Biting Bad by Chloe Neill
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series has had me hooked from book one. I like our heroine, Merit, and think she does fewer really dumb things than many female leading characters. Now and then, I want to knock her up beside the head, but mostly, she’s a common sense gal who just now and then forgets to look both ways before stepping into a dangerous neighborhood. And Ethan Sullivan, the Liege of Cadogan House, is one of my favorite vampity characters. He’s elegant, refined, sophisticated, and over 300 years old. Oh, and he’s totally smitten with the Sentinel for his house, the aforementioned Merit. Of course, this state of smittenhood was not an instant thing for either of them, but it has turned out well in the long run, and they are a power couple to be reckoned with. Merit isn’t just another kick-butt chick with a katana, though she does kick butt. And use a katana. But there’s a lot more to her than that, and she’s very likable.
I wasn’t thrilled at the start of Biting Bad, the 8th book in the series, to see Mallory being back so prominently, but it evened out after a bit, and I didn’t have to spend more time with her than I could handle. She is not a favorite character of mine, as you can probably tell. But it’s obvious both Mallory and her magic are going to figure prominently as the story moves forward, so I’ll have to deal with it. I enjoyed this installment, though I can’t say Biting Bad was as exciting as some of the earlier books. But it is setting things up for what promises to be a big showdown between the rebellious Cadogan House vampires, led by Ethan and Merit, and the governing body of all vamps, the powerful but generally corrupt and inept Greenwich Presidium. I suspect there’s going to be a hot time in Chicago when it all comes to a boil!
If you are a fan of the Chicagoland Vampires, you will want to read Biting Bad. If not the most exciting book of the series, it still moves the story along smoothly, deals with at least one really nasty character, and has some nice tender moments between Merit and Ethan. If you’ve never read this series, but would like to give it a try, start with book one, Nice Girls Bite. It’s a fun ride.
