Friday Night Bites - Chloe Neill

 
Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2) - Chloe Neill
Grade: Adult - UF
Rating: 5/5 stars

The story of a young heiress's initiation into the dark society of the Chicagoland Vampires continues…

Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But if people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle—the citizens will start sharpening their stakes.

So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them—someone with an ancient grudge… (Description from Goodreads)
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After waiting a couple of very long weeks for the chance to read the next book in the Chicagoland Vampires series, I was finally able to sink my teeth into another Merit adventure. I cannot believe I waited so long to start this series and I'm so glad I'm playing catch-up now; such an amazing story so far. I had high expectations for 'Friday Night Bites', because I enjoyed book one so much I wanted that feeling to continue throughout the next book; and it didn't let me down.

Merit, like all good female leads, is a tough chick who doesn't let others walk over her. A woman who uses her own mind and who fights back when attacked, and with amazing skill too. I adore her. But on top of all that, she's flawed in a way that makes her more human, despite in fact being a vampire. She struggles with herself, has a delicate and complicated family history and a chocolate obsession that I'm sure we can all relate to. But she does find herself the subject of, or at least dragged into, a fair bit of supernatural drama; which I can't say bothers me, because it brings an extra edge of excitement and adventure to the story.

I love the mystery in this series. Merit and Cadogan House are faced with two problems in 'Friday Night Bites', one being the underground feeding raves that are causing bad press to fall on the Vampire community; the other being Celina's ever present influence and threat that Merit just can't seem to escape. I had my theories about who was kicking up a storm in 'Friday Night Bites' and I was pleasantly surprised to find I was wrong. I spent quite a long time plotting and scheming; trying to determine who the bad guys were and why certain people were involved in the drama. It's safe to say I'd never make a good detective. I love when an author manages to hide their clues so well that the culprit is definitely not someone you'd expect. Chloe Neill did this fabulously and at the same time managed to set up an unresolved mystery at the end of the book that has me desperate for the next book. Good thing I have it sitting on my shelf.

Like all good books I read these days, I can't pass up talking about the romance. I have my favourites and I'm not quite about it. Ethan rules my Chicagoland world and I was so happy to see how involved he was in 'Friday Night Bites'. The tension that builds and falls between Ethan and Merit is unavoidable, and I seriously can't see anyone else getting a chance to rule Merit's everything thought and emotion the way Ethan does. But Merit's a stubborn woman - a trait I really like in her - so anything is possible in future books. I guess I just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope they'll get together before I burst from the ignored emotions between the to of them.

Looking forward to seeing where the story leads to next.

5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)