Biting Cold (Chicagoland Vampires Book 6)

***ARC provided by Penguin/NAL for review***I got the first 3 books in this series two year ago. At the time I was getting really annoyed by all of the vampire books. But Amazon kept recommending it to me and the book summary and great reviews finally made me give in. I hate to admit it, but the first couple chapter of Some Girls Bite were a little slow for me and I almost gave up on the book. But I really hate doing that so I kept reading and I'm really glad I did. Out of all of the amazing books I have read over the past 4 years, The Chicagoland Vampires series will forever my one of my all-time favorites. Yes, this book is about vampires. But it's not your typical vampire book. It also features witches, shape-shifters, fairies and all kinds of other awesome paranormal creatures. And honestly, I don't care what these books are about because they are AMAZING! I fell in love with Merit and Ethan, who are also one of my favorite book couples, EVER! After reading each book, I didn't think that the series could get any better and each time I was proven wrong. And then Hard Bitten happened... Don't get me wrong, Hard Bitten was amazing but Chloe Neill almost literally killed me with that book. Seriously, she tore open my heart and crushed in into hundreds of tiny pieces. But I had faith in Chloe Neill to do the rest of the series justice and boy did she ever! (Have faith in Chloe Neill, she will deliver) Drink Deep and Biting Cold made all of the heartbreak that I suffered in Hard Bitten totally worth it and I can't wait to read the next book in this series! A kick-butt heroine, one of the most swoon-worthy guys ever and an amazing storyline, The Chicagoland Vampires series is a MUST! ***WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT KEEP READING THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PREVIOUS BOOKS!***SERIOUSLY, LOTS OF VERY IMPORTANT SPOILERS AHEAD! JUST SKIP TO THE GIVEAWAY AT THE END OF THIS POST IF YOU HAVEN'T READ UP UNTIL DRINK DEEP!YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!So for those of you who have read up until Drink Deep, I just want to say that this is the book you have all been waiting for! After all of the issues that Merit and Ethan have been through, they are finally back together. But, of course not everything is perfect. After Ethan is brought back from the dead by Mallory, he is now connected to her, which raises some new issues between him and Merit. They are now on a road trip to Nebraska to try and stop Mallory from getting her hands on the Maleficium. Merit is torn over what to do with Mallory who was her best friend before she went all witch crazy. On one hand, she has become dangerous and is willing to hurt people to get what she wants. But then again, she did bring Ethan back to her and Merit will forever be grateful to her for it. But when Mallory teams up with Tate Seth, Mallory's fate is out of her hands. Will she be able to save her best friend before she destroys them all? Now they are facing a new enemy who is worse that Mallory and even worse than Ethan. As if that weren't bad enough, Cadogan House is under very strict supervision from The Greenwich Presidium who is threatening to ex-communicate Cadogan House, which will automatically make them their enemies.When I found out Ethan came back in Drink Deep, I was absolutely ecstatic because I thought that Ethan and Merit will FINALLY be able to be together without any problems. But, if you've read the previous books, you should know that is not the case. Chloe Neill does sexual tension so good between these two, pushing them together then tearing them apart and just when you think you might give up on them; she does the unthinkable and makes it all worth it somehow. This book is the perfect example of this. Merit grows so much more as a vampire and Ethan goes through some much needed changes too. All of the awesome secondary characters are still in this book (although I wish we had more Catcher) and we also get introduced to some new characters as well as some new paranormal creatures.Most of the problems in the previous books are resolved while we get a whole new set of problems for the next books. Biting Cold just proved why this series is one of my absolute favorites ever and why it deserves a spot in my "favorites" shelf. Fans of this series will absolutely love this book and will be left eagerly waiting for the book, House Rules. Great characters, amazing storyline, sexy scenes and plenty of action, Chloe Neill delivers again with Biting Cold!Cover Love: This is by far my favorite book cover out of the whole series! The colors, the background, Merit's pose, the sword, the ring! I love it all!5 out of 5 very sparkly stars!Some of my favorite non-spoiler quotes from Biting Cold:-"I'll probably be wearing flannel pajamas," I teased, but Ethan wasn't fazed. He leaned in, his lips at my ear."You'll be wearing nothing but your Cadogan medal and a smile, Sentinel.""Is that a prediction?""It's a promise."-He wrapped himself around me, his mouth on mine so suddenly it took my breath away. Then he captured my face with his hands and kissed me with an insistence that left no room for question, or doubt, about who I was to him.-"It's end of shift. The girls are waiting upstairs with a pizza. Are you hungry? You look like you could use a bite."When didn't I look like that?-When we made it to his apartments, he slammed and locked the door, then found my mouth again. His hands were possessive, insistent, knotting into my hair and drawing me closer, challenging me to believe in who he was and what he'd promised.-He wasted no time stripping me of clothing, but each bit of fabric was slipped off and away with such slow and careful consideration my skin was on fire by the end of it.And soon enough as promised, I was wearing only my Cadogan medal and a smile.-"And I'm nauseous," Catcher grumbled. "Let's get on with this. I am seriously in need of a beer and a Lifetime movie."***More of my review and author interviews at:Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed

I always struggle with writing reviews for new books in established series. So much has already been said. I've already gushed about how much I love Ethan and Merit. I've already pointed out flaws and strengths of Chloe as an author. So for this review, I'll just point out what was uniquely good and bad about Biting Cold as a novel.The goodThe villain: I feel like we finally have a villain worth writing home about! I love Chloe - she is one of my all-time favorite authors, but one of her weaknesses as an author seems to be writing realistic antagonists with plausible motivations. I never thought Celina's excuses for killing girls made much sense, especially so soon after she'd announced vampires to the world. And then we have Seth Tate. I just didn't get Seth's reasons for dealing mind altering drugs to vampires. Sowing chaos and then "saving the day" to get re-elected? Surely there are easier ways? Both of these villains were very exciting and great for the plot, just don't look at their motivations too closely. Now Seth 2.0 - aka Dominic - was fantastic. I was crystal clear on his motivations and could even admire him for his intentions if not his actual actions. We finally find out what type of supernatural he is and the way it ended up playing out in the story was just amazing.The plot: Thanks to the incredible villain, the plot of Biting Cold was one of the most cohesive, exciting, and well-constructed we've had form Chloe in a while (like two books).Redemption themes: I loved the redemption themes in this book. Mallory and Seth did terrible things, and felt the need to atone (each in their own way). I was moved by their contrition and inspired by their determination to put things right. Poor Mallory was a shadow of her former self, but I loved seeing how she fought tooth and nail to make things right.The humor: The humor is back. Due to Ethan's death and the heavier themes of the last two books, we haven't seen much of the light hearted banter that defined the first three books. Thanks to Jeff (I love that boy) and Lindsay we get a taste of the sarcastic repartee we loved so much. It isn't fully back, thanks to Mallory and Ethan still being a bit out of sorts, but I have a feeling everyone will be back in full snark mode in House Rules, and I, for one, can't wait!The ending: Holy crap! If you thought the ending of Drink Deep was triumphant, just wait. You are in for another treat.The badRelationship drama: Remember Ethan's one step forward, two steps back relationship dance? Like a bad rash, it's BaaaaaAAAAAcccckkkkk! <sigh> I thought we'd finally gotten past this frustrating tango. By losing Merit in Twice Bitten, fighting to earn back her trust in Hard Bitten, then dying and returning from the grave in Drink Deep, we've seen Ethan grow so much as a character. In his words, he started to remember what it meant to be a man, not just the master of a house. His assertions at the end of Drink Deep convinced me he finally understood what was really important, and was ready to cherish and hold onto Merit, no matter what came their way. As such, his character development regression just didn't feel right to me. As much as I love Chloe, I think she made a mistake writing him the way she did in this book - as if he hadn't learned anything at all from the past. His reason for breaking up and getting back together felt contrived. The silver lining in this cloud - we get resolution on this issue by the end of the book, and promise of better things in the future.ConclusionI wish I could say Biting Cold is the best thing that's happened to the Chicagoland franchise, but I can't. I can honestly tell you that this book has the best villain in the series, and one of the most well-constructed plots, but, like many readers, I read Chicagoland for the characters. More specially, I love Ethan and Merit. As individuals and as a couple, they make the series for me. And since Ethan seems to have conveniently forgotten everything he learned in the last few books and regressed as a character, I felt significant frustration reading this book. Chloe is heading in the right direction though. The ending of this book promises very interesting things for House Rules - exciting times are coming for Cadogan, and I for one can't wait to see where Chloe takes us in the next book.

Worth reading. But not as good as the previous books. However looking for to reading the next instalment in the lives of all the characters.

Turned into a vampire against her will, Merit has found her way into the inner circle of Chicago's supernaturals and the secrets she has learnt are not meant for sharing. Now Merit is on the hunt racing across the midwest to stop a rogue supernatural from getting their hands on an artifact that could release a catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit herself is being hunted by an old foe who will stop at nothing to claim the artifact for himself. Will Merit survive the chase?This is the sixth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series (after  Some Girls Bite , Friday Night Bites , Twice Bitten , Hard Bitten  and  Drink Deep ) and at this point I'd really recommend new readers go back and begin at the start. There are likely to be spoilers in this review for all previous books.I was disappointed in the previous installment as I felt it was very predictable in some respects. This storyline, however, is anything but with lots of twists and turns packed in. There are also some massive revelations, including finding out what Tate really is. The book jumps straight into the action and manages to keep a fast pace throughout as it works to bring together different storylines. I loved the introduction of gnomes and the return of some of the humour and snark from previous installments.Merit is dealing with a lot. She's been betrayed and broken and has found, lost and found love again so it isn't surprising she has matured a lot since the beginning of the series. There's a lot of healing needed in her life, but Merit doesn't have time for introspection. I was expecting more impact from Ethan's return but he takes a long time to deal with how his existence has altered. This means that his romance with Merit is firmly on the backburner, although the introspection does lead to some added depth for his character.The ending is interesting as it concludes the story while leading on to a new era for Cadogan House. I'm really interested to see where Chloe Neill takes things from here and I can't wait for the next book.All in all this was a great read and I'm looking forward to  House Rules .Plot: 9/10Characters: 10/10Ending: 10/10Enjoyment: 9/10Cover: 8/10Overall: 46/50 Some Girls BiteFriday Night BitesTwice BittenHard BittenDrink DeepHouse Rules

zuerst - ich verstehe wirklich nicht, warum es für dieses Buch letztendlich in Deutschland so durchwachsene Kritiken gab (3,5 Sternchen?/in USA 4,5 Sternchen, was doch berauschend ist). Ich habe mich davon keineswegs abschrecken lassen und mir nun selbst ein Bild gemacht - ich habe Biting cold wirklich sehr genossen.Die Handlung war durchweg spannend und das Ende sehr, sehr befriedigend. Und ganz ehrlich - wenn jetzt nach dem 6. Band Schluss wäre mit den Chicagoer Vampiren, die Geschichte war wirklich rund. Die Auflösung der Frage, was Seth nun eigentlich für eine seltene Entität ist, hat mich überzeugt. Ich finde es nicht, wie aus dem Ärmel geschüttelt. Alles macht Sinn. Für die Nebencharaktere wurde genügend Platz eingeräumt. Insbesondere Mallory kommt mehr als glaubhaft herüber - ich mag sie wirklich sehr, das nunmehr blonde Mädchen. Überhaupt erinnert die Geschichte um Merit mich ein ums andere Mal an das reale Leben. Nicht ihr Vampirdasein, aber ihre seltsame Beziehungskiste zu ihrem Cheffe. Von daher wirklich eine Serie für Erwachsene. Die Geschichte von Band 1 bis 6 ist außergewöhnlich (sie macht süchtig). Ich bin sehr gespannt, wie es weitergeht, und ob das komplexe Gesamtwerk noch zu toppen ist, oder ob die restlichen 3 Bände eher wie Appendices imponieren werden.Band 5 und 6 erhalten von mir 5 Sterne. Überzeugendes Gesamtkonzept. Durchweg gehaltene Spannung. Und das Gezicke zwischen Merit und Ethan ist einfach nur köstlich. Wenn es dann endlich zum Äußersten kommt, ist es einfach nur 'wow'!!!!

Spoiler Alert for the previous books in the "Chicagoland Vampires" series: this is the 6th installment in a series with an overall story-arc, which all books contribute to. So besides missing a lot of necessary information of background and developments, there would be spoilers for the crucial events that previously happened, if one started reading the series at this point. So I don't recommend it, but I suggest for newcomers to stop reading here and start at the beginning "Some girls bite".Synopsis [by Goodreads.com]Turned into a vampire against her will, twenty-eight-year-old Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye—and more supernaturals than the public ever imagined. And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing—among humans or inhumans.Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest, tailing a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artifact that could unleash catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the book for himself. No mercy allowed. No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.ReviewThe last book ended with Mallory having gone insane and on the loose, trying to get her hands on the Maleficium, a book containing evil. Mal wants to free said evil to "get the world and magic back into balance". Yeah, I guess you have to be bats****-crazy for this to sound reasonable. Hard on her trail are resurrected Ethan [for which I thank Mallory actually] and Merit. And sadly, former-mayor-turned-evil Tate, who is an unknown supernatural entity, is right behind them - so the action starts right at the beginning and therefore no reunion-time for Ethan and Merit.The story makes a lot of twists and turns and what starts as a hunt in rural Nebraska, continues on to a frantic search in Chicago proper and again, unraveling of mysteries and solving of dire problems for the vampires and the entire town. I like that it's hard to put a label on this story [well, other than UF of course]: it's about mysteries, crime, politics, possibility of redemption and the requirements for forgiveness. And a lot more.There is the constant struggle for the House vampires and Merit in particular that they see themselves as Chicagoans and do anything to protect their city and on the other hand the predjudices they suffer from a lot of citizens for being different and perceived as dangerous. In that respect, the books of this series as a whole are a lot about very human judgement and misjugdement based on groups being anyhow different.And times are rough for the vampires, for Merit's grandfather not being in his office as Ombudsman for the supes any more, the mayor being a righteous racist and additionally under the influence of ultra-racist McKentrick and the registration act, that forces supes to register themselves and their powers with the government, ratified. I was glad to find some silver lining in some of the developments concerning supes and humans, since I got depressed on behalf of the misconceived supernaturals.Nearly as depressing is the continous fighting with the GP, the vampire's ruling organisation from Greenwich, UK. They predictably weren't amused by the Cadogan Masters' rejection of the receiver's power and are out to rebuke the rebellious House. But, again: silver linings, which I appreciated.As in the last installment, I was deeply annoyed by Mallory. Before I knew of her addicition to black magic and her having gone mental, I found her behaviour just not "friend-worthy", so to speak. Now, after all she did [and continues to do in this book], I realize I just don't have it in me, to forgive her, addict or not. I bet, Merit will be in the long run, but I won't [even if I appreciate the ressurection].But my raving about Mal's character is not at all why I give four, instead of five stars. It's the inevitable "let's find some obstacle to make it harder for Merit and Ethan to finally get together as a couple". It was well described, but nevertheless felt contrieved and I - unlike in "Hard Bitten", when my heart was broken alongside Merit's - had not a single moment of questioning if they would get together. In my opinion that was just unnecessary.That said: this is a wonderful series with adorable characters who grow continually, an intriguing story-arc in which pieces click in place from questions posed in earlier books and a well devised alternate Chicago and surrounding world that is ever expanding. And this book is just another fantastic addition to it.

Before reading this review please bare in mind that it is practically impossible to review this book without giving a major spoiler for the previous ones (Hard Bitten and Drink Deep in particular) so while this review won't contain spoilers for Biting Cold you may not want to carry on reading if you're not at this point in the series. Having said that I would like to encourage you to give the series a try if you haven't already, it's one of my favourites and I loved jumping back into Merit's world! Look away now if you want to avoid spoilers though.When I think about how much I love this series I'm amazed it has taken me so long to get around to reading Biting Cold. I don't even have a good excuse considering how thrilled I was by Ethan's return at the end of Drink Deep! I guess the good thing about putting it off is that I already have the next 2 books and a novella ready to start reading though, I hate the delay between series books so they should keep me going for a little while. Bearing in mind it had 2 years since I read Drink Deep I was surprised at how easily Chloe Neill was able to suck me back into her world, I was worried that I'd have forgotten what was going on but she was able to recap enough to remind me of the important things without bogging down the story with too much extra information. It was like catching up with old friends, you know the kind where you can go months without seeing each other but the moment you meet up it's like you were never apart?Anyway, let's get back to my review! I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book since my friends all seem to either love or hate it but I'm happy to say I really enjoyed it. I knew there were going to be big problems to deal with thanks to Mallory's previous actions and I was worried that she would never go back to being the girl I loved at the beginning of the series. The things she has done are pretty unforgivable and she still has worse up her sleeve in this instalment. Thankfully she does eventually realise what she was in the wrong and although she has a long way to go she has made a start at atoning for her actions. It's going to take her a long time to put things right and I'm not sure if her friendship with Merit will ever get back to the way it used to be but I have hope for her now which is good.I have always had a thing for Ethan, even though there have been times when he acted like an arrogant ass and made me want to slap him there has just been something about him that I love. The chemistry between him and Merit is fantastic and I love the way she always stands up to him and puts him in his place. After his miraculous return I had high hopes that they would finally get their relationship back on track in this book but frustratingly Ethan has other ideas. Although I understood his reasons for backing off I still wanted to throttle him, he knows Merit is more than capable of standing up to him when she needs to so he should have trusted in her more. What I did really like is that Merit doesn't let him get away with pushing her to one side, she knows what she wants from him and she will fight to get it. Hopefully things will go a little smoother for them in the next book.There is plenty of action in Biting Cold and some very interesting developments with the world that guarantee to make things interesting as the series continues. I would have liked to have seen more of Merit's grandfather, Jeff and Catcher but it was great to see more of the shifters and we spend a lot of time with the vampires that Merit has become friends with. I'm very curious to see what direction things will take after the latest revelations and there is no way I'll be waiting another 2 years before I read the next book!