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    Biting Bad
    Biting Bad
    Biting Bad
    Audiobook10 hours

    Biting Bad

    Written by Chloe Neill

    Narrated by Sophie Eastlake

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she's already seen a lifetime's worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back.

    Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City come hell or high water.

    Merit and her allies rush to figure out who's behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there's any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 6, 2013
    ISBN9781452679822
    Biting Bad

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    Reviews for Biting Bad

    4/5

    170 ratings13 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Very different from the last books. I liked it but Merit didn't seem as bad ass as she has been in the past. She got her but whooped a lot in this book. I found that unusual.
    • 3/5
      Biting Bad
      3.5 Stars

      This series has such great potential and most of the books even manage to live up to it. Unfortunately, Biting Bad is not one of them.

      The political correctness hinted at in earlier books with Seth’s redemption and Mallory’s rehabilitation (this plot point is exceedingly tiresome) is front and center with the vampires coming across as weak and powerless. What happened to vampires being invulnerable? They behave exactly like humans who just happen to be immortal and drink blood. They are just as easily wounded, get tired, can be poisoned, go to hospital, etc.

      What happened to Merit being a kick-ass heroine? She is constantly tripping, falling and needing to be rescued. There are one or two truly excellent scenes in which Ethan finally demonstrates exactly why he is the master of Cadogen House but these are eventually undermined by the lack of any decisive action or resolution.

      The mystery revolving around the riots against vampire targets is interesting enough but the culprit is way too obvious and the investigation amounts to little more than a series of summary conversations between Merit and various others (Catcher, Jonah, Jeff, Luke, Ethan etc.) The revelations concerning McKettrick’s past are not all that surprising and the climax is lackluster.

      Ethan and Merit’s relationship is one of the book’s only saving graces. Although it can me cheesy at times, their romance is sweet and passionate, and their banter is as amusing as ever.

      In sum, Biting Bad does not live up to the hype. It seems that in Neill’s CLV series, enemies are not vanquished for good but merely removed temporarily until they can be redeemed or return to wreck more havoc. Hoping that Wild Things will be better.
    • 2/5
      As I listen to this book, I stumble as I realize how diffuse the plot is this time. The previous seven books had a good solid story line, some obvious and other not so obvious clues, and the reader had a good chance to follow along. This one... not so much. Sadly, after the second meeting, I had ignored the obvious red herring and already pegged the culprit. (The author had tricked me the previous book, but not this time.) There is definitely a sense that someone fiddled with who Merit is. Oh she's still the biting sarcastic newbie vamp. But she's less... awesome. The Ponytailed Avenger has lost some bite in her sword. Tried to make her into a normal romance novel heroine. UGH! Please don't! And yes, I realize the book revolves around Valentine's Day. That doesn't change a person's base being, though it feels like it did here.I am jealous of her "rental" though.-----After readingOh look the end of the booo... WHOA CRAP, CLIFF! What a way to leave the reader hanging there, author.Overall, this book definitely had a differing feel than the first seven. More of the romance, less of the Vamps where romance was the undercurrent. And they finally closed a loop they've been teasing for a few books, though I'm disappointed with how. For all the build up and the chess moves, it felt like the two move checkmate. Unsatisfying to anyone but the one making that final move. I expected better from this antagonist. I hope the changes made to Merit in this book don't continue. But I also hope that the advances made in this book are positive over the long plot for the last 5 books...
    • 4/5
      3.6 stars. Ethan, aka Darth Sullivan, was a very different master vampire in this edition. He was romantic, sarcastic, caring and even compromising. He took Merit's breath, and mine away a few times, once involved getting down on one knee. He had a few fantastic lines one of my favorite was " I'm rarely good Merit. But I'm often spectacular". Oh yes, I agree with that. If he keeps this up his Darth retain could just wither away. He polished his big bad badge when he had an off with his head moment, that was spectacular to read and had me cheering out loud.
      Merit, well she spent most of her time be played by Ethan. She said "Ethan Sullivan could play me like a Stradivarius" and he did in may ways. [wink] When she wasn't playing house with E-man she was hunting down clues or trying to get close again to her long time gal pal, Mallory. The mystery of who started a riot and why. She also had some family drama that took the couple into normal life zones that was fun to watch them juggle.
      Watching the moments between the two of them made the book worth reading. But, I could have missed out on 1/2 of the book, the politics. Arguh, will they ever get toned down. I did skim through many pages of power drama. The mixing of the houses was too brief I thought could have been an interesting little window to delve into. There was a lot of little side stories going on that just fell flat for me, the car, the magical usage, the GP, the disgruntled employee, the riots. The ending was of course a cliffhanger. Do I care enough about what happens to carry on with the series ? I'm on the fence, it is a B rated series for me now I will not rush out to get a copy.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars. My favorite of the UF/PF series I read, and Biting Bad was excellent. It felt a bit like Christmas, having everyone together and getting along; no dramas between Merit and Ethan, Mallory back to being a main character, Catcher back - the gangs all here! I'm certain I've said this in every review for every book in this series, but the character writing is just excellent. Dry wit, sarcasm, excellent timing, all make the dialogue just flow beautifully, and reading about the Chicagoland vampires is like being there with them. I have such a detailed image of Cadogan House, Grey House, Little Red - even Merit's parents house (well, until her mom redecorated, lol).

      A lot was happening in the plotlines of this book: riots, political strife, family interference, McKetrick. But I never had any trouble following anything that was going on; the story flowed smoothly and once I picked it up, I didn't put it down again until I was finished (Thank goodness it was a Saturday!). As one thread of the overall story arc is resolved, another one starts to unravel, taking us into the next book. I cannot wait.
    • 2/5
      Wow...looking over the reviews for this book, it seems the fan base is really divided which is odd considering they've all hung in there & read the others in the series. So instead of rehashing the plot, I'll just make a few comments as to why this was a disappointment for me, a loyal fan.
      The world building has been great, with interesting politics & compelling characters from different supernatural groups contributing to the action & ever changing alliances.
      But the whole thing has always hinged on the character of Merit. We've witnessed her "birth" as a vampire & the struggle she's had. She retains human characteristics, something that enables her to sympathize & relate to both sides of the ongoing human/supe conflicts. It also causes her to have periodic crises of conscience in terms of what she has to do sometimes for her house. She's been strong & smart, trying to make the best of a life she never wanted.
      My question after reading this outing is where the hell did that Merit go? In this book, she's portrayed more as the bumbling heroine of a B grade romance novel than the enforcer that Ethan & the rest of the vamps have come to respect. Her job is to kick ass & keep her colleagues safe but after this, they could be forgiven for reposting the position for new applicants.
      The other characters continue to be compelling as they evolve & we learn more about them. But if you're frequently annoyed/disappointed by the main character, it makes for a tough read & I found myself more interested in peripheral story lines & some secondary characters. The central plot is not advanced, it's just more of the same with familiar situations & enemies so I guess my second question would be what was the point?
      I really enjoy finding a good series as opposed to reading stand alone novels. You feel like you know these people & enjoy catching up & seeing what new challenges they face. But if the author is going to enjoy longevity, there has to be an evolving story line if you want to hold the reader's attention & entice them to lay down their hard earned cash.
      This book ends up being a kind of non-event. It felt static, as if everything was on hold except for Merit whose character takes two steps back. I know there are 2-3 books/novellas due out in 2014 & I had to wonder if this was put together to satisfy some deadline or publishing obligation.
      So in my humble opinion (and at the end of the day, that's all this is...) skip this & save your money for the next one. There are no new revelations or big changes and it will be easy to pick up the story line again in a subsequent book. Hopefully, it's one where Merit gets her mojo back.
    • 4/5
      Merit keeps having her dinner interrupted, mostly by humans protesting vampires, and she has to try to find out who is behind this, and their motives. She also has to deal with some family politics.It's an interesting read and I found it entertaining, it's building to something and I'm not sure about
    • 4/5
      It's been about 6 or 7 months since I last read the 7th book in this series. While reading, I often had a smile on my face from Merit and Ethan's relationship. I was shocked to realize I missed them! A few events happened in this book but it was mostly about relationships. A riot against vampires happens while Merit and Mallory are having some quality time to work on their relationship. They escape but it means the Cadogan House once again needs to get involved. One character even refers to Merit and her fellow do-gooders as the Supernatural Justice League. :)
    • 3/5
      This is probably the worst book of the series. The recaps of what happened previously took forever and were a little too...I don't know. They were almost smug-feeling, like Neill thought they were really slick.

      I'm so bored of Ethan.

      Also, guys, did you know that the first 8 books in this series span only 10 months? So Ethan and Merit have been dating, like, 9 months off-and-on, with a--ahem--a break in the middle?

      And they're talking about getting engaged? Guys, you are immortal. Why rush into marriage? You have literally all the time in the world. The only reason people rush into marriage is because they can tell, in the back of their minds, that they are wrong for each other. But they don't want to break up, so they charge forward blindly.

      Anyway, this book was boring and the mystery was obvious. But I like this world, and I really hope that the next installment in the series (there are some novellas and shit coming up soon) returns to the excellence of the early books.
    • 4/5
      BITING BAD is the eighth book in Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series. Merit has still been a vampire for less than a year. Valentine's Day is nearing and Merit would like to plan something special for Ethan now that they are in a relationship. But vampire politics and human politics are getting in the way of their peaceful holiday celebration.Codogan House, under the direction of Master Ethan Sullivan, has left the Greenwich Presidium but that vampire organization isn't ready to let them live peacefully. The GP has blacklisted Cadogan House which makes it a crime for any other vampires to associate with them. A new organization called Clean Chicago is also raising its ugly head and starting riots. The first was at a factory that makes Blood4You which is essential for vampires who don't want to drink from humans or each other. The next riot is against Grey House which is another of Chicago's vampire houses. Both riots seem ill-planned and amateurish in execution. Merit is busy investigating. She is suspicious that her old enemy - McKetrick - is somehow behind the problems.Merit also has to deal with re-establishing her relationship with her best friend Mallory who is trying to come to terms with being a sorcerer who just about destroyed Chicago with her black magic. She also has to deal with her relationship with her father. They have never gotten along because of their different goals. I liked this story and look forward to reading whatever comes next for Merit and Ethan.
    • 4/5
      Merit and Ethan appear to have settled nicely into coupledom and Merit and Mallory are now attempting to reestablish their BFF relationship as Mallory learns from Gabriel how to live with magic without falling into the temptation to use it. But things happen on two fronts to shake up their world. The first is fire bombings and riots have started taking place with people attempting to build steam for pushing vampires out of Chicago. What establishment is going to be hit next? The other is an announcement from the GP that Cadogan has been blacklisted. Any other vampire even communicating with them will face harsh punishment.As with the prior books, I was immediately swept up by the tale and it never lets go. There’s plenty of action, emotions, some politics, humor and really tense moments, making the entire book difficult to put down for things like sleeping.But something felt off. Merit gets her butt kicked in every confrontation. She’s supposed to be so good, and yet she had so much difficulty in this story. She has been a vampire less than 1 year, so I suppose we should give her a break, but after seeing her so capable in prior books, it just didn’t feel right. Then there is the mystery. So much effort is put into it, and yet it’s someone unexpected who comes up with the answers. Perhaps this is all necessary for future stories?The back story does move along. Merit and Ethan’s relationship finally feels solid and they aren’t taking it for granted. Mallory’s “rehab” is coming along. We’ve got something big that happens with the GP (other than what was described above) and it will affect at least the next book. And other relationships and alliances become stronger. There is one really tense scene and I advise having a box of tissues close by. Oh, and something else big happens that should have a future affect on city politics.Definitely a good read, even with Merit's skills not quite up to par.
    • 5/5
      Merit is BACK! Ahh I love this series. The Cadogan House is doing well for themselves but the GP still makes moves against them. Their allies have some tough choices in BITING BAD but that does not keep Cadogan from coming to their rescue when they are attacked. I think it is great that even with the GP continuously coming down on them they always seem to come out on top!I love every little think about Merit and Ethan's relationship. They try really hard to be a normal couple and do pull it off every once in a while but they truly have come a long way from who they were in book 1. It is so refreshing getting thorough a book without Ethan pushing Merit away. On another thought, am I the only one who keeps waiting for Merit to get pregnant? I just KNOW it has to happen at some point, right?I enjoyed watching Merit and Mallory move closer together as friends. Their relationship will never be the same but I think they are making great progress. I think it is great that Merit and Jonah are still great Red Guard partners. They talk easily with each other and they work great together.The action as usual is at every turn and the characters keep you coming back for more. I thought the character growth in BITING BAD was great and I look forward to seeing where everything takes the series next. We end on another cliffhanger, what else? February can not come soon enough. Enjoyed every minute of book 8.
    • 5/5
      Reviewed by: Rabid ReadsBiting Bad was reminiscent of the earlier Chicagoland Vampires novels and I for one couldn’t be happier! The first three installments are what hooked me on this series and this latest one has ensured that I’ll continue reading these books for a long time to come, especially with all of the promising new novellas that are already in the pipeline. This novel is Ethan/Merit drama free which was a huge relief because readers can now actually focus on Chloe Neill’s phenomenal writing style and storytelling skills instead of their relationship woes.The first thing that stood out for me about this book were the recaps; Neill does an excellent job of filling in any memory blanks readers may have while still weaving in new plot threads at the same time. After the first chapter I was able to easily get my bearings in Chicagoland which allowed me to seamlessly reenter this world as though no time had elapsed between installments. I was also so thankful that Neill established within the first one hundred pages that Ethan and Merit were not going to be at odds in this story. This made it feel as though a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders because in the last few books I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop; both of these elements allowed me to just sit back and enjoy the ride worry-free.I loved how much attention Neill paid to the characters’ surroundings in this book; she knows both Chicago and its winters well, and it shows. I live in Canada and I’m pretty used to the cold but even I got sympathy chills while reading about the city’s frigid temperatures. This novel has a lot of little extras like that and I do like an author with a keen eye for details! Merit’s socialite status is becoming ever more important as this series progresses and I enjoyed how in this installment she has designers vying for her attention in an attempt to be THE fashion designer of choice for vamps. Our Sentinel isn’t usually overly fond of pretty things but even she liked the custom dress. I also had to Google what a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL looks like because of the fun back-and-forth between Ethan and Gabe. Now I understand why Mr. Sullivan had car envy!Ethan and Merit are great in this installment; they have finally reached a happy place in their relationship and I couldn’t help but breathe a huge sigh of relief. In the midst of the city going to Hell they are still trying to have a “normal” Valentine’s Day and I LOVED THAT! Catcher and Mallory are on the mends as well; I’m so happy that the Chicagoland Vampires are becoming one big happy family again. They have enough drama in their lives without having to take it from each other as well. The bad guy was obvious but Neill still makes you work for it in a roundabout way and no installment in this series would be complete without… you guessed it, a cliffhanger! But it’s nowhere near as bad as some of Chloe’s previous ones have been so you can rest easy.I don’t have one single complaint where Biting Bad is concerned. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish; this is the installment that I have been waiting for. Chloe Neill is back on top and her Chicagoland Vampires are better than ever!