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Secret McQueen #1
Something Secret This Way Comes
Some secrets are dangerous. This Secret is deadly.
For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.
When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself—and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas’s second-in-command…
Warning: This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence.
For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.
When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself—and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas’s second-in-command…
Warning: This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence.
264 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2011
266 people are currently reading
6007 people want to read
About the author
Sierra Dean
53 books623 followersSierra Dean is a reformed historian. She was born and raised in the Canadian prairies and is allowed annual exit visas in order to continue her quest of steadily conquering the world one city at a time. Making the best of the cold Canadian winters, Sierra indulges in her less global interests: drinking too much tea and writing urban fantasy.
Ever since she was a young girl she has loved the idea of the supernatural coexisting with the mundane. As an adult, however, the idea evolved from the notion of fairies in flower beds, to imagining that the rugged-looking guy at the garage might secretly be a werewolf. She has used her overactive imagination to create her own version of the world, where vampire, werewolves, fairies, gods and monsters all walk among us, and she’ll continue to travel as much as possible until she finds it for real.
She’s also a book lover (of course!), obsessive collector of OPI nailpolish and the owner of way too many pairs of shoes.
Ever since she was a young girl she has loved the idea of the supernatural coexisting with the mundane. As an adult, however, the idea evolved from the notion of fairies in flower beds, to imagining that the rugged-looking guy at the garage might secretly be a werewolf. She has used her overactive imagination to create her own version of the world, where vampire, werewolves, fairies, gods and monsters all walk among us, and she’ll continue to travel as much as possible until she finds it for real.
She’s also a book lover (of course!), obsessive collector of OPI nailpolish and the owner of way too many pairs of shoes.
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February 18, 2016
☠ DNF at 52% ☠
☢ TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains Stupidly Stupid Highly Flammable Ground-Breaking Crap (SSHFGBC™).
☢ Friendly warning: I'm afraid this is going to be one of those pit-stop required reviews. Sorry .
I'm seriously beginning to think I shouldn't put so much faith in human kind. I mean, look at this fine specimen of Stupidly Stupid Crap here. Given the title of the book and the name of the series, anyone else would have thought: Secret and Secret, OH HELL NO. But me? Nah. I'm always happy to give authors the benefit of the
But anyway.
So. Want to know why is this Stupidly Stupid Highly Flammable Ground-Breaking Crap (SSHFGBC™)? Here goes.
① The secretive heroine whose secret name shall not remain secret, since it's Secret .
» Secret not only has the coolest name in the history of cool names, she also has the cool looks to go with it. She's skinny (of course), she's hot (obviously), she's blonde (that's a prerequisite). And that blonde hair of hers! Oh, that blonde hair of hers! Those thick, fat, loose curls she loves so much! They are never tight! They are never frizzy! Secret's got built-in awesomely beautiful hair! Secret will never have to use styling products! Secret will never have to worry about looking like this:
Damn. Secret really is Super Cool and Super Hot. And did I mention she was tiny, too? In case you didn't know, that's another prerequisite for this type of SSHFGBC™. I mean, Super Short heroines are mandatory when the Super Hot Dudes in residence are Super Tall. And vice versa. And her being Super Short doesn't mean she doesn't kick-ass, oh no. As Super Cool Secret herself will tell you: I kill vampires, it’s what I do, and not just any five-four blonde girl could pull it off. Oh, did I mention Super Cool and Super Hot Secret hated to boast? Sorry, I must have forgotten.
» Secret's got SECRETS! Who would have guessed?! Secret's a half-vampire, half-werewolf hybrid! Hot damn! Told you the chick was Super Cool! She despises both vamps and weres, too! And she hasn't turned furry since she was 2 years old! That's right, this skinny blonde chick might be tiny but she CAN resist turning furry by sheer force of will! Which makes her all special kinds of Super Cool! And you know what's even cooler? Some of Secret's secrets are so secret Secret herself doesn't even know about them! Hot damn! Unbeknownst to her, Secret is really a freaking Southern werewolf Princess! Hot damn! A freaking skinny, tiny, blonde, hot, Southern werewolf Princess! In the flesh!
» Being a Skinny, Tiny, Blonde, Hot Chick (STBHC™), Secret only drinks non-fat, no-foam, vanilla lattes. Yeah, the girl is pretty wild. You people might think that non-fat, no-foam, vanilla lattes are for sissies, and that real kick-ass chicks drink their coffee black. Well that would be terribly judgemental of you. Such condescending thoughts would never occur to me. NEVER. By the way, did I tell you our STBHC™ had a hilarious sense of humor, too? I swear, the girl cracks me up. She says things like: They say curiosity killed the cat. Guess it’s a good thing I was part wolf and not part cat.
Told you she was hilarious. And you know what else? She uses BAD words, too. Not only that, she actually strings her curses together with blasphemous intensity. Yep. She says shocking things like son of a bitch. WOW. Now that's what I call cursing like a sailor. Dear Secret here definitely puts Kara Gillian (aka the Cursing Queen) to shame.
» Secret is terribly lonely. Secret cannot have a human boyfriend because the poor soul wouldn't understand the vampwolf stuff. So Secret has been single for years. Poor thing. Is there anything sadder than a single STBHC™? I think not. Well if Super Cool Secret used her one grey cell for a second she'd go all "eureka!" and realize her city is swarming with non-human Super Hot Dudes (aka boyfriend material) AND that she works with them day in day out. But no. No such luck. Because yes, being a STBHC™ also implies being a total, complete nitwit.
So. I think I have just proven that Secret is pretty much the most perfectest, awesomest heroine ever. Which is pretty fantastic in itself. But hold on to your seats because now comes the truly amazing stuff.
② The Highly Flammable Ground-Breaking Crap.
» You've read about Insta-Freaking-Love. You've read about Insta-Freaking-Mating. You've read about Love Triangles of Doom and Destruction. Now put all three together and what do you get? Insta-Freaking-Soul-Bonded-Threesome (IFSBT™). Yep, that's right. Meet Sierra Dean, people. The UF author who boldly takes her stories where no shameless PNR writer has gone before. This is SO FREAKING COOL ← this might or might not be a slightly ironic statement.
So the basis for this delightful story is:
Insta-Freaking Love³ + Insta-Freaking-Mating³ = Insta-Freaking-Threesome
Simple maths, begone! This is really complex stuff, and definitely not your basic, average Love Triangle of Doom and Destruction. We must expand! We must analyze! Which means I am about to go all technical on you now, so get your
So we have :
A = Secret
B = Super Hot, Super Rich Werewolf Kingpin
C = Super Hot, Super Rich Werewolf Kingpin's Super Hot First Lieutenant
Have I mentioned that both B and C are Super Hot Dudes? Oh well, rehashing never hurts, does it? Anyway, you know what is really cool about this book? Everyone is BIOTIFUL. I love it. It makes for a more realistic story. The Super Hot Dudes here are nothing but chiseled biceps, chiseled abs, chiseled jaws, chiseled everything! I'm pretty sure even the two synapses B and C share are of the chiseled kind. This is so awesome. But I digress. Let's get back to the technicalities for a minute. So B and C have been soul-bonded since they were kids. B is soul-bonded to A. But C is also soul-bonded to A. And A is obviously soul-bonded to both B and C. Which, in Sierra Dean's Math Wonderland Lingo, loosely translates to:
(A+B+C) x (A+B) x (A+C) x (B+C)² = What The Bloody Fuck³
And this very innovative formula makes for delightfully colourful situations. After A bangs C senseless, for example. And proceeds to jump B's bones in the hallway 5 minutes later. Why is this particular situation delightfully colourful, you ask? Because all three members of our Delightfully Soul-Bonded Threesome, being delightfully soul-bonded, can sense and feel whatever their Soul-Bonded colleagues are sensing and feeling. So when A and C get down to business, B can feel ALL THE FEELS. From both sides of the fence. You know, when C gets his thing into A's thing and vice-versa and stuff. That's way better than 3D and role-playing combined, if you ask me. But wait! It gets much better! Another factor has to be taken into account! Not only can the members of our Delightfully Soul-Bonded Threesome feel each other, they can taste each other the contactless way too! It's like Wi-Fi for taste buds! This is so cool.
So. Time to go back to Sierra Dean's Math Wonderland:
Again, I PROMISE I am NOT making any of this up.
A = Secret = marshmallow flavor
B = Super Hot, Super Rich Werewolf Kingpin = cinnamon flavor (option B: cinnamon buns. I kid you not).
C = Super Hot , Super Rich Werewolf Kingpin's Super Hot First Lieutenant = lime flavor (option B: key lime pie. I kid you not).
Whenever two of these delightful people get down and dirty, pretty much everyone gets a wireless taste of everyone else in their respective mouths. Yummy. So you get marshmallows + cinnamon buns + key lime pie . Now stir and whisk for 5 minutes and what do you get? The best freaking desert this side of the universe. Which takes us to the big reveal, the best-kept secret in the UF world: Sierra Dean is not only a genius mathematician (the above-mentioned innovative formulas can attest to it), she also knows how to channel her inner Julia Childs. And that, my dear people, takes real talent.
So this is basically why this book is a Stupidly Stupid Highly Flammable Ground-Breaking Piece of Crap (SSHFGBPoC™). But it's not ALL bad. Oh no. There are great things in this book. Like sentences that make absolutely no sense, no matter how many times you read them. Thanks to this story, I also learned that we awfully lewd Europeans had the awfully lewd habit of greeting our guests in the buff. No wonder I'm so popular in my neighbourhood. Oh, and did you know that Marilyn Monroe was actually the daughter of a fairy and a god? I'm telling you, this book is absolutely packed with awesome stuff. There are two instances of Bad French, too: grand-mère is spelt grandmere and one of the Super Hot Dudes addresses Super Cool Secret as mon chéri (masculine) instead of ma chérie (feminine). But hey, who knows, one of Secret's secrets might also be that she is actually a guy. Or better yet, a hermaphrodite. Now that would be REALLY cool.
And I think that's pretty much all the STUPIDLY STUPID CRAP that can be found in this book. To think I only read to the 52% mark. Had I finished the book, I'm pretty sure I would have either (a) committed crap-induced suicide or (b) annihilated all life on this planet. Or both.
» And the moral of this pit-stop worthy review is:
September 15, 2011
Won from Sierra Dean!
Alright all, my gut reactions, you ready?
3.5/5 grade B-
I have personal issues. You should know that by now if you follow me or my blog at all. There are very few things in books that turn me off. Two such things are cliffhangers---and triangles+. I was hesitant to start reading Something Secret This Way Comes, because I had heard, and read that there was more than one love interest. Still, the cover is badass, then I won a twitter contest and blam, I owned the book, and well, here I am.
Secret Mcqueen {Fabulous name by the way} is a hybrid that shouldn't exist. Half vampire and half werewolf, she is pretty strong and powerful, yet she is only twenty-two, and has a lot to learn. She has also only been hunting vamps and were's for the past six years (why then? I want to know a little more about why she left home, and started hunting vamps at 16 by herself)
I liked Sierra Deans's world and take on the supernatural. It was aptly described and fleshed out without being overly complicated or wordy. As a reader of a lot of UF and PNR, I appreciated that. The hierarchy's are clearly defined and it's easy to understand.
So saying, let's talk wolves. Yes...wolves...plural The Wolf King is Lucas, his second in command is Desmond. They are soul bonded to each other, and I'm not entirely sure what that means exactly, and it wasn't explained well yet, I imagine we will learn more later, but all I can picture is two hot male wolves vying for dominance and I'm all a flutter...I'm just sayin. (There is no sexual male tension for those wanting to know, it's just my over active imagination) It was also hinted at the there will be MORE lovers in the cards for Secret. Um...say what now? I imagine a wolf and vampire will be in her life, seeing as she is half and half, making for an interesting menage in the future. Not my favorite love device :shakes head:
This reminds me of Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson series. I had a hard time with the first few books in that series as well. There was a lot of casual sex and that just doesn't wet my whistle. I hate when there are too many cocks in the hen house. It's just not for me. I'll give the next book a shot so I can see where Sierra is taking Secret and the collective gang, but if it goes the way of Anita Blake--I'm all set. There is only room for one magical vagina in the fictional world, and Anita claimed that stick a long time ago (How many puns can I make eh? Come on, you know I'm funny)
So overall, The plot went like this : Evil vampire trying to take over the city! The big bad vampire Tribunal dispatches Secret to capture him alive dun dun dun...
Below is a mild spoiler, read at your own risk, no seriously, it is a climax spoiler, and NO not that climax silly readers... that climax was pretty rushed {gimmme more Sierra, more, moar!!}
The classic, TSTL moment. Why!
Other than that, I Give Something Secret This Way Comes a B-/C+, it was entertaining, I just have issues, so take what I say with a grain of pepper.
Alright all, my gut reactions, you ready?
3.5/5 grade B-
I have personal issues. You should know that by now if you follow me or my blog at all. There are very few things in books that turn me off. Two such things are cliffhangers---and triangles+. I was hesitant to start reading Something Secret This Way Comes, because I had heard, and read that there was more than one love interest. Still, the cover is badass, then I won a twitter contest and blam, I owned the book, and well, here I am.
Secret Mcqueen {Fabulous name by the way} is a hybrid that shouldn't exist. Half vampire and half werewolf, she is pretty strong and powerful, yet she is only twenty-two, and has a lot to learn. She has also only been hunting vamps and were's for the past six years (why then? I want to know a little more about why she left home, and started hunting vamps at 16 by herself)
I liked Sierra Deans's world and take on the supernatural. It was aptly described and fleshed out without being overly complicated or wordy. As a reader of a lot of UF and PNR, I appreciated that. The hierarchy's are clearly defined and it's easy to understand.
So saying, let's talk wolves. Yes...wolves...plural The Wolf King is Lucas, his second in command is Desmond. They are soul bonded to each other, and I'm not entirely sure what that means exactly, and it wasn't explained well yet, I imagine we will learn more later, but all I can picture is two hot male wolves vying for dominance and I'm all a flutter...I'm just sayin. (There is no sexual male tension for those wanting to know, it's just my over active imagination) It was also hinted at the there will be MORE lovers in the cards for Secret. Um...say what now? I imagine a wolf and vampire will be in her life, seeing as she is half and half, making for an interesting menage in the future. Not my favorite love device :shakes head:
This reminds me of Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson series. I had a hard time with the first few books in that series as well. There was a lot of casual sex and that just doesn't wet my whistle. I hate when there are too many cocks in the hen house. It's just not for me. I'll give the next book a shot so I can see where Sierra is taking Secret and the collective gang, but if it goes the way of Anita Blake--I'm all set. There is only room for one magical vagina in the fictional world, and Anita claimed that stick a long time ago (How many puns can I make eh? Come on, you know I'm funny)
So overall, The plot went like this : Evil vampire trying to take over the city! The big bad vampire Tribunal dispatches Secret to capture him alive dun dun dun...
Below is a mild spoiler, read at your own risk, no seriously, it is a climax spoiler, and NO not that climax silly readers... that climax was pretty rushed {gimmme more Sierra, more, moar!!}
The classic, TSTL moment. Why!
Other than that, I Give Something Secret This Way Comes a B-/C+, it was entertaining, I just have issues, so take what I say with a grain of pepper.
September 4, 2016
I tend to rate the books I read mostly by how well they kept my attention. In this case? It did its job well. Actually, now when I think about it, it is even better than that because it has two of the most annoying things you could have in a book: a triangle of sorts and it ends in a cliffhanger and I still liked it.
The first thing you should know about this book (and probably the whole series) is that it's a lighter version of Riley Jensen Guardian series (lighter as in Riley's world is way darker, richer and more dangerous than Secret's).
However, there are some similarities and if you've read about Riley and didn't like her or her attitudes towards, well, everything, then you will either simply tolerate Secret McQueen because her story is a bit lighter or you'll hate her too.
I liked this book. I never understood people who read these genres and act surprised by often used tropes. I too was caught off-guard by a couple of books I had to rate one star, but that was never because I was surprised by romance and a book labeled as a freaking romance. I have a whole list of annoying things I've read from reviews.
Something Secret This Way Comes is both urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
As for the first, the protagonist is a vampire hunter working for the Tribunal (vampire ruling body).
The second is introduced a bit later in the story when the protagonist is faced with her other half of ancestry, the one she has been avoiding her whole life.
Bear in mind this was published in 2011 so some of the tropes used weren't as overused then. One is soul mates. I know some people hate them, but for me they are comforting (when written well). This one has a twist to it.
Next, you have a triangle. I can't exactly call it a love triangle. I didn't hate it because the heroine wasn't suffering. At least, I think this is part of the reason why I didn't hate something I usually avoid (I can't really explain this). Secret McQueen doesn't have the exact same attitude towards sex as Riley Jensen, but she isn't a prude either. The romance part isn't as prominent as the promise of the world itself. It doesn't really make an impression overall.
I'm going to continue with the series.
June 22, 2011
This book didn't make sense to me. The protag is supposed to be tough and smart and feared and independent. Then she meets this random stranger who's all, "We're meant to be" and she just kinda goes with it. She doesn't really question things she should and nothing gets explained to her very well. I absolutely did not feel the romance between her and Lucas and Desmond. Of the two, I thought she had a better emotional connection with Lucas, which was tenuous at best, and yet the only sex she ever had was with Desmond.
Here she is contemplating a life with one or both of these men and she never finds out if she can actually have both or if she has to choose, she lets them parade a well guarded secret out in public which made no sense, she won't tell them what she really is which kind of negated the whole possible true love angle for me and she became utterly weak around them. Also, when she was with one, she kinda forgot all her gooey feelings for the other.
The vampire part was honestly the most interesting and it was made so very obvious that she'll have at least one love interest from that quarter which would be welcome for me if she could even handle the love interests she has now.
The story was an interesting premise and it has a lot of potential for future stories to grow on, but I felt like the author tried to jam too much in to too short of a space and so everything suffered. The plot, the action, the romance, the character development.
I would read more from this author and I'm sure I'll try the next one in the series, but if the romance and characters don't get explored better in the next, I won't be reading any more in this particular series.
Here she is contemplating a life with one or both of these men and she never finds out if she can actually have both or if she has to choose, she lets them parade a well guarded secret out in public which made no sense, she won't tell them what she really is which kind of negated the whole possible true love angle for me and she became utterly weak around them. Also, when she was with one, she kinda forgot all her gooey feelings for the other.
The vampire part was honestly the most interesting and it was made so very obvious that she'll have at least one love interest from that quarter which would be welcome for me if she could even handle the love interests she has now.
The story was an interesting premise and it has a lot of potential for future stories to grow on, but I felt like the author tried to jam too much in to too short of a space and so everything suffered. The plot, the action, the romance, the character development.
I would read more from this author and I'm sure I'll try the next one in the series, but if the romance and characters don't get explored better in the next, I won't be reading any more in this particular series.
May 9, 2011
You know the feeling when you have read only the very first couple of paragraphs/pages of a book and know that you are in for an amazing story? That's what I knew righat on the 2nd page of Something Secret This Way Comes, and boy was I proven right!
Sierra Dean spellbinds the reader in her debut urban fantasy novel by introducing an exciting universe where werewolves exist and vampires have a strictly organized hierarchy, and in the middle is Secret McQueen an extraordinary young woman, a halfbreed: due to her werewolf mother having been attacked by a vampire when she was pregnant.
Secret is just the perfect UF heroine: she is feisty, she is snarky and she is decidedly kickass! But besides being strong and independent she has a fragile vulnerability to herself, which renders her human and makes her a character the reader can identify with and understand. She is quite young but has experienced more than her share of horrors and it has left her disenchanted. She is cynical and snarky, but her dry sarcastic humour is one of the highlights of the novel! I loved reading the story told through Secret's narrative as her voice was fresh with just the right amount of acerbic tone to make it entertaining.
“Look, Lucas. Mr. Rain. Your Furry Highness, or whatever it is I’m supposed to call you—”
“For you, Lucas will be more than acceptable.”
This had gone from precoital intensity to feeling like after-school detention in the span of seconds.
The characterization is very well done, Something Secret This Way Comes has a dozen of wonderful and interesting characters, all of whom I cannot wait to see again in later books! Secret is canvassed in depth with many nuances and subtlety and I can't wait to see both Lucas and Desmond explored in more detail in the next book(s). I'm sure every reader will find a favourite among the entertaining and memorable array of supporting characters: there is Sig a cheeky ancient, one of the leaders of the vampire society who still manages to act like an impertinent schoolboy when teasing the fairy goddess; then there is Holden the mostly quiet yet intriguing vampire warden, Secret's contact to the vampire organisation I cannot wait to discover more about and of course there is Keaty, Secret's business partner and one of her best friends, just to name a few.
Besides the intriguing characters one of the things I loved most about Something Secret This Way Comes was how Sierra Dean was not afraid to take the usual and well-established UF conventions and add her own twist to them (e.g. vampires cannot turn humans at a whim, the bond between destined mates is not restricted to just couples but best friends can also share it). It made me feel like nothing was a given and made me excited to explore her UF universe and discover how the usual things in other UF novels would end up here.
The romantic storyline in Something Secret This Way Comes was scorchingly hot and confusing! Confusing because Secret is not only bonded to one irresistibly charismatic werewolf, but two! And now time for me to talk about the "soul bonding". Soul bonding is what you would first call the usual "destined mates" line in other UF novels, however soul bonding in Something Secret This Way Comes is not a conscious decision, it develops between people who have some connection and is not strictly reserved to couples: Lucas and his second in command Desmond share a bond, and because of this Secret is also bonded to both of them. And here comes another big break Sierra does with conventional UF rules: though both heroes are alphas in every possible sense of the word, they are neither possessive nor jealous! Imagine a calm and rational werewolf being fine with sharing his love? I found it intriguing and a bit confusing how come neither of the men was concerned by the double bonding, and this raised many questions I kept pondering long after I have gobbled up the book: can the 3 of them live happily ever after together? Or were the men so chill about this because they take a step back to let Secret decide and will respect her decision? So many questions that only Sierra can answer, but I hope she'll do it soon!
It is a credit to Sierra Dean's fantastic writing that despite the fact that as soon Lucas was introduced in the novel I fell under his charm and was rooting for him, but then as the novel progressed my certainty wavered. Though Lucas is the ideal man: strong, exuding confidence and responsibility (and of course being easy on the eyes doesn't hurt either), as the reader gets to know Desmond we can see what an amazing man he is also. So Secret's choice is certainly not an easy one... In the 1st book the question of Secret's relationship with Lucas and/or Desmond did not get resolved and I would rather say wasn't even explored in depth yet, as Desmond was more present than Lucas. But besides the very hot and sensual love scenes Sierra Dean also brings out the heartsqueezing moments (which are my favourite!):
“You asked me what the negative is for me? When you went limp, I saw every chance I had for happiness die with you. I could stand ten feet away from you for the rest of my life and nothing, not sex or money or power, could match how that feels. Do you get that?” He gave me a shake for emphasis.
... His face was so intimate my heart tripped. There was a peacefulness to him I’d never seen before, like all the pain he’d been carrying around since we’d met had vanished. I could have stayed like that forever to watch him smile at me, because everything about his sweet, dreamy look made me believe I was completely wanted. I touched his cheek and drew him close, feeling him slide inside me with an aching slowness.
Both men's charisma shines through the pages and I dare you to remain unaffected: the chemistry between these three is so palpable, sparks were flying off my ereader! I cannot wait to see how their relationship will develop later!
The mystery was complex and I liked the different layers of the diabolical plan, there was only one aspect I'm still a bit befuddled about: why did Secret's mother have such boundless hatred towards her child? But I'm sure Sierra will be back to explain more about this to us.
(Just a warning: prepare yourself for a breathtaking cliffhanger at the end which will end the story with a BANG!)
My only complaint? It ended way too soon! :-p
Verdict: This novel was such an exhilarating ride for me I don't even know where to start. Let's start by saying that after I devoured Something Secret This Way Comes, debut novel and first book in Sierra Dean's urban fantasy series I knew that I had discovered a new favourite author to go on my must buy list just next to Kelley Armstrong! Something Secret This Way Comes is a fast paced, original story with a fantastic heroine and a fresh take on UF, it is one of the best books I have read this year and I cannot wait to read more!
If you are looking for another action packed, well written, dark yet humourous UF novel with a snarky heroine, Something Secret This Way Comes is just the book for you!
Step aside Kate Daniels, Secret McQueen is here now to take over!
Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Cover: 10/10 - Cover perfection! Love how kick ass and tough the cover model is, and she looks a lot like I would picture Secret, love the vibrant colours and the UF atmosphere of it, wonderful! I could just stare at it for minutes!
Sierra Dean spellbinds the reader in her debut urban fantasy novel by introducing an exciting universe where werewolves exist and vampires have a strictly organized hierarchy, and in the middle is Secret McQueen an extraordinary young woman, a halfbreed: due to her werewolf mother having been attacked by a vampire when she was pregnant.
Secret is just the perfect UF heroine: she is feisty, she is snarky and she is decidedly kickass! But besides being strong and independent she has a fragile vulnerability to herself, which renders her human and makes her a character the reader can identify with and understand. She is quite young but has experienced more than her share of horrors and it has left her disenchanted. She is cynical and snarky, but her dry sarcastic humour is one of the highlights of the novel! I loved reading the story told through Secret's narrative as her voice was fresh with just the right amount of acerbic tone to make it entertaining.
“Look, Lucas. Mr. Rain. Your Furry Highness, or whatever it is I’m supposed to call you—”
“For you, Lucas will be more than acceptable.”
This had gone from precoital intensity to feeling like after-school detention in the span of seconds.
The characterization is very well done, Something Secret This Way Comes has a dozen of wonderful and interesting characters, all of whom I cannot wait to see again in later books! Secret is canvassed in depth with many nuances and subtlety and I can't wait to see both Lucas and Desmond explored in more detail in the next book(s). I'm sure every reader will find a favourite among the entertaining and memorable array of supporting characters: there is Sig a cheeky ancient, one of the leaders of the vampire society who still manages to act like an impertinent schoolboy when teasing the fairy goddess; then there is Holden the mostly quiet yet intriguing vampire warden, Secret's contact to the vampire organisation I cannot wait to discover more about and of course there is Keaty, Secret's business partner and one of her best friends, just to name a few.
Besides the intriguing characters one of the things I loved most about Something Secret This Way Comes was how Sierra Dean was not afraid to take the usual and well-established UF conventions and add her own twist to them (e.g. vampires cannot turn humans at a whim, the bond between destined mates is not restricted to just couples but best friends can also share it). It made me feel like nothing was a given and made me excited to explore her UF universe and discover how the usual things in other UF novels would end up here.
The romantic storyline in Something Secret This Way Comes was scorchingly hot and confusing! Confusing because Secret is not only bonded to one irresistibly charismatic werewolf, but two! And now time for me to talk about the "soul bonding". Soul bonding is what you would first call the usual "destined mates" line in other UF novels, however soul bonding in Something Secret This Way Comes is not a conscious decision, it develops between people who have some connection and is not strictly reserved to couples: Lucas and his second in command Desmond share a bond, and because of this Secret is also bonded to both of them. And here comes another big break Sierra does with conventional UF rules: though both heroes are alphas in every possible sense of the word, they are neither possessive nor jealous! Imagine a calm and rational werewolf being fine with sharing his love? I found it intriguing and a bit confusing how come neither of the men was concerned by the double bonding, and this raised many questions I kept pondering long after I have gobbled up the book: can the 3 of them live happily ever after together? Or were the men so chill about this because they take a step back to let Secret decide and will respect her decision? So many questions that only Sierra can answer, but I hope she'll do it soon!
It is a credit to Sierra Dean's fantastic writing that despite the fact that as soon Lucas was introduced in the novel I fell under his charm and was rooting for him, but then as the novel progressed my certainty wavered. Though Lucas is the ideal man: strong, exuding confidence and responsibility (and of course being easy on the eyes doesn't hurt either), as the reader gets to know Desmond we can see what an amazing man he is also. So Secret's choice is certainly not an easy one... In the 1st book the question of Secret's relationship with Lucas and/or Desmond did not get resolved and I would rather say wasn't even explored in depth yet, as Desmond was more present than Lucas. But besides the very hot and sensual love scenes Sierra Dean also brings out the heartsqueezing moments (which are my favourite!):
“You asked me what the negative is for me? When you went limp, I saw every chance I had for happiness die with you. I could stand ten feet away from you for the rest of my life and nothing, not sex or money or power, could match how that feels. Do you get that?” He gave me a shake for emphasis.
... His face was so intimate my heart tripped. There was a peacefulness to him I’d never seen before, like all the pain he’d been carrying around since we’d met had vanished. I could have stayed like that forever to watch him smile at me, because everything about his sweet, dreamy look made me believe I was completely wanted. I touched his cheek and drew him close, feeling him slide inside me with an aching slowness.
Both men's charisma shines through the pages and I dare you to remain unaffected: the chemistry between these three is so palpable, sparks were flying off my ereader! I cannot wait to see how their relationship will develop later!
The mystery was complex and I liked the different layers of the diabolical plan, there was only one aspect I'm still a bit befuddled about: why did Secret's mother have such boundless hatred towards her child? But I'm sure Sierra will be back to explain more about this to us.
(Just a warning: prepare yourself for a breathtaking cliffhanger at the end which will end the story with a BANG!)
My only complaint? It ended way too soon! :-p
Verdict: This novel was such an exhilarating ride for me I don't even know where to start. Let's start by saying that after I devoured Something Secret This Way Comes, debut novel and first book in Sierra Dean's urban fantasy series I knew that I had discovered a new favourite author to go on my must buy list just next to Kelley Armstrong! Something Secret This Way Comes is a fast paced, original story with a fantastic heroine and a fresh take on UF, it is one of the best books I have read this year and I cannot wait to read more!
If you are looking for another action packed, well written, dark yet humourous UF novel with a snarky heroine, Something Secret This Way Comes is just the book for you!
Step aside Kate Daniels, Secret McQueen is here now to take over!
Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Cover: 10/10 - Cover perfection! Love how kick ass and tough the cover model is, and she looks a lot like I would picture Secret, love the vibrant colours and the UF atmosphere of it, wonderful! I could just stare at it for minutes!
July 30, 2020
A solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for a quick, easy read that offers an interesting puzzle or two. It's narrated by Secret McQueen (that odd name gets an equally odd explanation partway into spoiler territory), age 22, who has been hunting and killing rogue vampires for the Vampire Council since she was 16. She tells us she's a rare vampire-werewolf half-breed and keeps her wolf heritage, well, secret while she lives in a vampiric style, needing those blood bags and having a terrible time with the sun.
So far so good. But as she shares her life with us in her narration, she sounds very human, especially when she speaks of her inner vampire or her inner wolf in terms of one or the other emerging in response to some situation or reaching down for one or the other when she needs that resource. Who or what is she really? It puzzled me, but I found her likeable. Certainly full of vigor. She'd have fit right in with the Kennedys at Hyannisport!
It's not just her youthful vigor that carries her into situations where she's hopelessly outmatched. She tends to get into trouble with the Vampire Council, who are typically divided 2-1 in her favor, and since she's in some danger of losing that swing vote and being declared rogue herself, she's strongly motivated to take on seemingly impossible missions--and we're off on a wild adventure.
The publisher's blurb seems to promise a romantic triangle with Lucas the king of East Coast werewolves and his right-hand wolf Desmond. When it comes up, though, you'll see it's far from the usual triangle and none of the three of them are exactly certain what to make of it--definitely a new twist on the soul-mate idea.
Another puzzle: how come none of the vampires can smell the wolf in her and none of the wolves detect the vampire? She tells us several times that her (yes!) secret--which only a few trusted people know--would seriously mess up her relationships in both camps. And much of the suspense has to do with how she manages to keep them from finding out. Yet both vampires and werewolves have heightened senses (and our heroine has the advantage of both kinds even though she hasn't gone furry since she was two years old. and it seems nobody can explain that).
Well, our heroine, in cahoots with the author perhaps, defuses the predictable readers' complaint that she's TSTL (too stupid to live) by calling herself a moron for taking on this mission once she's in it facing stupendous odds and can't really back out. A third puzzle: was there really a reasonable alternative or not? I kept asking myself that as I read through to a satisfying end with big twists, one of which sets up the sequel.
Overall, good fun.
So far so good. But as she shares her life with us in her narration, she sounds very human, especially when she speaks of her inner vampire or her inner wolf in terms of one or the other emerging in response to some situation or reaching down for one or the other when she needs that resource. Who or what is she really? It puzzled me, but I found her likeable. Certainly full of vigor. She'd have fit right in with the Kennedys at Hyannisport!
It's not just her youthful vigor that carries her into situations where she's hopelessly outmatched. She tends to get into trouble with the Vampire Council, who are typically divided 2-1 in her favor, and since she's in some danger of losing that swing vote and being declared rogue herself, she's strongly motivated to take on seemingly impossible missions--and we're off on a wild adventure.
The publisher's blurb seems to promise a romantic triangle with Lucas the king of East Coast werewolves and his right-hand wolf Desmond. When it comes up, though, you'll see it's far from the usual triangle and none of the three of them are exactly certain what to make of it--definitely a new twist on the soul-mate idea.
Another puzzle: how come none of the vampires can smell the wolf in her and none of the wolves detect the vampire? She tells us several times that her (yes!) secret--which only a few trusted people know--would seriously mess up her relationships in both camps. And much of the suspense has to do with how she manages to keep them from finding out. Yet both vampires and werewolves have heightened senses (and our heroine has the advantage of both kinds even though she hasn't gone furry since she was two years old. and it seems nobody can explain that).
Well, our heroine, in cahoots with the author perhaps, defuses the predictable readers' complaint that she's TSTL (too stupid to live) by calling herself a moron for taking on this mission once she's in it facing stupendous odds and can't really back out. A third puzzle: was there really a reasonable alternative or not? I kept asking myself that as I read through to a satisfying end with big twists, one of which sets up the sequel.
Overall, good fun.
October 20, 2014
WHAT THE F%#K!!!
Hang on - let me calm down....
I'd say at about 10% into the book, I knew this was gonna be 5 stars... I love the way this book is written and the world that the author has created. I had read the prequel, but it wasn't wholly necessary to do so, however, it did shed more light into Secret's life and how close she works with Holden...
So, Secret McQueen... I have to say I love the name!!! She's half vamp, half wolf and born that way! Secret works for the Vampire Council and is a bounty hunter, however, she's not quite accepted into the vampire fold because of her heritage...
So years ago, Secret had a bad encounter with a certain vampire who has now returned and it's her job to bring him to the council...
... but that's not all this book enlightens us with... It's not just about the job Secret's taking on... It's not just about the wolves she meets... It's not just about the love triangle - that I think has a future twist (and the oracle hints of this) .... it's also about who Secret is and how she handles her own secrets...
OH MY GOD - HOW IS IT NOT A SIN TO FINISH A BOOK ON THIS PARTICULAR NOTE??????
I had plans I tell you - plans and books in line to read... I had every intention of picking up Sierra Dean's next book - but not for a few weeks - and my plans are trashed!!!! Move aside books at the top of my list... Secret's next episode is so on the cards!!!
Thanks to Carmel (Rabid Reads) for her amazing review that lead me to pick up this series!!!!
Hang on - let me calm down....
I'd say at about 10% into the book, I knew this was gonna be 5 stars... I love the way this book is written and the world that the author has created. I had read the prequel, but it wasn't wholly necessary to do so, however, it did shed more light into Secret's life and how close she works with Holden...
So, Secret McQueen... I have to say I love the name!!! She's half vamp, half wolf and born that way! Secret works for the Vampire Council and is a bounty hunter, however, she's not quite accepted into the vampire fold because of her heritage...
So years ago, Secret had a bad encounter with a certain vampire who has now returned and it's her job to bring him to the council...
... but that's not all this book enlightens us with... It's not just about the job Secret's taking on... It's not just about the wolves she meets... It's not just about the love triangle - that I think has a future twist (and the oracle hints of this) .... it's also about who Secret is and how she handles her own secrets...
OH MY GOD - HOW IS IT NOT A SIN TO FINISH A BOOK ON THIS PARTICULAR NOTE??????
I had plans I tell you - plans and books in line to read... I had every intention of picking up Sierra Dean's next book - but not for a few weeks - and my plans are trashed!!!! Move aside books at the top of my list... Secret's next episode is so on the cards!!!
Thanks to Carmel (Rabid Reads) for her amazing review that lead me to pick up this series!!!!
September 23, 2013
SOMETHING SECRET THIS WAY COMES reminded me of the fantasy books I read during high school. Not in content, but emotion. In a genre that abounds with vampires and werewolves, Dean managed to add twists to the mythology and social structure of her characters that made me feel like she was treading new ground. While SOMETHING SECRET does draw on many Urban Fantasy clichés, Dean adds enough of a new spin to make me interested in seeing where the series is going.
One of Dean’s best departures from the Urban Fantasy cannon was giving both vampires and werewolves a strong respect for life and an almost National Parks service approach to managing their numbers and offspring. There were several instances where this attitude is pivotal to the plot (and being a vampire hunter is a new and different beast altogether when the vampires issue warrants themselves). Dean also made some clever assumptions regarding the personality quirks that would be common in an immortal or were population, and I enjoyed these glimpses of supernatural society.
While the preternatural anthropology was interesting, the writing in SOMETHING SECRET did have a few first novel downfalls. The first several chapters had heavy handed explanations and data dumps to establish the world, and the name “Secret McQueen” never stopped feeling awkward. These shortcomings were never enough to stop my forward progress, however, and I have high hopes that book 2, A BLOODY GOOD SECRET, will contain more of the creativity that sparked my interest with less of the writing bumps.
Sexual Content: Several sex scenes.
One of Dean’s best departures from the Urban Fantasy cannon was giving both vampires and werewolves a strong respect for life and an almost National Parks service approach to managing their numbers and offspring. There were several instances where this attitude is pivotal to the plot (and being a vampire hunter is a new and different beast altogether when the vampires issue warrants themselves). Dean also made some clever assumptions regarding the personality quirks that would be common in an immortal or were population, and I enjoyed these glimpses of supernatural society.
While the preternatural anthropology was interesting, the writing in SOMETHING SECRET did have a few first novel downfalls. The first several chapters had heavy handed explanations and data dumps to establish the world, and the name “Secret McQueen” never stopped feeling awkward. These shortcomings were never enough to stop my forward progress, however, and I have high hopes that book 2, A BLOODY GOOD SECRET, will contain more of the creativity that sparked my interest with less of the writing bumps.
Sexual Content: Several sex scenes.
May 9, 2011
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/05/rev...
Favorite Quote: ”You have my word that any future insults will be much more personalized and meant only for you.”
Secret McQueen is a bounty hunter. Half vampire and half werewolf, she was hired by the vampire council at age 16 to hunt and kill rogue vampires. Now at age 22, her name is the vampire equivalent of the bogey man. Keeping her dual nature a secret is difficult enough without being soul bonded to the king of the werewolves. Lucas Rain, the East Coast King, wants Secret as his queen. His body guard Desmond wants Secret too.
When an enemy from the past comes back to finish Secret off once and for all, she will have to use her expose dual nature to save herself and everyone around her.
Secret McQueen has a dangerous job that puts her in the cross hairs of many people. Part vampire and part werewolf, she embraces her vampire fully while hiding her wolf. When she chases down and kills a rogue vampire in Central Park, she realizes that this newly made vampire is none other than a child of Alexandre Payton. A truly evil vampire who has tried to kill Secret before. Called before the vampire tribunal for the unsanctioned kill, Secret is given one chance to make amends-find & capture Peyton.
While Secret is figuring out how to capture a master vampire, she suddenly finds her wolf side going crazy when a chance encounter brings her into the sights of Lucas Rain. Lucas is the East Coast King of the Werewolves and he is convinced she is his soul mate and queen. He also knows things about Secrets past and her role in the werewolf hierarchy. Secret finds herself unable to control her libido around him which annoys her to no end. Toss in an attraction to his bodyguard Desmond and her new best friend, Secret is ready to hide under covers till Doomsday.
Sierra Dean’s debut novel, Something Secret This Way Comes, is an enjoyable Urban Fantasy with a bite. Wonderful world building coupled with engaging characters held me entranced. Our feisty heroine, paired with some sexy supernaturals, and an action filled plot that twists and turns keeps you off balance. Smooth writing coupled with a fast pace kept the storyline from dragging. The dialogue is engaging; Secret and her friends show some very nice snarkiness.
Secret is an interesting heroine. Strong and intelligent, there is an undercurrent of insecurity and fear that keeps her on edge. I like that fact she is young and unsure at times. She has a vulnerability about herself and her past that lends an air of realism. There were a few times when I wanted her to break bad; but she obviously understands the art of compromise and negotiation much better then me. I will say that overall feel of the book reminds me of Keri Arthur’s Riley series. A young woman in a supernatural law enforcement type job who is torn between two natures and two men.
The romance (and I hesitate to call it that) is HAWT yet unsettling. One, I have a hard time with the whole bonding over rides common sense issue. Secret doesn’t understand the bond and doesn’t seem to want it yet still has no qualms about having a sexual relationship with two men she really doesn’t know. It felt off because she is portrayed as being calm and maintaining steadfast control over her emotions. It just seemed she accepted it all too easily.
Desmond is HAWT with his brooding aura and hints of vulnerability. He has bonded with Secret’s wolf without meaning to and while his wolf loves it, he is unsure of the whole situation. There is a chemistry between them that felt like more than just the bond. Lucas, Desmond’s king and best friend has also soul bonded with Secret but his actions came off a little stiff. I didn’t feel any real chemistry there. I felt like he was there because of the bond, not because he had a real attraction to Secret. Plus, since he’s a king, he does have some self entitlement issues!
The characters are well developed with distinct personalities. Some of them could easily have their own storyline. Our vampires are cold and stand offish but with an off beat humor that has you quirking a smile at the oddest times. Holden, Secret’s handler through the Vampire council, has her back while the Vampire Council has you looking over your shoulder for the knife their about to stab you with. The villain(s) in here are a nasty piece of work and leave you reeling from their duplicity.
The ending is quite brutal with some shocking revelations for Secret that left me racing to the end. A small cliffhanger had me cursing Ms. Dean quietly but also guaranteed I’ll be waiting for book two. All an all Something Secret This Way Comes is pleasant addition to the Urban Fantasy genre and I look forward to see what Ms. Dean produces for us next.
Rating: C+
Favorite Quote: ”You have my word that any future insults will be much more personalized and meant only for you.”
Secret McQueen is a bounty hunter. Half vampire and half werewolf, she was hired by the vampire council at age 16 to hunt and kill rogue vampires. Now at age 22, her name is the vampire equivalent of the bogey man. Keeping her dual nature a secret is difficult enough without being soul bonded to the king of the werewolves. Lucas Rain, the East Coast King, wants Secret as his queen. His body guard Desmond wants Secret too.
When an enemy from the past comes back to finish Secret off once and for all, she will have to use her expose dual nature to save herself and everyone around her.
Secret McQueen has a dangerous job that puts her in the cross hairs of many people. Part vampire and part werewolf, she embraces her vampire fully while hiding her wolf. When she chases down and kills a rogue vampire in Central Park, she realizes that this newly made vampire is none other than a child of Alexandre Payton. A truly evil vampire who has tried to kill Secret before. Called before the vampire tribunal for the unsanctioned kill, Secret is given one chance to make amends-find & capture Peyton.
While Secret is figuring out how to capture a master vampire, she suddenly finds her wolf side going crazy when a chance encounter brings her into the sights of Lucas Rain. Lucas is the East Coast King of the Werewolves and he is convinced she is his soul mate and queen. He also knows things about Secrets past and her role in the werewolf hierarchy. Secret finds herself unable to control her libido around him which annoys her to no end. Toss in an attraction to his bodyguard Desmond and her new best friend, Secret is ready to hide under covers till Doomsday.
Sierra Dean’s debut novel, Something Secret This Way Comes, is an enjoyable Urban Fantasy with a bite. Wonderful world building coupled with engaging characters held me entranced. Our feisty heroine, paired with some sexy supernaturals, and an action filled plot that twists and turns keeps you off balance. Smooth writing coupled with a fast pace kept the storyline from dragging. The dialogue is engaging; Secret and her friends show some very nice snarkiness.
Secret is an interesting heroine. Strong and intelligent, there is an undercurrent of insecurity and fear that keeps her on edge. I like that fact she is young and unsure at times. She has a vulnerability about herself and her past that lends an air of realism. There were a few times when I wanted her to break bad; but she obviously understands the art of compromise and negotiation much better then me. I will say that overall feel of the book reminds me of Keri Arthur’s Riley series. A young woman in a supernatural law enforcement type job who is torn between two natures and two men.
The romance (and I hesitate to call it that) is HAWT yet unsettling. One, I have a hard time with the whole bonding over rides common sense issue. Secret doesn’t understand the bond and doesn’t seem to want it yet still has no qualms about having a sexual relationship with two men she really doesn’t know. It felt off because she is portrayed as being calm and maintaining steadfast control over her emotions. It just seemed she accepted it all too easily.
Desmond is HAWT with his brooding aura and hints of vulnerability. He has bonded with Secret’s wolf without meaning to and while his wolf loves it, he is unsure of the whole situation. There is a chemistry between them that felt like more than just the bond. Lucas, Desmond’s king and best friend has also soul bonded with Secret but his actions came off a little stiff. I didn’t feel any real chemistry there. I felt like he was there because of the bond, not because he had a real attraction to Secret. Plus, since he’s a king, he does have some self entitlement issues!
The characters are well developed with distinct personalities. Some of them could easily have their own storyline. Our vampires are cold and stand offish but with an off beat humor that has you quirking a smile at the oddest times. Holden, Secret’s handler through the Vampire council, has her back while the Vampire Council has you looking over your shoulder for the knife their about to stab you with. The villain(s) in here are a nasty piece of work and leave you reeling from their duplicity.
The ending is quite brutal with some shocking revelations for Secret that left me racing to the end. A small cliffhanger had me cursing Ms. Dean quietly but also guaranteed I’ll be waiting for book two. All an all Something Secret This Way Comes is pleasant addition to the Urban Fantasy genre and I look forward to see what Ms. Dean produces for us next.
Rating: C+
April 19, 2011
Holy crumb, THIS BOOK WAS TOO MUCH FUN! (Do you see how serious I am about the amount of fun? I'm using all caps again!) I was zipping along reading it, I couldn't put it down and then I hit the end and I almost DIED! Yes, DIED! Sierra Dean nearly killed me with this ending. I am burning, itching, painfully clawing the walls to see what happens next. (That sentence is begging me to insert a joke about itching and burning and how they have creams for that! Haha. I make myself laugh.)
Good golly! This book was fabulous. Secret was a bundle of energy and secrets (YES! I said 'secrets' and her name is SECRET!). The setting was gritty and wonderfully dark. The secondary characters wound their way under your skin. In an entirely good way, mind you. And the ending! Did you hear how it almost killed me? *deep sigh*
Gorgeous storytelling and a cast of characters that were fully developed and wonderful to spend time with. The twists and turns will keep you glued to the pages. The overall arc is compelling and I'm dying to see where Secret and her crew go in the next installment.
No pressure, Sierra Dean, but I'm expecting great things from you. *wicked grin*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Good golly! This book was fabulous. Secret was a bundle of energy and secrets (YES! I said 'secrets' and her name is SECRET!). The setting was gritty and wonderfully dark. The secondary characters wound their way under your skin. In an entirely good way, mind you. And the ending! Did you hear how it almost killed me? *deep sigh*
Gorgeous storytelling and a cast of characters that were fully developed and wonderful to spend time with. The twists and turns will keep you glued to the pages. The overall arc is compelling and I'm dying to see where Secret and her crew go in the next installment.
No pressure, Sierra Dean, but I'm expecting great things from you. *wicked grin*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
March 18, 2011
Sierra Dean's characters and worldbuilding in nothing shy of remarkable.
The cover and the blurb drew me in but it's the world and the characters that held me. Sierra Dean's character building is sensational. Secret McQueen is 22 years old but has seen enough turmoil that many others would likely call it quits. With one foot in each of the werewolf and vampire worlds all she's trying to do is stabilize that footing but life can never be that simple.
Secret McQueen gets dirty with the best of them. Fighting for innocent lives is just one of the bullets points on her resume. Action and shockers like you won't imagine will come out of the wood works and it's an adventure to see Secret ride those out. The only stumper for me was the romance interest. I enjoy love triangles when there is a more definitive choice of interest but this one is any man's game. There is some excitement there but it also serves to kill me with curiosity. Take that and couple it with the ending- I need to know what will come next for Secret, Lucas, Desmond, Holden, Sig and the rest of the crew.
All in all, Something Secret This Way Comes is a must read for PNR/UF adult fans alike.
http://www.lovlivlifereviews.com/2011...
The cover and the blurb drew me in but it's the world and the characters that held me. Sierra Dean's character building is sensational. Secret McQueen is 22 years old but has seen enough turmoil that many others would likely call it quits. With one foot in each of the werewolf and vampire worlds all she's trying to do is stabilize that footing but life can never be that simple.
Secret McQueen gets dirty with the best of them. Fighting for innocent lives is just one of the bullets points on her resume. Action and shockers like you won't imagine will come out of the wood works and it's an adventure to see Secret ride those out. The only stumper for me was the romance interest. I enjoy love triangles when there is a more definitive choice of interest but this one is any man's game. There is some excitement there but it also serves to kill me with curiosity. Take that and couple it with the ending- I need to know what will come next for Secret, Lucas, Desmond, Holden, Sig and the rest of the crew.
All in all, Something Secret This Way Comes is a must read for PNR/UF adult fans alike.
http://www.lovlivlifereviews.com/2011...
September 19, 2013
I have this problem with books, Where if any of my 'pet peeves' occur, I immediately stop reading and cannot finish the book. It's frustrating, Because it happens so damn often.
This book was unfortunately the same, No build up. No chemistry. Just simply lust and straightforward advances. I hate it! Why do authors have to shove sex down their readers throats?
That being said, I liked the plot. It was interesting, And held me. But the love triangle was eye rolling, And the chemistry with both of the love interests was non-existant. Oh we're soul mates? Well I guess we don't need to get to know each other or spend any time together, We should just jump straight into bed.
I mean seriously!
Gah.
Also Secret, The main character is supposed to be some badass rogue vampire hunter, But when she's around the werewolves she acts like she hasn't got a clue in the world or super badass powers. She's just a blonde ditzy human. It's unfuriating. Why potray men having that kind of power over a independant woman? I disklike that alot.
I gave the book 2 stars, Because the plot was decent and because I'm sure there are other readers who don't like romances that beat around the bush.
This book was unfortunately the same, No build up. No chemistry. Just simply lust and straightforward advances. I hate it! Why do authors have to shove sex down their readers throats?
That being said, I liked the plot. It was interesting, And held me. But the love triangle was eye rolling, And the chemistry with both of the love interests was non-existant. Oh we're soul mates? Well I guess we don't need to get to know each other or spend any time together, We should just jump straight into bed.
I mean seriously!
Gah.
Also Secret, The main character is supposed to be some badass rogue vampire hunter, But when she's around the werewolves she acts like she hasn't got a clue in the world or super badass powers. She's just a blonde ditzy human. It's unfuriating. Why potray men having that kind of power over a independant woman? I disklike that alot.
I gave the book 2 stars, Because the plot was decent and because I'm sure there are other readers who don't like romances that beat around the bush.
May 21, 2012
A Secret I didn’t really need to know
So I recently decided to give Secret McQueen’s world a spin. This fairly new series by author Sierra Dean focuses on Secret (yes, that’s her real name), as she takes on the supernatural underworld. She herself is a vampire/werewolf hybrid bounty hunter, giving her the best of both worlds, though neither side realizes her other half. They just know she’s a little different, and she’d like to keep it that way.
Everything is thrown upside down when a former vampire foe returns to exact revenge upon her and destroy the supernatural underworld’s secret existence as we know it. To make matters even more complicated, she meets a potential werewolf suitor…or two and her knowledge of her werewolf heritage is awakened, among other things.
There’s really not much else to it besides that if I’m being honest. The beginning started off really promising but it just didn’t sustain for me. I thought it read like fan fiction a lot of the time and the writing was on an amateur level. With such a short page count I was expecting a story that shouldn’t really drag, but I felt that it did. I can’t really put my finger on it, but the lack of originality made it a little boring for me. I also had a big problem with how her heritage is supposedly a secret from the other half. Vampires have interacted with werewolves and vice versa, so how could they not suspect that she could be a hybrid? They should know better than to buy that her job as an assassin is the reason why she “smells of death.” She takes showers and her enemies are alive when she kills them, so I just couldn’t buy that reasoning.
The characters are all pretty cookie cutter. Nobody stands out as particularly interesting or eccentric. It doesn’t help that we know right away that her love life is going to be complicated. A triangle is bad enough all its own, but there is an allusion to even more suitors being on the way and nothing turns me off more than that.
The book is a short read, but it took me quite a while to get through it. Maybe it’s because I lost my kindle and have been reading on the tablet, which I really don’t like because it makes nauseous (I read on a moving train), maybe it was my personal family issues that slowed down my motivation, maybe it just wasn’t the right time to read this book, but all I can really say is that it just didn’t do it for me.
*Review also posted to Amazon.
So I recently decided to give Secret McQueen’s world a spin. This fairly new series by author Sierra Dean focuses on Secret (yes, that’s her real name), as she takes on the supernatural underworld. She herself is a vampire/werewolf hybrid bounty hunter, giving her the best of both worlds, though neither side realizes her other half. They just know she’s a little different, and she’d like to keep it that way.
Everything is thrown upside down when a former vampire foe returns to exact revenge upon her and destroy the supernatural underworld’s secret existence as we know it. To make matters even more complicated, she meets a potential werewolf suitor…or two and her knowledge of her werewolf heritage is awakened, among other things.
There’s really not much else to it besides that if I’m being honest. The beginning started off really promising but it just didn’t sustain for me. I thought it read like fan fiction a lot of the time and the writing was on an amateur level. With such a short page count I was expecting a story that shouldn’t really drag, but I felt that it did. I can’t really put my finger on it, but the lack of originality made it a little boring for me. I also had a big problem with how her heritage is supposedly a secret from the other half. Vampires have interacted with werewolves and vice versa, so how could they not suspect that she could be a hybrid? They should know better than to buy that her job as an assassin is the reason why she “smells of death.” She takes showers and her enemies are alive when she kills them, so I just couldn’t buy that reasoning.
The characters are all pretty cookie cutter. Nobody stands out as particularly interesting or eccentric. It doesn’t help that we know right away that her love life is going to be complicated. A triangle is bad enough all its own, but there is an allusion to even more suitors being on the way and nothing turns me off more than that.
The book is a short read, but it took me quite a while to get through it. Maybe it’s because I lost my kindle and have been reading on the tablet, which I really don’t like because it makes nauseous (I read on a moving train), maybe it was my personal family issues that slowed down my motivation, maybe it just wasn’t the right time to read this book, but all I can really say is that it just didn’t do it for me.
*Review also posted to Amazon.
May 11, 2011
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/05/11/...
Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: eARC from author
Secret McQueen, half vampire half werewolf bounty hunter for the vampire council, finds herself in a sticky situation when she gets tasked with having to take down (preferably alive) the one nemesis from her past that has her shaking in her sexy boots.
If that wasn’t enough pressure, she also gets introduced to two sexy werewolves, the King of the East Coast Lucas and his broody second-in-command, Desmond. Secret is attracted to both males, and the feelings are mutual. But with trying to hide her half breed status, the pressure to catch the vampire rouge, and the never ending confrontations that arise in her life, Secret is having a hard time keeping up.
This debut book from Dean was a super fun UF, and I can’t wait to see more from this author and series. I’ll admit to being a little hesitant at first, not knowing where Dean was going with the whole werewolf love triangle. I typically CAN NOT stand when love triangles get introduced into a story, and then never get resolved or just drag out endlessly. However, I felt this was handled much better than any other book I’ve read recently. Secret doesn’t ever seem to feel more deeply for one than the other. Although I thought she was a little premature is admitting feelings for two men who claimed to have a bond with her.
The world building and plot in this were fantastic. I love the dynamics between the vampires and werewolves, as well as the inner pack workings amongst the wolves themselves. The action was packed and the story constantly moved at a quick pace, pulling me in with each word. There were also a few twists and turns that I never expected and enjoyed as they came up, especially with regards to the pack politics and Secret’s potential place within them.
Dean does an incredible job of bringing all the characters fully to life. I loved the Alpha ways of Lucas and Desmond, always wanting to be there to protect and hover over Secret. Likewise, the vampires Holden and Sig were great too, with just the right amount of mystery and intrigue. I think my favorite though is by far Calliope, the local Oracle who is shrouded in secrets that I can’t wait to hear more about!
I am very anxiously awaiting the second book in the series, mainly because of the cliffhanger that was the last line of the book. Secret is going to have a lot of hard decisions ahead of her, and I can’t wait to see where Dean takes us next. I do hope that as the series progresses, the love triangle between Secret and her wolves is worked out, however there were hints made that things might become even more and more complicated for Secret where her love life is concerned. While I’m hesitant with books where multiple men come forward and try to claim the heroine for himself, I’m hoping that Dean finds a way to balance it all out without going overboard.
All in all this was a wonderful UF debut filled with a great story line, a fun cast of characters, and some great blond joke references that had me liking Secret that much more. I can’t wait for more from this author!
I give Something Secret This Way Comes a B-
Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: eARC from author
Secret McQueen, half vampire half werewolf bounty hunter for the vampire council, finds herself in a sticky situation when she gets tasked with having to take down (preferably alive) the one nemesis from her past that has her shaking in her sexy boots.
If that wasn’t enough pressure, she also gets introduced to two sexy werewolves, the King of the East Coast Lucas and his broody second-in-command, Desmond. Secret is attracted to both males, and the feelings are mutual. But with trying to hide her half breed status, the pressure to catch the vampire rouge, and the never ending confrontations that arise in her life, Secret is having a hard time keeping up.
This debut book from Dean was a super fun UF, and I can’t wait to see more from this author and series. I’ll admit to being a little hesitant at first, not knowing where Dean was going with the whole werewolf love triangle. I typically CAN NOT stand when love triangles get introduced into a story, and then never get resolved or just drag out endlessly. However, I felt this was handled much better than any other book I’ve read recently. Secret doesn’t ever seem to feel more deeply for one than the other. Although I thought she was a little premature is admitting feelings for two men who claimed to have a bond with her.
The world building and plot in this were fantastic. I love the dynamics between the vampires and werewolves, as well as the inner pack workings amongst the wolves themselves. The action was packed and the story constantly moved at a quick pace, pulling me in with each word. There were also a few twists and turns that I never expected and enjoyed as they came up, especially with regards to the pack politics and Secret’s potential place within them.
Dean does an incredible job of bringing all the characters fully to life. I loved the Alpha ways of Lucas and Desmond, always wanting to be there to protect and hover over Secret. Likewise, the vampires Holden and Sig were great too, with just the right amount of mystery and intrigue. I think my favorite though is by far Calliope, the local Oracle who is shrouded in secrets that I can’t wait to hear more about!
I am very anxiously awaiting the second book in the series, mainly because of the cliffhanger that was the last line of the book. Secret is going to have a lot of hard decisions ahead of her, and I can’t wait to see where Dean takes us next. I do hope that as the series progresses, the love triangle between Secret and her wolves is worked out, however there were hints made that things might become even more and more complicated for Secret where her love life is concerned. While I’m hesitant with books where multiple men come forward and try to claim the heroine for himself, I’m hoping that Dean finds a way to balance it all out without going overboard.
All in all this was a wonderful UF debut filled with a great story line, a fun cast of characters, and some great blond joke references that had me liking Secret that much more. I can’t wait for more from this author!
I give Something Secret This Way Comes a B-
March 27, 2014
Mon avis en Français
My English review
Marcela made me a beautiful eulogy of this series and she was not the only one, far from it. And when I let the first volume go into my PAL, she made me promise to begin it without further delay. I do not know why I let this drag so long and I also would like to thank Zenda who gave me this first novel. All these people have helped me to discover a new fantastic urban fantasy series! And I thank them warmly.
We discover Secret McQueen, a young woman so different from others but who tries not to be too noticed out in the world that contains many creatures. Half-vampire half-wolf, she works for the court of vampires as a hired killer. With her unusual gifts, she is good at her job even if sometimes a little too much. But everything changes when a vampire from her past resurfaces, determined to make her pay for her mistakes of youth and to kill her for it. This is something difficult enough to manage, but on top of that our young heroine will face her wolf side she had always tried to ignore when she meets Lucas Rain. Indeed, the king seems to have a strange and intimate connection with our heroine, a link that will propel her into a world she had tried to avoid so far. But this event also allowed her to discover that part of herself that she tried to forget and it will help her to understand all the subtleties, or at least some. It was really interesting to follow our hybrid in the world she did not know about, allowing us to know the ideas of Sierra Dean over werewolves and vampires.
Each world is governed by very different way, and it was fascinating to know a little more so. This will allow us to meet many of the most fascinating characters. Holden is a vampire acting as a liaison between the Tribunal and Secret. We learn very little about him but we’re intrigued by this character since his appearance in the story. He is very close to Secret though he does not show much and it is true that we often wonder what he really thinks. It is very difficult to read him, this is a very mysterious character and I’m curious to learn more about him. Of course, there are others just like our two dear werewolves Lucas and Desmond, two friends since youth. Our heroine is immediately attracted to each of them and it is true that it arises many questions about them. I am also convinced that this will cause many problems in the future, but I look forward to see the outcomes. One can only appreciate them both and I must say that I find it very difficult to choose one. Of course this is not everything, but I’ll let you discover the other characters by yourself because they also are really worth the shot.
This is a really good first book for a series more than promising and I urge you to discover it. It was a nice surprise and I think I can tell you that Sierra Dean is a writer to follow! I look forward to the further adventures of Secret McQueen!
My English review
Marcela made me a beautiful eulogy of this series and she was not the only one, far from it. And when I let the first volume go into my PAL, she made me promise to begin it without further delay. I do not know why I let this drag so long and I also would like to thank Zenda who gave me this first novel. All these people have helped me to discover a new fantastic urban fantasy series! And I thank them warmly.
We discover Secret McQueen, a young woman so different from others but who tries not to be too noticed out in the world that contains many creatures. Half-vampire half-wolf, she works for the court of vampires as a hired killer. With her unusual gifts, she is good at her job even if sometimes a little too much. But everything changes when a vampire from her past resurfaces, determined to make her pay for her mistakes of youth and to kill her for it. This is something difficult enough to manage, but on top of that our young heroine will face her wolf side she had always tried to ignore when she meets Lucas Rain. Indeed, the king seems to have a strange and intimate connection with our heroine, a link that will propel her into a world she had tried to avoid so far. But this event also allowed her to discover that part of herself that she tried to forget and it will help her to understand all the subtleties, or at least some. It was really interesting to follow our hybrid in the world she did not know about, allowing us to know the ideas of Sierra Dean over werewolves and vampires.
Each world is governed by very different way, and it was fascinating to know a little more so. This will allow us to meet many of the most fascinating characters. Holden is a vampire acting as a liaison between the Tribunal and Secret. We learn very little about him but we’re intrigued by this character since his appearance in the story. He is very close to Secret though he does not show much and it is true that we often wonder what he really thinks. It is very difficult to read him, this is a very mysterious character and I’m curious to learn more about him. Of course, there are others just like our two dear werewolves Lucas and Desmond, two friends since youth. Our heroine is immediately attracted to each of them and it is true that it arises many questions about them. I am also convinced that this will cause many problems in the future, but I look forward to see the outcomes. One can only appreciate them both and I must say that I find it very difficult to choose one. Of course this is not everything, but I’ll let you discover the other characters by yourself because they also are really worth the shot.
This is a really good first book for a series more than promising and I urge you to discover it. It was a nice surprise and I think I can tell you that Sierra Dean is a writer to follow! I look forward to the further adventures of Secret McQueen!
October 13, 2011
Grade: C-
Secret McQueen is a 22 year-old dhampire bounty hunter for the vampire Tribunal. She's was abandoned by her werewolf mother and raised by her maternal human/witch grandmother. Secret began hunting vampires at the age of sixteen when she was nearly killed by a rogue, saved by another bounty hunter, and trained by the Tribunal. She identifies strongly with her vampire side but only drinks packaged blood. Her werewolf side is buried deep down until she meets the werewolf King of the East, Lucas Rain, and his second-in command, Desmond Alvarez. As she learns more about werewolf politics, culture, and hierarchy she is officially hunting a former foe.
The world of Secret McQueen is interesting. It reminds me of a combination of Jeaniene Frost, Charlaine Harris, and Keri Arthur. There's a combination of weres, fae, oracles, vampires, and witches. Secret hunts rogue vampires and, a couple of times, werewolves to protect the paranormal community from exposure to humans. There's a lot of action as Secret hunts the rogue that nearly killed her six years ago.
This world has potential to become an erotic series with the two werewolves soul-mated to Secret. There's also a hint of another love interest that will appeal to her vampire side. I wonder how Ms. Dean solve this love quadrangle. These books are published through Samhaim; therefore, anything is possible.
I struggled understand the rules of the world. What are the guidelines for Tribunal bounter hunters? It's incredibly vague. An sealed envelope is passed to a bounty hunter with a name of the target, then the hunter is warned not to be seen by humans. Then I wonder how the paranormal communities co-exist? We know what is in Secret's world but little about their structure, culture, and hierarchy. At this time, it seems Secret's hunts are suicide missions or she has no survival instinct. She draws conclusions that don't serve to make her more intelligent but, rather, the obtuseness of her liaison. At one point, the bodyguards of the enemy come across as bumbling idiots. My final struggle is with why no one knows the existence of a half-vampire half-werewolf. She's the only one in existence. She's been hunting for six years.
Anyway, I will read the next book because I already paid for it. Others have enjoyed this book much more than I have. At this point, I'm trying to care about what happens to Secret McQueen. The series does have potential. *crosses fingers*
Secret McQueen is a 22 year-old dhampire bounty hunter for the vampire Tribunal. She's was abandoned by her werewolf mother and raised by her maternal human/witch grandmother. Secret began hunting vampires at the age of sixteen when she was nearly killed by a rogue, saved by another bounty hunter, and trained by the Tribunal. She identifies strongly with her vampire side but only drinks packaged blood. Her werewolf side is buried deep down until she meets the werewolf King of the East, Lucas Rain, and his second-in command, Desmond Alvarez. As she learns more about werewolf politics, culture, and hierarchy she is officially hunting a former foe.
The world of Secret McQueen is interesting. It reminds me of a combination of Jeaniene Frost, Charlaine Harris, and Keri Arthur. There's a combination of weres, fae, oracles, vampires, and witches. Secret hunts rogue vampires and, a couple of times, werewolves to protect the paranormal community from exposure to humans. There's a lot of action as Secret hunts the rogue that nearly killed her six years ago.
This world has potential to become an erotic series with the two werewolves soul-mated to Secret. There's also a hint of another love interest that will appeal to her vampire side. I wonder how Ms. Dean solve this love quadrangle. These books are published through Samhaim; therefore, anything is possible.
I struggled understand the rules of the world. What are the guidelines for Tribunal bounter hunters? It's incredibly vague. An sealed envelope is passed to a bounty hunter with a name of the target, then the hunter is warned not to be seen by humans. Then I wonder how the paranormal communities co-exist? We know what is in Secret's world but little about their structure, culture, and hierarchy. At this time, it seems Secret's hunts are suicide missions or she has no survival instinct. She draws conclusions that don't serve to make her more intelligent but, rather, the obtuseness of her liaison. At one point, the bodyguards of the enemy come across as bumbling idiots. My final struggle is with why no one knows the existence of a half-vampire half-werewolf. She's the only one in existence. She's been hunting for six years.
Anyway, I will read the next book because I already paid for it. Others have enjoyed this book much more than I have. At this point, I'm trying to care about what happens to Secret McQueen. The series does have potential. *crosses fingers*
August 11, 2012
I have high expectations in books, I realize this. I can read a lot of books, struggle through them, but I honestly felt like Dean missed the mark. I did some reading of reviews after I gave up (did not finish) and realized I wasn’t alone. 20% into a book, I need more tone of the writing and style. It felt bland. Or maybe inconsistent is the better word. Nothing worked together. Maybe some internal and external editing to cohesively tie together the plot points while weaving more strength of personality in Secret.
Secret reminded me too much of Anita Blake meets a Buffy sized package. Actually, on a phone call with a contact/friend, the Buffy thing is made into a joke. The world building felt completely weak. I really, really didn’t need the already two love interests included by the time I stopped because while I learned a lot in Info Dump Land of Conversations (chapter 9), I didn’t learn enough about Secret herself to make her so crucial to the supernatural world. I get that it’s a play on her name but she felt too weak to stand up to a King and a second choice. Her “secret” was somewhat weak by the point I read it because there was no intrigue as to why it was important.
Secret goes from Super Chick to empty when facing a hot guy…or two. I don’t like Anita Blake, at all, but "Something Secret" comes close with the triangle that you know is coming since she’s staring at one guy’s butt while climbing stairs and practically drooling over the other. She also seems to be a bit reserved about men and flirting, but yet she’s “been with enough men in the past to consider myself a woman of average experience” (Chapter 10). Again with the lack of consistency. Plus the Secret McQueen play on words doesn’t quite match the original (Steve McQueen) when referencing the man's work.
I wish it had been better. I might have liked the book more. I love strong females and first person narrative but this one really didn’t hit any of my favorites. And it makes me happy that the free price in February didn’t put me out any money.
Secret reminded me too much of Anita Blake meets a Buffy sized package. Actually, on a phone call with a contact/friend, the Buffy thing is made into a joke. The world building felt completely weak. I really, really didn’t need the already two love interests included by the time I stopped because while I learned a lot in Info Dump Land of Conversations (chapter 9), I didn’t learn enough about Secret herself to make her so crucial to the supernatural world. I get that it’s a play on her name but she felt too weak to stand up to a King and a second choice. Her “secret” was somewhat weak by the point I read it because there was no intrigue as to why it was important.
Secret goes from Super Chick to empty when facing a hot guy…or two. I don’t like Anita Blake, at all, but "Something Secret" comes close with the triangle that you know is coming since she’s staring at one guy’s butt while climbing stairs and practically drooling over the other. She also seems to be a bit reserved about men and flirting, but yet she’s “been with enough men in the past to consider myself a woman of average experience” (Chapter 10). Again with the lack of consistency. Plus the Secret McQueen play on words doesn’t quite match the original (Steve McQueen) when referencing the man's work.
I wish it had been better. I might have liked the book more. I love strong females and first person narrative but this one really didn’t hit any of my favorites. And it makes me happy that the free price in February didn’t put me out any money.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2012
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you both to GR & Ms. Sierra Dean for the signed copy.
Secret McQueen defies even paranormal laws of existence. She is neither vampire nor werewolf, but in fact a conglomerate of both. She has the curse of staying in the darkness, mixed with the keen senses of both races. As a slayer hired by the vampiric government, she has always seen herself more as a vampire than a wolf, though she doesn't truly fit in anywhere. But as she meets a duo of tasty werewolves, her world comes crashing around her. Everything she knows will be tested, including what she knows about herself, & as a rogue vampire from her past reopens old wounds, Secret might not walk away from this ultimate test of her bounty skills or her lupine love triangle alive.
I am very happily surprised to have enjoyed this book. Upon reading the synopsis, I thought It sounds good, but maybe a little much. I'm thrilled to say that's not the case. This book contains an ass kicking female protagonist, a nice change from most books I read. It was fast paced, easy to understand, most importantly, the plot was great. There was hardly a dull moment, & I found myself genuinely concerned about (some of) the characters' well being. Violence & sexual tension add a nice touch, making the story more vivid. I probably should have predicted the end, but alas I did not. So, damn you Ms. Dean, you have made me anxious to read the next installment of Secret's life.
I give this four out five stars. The only reason it's not a five is that, in my perverse opinion, the sex scenes were a bit glossed over. I'm familiar with this publisher, & was expecting it just a bit more thoroughly written, more detailed. That being said, that's the only real issue I had with this book.
I recommend it to both fans of lycanthropy & vampirism, fans of paranormal romance, & anyone who like sexy wolfy man candy that tastes like cinnamon.
Secret McQueen defies even paranormal laws of existence. She is neither vampire nor werewolf, but in fact a conglomerate of both. She has the curse of staying in the darkness, mixed with the keen senses of both races. As a slayer hired by the vampiric government, she has always seen herself more as a vampire than a wolf, though she doesn't truly fit in anywhere. But as she meets a duo of tasty werewolves, her world comes crashing around her. Everything she knows will be tested, including what she knows about herself, & as a rogue vampire from her past reopens old wounds, Secret might not walk away from this ultimate test of her bounty skills or her lupine love triangle alive.
I am very happily surprised to have enjoyed this book. Upon reading the synopsis, I thought It sounds good, but maybe a little much. I'm thrilled to say that's not the case. This book contains an ass kicking female protagonist, a nice change from most books I read. It was fast paced, easy to understand, most importantly, the plot was great. There was hardly a dull moment, & I found myself genuinely concerned about (some of) the characters' well being. Violence & sexual tension add a nice touch, making the story more vivid. I probably should have predicted the end, but alas I did not. So, damn you Ms. Dean, you have made me anxious to read the next installment of Secret's life.
I give this four out five stars. The only reason it's not a five is that, in my perverse opinion, the sex scenes were a bit glossed over. I'm familiar with this publisher, & was expecting it just a bit more thoroughly written, more detailed. That being said, that's the only real issue I had with this book.
I recommend it to both fans of lycanthropy & vampirism, fans of paranormal romance, & anyone who like sexy wolfy man candy that tastes like cinnamon.
July 20, 2011
It is really rare that only after reading the first two pages you instantly know that you'll like a book. I had this phenomenon happen to me with this one! I LOVE it... and I know I say "love it" a lot... but belive me when I say I love it! I can't really tell you specifically what about it I love so much because there are so many aspects of it that I enjoyed! :) hehe... If you can get a hold of this booky here, than I strongly suggest you read it. I really like Sierra Deans writing style and can't wait for the next book to come out... there are so many unanswered questions and so many open possibilities for this series! <3 And... beware it has a bomb at the ending :)))
KABOOOOOOOM!
KABOOOOOOOM!
February 10, 2012
Sexy and compelling paranormal suspense that messes with the mind just the right amount. A plethora of murky allegiances, dubious intents, and sexy guys make for a fast paced read. Nice body count with morals that tempts the question, "Where is the line?" While this story concludes the next begins, and I'm definitely ready for #2.
October 14, 2012
I read this book for my October Recommends Challenge. Gin recommended it to me and I'm so glad she did because I've had this one for a while but I kept putting it off. I wish I would have read it sooner because it was great!!
(I'll add a review later...)
(I'll add a review later...)
June 18, 2011
Enjoyable.
If I lived in New York, I would now be afraid of The dark. My favorite line: "I said something to her during the Italian Renaissance, and I gather she's still annoyed about it."
If I lived in New York, I would now be afraid of The dark. My favorite line: "I said something to her during the Italian Renaissance, and I gather she's still annoyed about it."
May 21, 2018
http://delivreenlivres.blogspot.fr/20...
Si vous aimez l'urban fantasy classique avec un petit coté sexy, n'hésitez pas, vous avez choisi le bon livre. Ce premier tome est bien réussi, il donne vraiment le ton et nous pousse à poursuivre l'aventure. Pari gagné donc pour moi, c'est fun, c'est distrayant et j'ai passé un bon moment.
Secret McQueen travaille pour le conseil des vampires comme exécutrice. Un rôle qui lui convient tout à fait car pour une hybride cachée comme elle, ce boulot lui permet de gagner sa vie tout de rester en marge des communautés surnaturelles. En effet elle est un mélange qui ne c'est jamais vu car un vampire a attaqué sa mère garou quand elle était sur la fin de sa grossesse et le bébé (Secret) a donc été contaminé. Elle a survécu contre toute attente mais n'est accepté par aucun des deux peuples. D'ailleurs les vampires ne savent pas qu'elle a un coté garou et c'est tant mieux car ils s'évitent en général même si ils ne sont pas en guerre.
Lorsque son ennemi de toujours refait surface brutalement, Secret n'est pas préparée, d'autant plus que ça tombe vraiment à un mauvais moment. En effet elle vient de rencontrer les garous du coin pour la première fois et sa situation face à eux est compliquée parce qu'un groupe cherche à prendre le pouvoir et qu'elle se retrouve en plein milieu de leur lutte.
Elle se retrouve donc à devoir gérer les deux affaires en parallèle, et fini par se rendre compte que tout pourrait être lié ...
Vous allez me dire qu'une histoire de garous et de vampires qui ne s'aiment pas et de quelqu'un prit au milieu ça n'a rien d'original dans le genre. Et je dirais que sur ce point on est tous d'accord. Mais ça ne fait pas tout, c'est surtout la façon dont la politique et le background est mené et la position de Secret au milieu qui apportent un peu d'originalité. En fait le livre reprend les codes de l'urban fantasy les plus classiques et leur ajoute à chaque fois un petit point qui les change et leur donne une nouvelle signification.
Quand j'ai lu le résumé j'ai eu peur que le coté sexy prenne toute la place vu la façon dont c'est raconté mais en fait pas vraiment. Il existe certes mais on est quand même sur une histoire a dominante urban fantasy et pas romance paranormale. J'ai trouvé que c'était finalement bien équilibré sur l'ensemble.
Ceux qui veulent de la romance ne seront pas déçus car il y a le début d'une histoire qui promet (c'est loin d'être terminé) et ceux qui ne sont pas particulièrement attiré par ce coté pourront aussi être satisfait car l'histoire principale est prédominante (à condition bien sur de ne pas vouloir absolument une histoire sans).
Bon, j'avoue qu'il y a aussi quelques défauts de jeunesse dans ce livre, notamment le fait que tout aurait pu être un peu plus dilué, le livre est un peu court (250 pages) même si c'est vrai que du coup on a beaucoup de dynamisme dans l'intrigue.
Le second défaut est que le passé de Secret nous est un peu présenté en un bloc d'un coup au début alors qu'il aurait surement eu plus d'impact si on l'avait découvert petit à petit aux bons moment. Du coup ça faisait un peu info-dump (largage important d'information d'un coup) et ce n'était pas ce qu'il y a de plus agréable pour commencer un livre.
Mais paradoxalement, ce que j'ai bien apprécié c'est justement que quand le livre commence alors que Secret a déjà un passé, on a même limite l'impression de commencer sur un tome avancé de série tellement il c'est passé de choses avant. Du coup ça donne vraiment un sentiment de profondeur au personnage de Secret.
Au niveau de sa personnalité j'ai bien aimé son répondant, j'avais souvent le sourire aux lèvres après les dialogues. C'est un personnage qui n'est pas une débutante naïve mais qui n'est pas non plus la guerrière sans pitié qui connait tout sur tout. En fait elle est vraiment un bon mélange des deux. Si elle découvre son coté garou dans ce tome, elle a côtoyé les instances vampires depuis longtemps et donc elle a l'habitude de la politique compliqué et sait comment naviguer dans ce genre de milieu ce qui lui donne l'expérience nécessaire pour survivre.
Pour ce qui est des personnages secondaires pour l'instant on ne fait que les découvrir maison a une belle brochette qui a vraiment du potentiel. D'ailleurs je dirais qu'une grande partie de l’intérêt du livre repose sur leurs épaules. J'ai particulièrement apprécié Holden le gardien Vampire de Secret. Et pourtant on ne le voit pas souvent mais il est vraiment très intriguant. Bien sur les garous promettent aussi pas mal, et la dessus j'avoue que je préfère Desmond car Lucas est pour l'instant un peu trop sur la réserve pour nous donner une vrai image de sa personnalité.
L'histoire nous apporte son lot de surprises et de découvertes, et la fin nous pousse à nous plonger dans le tome suivant rapidement tant l'information qu'on nous donne est intrigante. L'attente de la suite va être difficile !
Du coup je dirais qu'au final j'ai vraiment bien apprécié ce premier tome. Malgré quelques défauts j'ai été prise dans l'intrigue et je me suis attachée à tous les personnages que j'ai hâte de découvrir plus en détail dans les tomes suivants.
On a un premier tome fun et dynamique qui m'a fait passer un excellent moment et qui m'a rappelé tout les bons souvenirs de la grande époque de l'urban fantasy et pourquoi j'adore toujours autant ce genre.
16.5/20
Si vous aimez l'urban fantasy classique avec un petit coté sexy, n'hésitez pas, vous avez choisi le bon livre. Ce premier tome est bien réussi, il donne vraiment le ton et nous pousse à poursuivre l'aventure. Pari gagné donc pour moi, c'est fun, c'est distrayant et j'ai passé un bon moment.
Secret McQueen travaille pour le conseil des vampires comme exécutrice. Un rôle qui lui convient tout à fait car pour une hybride cachée comme elle, ce boulot lui permet de gagner sa vie tout de rester en marge des communautés surnaturelles. En effet elle est un mélange qui ne c'est jamais vu car un vampire a attaqué sa mère garou quand elle était sur la fin de sa grossesse et le bébé (Secret) a donc été contaminé. Elle a survécu contre toute attente mais n'est accepté par aucun des deux peuples. D'ailleurs les vampires ne savent pas qu'elle a un coté garou et c'est tant mieux car ils s'évitent en général même si ils ne sont pas en guerre.
Lorsque son ennemi de toujours refait surface brutalement, Secret n'est pas préparée, d'autant plus que ça tombe vraiment à un mauvais moment. En effet elle vient de rencontrer les garous du coin pour la première fois et sa situation face à eux est compliquée parce qu'un groupe cherche à prendre le pouvoir et qu'elle se retrouve en plein milieu de leur lutte.
Elle se retrouve donc à devoir gérer les deux affaires en parallèle, et fini par se rendre compte que tout pourrait être lié ...
Vous allez me dire qu'une histoire de garous et de vampires qui ne s'aiment pas et de quelqu'un prit au milieu ça n'a rien d'original dans le genre. Et je dirais que sur ce point on est tous d'accord. Mais ça ne fait pas tout, c'est surtout la façon dont la politique et le background est mené et la position de Secret au milieu qui apportent un peu d'originalité. En fait le livre reprend les codes de l'urban fantasy les plus classiques et leur ajoute à chaque fois un petit point qui les change et leur donne une nouvelle signification.
Quand j'ai lu le résumé j'ai eu peur que le coté sexy prenne toute la place vu la façon dont c'est raconté mais en fait pas vraiment. Il existe certes mais on est quand même sur une histoire a dominante urban fantasy et pas romance paranormale. J'ai trouvé que c'était finalement bien équilibré sur l'ensemble.
Ceux qui veulent de la romance ne seront pas déçus car il y a le début d'une histoire qui promet (c'est loin d'être terminé) et ceux qui ne sont pas particulièrement attiré par ce coté pourront aussi être satisfait car l'histoire principale est prédominante (à condition bien sur de ne pas vouloir absolument une histoire sans).
Bon, j'avoue qu'il y a aussi quelques défauts de jeunesse dans ce livre, notamment le fait que tout aurait pu être un peu plus dilué, le livre est un peu court (250 pages) même si c'est vrai que du coup on a beaucoup de dynamisme dans l'intrigue.
Le second défaut est que le passé de Secret nous est un peu présenté en un bloc d'un coup au début alors qu'il aurait surement eu plus d'impact si on l'avait découvert petit à petit aux bons moment. Du coup ça faisait un peu info-dump (largage important d'information d'un coup) et ce n'était pas ce qu'il y a de plus agréable pour commencer un livre.
Mais paradoxalement, ce que j'ai bien apprécié c'est justement que quand le livre commence alors que Secret a déjà un passé, on a même limite l'impression de commencer sur un tome avancé de série tellement il c'est passé de choses avant. Du coup ça donne vraiment un sentiment de profondeur au personnage de Secret.
Au niveau de sa personnalité j'ai bien aimé son répondant, j'avais souvent le sourire aux lèvres après les dialogues. C'est un personnage qui n'est pas une débutante naïve mais qui n'est pas non plus la guerrière sans pitié qui connait tout sur tout. En fait elle est vraiment un bon mélange des deux. Si elle découvre son coté garou dans ce tome, elle a côtoyé les instances vampires depuis longtemps et donc elle a l'habitude de la politique compliqué et sait comment naviguer dans ce genre de milieu ce qui lui donne l'expérience nécessaire pour survivre.
Pour ce qui est des personnages secondaires pour l'instant on ne fait que les découvrir maison a une belle brochette qui a vraiment du potentiel. D'ailleurs je dirais qu'une grande partie de l’intérêt du livre repose sur leurs épaules. J'ai particulièrement apprécié Holden le gardien Vampire de Secret. Et pourtant on ne le voit pas souvent mais il est vraiment très intriguant. Bien sur les garous promettent aussi pas mal, et la dessus j'avoue que je préfère Desmond car Lucas est pour l'instant un peu trop sur la réserve pour nous donner une vrai image de sa personnalité.
L'histoire nous apporte son lot de surprises et de découvertes, et la fin nous pousse à nous plonger dans le tome suivant rapidement tant l'information qu'on nous donne est intrigante. L'attente de la suite va être difficile !
Du coup je dirais qu'au final j'ai vraiment bien apprécié ce premier tome. Malgré quelques défauts j'ai été prise dans l'intrigue et je me suis attachée à tous les personnages que j'ai hâte de découvrir plus en détail dans les tomes suivants.
On a un premier tome fun et dynamique qui m'a fait passer un excellent moment et qui m'a rappelé tout les bons souvenirs de la grande époque de l'urban fantasy et pourquoi j'adore toujours autant ce genre.
16.5/20
September 16, 2022
Secret is a half vampire, half werewolf, but that's a secret. They're seemingly pretty traditional vampires and werewolves from what it says in here. Though I don't know if garlic and wooden stakes plays into anything. It started out very full of purple prose, but I am happy to say it gave up on that and just told the story after the first chapter.
This is like a mash up of Riley Jensen and Anita Blake. I'm really hoping it turns into RH, because why should Secret have to choose? There's definitely room for character growth, but I sense a lot of relationship drama in this series' future.
Urban fantasy is one of those genres that needs a lot of building before it pays off, so I tend to not be wowed by first books in the series, and either become completely obsessed or indifferent to them as they go along. Time will tell how this one falls for me. It’s usually my investment in the characters, not necessarily the world, that decides it.
This is like a mash up of Riley Jensen and Anita Blake. I'm really hoping it turns into RH, because why should Secret have to choose? There's definitely room for character growth, but I sense a lot of relationship drama in this series' future.
Urban fantasy is one of those genres that needs a lot of building before it pays off, so I tend to not be wowed by first books in the series, and either become completely obsessed or indifferent to them as they go along. Time will tell how this one falls for me. It’s usually my investment in the characters, not necessarily the world, that decides it.
March 6, 2012
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
This is one of those series that I kept meaning to read but somehow it always managed to get bumped. After being pestered by several of my fellow reviewers and absolutely adoring both of Sierra’s novellas (The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters & Secret Santa) I finally conceded. I don’t know why I was stressing about fitting it into my busy schedule. I sat down to read Something Secret This Way Comes on a Saturday afternoon and was finished before dinner. I consider myself a fairly fast reader but I blew my own record out of the water with this novel. I was so engrossed by the story that I temporarily developed super speed reading skills! Okay, maybe not but you get the idea. I did however immediately buy and download A Bloody Good Secret.
I guess it should come as no surprise to me how crazy I am about the main character, Secret McQueen. She’s a werewolf-vampire hybrid similar to Keri Arthur’s heroine, Riley Jenson, who happens to be one of my all-time favorites in paranormal fiction. I’m not a huge fan of Dean’s name choice but she uses it to her advantage by slipping in cute puns here and there. Even though the origins of her name are explained I can’t help but question whenever the author picked Secret because she already had a bunch of punch lines lined-up. Anyway, my little pet peeve aside, McQueen is bold, sassy and deadly. Plus, she’s a mishmash of my two favorite preternatural breeds. Win, win all around!
The love triangle in Something Secret This Way Comes is messed up! Secret goes from wanting nothing to do with relationships to being bonded to not one but two werewolves. She didn’t have much of a choice in the matter because her wolf half made the decision for her but she accepts it pretty quickly. Apparently her furry side has excellent taste in men. The first being Lucas the werewolf king. I guess her motto is go big or go home! There’s obviously something between them but I’m not 100% convinced that Lucas doesn’t have ulterior motives. On the other hand, the chemistry between Secret and Desmond is insta-hot. McQueen’s relationship with the wolf king comes off as cool and calculated while as with Desmond it felt like raw animal magnetism. They couldn’t be alone in a room together for longer than five minutes without jumping each others’ bones. Raar! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!
I liked the layout of Sierra’s preternatural society. They have a strong respect for life and manage their own people well. The death warrants are actually handed down by the vampire council itself which was a nice change of pace from your typical bounty hunter storyline. Dean does a great job of using their own justice system and rules to set off a chain reaction that ultimately ends up playing right into Secret’s enemy’s hands. A very clever maneuver!
The ending of a book is usually meant to provoke readers in some way shape or form. In this case only two words came to my mind: “Ooh sh*t”! I literally closed book one and downloaded book 2 in the same breath. Something Secret This Way Comes is an outstanding read that’ll keep you at the edge of your seat for the entire book and then some.
This is one of those series that I kept meaning to read but somehow it always managed to get bumped. After being pestered by several of my fellow reviewers and absolutely adoring both of Sierra’s novellas (The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters & Secret Santa) I finally conceded. I don’t know why I was stressing about fitting it into my busy schedule. I sat down to read Something Secret This Way Comes on a Saturday afternoon and was finished before dinner. I consider myself a fairly fast reader but I blew my own record out of the water with this novel. I was so engrossed by the story that I temporarily developed super speed reading skills! Okay, maybe not but you get the idea. I did however immediately buy and download A Bloody Good Secret.
I guess it should come as no surprise to me how crazy I am about the main character, Secret McQueen. She’s a werewolf-vampire hybrid similar to Keri Arthur’s heroine, Riley Jenson, who happens to be one of my all-time favorites in paranormal fiction. I’m not a huge fan of Dean’s name choice but she uses it to her advantage by slipping in cute puns here and there. Even though the origins of her name are explained I can’t help but question whenever the author picked Secret because she already had a bunch of punch lines lined-up. Anyway, my little pet peeve aside, McQueen is bold, sassy and deadly. Plus, she’s a mishmash of my two favorite preternatural breeds. Win, win all around!
The love triangle in Something Secret This Way Comes is messed up! Secret goes from wanting nothing to do with relationships to being bonded to not one but two werewolves. She didn’t have much of a choice in the matter because her wolf half made the decision for her but she accepts it pretty quickly. Apparently her furry side has excellent taste in men. The first being Lucas the werewolf king. I guess her motto is go big or go home! There’s obviously something between them but I’m not 100% convinced that Lucas doesn’t have ulterior motives. On the other hand, the chemistry between Secret and Desmond is insta-hot. McQueen’s relationship with the wolf king comes off as cool and calculated while as with Desmond it felt like raw animal magnetism. They couldn’t be alone in a room together for longer than five minutes without jumping each others’ bones. Raar! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!
I liked the layout of Sierra’s preternatural society. They have a strong respect for life and manage their own people well. The death warrants are actually handed down by the vampire council itself which was a nice change of pace from your typical bounty hunter storyline. Dean does a great job of using their own justice system and rules to set off a chain reaction that ultimately ends up playing right into Secret’s enemy’s hands. A very clever maneuver!
The ending of a book is usually meant to provoke readers in some way shape or form. In this case only two words came to my mind: “Ooh sh*t”! I literally closed book one and downloaded book 2 in the same breath. Something Secret This Way Comes is an outstanding read that’ll keep you at the edge of your seat for the entire book and then some.
April 14, 2011
OK OK where to start. It's kind of fun reading a authors book where you have no knowledge of prior works. In this case this is her first book. I think she knocked it out of the park. Just gonna say it. I started reading this a couple weeks ago while sitting under the hair dryer at my local salon. I only got a few chapters in but i liked what i read but i also wondered if this was going to full of violence with little romance. I set it aside for a bit then because other things came up and picked it back up a few days ago and devoured it! If you've read Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood it put me in mind of that but different at the same time. Both her main characters are vampire hunters but the stories are different. I just got that same feeling reading this as i did reading Angel's Blood. Loved that too btw.
Secret McQueen was an abomination to both werewolves and vampires. Good thing only a handful of people know she is a half breed. Half vampire half werewolf. Secret is also a hunter. She hunts vampires mostly but has hunted a werewolf or two and maybe a human with her partner Keaty. There is so much in this book and yet so much more to come. I liked all the characters even the evil bad ones. lol There is nothing predictable in this book. I don't mind some predictability but without it you are more on edge. There is some violence and gore in this book so be warned it's in there but it doesn't overshadow the story. The more the book went on the more i got into and got excited. There is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end that makes your mouth hang open and say WOW! I did literally. I was glad there is more to come and mad i have to wait for it. Secret is one kick ass women who lives her life learning to take care of herself and not depend on other people. A enemy of her past comes back seemingly to kill her. In the mist of figuring out what going on with that she runs into the werewolf kind of the Eastern States Lucas Rain. Instant attraction hits and she doesn't know what to think of it. Then she seems to have that same attraction for Lucas's 2nd in command Desmond. What's a girl to do? Neither know the dirty secret of her heritage though. If they find out then what? About 3/4 of the way thru i was wondering how she was going to wrap it all up and finally decided that she wasn't. That means another book is going to be coming out reportedly in September so I'll be waiting.
Secret McQueen was an abomination to both werewolves and vampires. Good thing only a handful of people know she is a half breed. Half vampire half werewolf. Secret is also a hunter. She hunts vampires mostly but has hunted a werewolf or two and maybe a human with her partner Keaty. There is so much in this book and yet so much more to come. I liked all the characters even the evil bad ones. lol There is nothing predictable in this book. I don't mind some predictability but without it you are more on edge. There is some violence and gore in this book so be warned it's in there but it doesn't overshadow the story. The more the book went on the more i got into and got excited. There is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end that makes your mouth hang open and say WOW! I did literally. I was glad there is more to come and mad i have to wait for it. Secret is one kick ass women who lives her life learning to take care of herself and not depend on other people. A enemy of her past comes back seemingly to kill her. In the mist of figuring out what going on with that she runs into the werewolf kind of the Eastern States Lucas Rain. Instant attraction hits and she doesn't know what to think of it. Then she seems to have that same attraction for Lucas's 2nd in command Desmond. What's a girl to do? Neither know the dirty secret of her heritage though. If they find out then what? About 3/4 of the way thru i was wondering how she was going to wrap it all up and finally decided that she wasn't. That means another book is going to be coming out reportedly in September so I'll be waiting.
May 23, 2011
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Werewolves and Vampires
RECEIVED: Won
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I was extremely excited to win a copy of Something Secret This Way Comes. I cant really express the words on how much I loved this book, but it was just wicked awesome!
How cool would it be to have the name Secret? Well Secret McQueen knows and her name is known for many reasons. She does the dirty work when Vampires go rogue. You see Secret isn’t your normal girl, at birth she was abandon by her werewolf mother and now she’s works for the council of Vampires in New York. Plus she has a secret that many people don’t know about. Now hunting down an enemy from her past and brought face to face with two very powerful and dreamy werewolves. Her life is getting a little more complicated.
I loved this series for the twist that Dean kept on throwing out, Secret has one heck of a life and she doesn’t care about getting down a dirty to fight. Secret is tough, determined, and the type of girl who would stick her neck out for her friends, plus she has some good-looking guys hanging around and protecting her. ☺
All the characters were fantastic, even the bad guys just rocked my socks off with their personalities and spunky they all had that bit of spunk in them. Lucas and Desmond, oh I cant wait to read more about these two cause every page they were on I had to fan myself because they are hot.
The kick butt actions scene really pulled me into the story, as the reader I really got the feel of how Secret dealt with the craziness her life was becoming. The plot was just brilliant and the end; oh the ending was such an awesome cliffhanger but not one that makes you mad just made me want more! I can’t wait for the second installment of this great new series Secret McQueen.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with sexual content and a bit of violence. Fans of Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series and Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampire series will love this! Don't forget to read the prequel "The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters."
THEME: Werewolves and Vampires
RECEIVED: Won
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
I was extremely excited to win a copy of Something Secret This Way Comes. I cant really express the words on how much I loved this book, but it was just wicked awesome!
How cool would it be to have the name Secret? Well Secret McQueen knows and her name is known for many reasons. She does the dirty work when Vampires go rogue. You see Secret isn’t your normal girl, at birth she was abandon by her werewolf mother and now she’s works for the council of Vampires in New York. Plus she has a secret that many people don’t know about. Now hunting down an enemy from her past and brought face to face with two very powerful and dreamy werewolves. Her life is getting a little more complicated.
I loved this series for the twist that Dean kept on throwing out, Secret has one heck of a life and she doesn’t care about getting down a dirty to fight. Secret is tough, determined, and the type of girl who would stick her neck out for her friends, plus she has some good-looking guys hanging around and protecting her. ☺
All the characters were fantastic, even the bad guys just rocked my socks off with their personalities and spunky they all had that bit of spunk in them. Lucas and Desmond, oh I cant wait to read more about these two cause every page they were on I had to fan myself because they are hot.
The kick butt actions scene really pulled me into the story, as the reader I really got the feel of how Secret dealt with the craziness her life was becoming. The plot was just brilliant and the end; oh the ending was such an awesome cliffhanger but not one that makes you mad just made me want more! I can’t wait for the second installment of this great new series Secret McQueen.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with sexual content and a bit of violence. Fans of Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series and Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampire series will love this! Don't forget to read the prequel "The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters."
April 20, 2012
This series is like a modest rendition of the Riley Jensen novels, which I love since I am not big on smutty novels, though I'll read them if the premise and storyline are good. Unlike the Riley Jensen novels, Sierra Dean includes the introduction of a fairy world and demi-gods-- concepts that aren't usually thrown in with vampires and werewolves. This novel was featured on Amazon for Kindle for free and it was so good that I feel like I robbed Ms. Dean of the royalties she deserves.
Secret McQueen is the only half-vampire, half-werewolf hybrid known to the supernatural world, except her heritage isn't really known by anyone except for the mother that abandoned her, the grandmother who raised her, and a couple others she trusts with her secret-- no pun intended.
Secret is a vampire hunter and works for the infamous Tribunal, a group of Vampire Elders who uphold Vampiric law. Though her life isn't perfect, she is able to deal with the life she's been dealt and keep her parentage out of the lime-light; that is until she meets a couple werewolves that her wolf-half latches onto with a bond that extends soul-deep. And of course destiny doesn't stop there; she not only soul-bonds with two weres, they are none other than the Wolf King of the East and his second-in-comand... It helps that they are both beyond HOT... or maybe that makes it harder for her ;)
Something Secret This Way Comes is a great introduction to the Secret McQueen series and is equipped with romance, action, and humor. I am on my way to reading the second installment to the series right now and can hardly wait to see what is in store for Secret.
Happy reading!!!
Secret McQueen is the only half-vampire, half-werewolf hybrid known to the supernatural world, except her heritage isn't really known by anyone except for the mother that abandoned her, the grandmother who raised her, and a couple others she trusts with her secret-- no pun intended.
Secret is a vampire hunter and works for the infamous Tribunal, a group of Vampire Elders who uphold Vampiric law. Though her life isn't perfect, she is able to deal with the life she's been dealt and keep her parentage out of the lime-light; that is until she meets a couple werewolves that her wolf-half latches onto with a bond that extends soul-deep. And of course destiny doesn't stop there; she not only soul-bonds with two weres, they are none other than the Wolf King of the East and his second-in-comand... It helps that they are both beyond HOT... or maybe that makes it harder for her ;)
Something Secret This Way Comes is a great introduction to the Secret McQueen series and is equipped with romance, action, and humor. I am on my way to reading the second installment to the series right now and can hardly wait to see what is in store for Secret.
Happy reading!!!
February 1, 2012
Secret McQueen is a Werewolf/Vampire hybrid. She was abandoned by her werewolf mother, raised by her witch grandmere, and is now on the vampire tribunal payroll. When not bounty hunting for the vampires, she works with her partner and mentor Keaty. Secret abhors werewolves and chooses to keep her werewolf side a secret (no pun intended.) She is feared by most vampires, apart from Alexandre Peyton. Six years ago, Peyton nearly killed Secret in a botched assassination attempt that left Peyton with only one fang. It has been status quo for the last six years until one fateful night, Peyton makes his return known. Secret must stop Peyton from completing his plan to rule the world *bwahahaha* or at least New York City.
I read this book quickly. For me, this usually means it is at least a 4 star book. There was a lot if action, which I love in an UF. I liked the supporting characters of Keaty and Holden. The story line in general was solid.
So why give it 3 stars you ask? Because it was very reminiscent of Anita Blake and the maneuverings of the love triangle felt contrived and shallow. I was disappointed as this book has pretty good reviews overall.
I want to continue on with the series, but I'm not sure if I can stomach the romance. In this book, it felt like it was just airlifted into their individual scenes. I will have to stew on it a bit to see if the promise of the next installment will be alluring enough to keep me going.
I read this book quickly. For me, this usually means it is at least a 4 star book. There was a lot if action, which I love in an UF. I liked the supporting characters of Keaty and Holden. The story line in general was solid.
So why give it 3 stars you ask? Because it was very reminiscent of Anita Blake and the maneuverings of the love triangle felt contrived and shallow. I was disappointed as this book has pretty good reviews overall.
I want to continue on with the series, but I'm not sure if I can stomach the romance. In this book, it felt like it was just airlifted into their individual scenes. I will have to stew on it a bit to see if the promise of the next installment will be alluring enough to keep me going.
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