Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #3) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Mar 21, 2010 Alisha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I think Ms. Neill is my kindred author. Or maybe it's that Merit is my kindred protagonist. ^_^ Either way, the Chicagoland Vampires series is definitely at the very top of my "autobuy" list. Not only that, I also find myself obsessed with Merit and her merry band of characters.

For a while though, I was feeling like something was missing from Merit's usual spunky sassiness. Until I realized that it was because for a while, there was no Mallory! They make such a great pair of pals, and bring out ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Oct 22, 2011 Charlotte (Buried in Books) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Like · see review

Sep 09, 2010 Lauren⁷ 💜 rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-romance-romantasy, romance, hot-hunky-hero, sexy-sexy-sexy, library-has-a-copy

Excellent book. The ending is great! I'm really looking forward to book 4. The cover is much better too, this time the katana is accurate. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 06, 2010 The Flooze rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, urban-fantasy-paranormal, vanquished_2010

**3.5ish?**

I‘m going against the crowd with this one.

Not fully against, since I do admit that Neill is skilled and that the story is one I'll keep following. However, Twice Bitten (the third book of Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series) did not grab me from the get-go. Firstly, too much time was spent on preparations for the shifter convention, leeching away a lot of the adrenaline and tension that should have held center court. Apart from ConPack, the focus rested mainly on character emot **3.5ish?**

I‘m going against the crowd with this one.

Not fully against, since I do admit that Neill is skilled and that the story is one I'll keep following. However, Twice Bitten (the third book of Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series) did not grab me from the get-go. Firstly, too much time was spent on preparations for the shifter convention, leeching away a lot of the adrenaline and tension that should have held center court. Apart from ConPack, the focus rested mainly on character emotions and political maneuverings--most of which were either slow to develop, repetitive, or just not engaging enough to hold my interest.

Merit can certainly kick ass. She also possesses empathy, plus she can quickly assess a precarious situation down to its component parts and swiftly offer a strategic solution (where she became a master strategist, who knows). In Twice Bitten, she uses these skills to prove herself a valuable asset in diplomatic relations between Cadogan House and the Pack leaders. I like this aspect of her, even if she seems a little too golden-tongued at times.

When it comes to her personal life, she's a mess. Her relationship with Ethan is still topsy-turvy and frustrating. At this point, it would benefit from a clear resolution. Maintaining the tension between them led to several exchanges that seemed forced, lessening my desire to see them together once and for all. That said, I did enjoy her handling of oh Lord and Master, Liege of all. She holds her ground and proves she’s not willing to be screwed around.

Speaking of that pretty-boy Liege, Ethan seemed off. Granted, he’s emotionally conflicted throughout most of the book so we’re seeing a side of him we haven’t been privy to before. He’s understandably all over the place. However, even his speech patterns varied too widely; several times I read a line I thought belonged to Merit, only to realize it was actually Ethan's comment. The inconsistency in character voice went beyond the normal conversational quirks generally attributed to centuries-old vampires. It irked me and even snatched me out of the flow of the story.

Moving along. A lot has been made of Merit and Mallory’s friendship in this series. In the first book, I liked Mal. A sassy friend with her own transformation to bear, she provided a nice touchstone to the human life Merit had to leave behind. Then she got a man, the friends had a fight, and Merit and Mal pushed away from each other. As Twice Bitten began and Merit lamented the damage to their friendship, I suddenly realized something: I didn’t care about their drama. I didn’t give a damn if they ever kissed and made up. When they finally did (at Merit’s convenience), I cared even less. The friendship has moved from a realistic portrayal to one that adds little to the overall story. I hope that Mal’s unique powers come into play further down the road. Otherwise, she’s just someone for Merit to bitch at and have issues with. If that’s the only role Mal is going to play, I’d much rather her friend responsibilities be transferred to Lindsey.

With all of this in mind, I was set to assign Twice Bitten a three (entertaining, but flawed/irksome enough that I wouldn’t rush to shove it into friends’ hands). Then the last hundred pages happened. All of a sudden, there was action, suspense, trepidation, miscommunication, and even some conflagration! What was meh became exciting! Don’t you hate when that happens?

The revelations of the final chapters and the groundwork they establish for future installments were quite thrilling. They got me keyed up and I’ll be sure to pick up book four of the series. Hopefully, next time around, it won’t take so many pages for Neill to engage me. She’s got fabulous ideas and interesting characters; she just needs to step up her game and make the whole of the story match the thrill of her resolutions.
...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 18, 2011 Samantha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-own, 2011

4.5-stars

Yummy (in more ways than one!) The story is never sacrificed for character development, so the action is there along with the tension and juicy bits. The ending was beauteous and I am on pins and needles waiting for the next one!

Like · see review

Nov 26, 2010 June rated it really liked it

Excellent book can not wait for next in series

Like · see review

Aug 07, 2010 Kimberly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013

The end makes me want to start the next book right away. The series is growing on me. I wasn't too hip to the first book but wanted to see what everyone was gushing about. Now that stuff is happening and the players involved are getting a bit more interesting, I'm starting to see what all the hubbub is about. ...more

Like · see review

Nov 26, 2009 Arlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, shifters-weres

I withdraw my earlier comment. It was a slow start, but at almost 30% of the book, I was thoroughly absorbed and excited to see the outcome with the shifters and vamps mingling together. Merit is a seriously amazing katana-wielding heroine.

1 like · Like · see review