Friday Night Bites

Friday Night Bites
4 Stars

Once again, Cynthia Holloway's narration leaves much to be desired as her inflection is awful and the different voices become interchangeable. This is unfortunate as the world building and characters have definite potential.

The characters still have the occasional bout of childish immaturity. Cadogen house is more like a co-ed sorority and the juvenile dialogue is enough to make the eyes roll back in your head. Nevertheless, it is slightly less irritating than before, or it could merely be that I'm getting used to it.

Merit is an amalgamation of strong will and sweet vulnerability. As a fellow academic, I can really identify with her love of libraries and bookworm mentality, and the internal struggle with her show more vampire identity only serves to highlight her humanity.

The men in Merit's life are a mixed bag. Ethan is simply scrumptious but then I have a penchant for the sexy, broody and aloof hero who lusts after the heroine against his better judgement. Their sexual tension is a highlight of the book and the library scene is seriously drool worthy. Unfortunately, the other two love interests (past and present) are obnoxious. Morgan is jealous and possessive, which makes him less that endearing, and Nick is a prejudiced jerk who needs a good kick in the ass.

The plot is vastly improved over book #1 although the story still lacks detail regarding the history of the supernatural community in general, and individual characters, such as Ethan and Catcher, in particular. That said, the ongoing conspiracy surrounding Celina's war-mongering and vendetta against Cadogen house continues to build nicely as does Merit's integration into vampire life and her role as Sentinel.

In terms of the other secondary characters, Mallory and Catcher annoy me no end. Mallory has a bad habit of taking her frustration with her magical abilities out on Merit and runs to Catcher when she doesn't get her own way in an argument (hello, how old are you?). Catcher comes across as a bullying jerk and it is not at all surprising that Merit doesn't trust him enough to tell him about her "little vampire problem". Luc and Lindsey, in contrast, are great and their snarky bickering more than makes up for Mallory and Catcher's passive/aggressive nonsense. To be honest, as neither Mallory nor Catcher made a positive impression on me in book #1, the new direction Merit's relationship takes with them does not bother me in the slightest.

All in all, this series is growing on me and I hope that it continues to improve. show less

This is the second book in the Chicagoland Vampires series. The sixth book, Biting Cold, will release in August 2012. Right now the author has 10 books on contract for this series. I enjoyed this book. This series has just been so fun and entertaining. I listened to this on audiobook, which I highly recommend, it was a very well done.

Merit is trying to finally get settled as Sentinel of Cadogan House, she's moving into the house and getting into a routine with the other Guards of the house. That is until Ethan needs her services elsewhere. Ethan has heard rumors that someone has leaked a story about vampire raves to the press and Ethan wants Merit to stop it. Then they find the Selena has been released from custody in Europe and is most show more likely on her way to shake things up. In an effort to make contact with the movers and shakers in Chicago Ethan asks Merit to do the one thing she vowed never to do again, reenter the elite social scene that plagued her childhood.

Merit is your typical urban fantasy heroine in some ways but not others. She has unusual powers, she is in the middle of a love triangle of sorts, and she is surrounded by supernatural power figures. The thing that sets Merit apart from other UF heroines is that to unravel the mystery throughout this story she uses something else entirely...her brain and her research skills. It was refreshing to see an urban fantasy heroine that is valued for her intelligence and actually thinks through the consequences of her actions. Don't forget that Merit is also funny, snarky, and wonderful at sarcasm.

Merit has also discovered that she is different from other vamps and this leads towards some interesting plot elements towards the end of the story.

Ethan, who was kind of stick in the mud in the first book, becomes a much more well developed character in this novel. Ethan actually has a sense of humor at points and even shows some vulnerability throughout the story. He is mostly still a mystery but we are starting to get some hint of who he really is.

We don't see a ton of Morgan in this book, he is definitely in the story but when he is he comes across as jealous and angry most of the time. This story focuses much more on Ethan. Mallory is also absent for much of the story; she's gone off to be trained in magic stuff. I missed Mallory and Merit exchanging witty dialogue, but Ethan was there to spice things up a bit.

One thing that absolutely irritated me about this book is that Neill sticks to a lot of the same description words throughout. Almost every guy Merit meets is just "so pretty". Seriously there are more pretty guys in this book than any other book I have ever read. The other thing is raised eyebrows; there is a whole dialogue of raised/quirked/lifted eyebrows in this book. I have never before read a book where eyebrows are involved so much in body language.... Okay I just had to get that out, now I feel better.

Overall this is a very fun and entertaining read. Merit does a lot of learning in this book and is as entertaining and snarky as in the first book. Merit is dealing with a lot in this book she is under emotional stress and under pressure to solve the mystery behind the rave stories. Ethan is the other big character in this book; we finally get to meet him and learn more about him. There is a great mystery woven throughout the story and it was hard to put the book down. This is a very entertaining read and fans of vampire urban fantasy will find a lot here to love. I would also recommend if you like the Night Huntress series; this series reminds a lot of that one but this series has less romance and more mystery. show less

Friday Night Bites
By Chloe Neill
Chicagoland Vampires #2

Arrrrrrgg!!!! Why do I keep doing this to myself? I read a mediocre or unexceptional book but think it may have potential so I buy the second book just to be disappointed. I thought this series would get better and that the protagonist would get a personality but I was wrong.

This book was worse than the first book. Reading this book was like watching a slug move across from the lawn over the sidewalk to the other side of the lawn where a big cat is sitting waiting to pounce on it. You have to wait forever for it to get there, watching its slow process and you know the cat is going to pounce on it when it hits the other side which will at least be a little exciting, if not a little show more sad for the slug but when the slug finally gets to the other side, the cat sees a chipmunk and decides to run after it instead. It’s good for the slug but a letdown for the audience because let’s face it, slugs are gross and not good for the garden. I may have gone way off course with that analogy but the point is that this book was slow. I had to endure almost every minute of Merit’s life, from the minute she got up to the minute she went to sleep. It was agonizing.

The plot was predictable again…in fact, it was the same threat as the last book because of course, instead of killing the bad guy…or in this case…bad gal, they sent her away to the vampire council in Europe which is the stereotypical vampire council with powerful old vampires who are disconnected from humans and modern society so they let Celina go. So, of course, Celina is back to cause trouble. It appears the author is going to milk the Celina threat for a long time.

Merit, the protagonist, never did grow a personality…in fact, she just got worse. She has a best friend named Mallory who supported her and was by her side when Merit was turned into a vampire but when Mallory needs her help, she blows her off until the last minute. When Mallory tells her that she thinks she is putting Ethan who has been nothing but a jerk towards Merit before everyone else because Merit secretly wants him, Merit gets ugly with Mallory. I think Merit is pathetically obsessed with Ethan. I hate women like her. The author seems to be trying to make Ethan and Merit’s relationship be mysterious and romantic but to me Ethan’s power over Merit and the way he treats her is abusive. I hope readers, especially young adult readers, don’t think this kind of behavior is okay.

It took me days to get through this book. I wanted to just stop reading but I forced my way through it. I won’t be reading another book in the series.

www.paranormalromanceslut.com show less

I was blown away by the first book in this series, immediately fell in love with Merit, Mallory, Catcher, Ethan, and Morgan, and was amazed by the intricate plot. This second book did not disappoint. In fact, I literally have to buy the third book tomorrow. It left me on a huge cliffhanger. Not okay.

One of the things I love most about this series, is the writing style. Since it is told in first person from Merit’s point of view, we get all of the snark and sarcasm. Two things which I highly admire in kick ass females. And Merit is bringing it all. This book picks up where the last one leaves off. She is about to move into Cadogan House to fully take up her position as Sentinel and play nice with Ethan.

Alright, I have to admit. While I show more was not a fan of the love/hate relationship between Merit and Ethan in the first book, I love how their relationship is evolving in this one. In this book, Merit is coming to terms with the fact that yeah, she wasn’t able to give consent, and Ethan wanted to save her. She is coming to terms with being a vampire and she is realizing that she is pretty bad ass. However, all is not going as great as she would want it. All of her relationships are suffering. She and Mal no longer live together, She and Ethan can’t seem to get over this weird, intense connection, and she and Morgan, the Master of the Narvarre House, is just working as well as he wants it too.

On top of this drama, Merit has to deal with Ethan’s plan of integration. She left her social obligations to her family along time ago. But in order to get information and such, Ethan forces her back in. All sorts of chaos ensues. Her father is a self-serving bastard, as always. Her mother is gossipy. And her ex-boyfriend seems to want to rip her throat out.

In Friday Night Bites, we also get to see more of the shifters. In the first book, we are introduced to only one, Jeff, who is absolutley precious, and others are just mentioned. But by the end of this book, it is obvious that shifters are playing a bigger role here, which I believe the third book will pick up on.

If you have not read this series yet, you need to! It is absolutely brilliant and I dare say I loved the second book better than the first. The characters are all evolving into their own worlds, Merit as a vamp and Mallory as a sorcerer. The steaminess and tension is very well paired with mystery and plotweaving. I highly recommend this book to all urban fantasy lovers. show less

They say that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But what happens when life unexpectedly decided to give you fangs? Well, you pack your sarcasms as close to heart as possible, you make sure your secret chocolate stash is safe, you strap on your katana and ready yourself to go straight into the lion’s den.

After surviving various attempts on her life and saving the life of the one person that upended her existence, Merit is sent back to her family’s estate in order to rub elbows with her former world. A plan with the hopes of minimizing a progressive threat and garner some good publicity for vampires in the hopes of salvaging their reputation after Celina’s crimes against humanity. We follow Merit as she is forced to show more relief childhood memories, both good and bad while confronted with vampire prejudice from an unexpected source (I really don’t want to tell as its revealed rather quickly). From that point on the story becomes a race against the clock for Merit, Ethan and the rest of the Cadogan Vampires while they try to avert the major publicity disaster that threatens to tarnish their reputation completely. As they move forward Merit discovers the world of raves and the implications of a group of vampires losing their feeding control.

Because no crazy story is complete without stretching the heroine in all ways possible (both physical and emotional), Friday Night Bites also focuses on Merits attempt at a relationship with, the now Master of the Navarre House, Morgan Greer. Reading (watching?) how the drama unfolds as Merit struggles with her emotions is relatable. Watching Darth Sullivan deal with his is priceless.

Chloe Neill has created a world that is full of drama, action and political intrigue. The series as a whole has a powerful political struggle happening throughout, and Ms. Neill knows how to present it without boring us or driving us away. For someone like me –who hates politics as a whole– that is not just refreshing, it’s greatly welcome.

I enjoyed every minute of the book, especially being on Merit’s head. She is a smart, witty and funny character that has innate strength, self-confidence, and will never let others walk all over her.

*This review also appears on my blog, Journey with Words. show less

Ever had one of those series that had all the wrong things to it, yet grabbed you and wouldn't let you go? This series has done that to me. I am not proud to say I'm listening to these books, but hey, they're brainless entertainment while I drive to and from work.

Criticisms of this one: Why is EVERYONE hot in this world? She never sees anyone who isn't average or ugly. Even the mayor is described as handsome. UGH! Find an average person at some point, girl.

Narrator has that dratted sibilant S as she reads and it distracts. Houssse. Vampsss. Annoying enough that I want another narrator, but I survive.

Story had a few unique twists. The bad girl from the previous book shows up and had the undercurrent of stress on everyone. Sometimes, I show more shake my head at the stupid things the main character does. I think she has more brain dead moments than undead moments at times.

Oh and the big thing mentioned in the blurb, the Raves, are a secondary plot that barely effects the novel. Almost like it's an after thought, other than it triggers the primary plot. So again we sit on meh, but damn I got to get the third book now. show less

Giving it another read before I comment.

Oddly, I disliked it more on the second read then on the first. Probably a 2.5 star book for me. Roughly the first 200 pages are a breezy, snarky romp through Chicago vampireland. Merit takes a dance class with her roommate (snarky comments on Barbie instructor's jazz hands), moves into Cadogan house (J Crew catalog forwarded from her old address), learns to guard Cadogan house (life-size poster of Morgan appears in her room), attends a party at an ex-boyfriend's house as part of Ethan's maneuverings and has a reunion with her father, and trains with Catcher (snarky comments about he and Mallory's sex life). In between lots of eating, a little mourning about her old life and flirting with Ethan. show more Then at close to page 200, the story buckles down and starts to develop tension. Merit and Mallory fight, which leads to tension with Merit and Catcher. She attends another family party, is hit on by the mayor who seems to otherwise dislike vamps, and is accused by the ex-boyfriend of threatening his brother. The ex threatens to expose everyone to the paper, including information about unauthorized vampire raves. He knows details that can only have been provided by an insider, which means Ethan has been betrayed again. As the investigation into the brother continues, Merit decides he's a were, which threatens to escalate were-vamp violence. Then, in the last 50 pages, she exposes and fights with the traitor, breaks up with Morgan, fights with Celina, once again attacks Ethan, gets knocked out by Mallory's witchy skills, and goes through the change a second time. To say this book has pacing issues is an understatement.

In retrospect, what is interesting about this from the urban fantasy perspective, is that very little of it is 'supernatural.' It's a book that wants to be chick-lit, but centers around vampires instead of, oh, models, or New York women. Oh, and the vampires get silvery eyes when they are turning vampy, which is probably better than sparkles. The book is mostly about Merit continuing to adjust to the idea of being a vampire, but most of what that means is stereotypical (needs to drink blood, sleep during the day, is faster than humans and will live a very long time) placed into context of the ordinary. She eats a lot. Gossips with other vamps about Ethan. Dates Morgan. Has gal-pal conversations with Mallory. Oh, and no longer is her Chucks-and-glasses wearing bookish grad student self, instead wearing designer gowns and strappy heels. Continues to fret about Ethan, before and after kissing him. The mystery here is so-so, with uneven tension and pacing. The vamps are basically people that drink blood and have sun allergies, so as far as fantasy or world-building goes, it's mediocre. As chick lit, it's probably a "B," with fun dialogue and a good sense of the heroine's lifestyle. show less