In Howling for You, Jeff Christopher is a shapeshifter and all of Chicago's Cadogan House of Vampires. For a long time, Jeff had eyes only for the beautiful Fallon Keene. Unfortunately, she is the only sister of the lethal North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene. But fate takes a hand when the pack's totem is stolen, and Fallon enlists Jeff's help to retrieve it before the pack is thrown into chaos. Can she and Jeff find the totem and restore order before it's too late? And will Jeff finally be able to prove himself to the only person he truly loves?

     In Lucky Break, Merit and Ethan are in desperate need of some alone time, but their attempt at a romantic getaway is quickly interrupted when one of Ethan's vampire friends shows up at their door - covered in blood and accused of killing her shifter husband. Now, Merit and Ethan must put their passion on pause to figure out who's really responsible for the murder before all hell breaks loose...

     Jeff! I got me some sexy Jeff Christopher story!

     I have to say that Jeff is most definitively my favorite secondary character in these stories. He is cute, charming, and hella genius and funny. I was so happy when he got together with Fallon although there was something to their story that was hinted at but never mentioned as to why they weren't together. But then they were and I needed more on that story.

     Well, I got it and I have to say that I loved every second of their HEA.

     We also get a second part to this book in which Merit and Ethan want to go on a vacation away from the Chicago drama and are invited to the guest house of one of Ethan's longtime friends. But when they get there is not for a romantic getaway but to solve a mystery of murder.

     I liked the insight of what might have started the feud between the vampires and the werewolves (or at least a fraction of it) and what sacrifices these two races are willing to make to be happy with each other. It also gives me a look-see of what Eliza and Connor might go thru on the spin-off.

     Vampires generally aren’t afraid of things that go bump in the night, but Merit and Ethan are extra jumpy after a recent attack by a dark sorcerer. So when they learn that someone is messing with graves in Chicago’s cemeteries, stealing skulls and snatching souls, they fear that their powerful foe might be back for even more magical vengeance.

     But after a specter begins haunting Cadogan House—and targeting vampires—they realize that their being taunted by an altogether different sort of monster. A ghoulish villain straight out of the Windy City’s urban legends is on the prowl—and he won’t stop until he’s killed again...

     Merit, Sentinel of Chicago's Cadogan House, is pregnant. She's ready to meet her daughter, but also very excited about the possibility of seeing her feet again. But trouble always seems to find her...

     Ethan and Merit have been married for eight months, and they're preparing for life-with-baby. Ethan's battling his overprotectiveness, while Merit's hoping she can figure out how to be a loving parent given her family's chilliness.

     While out on an evening walk, Merit stops to help a human in need, only to find herself under attack. A sociopath with a debt figures pregnant Merit is an easy target--and Cadogan House would pay handsomely for her return...

     This is a nice view of some of Merit's pregnancy. But what I really liked about this book was the side story of Jonas and Cadogan's House cook (who I can't remember the name of at this moment).

     I was always rooting for the side characters to find someone to love or to end up with whomever they had a crush on. I am glad I got to see why Margery? Margaret? wasn't open to Jonas' interest and that she was able (with the help of the Cadogan House and all the vampires she loves) to get thru it and find her true love.

     I also was glad to see into that intimate moment in which Ethan and Merit decided on baby Eliza's name. It was very touching and I think it was about time that Ethan had something good happen to him.

     Since the night of her brutal attack and unwilling transformation into a vampire, Merit has stood as Sentinel and protector of Chicago's Cadogan House. She's saved the Windy City from the forces of darkness time and again with her liege and lover, Ethan Sullivan, by her side.

     When the House is infiltrated and Merit is attacked by a vampire who seems to be under the sway of dark magic, Merit and Ethan realize the danger is closer than they could have imagined. As malign sorcery spreads throughout the city, Merit must go to war against supernatural powers beyond her comprehension. It is her last chance to save everything - and everyone - she loves.


     And so we get to the final chapter for this vampire warrior and her amazing adventures.

     In this book again Merit has to fight the evil alchemist although in this one the lady is way crazier.

     After many years trying to convince humans to work together and have peace between the two races, human and supernaturals, they are finally able to at least work with them.

     I love every moment of action in this book and the entire series and I think it was the perfect ending even when I wanted to have something more happen. I don't know what but something.

Midnight Marked

by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires (#12)

Published by: Tantor Media Inc.

March 1st, 2016

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library Loan

Rating: 5 Stars

     As the Chicagoland Vampires series continues, Merit and Ethan find themselves in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where winning may require the ultimate sacrifice... 

     A vampire’s grudges don’t stay dead long...

     Merit is one of Chicago's most skilled vampire warriors; these days, she doesn't scare easily. But she and Master vampire Ethan have made a new and powerful enemy, and he won't give up until he owns the Windy City.

     With his last plan thwarted, he's more determined than ever to watch Cadogan burn. Ethan has put the House's vampires on high alert, but their enemy will stop at nothing, including pitting vampire against vampire...

     In this deadly game of cat-and-mouse, the stakes are life or death—and winning might mean sacrificing everything...

     Again one of the things I like about this series is that once they deal with an enemy that enemy not just disappear. It is an enemy that spans a couple of books.

     In the previous book Merit, Ethan and all of their friends deal with a powerful man on Chicago and thwart his plan. Now he is back and more dangerous than ever.

     Another thing that I like about this series is that although it has been a year since Merit was turned into a vampire it feels like so much more time has gone by.

     The end of this series is coming and although I am sad about it I feel like it is time to end it. Not because it is a bad series but because I feel like if it is extended much more than it is at this point people will start to hate it.

Dark Debt

by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires (#11)

Published by: Tantor Media Inc.

March 3rd, 2015

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library Loan

Rating: 5 Stars

     A vampire never gets old. But neither do his enemies. When a figure from Ethan's dark past makes a splashy debut in Chicago, Merit and her Master don't know whether he's friend or foe. But they'll have to figure out soon, because trouble is brewing in the Windy City. 

     At an exclusive society soiree attended by the upper echelons of the human and supernatural worlds, Merit and Ethan barely stop the assassination of a guest. When the target turns out to be a shady businessman with a criminal edge, Merit suspects a human vendetta. But the assassins have fangs...

     The connections to Chicago's Houses go deeper than Merit knows, and even one wrong move could be her last...

     Again some time has passed since the ending of the last book in which Ethan and Merit found a letter in their room signed by Ethan's maker.

     In this book we find out who Balthazar is and what happened to him after he was attack and presumed dead.

     Again it is Merit's job as Sentinel of house Cadogan to make sure that the master is safe. Which is why she needs to find out what is going on and why Balthazar is still alive.

     One of the things that I like about these books is that the same enemy keeps coming back again and again until they have completely defeated it. I also like that all the books are connected. There is always something happening that takes you back to previous books.

     I love all the characters and how they get together when the need arises to protect their family and friends. I cannot wait to read the next book and see what else is in store for this vampires.

Blood Games

by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires (#10)

Published by: Tantor Media Inc.

August 5th, 2014

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library Loan

Rating: 5 Stars

     While Merit didn’t choose to become a vampire or Sentinel of Cadogan House, she vowed to fight for her House and its Master, and she’s managed to forge strong alliances with powerful supernaturals across Chicago. But even though Merit has had wild adventures, this may be her deadliest yet... 

     A killer is stalking Chicago, preying on humans and leaving his victims with magical souvenirs. The CPD hasn’t been able to track the assailant, and as the body count rises, the city is running out of options. Vampires and humans aren’t on great terms, but murder makes for strange bedfellows. Can Merit find the killer before she becomes a target?

     So confession time, I completely forgot that I had read this book so this review is quite late. I have forgotten a couple of things that happened in the book.

     I know that it is a couple of weeks after the events of the previous book and Darius is being manipulated into stealing money from the GP. Merit and Ethan kind of figure out what is going on and they have to go deeper into what is going on to see how Darius is being manipulated.

     There is obviously a lot of investigating and I do remember something like an opal or some kind of round black stone being used.

     The only thing that I do remember about the book is that there's a lot of action like every other book in this series. And I do remember enjoying listening to the audiobook.

     I really cannot recommend this series enough. Either because of Chloe Neill's writing style or Sophie Eastlake's narration, you can't go wrong either way.

Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds, living or dead…or both.

But now those alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the crosshairs. Gabriel Keene, the Pack Apex, looks to Merit and Ethan for help. But who—or what—could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?

Merit is about to go toe to toe, and cold steel to cold heart, to find out.

Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she's already seen a lifetime's worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back. 

Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City come hell or high water. 

Merit and her allies rush to figure out who's behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there's any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time.

     In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps. 

     At the tender age of twenty-seven, Merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle—and her metal—tested like never before. 

     It started with two . . . Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.

     I swear, this series keeps getting better and better with every book I read.

     In this installment, the Cadogan house vampires start getting everything ready for the ceremony that will cut their ties to the vampires governing body and trying to form an alliance with the Rogue vampires since the house is going to be rogue themselves after leaving the GP.

     While at the party, the de facto leader of the Rogues lets Merit and Ethan know that two of their vampires are missing. In the midst of it all is a new evil that is killing off vampires. It is in the best interest for all vampires, that Merit along with others like her; guardians and soldiers of the houses; put a stop to this new threat.

     Merit and Jonah her RG partner along with Ethan and others (umbodies?) race against time and the disappearance of many other vampires to find out who is behind these murders.

     I cannot express how much I love this series. This books are packed with action and the mystery behind every act against the supernaturals. The writing of these books is superb and every single detail connects at the end or it is explained so that you don’t wonder at why that particular thing happened. I love the angst that Neill creates and how even as this books concentrate mostly on Merit she is not this super vampire that doesn’t need others to help her solve the problems.

     Every time you think you have the bad guy pin down there is a twist and a surprise around the corner.

     I especially love the camaraderie between Merit and her fellow Cadogan house guards. I also love that even though they argue a lot and have big fights; like every couple; Merit and Ethan always find a way to each other.

     I don't like books that are told in first-person point of view but I don't mind being just in Merit's head. She is constantly trying to figure out what is going on at the same time that she is trying to figure out who is behind all.

     I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see what else is in store for the supernaturals of Chicago.

     Turned into a vampire against her will, twenty-eight-year-old Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye—and more supernaturals than the public ever imagined.

     And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing—among humans or inhumans.

     Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest, tailing a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artifact that could unleash catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the book for himself. No mercy allowed. 

     No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.

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

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

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

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

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

     This book was one surprise after the other. I couldn’t believe how it ended!

     But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, let’s talk about the book. Merit is now tasked with investigating what is going on with a supposed rave gone wrong where vampires attacked people and killed three humans. At the same time, the house has to deal with one of the head honchos that is making all the more difficult because whatever has happened is not the vampire’s problem. And so Merit is working by herself to avoid Ethan getting into more trouble. You know possible deniability and all that chticks.

     I loved how Merit dealt with the situation and how she was always true and loyal to Ethan and the house. But I also liked the fact that she had help from others, not just from her own house but from others including the houseless vamps.

     Now let’s talk about that ending, don’t worry no spoilers. I did not see that coming! But it does make for an interesting story when you get a twist like that. I am just happy that this series is finished and I don’t have to wait long to see how Chloe Neill fixed that one.

     If you have not started this series I highly recommend that you do. Just a warning, be ready to face anything.

Friday Night Bites

by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires (#2)

Published by: Tantor Media Inc.

January 10th, 2011

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library Loan

Rating: 4 Stars

Vamps in Chicago!

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

     But all that will change once they learn about the Raves—mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle and drink themselves silly. Most civilized vampires frown on this behavior, putting mere mortals at ease with their policy of asking a person’s consent before taking a big gulp of the red stuff. However, that doesn’t make good copy for a first time reporter looking to impress his high society family.

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

     Several months have passed since the events of book 1 and Merit is ready to move out of Mallory’s house and into Cadogan’s house to better serve it as it's Sentinel. Like the first book, Merit is thrust into the middle of a vampire mess that she has no idea about but is her job to fix.

     This new threat includes an ex that Merrit didn't know as well as she thought she knew him and an old rival that will stop at nothing in the quest for vampire dominance.

     I am falling in love more and more with this series and although there are some things I'd like different I can't complain about anything Chloe Neill has shown me so far. One of my favorite characters (aside from Merit) I'd have to say is Catcher and every time he gets airtime I find him more and more kickass.

     The only thing I'll complain about this book is that Merrit didn't even give Morgan a fair chance to win her heart even with the little time they were together. Other than that I can't wait to read/listened to more of this newly changed vampire and all the trouble she'll get into.

Some Girls Bite

by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires (#1)

Published by: Tantor Media Inc.

December 21st, 2010

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library Loan

Rating: 4 Stars

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

     Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was 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.

     Whenever I see that a book is in first person POV I get a little anxious because I absolutely hate or more like strongly dislike this POV. I have found that most, if not all, Urban Fantasy books are in first person and that I love the stories. There is so much going on the life if the main character and said character is oft times so mature that I don’t mind been in just their mind.

     This is one of those times. Merit is a geeky grad student that has been changed into a vampire after an attack that almost killed her. Ethan Sullivan found her as she was been attacked and saved her by changing her. Now Merit has to learn vampire politics and help Ethan and the authorities (which she finds is her grandfather who is supposed to be retired from the police) figure out who attacked her and why it looks like other attacks are connected to what happened to her.

     Merit, like I mention, is very mature and strong-willed which makes her a strong vampire for being a young one. There is so much going on in this book but it is not so much that you get overwhelmed with the information dump. We learned not just that vampires exist, since eight months before they decided to come out to the world, but there are others that are still hiding like shifters, nymphs, and sorcerers.

     I loved every minute of this book and although I had a little trouble with Cynthia Holloway’s narration I was able to get into the story quickly and I like the way she narrated the book. I can hear Merit having Holloway’s tone of voice. It just makes perfect sense with the image I have of Merit in my mind.

     Needless to say, I can’t wait to start book two and just FYI I already did!