Lord Deverill's Secret

This was a lovely story set in Regency Brighton, and I had a great time following Cassandra through her activities and adventures around the city. She was a nice little gal who wanted to make sure that her brother had not died burying a terrible secret, as a letter she had found in his things had implied. In order to put her mind at ease, she visits Lord Deverill, a most charming man with a hint of mystery behind his appealing exterior, who happened to have been an acquaintance of her brother. As the title suggests, Lord Deverill has a secret, and cannot reveal the whole truth to Cassandra without the fear of endangering her. Events don't go as planned however, as Cassandra finds herself the victim of many "accidents", and each time Lord Deverill comes to her rescue, their mutual attraction only intensifies. <br><br>I found the couple charming and the romance very cute, although the simplistic writing style did not demonstrate enough of their emotions or personality. <br><br>A few events were also a bit implausible, and the final revelation of who the villain was and what he had done seemed absurd and out of place. The appearance of the hero on the scene to rescue the heroine was moreover never explained. Aside from those minor issues though, <i>Lord Deverill's Secret</i> was highly enjoyable, and I liked that it was set in Brighton. It made a nice change. Of course, this book is complete with an outing at the Brighton Pavilion, and brilliant descriptions of it. <br><br>My review is very boring, but don't let that interfere with your decision in reading the book! :) It's worth a try, and reads extremely easily and fast. I'm a terribly slow reader, and in two days I was done, and left with a satisfied smile on my face. The epilogue was just icing on the cake! :D<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1383822478i/6677268.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Lord Deverill will help you and take care of you, Cassandra. Don't worry. <br><br>Buddy read with Maria :)

Well I was not expected that ending! What a twist! For once, I didn't suspect who was behind all the problems!<br />A delightful and action packed story with two great characters at the centre! A courageous and strong-willed heroine and a masculine but caring, and very dashing (!), hero! A intriguing plot with many twists and turns - most of which I wasn't expecting! <br />Loved it! Bring on the next one!

Cassandra Paxton arrives in Brighton to throw light on his brother’s last letter, unfinished because of his sudden death. She means to meet all of his brother’s friends and ask them if they know something she does not about her brother’s last actions. But the first one she talks to, Lord Deverill, seems quite mysterious and tells Cassandra not to worry because her brother had no particular secrets and, most of all, not to search for the other friends because she can get herself into trouble, being a young woman with only a maid as a companion. Cassandra, however, is determined to uncover the truth and when her own life is threatened, she will find herself allying with the mysterious Lord Deverill who has also secrets of his own. <br /><br />The reason why I love Regency novels is basically connected to the fact that I love Regency manners. I like the way men behaved when in the presence of a lady (I am talking of real men, not scoundrels!), I like the importance they gave to propriety and I like all the things they did, such as going to balls, riding, visiting with friends. I know nowadays we still do these things, but in a different way. Men do not ask women to dance by saying “Would you do me the honour of dancing with me?”, that is what I am trying to explain. There is a great lack of elegance, at least according to my own experience. Therefore, when I have a chance to read a novel like “Lord Deverill’s Secret”, I always find myself wondering where men like Justin Deverill are (if they happen to exist).<br /><br />I loved Justin’s heart. He did anything to protect Cassandra and for several reasons (which I cannot tell without spoiling the story!), but I believe, besides his affection, he acted like that because of his sense of honour, and I loved that! He was the proper knight in shining armour, he was always there to help and save her, and this was utterly romantic! OK, perhaps I am gushing over him just a little bit but believe me, he was very endearing. As for the heroine, Cassandra, I loved her as well. The author depicted a lovely, nice and also brave character who faced some dreadful situations with determination and self-confidence, at least she tried by not letting the others know what there was in her heart. I liked that she made her decisions not only for her own sake but especially to protect her little sister, and I loved Cassandra’s tenderness every time her sister was mentioned.<br /><br />However, I was not too fond of the predictability of the story. I did not understand who the villain was (I have blamed another character throughout the whole book!), but some moments were a bit far-fetched as if the author wanted to create more suspense and add mysterious details where it was not necessary. Besides, I felt a little confused when the protagonists tried to understand who the enemy was by listing all his/her bad actions without having actual proofs. I confess I got lost in some occasions because I could not figure out whom they were talking about! There were some minor characters mentioned a few times I could not remember. Probably that is just me, though.<br /><br />Nevertheless, “Lord Deverill’s Secret” is a nice, light story I enjoyed reading and it helped me relax as the plot is not complicated and flows with ease. I would recommend it to Regency enthusiasts.

<br /><br />A delightful tale of romance and intrigue from the acclaimed author, Amanda Grange. <br /><br />Arriving in Brighton, Cassandra Paxton had one important task-to uncover the meaning of a letter she'd found amidst her late brother's belongings. She knew of only one man who could help her: Lord Deverill, who just happened to be the most eligible bachelor in all of Brighton. <br /><br />But what she didn't realize-until it was too late-was that the handsome earl had a secret of his own. One that might prevent him from telling her the truth-and one that made a marriage between them impossible. Which was most unfortunate, considering the way his gentle touch made Cassandra's pulse quicken.<br /><br />My Thoughts...<br /><br />This was just the kind of "Mind Candy" I needed this week, since I wasn't feeling super all week. I just wanted something that wouldn't make me think to deeply, and a story easy to follow. This book fit the bill...<br /><br />This was a light-hearted historical romance with a little mystery thrown in, my favorite kind of reading. It was a fast paced and easy book to read. All-in-all I found it a charming and delightful little read. I enjoyed it enough to award it 4 stars.<br /><br />This book is from a part of my personal library on my TBR pile. Will that pile ever get smaller? I just received a book from an author in the mail today to read and review...."So many books, so little time..."

This one was just okay for me. I liked the overall premise and characters, but found myself skipping a bit. Cassandra was likable enough, as well as Justin. I felt like Cassandra forgave Justin rather quickly, I thought that could have been dragged out a little more and built up some tension between the two. The mystery was okay, the villain was a bit of a surprise. The ending was fun, and overall it was an enjoyable story. <br /><br />Content: Clean romance. <br />

This book was so much fun. It keeps you guessing as to who is really after Cassandra the whole book. Again true love triumphs but not until the very end. And do they stay poor? The characters are very well crafted. I enjoyed this book so much.

Eh. A couple of things made this a mediocre book. One was the setting was early 19th century England. But it could have been 1810, 1910, 2010.... the way the characters interacted and spoke did not put the book appropriately in its chosen setting. The only thing that attempted to put you in the time period was they rode on horses and in carriages. But the relationship between the two protagonists was too familiar, too fast. "Call me Justin." "Okay! We've only known each other for about five minutes, but I'll immediately become that familiar with you." That's not how it worked in 1810 England. <br /><br />Second - written in too simplistic a manner. Too much exposition in some places, not enough in others. SPOILERS AHEAD! There's nothing, nothing about Justin being a spy and then suddenly, he is. Very little about the Napoleonic wars, but gosh, Napoleon is planning to invade.<br /><br />This book could have benefited from an editor with a hefty red pen.

This was tough going. The heroine was much too "modern" for the period (for example, she spent a lot of time in rooms alone with gentlemen -- or nearly so), the secret wasn't much of one, and the writing was clear but dull, dull, dull. I confess I skimmed a lot of it. A disappointment, because some of A. Grange's Austen fan fiction is ok.

Good - some mystery nice twist

1805 - Brighton<br /><br />Miss Cassandra (Cassie) Paxton has arrived at her family’s town home in Brighton to prepare to sell it. Her parents have passed away from Cholera and her brother died in a horse riding accident leaving her to raise her younger sister, Lizzie. Unfortunately, the family finances are so low that selling the Brighton home will provide some needed monies to put toward upkeep of the family home outside town. While in Brighton, Cassie plans to spend some time with her friends, Maria and Harry Winter, and investigate the meaning of an unfinished letter found in her brother, Rupert’s pocket when he died. Rupert eluded to the fact that he had done something wrong and he wanted to atone for it. <br /><br />Cassie decides to call upon Lord Deverill who knew her brother to ask for his help with the meaning of the letter. Justin Deverill readily agrees to help her but Cassie feels as though he is hiding something.<br /><br />As Cassie and Maria attend and enjoy many of the delights of Brighton, Cassie is the victim of what appears to be attempts on her life. Telling herself that these things were just accidents she still can’t help but worry. She sees Justin at many social events and he finally confesses to her that she needs to be careful for someone means to harm her. Who would want to harm her and why? Could that be tied to her brother’s unfinished letter?<br /><br />This was a sweet romance intertwined with a mystery that keeps the reader guessing. I enjoyed the descriptions of the events of Brighton and can see how it was and continues to be a very popular place. The characters were well-developed and I highly recommend the book.