Tag: Vampires (Page 4 of 7)

BOOK REVIEW: Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #4) by Chloe Neill

BOOK REVIEW: Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #4) by Chloe NeillHard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #4)
by Chloe Neill
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

…he stroked my jawline with his thumb. “You can run. You can keep running to the ends of the earth. But I won’t be far behind you.”

Oh. My. God. Really?? Reeeeaallyyy?? Ugh, that was a low blow. It’s not that I didn’t think this would inevitably happen in one of these books, it’s more that I didn’t expect it to happen so early. It was epic, amazing….unexpected. It was everything I’ve wanted from my latest obsession (cough, Ethan, cough), but everything that could bring my world crashing to the ground in a burning heap of perished dreams.

It’s been a few days since I finished this book, so the emotions I felt upon finishing in my sleep-deprived state have long since vanished, leaving only a hollow, dull ache where my heart should be. I asked for the peril, I asked for something wicked and jaw-dropping to happen, and it did. Go figure-an author actually did what I asked, but made it better. Not often do my evil wishes get granted, but it seems that when they do, they are granted full-force, causing me to lose my breath in what can only be an indignant, albeit shocked, gasp.

This world has captured me-stolen my heart and made it impossible to breathe without one of the installments firmly within my grasp. Even as I read an absolute favorite of mine, I felt my thoughts swirling together and convoluting what was happening within each novel-that’s a feat I don’t take lightly.
I’m sorry, guys, but Ethan has shown his true colors. He is just….perfection. I adore this hulking man-vamp. He made a fatal error in the last book (Okay, actually, he made a devastating mistake, let’s change that last phrase in light of recent events) and he is truly trying his hardest to make up for it. It was precious, sweet…..not words that I suppose generally apply to vampires, much less God damn Ethan Sullivan, but he’s trying. Maybe he is still that up-tight, pretentious boss that all of Cadogan House love to make fun of, but he’s becoming more human each and every day-he’s saying things that make my heart melt into a puddle of goo and he’s making proclamations that can only be described as someone who has fallen madly in love….and it’s all because of Merit.

”Ethan-“
“No. I will never be far behind you.” He tipped up my chin so that I could do nothing else but look back into his eyes. “Do the things you need to do. Learn to be a vampire, to be a warrior, to be the soldier you are capable of being. But consider the possibility that I made a mistake I regret-and that I’ll continue to regret that mistake and try to convince you to give me another chance until the earth stops turning.”

Merit, still nursing her wounds from the saddening events from the previous novel, is stubborn and fierce as ever. She’s a force to be reckoned with and is strengthening herself so she can protect the house and it’s master under any and all circumstances. I understand her heart is broken, oh my god, do I get it…..but poor, poor Ethan. He really did screw up, that’s for sure. A job before a girl you think you love?? Not fair-but, again, he did what he thought was best for the house, and, even though he still loves Cadogan House, he realizes there’s something about companionship , and let’s face it, Merit, he can’t live without. He’s lived centuries without love or someone to laugh and/or relax with, and in comes Merit breaking his carefully sculpted mold. It’s understandable, to me, that he was nervous of what he might do to protect the girl he loves so he made what he thought was a smart decision, a decision that he regrets every day.

My stomach growled at the smells; there was only so much blocking that a vampire could do. I silently promised myself a deep-fried candy bar and a paper tray of bacon-wrapped Tator Tots if I made it through the night unscathed. Not a good nutritional combo, but I figured the odds were low anyway.

The thing is, I love Merit. She really never does wrong in my eyes-selfless, fierce, loyal, loves with all her heart even as she has her guard up-what’s not to like?? So I didn’t roll my eyes when she ignored his advances and I didn’t get mad when she didn’t just take him back-she’s a great character. But, there’s so much more to it than that. In this book, because they aren’t physically involved (technicality), they have connected on a much deeper, more visceral level. It’s hard to say that she doesn’t see or feel that. I just hope…well, what the fuck? What does it matter what I hope-if wishes were fishes, we’d all throw nets, right?

I can’t say what I hope or wish or feel, because it would spoil what is. But, I refuse to believe it, so I guess you all need to read to see if you believe or not, that this is real. No way. I guess that’s why I’m just sitting back, tapping my fingers on my desk, pondering, waiting for the inevitable prestige…if you get what I’m sayin’.


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****************4.5 stars

Oh. My. GOD. That. ending…..it destroyed me.

I’ll write a review when I can but….ooooooh the feels.

♥Ethan-I LOVE YOU.

BOOK REVIEW – Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3) by Chloe Neill

BOOK REVIEW – Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3) by Chloe NeillTwice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3)
by Chloe Neill
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

“You undo me, Merit. Wholly and completely. You don’t take me at my word. You challenge me at every opportunity. And that means when I’m with you, I am less than the head of this House…and I am more than the head of this House. I am a man.” He stroked my cheeks with his thumbs. “In my very, very long life, I need you more than I have ever needed anything.”

Eeeeeeep finally! That’s all I’ll say on that note.

The sexual tension, the angst, the battles, the jealousy-boy oh boy was I in my element. There isn’t much to say on my end that hasn’t been said, but I sure do love to try.

The sexual tension, the angst, the battles, the jealousy-boy oh boy was I in my element. There isn’t much to say on my end that hasn’t been said, but I sure do love to try.

Wow, this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt butterflies since book one in such a long series. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s been a long time since I’ve had this intense of a bout of butterflies so consistently. But in this installment, we finally got to see, shall we say, some of the goods. And this time….they were all for Merit. *whispers creepily* and us….

“On the other hand, they’re the ones creating this pec-tacle.”
I slid her a glance, arching an eyebrow. “Pec-tacle?”
“You know, like spectacle”-she paused to point at her breasts-“but with more dude nipples. Do you disagree?”

But it would be so sad to claim that was all this book had going for it-there’s so much more. Underneath all this sexual anxiety is a hidden story where Merit is just a girl trying to find (and keep) her place in this new world. She defends those in her house and stands behind the person that made her-despite all the sexually unresolved….occurrences….she knows that her goal is to, ultimately, keep Ethan safe. And she takes her job seriously. No doubt about it. And that’s why I love these books.

Love was very definitely a bitch.

They don’t need only a boy and a girl circling each other to fuel the events of the book-there’s always a mystery, always a need to save or protect or serve the house. And Merit even has friends. Yes, that was plural. So when I think of this story, it doesn’t wholly revolve around Ethan and Merit *lies lies lies*. Okay, I might have jumped the gun a bit. Let me rephrase-While I am in love with the build-up of something much, much larger between these two stubborn vampires, I’m also very aware of the other characters and the mystery that surrounds each and every page.

He shook his head. “You are a wonder of vampiric strength, yet you treasure your humanity and care greatly about those who were in your life before your change. Stay that way,” he said. “Stay just the way you are.”

Ethan was, for a lack of a better word, adorable in this one. I finally got the last in my long wishlist of Ethan wants and needs-protectiveness. I loooooove that. I love when he is protective of her. And, I’m not going to lie, it was short-lived and didn’t occur regularly….but it was there. As was possession, obsession, jealousy….Just….sigh. Yum.

“I am beginning to remember-” He stopped, shook his head, then started again. “I am beginning to remember what it means to need things. Laughter. Companionship. Love.” He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine. “And I need you, Merit.”

So to say this wasn’t my favorite one would sound a bit odd, but, I think it’s a tie between this one and book two. Book two was still building onto this fierce attraction and this one was avoiding the inevitable repeat….so they both had their perks while still annoying the shit out of me. But I’m not annoyed, not really. I want there to be tension and angst and retribution. I want him to obsess and win her. I want her to resist and ultimately fall. I’m on book four and I just love their dynamic-I really do. And I can’t wait ’til the day when all his earlier idiosyncrasies become ever present and indisposable because he loves her so much. I can’t wait-but I also want this series to stay excellent. So, I’ll wait. And for once….I’m being patient about it.

BOOK REVIEW – Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2) by Chloe Neill

BOOK REVIEW – Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2) by Chloe NeillFriday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2)
by Chloe Neill
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Footsteps, and then he was next to me, his body behind mine, his lips at the spot of skin just below my ear. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my neck. The smell of him-clean, soapy, almost discomfortingly familiar. As much as the want of it disturbed me, I wanted to sink back against him, let him envelop me.
Part of that, I knew, was vampire genetics, the fact that he’d changed me, some kind of evolutionary connection between Master and vampire.
But part of it was much, much simpler.
“Merit.”
Part of it was boy and girl.
I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
“Don’t deny it. I want this. You want this.”

Welp….I don’t see any reason to deduct a star…so I won’t. Like with all series I read, it’s hard to write review after review for the same series with the same characters. Things change, they progress, but the idea is the same, isn’t it? Well, in book two, I found that not only did the intensity increase in the severity with which Merit and her vampire brethren were threatened, but also, her attraction to the head vampire, Ethan, became such a tangible thing I choked on it.

“Whatever the source, Sentinel, we have the information now. Let’s use it, shall we?”
I bit back a grin, amused that I’d reverted back to “Sentinel.” I was “Merit” when Ethan needed something, “Sentinel” when he was responding to my snark. Admittedly, that was frequently.

It’s not easy, these days, to build the same attractions to book characters because, well, I’ve read so many books. I build these relationships with my book men and while that’s all fine and good, time has passed since I’ve been on this site. Books have came and books have gone, and here I am in October having beat my 2014 challenge with over two months to spare. That’s not to say I’ve loved them all-I’d like to think that because I’ve became picky that I’m choosing only the best these days. There are so many trigger words, phrases, ways of writing the blurb and reviews by friends that let me know whether to be cautious with a book or not. That’s not to say that while my system is super awesome, I don’t miss a few hidden gems here or there based on my bias of horrid covers (cough ^^^ cough). So, in essence, I’ve missed a lot of crap, but gained a lot more to swoon over. But with this success comes a price-The male or female lead has to work really hard for me to become obsessed with them now. What used to make my heart stutter now barely scratches the surface of my seasoned soul. I love my characters-almost always. But there has to be….oh, I don’t know…something pivotal or memorable for me to fangirl or obsess or lose my breath over a look or touch like I used to so easily.

Ethan stared at the menu. “I have no idea what to do here.”
“There’s the proof positive you made the right decision by bringing me on staff.”

When the Mercedes was full of vampires and fried food, he drove to the exit, then paused at the curb while I made a sleeve of the paper wrap around his burger. When I handed it to him, he stared at it for a moment, eyebrow arched, before taking a bite.
He made a vague sound of approval while he chewed.
“You know,” I said, biting into an onion ring, “I feel like things would go a lot smoother for you if you’d just admit that I’m always right.”
“I’m willing to give you ‘right about food,’ but that’s as far as I can go.”
“I’ll take that,” I said, grinning at him.

What I’m getting at? I fell in love with the two main leads at about 15% in book one. 15%. Really? How hard is that, for me, these days? Extremely difficult. That connection is fragile, and now, with the progression through book two, is a tangible, unbreakable thread. I love Merit and Ethan. Sure, Ethan’s hair makes me want to gag (cut it off, Bro-for all of us!) but his persona is so strong that nothing deters or hinders me when I think of him.

“I guess. And FYI, Darth Sullivan is putting a crimp in our friendship. I know you’re living over there now, but you should still be at my beck and call.”
I snorted. “Darth Sullivan would disagree, but I’ll do what I can.”

Merit, strong as ever, has dominated the vampire playing field. She’s Cadogan House Sentinel, and she defends Ethan and those residing in the House and under the Cadogan name. But, her number one priority is the head master of the house-Ethan.

One hand braced to keep my face from hitting the ground, tears spilled over, and I gripped my chest with my free hand, to rip out the pain, to rip out the vise that was squeezing the air from my lungs. I struggled for breath, and a wave of pain, a morbid aftershock, convulsed my spine.

I really enjoyed Ethan in this one. They were forced, as Sentinel and head of Cadogan House, to go to events together in this one. But, and what Merit didn’t see that everyone else sees, mostly they were ruses to spend more time together. He hides behind a perfectly placed facade and rarely lets it slip-but the closer he and Merit become, the more she starts to see the man, not the vampire, underneath. He’s been betrayed, he has lived through his fair share of heartbreak and war and now supervising hundreds of those under him, but his greatest challenge yet is Merit and her stubborn attitude.

Catcher dumped a cutting board of trimmed asparagus into a steamer pot. “It’s lotion. I’m pretty sure science has advanced to the point that you can buy a single bottle that will take care of all that.”
“Missing the point,” I said.
“He’s missing the point,” Mallory parroted. “You’re totally missing the point.”

Now, not that this isn’t present in every novel these days, the sexual tension in this story was so thick I could cut through it with a knife. The way he looks at her, talks to her, touches her makes me melt into a heaping pile of goo. Even when they dance, the way he looks into her eyes…it kills me. Their chemistry is off the charts-he needs someone who can balance him out with his dominant attitude and tight-ass ways. And, in one scene in particular, my heart stopped. This kiss was…smoldering. It was nothing special, I mean, it was a kiss for chrissakes! But….the delivery. It’s all about the delivery. A smile a triumph, a groan of desire, possession, the primal need to take what you’ve wanted since the beginning…Yeah. So, heart-attack inducing, as far as I’m concerned.

“My point, Sentinel, is that you are more than a woman who hides in a library.”

“Ethan,” I said, a hesitation, but he shook his head, gaze dropping to my lips, then drifting shut. He leaned closer, his lips just touching mine. Teasing, hinting, but not quite kissing. My lids fell, and his hands were at my cheeks, fingers at my jaw, his breath staccato and rushed as his lips traced a trail, pressed kisses, against my closed eyes, my cheeks, everywhere but my lips.
“You are so much more than that.”

Like I said, it’s so hard to write non-repetitive reviews about a series, but it seems I didn’t have as hard a time as I previously thought I would, lol. But there’s something so refreshing about this series-the idea that not everything revolves around vampires, their feeding, their need for blood, even though the whole story is, in fact, all about vampires and protecting themselves. I mean….how does one do that? Make a story that both centers around vampires but doesn’t bow down to it for the story as a whole to make it work? I hardly even think about the fact that they’re vampires-This author makes it so that it’s extremely hot when it’s brought to the surface. Like, for real. And this story wouldn’t be possible without the snark of Merit. She’s witty and funny and she doesn’t let anyone boss her around (even her boss), but she knows her place. Her and Ethan’s banter is so funny and I can’t get enough…hopefully in the next one they take their clothes off-together. Just sayin’.

I tightened sweaty fingers around the handle of the dagger.
But then, standing there in the dark, the blade in my hand, my heart pounding with the rush of fear and adrenaline, I remembered something Ethan had told me about our predatory natures: For better or worse, we were the top of the food chain.
Not humans.
Not animals.
Not the thing that roamed the woods beside me.
Vampires.
I was the predator, not the prey. So, in a voice that sounded a little too breathy to be my own, my eyes on the spot between the trees where I imagined it to be, I advised that animal in the dark,
“Run.”

BOOK REVIEW – Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1) by Chloe Neill

BOOK REVIEW – Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1) by Chloe NeillSome Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1)
by Chloe Neill
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

♥4.5 Stars♥


Until then, I’ll bury the anger, the betrayal.
I’ll smile.
I’ll tap the pommel of my sword.
I’ll hop up the steps of Cadogan House, and close the door behind me, and do my job.
I’m very, very good at it.

Why the hearts, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you why. In some weird, twisted way, I just know this series is going to be a favorite of mine. Maybe not every book will wow or stick with me, seeing as there are literally a million books in the series, but I can just feel that at least a few of these are going to be epic, thus making this series an instant favorite. So, that’s why I used hearts-to me, this story is already different. It has already piqued my curiosity way more than I thought it could, and I already think about it day and night….and I don’t even know why.

“It is better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for what you are not.”

You know that feeling when something just clicks? When you start a new book or a new series and you’re really just along for the ride, not expecting much to come from it, and then all of a sudden a certain scene just smacks you upside the head and says to you, “Pay fucking attention-you don’t want to miss this.” Well, that’s what happened with this book. I was just perusing through the pages, not wholly invested nor ignorant of the fact that it was and is a very well-written book, when out of nowhere, Ethan Fucking Sullivan (No, fucking is not his middle name, but it just kinda fits because I love him) strolls in and my heart did this weird pitter-patter thing and I lost my breath.

I expected to see Ethan’s emerald eyes on her lush curves, but when I turned back to him, his gaze was on me, his smile cocky, like he knew I’d been appraising his mistress.
I shrugged. “She seems nice enough, if you like the busty, voluptuous, gorgeous type.”
“Much to my dismay”-and that rang clear in the irritably flat tone of his voice-“I find I have a sudden taste for stubborn, lithe brunettes with horrible fashion sense.”

It was the damndest thing….and he has long, blonde hair, too. I mean, for one, I chopped that shit off immediately, and made all my normal alterations to his physical features, as is my MO, but it didn’t deter me like it sometimes does. I mean, I’m not even kidding-the dude walked in, lifted an eyebrow and used a dry, sarcastic tone, and I swear my libido went crazy. Then they proceeded to have a physical altercation and I went wild. I don’t know why, but this guy is really getting to me and he wasn’t even in the story enough. Maybe it’s because I know they will eventually become a couple because of the sexual tension you could cut with a knife or because I know he is going to be super protective of her, but he hooked me before any of this has even come to pass, and that in itself is an anomaly.

“Where would I find Luc?”
“Please?”
“Please what?”
Ethan rolled his eyes. “That was your cue to show some respect to your employer.”
“And you’re suggesting that’s you?”
In response, he lifted a single brow higher.
“The thing is,” I pointed out, “since I’ve got the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the House, I’ve got some authority over you, too.”
Ethan uncrossed his arms and put his hands on his hips. The posture was vaguely threatening, his tone only slightly less so. “Only if I was to act in a way that threatens the House. And I won’t.”
“But that’s my determination to make, isn’t it?”
He just stared at me. “Are you always this obstreperous?”
“I’m not obstreperous. Stubborn, arguably. And don’t start in that I was causing trouble. I was only asking a question.”
“You start causing trouble the minute you awaken. Case in point-you’re late.”
“And that brings us back full circle. Now where’s Luc?” He lifted both brows, and I sighed. “God, you call me stubborn. Please, Sullivan, where’s Luc?”

I better talk about the chick, shouldn’t I? She certainly deserves it. I could describe Merit in one, lonely word. But it’s not a lonely word if it is as complex as the character it describes, is it? Merit is a badass. But, since that word leaves a little to be desired and couldn’t possibly wholly define our main girl, I’ll elaborate: She’s thick-skinned, independent, kind, caring, loyal, cut-throat, flawed, intelligent, hopeful, sarcastic, stubborn, and, even, vulnerable. This is only one book, but for more reasons than I can say, I loved her. She didn’t let Ethan tell her what to do, but she still could follow an order while putting her own personal spin on it. She doesn’t want to be just another girl in the head vampire’s bed, but she still longs for him to want more with her even if she doesn’t realize it. She maintains her friendships even when her life has been turned upside down. And, most importantly, her mind and power out-rank those that have been on the earth centuries before she was even born. There’s more, so much more. But it’s only one book. And not everyone will probably agree with me with so little to go on, but Merit is special, and I can’t wait to see her grow even more as a character.

I was taking serious hits on my fashion choices this week, probably not surprising for a girl whose dressing decision was usually between colors of layered T-shirts. I wasn’t a shopper, much to my mother’s (and Mallory’s…and Ethan’s) chargin.

I didn’t intend to love this book. I didn’t intend to start a super long series about vampires. I didn’t want to like a book about vampires (For some reason, it’s been forever and it seems so weird starting a world with them again). But-I do. I did. And, again, I do. It has that vibe where both of the main characters act as if they hate or can’t stand one another, but every time they see each other, sparks fly. I can’t resist being obsessed with them. So, while this one focused a lot on building this world and what Merit’s duties are (I mean, shit, there are, like, more than 10 books, so…), I know the next books will start to build on action, romance, and unraveling the mysteries that surround a world where humans know vampires coexist and enemies of the Cadogan House (Where Merit resides and was turned) never rest. I just can’t wait.

BOOK REVIEW – City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

BOOK REVIEW – City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra ClareCity of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
by Cassandra Clare
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

After finishing City of Bones last night, I didn’t really know what to say about it. Even this morning after sleeping on it, I am still at a loss for words. I suppose this might just be one of those novels where you know you have to keep reading the follow ups to truly appreciate the first in the series-or at least that’s how I feel. Did I enjoy it? Thoroughly. Was I able to put it down easily to connect with the real world? Not really. Did I connect with Clary as the main character? Not particularly. I think this is the largest problem.

I read Infernal Devices before this, not really knowing which one would be better, and I fell in love with Will, Jem, and Tessa. I can see so many similarities between the two series already, and no, not because it’s the same author and Infernal Devices was a prequel, but I see a lot of the same “problems” arising but in different forms. I think my hesitancy comes from the ending of the final TID novel, and how Clare chose to close out that particular series. While it appeased some, the epilogue left me unsettled. So I am slow to fall head over heels for one guy, because I am not sure how Clare will handle the end of TMI. Will she cop out again? I can’t be sure.

What I am sure of is that these are different characters (mostly) and they have separate problems thus far, so I assume they will be handled differently.

Clary wasn’t as likeable as I would have imagined based on what people say about her, but I didn’t dislike her either-I’m neutral. I have also heard Jace is a humongous jerk-shocker. I found I am the opposite of what I have heard. I found Jace to be somewhat sweet, actually, and Clary to be the jerk. I don’t know if I was just expecting this horrible guy or what, but I have read far too many romance novels where the main hero is a jerk, and I found Jace to be mild. Now as for Simon, he was also just okay. I didn’t truly care for his character and if he gets his heart broken, nor am I as heartless to wish Clary won’t look his way. Apparently I am all about fine lines on this review and, as I said before, don’t know what to think.

So all in all, it was a gripping novel with many unexpected (or expected if you are me and people warned me of *gasp* creepy plot twists) twists and turns. I liked the supporting cast, and I liked how it ended with them-it was sweet. I also found myself laughing out loud when something happens to Simon and also “aww” ing out loud. So many things to think about and so much to look forward to, I can’t wait to figure out where TMI is heading and what all we have in store for us.

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

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