Find the Author: Website, GoodreadsVamps 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.
At some point in the past, I had purchased or received this signed copy. Okay, let me back the story up. So I have three bookcases in my library. One bookcase is totally full of Military History and Cultural History. A second one is full of fiction and smaller history books. Think Night Witches and has maybe 1/3 of one shelf left. This is also where all of the fiction books I have read sit.
Now the third bookcase is a hodgepodge. The lower two are history books, the tippy top one is knick knacks for the time being. Two shelves are empty, and one is full of books that I have not read but I intend to. These are the books that I have purchased at conferences, received from wonderful authors, or given to me as gifts.
Now at my desk I have a overdesk cabinet that has sliding doors. One section is full of books that I am currently reading, soon to read, or just finished reading. Over the weekend I realized that I had no unread books in that section. I carried the books downstairs to my library. I placed them on the read shelf and grabbed a handful of books. Friday Night Bites was one of them. Since I have books that are as old as three years ago purchased. I make sure I read author gifts ASAP, those that I grabbed could have been recent or not so recent.
Anywoo, I just grabbed Friday Night Bites. I thought the story started in the middle of a world, one where characters already knew each other. After checking out Goodreads, I realized that this was in fact the second one in the series. Apparently there are many after this. I don’t know if I will go back to the first one, but I will be reading the rest. So let’s get into Chloe’s book a little more.
Friday Night Bitesis the second book in the Chicagoland Vampires seres, which is obviously about Chicago and Vampires. The main people that you should care about are Catcher and Mallory, sexual bunnies and sorcerors. Mallory is Merit’s best friend and sister from another set of parents. Then there is Morgan and Ethan who are leaders of two Vampire houses in Chicago. Merit is dating but not banging Morgan. She wants to bang Ethan but is her creator and Master so it is a gray area.
Apparently everyone hates him, might be something from the first book. And then you have Merit, who is not actually “Merit X” but “X Merit”. When vampires become part of a house, they have to give up their last name. She was the exception since she always went by her last name. So those are the “main” players. There are some really bad ass secondary characters, maybe more on those later.
So quick recap of the first book, even though I didn’t read it. Celina’s cronies attacked Merit. She had to be turned* to survive and when she did she was apparently super powerful. Naturally, she became the badass Sentential of her house. A position that is apparently right up there with “second in-house” which is like a vice president. So she decides to move into the house, which is 99 vampires living under one roof in dorm rooms. Although, now thinking about it, I don’t know if the married vampire is in a dorm room. There are three meals a day, a personal attendant, and pop culture overload. Seriously these are vampires who range from baby to 400 years and they are sitting watching TV shows? There are even ones with band posters on their walls?
So this book picks up at the of the end of the first with additional training and interpersonal issues. Also trying to unravel why her former boyfriend and good friend is now a total douche. Oh and letting her master play her like a fiddle. She has some introspective moments where she doubts all that has occurred, and will occur. But does she reach out? No she acts like a16-year-oldd and pouts while wearing a 12,000 dollar dress. Seriously you have a vampire HOT for you and you can’t “decide”? Seriously at least jump his bones before you pout away and get everyone pissy at you. She is a book worm, but there are a lot of people who love libraries, who aren’t emotionally 14.
So I don’t know if when you become a vampire you turn sexy. It could be that the only people turned are sexy. It seems like everyone, including the alpha shifter are just so beautiful to Merit. I get it, I get the drive of the author to do that, but seriously not everyone is swoon worthy. The author made every guy, from a pervy politicanto a broken sup into these drool worthy male figures. It takes away from the story. Actually now that I think about it, all the women are pretty too. Seriously, not everyone is drop dead attractive, and that is okay, seriously it is.
Okay back to the story, so Merit is a baby vampire. She still has a lot to learn, like how to be friends and not push people away. For her to become a well adjusted adult..umm vampire, it may take an act of God. When some thing happens to pushes sups against each other, it is only Merit who can figure it out. Actually it is just Merit, Mr. Dreamboat is just a long for the eyecandy ride.
There is some fighting, there is blood, in fact quite a bit of blood, there are supernaturals aplenty. Obviously there is back stabbing, dorm room fights, and sibling quabbling. Other than Merit being a vampire, her life is relatively normal. In this world Vampires eat regular food, drink, party, and do everything humans do, except walk in the sun. This is one thing I really enjoy about this book. The vampires don’t have to drink blood, in fact according to Merit, it is like a vitamin. Oh and it comes in juice boxes, yes you read that right. The blood comes in. Juice. Boxes. I do like the aspect of being frank about blood, and allowing the vampires to eat real food. I personally would die if I couldn’t eat certain foods. Although vampires in this series can not have children, which is one of the only downsides.
So to wrap this story up, do I want to be in Chicagoland hanging with Merit? Maybe, if I was one of the pretty people because to be with her crew you have to be. Although I personally like the feys. They are silent and badass, and are day guards. It is a cute story, with a physically strong, but emotionally weak character.
About Chloe Neill
Chloe Neill is the New York Times bestselling author of the Chicagoland Vampires Novels, the Devil's Isle Novels, and a YA series, the Dark Elite. 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.
