Secret Santa by Sierra Dean

 Title: Secret Santa

Author: Sierra Dean 

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Series: Secret McQueen 2.5

Number of Pages: E book 

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Source: My copy 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The season for mistletoe, Christmas lights…and a killing spree. When Secret’s friend, Detective Mercedes Castilla, asks for help to solve a series of murders longer than a string of lights, Secret resigns herself to the fact her holidays will be anything but peaceful.It seems someone is killing New Yorkers in an unusually gruesome way, and as the bodies pile up faster than presents under the tree, the police are no closer to finding the killer than Secret is to finding the perfect present for one of her boyfriends, Lucas.Tracking down a monster in Manhattan the week before Christmas is almost as difficult as shopping for her ever-expanding collection of loved ones. When tragedy strikes close to home, Secret must do everything in her power to put an end to the horror in time for Santa to come down the chimney.Warning: Contains a less than merry McQueen with a sword and a reason to use it; a festive new use for mistletoe; and a promise that will haunt Secret like the Ghost of Christmas Future.

I enjoyed this Christmas novella immensely. I think the thing that I like most about the in between the numbers novellas by Sierra Dean is that we gain more insight to characters who don't otherwise get a lot of face time in the other books. For instance, this one mainly focused on the relationship between Secret and Holden. Even though I am not a Holden fan like Hanging with Bells is, I enjoyed the chemistry between them and how he forces Secret to think deeper about the relationship they have.

I really liked the fact that the mystery included Desmond's family. I just adore that wolf to pieces, lol. I love how he is always doing little things, like decorating Secret's apartment for Christmas, that makes her appreciate how different their relationship is from anyone elses. He makes her realize that some does really care for. However as much as I am a Team Desmond girl, I think that I would like Lucas if we ever got to see a bit more of him. I feel bad for him because he's a distant third behind Desmond and Holden in Secret's life.

Another fun thing about this mystery was the reappearance of Detective Novak from the .05 novella. He was the poor sap who got set up with a blind date with Secret. I liked how he kind of held a grudge against here, and I really hope we see more of him in book 3. It was also nice to see Mercedes, Nolan and Brigit in a different light. In this book they were all there to help Secret out. It was nice to see Secret mature and realize that there are people who care about her a lot in her life now.

All in all this was a fun read and made me like Holden a little bit more then I would have liked, and I can't wait to read book 3 in March!

Curran Crush Meter: High 

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High 

Martini Sigh Meter: High 

Rhiannon Heroine Kick Ass Meter: High 

Sizzle Meter: High 

Finn Sidekick Meter: High