Audiobook Review: Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

I am going to give everyone a heads up right now: This review is going to have spoilers from previous books. If you haven't read them and hate spoilers, Stop Reading Now.  You have been warned.

After the conclusion of Hard Bitten, book 4 in the Chicagoland Vampire Series by Chloe Neill, I was in a bit of a state of shock. I mean how often does an author kill of the main love interest in a series?  It takes a serious leap of faith to emotionally rip our hearts from our chests like she did and trust that we will come back for more.

And yet we did.  Because Merit must continue on, because the House must continue on. Especially with the feared Receiver showing up and taking over the house, implementing outrageous rules. (Think Dolores Umbridge in HP 6) Plus there is yet another supernatural problem going on that puts vampires in general and Cadogan House in particular in the spotlight. One that increases the rioters outside Cadogan House.

Luckily, for Merit, Jonah is willing to partner up with her while she tries to figure out who is up to what. Jonah is Head of the House Guard at Grey House and her prospective partner if she decides to join the Red Guard. Which with the way the Presidium and the GP are handling the events that have transpired in Chicago, is starting to look better and better to Merit.

This book takes Merit deeper in the supernatural community as she questions everyone trying to figure out who is to blame for the elemental imbalances shaking the city, all while disturbing dreams of Ethan haunt her during her day sleep. This is the book where everything that has come before gets mixed up, shaken up and dumped on its head. But the ending is what had me gasping and trying to come to terms with what just happened. Because, damn, just damn. This was an incredible story and well earned its 4 stars.

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven't been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That's when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black—and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago's mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for vampires and humans alike.

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Audiobook Review: Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill

This is the fourth book in the Chicagoland Vampire Series by Chloe Neill and narrated by Cynthia Holloway. All of our favorites are back and once again, Merit has been placed into the role of investigator trying to keep Cadogan House clear of any blowback from supernatural shenanigans.

After the asshattery of Ethan Sullivan, the master of Cadogan House in Twice Bitten, I was happy to see that Merit hadn't simply forgiven him. Merit was making Ethan work for her forgiveness.  Her simply calling him Liege, and acting with the "Grateful Condescension" at all times, is making Ethan crazy. Add in the Mayor extorting Ethan into investigating and a claim that 3 young women have died in what sounds like a Vampire rave, plus the GP showing up unannounced from England and poor Ethan is not having a good week. The topper is the GP telling Ethan that he is not to give into the demands of the Mayor and let the humans figure it out for themselves.

Merit knows that this isn't something that is just going to go away on its own. When a drug called "V" starts turning up, the stakes become even higher.  As the Sentinel of Cadogan House, Merit knows that to protect her House, she needs to put a stop to it before something happens that can't be fixed. Merit ends up working closely with Jonah, the Head of the Guard for Gray House, as well with her grandfather's Ombudsman office.

This book takes us deep into Vampire Politics. Turns out its not so different from Human Politics, just much more entrenched in the past and they have longer to scheme and manipulate events.  As plain spoken as Merit is, this is a world that she fights to understand and navigate.  There is a shocking event towards the end of this book that I did not see coming. I was totally floored, but have faith in the world that Ms. Neill is building that I will be pleased in the end.  This was a fantastic book and really a pivotal book in the series.  I gave it 4 stars.

Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals—and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan, are tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of an underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society—a world full of vampires who seem to be ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands.

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Audio Review: Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill

Twice Bitten is the third book in the Chicagoland Vampire series and picks up almost immediately following the events at the end of book 2.  Merit has been receiving these red envelopes with hinting at an invitation to some thing special. I admit that I had this crazy thought that they were some kind of invitation to the Raves that they had been investigating. Turns out I was way wrong. Turns out, Merit has been invited to join the historic Red Guard, the secret police of the Vampire Masters. She is flabbergasted by the invitation, especially with how new she is and with her loyalties still forming in her mind, she requests some time to think about the offer.

When Gabriel, the Apex of the North American Shifters requests Ethan and especially Merit to be part of the security for the up coming pack meetings and massive event called the Convocation. This put Merit and Ethan neck deep in shifter politics.  All the while dealing with a break up with her semi-kinda boyfriend Morgan, a fight with her best friend Mallory and the confusing feeling growing between herself and Ethan.

This book took us deeper into the Vampire world, gave us more insight into the Shifter world, let Merit start using all that training she has been getting, thrilled those rooting from a Ethan/Merit pairing then broke our hearts and ended with a bang. I was so much happier with where this book versus book 2.  I felt like Merit is really starting to get her head on and grow into the position of Sentinel for her house as well as a bad ass chick. I am really enjoying the direction this book is headed and can't wait to start the next book. I had to give this book 4 stars.

Merit, Chicago's newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit.

Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene - and to spy for the vamps while she's at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan's offering some steamy one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Merit must accept the assignment even though she knows that she'll probably regret it. And she's not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She'll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals - not least between her and a certain centuries-old green-eyed Master vampire.

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Audio Review: Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

This is the second book in the Chicagoland Vampire Series and continues Merit's journey as a newly turned vampire.  I jumped right into the second audiobook after listening to the first and I continue to enjoy Cynthia Holloway's performance of Merit and the other characters.

It has been a few weeks following the end of book one and Merit is becoming more accepting of who and what she has become. Merit is also growing into her position as Sentinel for Cadogan House.  She is still training with Catcher Bell. And partially due to Catcher's growing relationship with her best friend Mallory and partially because being 20 minutes away from Cadogan House was just unacceptable, Merit moves into the mansion. Merit is still dating Morgan who is now the head of Gray house since Celina has been remanded to the Greenwich Presidio following the end of book one.

Life gets even more complicated for Merit when Sullivan has her reconnect with her estranged family in order to gain the connections necessary to help with an investigation into Raves. But working closely with Ethan doesn't do anything to help with the very ambivalent feelings she has for Morgan or the way Ethan continues to run hot and cold toward her.

I spent a lot of this book wanting to smack Merit and tell her to tell Ethan to get over himself. I understand that she has committed to the House, but the way Ethan jerks her emotions around, and she lets him, just pisses me off. While there was a mystery to be solved, there was less action until the end of the story. This felt more like a transitional story. Merit transitioning from student to a warrior. Merit transitioning from thinking about herself to thinking about others first. Merit transitioning from young adult to full grown adult. That didn't make it a bad story, just not one where we see a lot of forward momentum. I gave it 3stars.

Vampires in Chicago!

You'd think headlines like that would have provoked the fine citizens of the Windy City to take up arms against us bloodsucking fiends. Instead, ten months later, we're enjoying a celebrity status reserved for the Hollywood elite—fending off paparazzi only slightly less dangerous than cross- and stake-wielding slayers. Don't get me wrong. Joe Public isn't exactly thrilled to be living side-by-side with the undead, but at least they haven't stormed the castle...yet.

All that will change once they learn about the Raves—mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle and drink themselves silly. Most civilized vampires frown on this behavior—but that doesn't make good copy for a first-time reporter looking to impress his high-society family.

So now my "master"—the centuries-old yet gorgeously well-preserved Ethan Sullivan—wants me to reconnect with my own upper-class family and act as liaison between humans and vampires...and keep the more unsavory aspects of our existence out of the media. But someone doesn't want people and vamps to play nicey-nice—someone with an ancient grudge.

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Audio Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

My sister has been a big fan of this series for years.  So when I was looking for things to listen to on my commute, and I saw the series, I figured I would give it a try.

We first meet Merit when she is waking up in the back of a limo.  She is wearing a black cocktail dress and Jimmy Choos. She feels groggy and tries hard to remember why she is in the limo wearing clothes that aren't hers.  The last clear memory she has was of walking across campus one night and being attacked by a rogue vampire.  Then someone cradling her and another bite at her neck.  When she feels her neck, it is smooth and shred free.

Merit is taken home to the brownstone she lives in with her best friend and roommate Mallory.  Merit has been gone for three days, during which she has been "changed". Mallory was so worried that she ended up calling Merit's parents to let them know. Merit and her father, Joshua Merit, rarely see eye to eye and Merit plays the black sheep of the family.  She is however, extremely close to her grandfather, Chuck Merit.  He was a cop with the Chicago Police Department for over 30 years before retiring. While she isn't worried overly what her parents will think of the change, Merit is very worried about telling her grandfather. With sarcastic Mallory at her side, Merit will have to learn the ropes of being a Vampire and come to turns with being turned without her consent, even it it saved her life.

I really enjoyed this book.  Cynthia Holloway did a fantastic job of narrating this and bring the voices of Merit, Mallory, Ethan, and assorted others to life. Merit has to learn to accept the changes that have taken place in her life and accept that sometimes your life doesn't always follow the path you thought it would. The by play between Merit and Mallory was fun to listen to.  We should all have a best friend like Mallory in our life.  I think this was a great start to a series and gave it 4 stars.

They killed me. They healed me. They changed me.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago's vampires announced their existence to the world—and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker...and this one decided that the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I've traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude—and servitude. Right.

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I'm surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan's attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone's still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.

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