Review: Sugar Plum Spies (Section 47 #2) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Sugar Plum Spies

Series: Section 47 #2

Previous book in this series: A Sense of Danger

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, urban fantasy

Publication date: November 8th, 2022

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: eARC for review from author

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Synopsis: VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS...

Most spies take a break for the holidays, but not me, Charlotte Locke. As an analyst for Section 47, a secret spy organization, I normally use my magical form of synesthesia to uncover lies and track paramortal bad guys from the comfort of my cubicle. But tonight I’m going out into the field, along with my partner, Desmond Percy, a powerful galvanist.

Instead of enjoying Christmastime in the city, I’m in a German castle, dressed like a toy soldier and masquerading as a waitress at a swanky Christmas Eve party. My mission? To gather information that will help Section 47 track down a dangerous enemy.

Despite the glitz and glamour, I can’t shake the sense that something is wrong—and that Desmond and I might not leave the party alive.

DANCES OF DEATH...

My name is Desmond Percy, although I’ve had many aliases during my years working as a cleaner for Section 47. But I’ve never had a real partner until Charlotte Locke.

My part of the mission is simple: pretend to be a guest and keep an eye on things at the party while Charlotte uses her synesthesia to track down the information we need. But what starts out as a sugar plum dream quickly turns into a holiday nightmare.

Forget the mission. All I want for Christmas is to keep Charlotte safe.

My rating: ★★★★★

I'm always excited to read a Jennifer Estep book, especially if it's in a new series where there is still so much of the world to explore. The Section 47 Series is full of spies, assassins, and magic—a combination I’m really enjoying!

As you may be able to tell from the title, Sugar Plum Spies, this book takes place during the holidays, so it's coming out just in time for the upcoming holiday season! This book was on the shorter side so it was a pretty quick read, and it actually takes place mostly in one evening, during a holiday party, which I really enjoyed! It actually gave me Deadly Sting vibes because that book also takes place in one evening and Gin basically thwarts a heist and lurks around the museum killing people left and right. And I honestly loved that about Sugar Plum Spies because Deadly Sting is one of my favorite books in the Elemental Assassin Series 😆 So, because it was a shorter book and it took place in one evening, it made for a very engaging, fast-paced, action-filled read. Not that Jennifer's other books are anything less—I can always count on her for an action-packed book—but this one was more so and it was great!

The story was also interesting. Charlotte and Desmond are still trying to track down Henrika Hyde, and some intel led them to this Christmas party. Unfortunately for the spy and assassin, things got a little more deadly than they expected. They discovered a lot of interesting information... information I was not expecting, which I appreciated because I love being surprised! And then that ending?? Tell me more!

As I mentioned before, this book was action-packed! I love a book with action, and Desmond, as a Cleaner (AKA an assassin), is absolutely brutal! He is amazing! (And could probably give Gin a run for her money 😆) Jennifer writes amazing fight sequences, and the ones in this book were no different! I love the way the characters get creative not only with weapons and things around them but also with their own magic. And hey, Charlotte may be more of a numbers girl, but she can hold her own! You go girl!

Another thing I loved was the characters. I already mentioned what a badass Des is, but he also has this softer side that melts my heart 🖤 I love how sweet and protective of Charlotte he is, but not in a suffocating sort of way. And Charlotte is really smart and sassy and just a great protagonist to follow. The hostess of the party, Elsa, was also very intriguing, and I'm wondering if we'll get to see her again.

This was way just GOOD. There's no other way to describe it. I love the spies-with-magic aspect of this series, the amazing action, and the characters and their fun banter. I especially love the romance between Des and Charlotte—it’s so freaking sweet! And don't even get me started on Des 😍 I’ll admit that I tend to love all of the male love interests that Jennifer Estep writes (Logan freaking Quinn from Mythos Academy—I adore him! Owen from Elemental Assassin—love him!) but Desmond, in particular, is hot as hell and I cannot get enough of him! 😆 And what is a holiday read without its sweet moments... This one had some great ones, especially toward the end! It was just the perfect holiday read and I highly recommend it!

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! 😊