manages to land a job at his home as his daughter's nanny. Still in love with Jeff, now a widower, she takes care of his daughter, his father, and his home and he still doesn't seem to know she exists. But Cassie is beginning to realize that Jeff isn't all that he seems. He has secrets. Secrets that have something to do with his father and the woman in the mansion next door…Althea Fairmont, world's greatest actress. Cassie needs to know what these secrets are before she can continue to hope for a life with Jeff.Jude Deveraux is a favorite author, but her writing is not always top-notch. In this story, he dialogue seems stilted and the story a little far-fetched. There are too many plotlines going on at one time and they are only loosely connected. The story is entertaining, but not one of her best.

[risadabomb_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I have loved Jude Devereaux's books every since I was a teenager. However, though it is sad to say this is the first time that I could not finish one of her books. The beginning was promising...by this I mean the first chapter. After that it is confusing and not interesting at all. A huge disappointment.

[icequeentn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quite a good, suspenseful romance story. I think Jude Deveraux is one of the best writers of today!

[eljabo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've decided this book is my new instruction manual for how to live my life. Who needs self-help when you've got Jude Deveraux? The moral of the story is if I go out of my way to be nice, caring and considerate to boys I like, they'll take me for granted and treat me like crap. Instead, I should be cool, combative, and mysterious. In addition, sashaying around in a pair of trousers (not jeans) and wiggling my butt a lot won't hur