Midnight Secrets
Dreaming of her cousin Mary’s death, Cassie gives up writing her column on etiquette to masquerade as a housemaid at the Cornish castle where Mary worked as a governess. Cassie is determined to find out how Mary died, but as she uncovers information she becomes captivated by Sean Killdaren, master of the castle. At first Cassie resists her attraction to Sean, who hides from daylight and makes no excuses for the strange noises that emanate from his rooms at night. But the more encounters she shares with Sean, the less Cassie cares about etiquette, her previous life, or his secrets.
Although set in the 1870s, this story appears to revolve about 21st-century characters in costume. The romance is well done, with lots of tension and plausible detail. Cassie and Sean are believable characters, as is Cassie’s fellow maid, Bridget. Other aspects of the novel are less convincing. The plot surrounding Mary’s disappearance failed to grip my attention, and a number of incidents prompted me to ask “would this really have happened?” such as when Cassie, a downstairs maid, is invited for tea with Prudence, a lady of the house. But if you can accept it as a bit fantastical, you’ll likely enjoy Midnight Secrets.
