Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill

Title: Twice Bitten

Author: Chloe Neill
Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN: 978-0-575-09937-1
Pages: 355
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #3
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Merit has now completed the transition to vampire twice as the first change wasn't complete. Merit is embracing her vampiric nature and now Ethan has a surprising task for her. Shapeshifters from all over America will be congregating in Chicago to decide whether to follow vampires into the public eye. Ethan has loaned Merit to act as security for the Alpha Gabriel Keene who leads all the shifters. But when someone starts gunning for Gabriel, Merit finds herself in the line of fire.

I was really looking forward to reading this as the previous book (Friday Night Bites) ends with Merit going to a meeting with the mysterious sender of several invitations. It turns out that Merit is being invited to join the Red Guard who function like internal affairs for the vampire houses. This is a new development for this book, and I think it's great how the author is still adding depth to Merit's world. However, it may make the books harder to read for newcomers to the series so I'd recommend starting at the beginning with Some Girls Bite.

Merit has now dealt with her transition and is moving on with her (un)life. The previous books showed Merit's struggle adjusting, whereas this one shows how Merit is learning to embrace her new life. Merit also broke up with Morgan in the last book so now it's just a will they/won't they with Ethan not a love triangle. The only complication left in Merit's life is the tension between her and her friend Mallory, and this means more focus is given to the shifter storyline.

Ethan's character also gets some more development, and revelations about his past and his own change to a vampire explain a lot of his character quirks from the previous books. A lot of why Ethan makes certain choices is explained, and it definitely made him a more likeable character in my eyes.

I loved how well the shifter storyline flowed, and there were several twists that I didn't see coming. The addition of shifters to Merit's world is brilliant. Jeff was introduced in the first book and the Breckenridges were introduced in the second, but this book adds literally a country of shifters with several well developed characters. There are also seeds sown for possible future storylines with Merit and the shifters, and I can't wait to see where these go.

All in all this was an awesome read and I'm looking forward to reading Hard Bitten.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 48/50