Something Secret This Way Comes (Secret McQueen, #1)

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Something Secret This Way Comes (Secret McQueen #1)

by Sierra Dean (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 1,577 ratings · 201 reviews

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 hunt...more

Kindle Edition, 264 pages

Published May 10th 2011 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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Jul 16, 2012 Jillyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: paranormal romantics

Shelves: first-reads, autographed

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 d...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2011

Posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

When you reach ‘the end’ of a book, many things can happen. You could cry. You could smile. You could throw the book across the room. You could curse the author then throw the book across the room. When I reached the end of Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean, there is just one reaction that fit. My jaw hit the floor. Hard.

I had such fun reading this book! Something Secret This Way Comes is a very fast-paced book with a real kick ass c...more Posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

When you reach ‘the end’ of a book, many things can happen. You could cry. You could smile. You could throw the book across the room. You could curse the author then throw the book across the room. When I reached the end of Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean, there is just one reaction that fit. My jaw hit the floor. Hard.

I had such fun reading this book! Something Secret This Way Comes is a very fast-paced book with a real kick ass chick as a heroine. But she didn’t feel like too much. And her name! Secret. That’s her name. Isn’t it awesome?! Secret is half vampire and half werewolf. She uses her vampire control to keep from shifting and that way, so no one knows her true nature. (Well, technically four people know). The vampires think her other half is human and so do the weres. The weres just say she smells like death, but Secret says that she stinks that way because of her job. You see, she’s a bounty hunter that works primarily for the vampire Counsel.

Secret’s back story is great. And her feelings for those who know her secret (her grandmere, Holden, Keaty) are really well written. You can tell how much she cares for these people and how loyal she it to them.

I guess that is why I was surprised by how the emotion came across as almost hallow when it came to Secret and her mate-bonding. She isn’t big on relationships and is usually quite in control, then suddenly she discovers that she is ‘bonded’ and there you go. She doesn’t want it but all too quickly accepts it. I just found that whole part of the book to be a little off and that Secret’s reaction to the whole situation to be inconsistent with her character. But not so much so that it turned me off of that part of the story, because the chemistry between her and the men in this book was brilliant! The chemistry between Secret and Lucas… Holy wow! And the chemistry between Secret and Desmond… Well, I didn’t find it to jump off the page quite as much, but it was still very strong and very well written. There was even a little bit of something subtle between Secret and Holden! Lots of sparks flying and all of them exciting. I’m very curious to see where all these sparks will land.

Even though the ideas weren’t completely new, the story and Secret herself made this a really entertaining read. I am very much looking forward to the next book, A Bloody Good Secret, which is due out September 20th 2011. After the way this book ended, I can’t wait to dive into that one!(less)

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May 05, 2011 All Things Urban Fantasy added it

Shelves: reviewed-by-julia

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 t...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Franny (The Reader's Edge) rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Jeanine rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 McQu...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-ebooks, on-kindle, read-in-2012

3.5

I'm torn what to think about about this book. I liked it. I definitely did. But it pushed a couple buttons I don't like being pushed: love triangles and cliffhangers.

There's really no way around the cliffhanger I suppose, but the love triangle was definitely interesting. It was better than most, yes, but it's also partly because there didn't really seem to be any time to get to know and make a connection with either werewolf, despite there being sex. I was all, "Woe! Who to choose?!" even as...more

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May 13, 2011 Angela James rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, digital-first, urban-fantasy

Enjoyed this debut book, though I agree with the review here from Ms.bookjunkie that says this installment feels much like the first chapter of a book. I understood the sentiment behind that review, because this definitely felt like the setup book. I'm also a bit nervous about the possibility of 3 love interests. I'm not a fan of multiple love interests in urban fantasy as a trope. It's starting to feel overdone. However, if the author intends to take this to the erotic side of things and have m...more

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May 09, 2011 Stella rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, for-review, urban-fantasy, favorites

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 halfbre...more

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May 18, 2011 Bea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 100-book-in-a-year-reading-challeng, 2011-urban-fantasy-horror-reading, 2011e-book-reading-challenge, read-in-2011, reviews, romance, urban-fantasy

The writing wasn't anything spectacular and the plot was nothing unusual, but the concepts and characters introduced caught and kept my interest. Dean has created an interesting mythology and social structure for her supernaturals. This despite using some of my least favorite tropes - 1) the destined mates, 2) the three way triangle, and 3) a hero, or heroine if you prefer, who is ALL THAT, with a destiny she can't imagine. So, you might expect I wouldn't like the book.

You'd be wrong. The cover...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Dutu rated it 5 of 5 stars

All my customers bought this book, but I just did not like the cover and I did not read it...until last night when I finished Deadly Sting and I did not had the anything on my kindle except Secret McQueen and some other books that did not work for me...
So I started reading,Sunday night, and I had work next day in the morning...I told myself that I will read a couple of pages and then go to sleep...let me tell you that I did not take my eyes of the book until ten chapters into the book, it was t...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Mistress of the Dark Path rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Secret McQueen is one woman who is unlike any other. Her life didn't start out under the best of circumstances and hasn't gotten much better since. She was born half werewolf and half vampire. In her world, that is unheard of, making her one of a kind. Unfortunately, Secret's werewolf mother wanted nothing to do with her from the beginning which meant her human grandmother raised her instead. It wasn't all bad growing up, but she certainly had to adapt to both sides of her heritage that gave bot...more Secret McQueen is one woman who is unlike any other. Her life didn't start out under the best of circumstances and hasn't gotten much better since. She was born half werewolf and half vampire. In her world, that is unheard of, making her one of a kind. Unfortunately, Secret's werewolf mother wanted nothing to do with her from the beginning which meant her human grandmother raised her instead. It wasn't all bad growing up, but she certainly had to adapt to both sides of her heritage that gave both strengths and weaknesses. She can't handle the sunlight and needs blood to survive, but also has some werewolf urges. Now, as an adult, it makes for one very interesting woman. One that isn't happy about her outcast status. She doesn't quite belong anywhere.
So at sixteen Secret set off on her own, bitter about her identity and wanting a bit of revenge. If it hadn't been for the vampire attack that nearly killed her mother while pregnant with her, she wouldn't have many of the problems she does. This made her become a bounty hunter for the vampire league after they realized she had no qualms about killing them. At least that way they had some control over who she took out. She has been working the job ever since under the guidance of another vampire hunter who has been a close mentor.

Now at 22 years old, things are about to take a drastic change in her life. A vampire nemesis of hers is determined to finally finish her off and he has grand plans once she is out of the way. Secret must stop him before it is too late. That isn't all that is thrown at her, though. She also discovers that she is mystically bonded with not one, but two werewolves, one of them being the king of the East Coast Pack. They don't know about her vampire half and that is the way she wants to keep it. Yet it isn't going to be easy hiding her werewolf half from the vamps while hiding the vampire half from the weres. Secret has a lot on her plate if she wants to stay alive, not to mention manage some kind of romantic life.

I must say this book turned out much better than I expected. Secret is a woman with a lot of conflict in her life, but she handles it fairly well, despite the occasional stumbles along the way. This isn't a woman who just came into her powers, but rather one who was born to them. She has been mastering them ever since, even if she has been suppressing the werewolf half for most of her life. She is brave, tough, and smart. Yet unlike many other heroines in Urban Fantasy, she isn't full of snark. Something I appreciated since that seems to have become almost too standard for the genre. She knows her weaknesses and does get scared when things get too dangerous, but she also gives as good as she gets. Secret is a solid, well-developed character that seemed more realistic than may others do.

There are some who may find her love life somewhat objectionable. It was one of the things I worried about as I prefer heroines to be monogamous. She has two werewolves that are bonded to her (both being close friends) and I'm not sure how this is going to play out. The triangle problem didn't fully develop in this first book, but I'm guessing that she might be able to pull it off. The only trouble being that there are hints another man of a different species may come into the picture as well. That causes some worry as to how far this is going. Those who have read the Anita Blake series or Riley Jenson understand the significance. So far, though, she hasn't actually "fallen" for anyone so the outcome remains to be seen. There were a couple of hot sex scenes, but they weren't ménage. The prospect of a character getting into multiple relationships normally bothers me, but doesn't feel awkward in this series. Somehow, the author is pulling it off and I'm willing to keep reading to see what happens next.

For those of you who enjoy Urban Fantasy/Paranormal books with tough heroines, you might want to check this one out. It has a unique world that isn't just a copy of the many others out there. I believe it could become one of the next big series for followers of the genre to get into. It is full of action, suspense and drama, grabbing your attention from the beginning and not letting go. I enjoyed it so much I plan to grab the next novel right away. (less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, romance

I liked everything about this book, but the romance. The characters were great, the plot wasn't bad, heroine had her own respectable bad ass rep, and the action scenes were not bad, but the romance I did not like at all. I want to know what happens and who Secret eventually ends up, but this romance thing is so desperate and weak. She's "double-bonded" to Lucas and Desmond, which I just thought was plain weird and a terrible way to string together a triangle. Then, our lovely Oracle, Calliope, t...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Hell Cat rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 per...more 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.(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Jess Haines rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, humor, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

Once I managed to turn off a very cynical part of myself, this book was just plain fun. I'll admit to rolling my eyes at the heroine's name and herritage at first. My "oh, geez, a half-vampire, half-werewolf? Really?" knee-jerk reaction almost made me put the book down, but because Sierra has always been such a delight to talk to on Twitter, I pressed on--and I'm glad I did. The story and humor were great, even though I do feel the heroine came across as too Mary Sue-ish at the start, and occasi...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers of ass-kicking heroines with a love triangle

Shelves: beautiful-heroine, assassin, bounty-hunters, cliffhanger, cheater-cheater, fated-mates, favorites, gifted-heroine-hero, kickass-heroine, romance, series-i-love, shifters, vampires

This was a super exciting book from beginning to end. I rarely choose 5 stars for books anymore because it has to really blow me away with no needs or unanswered questions. but this book was pretty close. I'll give a very rudimentary summary...

Its about a half vampire/ half werewolf vampire hunter who works for a vampire council with a few close friends who know she's a mixture of both breeds. Abandoned by her werewolf mother, she was raised by her grandmother which resulted in a chip on her sho...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Madame X rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: vip-hero, vampires, paranormal-urban-fantasy

Whatever special sauce has been getting so many people excited about this series...I don't get it.

(1) Secret McQueen is a badass? Um...kinda. I mean, if you like badass characters who take insane risks for dumb reasons, don't prepare for big showdowns, get themselves into trouble and need to be rescued. Secret only really wins one fight in this book - the first one, with the newbie vampire. All the others are, at best, draws. I was not impressed.

(2) The worldbuilding? Well, that was ok. Not part...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Ann has a dirty mouth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

So when I started reading this one, I thought it was great! Finally, a first person novel narrated by the heroine that didn't make me want to shoot her in the eye with a bee bee gun at point blank range. The writing is very cute and engaging and of a much higher quality than many other "indie pub" books. As always, Samhain books are beautifully formated for the nook as well- even better than big 6 publishers.

Then when the story set in, I realized that we were in for a cliffhanger. A particularl...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Secret Mcqueen is an anomoly, a half vampire half werewolf conceived as a complete fluke. She is a bounty hunter/assassin working for the vampire council who only seem to be aware of her vampire half and assume the other half is human, which she allows them and other vampires to believe. She has a handler type person, Holden, her go between who gets her assignments from the tribunal. One night Secret runs across a brutal 'baby' vamp who implies he was created by a rogue vampire who hates Secret...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-booklist

Summary: 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...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

"Something Secret This Way Comes" is a yummy little tale about a half-breed, Secret McQueen. When I say half-breed I do not mean half- human and half something else because Secret is half-vampire and half-werewolf. Apparently her werewolf mother was bitten by her newly turned vampire husband while she was pregnant with Secret. After her birth, Secret was left with her grandmere to raise.

At age 16, Secret decides she will hunt down vampires. Unfortunately, she gets a little cocky and attacks an o...more "Something Secret This Way Comes" is a yummy little tale about a half-breed, Secret McQueen. When I say half-breed I do not mean half- human and half something else because Secret is half-vampire and half-werewolf. Apparently her werewolf mother was bitten by her newly turned vampire husband while she was pregnant with Secret. After her birth, Secret was left with her grandmere to raise.

At age 16, Secret decides she will hunt down vampires. Unfortunately, she gets a little cocky and attacks an older one, Peyton and in an effort to survive the attack breaks off one of his fangs. Apparently, vampire fangs do not grow back. That was six years ago and Peyton has vowed to seek revenge. Now 22, Secret works as a bounty hunter (mostly for the vampire council) killing creatures who operate outside of the law.

Then, something strange occurs. While sitting in a coffee shop Secret senses a man, Lucas Rain before he even arrives and when she sees him, she is instantly drawn to him. Thinking he has enthralled her with his lupine abilities, she attempts to run away. However, one of his men catches up to her before she can get away. She soons discovers that what she feels will not go away because she is soul bonded to this werewolf King. To complicate matters she must keep her vampire side a secret and she is also soul bonded to his Lieutenant, Desmond.

I realize the story line may sound convoluted; however, trust me when I say Sierra Dean knows how to tell a good story. She is a gifted writer and enthralled me with her writing style, world building and characterizations. I loved this story. So, why did I give this book only four stars rather than 5? The truth be known, I am not a huge fan of love triangles. I tolerate them in YA books but have trouble with them in adult fiction. I feel as though strong female characters should know who they want to be with. This was the only aspect of the book that bother me. Do not allow this to stop you from reading it. It was wonderfully unique.(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, contemporary, m-f

Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Living between two cultures, while not really a part of either, is difficult. This is the life of Secret McQueen, half werewolf, half vampire and all sass.

She works as a bounty hunter for the vampire council and has, so far, managed to keep her lupine heritage secret from them. Very few know of her true origins, but one is her vampire liaison Holden Chancery. Things get a bit…complicated on her latest assignment when she meets Lucas...more Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Living between two cultures, while not really a part of either, is difficult. This is the life of Secret McQueen, half werewolf, half vampire and all sass.

She works as a bounty hunter for the vampire council and has, so far, managed to keep her lupine heritage secret from them. Very few know of her true origins, but one is her vampire liaison Holden Chancery. Things get a bit…complicated on her latest assignment when she meets Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves and Desmond Alvarez, his second in command, and discovers they are her soul mates.

Things get bad when another alpha wolf wants to overthrow the hierarchy and dethrone the current king, especially when he kidnaps Secret and tries to kill her. Seems his mate is Secret’s long lost mother, who abandoned her at birth, and would love to see Secret dead too. Then there’s Alexandre Peyton, the rogue vampire that tried to kill Secret before, and is murdering young women that resemble her. When Secret is told to bring him in-alive-things get a lot more dangerous for everyone. Can Secret come to terms with having two mates, after being alone so long? Will she be able to stop the rogue from creating the vampire army he wants? Can she keep everyone safe and bring Peyton in?

This is Sierra Dean’s first book, and what a marvelous debut it is. I found the world she created to be an intriguing place, and alternate New York filled with paranormal beings and happenings. The characters are rich and complex, and the action is fast paced and entertaining.

Secret McQueen is strong and independent. A rarity in the paranormal world, she was born half werewolf and half vampire. She has a strong sense of duty and fulfills her contracts to the best of her abilities. She is also very sarcastic and sassy, and takes advantage of her deceptive appearance to get her job done. Tiny and blond, she seems like no threat to the rogues she hunts, until it is too late for them.

Lucas Rain is King of the East Coast werewolves, and he is handsome and sexy, and he recognizes Secret instantly as his mate. Although he is the ultimate alpha wolf, he is gentle and kind when possible, and would rather not have to fight. But he is not weak, and he will defend what is his, even to the death. I like Lucas, for his patience in trying to teach Secret about her wolf heritage, and not rushing her into anything.

Desmond Alvarez is gorgeous as well, and light to Lucas’ dark. At first, it seems as though he hates Secret, and she doesn’t understand what she has done to cause this reaction. The truth is much different-it would appear that Desmond can sense that he is also meant to be mated to Secret and can’t figure out how to broach the subject. I loved that, once they got over the initial difficulty, Desmond was willing to protect Secret at all costs.

There are several story lines here, and I enjoyed watching as Ms. Dean was able to weave these into one marvelous tapestry of romance, betrayal and intrigue. There are several wonderful surprise twists here, and the hint of much more to come in the future. The secondary characters such as Holden Chancery, Secret’s vampire liaison, and Secret’s only female friend, Detective Mercedes Castilla of the NYPD are both well defined, and I look forward to seeing more of them as well. One warning to those who read this book: there is a terrific happy for now, but there is also one sucker punch of a twist at the end. But this one is definitely a wonderful first book, one that left me wanting more.

(less)

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Jul 15, 2011 S. Herberth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: know-the-author, urban-fantasy

Full disclosure: I read this book because I know the author through our shared editor, not because I had any real zest for yet another scrappy first-person urban fantasy heroine. I was expecting decent writing, but I wasn't expecting to really LIKE the book.

Secret's biology reads like something out of a RP chat room in the mid-90's (Glenshadow's Tavern, represent!) - half vampire, half werewolf. She's a supernatural bounty hunter. She's a young, pretty woman in a gritty urban setting. She's a sm...more Full disclosure: I read this book because I know the author through our shared editor, not because I had any real zest for yet another scrappy first-person urban fantasy heroine. I was expecting decent writing, but I wasn't expecting to really LIKE the book.

Secret's biology reads like something out of a RP chat room in the mid-90's (Glenshadow's Tavern, represent!) - half vampire, half werewolf. She's a supernatural bounty hunter. She's a young, pretty woman in a gritty urban setting. She's a smart-ass (which I really enjoyed) and she can kick your ass.

Not only does Sierra Dean's writing save her concept, it completely overshot my expectations and pulled me right into the story. I think first-person narration, almost the default for this genre, and most often meant to create an instant relationship between the protagonist and the reader, can actually work the opposite way. Done poorly, it buffers the reader from really feeling the book with distracting commentary, or my least favourite trope, the narrator refusing to see what everyone else does. Secret avoids that. She's knee-deep in the action all the time, and most of her witty asides keep pace with that. I also really enjoyed that while Secret is sarcastic, she's not needlessly antagonistic.

The few places I felt like the book faltered were the introduction and interactions with Secret's love interests, but Dean managed to make even the rough spots true to Secret's character, and again, her strong writing pulled me out of those minor issues and kept me eagerly reading until I hit the last page, when I might actually have been heard to yelp at the cliffhanger ending.

I've got the prequel novella, The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters, loaded up to read this weekend, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I loved Sierra Dean's writing, and I'm sure it's only going to get better as she goes. Secret McQueen is fun, funny, and well worth spending some time with. Something Secret This Way Comes was a wonderful surprise, and I'm glad I took a chance on it.(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

First in an ongoing series, not a standalone novel. While the big bad for this episode is found, there's potential bigger badness in the future. No HEA (or HFN). I suspect Secret's romantic relationships will be unresolved throughout the series run. (Fingers crossed that this is a planned series; I'm really getting tired of the ones that go on forever in no particular direction to the point I get bored and and give up. It makes me not want to start any series until it's finished, which is why I'...more First in an ongoing series, not a standalone novel. While the big bad for this episode is found, there's potential bigger badness in the future. No HEA (or HFN). I suspect Secret's romantic relationships will be unresolved throughout the series run. (Fingers crossed that this is a planned series; I'm really getting tired of the ones that go on forever in no particular direction to the point I get bored and and give up. It makes me not want to start any series until it's finished, which is why I'm giving warning here.)

The worldbuilding uses pretty common themes of sexy vampires and werewolves (and fae and maybe other creatures), hostile to each other but united in hiding the secret of their existence from humans. Nothing terribly original, but it's solidly incorporated into the story.

The plot and pacing are both engaging. It starts with Secret racing through Central Park to protect a young woman from a rogue vampire, only to discover that her worst enemy has returned to New York and may be after her. In addition to hunting this enemy (sanctioned by her employers on the vampire tribunal), she also has to figure out how to deal with suddenly being soul-bonded to the local wolf king and to his second -- neither of whom know that while she's half-werewolf, she's also half-vampire.

I enjoyed the character of Secret. At 22, she's fairly young, but she's smart enough to learn from her mistakes, savvy enough to be diplomatic even when she doesn't want to be, compassionate enough to help those in need, and has a strange tendency to space out into internal backstory/exposition at inappropriate times. She also has a dry sense of humor.

I was flattened to the ground, the wind knocked out of me with a painful hiss and a thrashing vampire with his bared fangs going straight for my throat.
Just another day at the office.

She's soul-bonded to Lucas, the werewolf king of the East Coast, and to his second, Desmond. She doesn't know what that means, and Lucas won't provide a full explanation. (Lucas has a bit of the alpha manipulator thing going.) She's convinced that she has to make a choice between them -- whether or not that's the case, I don't know -- and feels guilty that she's physically and emotionally drawn to them both. To add to her confusion, the Oracle has told her that both sides of her heritage will be involved in a love triangle.

Normally, super-powered chica who's the object of desire for a herd of characters would have me rolling my eyes and looking for another book--especially when combined with a cliffhanger ending. Fortunately, the voice, pacing and character interactions are entertaining enough that I plan to stick with this series until the next book, at least.

Note: while there's apparently a whole geometry class worth of potential love triangles, there are no threesomes (so far anyway) and while there are a couple of sex scenes, the sex is not terribly explicit and doesn't take over the story.
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Jun 22, 2011 QueenB rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

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...more 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.
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Feb 24, 2012 Lisa Roquin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy

a very hesitant 2 stars, probably 2.5. 1st person POV which I *loathe*, but the world is interesting. I'm not entirely sure I like Secret herself, definitely don't dislike her but I'm not overly impressed with her either.

Non-ending stopping point (more irritating with the lack of depth in characters) and an impending sense of oh hell we're heading off to an Anita or Merry trainwreck with soul-mates and soul-bonds. Two potential soul-bonds and not even to the second book or the other half of her...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this as a free download and started right into it. What an utter delight!! The pace of the story is quite quick, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed. In fact, it is exactly right. Given that Secret is herself rushed into peril and wonder and confusion all at once so quickly even she can't believe it.

I'm absolutely loving the double-bonded connection she has to her "wolves". I have to say I really love her take on werewolves and vampires. The aristocratic vampire with Victorian sensib...more

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May 23, 2011 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, series

Secret McQueen technically shouldn't be something that exists. A vampire-werewolf hybrid is unheard of but because of an incident during her mother's pregnancy and a wise grandmother who knew what to do with her after she was abandoned, here she is. She's completely suppressed her wolf half and chooses to live her life as a normal human as much as possible, dealing with her vampire half when necessary.

One necessity for Secret means working for the vampire council as a bounty hunter. They're pic...more Secret McQueen technically shouldn't be something that exists. A vampire-werewolf hybrid is unheard of but because of an incident during her mother's pregnancy and a wise grandmother who knew what to do with her after she was abandoned, here she is. She's completely suppressed her wolf half and chooses to live her life as a normal human as much as possible, dealing with her vampire half when necessary.

One necessity for Secret means working for the vampire council as a bounty hunter. They're picky about her ashing anyone off-contract though and she's already been called to appear before them once for a mess she made with three unsanctioned kills. Her neck may be on the line for the last time for her most recent - a newly-made vampire she caught chasing a girl through a park. Instead of ordering her death, the council gives her a new job - find the master vampire that turned the one she killed and bring him in - alive.

When things couldn't get any more complicated, Secret finds out she's soul-bonded to two werewolves, which presents a problem since one is the King of the Eastern Werewolves, the other is his second and they haven't got a clue she's half vampire (not a good thing for the werewolves). All Secret needs to do is track a master vampire who's her sworn enemy and find a way to get him back to the council alive so she can keep her own head, figure out what to do with a couple of unexpected werewolf mates and dodge vampire attacks, were attacks and have a little hot sex in between. No problem, right?

This was a pretty fun book for the most part. It moved quickly and the plot was perfect for introducing all of the necessary vampire-related characters, including the one who delivered Secret's orders, Holden, members of the council and the Oracle Calliope. The idea of tying in the story with something out of Secret's past - the master vampire was one of her first foes - gave a nice chance to see who she was before she started working with the council. I didn't think the werewolves were introduced as smoothly and as a result, I didn't really warm up to any of them for a while.

I think Secret makes a great UF heroine - I really liked her. She wasn't any superwoman with ten swords and some throwing stars hidden in a leather duster, she packed a gun and blew vampires' heads off usually. She kicked butt - a requirement - and when necessary, had a terrifically smart ass comment ready but she was also smart and kept her mouth shut and thought things out a lot of the time. It was sad that she was so conflicted about her own "racial" identity until she was forced into dealing with it by Lucas and Desmond when they activated the mating bond. If there was anything about Secret that bothered me it was that her brain seemed to take a vacation when she was around Desmond.

As the King of the East Coast Werewolves and the one that she felt the initial bond with, Lucas seemed like he should have had the stronger connection to Secret, but all of his contact with her felt utterly flat to me. He generally acted more business-like than romantic, despite some obvious jealousy towards Desmond. On the other hand, Desmond was very likable and he had great chemistry with Secret. He had some very romantic and sexy lines and they were smoking in bed, but the one thing that bugged me was that it was quite clear that Secret is the alpha in the relationship. Unless the author has something up her sleeve, I fear he's never going to be anything but a beta.

There's a comment made by the Oracle and some hints dropped along the way that made me shudder. I'm praying with all of my heart that the second book isn't going to go there because if the author does, she's going to get an avalanche of comparisons to Laurell K. Hamilton and that isn't fair to Secret who's an entirely different sort of character. I actually really like the other character that’s potentially being set up and if some other things are dealt with first then things might work out, but forcing it too fast is going to lose me...fast.

My Summary: I was very intrigued by the blurb for this book and was happy that it delivered and I've found a new UF series to follow. I like the concept of Secret's warring vampire and were sides, especially when both cultures find the other taboo. Although I think she might have jumped into things a little too quickly, there's no denying that Secret's relationship with Desmond is flaming hot and likely to get hotter, whoever ends up joining in - and I'm making the assumption that sooner or later, someone will. The book mostly settles one story but one devastating line at the end sets up the second, which will be released in September (A Bloody Good Secret). A small warning - don't go looking for the blurb for the second book at the author's website unless you want spoilers for this book. I accidentally did while looking up the release date and title and got a surprise that has me itching for it even more (I’m a horrible-spoiler lover).

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Feb 28, 2012 Douglas Meeks rated it 5 of 5 stars

I seem to have a problem, when you read too many good books in a short time, it makes it really hard to share how good they are without repeating yourself. Just finished Something Secret This Way Comes: Secret McQueen, Book 1 and it was friggin awesome, while it was original I can see that this is going to be a similar Anita Blake and MAYBE this time the author will stick to the story and not turn it into porn :) It really was a 4.5 Star read but while it did not end on a cliffhanger exactly, it...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars

Something Secret This Way Comes follows the story of 22 year old Secret McQueen who is a half werewolf half vampire bounty hunter. Abandoned by her werewolf mother as a baby Secret is now employed by the Vampire Council of New York to kill rogue vampires. Only a handful of people know that she is half were half vamp and it is something that she doesn’t want either race knowing what she truly is. Secret has spent most of her life around vampires and very little time around werewolves but that cha...more

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About Sierra Dean

Sierra 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...more

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Books by Sierra Dean

A Bloody Good Secret (Secret McQueen, #2)

The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters (Secret McQueen, #0.5)

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Something Secret This Way Comes (Secret McQueen #1)

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