Chloe Neill: Friday Night Bites

Review by Vicky London

Friday Night Bites is the second book in Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires Series. Here’s the book cover blurb:

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.

A flawed character is much more interesting than the kind of heroine who is perfect and strong in every way. That’s what keeps me wanting to read more about Merit. Merit seems to be adapting to her scary new life, except when she holds things so hard that it erupts in violence. She’s such a strong young woman yet at the same time she struggles with the vampire inside. The possibility of losing her humanity is so frightening to her that she rejects the inherent power of being a vampire.

Merit also struggles with her romantic relationships. I wish she would give a little more ground with Ethan but I understand why she doesn’t. How can you really trust someone who has, and will always, put the good of the house and vampire politics before any romantic relationship? It really irritated me that Ethan pushed Merit towards Morgan for his own ends and even more that she went along with it even though she knew deep down that she wouldn’t commit wholeheartedly to him. There was a fantastic scene between Ethan and Merit in the library of Cadogan house that gives me hope these two stubborn vamps will somehow make it work.

There were a number of clues laid down that surely will lead into the plot of the next Chicagoland Vampire book. Celina, the former head of Navarre house, manages to come out on top and continues to wreak havoc. Her personal vendetta towards Merit should keep things interesting. There are also some mysterious invitations that keep arriving for Merit that seem quite ominous. So far, I think this series is sexy, fast-paced and well witten. Merit’s metamorphosis is something I very much look forward to reading about.

Publisher: NAL Trade
Release Date: October 6, 2009
ISBN-10: 045122793X

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