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Twelfth Night Secrets
A touching and sexy Christmas-themed historical romance from New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather in which a young woman must carry out a spy mission against the man she loves in honor of her recently deceased brother.
Lady Harriet Devere travels to Oxfordshire with her two younger siblings for their annual family holiday gathering. Now orphaned, the trio has recently lost their eldest brother Nicholas, who died serving his country in battle. Before his death, Nicholas had entrusted Harriet with a secret: he was working as a British spy, recruited to follow in their father’s footsteps. Nicholas uses Harriet as an accomplice, expecting her to relay simple messages to his contacts while he was abroad. After his death, Harriet is suddenly asked to fulfill a request much more in-depth than those of the past.
Harriet must keep an eye on Julius Forsythe, Earl of Marbury, who, while also a spy for the British, is believed to be a double agent also working for the French. Harriet is expected to follow his every move to determine his status as a traitor. But before long, she begins to admire the Earl, and her romantic feelings are reciprocated. As the adventure unfolds, Harriet must do her best to honor the wish of her dearly loved brother, while attempting to keep the man she loves from harm.
Lady Harriet Devere travels to Oxfordshire with her two younger siblings for their annual family holiday gathering. Now orphaned, the trio has recently lost their eldest brother Nicholas, who died serving his country in battle. Before his death, Nicholas had entrusted Harriet with a secret: he was working as a British spy, recruited to follow in their father’s footsteps. Nicholas uses Harriet as an accomplice, expecting her to relay simple messages to his contacts while he was abroad. After his death, Harriet is suddenly asked to fulfill a request much more in-depth than those of the past.
Harriet must keep an eye on Julius Forsythe, Earl of Marbury, who, while also a spy for the British, is believed to be a double agent also working for the French. Harriet is expected to follow his every move to determine his status as a traitor. But before long, she begins to admire the Earl, and her romantic feelings are reciprocated. As the adventure unfolds, Harriet must do her best to honor the wish of her dearly loved brother, while attempting to keep the man she loves from harm.
257 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 23, 2012
24 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Jane Feather
170 books629 followersJane Feather (born Jane Robotham) is a popular British–American writer of historical romance novels. In 1984 she wrote five contemporary romances under the pseudonym Claudia Bishop. She is a New York Times-bestselling, award–winning writer, and has more than ten million romance novels in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 21, 2024
Finished 06/20/24. 3 stars.
Grandpa Lionel, a duke, son Edward & grandson Nick
all served as Crown spies, the latter 2 died for their
country. Grandpa retired, but knew general spy game
activities. Nick had sent beautiful sister Lady Harriet
coded correspondence and she passed them on as
instructed. But readers were assured nothing
dangerous.
Lady Harriet would attend Grandpa's ann. holiday
house party in Oxfordshire. 2 Crown agents asked
her to observe was Julius, an earl, a double agent?
Harriet had custody of Edward's 10 YO twins, a
curious boy + girl. They traveled to Grandpa's estate.
Nick & Julius had been spies together.
Harriet met charmer Jules for the 1st time, but she
ran hot/ cold toward him. He seldom wanted to
know a woman better but she intrigued him. She
should've remained guarded toward him longer
till she could rule out did he/ didn't he? work for
the other side, France.
Two smart, attractive MCs, but IMO the author has
written better stories.
Grandpa Lionel, a duke, son Edward & grandson Nick
all served as Crown spies, the latter 2 died for their
country. Grandpa retired, but knew general spy game
activities. Nick had sent beautiful sister Lady Harriet
coded correspondence and she passed them on as
instructed. But readers were assured nothing
dangerous.
Lady Harriet would attend Grandpa's ann. holiday
house party in Oxfordshire. 2 Crown agents asked
her to observe was Julius, an earl, a double agent?
Harriet had custody of Edward's 10 YO twins, a
curious boy + girl. They traveled to Grandpa's estate.
Nick & Julius had been spies together.
Harriet met charmer Jules for the 1st time, but she
ran hot/ cold toward him. He seldom wanted to
know a woman better but she intrigued him. She
should've remained guarded toward him longer
till she could rule out did he/ didn't he? work for
the other side, France.
Two smart, attractive MCs, but IMO the author has
written better stories.
January 10, 2013
I really had high hopes for this novel. The premise sounded promising. However, it fell short for a few reasons.
One. It's a huge leap to ask a woman with no real experience or training whose only role in the war effort was passing her brother's correspondence, to spy on England's top spy. Like really. Don't you think her efforts would be clumsy and place her in danger. Plus, the male attitudes of the period would not have look favorable on using a female in the first place.
Two.
Lastly, the writing. This novel doesn't meet up to Jane Feather's usual quality. The story dragged. The characters lightly developed. After 100 pages into this 257 paged story, the story started to develop. Then it happened too quickly and the story seemed forced. I've read other books by this writer and I know she generally writes a decently developed story but this one falls far from the mark.
One. It's a huge leap to ask a woman with no real experience or training whose only role in the war effort was passing her brother's correspondence, to spy on England's top spy. Like really. Don't you think her efforts would be clumsy and place her in danger. Plus, the male attitudes of the period would not have look favorable on using a female in the first place.
Two.
Lastly, the writing. This novel doesn't meet up to Jane Feather's usual quality. The story dragged. The characters lightly developed. After 100 pages into this 257 paged story, the story started to develop. Then it happened too quickly and the story seemed forced. I've read other books by this writer and I know she generally writes a decently developed story but this one falls far from the mark.
November 24, 2012
1-1/2 stars
Poorly done spy story. It was a very short story- they used large typeset and large margins to stretch it out to 258 pages, but it was more like a 120 page story. And not much mystery. And please- falling in love almost instantly with someone you believe murdered your brother and is a traitor to your country?!
Poorly done spy story. It was a very short story- they used large typeset and large margins to stretch it out to 258 pages, but it was more like a 120 page story. And not much mystery. And please- falling in love almost instantly with someone you believe murdered your brother and is a traitor to your country?!
January 21, 2015
Pretty good book. I liked both Harriet and Julius. Harriet was surprised to be asked to watch Julius and determine if he was a double agent responsible for her brother's death. When she met him at her grandfather's home she was attracted to him. She also found him to be easy to talk to and very good with her younger brother and sister. She saw things that made her think he was working for the French, but her heart told her that he wasn't. Her waffling back and forth irritated me a little. I did like her decisions at the end. Julian was a complex man. At the beginning we see the operative side of him which can be cold and calculated. But while he is at Harriet's home we see the likeable gentleman that he is underneath. He is surprised at his feelings for Harriet as nothing like that has happened to him before. He is puzzled by her hot and cold attitude toward him, but something about her fascinates him. The more time he spends with her the more he wants to let her see all of who he is. I liked the way he helped her with the twins and how protective he was of her happiness. I found it interesting, and a definite sign of his feelings, that he was willing to tell Harriet as much as he did. The end of the story was fairly satisfying though I think it would have been better were it longer with a bit more depth. We never did find out exactly why Nick was killed or what Julius's personal mission was.
January 12, 2013
Maybe I'm finally burning out on mass market romances, can you believe it? After 30 years, this may be the section of the library I skip. Sacreliege! This was competently written but many questions went unanswered. She fell for him because that's the formula, he resisted because his character must. The children were adorable because an historical country house christmas romance must have children. ALL "I's" DOTTED & ALL "T's" CROSSED.
November 12, 2012
I was expecting better and was disappointed. Very short book that really had no substance. I found that the little action held my interest not at all, and even though it was a spy sotry, the intrigue just was not there.
September 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this historical romance. It has spies, secrets, romance and history - all things I like in my books.
December 15, 2018
"Delectably dainty and annoyingly supercilious."
December 30, 2025
I’ve had this book for years and finally got around to reading it. The plot sounds much better than the book ended up being. It sounds intriguing and exciting and that is not the case.
I found this repetitive. Harriet was so back and forth. How could you forget for a second this man might be a double agent and might have even killed your brother? Harriet doubting Julius could be a double agent because he’s so charming and trusting. Then suddenly remembering he could be responsible for her brother’s death and being consumed by rage. And of course Julius is always looking at her in those moments. It would have been more believable to start out with distrust and anger and then slowly get to know him and doubt he could be a double agent. But it just kept flip flopping & it made Harriet look stupid and like she didn’t care for her brother Nick over this man she just met. On that note, she wasn’t even really mad that Julius slipped him something to knock him out which ended up getting him killed because he couldn’t defend himself against an attack.
Harriet was a crap spy. Let me ask the most pointed and obvious questions so that someone suspects that I’m onto them. & then let me make expressions and show my anger and distrust of them so they’ll be suspicious of me. And the thing was? No one even asked her to follow Julius around. She put herself in dangerous situations and wasn’t even being careful which ended up getting her caught!
There were modern expressions and this did not feel historically accurate. Harriet would not have been serving people drink and food. Also drinking chocolate every morning made me cringe.
People also called others by their titles. Julius calls the Duke, “Duke.” Harriet even calls her grandfather “Duke.” Addresses the cook as “Cook.”
It also didn’t feel accurate that the children were dining with the adults. Most of their time would have been spent in the nursery with their teachers and governess? So why was Harriet so involved with them and acted more like a governess?
Idk if the author realized but she made Nick and Julius’ friendship sound gay.
On the same hand, Harriet might have acted odd at times but why did Nick suspect her? He would say something mildly insulting or upsetting and then be like I wonder why Harriet reacted like that?
She doesn’t know you and you’re at her grandfather’s house at Christmas. Saying she can’t compete to Nick raising her little brother, which while true, is also a bit stinging. Talking about her dead brother is bound to upset her. Soo if she suddenly looks mad or upset it’s not unusual.
The romance just wasn’t there. I wasn’t feeling it or the romantic scenes. Wasn’t believable. And was kind of ick. Their first kiss was creepy. He kisses beside her mouth & just runs his tongue over her lips. Lil too much for the first kiss.
‘Nick would not object. In fact, a liaison of sorts between his dearest friend and his beloved sister would probably please him. He had sometimes hinted at such a thing, talking of arranging a weekend at Charlbury after their mission, where Harry and Julius could meet each other at last.’
A meeting between his friend and beloved sister is very different than Julius ruining his supposed best friend’s respectable sister! How could he even think of that??
Nick is accused of being a double agent for the French. You find him in the woods meeting someone who speaks French.
You ask if he killed Nick. He doesn’t answer. He comes into the room and does she ask any more questions? Demand he answer her? Tell him to leave? No! They make love. He asks if it’s her first time like she’s some dockside harlot and not a gentlewoman from a titled family. He uses his finger, saying “it will be easier for you this way.” Ughh no. Losing your virginity to his finger is not romantic.
One of those historical authors who don’t want to actually deal with a historical virgin who simply wouldn’t know things or be as comfortable with things, probably wouldn’t be very confident, but she’s adept at kissing during their first kiss, using her tongue. And acting on “instinct” during sex that a virgin back then wouldn’t have had, opening her legs up “instinctually”and just knowing how to do things she wouldn’t have. Gonna blame that on living on a farm too. 🙄 Also the sex scenes were over so quick. He’d touch her for a second and boom orgasm. What?? No buildup? That’s it??
Julius compliments the heroine on achieving her “peak” the first time because most women don’t, like he’s that good of a lover 🙄.& she’s all smug about it. So annoying. Julius also has all this experience with virgins it seems which is truly sickening. He uses his finger as the “best way” to take her virginity, knows she’ll be sore the next day but “it will pass.” He says she’ll have more peaks ahead of her, “because no one can do everything they’re capable of first time around.”
There’s also a comment about him having experience sneaking from a woman’s room. Harriet for some reason finds this funny.
‘She was no longer virgin, and that in itself was all to the good, she decided with characteristic honesty. It was a burden she was well rid of. She had no suitors, no lying men pressing her for her favor. She spent most of her time in town depressing such pretensions as gently but as directly as she could. And while she was quite prepared to go to her grave a spinster, she was very glad that it would not be as a virginal spinster.
For that, she had to thank Julius Forsythe. The man who had stood by and watched her brother die.’
So romantic. Harriet never expresses to the reader that she wants to be a spinster, that she doesn’t want to marry. To be in her head, we don’t know much about her. Her whole focus is Julius, her deceased brother, the kids, and her grandfather. Did he never push her to marry? Who will support her once he passes?
The romance in here wasn’t believable. Julius professes to us readers that he loves Harriet and they’ve only known each other a handful of days!
Her GRANDFATHER telling them they have difficulty waiting for the wedding, and whatever they choose to do and where to just use discretion! Ew!
Hiding the ring in the cake during the Christmas tradition was a cute idea. Even though I personally don’t like putting rings in food.
I thought the agents would be in contact with Harriet while Julius was there, but I guess they were waiting until after Julius left? Will Harriet tell the agents what she saw? What will she tell him? The whole point of the book wasn’t even included!
I won’t be keeping this. I’ll be donating it back to the bookshop I bought it from.
I found this repetitive. Harriet was so back and forth. How could you forget for a second this man might be a double agent and might have even killed your brother? Harriet doubting Julius could be a double agent because he’s so charming and trusting. Then suddenly remembering he could be responsible for her brother’s death and being consumed by rage. And of course Julius is always looking at her in those moments. It would have been more believable to start out with distrust and anger and then slowly get to know him and doubt he could be a double agent. But it just kept flip flopping & it made Harriet look stupid and like she didn’t care for her brother Nick over this man she just met. On that note, she wasn’t even really mad that Julius slipped him something to knock him out which ended up getting him killed because he couldn’t defend himself against an attack.
Harriet was a crap spy. Let me ask the most pointed and obvious questions so that someone suspects that I’m onto them. & then let me make expressions and show my anger and distrust of them so they’ll be suspicious of me. And the thing was? No one even asked her to follow Julius around. She put herself in dangerous situations and wasn’t even being careful which ended up getting her caught!
There were modern expressions and this did not feel historically accurate. Harriet would not have been serving people drink and food. Also drinking chocolate every morning made me cringe.
People also called others by their titles. Julius calls the Duke, “Duke.” Harriet even calls her grandfather “Duke.” Addresses the cook as “Cook.”
It also didn’t feel accurate that the children were dining with the adults. Most of their time would have been spent in the nursery with their teachers and governess? So why was Harriet so involved with them and acted more like a governess?
Idk if the author realized but she made Nick and Julius’ friendship sound gay.
On the same hand, Harriet might have acted odd at times but why did Nick suspect her? He would say something mildly insulting or upsetting and then be like I wonder why Harriet reacted like that?
She doesn’t know you and you’re at her grandfather’s house at Christmas. Saying she can’t compete to Nick raising her little brother, which while true, is also a bit stinging. Talking about her dead brother is bound to upset her. Soo if she suddenly looks mad or upset it’s not unusual.
The romance just wasn’t there. I wasn’t feeling it or the romantic scenes. Wasn’t believable. And was kind of ick. Their first kiss was creepy. He kisses beside her mouth & just runs his tongue over her lips. Lil too much for the first kiss.
‘Nick would not object. In fact, a liaison of sorts between his dearest friend and his beloved sister would probably please him. He had sometimes hinted at such a thing, talking of arranging a weekend at Charlbury after their mission, where Harry and Julius could meet each other at last.’
A meeting between his friend and beloved sister is very different than Julius ruining his supposed best friend’s respectable sister! How could he even think of that??
Nick is accused of being a double agent for the French. You find him in the woods meeting someone who speaks French.
You ask if he killed Nick. He doesn’t answer. He comes into the room and does she ask any more questions? Demand he answer her? Tell him to leave? No! They make love. He asks if it’s her first time like she’s some dockside harlot and not a gentlewoman from a titled family. He uses his finger, saying “it will be easier for you this way.” Ughh no. Losing your virginity to his finger is not romantic.
One of those historical authors who don’t want to actually deal with a historical virgin who simply wouldn’t know things or be as comfortable with things, probably wouldn’t be very confident, but she’s adept at kissing during their first kiss, using her tongue. And acting on “instinct” during sex that a virgin back then wouldn’t have had, opening her legs up “instinctually”and just knowing how to do things she wouldn’t have. Gonna blame that on living on a farm too. 🙄 Also the sex scenes were over so quick. He’d touch her for a second and boom orgasm. What?? No buildup? That’s it??
Julius compliments the heroine on achieving her “peak” the first time because most women don’t, like he’s that good of a lover 🙄.& she’s all smug about it. So annoying. Julius also has all this experience with virgins it seems which is truly sickening. He uses his finger as the “best way” to take her virginity, knows she’ll be sore the next day but “it will pass.” He says she’ll have more peaks ahead of her, “because no one can do everything they’re capable of first time around.”
There’s also a comment about him having experience sneaking from a woman’s room. Harriet for some reason finds this funny.
‘She was no longer virgin, and that in itself was all to the good, she decided with characteristic honesty. It was a burden she was well rid of. She had no suitors, no lying men pressing her for her favor. She spent most of her time in town depressing such pretensions as gently but as directly as she could. And while she was quite prepared to go to her grave a spinster, she was very glad that it would not be as a virginal spinster.
For that, she had to thank Julius Forsythe. The man who had stood by and watched her brother die.’
So romantic. Harriet never expresses to the reader that she wants to be a spinster, that she doesn’t want to marry. To be in her head, we don’t know much about her. Her whole focus is Julius, her deceased brother, the kids, and her grandfather. Did he never push her to marry? Who will support her once he passes?
The romance in here wasn’t believable. Julius professes to us readers that he loves Harriet and they’ve only known each other a handful of days!
Her GRANDFATHER telling them they have difficulty waiting for the wedding, and whatever they choose to do and where to just use discretion! Ew!
Hiding the ring in the cake during the Christmas tradition was a cute idea. Even though I personally don’t like putting rings in food.
I thought the agents would be in contact with Harriet while Julius was there, but I guess they were waiting until after Julius left? Will Harriet tell the agents what she saw? What will she tell him? The whole point of the book wasn’t even included!
I won’t be keeping this. I’ll be donating it back to the bookshop I bought it from.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2015
Lady Harriet "Harry" Devere lives her life efficiently running her grandfather's household and raising her two younger siblings after losing her mother in childbirth and both her father and her best friend/brother, Nick, to military service (both were spies serving England). Because she had assisted her brother by passing along secret information to his superiors when he was alive, she is asked after his death to keep an eye on his former partner and now holiday guest of her home, Julian Forsythe, Earl of Marbury, to see if she can find any proof that he is a double agent working for the French--and possibly the one responsible for her brother's assassination.
The story and resulting romance didn't quite hit the mark. I didn't find it believable how fast Harry's feelings turned from suspicion to love, and there were also some other bits regarding Julius' life as a spy and the reasons why Nick was killed which went unanswered. It did give a glimpse inside how these big households were run. I guess if you enjoyed Downton Abbey, you might like this for that same reason.
The story and resulting romance didn't quite hit the mark. I didn't find it believable how fast Harry's feelings turned from suspicion to love, and there were also some other bits regarding Julius' life as a spy and the reasons why Nick was killed which went unanswered. It did give a glimpse inside how these big households were run. I guess if you enjoyed Downton Abbey, you might like this for that same reason.
January 3, 2014
An okay but quick romance read without any real conflict/resolution. The story primarily revolves around Lady Harriet and her endeavor to discover Lord Marbury’s involvement in her brother’s death, and secondarily, his possible role as a traitor to the British Crown. It’s not a well-balanced romance as we spend the majority of the word count focusing on Harriet’s conflicting feelings about his attraction and status as a possible traitor/brother-killer. She’s drawn to Marbury’s thoughtfulness, “deep eyes,” and commanding nature. In turn, he’s drawn in by her beauty, intelligence and just-something-about-her-that-is-never-really-elaborated-on. The actual romance between the two is neither compelling nor convincing and is really only present since a romantic pairing is sort of a deal breaker for a romance novel. The reveal of Marbury’s involvement is rushed and anticlimactic, with Harriet’s reaction/acceptance of it just as bad.
January 13, 2013
The setup was great - h's brother killed on a spy mission in the Napoleonic War, and she's recruited to watch over the H -his buddy/suspected double agent. How could a story with espionage and a holiday house party end up being so dull? The h was not likeable. There was very little action. On top of that, there was hardly any romance and virtually no steam. With a shorter page count,one would hope this book would lack all that boring filler that seems so pervasive these days in HRs that clock in at 400+; however, this one seemed to be a book of mostly just filler. What a let-down. I have to admit, I'd tried Feather a couple times before and could never make it past 50 pages or so -- I guess at least I finished this one (although, I readily admit to skimming the last third). I doubt I ever pick up one of hers again. 1 star
January 26, 2013
I couldn't do it...I just read two more interactions between Harriet and Julius and I started to yawn. Terrible...definitely not a usual Jane Feather book. I only made it as far as page 85. Blech!
The premise was a little sketchy to begin with since what government in their right mind would ask some girl to investigate a potential murderer. The execution was awful...Harriet is boring and has way too much time on her hands. Julius is just as bad. I have a hard time believing he works for the British as a spy at all. He is clueless and just as boring as Harriet. I hope they have a nice, boring life together.
As I mentioned before, I had lost this book in a desk a few months ago...It is going back!
The premise was a little sketchy to begin with since what government in their right mind would ask some girl to investigate a potential murderer. The execution was awful...Harriet is boring and has way too much time on her hands. Julius is just as bad. I have a hard time believing he works for the British as a spy at all. He is clueless and just as boring as Harriet. I hope they have a nice, boring life together.
As I mentioned before, I had lost this book in a desk a few months ago...It is going back!
December 1, 2017
A light sweet winter/Christmas story. It’s not overly long, about the length of a Harlequin novel so not as much depth as a 300+ page novel but it was good. I don’t know why it’s rated so low. The writing and story were both done well. I enjoyed the characters. The spy part wasn’t like “action” so I don’t feel like she was suppose to be a spy with no training, what she was asked to do she was capable of.
December 16, 2018
Ok, so like a lot of the other reviewers, I noticed that this is pretty much a stretched out novella. I read the whole thing, so it deserves that much credit, but towards the end I was hate reading. The 21 year old heroine is completely under the spell of the 30 year old hero (So Gross). He definitely contributed to her brother’s murder, but i guess that’s fine?? And the hero is constantly criticizing her. I liked her alone and her competence but i hated almost everything else about this book.
December 8, 2012
I finished the historical romance but it was very heavy in detailed description of every day-to-day activity sprinkled with characters sometimes thinking about the plot but no action. I skimmed a lot. After Harriet's brother is killed, she is asked to watch Julius and see if he is a double agent.
December 2, 2012
I love Jane Feather's novels. They are always filled with a little mystery, romance, and history. "Twelfth Night" felt a bit rushed and incomplete. I don't think I read why Nick was murdered or what the mission was about that the Julius was involved in.
December 9, 2025
Books I Own. Christmas Romance 2025. Jane Feather is a new author for me. Tropes: Christmas Romance, Romance/Mystery, Spy.
MC's h. Harriet Devere,21, Grandfather, Duke of Charlbury, younger twin siblings, Grace & Tom? Her parents and her brother Nicholas were deceased. Nicholas just over a year. Both her father and her brother were involved as spies for the Crown and both were assasinated on the job. The Crown has asked Harriet to observe Julius, Earl of Marbury to see what her does. They think he might be a double agent and he could have even assasinated Nick.
H. Julius Forsythe, Earl of Marbury, 30, was an associate of Nicholas Devere, Viscount Hesketh, a fellow spy for the crown. He was there the fateful day Nick was assasinated. He couldn't intervene to save him though as he had his own mission to complete. He put some sleeping potion into Nick's drink so he would go back to the hotel to lie down and sleep it off just before he was accosted by two men. He fought valiently even though he was drugged. Nick is staying at Harriet's grandfather's for Christmas and is sending messages through the French underground contacts from Oxford, 10 miles away.
This is a Georgian Romance Mystery with espionage at Christmas time. Harriet's brother died by a French assassine as an English spy a year ago. The ministry of war asked her to observe the Earl of Marbury who is currently staying at her Grandfather's country seat in Oxfordshire, Charlbury Manor. They suspect he could be a double spy.
Harriet immediately likes the Earl but is on guard around him. Julius doesn't understand her hot/cold attitude. He notices a thread in his drawer where he keeps his papers is disturbed. He went, late at night, to mark a tree in the clearing, for a meeting from an Oxford student (underground network of spies) on Boxing Day. Harriet saw him leave the manor late a night and followed him. Julius knew someone was following him even though he couldn't see or hear them. The only person it could be was Harriet. But why?
Harriet sometimes felt close to Julius like she did with her brother Nick, whom she missed very much. This was the first Christmas without him. Even though no one said anything, everyone felt it, Grandfather, the twins and herself, even all the servants who knew them since birth.
Julius, used to the spy business and not used to feeling morose over agent's losses did feel bad about Nick. His family, especially Harriet and the twins really needed him. He was the Duke's heir. Now the title passed onto his little brother. He wanted to help ease the families' burden especially Harriet's. He had come to admire her courage and spirit and her body was also very fine too. Even though he couldn't afford to have a real relationship, he felt drawn to her. She intrigued him.
Harriet had mixed feelings about Julius. If she hadn't been forewarned by the ministry of war she would have been completely charmed and taken in by Julius. He was friendly and approachable. He was protective of his dog. He went hunting but chose not to shoot a duck or goose even though he could have. He was kind and played with the twins. Her grandfather was putting them in each other's company and then making an excuse to leave the room. (Matchmaker). When he talked to her he asked her to call him Julius and he even kissed her, while they were looking at her family's protraits in the great hall. He told her she looked a lot like Nick. He told her that Nick talked about her all the time. However Nick never told her about Julius. He seemed to be friend's with her grandfather the Duke of Charlbury. She followed him and saw the hieroglyphic mark on the tree in the clearing. She checked for papers in the drawer in his room but didn't find anything. She did observe him reading a paper and burning it in his room the first day she was there though. He also road into Oxford on a horse one afternoon. She didn't know what to believe. Was he or wasn't he a double agent? As for her feelings when his body was near her, she got the tingles and liked how he smelled. He was a very good looking and charming man. He made her feel at ease and protected. Her brain said one thing and her body another.
MC's h. Harriet Devere,21, Grandfather, Duke of Charlbury, younger twin siblings, Grace & Tom? Her parents and her brother Nicholas were deceased. Nicholas just over a year. Both her father and her brother were involved as spies for the Crown and both were assasinated on the job. The Crown has asked Harriet to observe Julius, Earl of Marbury to see what her does. They think he might be a double agent and he could have even assasinated Nick.
H. Julius Forsythe, Earl of Marbury, 30, was an associate of Nicholas Devere, Viscount Hesketh, a fellow spy for the crown. He was there the fateful day Nick was assasinated. He couldn't intervene to save him though as he had his own mission to complete. He put some sleeping potion into Nick's drink so he would go back to the hotel to lie down and sleep it off just before he was accosted by two men. He fought valiently even though he was drugged. Nick is staying at Harriet's grandfather's for Christmas and is sending messages through the French underground contacts from Oxford, 10 miles away.
This is a Georgian Romance Mystery with espionage at Christmas time. Harriet's brother died by a French assassine as an English spy a year ago. The ministry of war asked her to observe the Earl of Marbury who is currently staying at her Grandfather's country seat in Oxfordshire, Charlbury Manor. They suspect he could be a double spy.
Harriet immediately likes the Earl but is on guard around him. Julius doesn't understand her hot/cold attitude. He notices a thread in his drawer where he keeps his papers is disturbed. He went, late at night, to mark a tree in the clearing, for a meeting from an Oxford student (underground network of spies) on Boxing Day. Harriet saw him leave the manor late a night and followed him. Julius knew someone was following him even though he couldn't see or hear them. The only person it could be was Harriet. But why?
Harriet sometimes felt close to Julius like she did with her brother Nick, whom she missed very much. This was the first Christmas without him. Even though no one said anything, everyone felt it, Grandfather, the twins and herself, even all the servants who knew them since birth.
Julius, used to the spy business and not used to feeling morose over agent's losses did feel bad about Nick. His family, especially Harriet and the twins really needed him. He was the Duke's heir. Now the title passed onto his little brother. He wanted to help ease the families' burden especially Harriet's. He had come to admire her courage and spirit and her body was also very fine too. Even though he couldn't afford to have a real relationship, he felt drawn to her. She intrigued him.
Harriet had mixed feelings about Julius. If she hadn't been forewarned by the ministry of war she would have been completely charmed and taken in by Julius. He was friendly and approachable. He was protective of his dog. He went hunting but chose not to shoot a duck or goose even though he could have. He was kind and played with the twins. Her grandfather was putting them in each other's company and then making an excuse to leave the room. (Matchmaker). When he talked to her he asked her to call him Julius and he even kissed her, while they were looking at her family's protraits in the great hall. He told her she looked a lot like Nick. He told her that Nick talked about her all the time. However Nick never told her about Julius. He seemed to be friend's with her grandfather the Duke of Charlbury. She followed him and saw the hieroglyphic mark on the tree in the clearing. She checked for papers in the drawer in his room but didn't find anything. She did observe him reading a paper and burning it in his room the first day she was there though. He also road into Oxford on a horse one afternoon. She didn't know what to believe. Was he or wasn't he a double agent? As for her feelings when his body was near her, she got the tingles and liked how he smelled. He was a very good looking and charming man. He made her feel at ease and protected. Her brain said one thing and her body another.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥
Would recommend for lovers of tropes such as the late 1700s, female spies, and enemy-to-lover vibes.
My Summary: Lady Harriet Devere is the sister of a British spy, taking a minor role in his work. When Nick dies, her role should be finished. Instead, she is given a mission - to observe the Earl of Marbury, who may have been responsible for Nick's death - from her position as hostess of her family's annual Christmas house party.
My Review: For such a short novel mainly taking place only over a few short days, the story is remarkably fast-paced. However, this author makes it work perfectly, balancing the in-between moments with more action and excitement-filled scenes. The characters and their development are almost perfect as well. Harriet's constant inner turmoil is justified given her complicated position. She wants her brother avenged, and is fixated on Julius as his probable murderer, but struggles to keep believing it when she witnesses how good of a person he is and begins to fall for him. Julius for his part is dealing with his own complicated position as he is wrought with guilt over Nick's death while also falling head over heels for Harriet, all whilst trying to complete his own delicate mission in the area. I would argue that a man of his experience would realistically have more self-control than Julius demonstrates, but I can of course suspend a bit of realism for the sake of the simple fact that novels such as these are meant to illicit strong emotion from readers, and thus the characters must lose control to make it more dramatic. I digress. This novel was quite enjoyable, easily finished within a day or two (I took far too long for lack of time), and consists of an exciting spy story with interesting characters and a fairly happy ending.
Now for my critiques; I would have rated this a little higher had it not been for some flaws in the writing as well as two nagging plot holes. Firstly, the matter of the Earl's desk being tampered with. Yes, Harriet had been in his room and looked over his desk, but she never touched a thing. The story seems to imply she had gone through his things from his perspective, but it couldn't have been her, even timing-wise if I'm to assume the scene was simply "off-camera." She was elsewhere, doing other things, the time she had been in his room was a couple of days prior, he easily would have noticed well beforehand. The question of who had rifled through his desk is never answered. The second plot hole is that of how the French agents Julius was working with discovered his true intentions. They ambush him but it is never discovered why. As for the writing flaws, it comes down to too many perspective shifts happening too quickly. It gets very confusing for a moment at several moments where the perspective may shift once or twice within the same paragraph. The story is being told from the perspectives of both Harriet and Julius, though mostly the former, and it doesn't always transition smoothly.
For my final thought, I'd say that I badly wish the final chapter and epilogue were quite different. I like how they happened, though I wish the epilogue was actually the final chapter, and that we had an epilogue consisting of a time-skip. I'd love to see Harriet and Julius hosting or attending a holiday party years later with older children of their own, and perhaps Julius being on a small mission nearby with the help of his wife.
As for the spice rating, there is a lot of build-up leading to two explicit, though very vanilla scenes.
🔥🔥
Would recommend for lovers of tropes such as the late 1700s, female spies, and enemy-to-lover vibes.
My Summary: Lady Harriet Devere is the sister of a British spy, taking a minor role in his work. When Nick dies, her role should be finished. Instead, she is given a mission - to observe the Earl of Marbury, who may have been responsible for Nick's death - from her position as hostess of her family's annual Christmas house party.
My Review: For such a short novel mainly taking place only over a few short days, the story is remarkably fast-paced. However, this author makes it work perfectly, balancing the in-between moments with more action and excitement-filled scenes. The characters and their development are almost perfect as well. Harriet's constant inner turmoil is justified given her complicated position. She wants her brother avenged, and is fixated on Julius as his probable murderer, but struggles to keep believing it when she witnesses how good of a person he is and begins to fall for him. Julius for his part is dealing with his own complicated position as he is wrought with guilt over Nick's death while also falling head over heels for Harriet, all whilst trying to complete his own delicate mission in the area. I would argue that a man of his experience would realistically have more self-control than Julius demonstrates, but I can of course suspend a bit of realism for the sake of the simple fact that novels such as these are meant to illicit strong emotion from readers, and thus the characters must lose control to make it more dramatic. I digress. This novel was quite enjoyable, easily finished within a day or two (I took far too long for lack of time), and consists of an exciting spy story with interesting characters and a fairly happy ending.
Now for my critiques; I would have rated this a little higher had it not been for some flaws in the writing as well as two nagging plot holes. Firstly, the matter of the Earl's desk being tampered with. Yes, Harriet had been in his room and looked over his desk, but she never touched a thing. The story seems to imply she had gone through his things from his perspective, but it couldn't have been her, even timing-wise if I'm to assume the scene was simply "off-camera." She was elsewhere, doing other things, the time she had been in his room was a couple of days prior, he easily would have noticed well beforehand. The question of who had rifled through his desk is never answered. The second plot hole is that of how the French agents Julius was working with discovered his true intentions. They ambush him but it is never discovered why. As for the writing flaws, it comes down to too many perspective shifts happening too quickly. It gets very confusing for a moment at several moments where the perspective may shift once or twice within the same paragraph. The story is being told from the perspectives of both Harriet and Julius, though mostly the former, and it doesn't always transition smoothly.
For my final thought, I'd say that I badly wish the final chapter and epilogue were quite different. I like how they happened, though I wish the epilogue was actually the final chapter, and that we had an epilogue consisting of a time-skip. I'd love to see Harriet and Julius hosting or attending a holiday party years later with older children of their own, and perhaps Julius being on a small mission nearby with the help of his wife.
As for the spice rating, there is a lot of build-up leading to two explicit, though very vanilla scenes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2019
I still struggle not to roll my eyes over anachronistic heroines and their attitudes toward premarital sex in historical romances. In 1797, Jane Austen was 22. Lady Harriet is presented as a reasonably conformist -- and highly responsible -- woman, and I just can't convince myself a true-to-her-time Lady Harriet (much less her uncle) would be so cavalier about it. The family has an adventurous streak, but that's not the same as embracing recklessness for the sake of passion.
Also an oddly-un Christmassy story, even though they do all manner of Christmassy things. Not sure why that part doesn't work for me.
Still, despite those gripes, a nice little story on the whole. People were keeping Big Secrets and yet I never wanted to give anyone a good solid thunk for being stupid. Or at least, not over the secrets -- wanted to thunk the hero at one point for spilling one, which is not the same thing, so I have to give her points for that.
Part of me thinks it was not very realistic that the hero so easily fell in love and opened himself up to the heroine, but at the same time he is not presented as angsty and driven by demons so much as a responsible man who made the choice to be secretive, and one who has a history of neatly dividing his life, where there are people he loves and trusts and is as honest as possible with, so while there was a bit of side-eye on that, I could mostly buy it.
And I liked both hero and heroine, which is always nice.
Also an oddly-un Christmassy story, even though they do all manner of Christmassy things. Not sure why that part doesn't work for me.
Still, despite those gripes, a nice little story on the whole. People were keeping Big Secrets and yet I never wanted to give anyone a good solid thunk for being stupid. Or at least, not over the secrets -- wanted to thunk the hero at one point for spilling one, which is not the same thing, so I have to give her points for that.
Part of me thinks it was not very realistic that the hero so easily fell in love and opened himself up to the heroine, but at the same time he is not presented as angsty and driven by demons so much as a responsible man who made the choice to be secretive, and one who has a history of neatly dividing his life, where there are people he loves and trusts and is as honest as possible with, so while there was a bit of side-eye on that, I could mostly buy it.
And I liked both hero and heroine, which is always nice.
November 20, 2022
I found this book a bit slow although there were some good parts.
Harriet's brother was killed and Julius, the Earl of Marbury, is suspect. The Ministry of War wants Harriet to find evidence either way. Julius is staying at her grandfather's home for a house Christmas party.
There is intrigue, adorable young twins of unknown age (I'm not sure why their age wasn't given) and romance.
I didn't particularly like Harriet's grandfather. And her brother's murder was quite troubling. I don't know if I could have been as forgiving as Harriet. Sorry, no spoilers.
Harriet's brother was killed and Julius, the Earl of Marbury, is suspect. The Ministry of War wants Harriet to find evidence either way. Julius is staying at her grandfather's home for a house Christmas party.
There is intrigue, adorable young twins of unknown age (I'm not sure why their age wasn't given) and romance.
I didn't particularly like Harriet's grandfather. And her brother's murder was quite troubling. I don't know if I could have been as forgiving as Harriet. Sorry, no spoilers.
November 6, 2017
Sem sorte com esse aqui. Foi muito amor, a parte do mistério foi muito mal desenvolvida. Gostei do modo da escrita, mas faltou conversa, faltou estória no livro.
Uma premissa até boa desperdiçada.
Uma premissa até boa desperdiçada.
December 23, 2019
2 1/2 stars. A sweet romance with a dash of intrigue.
August 1, 2024
Very simple romance novel. Hits the basics. Good for a light read.
November 6, 2012
TWELFTH NIGHT SECRETS by Jane Feather is an interesting historical romance with a holiday theme(Christmas). A Napoleonic espionage plot with a few twists and turns. Follow Lady Harriett Devere and Julius Forsythe,Earl of Marbury on a journey filled with passion,secrets,guilt,regrets,honor,romance,spies, betrayal,and love. A fast paced but touching Christmas themed story that will have you turning pages of this story of the desire to honor one's friend and the other's brother as desire and passion intervene. Ms. Feather has written a complex and compelling tale that will warm your heart with Christmas cheer and love. I enjoy Ms. Feather's stories and this one was no less thrilling. How can one honor his friend and keep his country safe at the same time,you can not. Julius chose his friend for his country. Now his friend's sister,Lady Harriett, has been enlisted in a dangerous game that could destroy them both. A warm but not light hearted Christmas themed story! Received for an honest review from the publisher. Details can be found at Pocket Books,an imprint of Simon & Schuster and My Book Addiction and More.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
October 8, 2013
Lady Harriet Devere is preparing to attend her family's annual Christmas house party when two men from the government approach her. Harriet knew that her brother Nick had been a spy—in fact she'd passed some of his coded correspondence to his handlers. But now these men tell her that Nick didn't die at Elba as she'd previously been told. No. He was murdered on the streets of Paris. And they suspect the Earl of Marbury, Julius Forsythe. Forsythe happens to be attending the house party, and the men want Harriet to do a little snooping to see if he's a double agent.
Naturally, Harriet finds herself attracted to Julius, even though she keeps reminding herself that she hates him because he might've killed her brother. And all the sneaky things he's doing sure make him look guilty as sin.
Without going into detail, the HEA came a bit too easily for my taste. At least one of the revelations towards the end should've caused Harriet a bit more consternation. I'm a Jane Feather fan, but this isn't one of her best. 3 stars.
Naturally, Harriet finds herself attracted to Julius, even though she keeps reminding herself that she hates him because he might've killed her brother. And all the sneaky things he's doing sure make him look guilty as sin.
Without going into detail, the HEA came a bit too easily for my taste. At least one of the revelations towards the end should've caused Harriet a bit more consternation. I'm a Jane Feather fan, but this isn't one of her best. 3 stars.
January 13, 2013
The holidays are upon is in 1797. Harriet, aka Harry, is charged with organizing her grandfathers annual holiday soiree. Harry is just coming out of mourning her brothers death, she is busy raising her two younger siblings, and her grandfather is all the family she has left for the most part. Associates of Harry's brother pay her a visit informing her that not only was her brothers death not as reported, but they are in need of her services to gain information on Lard Marbury. Lord Marbury is suspected of murdering her brother. The only problem? Harriet finds it a little easy to stay close to Lord Marbury, gain is confidence, and find out "the dirt" on him.
Twelfth Night Secrets was a quick and fun read for the holiday season. It was not loaded in steamy sex scenes, the first one was about two-thirds of the way through. There was intrigue, suspense, romance, and humor throughout the book. A joy to read!
Twelfth Night Secrets was a quick and fun read for the holiday season. It was not loaded in steamy sex scenes, the first one was about two-thirds of the way through. There was intrigue, suspense, romance, and humor throughout the book. A joy to read!
February 8, 2013
romance is well and good but you really do need to suspend your disbelief with this one. a short read to tie in with christmas, the ingredients for a couple of fun protagonists were there, but the relationship didn't have a hope of ringing true as it wasn't given time to develop. told to spy on a man who probably killed her brother, our heroine neither sleeps with him because she's overcome with lust and then kills him (option 1) or keeps him at arm's length until the misunderstandings are worked out (option 2), no she chooses option 3 - falls in love, sleeps with him while believing he was still guilty. ugh
August 8, 2013
As I have written before books labeled ‘romance novel’ is not my favorite or usual books to read. This one was given to me so I thought ‘what the heck’ it’s sort of a historical fiction book set in 1797 in England. It was to have romance, spys, killings, children, holiday party, etc. So why was it so dull? The writing was good, but a typical formula for a romance novel-girl meets boy falls in love but doesn’t understand why; guy meets girl is attracted to her to the point it’s crazy.
With a 2 star rating from me -I didn’t like it.
With a 2 star rating from me -I didn’t like it.
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