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, Cassie held on to this unrequited love in order to cope with her isolated heart and the pain of a cold mother. Even when Cassie 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 the pending engagement and travels to Williamsburg, Virginia, where the now-widowed Jeff lives with his young daughter. Cassie 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.

A fantastically suspenseful plot with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing what would happen. I really enjoyed the murder mystery weekend and I was also very fond of Jeff's father and daughter. Not quite as much romance as Jude usually writes but it was still a great book that I didn't want to put down. ( )

Jude Deveraux’s Secrets | Jorie’s Reads by Starry Night Elf ( )

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! ( )

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. ( )