Review--Twice Bitten

Merit, Chicago's newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene--and to spy for the vamps while she's at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan's offering some steamy one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Merit must accept the assignment even though she knows that she'll probably regret it. And she's not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She'll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals--not least between her and a certain centuries-old green-eyed Master vampire.

Read and finished Twice Bitten today, the latest in the Chicagoland Vampires! And boy was it ever GREAT to return to Chicago, Merit, Ethan, Lindsay, Mallory, Catcher, and the rest of the gang! Just about everyone returns and the story really takes off with a bang!

Merit receives a mysterious note to meet someone in Chapter 1 and we learn of a new group of vampires called the Red Guard, who protect vampires, the lowly vampires. It's not all about the Masters, but they are a sort of secret organization or something like that. Basically the members don't want to be revealed as being RG members. It was a little complicated, but that was the opening deal. Merit doesn't make the decision right away of course, because there are still 23 other chapters plus an Epilogue to get through first.

The story timeline really hasn't moved very far from book 1, Merit's only been a vamp for a few months yet she's progressing well, and those extra training sessions with a particular vampire have come in handy. My that sounds scandalous!

Before reading this I was rooting for Morgan, but after the events of Friday Night Bites, I have come to let go of him sadly and since Ethan is the only other option at the moment I had to root for him. He has grown on me in this book, we get to see a different side to Ethan. The man behind the vampire, the vampire behind the Master. All very dramatic, but there were some pretty intense moments with him and Merit, so the drama is almost called for.

The involvement of the Shapeshifters was very refreshing. We've gotten a taste of the vampires, obviously, and now we get to learn of the other-other Supernatural race walking the streets of Chicago. It was very interesting to see how Neill made her Shapeshifters. Like all UF writers, everyone writes them differently or similarly with different traits and rules, but in the end, always differently. I love reading the different versions. Her Shapeshifters were different than the traditional ones is how I'll put it. I don't want to spoil it, and plus as Gabriel said the shifting process is one that is not meant to be seen by outsiders*.

The romance was definitely very steamy in this book, when it was there. As you know I don't go for the books with an abundance of romance, but when the romance was in Twice Bitten, it was very hot! I won't go too far into it, but you can take some guesses as to what the romance entails and I'm sure you'll be accurate as well.

The mystery elements were somewhat surprising as well. I mean I was trying to figure it out and sort of took a guess as to "who-done-it" and was sort of right. Although I was really wrong at one point, but before that I was right. So again, I was sort of right with my guess.

The ending was surprising and filled with lots of action. More than once too! And yet again, in the epilogue were more surprises. I am eager to see where the Chicagoland Vampires series will go next. What will Merit have to do? What decisions will she make? There were some pretty tough ones she had to make during the novel and she stuck by them for the most part. The ending may change some things, but only time will tell, or hopefully the next Chicagoland Vampires book!

Oh and another interesting tidbit, we finally hear Merit's first name! I don't recall hearing it before, if we did, then WOW, where is my head! But Merit's first name is revealed in Twice Bitten!

Next up is a book I've been dying to read is Jocelynn Drake's Pray for Dawn. Danaus here I come! My friend already read and reviewed it, check out Cem's review here if you're eager to hear someone else's thoughts on it.

Happy Reading!

*Okay he didn't say this exactly this way, but it was implied. ;)