Pub Date: April 2009
ISBN: 9780451226259
Publisher: NAL (Penguin)
FTC: Purchased myself
The Blurb:
Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.
Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she's traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan's attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone's still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war and there will be blood.
I am not a fan of the trade paperback format. To me, it's an oversized mass market that costs nearly twice as much. So it takes a leap of faith for me to buy something published in that format. Word of mouth about Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires convinced me to give her a try. And I'm very glad I did.
I wasn't too thrilled with the first 20 pages. Underwhelmed would probably best describe it. Maybe the hype was too much or maybe Neill's world building just didn't click with me right away. I kept going, though, and by page 30, I was snorting with amusement. By page 50, I was laughing out loud and my kids were eying me warily.
