Chicagoland Vampires No.1 : Some Girls Bite By Chloe Neill

**Spoilage**

***Three Stars***

So. I finally got around to starting the Chicagoland Vamps series and honestly....I'm left with the impression of Meh. I just wasn't wowed by what I read. By no means was it a bad book...it wasn't great...I didn't love it...I didn't hate it...It was just...I enjoyed it...? I dunno. I definitely didn't hate it.



As you can see, I'm feeling a bit conflicted about it all.

Merit, our MC wasn't really very likeable for me. I mean, I get the sense that tons of people out there would and do love her because, admittedly, she was pretty funny sometimes and I admire that in a woman. But there just always felt like there was something a lot lacking in her personality for me. I mean, sure she was supposed to be smart - multiple fancy college degrees kinda smart - but she just kept DOING. STUPID. SHIT. Whyyy walk across a college campus in the middle of the night alone in any world? I mean, even if Vampires hadn't just had their coming out party a few months prior, there are still rapists and murderers afoot. And you live in Chicago. One of the most dangerous cities in the country. You should know better. And throughout the entire story, she would do stupid shit then berate herself later for doing it instead of using that Big Ole' noggin of hers the first time around. I mean, I guess it makes for good conflict in a story but I just didn't care for the simple-mindedness that Merit exhibited - and continues to do so throughout the series.

I really like the basics behind the Chicagoland Vamps series. The deal is that most Vampires are changed and then belong to a House. Which is basically Fraternities and Sororities all mixed in. Some college-based behavior still remains. IE: the immaturity some of the vamps exhibit. But that's a different thing all together! And we shall get to that soon enough.

Houses. Each House has a Master which is basically what it sounds like. Some old asked vamp who is strong, powerful, can put the fear of God in your vampire hearts, and so on and so forth. You call this Master 'Leige' and are basically his/her one-named servant.

No. Seriously. You no longer are important or individual enough to have a last name. You now belong to the House you are changed into and only your Liege is good enough for his or her last name.

But whatevaa. The premise behind the Houses was very interesting to me and I liked that I haven't read something like this in an adult...ish book. So. Everything would be going great and I'd be really liking where it was going, then Merit would do something funky and take me to a place like this

   

Par example: this baby vampire performing back-flips days after being changed after which she challenges her Master and they spar. During which he doesn't hand her her ass all chopped up into several unidentifiable pieces in a matchbox. All her fantastical acrobatics and agility got credited to her being a former ballerina.



Last I checked, back-hand springs and round-offs aren't standard training for ballerinas. but whatevs. I could get past that. Because at that point, I was kinda liking Ethan. Forewarning: That like for Ethan - 397 year old Master of Cadogan House, that is - is very, very short-lived.

Then, other times, I'd be in a spot in which eye rolling was the popular thing to do. And out of nowhere - BAM! I'd get sideswiped by something so friggin' awesome I'd be like

 

Alas, those were short lived, too.  I feel like a lot happens in this book, and somehow it was all cohesive and moved the story along but at the same time, I feel like we could've gotten to the same endpoint without Merit having to be so stupid. LOL. I'm sorry. But I'm not sorry. I want to like Merit. Really, I do. But she...I....ay dios. I did enjoy the book though so I guess Mrs. Neill can get a big fat Mission Accomplished.