House Rules (Chicagoland Vampires, #7) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Nov 07, 2012 Chelsea rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampires, uf-pnr, to-read-and-review, weres, upcoming-releases, physical-tbr

There are two main things that make Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series standout. The crazy will-they-won’t-they tension between vampire Merit and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan is the first. The second is the robustness of the characters. Every person in Neill’s world is vibrant and real. You want to be friends with them, you want to know what’s going on. In many ways, Neill’s Chicago is an edgier, urban Bon Temps.

The strain on Merit’s relationships with friends and Ethan tempered that loo There are two main things that make Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series standout. The crazy will-they-won’t-they tension between vampire Merit and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan is the first. The second is the robustness of the characters. Every person in Neill’s world is vibrant and real. You want to be friends with them, you want to know what’s going on. In many ways, Neill’s Chicago is an edgier, urban Bon Temps.

The strain on Merit’s relationships with friends and Ethan tempered that looking glass element in the last couple books. With House Rules, all our favorite characters come back to life in a way that makes us cheer for and worry about them.

Merit is back to being Merit. She’s cautiously happy about her relationship with Ethan. Yes, they are together. For real. They live together and everything. She’s still plowing forward with what she thinks is right—most notably her participation with the Red Guard. She’s funny, as expected, and makes Ethan go to a diner for food. Even gets him to order a Patty Melt. You know he loves her.

I can’t say Ethan Sullivan hasn’t changed. He’s bolder, believe it or not, after his staking experience. That said, he has the same arrogance and devotion that made readers (and Merit) fall for him in the first place. We get more of him than usual because he and Merit are together. He’s charming and dirty at times. He also makes a zombie joke. About himself. Lighthearted Sullivan isn’t a bad thing.

Mallory is back, too. Kind of. She isn’t a dominant force in this book, but she and Merit really are on the track to being good friends again. She’s clean from the magic (Scolding from Berta will do that.) She’s back to colorful hair and a sunnier disposition. Merit goes to her for solace, and it works. Mallory is a source of support instead of just another keg of stress. Also, the return of the nickname Darth Sullivan.

We see Jeff Christopher as more of a leading guy at the unofficial Ombuds office. That means he’s around more. He hangs with Merit some, and despite his serious crush on her, continues to remind her that he has a girlfriend. It’s adorable and one-hundred percent Jeff.

Even the moments with Lindsay, Luc, Margot and Darius feel right. House Rules puts all the Chicagoland Vampires characters back on track, and that makes for a solid novel. ...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Karyogini rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-on-2014

I am finally able to read this book without angst from the previous books. Killing Ethan was really bad... Then resurrecting him. WTF! I did not appreciate that one bit. I started reading this book last year but had to stop because I was to angry and disappointed with the whole series. Yesterday I ran out of books on had to read. Sooo I decided to pick this one up again.

With prejudices forgotten, I was able to really enjoy this book. CN is an awesome writer (except when she killed Ethan!). She h ...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Naomi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Seven books in & I'm still in love with this series!
Total perfection in my opinion! ...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Diane ~Firefly~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: shifters, paranormal, uf, vampires

I was happy the book wasn't as angsty as the last couple and the bad guys are actually bad guys. This time around Merit is dealing with defecting from the GP (and Darius and the GP come across even worse this go around) and the disappearance of a couple of rogue vampires. All my favorites made an appearance (view spoiler). ...more

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