Review: Keeping Secret by Sierra Dean

Keeping Secret
Book 4 in the Secret McQueen Series
Author: Sierra Dean
Publisher: Samhain
Release date: 7/10/12
Author's website: Link

Something old, something blue, something deadly…what else is new?

It’s a nice day for a white wedding. At least that’s what Secret McQueen is hoping for, with her poofy-princess-dress marriage to a werewolf king looming closer and closer by the day. But as ever, nothing can be that easy for a vampire/werewolf hybrid for whom someone still harbors a death wish.

Summoned to the south by her werewolf uncle, who makes no bones about the fact her mate bond with Lucas doesn’t pass muster, Secret learns her furry heritage looks more like a tangled vine than a family tree. Getting her royal uncle’s blessing hinges on finding one of the missing twigs. Even with vampire sentry Holden Chancery at her side, she manages to land up to her neck in a swamp of trouble.

As an assassin’s scope zeroes in, family dramas boil up and a fast-collapsing love square threatens to bury her alive, making it to the church on time could be the least of Secret’s problems.

Change is the one word that could be used to describe the latest book in the Secret McQueen series.  Big changes are in store for the main heroine of the series as Secret McQueen has to prepare for her wedding.  She's got her hands full due to the fact that she has to deal with her relationships with all of the men in her life.  She also learns more about her family and exactly what happened in the past while visiting her uncle's estate in the south. She and her fiancee Lucas Rain are invited to his estate to talk about their upcoming nuptials and while they are there some major things happen.  I cannot divulge that information in my review because that would spoil things for you, but let me just say that some things in her life change as the result of the time being spent there.

The relationships that Secret share with each of the men in her life change drastically and by the end of the book I found myself worried for her for the first time.  She's going through an emotional time dealing with each of the men as well as learning more information about her family, especially her mother.  For the first time she gets closer to the wolf side of herself and explores this part of her herself in a scene that I found to be truly exciting.

The men in her life play such a big part of this story as she's pulled in different directions to deal with them.  She takes her role as Luca's fiancee seriously as she knows that her marriage to him will make his pack stronger. She's come to care for it's members and feels that marrying her mate is necessary.  But at the same time, her heart still belongs to her other mate Desmond.  While I love that he is so supportive of her, I can't help but feel sorry for him as he waits in the wings for her.  Exactly what will happen to him once Secret is married?  I want more for Desmond and with the way things are going, it doesn't feel like it's going to happen.  Then there is Holden, who really showed a new side to his character by being there for Secret throughout the book when she really needed someone.  He's always been there for her and while he still attracted to her, he knows how important it is for him to give her support when it's needed.  I found his character to be more serious in this book as he comes to her aid several times.  I've never hidden the fact that I absolutely love Holden and I couldn't be more happier that his bond with Secret is strengthened in the book. 

I'm giving Keeping Secret a rating of:  

I really enjoy Secret's character and would love to see some stability in her life.  I think she deserves it as her character has been through so much since tapping into her werewolf side.  But at the same time she's discovering much more about herself and her past dealing with what comes her way.  Sierra Dean keeps her readers and characters on their toes because we don't really know what's going to happen next.  That mystery adds excitement to the series that always has me tearing through her books!  Her writing style is smooth and enjoyable and is one of the major reasons why I enjoy reading her books so much.  She's always a must read for me and I'm looking forward to seeing what curve ball will be thrown at Secret next.  I'm sure she can handle what does come her way as that's what she always seem to do best.