Caffeinated Reviewer | Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

9^th Oct

Some Girls Bite
by Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #1
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Length: 11 hours and 11 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:
Narration: 3 cups

They killed me. They healed me. They changed me. Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago’s vampires announced their existence to the world—and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker…and this one decided that the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead. Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I’ve traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan «Lord o’ the Manor» Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude—and servitude. Right. But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I’m surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan’s attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone’s still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches? My initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood

After reading and enjoying the Veil, I decided it was time to begin the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill. Some Girls Bite is first in the series and I chose audio with Cynthia Holloway as the narrator. Some Girls Bite was a solid start to the series. Light, action-packed and filled with humor.

Set in Chicago, we meet college student Merit as a rogue vampire is attacking her. Seconds later Ethan Sullivan, Master of the Cadogan House of Vampires, saves her. In Neill’s world, vampires have announced their existence to the world.

Merit is a hoot. She is clearly unhappy about the change but does not complain, instead she shares her opinion with sarcastic one-liners and a cocky attitude. From the start, it is clear Merit is unique and will evolve into one badass vampire. She is smart, an awkward dresser and independent making her well-rounded. One of the things I enjoyed most about Some Girls Bite was that the author took us through all the awkward steps of her transition, from her first taste of blood to accepting the radical change her life has undergone.

A little haters’ relationship begins between Merit and Master Ethan and it is laced with sexual tension. Ethan secretes sexiness but also remains a mystery. I loved their back and forth conversations, and wicked, edgy banter. Neill just teases us with it as we see no real development but she has me hoping!

Secondary characters round out the story. Mallory is Merit’s best friend and totally supports her. I enjoyed Mallory, a girl needs a friend who has her six. Catcher is swoon-worthy but seems to have eyes only for Mallory. We spend some time with Merit’s Grandpa the Ombudsman. I love how supportive he is of Merit. He even has her friends over for dinner. Jeff is a computer nerd and shifter and is so freaking adorable I want to keep him. We also meet Merit’s father, Joshua and I am very curious about what role he will have as we progress in the series. Other vamps and characters added interest and have me curious.

The world is simplistic and I quickly became caught up in Some Girls Bite. I thought Holloway did a great job as narrator even with the male voices. Neill has taken a different approach with the supernatural creatures which was refreshing. While a lot happens, the story was not rushed and we get a strong sense of the world. Neill delivered plenty of action but also gave the tale an adventurous tone laced with humor that kept things light. I am looking forward to grabbing the next audio.

Quotes

“Asking someone’s animal is the shifter equivalent of pulling a ruler and asking a guy to whip it out.”

“even if you can’t be what you want, making the most of what you can be isn’t a bad second choice.”

“As we left the kitchen, I asked, “Can I hold your sword today?”
Catcher glanced back over his shoulder and lifted a brow.
“The sword,” I corrected. “The sword.”
We’ll see.”

“You have to call Darth Sullivan your ‘Liege’?”
I grinned. “Only if I expect him to answer.”

You can listen to a sample here: Some Girls Bite Audible Sample