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Chicagoland Vampires #1
Some Girls Bite
They killed me. They healed me. They changed me.
Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker–and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.
Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately, he expects her gratitude–and servitude.
But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war–and there will be blood.
Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker–and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.
Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately, he expects her gratitude–and servitude.
But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war–and there will be blood.
341 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2009
About the author
Chloe Neill
61 books9,990 followersChloe Neill is the New York Times bestselling author of the Heirs of Chicagoland, Chicagoland Vampires Novels, Devil's Isle Novels, and Dark Elite novels. Chloe was born and raised in the South, but now makes her home in the Midwest. When she's not writing, she bakes, works, and scours the Internet for good recipes and great graphic design. Chloe also maintains her sanity by spending time with her boys--her husband and their dogs, Baxter and Scout.
Connect with Chloe at www.chloeneill.com.
Connect with Chloe at www.chloeneill.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,783 reviews
August 19, 2010
Okay, so I've changed this review as a series overview.
I have a list of favourite series and this one has easily pushed its way on there with Darkfever, Bittenand Magic Bites.
What I really enjoy about this series:
Merit does not choose to be a vampire but she lives with the changes made in her life and adjusts with as much dignity as she can.
She deals intelligently and confidently at all times. She does not stupidly talk out of her ass. *cough* Rose, Vampire Academy*cough*
It's actually quite refreshing to read a character so mature and who holds herself up with dignity.
I enjoy Ethan's character because his relationship with Merit is not joyfully accepted by all of those around her. He's a 400 year old vampire and not prone to easily accept emotions and humanity. Merit constantly questions whether he is a good part of her life and how her relationship with him has changed her and whether she wants to change. This kind of self reflection - was an absolute delight for me when compared to other books where the heroine's thought processes were, "OMG! He's so hawt! We arez ment to be 2gether 4EVA! SCEWZ everyone else!" *Cough* Bella Twilight *Cough* Luce Fallen *cough* Nora Hush, Hush *Cough*
The political manuevering between the supernaturals, humans, ombudsman etc is interesting to me and it actually is thoughtfully executed. The last two books had endings that I hadn't predicted and a mystery that I didn't actually manage to figure out ahead of time which was VERY much appreciated!
Ethan is an ass - but Merit gives back as good as she takes and even though they're supposed to be in a Master/Servant relationship but they quickly end up as equal partners. Her ideas are respected and - novelty, she actually makes intelligent choices! *cough* mostly *cough*
There were strong, positive female relationships in this book. It's nice to have a character who can be surrounded by other hot, confident women without issue.
So, overall, these books were fantastic for me. I've spent three almost sleepless nights reading the books because I simply couldn't put them down until finished. For me, that's the mark of a great book!
PS. Oh, and did I mention the sexiness? Oh the sexiness!
Okay, now that I'm done - back to dancing!
*Dances*
I have a list of favourite series and this one has easily pushed its way on there with Darkfever, Bittenand Magic Bites.
What I really enjoy about this series:
Merit does not choose to be a vampire but she lives with the changes made in her life and adjusts with as much dignity as she can.
She deals intelligently and confidently at all times. She does not stupidly talk out of her ass. *cough* Rose, Vampire Academy*cough*
It's actually quite refreshing to read a character so mature and who holds herself up with dignity.
I enjoy Ethan's character because his relationship with Merit is not joyfully accepted by all of those around her. He's a 400 year old vampire and not prone to easily accept emotions and humanity. Merit constantly questions whether he is a good part of her life and how her relationship with him has changed her and whether she wants to change. This kind of self reflection - was an absolute delight for me when compared to other books where the heroine's thought processes were, "OMG! He's so hawt! We arez ment to be 2gether 4EVA! SCEWZ everyone else!" *Cough* Bella Twilight *Cough* Luce Fallen *cough* Nora Hush, Hush *Cough*
The political manuevering between the supernaturals, humans, ombudsman etc is interesting to me and it actually is thoughtfully executed. The last two books had endings that I hadn't predicted and a mystery that I didn't actually manage to figure out ahead of time which was VERY much appreciated!
Ethan is an ass - but Merit gives back as good as she takes and even though they're supposed to be in a Master/Servant relationship but they quickly end up as equal partners. Her ideas are respected and - novelty, she actually makes intelligent choices! *cough* mostly *cough*
There were strong, positive female relationships in this book. It's nice to have a character who can be surrounded by other hot, confident women without issue.
So, overall, these books were fantastic for me. I've spent three almost sleepless nights reading the books because I simply couldn't put them down until finished. For me, that's the mark of a great book!
PS. Oh, and did I mention the sexiness? Oh the sexiness!
Okay, now that I'm done - back to dancing!
*Dances*
July 6, 2010
Okaaaaay. So on io9 a few months back, someone actually accused my Goodreads account of being manufactured by my "people" to "cull with the fan base" because I rate everything 4 or 5 stars and series tend to get the same score across the bar. I think its the most insulting comment I've gotten on the internet, haha. And referring to my "people" is like, so hilarious, because I'm a poor web series producer, and I have one agent and that's it and I do everything else myself and, well, whatever.
Anyhoo, I'm gonna be more liberal about listing books that I read. This book falls into the "I dunno if I loved it but I KNOW there are people out there who will."
First the positive: Really good dialogue. For some reason I REALLY liked the main character, so it was easy to take the ride with her. Lots of characters whose personality came through and were engaging despite the setups being familiar in the genre. I enjoyed the plotting, there's nothing at all new about the vampire world, but the writing itself was strong enough that I wanted to read the whole thing and stayed up until 3am doing so. Especially with all the requisite plot points: Training to be a badass (and having crazy powers you never knew about), love triangle with two requisite hotties, etc etc.
Negative: Er, there are several things I wanna call out. First: Mentioning "Buffy" in one of these vampire paranormal romance novels is ok ONCE, but three times!? REALLY? Started to make me LOOK for similarities in plot/setup, which isn't necessarily good.
Second: All the vampires live in one house like a sorority dorm, really? I mean, the author even calls this out and makes fun of it a little, but at the same time she's totally using it for REAL, kinda can't make fun of it and embrace it at the same time, right? And they're all dressed in black Armani, and attractive and broody etc etc. I was giggling a few times because it was just too "Vampire Diaries" for my taste. The author has a great sense of humor, but with the mechanics, the world is pretty much every vampire setup EVER. I kinda felt at a few points this whole thing was aimed more towards teenagers. There isn't a lot of racy stuff so actually this would be a good choice for Twilights
Third: Why did all the guys hot guys have "light green" eyes? I don't understand, seriously, that's just a detail that really bugged me. Blue eyes and brown eyes can be sexy too, and differentiate between the hot guys in the love triangle! I felt like I was in "Big Trouble in Little China" for a bit.
Here's the upshot: If you're looking for a fluffy romp through familiar urban fantasy territory you will like this. And the second book BTW was better than the first, so I will totally read the third, coming out next week.
Anyhoo, I'm gonna be more liberal about listing books that I read. This book falls into the "I dunno if I loved it but I KNOW there are people out there who will."
First the positive: Really good dialogue. For some reason I REALLY liked the main character, so it was easy to take the ride with her. Lots of characters whose personality came through and were engaging despite the setups being familiar in the genre. I enjoyed the plotting, there's nothing at all new about the vampire world, but the writing itself was strong enough that I wanted to read the whole thing and stayed up until 3am doing so. Especially with all the requisite plot points: Training to be a badass (and having crazy powers you never knew about), love triangle with two requisite hotties, etc etc.
Negative: Er, there are several things I wanna call out. First: Mentioning "Buffy" in one of these vampire paranormal romance novels is ok ONCE, but three times!? REALLY? Started to make me LOOK for similarities in plot/setup, which isn't necessarily good.
Second: All the vampires live in one house like a sorority dorm, really? I mean, the author even calls this out and makes fun of it a little, but at the same time she's totally using it for REAL, kinda can't make fun of it and embrace it at the same time, right? And they're all dressed in black Armani, and attractive and broody etc etc. I was giggling a few times because it was just too "Vampire Diaries" for my taste. The author has a great sense of humor, but with the mechanics, the world is pretty much every vampire setup EVER. I kinda felt at a few points this whole thing was aimed more towards teenagers. There isn't a lot of racy stuff so actually this would be a good choice for Twilights
Third: Why did all the guys hot guys have "light green" eyes? I don't understand, seriously, that's just a detail that really bugged me. Blue eyes and brown eyes can be sexy too, and differentiate between the hot guys in the love triangle! I felt like I was in "Big Trouble in Little China" for a bit.
Here's the upshot: If you're looking for a fluffy romp through familiar urban fantasy territory you will like this. And the second book BTW was better than the first, so I will totally read the third, coming out next week.
August 18, 2013
I’d been made one. Vampire. Predator. Initiate into one of the oldest of the twelve vampire Houses in the United States. And I wasn’t just one of them.
I was one of the best.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
This is the series I’ve been waiting for. The kind of series I can sink my teeth into (no pun intended). With a glittering ensemble of characters, a rapid storyline, and enough suspense and overall sexiness that’ll teach you all about white-knuckling that pretty kindle of yours; this is probably in the running of being my favorite series this year.
What I love about Chloe Neill is that she’s one of the rare authors who knows how to really settle into her story. She’s not in a hurry and she doesn’t force the story along… she just lets it happen, but she still manages to light a wildfire of intensity within it.
And it’s pretty damn kickass!
This book begins by throwing your right into the story with Merit, the heroine, being forced to become a vampire. I use the term, ‘forced’, lightly because it’s actually done to save her life. A vampire attacks her on her Chicago college campus, and tries to kill her, but then is scared off when a stronger vampire approaches the scene.
And that stronger vampire is none other than Ethan Sullivan. I’ll get to him later, but for now just know that he’s the one that turns her into a vampire, thereby making him her “Master”. <---- Which Merit finds out later in the story, and she’s not all that thrilled about it
After Ethan saves her, Merit is delivered back to her home and has to go through three meticulous days of transitioning. Luckily for Merit, she lives with Mallory (her BFF) and they have a copious stash of Chunky Munky. ;)
After transitioning, Merit learns a LOT about the new world she lives in:
A) Vampires do exist.
B) And she’s now one of them.
C) Aaaaand she’s a very powerful one.
D) The sexy and infuriatingly enigmatic Ethan Sullivan is her Master.
E) The majority of vampires actually belong to certain Houses (think Harry Potter)
F) She belongs to the one her Master resides in (Cadogen)
G) She has to swear complete allegiance and fealty to the sexy and infuriatingly enigmatic Ethan Sullivan
H) She doesn’t even know if she even likes Ethan, but she kind of wants to have his babies. (Because the man is god-like gorgeous)
I) Not only to vampires exist, but so do fairies; nymphs; werewolves (shape-shifters); and everything else that belongs in a demented fairy tale.
J) Her best friend Mallory is a sorceress, and also didn’t know she was one
K) Oh yeah, and there’s a vampire that’s going around killing other vampires, framing her House, and it’s up to her stop it.
So that’s the gist of the story. :)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Let’s talk about the characters… :)
I loved Merit because she’s just this down-to-earth person that’s just been thrown one hell of a plot twist in her life. She’s a bookworm at heart, and now she’s a kickass vampire. And what I appreciated was that she’s not annoying at all! She’s just a girl who’s trying to find her way in her new life, and is trying not to fuck or kill Ethan Sullivan, her Master.
For all the tailored clothes and impeccable looks, his power was obvious. He fairly hummed with it, and while his movements were crisp and elegant, they hinted at something darker, something menacing beneath the surface—a shark arcing below deceptively smooth water.
There are really only two words that can describe Ethan, and those two words are:
Hooooooly Shit.
One of the most powerful vampires. He’s also helluva sexy. And a badass. And a labyrinth of man, because he’s so DAMN enigmatic (seriously, I’m already knee-deep in book 2 of this series, and I still can’t wrap my head around him!). Just when you think you’re finally understanding him, he does something *mindblowing*.
And what’s really awesome about he and Merit… is that they have this HUGE wire of sexual tension between them. Because on one hand, they want to tear each other apart… but then on the other hand… they want to just have wild, lurid, vampire sex with each other. They’re so attracted to each other, but none of them is willing submit to the other so it definitely gets…interesting.
“Yes, I get that you don’t want to be attracted to me, that you think I’m beneath you. And in case you haven’t realized it, I’m not thrilled about it either. I don’t want to like you, and I certainly don’t want to be… desired begrudgingly.”
He stepped toward me with the grace of slinking panther. And just as dangerous.
“Then what do you want me to say?” His voice was low, thick with lambent power. “That I wanted you to taste me? For all that you’re stubborn, sarcastic, completely unable to take seriously my authority, and patently disrespectful, that I want you? Do you think this is what I would choose?”
My voice quiet, the sound oddly far away, I told him, “I don’t want anything from you.”
“Liar,” he accused, and lowered his mouth to mine.
*eyebrow waggle*
As the book begins… Mallory Carmichael is just Merit’s best friend. And she’s an awesome best friend because she’s snarky and stubborn and HILARIOUS. But soon she finds out that she’s actually a sorceress. Which is kind of badass, if I do say so myself. Because I predict that within this series in general, we’re going to see Merit and Mallory become this kickass duo.
What I loved about Mallory’s character is that like, Merit, she’s just really a down-to-earth kind of girl who’s just been completely thrown into this world of realistic fantasy. And I love the way her character develops, because it’s not like you know; one day she’s normal, and the next day she’s this ultra powerful sorceress.
It doesn’t happen like that. Mallory’s actually really scared of her magic, because she is so powerful. And she’s actually kind of reluctant to use it. Which brings us to… *drum roll*…
Catcher Bell is another yummy, sexy character. He’s a rebellious ass-kicker of a guy. He’s also a sorcerer. And unlike Mallory; he completely owns it. He’s kind of like the Yoda/Merlin of this series, because he’s the one that teaches both Merit and Mallory how to become what they were meant to be. He shows them the ropes, kicks their asses a little bit, and teaches them how to get back up from a fight.
Overall: he’s just flat-out *awesome*
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
If you’re looking for an epic series, this is it, guys. I’m so glad I stumbled across this series… because I have a feeling that it’s going to be the kind that I’ll never forget and will probably be placed on a shelf right up there with the “Fever” series, “The Mortal Instruments”, and “Harry Potter”.
Chloe Neill, you’re a fucking badass.
That’s all.
May 14, 2020
What an excellent book 1 of the Chicago vampire series. Well it’s started with a bang, consuming me completely. I couldn’t tear myself away if I’d wanted to. Full of excellent characters that connect with each other wonderfully, they’re interesting and passionate. Friendships have easy strong relationships, the story is unpredictable. I love that I couldn’t guess what was going to happen each step of the way.
There are different vampire houses throughout the world, with (if I remember correctly 3 in Chicago). One of the vampires from a Chicago house hates humans, loves attention and wants to be THE vampire. This vampire hates humans and has 2 killed, with one failed attempt. All to try to make it look like one of the other hoses did it, wanting to eventually go to war.
There is much unrest in the supernatural world among different types of creatures.
I hope that makes sense, I don’t want to give anything away and am hurrying to get to book two.
There are different vampire houses throughout the world, with (if I remember correctly 3 in Chicago). One of the vampires from a Chicago house hates humans, loves attention and wants to be THE vampire. This vampire hates humans and has 2 killed, with one failed attempt. All to try to make it look like one of the other hoses did it, wanting to eventually go to war.
There is much unrest in the supernatural world among different types of creatures.
I hope that makes sense, I don’t want to give anything away and am hurrying to get to book two.
September 1, 2010
After plowing through 50 pages of it, I don't see anything remotely interesting about this book. It simply seems like every other write-by-numbers UF novel. I feel like I've read it a million times before. It is written a little better than Halfway to the Grave, but there is not even sex (yet) and spunky dialog in a sea of uninspired prose and world-building to keep me engaged.
Truly, there is no point to read any UF series written in last 2-3 years, they draw too heavily on existing works of better UF writers and are produced only to get a piece of already over-saturated popular UF/PNR market. Too bad...
Truly, there is no point to read any UF series written in last 2-3 years, they draw too heavily on existing works of better UF writers and are produced only to get a piece of already over-saturated popular UF/PNR market. Too bad...
June 28, 2010
OMG! How could I forgot how freaking awesome this series was. Really, I had, So I´m happy I made this re-read. This is the first time I make one, I always thought it was wasting precious time you had to read other new books. But that was until now, because reading your fav books is totally worth it. And this is certainly a Fav!
This book has everything a first book in a new series must have. It´s entertaining, smart, sexy and delightful. I couldn´t put it down, but not just that, I wanted to run to read the next one, and that hadn´t happened to me in a long time. For me UF has to have an amazing plot to help the lack in the romance department. It´s not easy to find good UF books. I´m very exigent about them. But this one totaly made it for me.
I was hooked (again,lol) since page 1, and didn´t stop until I was done. The heroine is outstanding, she totally knows how to distinguish herself from all other heroines out there. She's strong and with such high values, that you can´t help but to admire. Merit is destined to great things and you just wanna be part of it.
Then, there´s all this sexual tension with Ethan. I mean, how can you not be so thrilled to read about this 2 when nothing really happens between them? lol. That shows how great author Chloe Neill is. I only saw this chemistry in one other couple, and that was Barrons & Mac. They don´t do more than a kiss but you´re totally obsessed to re-read every little dialogue that goes between them, yo can´t help to look for every detail. The relationship between them is so natural and undeniable that every look, every gesture counts.
I would have to recommend this book to everyone who hasn´t read it yet.
This book has everything a first book in a new series must have. It´s entertaining, smart, sexy and delightful. I couldn´t put it down, but not just that, I wanted to run to read the next one, and that hadn´t happened to me in a long time. For me UF has to have an amazing plot to help the lack in the romance department. It´s not easy to find good UF books. I´m very exigent about them. But this one totaly made it for me.
I was hooked (again,lol) since page 1, and didn´t stop until I was done. The heroine is outstanding, she totally knows how to distinguish herself from all other heroines out there. She's strong and with such high values, that you can´t help but to admire. Merit is destined to great things and you just wanna be part of it.
Then, there´s all this sexual tension with Ethan. I mean, how can you not be so thrilled to read about this 2 when nothing really happens between them? lol. That shows how great author Chloe Neill is. I only saw this chemistry in one other couple, and that was Barrons & Mac. They don´t do more than a kiss but you´re totally obsessed to re-read every little dialogue that goes between them, yo can´t help to look for every detail. The relationship between them is so natural and undeniable that every look, every gesture counts.
I would have to recommend this book to everyone who hasn´t read it yet.
May 9, 2011
Well, I didn't hate it. But I don't have much else to offer. I find it suprising just how far downhill Urban Fantasy has gone in the last few years, with the exception of the awesomely fantastical (why are you not reading?!) Fever series. Chloe Neill is not a bad writer and she uses most of what you'd expect to find in the genre: strong heroine, hot vampires, bit of mystery thrown in for good measure... and I just feel like it's the same story churned out by numerous authors looking to break into the Urban Fantasy scene. It wasn't awful, but I haven't gained anything by reading it, I have no sense of "oh my god, I must read the next book in the series", it was just... meh.
Merit has many of the characteristics that we expect from our UF heroines; she's strong-willed, sarcastic, independent and completely horny for mr supernatural. But... like I said, she's everything we expect and nothing unique that separates her from a hundred other twenty-something-year-old female protagonists. I will forget her by the time I pick up my next book. She doesn't have the quirky, fun and deeply-explored personality of Mac from the Fever series... she doesn't have the whole sexual tension is so thick you can practically see it in the air between her and her beau like Cat from the Night Huntress series. The characters can always make or break a book, Chloe Neill could have saved her novel from being the mirror image of all the others if she'd just taken the time to develop a protagonist that we haven't seen before.
And as for that aforementioned beau: if you're writing an urban fantasy or paranormal romance novel and you want to create the perfect mr sexy, what don't you do? I'll tell you - you most definitely do not try and replicate a current mr sexy who you were never going to be able to compete with. So why the hell did Ms Neill produce a tall, powerful, blond-haired vamp? Charlaine Harris has already claimed him! You know you want to look ;)
So, I think it's fair to say the start to this series was rather underwhelming... where the bloody hell is KMM when you need her? Sorry, distracted again, basically I'm going to leave the rest of the Chicagoland Vampires books, one disappointment was quite enough.
July 7, 2012
I read this for the sake of procrastination, works well to pass the time I guess, though there are better books out there.
Another book about vampires. Such an overused topic now. This book doesn't portray it much better than most others.
What I liked:
They showed us a world in which humans know vampires exist. They don't get accepted immediately, and are still not allowed the same freedom given to humans, but seem to be working on it.
...yeah, I think that's it. Not much I found I liked in this.
What I didn't like:
How they tell us about all of these other creatures, but the author doesn't bother giving us any details about them or very much about vampires either, whom are the main focus.
After Merit is turned into a vampire, she just goes along with it. No questions or even thinking of what abilities she gains OR why she doesn't want to be a vampire, aside from the whole not-being-able-to-go-back-to-grad-school/asking her consent first. Seriously, couldn't Merit get it the first time that they couldn't ask for her consent while she was dying? Would she rather have died?
And why is Merit so special? Plus what's with her first name? I get that this is a series, but dude, answer a few questions at least before wrapping this one up.
And then Merit is oh-so-perfect. Physically very strong, she's got mental abilities as well, all very surprising for a newly turned vampire. She can hold her own against a 400 year old vampire (while she was only 2-3 days old).
There's no action. So this focuses more on politics and all, but still. What's with all the training if there's no fighting? And wth is the point of her being so strong then?
The dialogue. All these 27+ year olds speak like a bunch of teenagers, kinda reminded me of Rebecca Black just now.
I didn't get Ethan's appeal. The author expects us to drool over him by telling us he's sitting at his desk wearing Armani? Moreover, I remember more about the characters' clothes than the characters themselves.
All the coincidences. Merit's grandfather's job, her roommate etc. etc.
If I didn't have to go make tea right now, I'd probably rant a bit more. But this is probably enough.
Another book about vampires. Such an overused topic now. This book doesn't portray it much better than most others.
What I liked:
They showed us a world in which humans know vampires exist. They don't get accepted immediately, and are still not allowed the same freedom given to humans, but seem to be working on it.
...yeah, I think that's it. Not much I found I liked in this.
What I didn't like:
How they tell us about all of these other creatures, but the author doesn't bother giving us any details about them or very much about vampires either, whom are the main focus.
After Merit is turned into a vampire, she just goes along with it. No questions or even thinking of what abilities she gains OR why she doesn't want to be a vampire, aside from the whole not-being-able-to-go-back-to-grad-school/asking her consent first. Seriously, couldn't Merit get it the first time that they couldn't ask for her consent while she was dying? Would she rather have died?
And why is Merit so special? Plus what's with her first name? I get that this is a series, but dude, answer a few questions at least before wrapping this one up.
And then Merit is oh-so-perfect. Physically very strong, she's got mental abilities as well, all very surprising for a newly turned vampire. She can hold her own against a 400 year old vampire (while she was only 2-3 days old).
There's no action. So this focuses more on politics and all, but still. What's with all the training if there's no fighting? And wth is the point of her being so strong then?
The dialogue. All these 27+ year olds speak like a bunch of teenagers, kinda reminded me of Rebecca Black just now.
I didn't get Ethan's appeal. The author expects us to drool over him by telling us he's sitting at his desk wearing Armani? Moreover, I remember more about the characters' clothes than the characters themselves.
All the coincidences. Merit's grandfather's job, her roommate etc. etc.
If I didn't have to go make tea right now, I'd probably rant a bit more. But this is probably enough.
December 22, 2022
This was lots of fun! Merritt is going about her grad school life, minding her own business when suddenly she’s changed into one of the undead. Bummer. Her roommate, fortunately, is obsessed with all things occult, so helps her get adjusted to the fangs and annoying urge to drink blood. There’s also the weird attraction/annoyance thing going on with Ethan, the head of her vampire house (in Chicago, in this world, vampires are split into houses, kind of like Harry Potter.)
Unfortunately, someone is attacking and killing human girls and trying to pin the blame on the vamps. But who? This was a cool first book in a sort of urban fantasy lite/paranormal romance fusion with a snarky main character and fun friendships. The house politics were interesting, and while most of the book was taken up by Merritt’s adjustment to vampire life, as we neared the end and got more answers as to what was going on with the killings, things got really intense fast! Will definitely read more!
Unfortunately, someone is attacking and killing human girls and trying to pin the blame on the vamps. But who? This was a cool first book in a sort of urban fantasy lite/paranormal romance fusion with a snarky main character and fun friendships. The house politics were interesting, and while most of the book was taken up by Merritt’s adjustment to vampire life, as we neared the end and got more answers as to what was going on with the killings, things got really intense fast! Will definitely read more!
February 20, 2011
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT SOME GIRLS BITE:
It’s flat out HILARIOUS! Each page is riddled with snarky remarks and laugh-out loud jokes.
The World – Neill takes a different approach to the whole vamp thing. The vamps are out in the public eye and belong to frat-like Houses. The politics involved in this is intricate and so interesting!
BFFS – Merit and Mallory. I just love it when there’s such a strong friendship between the heroine of the book and her side kick. Sure, having a love interest is important but the fact that Merit has Mallory at her side from the very beginning is great to see. The banter between the two is hilarious and reminds me of type of conversations that real BFFs have. Neill does a fantastic job with maintaining a strong sense of attachment between the two without having them rely on each other fulltime.
Catcher Bell – I’m loving my fourth grade sorcerer. Catcher is hot as hell. There are a bunch of great supportive characters in this book, but for me Catcher stands out from the rest. He seems to be the only one in the group who is a little more serious than the rest. Yeah, he drops the occasional sarcastic quip here and there, but he’s a by-the-book kind of guy. I’m dying to know more about him.
Ethan Sullivan – I mean, come on. Really? How can a girl not love Ethan? I just loved the sexual tension between Merit and Ethan. I’m on the edge of my seat whenever they are near each other. Definitely rooting for the two to seal the deal ;P.
WHAT I WISH THERE WAS MORE OF:
Ethan Sullivan –More please! I need a second serving of my sexy 400 year old vamp!
More action – I would have loved to see Merit engage in a little more action. She��s such a fierce heroine with undeniable skills, so I wish Neill showcased that a little bit more. Towards the end, we get a tiny taste of the kind of things Merit is capable of. But I wished there was more of that!
Some Girls Bite was such an enjoyable read. Though it’s not perfect, I’m interested to see how things play out in Friday Night Bites.
It’s flat out HILARIOUS! Each page is riddled with snarky remarks and laugh-out loud jokes.
The World – Neill takes a different approach to the whole vamp thing. The vamps are out in the public eye and belong to frat-like Houses. The politics involved in this is intricate and so interesting!
BFFS – Merit and Mallory. I just love it when there’s such a strong friendship between the heroine of the book and her side kick. Sure, having a love interest is important but the fact that Merit has Mallory at her side from the very beginning is great to see. The banter between the two is hilarious and reminds me of type of conversations that real BFFs have. Neill does a fantastic job with maintaining a strong sense of attachment between the two without having them rely on each other fulltime.
Catcher Bell – I’m loving my fourth grade sorcerer. Catcher is hot as hell. There are a bunch of great supportive characters in this book, but for me Catcher stands out from the rest. He seems to be the only one in the group who is a little more serious than the rest. Yeah, he drops the occasional sarcastic quip here and there, but he’s a by-the-book kind of guy. I’m dying to know more about him.
Ethan Sullivan – I mean, come on. Really? How can a girl not love Ethan? I just loved the sexual tension between Merit and Ethan. I’m on the edge of my seat whenever they are near each other. Definitely rooting for the two to seal the deal ;P.
WHAT I WISH THERE WAS MORE OF:
Ethan Sullivan –More please! I need a second serving of my sexy 400 year old vamp!
More action – I would have loved to see Merit engage in a little more action. She��s such a fierce heroine with undeniable skills, so I wish Neill showcased that a little bit more. Towards the end, we get a tiny taste of the kind of things Merit is capable of. But I wished there was more of that!
Some Girls Bite was such an enjoyable read. Though it’s not perfect, I’m interested to see how things play out in Friday Night Bites.
January 28, 2018
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*I was so nervous*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Re-read: 28.01.2018
(This second reading review is mostly a review where I mention the characters) I can't even begin to tell how nervous and scared I was to re-read this book. Why, you ask? Well, when I read this book (and series) for the first time I loved it. So damn much. In fact, it was one of my favorite series. So reading it now scared the living hell out of me. I mean, what if I don't love it anymore? It's been years since I've read. 4 years in fact, and my taste have changed so damn much and I've gotten so fucking picky that it isn't even funny anymore. So did I still love it? Yes. Did I love it as much as I remember I did? No. However, I still see this as a victory. I still love it enough to want to re-read the whole series, so that is indeed saying something.
“Well?”
“Well, what?” I waved a hand at the room.
“Start genuflecting. Let’s see some knee action.”
“You’re serious.” I lifted my brows.
He responded in kind, but finally nodded his head, then walked between the couches. He dropped to one knee, then held out his hands.
“I’m monumentally sorry for the pain and humiliation that I caused you and your—”
“Both knees.”
“Pardon?”
“I’d prefer to see both knees on the ground. I mean, if you’re going to grovel, be the best groveler you can, right?”
Caroline ‘Merit’ ‘Mer’ Merit (27 (became vampire weeks before her 28 birthday), turns 28 at 60% into the book) is still the awesome, independent woman. I still adore her and her bravery. Ethan ‘Liege’ ‘Darth Sullivan’ Sullivan (394), master of the Cadogan House, is still so fucking hot it should be illegal. I still love his Master ass. I am however, I little bit uncertain of how I feel towards Mallory ‘Mal’ Delancey Carmichael, Merit's bestfriend and a fourth-class sorcerer, as I know what she'll do later on. Charles ‘Chuck’ Merit, Merit's grandfather is the Ombudsman; a ‘liaison’ between the regulars and the sups, is still a awesome man, and I would've love to have him in my life.
“I'm just warning you, I'm probably going to be a total hard-ass vamp.”
Mallory snorted and walked out of the kitchen, calling out, “Yeah, well, you've got a purple marshmallow on your chin, hard-ass vamp.”
Chuck's team: his secretary, Marjorie (50), the computer prodigy and a shape-shifter, Jeffrey ‘Jeff’ Christopher (21), and a fourth-class sorcerer, Catcher Bell (29). There's also a Housed vampire who works for him that not even his colleagues knows about. I like them too, though mostly Jeff. He's adorable. And then there's Joshua Merit, Merit's dad, who sucks some big time. He does really deserves a slap across the face. I still hate his ass, so that hasn't change. You also met guard of the Cadogan House, Lindsey (115) and who is also a psychic, who becomes a good friend to Merit. And Morgan, Second of the Navarre House, (72, though looks 28) who's a love interest to Merit. I am though, really looking forward to meet Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Keene, Apex of the Central North American, Jeff's pack leader, who we only hear about in this book. On to the next one!
As we left the kitchen, I asked, “Can I hold your sword today?”
Catcher glanced back over his shoulder and lifted a brow.
“The sword,” I corrected. “The sword.”
“We’ll see.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ethan ‘Liege’ ‘Darth Sullivan’ Sullivan.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Yes.
New Rating - 4 stars.
First read review:
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
(Chicagoland Vampires #1)
Caroline (Merit) Merit, a graduate student was attacked by a rouge vampire while walking on campus while it was dark outside. The bloodsucker's try to kill her was stopped when another vampire scared it away. But Merit only way to survive was to become a vampire herself. So her savior, Ethan Sullivan, Master vampire of Cadogan House, changed her and is now her master. Beautiful, sexy, strong and confident, Ethan expects full loyalty from his vampires. He expects Merit's full gratitude and servitude, but of course, Merit isn't happy to be a part of the walking dead. That are the least of her concern though.. The rouge vampire who first attacked her is not done with her. Someone out there still wants her dead. Merit must now learn to wear some serious weapons and learn to fight an unknown enemy to stay alive.
Merit is a strong, confident woman who had a tough childhood. With a father who wanted (wants) to control her and tell her what to do and what to say, she tries her best to be independent and to be herself. Living with her best friend Mallory, who supports her no matter what with her awesome blue hair. Becoming a vampire kinda destroyed Merit's future. Tossed out of her school because she's now a walking dead, she struggles to maintain the control she once had. Though with sexy, handsome, powerful Ethan Sullivan, keeping control isn't easy. With an already strong connection and desire, Merit still refuses to give in. But no matter if she want it or not she still needs Ethan to stay alive...
The characters in this book are just perfect! Merit is probably my favorite female character in the world. I love her! Her smarty mouth, her way with swords, her control and her brilliant brain. She's smart and a nice person, confident, yet not to much. She's just amazing.. In my eyes, she's perfect! And Ethan... damn.. He's to goddamn gorgeous! Green-eyed, tall, sexy, arrogant, and four centuries years old. He's a protector, and you seriously do not want to be on his bad side! I would have love to be taken under his wing.. I would love to do a hell of a lot of thing to that man.. He's god! Im in love!
Chloe Neill is one of the best, probably the best, author in the world! Her writing is charming, funny, meaningful, beautiful, and sad at the same time. She takes you through a wonderful journey, through the characters up's and down's. You completely lose yourself in the book. It's like your there yourself. It's amazing. Chloe Neill never disappoint you. She gives you her all. Chicagoland Vampires is my favorite series, and i'm getting nervous the closer we get to the end of the series. I don't want it to end. Chicagoland Vampires is a series you can read over and over again and still be excited! And that itself is saying something :)
Rate: 5 stars!
February 7, 2016
4.5 Stars ❤️ This was a hilarious, quick read and it's been ages since I've read a good vampire book ;-)
October 8, 2018
DNF at 40%...
Why? Because I had the gut feeling to skim read the story for any of my pet peeves. And what would you know...there's a sex scene (quite descriptive one at that) between Ethan (that's supposed to be the hero of this story - and series) and his mistress. And that's not the worst. It just so conveniently happens, that Merit sees it all, even gets feelings of lust. Shocker! And, I'm not done yet, ha!, while he's having sex with that bitch, Ethan sees Merit, wishes and hopes she came to him to take the bitches place and at the end even get's so disapponted that that didn't happen. Now, call me whatever you want, BUT when I see that kind of shit in the book I'm reading...I'M DONE!!!
The sad part is that I really liked the plot, otherwise. I mean, reaaaly liked it. And to think that I've wasted so much precious time on finding and then actually reading this story... The hours I'm never getting back... Tragic...
Why? Because I had the gut feeling to skim read the story for any of my pet peeves. And what would you know...there's a sex scene (quite descriptive one at that) between Ethan (that's supposed to be the hero of this story - and series) and his mistress. And that's not the worst. It just so conveniently happens, that Merit sees it all, even gets feelings of lust. Shocker! And, I'm not done yet, ha!, while he's having sex with that bitch, Ethan sees Merit, wishes and hopes she came to him to take the bitches place and at the end even get's so disapponted that that didn't happen. Now, call me whatever you want, BUT when I see that kind of shit in the book I'm reading...I'M DONE!!!
The sad part is that I really liked the plot, otherwise. I mean, reaaaly liked it. And to think that I've wasted so much precious time on finding and then actually reading this story... The hours I'm never getting back... Tragic...
September 1, 2010
Merit is attacked one night, and a vampire saves her life by turning her. Now, instead of writing her dissertation, Merit has to deal with a whole new identity and a whole new set of problems.
This book should totally satisfy my id. Merit and I are both grad students living in the same neighborhood, with best friends with colored hair and a penchant for Buffy. She becomes the bestest vampire ever, all the boys want her, and all the girls are either her bestest friend or are jealous and evil. Her family is super rich but they don't understaaaaand her. She runs around in a black leather bustier carrying a magical katana, for goodness sake! It really does not get much more obviously focused on wish-fullfillment than this. Perhaps if I were fifteen, I'd have been able to dive straight in. But as it was, I just could not suspend my disbelief. Merit is supposedly super smart and loves English lit, but when she's forced to drop out of UofC (no vamp can attend), she just takes it. She doesn't petition the school, doesn't meet with her advisor, doesn't continue writing her diss...She's introduced to people who lived hundreds of years ago, and is too busy cataloguing their clothes (why do all vampires wear designer labels in all-black?) to wonder if they saw a play at the original Globe, or how they feel about language shifts, or what songs or folk legends they know that have been lost to history. I just plain don't buy her as someone who cares about literature (putting aside her absurdly vague claim that her focus is on "Arthurian legends"). I don't buy her as a character. And I don't buy her surroundings, either. Merit supposedly lives in Chicago, but there's no mention of public transportation, of the terrifying potholes, of the great and cheap Thai food, elotes on every corner...The majority of people who live in Chicago are non-white (and the neighborhood Merit lives in is actually mostly Mexican and Puerto Rican), yet every single character we meet in this book is white. Every single one. I think one of the vamps might be an Asian lady (based on her "uptilted eyes"), but that's it. And naturally, no one is queer.
And the vampires. Oh ye gods, the vampires. They live in what is basically a dorm. They even have a cafeteria. The hottest boy--er, vampire--has a crush on Merit, for no reason except that they have an instant "connection." They all speak modern English, complete with our current slang, even the ones who are over a thousand years old. They are all the most beautifulest things ever (their eye color, hair color, and clothes are described ad nauseum). They revealed themselves to the public a mere 8 months ago, but apparently this didn't shake up human society at all. The existence of supernaturals is accepted without protest or disbelief. No one seems to care. All sorts of supernatural creatures exist, from sorcerers to nymphs, but nobody *does* anything. Sometimes one vamp will pyschic message another, but that's about it. We meet nymphs of the Chicago River at one point, and they spend several pages catfighting over a boyfriend before making up over promises of pedicures. The big vamp betrayal is revealed when the evil vamp monologues for a number of pages about her Evil Plans. It's all so banal.
This book seems to have been churned out as quickly as possible to capitalize on the paranormal romance trend. Unfortunately for Neill, her book isn't good at providing paranormal adventure or romance.
This book should totally satisfy my id. Merit and I are both grad students living in the same neighborhood, with best friends with colored hair and a penchant for Buffy. She becomes the bestest vampire ever, all the boys want her, and all the girls are either her bestest friend or are jealous and evil. Her family is super rich but they don't understaaaaand her. She runs around in a black leather bustier carrying a magical katana, for goodness sake! It really does not get much more obviously focused on wish-fullfillment than this. Perhaps if I were fifteen, I'd have been able to dive straight in. But as it was, I just could not suspend my disbelief. Merit is supposedly super smart and loves English lit, but when she's forced to drop out of UofC (no vamp can attend), she just takes it. She doesn't petition the school, doesn't meet with her advisor, doesn't continue writing her diss...She's introduced to people who lived hundreds of years ago, and is too busy cataloguing their clothes (why do all vampires wear designer labels in all-black?) to wonder if they saw a play at the original Globe, or how they feel about language shifts, or what songs or folk legends they know that have been lost to history. I just plain don't buy her as someone who cares about literature (putting aside her absurdly vague claim that her focus is on "Arthurian legends"). I don't buy her as a character. And I don't buy her surroundings, either. Merit supposedly lives in Chicago, but there's no mention of public transportation, of the terrifying potholes, of the great and cheap Thai food, elotes on every corner...The majority of people who live in Chicago are non-white (and the neighborhood Merit lives in is actually mostly Mexican and Puerto Rican), yet every single character we meet in this book is white. Every single one. I think one of the vamps might be an Asian lady (based on her "uptilted eyes"), but that's it. And naturally, no one is queer.
And the vampires. Oh ye gods, the vampires. They live in what is basically a dorm. They even have a cafeteria. The hottest boy--er, vampire--has a crush on Merit, for no reason except that they have an instant "connection." They all speak modern English, complete with our current slang, even the ones who are over a thousand years old. They are all the most beautifulest things ever (their eye color, hair color, and clothes are described ad nauseum). They revealed themselves to the public a mere 8 months ago, but apparently this didn't shake up human society at all. The existence of supernaturals is accepted without protest or disbelief. No one seems to care. All sorts of supernatural creatures exist, from sorcerers to nymphs, but nobody *does* anything. Sometimes one vamp will pyschic message another, but that's about it. We meet nymphs of the Chicago River at one point, and they spend several pages catfighting over a boyfriend before making up over promises of pedicures. The big vamp betrayal is revealed when the evil vamp monologues for a number of pages about her Evil Plans. It's all so banal.
This book seems to have been churned out as quickly as possible to capitalize on the paranormal romance trend. Unfortunately for Neill, her book isn't good at providing paranormal adventure or romance.
August 18, 2016
“It is better to be hated for what you are,
than to be loved for what you are not.”
It’s been eight months since vampires have outed their existence to the humans. Vampires doesn’t really interest grad student Merit, who would rather focus on her studies. Until she’s attacked by a rogue vampire, and in order to save Merit’s life, Master vampire Ethan Sullivan, turns her.
Now suddenly Merit has to come to terms with her new life as a vampire, saying goodbye to her studies and the life she thought she would have. And she only has a few days to do this before she’s to be initiated as a member of Cadogan house, the house of Ethan “I demand servitude” Sullivan.
But being obedient and meek isn’t in Merit’s vocabulary, and the sparks fly between her and Ethan. Also, someone is killing humans, and a war seems to be brewing. With Merit right in the middle of it.
“I’m just warning you, I’m probably going to be a total hard-ass vamp.”
Urban Fantasy is a favorite of mine, and I really enjoyed the world that Chloe Neill created. Not only is there vampires, but also sorcerers, shape-shifters, demons, fairies, nymphs etc.
Merit is freaking awesome!!! She’s sassy, feisty and kickass. I loved the attitude she gave Ethan, who expected her to be grateful, to be like everyone else and just do what he wanted. I just loved how she stood up to him.
There were many great secondary characters, like her best friend Mallory, who is more than she appears to be. Also a cute shape-shifter, a grumpy sorcerer, and her awesome grandfather. And I really liked some of the other Cadogan vampires.
The pace of the book was excellent, and kept me captivated from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what powers Merit might have, and to see her growing stronger and better as a vampire.
Now the reason for my lower rating: the possible love interest, Ethan fucking Sullivan! I HATE HIM!!!
At first the intense attraction between him and Merit gave me high hopes. I even liked the Darcy vibe he gave with his reluctant desire for Merit – he didn’t want to want her, but couldn’t help but do. Then everything went downhill And I have it on good authority that he gets worse before he gets better :-(. I don’t know if I would survive worse, and honestly I can’t see him being redeemed in my eyes. Merit is so awesome and deserves someone better than this asshole.
This was my first book by this author, and I really liked this world and the writing. Although I am wary of continuing this series because of Ethan. Hopefully he dies in the next book, and all will be good again in the Chicagoland Vampires world. A very solid introduction to a UF series.
June 3, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
3.5 Stars
Before I started reading this book, I was absolutely positive that I was going to go crazy over this series like some kind of deranged teenager. I actually bought the book on sale a couple of years ago and had been waiting for just the right moment to savor it. When a group of friends decided to buddy read this book on Goodreads, I knew that I had discovered the perfect moment to read it. I had a hunch that I would become obsessed with the series and feel the need to binge read every book in the series that I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, my expectations far exceeded my reality and I must admit that I am just a wee bit disappointed about it.
Please don't get me wrong...I liked this book quite a bit but the problem is that I didn't love it. I wanted to love it. I definitely plan to continue reading this series because I still have hopes that I will eventually fall in love with this series. There is a definite possibility that this book may have had a case of first book syndrome. You may be wondering what I mean by first book syndrome. Many readers will back me up that oftentimes the first book in a series, especially any book set in a world that needs to be created, isn't nearly as enjoyable as subsequent books.
This book had some strong points. It is already very apparent that Merit is going to be a little different than the average vampire. She has that something extra that was just starting to develop in this novel. The spark between Ethan and Merit was pretty hot although it was not fully explored...yet. I liked most of the characters. Merit's roommate, her grandfather, Catcher, and Jeff were all pretty awesome.
I enjoyed reading this book but it was always a book that I had no problem setting aside. I found a lot of it to be pretty predictable and I can't remember a single moment in the story when I felt any kind of surprise. In some ways I felt that Merit adjusted to becoming a vampire a little too easily. The only real issue she seemed to have was that she liked to complain about the fact that it wasn't her choice but really what other choice was there?
Obviously, my biggest problem is that I had expectations that were through the roof and they were not met. I would still recommend this book and I do plan to continue to read this series but with a more realistic expectation. This is the first book by Chloe Neill that I have had a chance to read.
3.5 Stars
Before I started reading this book, I was absolutely positive that I was going to go crazy over this series like some kind of deranged teenager. I actually bought the book on sale a couple of years ago and had been waiting for just the right moment to savor it. When a group of friends decided to buddy read this book on Goodreads, I knew that I had discovered the perfect moment to read it. I had a hunch that I would become obsessed with the series and feel the need to binge read every book in the series that I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, my expectations far exceeded my reality and I must admit that I am just a wee bit disappointed about it.
Please don't get me wrong...I liked this book quite a bit but the problem is that I didn't love it. I wanted to love it. I definitely plan to continue reading this series because I still have hopes that I will eventually fall in love with this series. There is a definite possibility that this book may have had a case of first book syndrome. You may be wondering what I mean by first book syndrome. Many readers will back me up that oftentimes the first book in a series, especially any book set in a world that needs to be created, isn't nearly as enjoyable as subsequent books.
This book had some strong points. It is already very apparent that Merit is going to be a little different than the average vampire. She has that something extra that was just starting to develop in this novel. The spark between Ethan and Merit was pretty hot although it was not fully explored...yet. I liked most of the characters. Merit's roommate, her grandfather, Catcher, and Jeff were all pretty awesome.
I enjoyed reading this book but it was always a book that I had no problem setting aside. I found a lot of it to be pretty predictable and I can't remember a single moment in the story when I felt any kind of surprise. In some ways I felt that Merit adjusted to becoming a vampire a little too easily. The only real issue she seemed to have was that she liked to complain about the fact that it wasn't her choice but really what other choice was there?
Obviously, my biggest problem is that I had expectations that were through the roof and they were not met. I would still recommend this book and I do plan to continue to read this series but with a more realistic expectation. This is the first book by Chloe Neill that I have had a chance to read.
January 12, 2011
It's tragic that I feel better equipped to review books I don't like than the ones I do. Which is why I'm still sitting on my review of the Fever series, while the words are just pouring out for this one!
I liked Chloe Neill's YA book better than the first book in her Chicagoland Vampires series. I started this book a while ago, and then got pulled into something else, so I finally came back to it now, after Firespell with Great Expectations. Not such a great idea, it turns out. Some Girls Bite turned out to be mostly what it conveyed in the title -- chick-lit-cum-urban-fantasy. I'm not a big fan of that particular sub-genre, as witnessed by my inability to rave about Annette Blair, Madelyn Alt and the like. But SGB's problem is bigger than just my dislike for chick-lit UF. The book starts out with a very chick-lit feel, with Merit, the newly-made vamp discussing her clothes and 'boys' (more on that later) and her lack of sex life, faithfully accompanied by best friend/sidekick Mallory. But there is no consistency int he writing, which later begins to flash between some serious emotional depth, and more of the trite tripe we see in the first half.
Here's the story. Merit is a newly-turned vamp of Cadogan House. (The vampires came 'out' a few months ago, and now everybody knows there are twelve vamp Houses in the US, three of them in Chicago.) Merit is a grad-student who is attacked on her way back from campus one night, and left for dead. She is saved by the Master of Cadogan House, Ethan Sullivan, who makes her a vampire without her consent in order to save her life. Soon Merit is at the mercy of her Master and trying desperately to find a foothold in the murky waters of Chicago's supernatural politics.
Here's what I liked about this book:
1. Merit-Mallory: These two have a great relationship. I like the easy way they interact, and it's hard to find a solid female friendship that's actually, honest-to-goodness normal in most UF books today. You can tell from the way the characters are written that they've been friends for a long time, and are comfortable with each other, but not so abnormally close that they don't feel normal human emotions like anger and jealousy.
2. Mallory-Catcher: When Merit's grandfather first mentions Catcher to Merit, with a caution to stay away from him cos he's "pretty but wily", I was SO, SO afraid that Catcher was going to end up as part of some love triangle. But thankfully, this did not happen. Even if I trash every single thing about this book, I will still give it at least two stars simply because Chloe Neill actually gave Mallory a guy of her own, one who's hot and adorable, and they have a fairly substantial storyline, and it's not all about Merit, Merit, Merit.
3. Ethan-Merit: This is sort-of a fifty-fifty deal for me. I thought the chemistry between Ethan and Merit was hot, but only in the later part of the book. (I admit it, I like star-crossed lovers!!) I also liked the fact that Merit saw both good and bad things about him, and didn't just blindly fall into lust and sign away her life and her freedom to this guy. I like that Ethan's a manipulative asshole and not some too-perfect-to-be-true pretty boy.
Here's what I DIDN'T like about this book:
1. I know this might sound nitpicky to some people, but the number one most irritating thing for me about this book was how the word 'boy' was so casually tossed around. Everybody was a 'boy', from a three-hundred and twenty-year-old Master vampire, to a twenty-nine year old sorceror. Somehow, when you go around calling the lead characters 'boys', it lacks that necessary air of gravitas. Boys in YA novels are fine, because they really are boys. Boys in novels about late-twenties characters are ridiculous, with a Peter Pan fetish, which is just disturbing.
2. Writing style: Again, this is a fifty-fifty for me. The first half of the book was almost completely chick-lit style, no depth to the characters, and choppy writing that made me want to really, really put down the book and read some Ilona Andrews for the fiftieth time. There was little to no plot development and the characters were not even remotely simpatico. The writing got better in the second half of the book, one got a better feel for the characters, and Merit actually became a person instead of a one-dimensional image. But it's not fair to make your reader slog through buckets of slush to find the rose petals, and that's what SGB does.
3. Plot development: This book was more PNR than urban fantasy for most parts of the book. The mystery was so sidelined, it was almost as if the author decided to shelve it and move on to straightforward paranormal romance. There was no sense of plot development surrounding the mystery, or the world of vampires. Mostly it was about Merit's love-life, Mallory's love-life, Ethan's love-life, etc etc. The mystery suddenly came back into play with no build-up, in the last couple of chapters. All-in-all an unsatisfactory conclusion.
4. Ethan-Merit: Here's the remaining fifty of the Ethan and Merit relationship. Merit hates Ethan for turning her into a vampire.Understandable, and an attitude I can applaud. Then she meets him, falls for a pair of green eyes and a pretty face, and suddenly she has feelings for him? She's making out with him within a couple of days of meeting him with his girlfriend in the next room and somehow this is not important? This woman is supposed to be Ethan's Consort, a position of respect and power, but he just disses her by claiming in public to like Merit after their sparring match, and she still does nothing? Ethan makes out with another woman a few feet from her, and offers her position to said woman and she doesn't claw his eyes out? (Don't try to tell me she doesn't know, it's not like he keeps it a secret, and besides, she's a vampire with super-hearing!)And the fact that he is cheating and stabbing his girlfriend in the back has so little significance for Merit that she doesn't give it even a couple of minutes headspace?
5. Superpowers: Two days after she has risen, Merit manages to hold her own against a Master vampire. She resists glamour from another Master vampire a few days later. Wow, just give the girl a shirt with a big, fat S and ask her to wear her underwear over her pants, and she's all set. I would be a lot more convinced if Merit had woken up slowly to her superpowers, if Ethan had flattened her like a pancake, instead of trying to convince us that she's practically omnipotent. And Mallory. How convenient is it that Mallory discovers her sorcerous powers at the exact same time Merit becomes a vampire? And she's no weakling, either, she's a super-powerful sorceror. And despite being an occult dabbler who is excited by Merit's vampirism, she is somehow, mysteriously pissed-off and unhappy about her own superpowers, despite knowing nothing about them. Cut me a break.
Friends have assured me that the series gets better, and I really hope so, because I don't want to waste another precious day of reading time on a book that's not worth. I do have a 365-book challenge to finish this year, you know!
I liked Chloe Neill's YA book better than the first book in her Chicagoland Vampires series. I started this book a while ago, and then got pulled into something else, so I finally came back to it now, after Firespell with Great Expectations. Not such a great idea, it turns out. Some Girls Bite turned out to be mostly what it conveyed in the title -- chick-lit-cum-urban-fantasy. I'm not a big fan of that particular sub-genre, as witnessed by my inability to rave about Annette Blair, Madelyn Alt and the like. But SGB's problem is bigger than just my dislike for chick-lit UF. The book starts out with a very chick-lit feel, with Merit, the newly-made vamp discussing her clothes and 'boys' (more on that later) and her lack of sex life, faithfully accompanied by best friend/sidekick Mallory. But there is no consistency int he writing, which later begins to flash between some serious emotional depth, and more of the trite tripe we see in the first half.
Here's the story. Merit is a newly-turned vamp of Cadogan House. (The vampires came 'out' a few months ago, and now everybody knows there are twelve vamp Houses in the US, three of them in Chicago.) Merit is a grad-student who is attacked on her way back from campus one night, and left for dead. She is saved by the Master of Cadogan House, Ethan Sullivan, who makes her a vampire without her consent in order to save her life. Soon Merit is at the mercy of her Master and trying desperately to find a foothold in the murky waters of Chicago's supernatural politics.
Here's what I liked about this book:
1. Merit-Mallory: These two have a great relationship. I like the easy way they interact, and it's hard to find a solid female friendship that's actually, honest-to-goodness normal in most UF books today. You can tell from the way the characters are written that they've been friends for a long time, and are comfortable with each other, but not so abnormally close that they don't feel normal human emotions like anger and jealousy.
2. Mallory-Catcher: When Merit's grandfather first mentions Catcher to Merit, with a caution to stay away from him cos he's "pretty but wily", I was SO, SO afraid that Catcher was going to end up as part of some love triangle. But thankfully, this did not happen. Even if I trash every single thing about this book, I will still give it at least two stars simply because Chloe Neill actually gave Mallory a guy of her own, one who's hot and adorable, and they have a fairly substantial storyline, and it's not all about Merit, Merit, Merit.
3. Ethan-Merit: This is sort-of a fifty-fifty deal for me. I thought the chemistry between Ethan and Merit was hot, but only in the later part of the book. (I admit it, I like star-crossed lovers!!) I also liked the fact that Merit saw both good and bad things about him, and didn't just blindly fall into lust and sign away her life and her freedom to this guy. I like that Ethan's a manipulative asshole and not some too-perfect-to-be-true pretty boy.
Here's what I DIDN'T like about this book:
1. I know this might sound nitpicky to some people, but the number one most irritating thing for me about this book was how the word 'boy' was so casually tossed around. Everybody was a 'boy', from a three-hundred and twenty-year-old Master vampire, to a twenty-nine year old sorceror. Somehow, when you go around calling the lead characters 'boys', it lacks that necessary air of gravitas. Boys in YA novels are fine, because they really are boys. Boys in novels about late-twenties characters are ridiculous, with a Peter Pan fetish, which is just disturbing.
2. Writing style: Again, this is a fifty-fifty for me. The first half of the book was almost completely chick-lit style, no depth to the characters, and choppy writing that made me want to really, really put down the book and read some Ilona Andrews for the fiftieth time. There was little to no plot development and the characters were not even remotely simpatico. The writing got better in the second half of the book, one got a better feel for the characters, and Merit actually became a person instead of a one-dimensional image. But it's not fair to make your reader slog through buckets of slush to find the rose petals, and that's what SGB does.
3. Plot development: This book was more PNR than urban fantasy for most parts of the book. The mystery was so sidelined, it was almost as if the author decided to shelve it and move on to straightforward paranormal romance. There was no sense of plot development surrounding the mystery, or the world of vampires. Mostly it was about Merit's love-life, Mallory's love-life, Ethan's love-life, etc etc. The mystery suddenly came back into play with no build-up, in the last couple of chapters. All-in-all an unsatisfactory conclusion.
4. Ethan-Merit: Here's the remaining fifty of the Ethan and Merit relationship. Merit hates Ethan for turning her into a vampire.Understandable, and an attitude I can applaud. Then she meets him, falls for a pair of green eyes and a pretty face, and suddenly she has feelings for him? She's making out with him within a couple of days of meeting him with his girlfriend in the next room and somehow this is not important? This woman is supposed to be Ethan's Consort, a position of respect and power, but he just disses her by claiming in public to like Merit after their sparring match, and she still does nothing? Ethan makes out with another woman a few feet from her, and offers her position to said woman and she doesn't claw his eyes out? (Don't try to tell me she doesn't know, it's not like he keeps it a secret, and besides, she's a vampire with super-hearing!)And the fact that he is cheating and stabbing his girlfriend in the back has so little significance for Merit that she doesn't give it even a couple of minutes headspace?
5. Superpowers: Two days after she has risen, Merit manages to hold her own against a Master vampire. She resists glamour from another Master vampire a few days later. Wow, just give the girl a shirt with a big, fat S and ask her to wear her underwear over her pants, and she's all set. I would be a lot more convinced if Merit had woken up slowly to her superpowers, if Ethan had flattened her like a pancake, instead of trying to convince us that she's practically omnipotent. And Mallory. How convenient is it that Mallory discovers her sorcerous powers at the exact same time Merit becomes a vampire? And she's no weakling, either, she's a super-powerful sorceror. And despite being an occult dabbler who is excited by Merit's vampirism, she is somehow, mysteriously pissed-off and unhappy about her own superpowers, despite knowing nothing about them. Cut me a break.
Friends have assured me that the series gets better, and I really hope so, because I don't want to waste another precious day of reading time on a book that's not worth. I do have a 365-book challenge to finish this year, you know!
May 23, 2016
I'm a little bit gobsmacked at how much I loved this book. I listened to the audio, and that tends to downrate a book for me, for some reason. Aside from a few narrators, I tend to want different inflection than what I get. This narrator was perfect for the part. I ended up trying to find things to clean just so I could keep listening. Love when that happens!!
I love a slow burning romance, and that is what is happening between Ethan and Merit. Rrrrreallllllly slow, from what I hear, but sometimes that's my favorite. I get so invested in the characters. Since the story is set in modern times, and within weeks of the "coming out" of vampires, there is little to no world building. Just the intro into the ins and outs of this universe's vampire idiosyncrasies. It's not horribly angsty. It has an intricate possible series plot as well as the individual one. If nothing else, it will be just kick ass to ride along and see what the series has in store for Merit.
I love a slow burning romance, and that is what is happening between Ethan and Merit. Rrrrreallllllly slow, from what I hear, but sometimes that's my favorite. I get so invested in the characters. Since the story is set in modern times, and within weeks of the "coming out" of vampires, there is little to no world building. Just the intro into the ins and outs of this universe's vampire idiosyncrasies. It's not horribly angsty. It has an intricate possible series plot as well as the individual one. If nothing else, it will be just kick ass to ride along and see what the series has in store for Merit.
July 25, 2015
First books in the Urban Fantasy series genre are a little rough sometimes. With the whole setting-up-the-world thingy, and giving us characters that we will love enough to read book after book about. It actually took me a couple of books to fall in love with Kate Daniels. And, I'm her total fan-girl now. I was the same way with Mercedes Thompson and Harry Dresden. I read all of these series, but I warm-up to them a little slowly - usually.
But, I am happy to say that I liked the main character in this book, Merit, right away. She is a girl that is easy to relate to. She didn't want to become a vampire, it was thrust upon her. She was pissed-off when she realized she lost her former life, and even hit the ice cream to deal with the break-up of her and the sun. She wasn't about to suddenly turn all before-the-turn-of-the-century and be some docile bowing sex slave to the vampire lord. I liked her!
Oh, Ethan, you want me to be yourwhore consort after knowing me for two days?
and the horse you rode in on, dude!
Merit lives with her roommate, Mallory, who...meh... I liked that she was supportive and a good friend, but still.... meh... She had her moments, though.
Mallory: "Just to review, you're pissed about being made a vampire, and we hate this Ethan Sullivan guy, right?"
I thumbed through the Canon's thick pages... my drifting gaze stilling when I reached the title of chapter two: "Servicing Your Lord."
"Oh, yeah," I assured her. "We hate him."
Obviously, Ethan is the asshat alpha who is the lead vampire in their house. This world has a vampire scene like the college Greek scene - it's all about which House you pledge to. And, like the Greek scene, the leaders can get a little... what's a nice word for big-headed assholes who have way too much power and way too many people falling all over themselves to bow before them?... let's say "out-of-touch with the common man." That sounds much better. Don't want to offend anyone or anything.
So, Ethan is a dick. He is surrounded by yes-men and groupies who look at him like he's Elvis reincarnated. Thin Elvis, not fat, drug-addicted Elvis. Ethan is also political. He cares more about politics than people. This is a problem for Merit because her father is the same way. I see this being a HUGE factor in their relationship, because she really resents her father.
But, Merit is stuck because she needs to be loyal to her house in order to have any life as a vamp. So, she's got to learn to play ball with the asshat/dick.
Ethan isn't happy with Merit'snormalness unruliness, and worries about whether or not she will be loyal to him, so he gives her a job that insures her loyalty - a Sentinal. This is a security job and she has to pledge to protect him and the house with her life. Of course, she is tested pretty quickly!
This should get really interesting!
But, I am happy to say that I liked the main character in this book, Merit, right away. She is a girl that is easy to relate to. She didn't want to become a vampire, it was thrust upon her. She was pissed-off when she realized she lost her former life, and even hit the ice cream to deal with the break-up of her and the sun. She wasn't about to suddenly turn all before-the-turn-of-the-century and be some docile bowing sex slave to the vampire lord. I liked her!
Oh, Ethan, you want me to be your
and the horse you rode in on, dude!
Merit lives with her roommate, Mallory, who...meh... I liked that she was supportive and a good friend, but still.... meh... She had her moments, though.
Mallory: "Just to review, you're pissed about being made a vampire, and we hate this Ethan Sullivan guy, right?"
I thumbed through the Canon's thick pages... my drifting gaze stilling when I reached the title of chapter two: "Servicing Your Lord."
"Oh, yeah," I assured her. "We hate him."
Obviously, Ethan is the asshat alpha who is the lead vampire in their house. This world has a vampire scene like the college Greek scene - it's all about which House you pledge to. And, like the Greek scene, the leaders can get a little... what's a nice word for big-headed assholes who have way too much power and way too many people falling all over themselves to bow before them?... let's say "out-of-touch with the common man." That sounds much better. Don't want to offend anyone or anything.
So, Ethan is a dick. He is surrounded by yes-men and groupies who look at him like he's Elvis reincarnated. Thin Elvis, not fat, drug-addicted Elvis. Ethan is also political. He cares more about politics than people. This is a problem for Merit because her father is the same way. I see this being a HUGE factor in their relationship, because she really resents her father.
But, Merit is stuck because she needs to be loyal to her house in order to have any life as a vamp. So, she's got to learn to play ball with the asshat/dick.
Ethan isn't happy with Merit's
This should get really interesting!
Read
July 14, 2023DNF at 10%... that was fast.
February 8, 2017
This book was firmly in the "just okay" end of the spectrum for me. I had pretty high expectations for this one and it really didn't deliver. I have been on the hunt for another UF series to rank up there with my tops (the Night Huntress Series, the Fever series, and the Kate Daniels series). This book didn't even come close.
I'll do a quick recap of the positives. Part of me liked that it was a fun, lighthearted read. It was not at all what I was expecting, which was something much grittier. I also think that the series has some potential with the relationship between Merit and Ethan left mostly untapped. I could see some sparks happening there in the future. I also think that the writing was competent and that Chloe Neill has some potential.
Let me just dive into what bugged me. First of all, the world itself. Who else was irritated that the vampires only had one name? Hands, anyone?? I can see if the person's name was something unique, like Merit (or Bones... wait, wrong series), but for the average Joe, having to use just one name seemed totally stupid.
Beep. "Hey It's Morgan. From Navarre, in case you know a lot of us. Morgans, I mean."
Yeah, Morgan, I think it would be freaking easier too if you could just say "Morgan O'Tool" or something more specific! Talk about dumb traditions...
Something else that irritated me? The way that the vampires houses were just like fraternities. They joke about it in the book all of the time.
"Aw, come on, Mer. Today's your big day! It's Vampire Rush!"
I didn't love the lack of gravitas with the vampire houses. It made all of the fuss over the canon and house divisions seem silly. I think you can make a book funny and fun and still have it feel deadly serious at the right moments (Thank you Night Huntress!!!!). But here, it just didn't feel like the tension was real. I couldn't muster up enough feels to care about any of the vampires. It's just rush guys! Let's do a kegger!
In terms of Merit herself, I think that she acted like a huge brat over the whole "change into a vampire" thing. Girl, you were about to die! I get complaining for a chapter or two about how you didn't have a choice, but if you really wanted to be dead so badly, then you could just walk into the sunlight. Stop your bitching and man up. Ethan helped you out here. Stop pouting and pretend-calling him your mortal enemy. And while we are on Ethan, I wanted way, WAY more heat between them. A few heated stares does not a sultry book make. I think if this book had ramped up the tension, I would have enjoyed it more.
On a positive note (maybe??), this is the first book that I have EVER had to use my Kindle dictionary on. "Obstreperous" much?
I'll do a quick recap of the positives. Part of me liked that it was a fun, lighthearted read. It was not at all what I was expecting, which was something much grittier. I also think that the series has some potential with the relationship between Merit and Ethan left mostly untapped. I could see some sparks happening there in the future. I also think that the writing was competent and that Chloe Neill has some potential.
Let me just dive into what bugged me. First of all, the world itself. Who else was irritated that the vampires only had one name? Hands, anyone?? I can see if the person's name was something unique, like Merit (or Bones... wait, wrong series), but for the average Joe, having to use just one name seemed totally stupid.
Beep. "Hey It's Morgan. From Navarre, in case you know a lot of us. Morgans, I mean."
Yeah, Morgan, I think it would be freaking easier too if you could just say "Morgan O'Tool" or something more specific! Talk about dumb traditions...
Something else that irritated me? The way that the vampires houses were just like fraternities. They joke about it in the book all of the time.
"Aw, come on, Mer. Today's your big day! It's Vampire Rush!"
I didn't love the lack of gravitas with the vampire houses. It made all of the fuss over the canon and house divisions seem silly. I think you can make a book funny and fun and still have it feel deadly serious at the right moments (Thank you Night Huntress!!!!). But here, it just didn't feel like the tension was real. I couldn't muster up enough feels to care about any of the vampires. It's just rush guys! Let's do a kegger!
In terms of Merit herself, I think that she acted like a huge brat over the whole "change into a vampire" thing. Girl, you were about to die! I get complaining for a chapter or two about how you didn't have a choice, but if you really wanted to be dead so badly, then you could just walk into the sunlight. Stop your bitching and man up. Ethan helped you out here. Stop pouting and pretend-calling him your mortal enemy. And while we are on Ethan, I wanted way, WAY more heat between them. A few heated stares does not a sultry book make. I think if this book had ramped up the tension, I would have enjoyed it more.
On a positive note (maybe??), this is the first book that I have EVER had to use my Kindle dictionary on. "Obstreperous" much?
January 23, 2023
Access to e-books is messing with my reading choices! I've been ignoring my paper library books in favour of reading vampire urban fantasy. And I've been having a great time! I've been circling back to series that I didn't have access to before.
I enjoyed this first installment in the adventures of new vampire Merit. Yes, sure, she is a Mary Sue. She's only a few days old when she impulsively challenges her master/maker. Not only does she survive, but she does better than more experienced vamps. Merit has always been strong willed, even as a human. She was turned to “save her life” rather than as a choice. Because she has pointedly made different choices than her parents, this really chaps her. Neill is setting her up as an extremely powerful vampire, whose previous life has set her up to be very resistant to vamp mind influences.
Unlike so many urban fantasy heroines, Merit has a close woman friend, Mallory. This is what saves the book for me. Yes, there's a big focus on romantic relationships, but Mallory and Merit are each other's support system. They are both learning new skills, as Mallory has just discovered her magical talents. So they manage all these changes together. Most urban fantasies leave the main character on her own for a bit.
Of course there is a “love" triangle. Merit is reluctantly attracted to the head of her House, Ethan. He is equally ambivalent. But there is also an attractive Second from one of the rival Houses who has a thing for Merit. He's cute and fun and Merit would probably be interested if she didn't have the pull of Ethan annoying her. It's debatable how much love is involved in either of these potential links.
So it may be predictable, but it's fun and fast. I'll have to restrain myself a bit to avoid bingeing the series and get on with my paper library books.
I enjoyed this first installment in the adventures of new vampire Merit. Yes, sure, she is a Mary Sue. She's only a few days old when she impulsively challenges her master/maker. Not only does she survive, but she does better than more experienced vamps. Merit has always been strong willed, even as a human. She was turned to “save her life” rather than as a choice. Because she has pointedly made different choices than her parents, this really chaps her. Neill is setting her up as an extremely powerful vampire, whose previous life has set her up to be very resistant to vamp mind influences.
Unlike so many urban fantasy heroines, Merit has a close woman friend, Mallory. This is what saves the book for me. Yes, there's a big focus on romantic relationships, but Mallory and Merit are each other's support system. They are both learning new skills, as Mallory has just discovered her magical talents. So they manage all these changes together. Most urban fantasies leave the main character on her own for a bit.
Of course there is a “love" triangle. Merit is reluctantly attracted to the head of her House, Ethan. He is equally ambivalent. But there is also an attractive Second from one of the rival Houses who has a thing for Merit. He's cute and fun and Merit would probably be interested if she didn't have the pull of Ethan annoying her. It's debatable how much love is involved in either of these potential links.
So it may be predictable, but it's fun and fast. I'll have to restrain myself a bit to avoid bingeing the series and get on with my paper library books.
April 14, 2011
Anyone who is a fan of Vampire Academy will love the sarcastic, meat-loving, ass-kicking Merit. This is a fun series that follows a typical "newly formed vamp" story, but is also filled with lots of great action and excellent training sequences. The power plays between the different covens is well done, Merit's relationships with her friends is strong and true, and there are some super cute guys in it. A fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining start to the series.
December 17, 2010
I'm not going to say this book is awesome, it wasn't, but it was exactly what I was in the mood to read at the moment.
Here is the plot of a distressingly large portion of paranormal romance books (including this one):
Oops! I've been turned into a (insert supernatural being). I'm pissed! I'm going to buck the system and gallivant around giving attitude to anyone who crosses my path. No worries though, because the king (or equivalent) of the (insert supernatural being) will find me weirdly attractive. All of the female (insert supernatural being) will be so jealous! Oh, and SURPRISE! I have special powers that most other (insert supernatural being) don't have so I am super awesome and everyone either wants me on their side or wants to kill me because I will eventually turn into the ultimate badass.
Notice, though, that I gave it 4 stars. I did really like it. I appreciated the fact that Chloe Neill worked in a lot of pop culture and seems to understand mainstream fashion so I didn't cringe every time the protagonist got dressed. I also enjoyed the fact that Merit was not an idiot--she actually made fairly rational choices most of the time! (contrary to the cardboard idiot female lead characters that abound in these types of books)
Here is the plot of a distressingly large portion of paranormal romance books (including this one):
Oops! I've been turned into a (insert supernatural being). I'm pissed! I'm going to buck the system and gallivant around giving attitude to anyone who crosses my path. No worries though, because the king (or equivalent) of the (insert supernatural being) will find me weirdly attractive. All of the female (insert supernatural being) will be so jealous! Oh, and SURPRISE! I have special powers that most other (insert supernatural being) don't have so I am super awesome and everyone either wants me on their side or wants to kill me because I will eventually turn into the ultimate badass.
Notice, though, that I gave it 4 stars. I did really like it. I appreciated the fact that Chloe Neill worked in a lot of pop culture and seems to understand mainstream fashion so I didn't cringe every time the protagonist got dressed. I also enjoyed the fact that Merit was not an idiot--she actually made fairly rational choices most of the time! (contrary to the cardboard idiot female lead characters that abound in these types of books)
April 27, 2011
This book was recced to me by soooo many people. I had extremely high expectations for it, and was excited to start a new urban fantasy series. What I got was boring, banal, middle of the road dreck.
It took me forever to finish this book. The plot had no urgency to it, the characters irritated me, the action cheesy, and the romance had me rolling my eyes. The writing itself was ok, not horrible, and there were some funny moments, but not nearly enough to overcome the other failings of the book.
The plot relied way too heavily on coincidences. First, there's Merit getting turned, oh, so conveniently, but I excuse that because that's the setup for the book, and I can ignore one major coincidence. But then there's her grandfather's job, her roommate's magical skills, and other coincidences on top of coincidences. After awhile it just gets to be ridiculous.
There's also a serial killer plot in there, which everyone talked about, but no one actually did anything to solve until the last few pages of the book. (And the resolution to that was completely unsatisfying, and went against the world building set up earlier in the book.)
Vampires in this universe are poor, misunderstood woobies, the humans persecuted for no good reason (other than being used as snack food).
Merit, was annoying, and a giant Mary Sue. The strongest, fastest, bestest at everything. Able to learn everything in the blink of an eye. I much prefer an imperfect heroine.
I like a bit of romance in my urban fantasies, but the relationship in this one just sucked. I get that the author was probably trying to build up chemistry and tension by having the two of them begin with an adversarial relationship, but I found the conflict between them to be laughable, and since this is from Merit's POV, we get to see her feelings for Ethan, but the author does not do a very good job of conveying his feelings.
Merit's set up as some tough-as-nails ass-kicker, but she came off as pathetic. There's a big dramatic scene towards the end where Ethan does something that makes Merit feel all betrayed, but considering that they're not dating and are barely friends her self pity just made me roll my eyes. In fact, the entire scene had me cringing. It was just so embarrassingly bad.
Plus, there's a weird obsession with clothes by all the characters, and it gave the entire book a bad chick-lit feel to it. I think Merit was supposed to be perceived as some bad ass in her leather outfit, but I just ended up laughing at her.
I do not recommend this book. I already have the 2nd and 3rd books in my TBR pile, but I doubt I'll read them.
It took me forever to finish this book. The plot had no urgency to it, the characters irritated me, the action cheesy, and the romance had me rolling my eyes. The writing itself was ok, not horrible, and there were some funny moments, but not nearly enough to overcome the other failings of the book.
The plot relied way too heavily on coincidences. First, there's Merit getting turned, oh, so conveniently, but I excuse that because that's the setup for the book, and I can ignore one major coincidence. But then there's her grandfather's job, her roommate's magical skills, and other coincidences on top of coincidences. After awhile it just gets to be ridiculous.
There's also a serial killer plot in there, which everyone talked about, but no one actually did anything to solve until the last few pages of the book. (And the resolution to that was completely unsatisfying, and went against the world building set up earlier in the book.)
Vampires in this universe are poor, misunderstood woobies, the humans persecuted for no good reason (other than being used as snack food).
Merit, was annoying, and a giant Mary Sue. The strongest, fastest, bestest at everything. Able to learn everything in the blink of an eye. I much prefer an imperfect heroine.
I like a bit of romance in my urban fantasies, but the relationship in this one just sucked. I get that the author was probably trying to build up chemistry and tension by having the two of them begin with an adversarial relationship, but I found the conflict between them to be laughable, and since this is from Merit's POV, we get to see her feelings for Ethan, but the author does not do a very good job of conveying his feelings.
Merit's set up as some tough-as-nails ass-kicker, but she came off as pathetic. There's a big dramatic scene towards the end where Ethan does something that makes Merit feel all betrayed, but considering that they're not dating and are barely friends her self pity just made me roll my eyes. In fact, the entire scene had me cringing. It was just so embarrassingly bad.
Plus, there's a weird obsession with clothes by all the characters, and it gave the entire book a bad chick-lit feel to it. I think Merit was supposed to be perceived as some bad ass in her leather outfit, but I just ended up laughing at her.
I do not recommend this book. I already have the 2nd and 3rd books in my TBR pile, but I doubt I'll read them.
September 15, 2015
Okay, so I’ve never been a vampire kind of girl. Frankly, the whole vampire thing has always pretty much bored me to death. I only bought Some Girls Bite because so many of my friends had loved it that I thought I should give it a try. I didn’t expect much from it. Worse, I expected some Twilight nonsense. Then Merit happened.
I loved Merit from the very beginning and she grew on me a bit more with every turn of page. What was really interesting here is the way Neill portrayed the struggles Merit goes through after being turned into a vampire against her will. Adjusting from student life to vampiredom overnight is no small feat and fantasy as this may be, I felt the description of Merit’s reaction to her transformation really rang true. Her world is turned upside down, she doesn’t know who or what she is anymore and doesn’t know how to deal with the new life that has been forced on her. She is sarcastic, tough, determined and trustworthy (despite what some annoyingly handsome master vampire might think). As little as I expected it when I first started reading this book, Merit quickly made it to the top 3 in my favourite kick-butt heroines list, right after Kate Daniels and Elise Kavanagh. She might even make it to the top 2 if she keeps it up in instalments to come.
Now for Ethan Sullivan, “I still live in the 18th century” master vampire extraordinaire. He bugs me to no end but I guess that’s what Chloe Neill intended. He looks good enough to eat. Well his having blond shoulder-length hair definitely does nothing for me but hey, I managed to warm up to a blond Curran Lenhart so I guess miracles do happen. But I digress. So he is deliciously good-looking but he is, first and foremost, a huge pain. Smug, full of himself, condescending, uptight, with antiquated views and trust issues… No wonder tension builds up between Merit and Ethan from the very beginning. This is one infuriating vampire and Merit just can’t help challenging him, his power and authority at every chance she gets. I mean what girl would want to wake up after being turned into a vampire, only to find out she was to blindly obey some exasperating, domineering alpha male for as long as she lives (which kind of sucks when you’re immortal)? Sparks definitely fly between these two but it doesn’t get very far in this instalment . Which is great really. I’d rather have the sexual tension build up slowly, it’s much more fun this way! For the moment, Merit and Ethan love to hate each other which makes for some very entertaining confrontations. Can’t wait to find out what happens between the two of them in the next instalments.
The other characters in the book are just great. Strangely enough, I’d say Mallory was my least favourite of them. She’s a fantastic friend to Merit but I don’t know, I can’t get myself to like her as much as I do the rest of the cast. Lindsey I do love and I see great potential there for instalments to come. Now, for the male characters… Well, this is pretty much Hunks R Us, with an over-abundance of hot and sexy men prowling around: Catcher, Morgan, Jeff… Take your pick! Catcher and Jeff are probably my favourite.
As far as first instalments in a series go, Some Girls Bite is definitely a winner and one of the best I have ever read. First instalments are not usually as good as the rest in the series as the author has to set the story arc in motion, define the main characters and the world they live in. Here Chloe Neill has done a fantastic job as we are born to Merit’s new world at the same time as she is. We learn, adapt and evolve with her, which is both very cool and highly entertaining.
Great character development, awesome world-building and an entertaining plot make Some Girls Bite very hard to put down. A definite page-turner. Can’t wait to get my hands on the next instalment!
I loved Merit from the very beginning and she grew on me a bit more with every turn of page. What was really interesting here is the way Neill portrayed the struggles Merit goes through after being turned into a vampire against her will. Adjusting from student life to vampiredom overnight is no small feat and fantasy as this may be, I felt the description of Merit’s reaction to her transformation really rang true. Her world is turned upside down, she doesn’t know who or what she is anymore and doesn’t know how to deal with the new life that has been forced on her. She is sarcastic, tough, determined and trustworthy (despite what some annoyingly handsome master vampire might think). As little as I expected it when I first started reading this book, Merit quickly made it to the top 3 in my favourite kick-butt heroines list, right after Kate Daniels and Elise Kavanagh. She might even make it to the top 2 if she keeps it up in instalments to come.
Now for Ethan Sullivan, “I still live in the 18th century” master vampire extraordinaire. He bugs me to no end but I guess that’s what Chloe Neill intended. He looks good enough to eat. Well his having blond shoulder-length hair definitely does nothing for me but hey, I managed to warm up to a blond Curran Lenhart so I guess miracles do happen. But I digress. So he is deliciously good-looking but he is, first and foremost, a huge pain. Smug, full of himself, condescending, uptight, with antiquated views and trust issues… No wonder tension builds up between Merit and Ethan from the very beginning. This is one infuriating vampire and Merit just can’t help challenging him, his power and authority at every chance she gets. I mean what girl would want to wake up after being turned into a vampire, only to find out she was to blindly obey some exasperating, domineering alpha male for as long as she lives (which kind of sucks when you’re immortal)? Sparks definitely fly between these two but it doesn’t get very far in this instalment . Which is great really. I’d rather have the sexual tension build up slowly, it’s much more fun this way! For the moment, Merit and Ethan love to hate each other which makes for some very entertaining confrontations. Can’t wait to find out what happens between the two of them in the next instalments.
The other characters in the book are just great. Strangely enough, I’d say Mallory was my least favourite of them. She’s a fantastic friend to Merit but I don’t know, I can’t get myself to like her as much as I do the rest of the cast. Lindsey I do love and I see great potential there for instalments to come. Now, for the male characters… Well, this is pretty much Hunks R Us, with an over-abundance of hot and sexy men prowling around: Catcher, Morgan, Jeff… Take your pick! Catcher and Jeff are probably my favourite.
As far as first instalments in a series go, Some Girls Bite is definitely a winner and one of the best I have ever read. First instalments are not usually as good as the rest in the series as the author has to set the story arc in motion, define the main characters and the world they live in. Here Chloe Neill has done a fantastic job as we are born to Merit’s new world at the same time as she is. We learn, adapt and evolve with her, which is both very cool and highly entertaining.
Great character development, awesome world-building and an entertaining plot make Some Girls Bite very hard to put down. A definite page-turner. Can’t wait to get my hands on the next instalment!
October 2, 2017
Merit never asked to be changed into a vampire, however, when she is attacked on her college campus that's exactly what happens. Her sudden change in circumstances throws her life in chaos as she struggles to come to terms with being, unwillingly, morphed into one of the undead. Especially when she is confronted with head of the house of vampires to which she now must pledge her loyalty, the gorgeous Ethan Sullivan. Both Ethan and Merit resent their unwilling chemistry towards one another, but must learn to trust each other as a plot to endanger the house reveals itself as more girls are attacked by supposedly rogue vampires.I picked this book as part of my TBR jar read, the first actual book in the series- rather than an ebook - has been lingering on my shelf for a few years doing a fabulous job collecting dust. But, I dusted it off, took it on holiday with me and read it and read it in pretty much one sitting. Many of you have probably read this book by now and be having a "well duh" moment, after all this series has been going strong and has been popular for a few years now. And you're right, I should have started this series ages ago! But at least I now have plenty of books to look forward to.
I don't necessarily think the books was perfect, it definitely lacked a bit of polish and it isn't exactly original, you could probably find the assembled parts of this book in most UFs you lay your hands on. It had the snarky, misfit heroine, the gorgeous and polished hero and then a small cast of likeable secondary characters. However, Neill brought these tired old elements together and created something that was a lot of fun to read. Merit's snarky humour may not be original, but it made me laugh and I liked her, Ethan may not quite make my mouth water like other similar UF heroes (then again, no one will ever beat Curran from the Kate Daniels series or Bones from the Night Huntress series...so I may be bias!) but, that doesn't mean I am not intrigued about how the Ethan and Merit situation will proceed.
The world the Neill has created was interesting, vampires are split into different houses and each house works on a feudal system with one vampire being the boss and then tiers of vampires below him. It seems archaic but it is necessary to control younger members of the vamp community. Vampires are also political animals and I expect that will come into play more and more as the series progresses.
This was a solid start to a UF series and I will definitely be continuing to read it. If like me, you haven't read the Chicagoland Vampires series and you want an UF to delve into then I recommend you give it a go.
Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
January 12, 2017
Rating 4 1/2 stars
Sometimes I sat in my car snickering while I listened to this novel. It was fun, interesting, and entertaining. Lots of male eye candy. Hot cars and chic houses. Loads of cool clothes. Mouthwatering food. Creative world building. Supernatural beings.
And swords. My favorite weapon of choice. Did I mention the swords are katanas? I hope that was not a spoiler.
Now to the good parts-
A rebellious, quirky, scholarly & newly turned vamp I could relate to. Merit (who refuses to tell us her first and middle names) is that chick. I truly liked her. A lot.
The narrative is good, the plot is a bit opened-ended but resolved. I knew who all the perpetrators were already by the end, but was pleased to listen in on all the motivations. The fact I figured out who the bad guys were is why this is really a 4 1/2 for me. But it didn't deter my enjoyment.
I recommend this series. The audio made my trips to and from work quite novel. No pun intended.
Now on to book two.
Ethan. You have much groveling to do, and lots of shznit to atone for.
Sometimes I sat in my car snickering while I listened to this novel. It was fun, interesting, and entertaining. Lots of male eye candy. Hot cars and chic houses. Loads of cool clothes. Mouthwatering food. Creative world building. Supernatural beings.
And swords. My favorite weapon of choice. Did I mention the swords are katanas? I hope that was not a spoiler.
Now to the good parts-
A rebellious, quirky, scholarly & newly turned vamp I could relate to. Merit (who refuses to tell us her first and middle names) is that chick. I truly liked her. A lot.
The narrative is good, the plot is a bit opened-ended but resolved. I knew who all the perpetrators were already by the end, but was pleased to listen in on all the motivations. The fact I figured out who the bad guys were is why this is really a 4 1/2 for me. But it didn't deter my enjoyment.
I recommend this series. The audio made my trips to and from work quite novel. No pun intended.
Now on to book two.
Ethan. You have much groveling to do, and lots of shznit to atone for.
July 28, 2014
I can't remember why I fell behind with this series. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been that big of a deal b/c I kept ordering the books. I have like 4 or 5 at the top of my stack that I haven't read yet which makes me alternately giddy and disgusted (with myself).
So yeah, it's been a couple of years since I've had any quality time with Merit and Ethan, and I would just like to take a moment and smack my own head b/c Merit and Ethan are AH-mazing. I love Merit when she curtsies, when she begs food, when she has major snarkfests with Mallory (whom I also love). I love Ethan even when he's being a total a-hole (which lets face it, at this point is most of the time). I love to HATE Morgan (slimy bugger that he is).
And JEFF. I'd like a tiny Jeff to carry around in my pocket. My self-esteem was never suffer again and I'd always be laughing.
I guess I'll have to make do with reading Book 2, and I'll be doing that right now.
So yeah, it's been a couple of years since I've had any quality time with Merit and Ethan, and I would just like to take a moment and smack my own head b/c Merit and Ethan are AH-mazing. I love Merit when she curtsies, when she begs food, when she has major snarkfests with Mallory (whom I also love). I love Ethan even when he's being a total a-hole (which lets face it, at this point is most of the time). I love to HATE Morgan (slimy bugger that he is).
And JEFF. I'd like a tiny Jeff to carry around in my pocket. My self-esteem was never suffer again and I'd always be laughing.
I guess I'll have to make do with reading Book 2, and I'll be doing that right now.
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September 9, 2021
⤅ This book embodies some of the worst things about PNR books.
There's a specific subgenre of books - the urban-fantasy, first-book-of-series-published-in-mid-2000s, 'feisty'-heroine kind of book - which can either go really well or really badly. The Kate Daniels series is an example of it going well. The Chicagoland Vampires series is an example of it going badly.
We have Caroline Merit, who prefers to go just by her surname, a wealthy grad student who's randomly attacked one day and is turned into a vampire to save her life. Her new liege is Ethan Sullivan, one of the Masters of Chicago's three vampire Houses (sort of like clans). In this world vampires have announced their existence to humans. Merit spends the rest of the book trying to get to grips with her new existence, while investigating her attempted murder and considering the relationship she wants to have with Ethan.
I have a lot of issues with this book.
❌ Merit is a real Mary Sue, from the mid-2000s/early 2010s school of Mary Sues. She's wealthy, gorgeous (as she's cut up and DYING after her assault, someone comments on how 'lovely' she is), and of course a special snowflake with ultra-amazing powers, so much stronger than every other newborn vampire. Eyeroll. She even learns how to fight with a sword after about three days of practice. When I compare this to all the care Ilona Andrews put into showing how long it took Kate to be trained in her weapons, I could weep.
❌ Merit and Ethan have about as much chemistry as a wet paper bag. Even though I have a soft spot for blond heroes, Ethan is so limp that there's no sexual tension whatsoever. Also, there's a scene where Merit watches him have sex with an OW, so... byeeee.
❌ The vampires in this book aren't vampires. They're the sanitised shiny version, they're practically Twilight vampires. They drink their blood out of plastic bags, stand around in suits all day politely bickering, and have about as much bloodthirstiness and viciousness as an orchid. When I read vampire books, I don't want my 'vampires' to essentially just act like humans with odd dietary requirements. I want them to be REAL vampires and Chloe Neill simply did not deliver.
The plot is mildly okay, but nowhere near good enough to redeem this disappointment of a book.
There's a specific subgenre of books - the urban-fantasy, first-book-of-series-published-in-mid-2000s, 'feisty'-heroine kind of book - which can either go really well or really badly. The Kate Daniels series is an example of it going well. The Chicagoland Vampires series is an example of it going badly.
We have Caroline Merit, who prefers to go just by her surname, a wealthy grad student who's randomly attacked one day and is turned into a vampire to save her life. Her new liege is Ethan Sullivan, one of the Masters of Chicago's three vampire Houses (sort of like clans). In this world vampires have announced their existence to humans. Merit spends the rest of the book trying to get to grips with her new existence, while investigating her attempted murder and considering the relationship she wants to have with Ethan.
I have a lot of issues with this book.
❌ Merit is a real Mary Sue, from the mid-2000s/early 2010s school of Mary Sues. She's wealthy, gorgeous (as she's cut up and DYING after her assault, someone comments on how 'lovely' she is), and of course a special snowflake with ultra-amazing powers, so much stronger than every other newborn vampire. Eyeroll. She even learns how to fight with a sword after about three days of practice. When I compare this to all the care Ilona Andrews put into showing how long it took Kate to be trained in her weapons, I could weep.
❌ Merit and Ethan have about as much chemistry as a wet paper bag. Even though I have a soft spot for blond heroes, Ethan is so limp that there's no sexual tension whatsoever. Also, there's a scene where Merit watches him have sex with an OW, so... byeeee.
❌ The vampires in this book aren't vampires. They're the sanitised shiny version, they're practically Twilight vampires. They drink their blood out of plastic bags, stand around in suits all day politely bickering, and have about as much bloodthirstiness and viciousness as an orchid. When I read vampire books, I don't want my 'vampires' to essentially just act like humans with odd dietary requirements. I want them to be REAL vampires and Chloe Neill simply did not deliver.
The plot is mildly okay, but nowhere near good enough to redeem this disappointment of a book.
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