Early Review: Cold Hard Secret by Sierra Dean (Secret McQueen #7)

Cold Hard Secret (Secret McQueen #7)
Sierra Dean
Published: July 1, 2014 (Samhain)
Purchase: Amazon
Review source: copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Krista

Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it does reference events from previous books in the series

It’s been two months since Secret was rescued from the Doctor and his torturous experiments. It would be an understatement to say that Secret isn’t doing well.

For the first time in her life she is plagued by recurring nightmares, forcing her to relive the Doctor’s ‘tender’ care. This makes it quite dangerous for any of her suitors to share the bed, since she keeps a loaded gun under her pillow. Although all of the physical wounds and scars have faded away, the mental and emotional wounds are still as fresh and bleeding as the day she got them. But this is definitely not a book about healing any of said wounds. Instead Secret opens old wounds and picks at ones that have barely scabbed over.

Cold Hard Secret begins with Secret and Desmond traveling to Paris to confront Alexandre Peyton, the man responsible for many of her recent problems and mishaps. We’re not there long before we are winging back to New York, then Louisiana, then Manitoba, and back to Louisiana. Secret and her entourage do so much traveling you wouldn’t think they would get anything accomplished but Secret faces down many of the adversaries who have plagued her through the series.

While Cold Hard Secret is action packed, it doesn’t lack for emotional impact. She also makes a choice between her werewolf and vampire suitors. I have to say that I was somewhat annoyed by this, as it felt as Secret was forced to make a decision and that she made the easy choice at that moment. In an earlier novel Secret had an epiphany that she wasn’t just one thing but multiple, which doesn’t make the decision true to the Secret we have come to know and love. In no way has Secret dealt with any of the trauma of the last few years. Instead she ignores the still bleeding wounds and runs away from anything that could remind her of them. Also if one of Secret’s spurned suitors hooks up with Secret’s sister, I will scream.

Other than that I really enjoyed Secret’s latest adventure in Cold Hard Secret. I hope this book isn’t leading up to Secret’s HEA anytime soon and this is only another step in a hopefully long journey. If you haven’t checked out Secret’s adventures yet, you don’t know what you are missing.

Sexual content: Kissing