I don't know what's wrong with me, but I didn't like it as much as everyone did. In fact, the only reason why I keep on reading the series is because I'm hoping for a better turnout...but it doesn't seem to be happening. Secret is just boring..everyone in this series is 2-D to me. The mystery is meh. It's either predictable or cliche. Since she has so many potential love interest, none of them get a lot of screen time. They're in and out. And I HATE it that Dean brings up modern thing and people like Beyonce, Jay-z.. no. Maybe I just don't like contemporary. You can't see me, but I swear I am gnashing my teeth right now. I am just on the cusp of loving this series. I love Secret... and almost all of the secondary characters. The world building is great. The pacing is good. I like the concept, the plot, the dialogue. But then there is this goddamn love triangle that makes me want to tear apart my nook with my bare hands.Let's start with the good stuff, though, shall we? As the story begins, we see Secret starting to come into her own as a member of the Tribunal. But she is still itching to go back to her bounty hunter adventures. So when Holden's maker Rebecca asks her to investigate a missing person's case, Secret doesn't mind one bit. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes the girl's disappearance is likely linked to a larger case involving a handful of missing girls from the local university. So Secret works, in part, with Holden --and in other part with Mercedes-- to try to unravel the mystery.I thought that element of the story was great. The villain was bad-ass, and Secret was stretched to her limit trying to defeat him. We get to meet her smarmy ex-boyfriend who has been mentioned in prior books. We get to see Ty and his growing mistrust of Secret. I love how we keep building on all the people in Secret's life and their continuing interactions with her.I also love how she is evolving. It's not entirely clear how she is changing, but it's clear that she is. At times, her vampire side shows signs of dominating... other times, we see more of the wolf coming out than ever before. But why? How far will it go? These questions are there, wrapped up in some cryptic prophecy from the Oracle. It all makes me want MOAR!!And then there is the romance. I love Desmond. There. I said it. I love Desmond and Lucas is a giant douchecanoe. Before, I found him kind of peripheral and annoying. Now he is firmly in the wanker camp. He does something... scratch that... he does TWO things in this book that are pretty major and pissed me off. But, perhaps, even worse is Secret's reaction. What in the hell is she thinking? I just don't understand. It made me mad. I felt jerked around. Not because of Lucas' behavior, but because of Secret's. Fail. Fail. Fail.Oh yeah, and then there's still Holden. (*sigh*)I am genuinely torn. What I like, I really really like. But what I don't.... Grrrrrrr.
