House Rules

Chicagoland Vampires #7

by Chloe Neill

In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps.

At the tender age of twenty-seven, Merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle—and her metal—tested like never before.

It started with two . . . Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Magic

352 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2013

About the author

Chloe Neill is the New York Times bestselling author of the Heirs of Chicagoland, Chicagoland Vampires Novels, Devil's Isle Novels, and Dark Elite novels. Chloe was born and raised in the South, but now makes her home in the Midwest. When she's not writing, she bakes, works, and scours the Internet for good recipes and great graphic design. Chloe also maintains her sanity by spending time with her boys--her husband and their dogs, Baxter and Scout.

Connect with Chloe at www.chloeneill.com.

Reviews

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

With most Book Sevens, I am usually checking release schedules and making all kinds of martyred noises about how series should quit while they're ahead. By that point, authors are usually stuck on rules they've set for how the relationships play out, or they're having trouble coming up with new problems without changing the nature of certain characters.

That's not the case with Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires, however. This series shows no signs of slowing down or relying on tired, recycled story lines or forced conflict to move the action forward. In this particular installment, the vampires' Cadogan House is in a state of flux as its status among the other Houses is called into question. On top of that, vampires are disappearing--and a face from the past comes back to make trouble for Merit and Ethan.

The series' trademark humor, great action sequences, and complicated political intrigue are all here, in ways that feel familiar and yet still fresh. I love that Merit is such a kickass character, but who still struggles with her vulnerability. The question of doing what is honorable comes up again and again in this series, particularly in this installment as she's faced with a new allegiance she's made with the Red Guard that may threaten her standing as Sentinel and protector of her House. I love that Ethan is true to the character we've come to know, and proves again what an admirable Master he is, as well as a good match for Merit. I love that we get to see Jonah, albeit all too briefly--someday he really must get a spinoff series, I think! And I love that awkward Jeff gets some cool moments as well.

There are also some, um, pretty hot scenes in this book. Vampires eyes' get silver when they get angry or excited and let's just say there is a LOT of silvering of eyes and pouncing in this one. :D

If I had to quibble about anything, I'd say that I do wish the author didn't feel the need to use so many of her characters in every single book. While I appreciate the sprawling and memorable cast of characters, as well as how easily she works back story into the narrative, having to explain so much does slow down the momentum of the beginning of each book. And please, let's have these vampires suck a little more blood!

But those are minor points when I enjoy so much about these books--somehow the Chicagoland Vamps just work for me every single time. I'd recommend this series to: anyone who enjoys adult urban fantasies, or to mature YA readers who want to try out books with a similar feel but more adult conflicts. Chicagoland's Merit is a lot like Vampire Academy's Rose, actually. Both strong, principled characters who get into all kinds of trouble, but have a hell of a time fighting--and reasoning--their way out of it.

This review also appears on The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As promised: A short review about the 7th book in the series! ;-)

If you haven’t read the other books, you better don’t read it though because I guess by now there would be many spoilers! *lol* I’ll mark them as good as possible but if you read them, don’t say I didn’t warn you!!! ;-P

What I liked:

- Malik! I love that man! He’s a side character but I don’t care!!! <333
- Same goes for Jeff Christopher!!! I love this little geek to bits and pieces!!
“He looked up and met my gaze, and in the eyes of this young man – often silly, sometimes costumed, always flirty – I saw a world of understanding and experience and maturity.
Not that I’d had any doubts, but Jeff Christopher was a marvel.”
AND OMG!!!! I can’t believe it!!!! I WAITED FREAKING 7 BOOKS TO KNOW WHAT FORM HE CAN SHAPE SHIFT INTO AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!!
“I had to blink to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating: a massive tiger, ten feet long from nose to tail, white with dark stripes, pounding the pavement in the middle of Chicago”
YESHHHH!!!! LOVE IT!!! <333 I love Jeff! Forget about Ethan and Catcher! Jeff is the real thing! XD
- The Ops Room crew! Haha! The moment when they told Merit that her and Ethan have a ship name was priceless!!! Methan!!! *LOL* I’m still laughing over here!
- House Cadogan! They finally managed to pull free from the GP and even though the entire situation with Darius made me more than just angry I’m still glad they decided to leave the GP for good!!
- The plot and the twists! I think this time it was better executed than in book six and the threads all came together in the end! =)
- Merit!!!! She’s getting stronger with each and every book! XD I’m glad Merit finally joined the Red Guard and I’m happy she didn’t give into Ethan’s demand to leave them again! She’s a girl that stands her ground and fights for her rights!! And I love it! <333

What I didn’t like:

- There was barely any mention of Catcher or Mallory in the book. I mean I get that they are taking a break in their relationship and I also understand that Mallory has to redeem herself, but still: One scene in which Merit speaks to her about her troubles is not enough!!! I want more of my blue haired witch and her hot ex/boyfriend!!!
- Merit’s and Ethan’s relationship! Jeez Louise!! Chloe can you give us a break, at least for one book? Seriously how often do they have to fight and how often do they have to reunite? It’s book seven and nothing about their relationship has changed or improved!!! ARGH! It’s just frustrating!!!
- Testosterone driven men! *sigh*
- Lacey Sheridan! I hate that woman with a fierce passion!!! Why did she have to pop up again? I know why, because she was a means to and end! Chloe needed someone to cause trouble and Lacey was the perfect source! I hate it that Merit and Ethan can’t be happy for once!!! I just hate it!!!
- The GP! How stupid can you be? I mean seriously I just get angry when I think about it!
- That House Cadogan was so oblivious to the threat of the GP! They knew that they wouldn’t be pleased if they left and that they would want to take all their money, but never had the idea that they might get kicked out of their own house?!! I mean, seriously?! That’s the first thing I’d do if I’d excommunicate an entire house of rogue vampires!! I’d take away the place they live at, so that they are scattered and can’t plot against me!!! Ethan our brilliant mastermind should have seen that coming!!!

So even though there were a few things I didn’t like, I still loved the book! It was a page-turner and I really enjoyed reading it! Chloe Neill’s characters have grown on me and I definitely want to continue the series! ;-)

[Ferdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers

I'm bitterly disappointed. I adored the first few books in the series — they were fun and exciting… Unfortunately the last few were a bit of a let down. I was hoping that Neill would recapture some of the magic that was present at the start of the series but sadly, she didn't.

Random thought/notes

-Ethan and Cadogan House were preparing to separate from the GP - naturally there were complications involving an egg, a cheesy bad guy and a bunch of dumb fairies. Also, Merit decided to investigate the disappearnace of two vampires. There was quite a bit of boring 'House' politics but it mostly felt like a bog standard 'investigation of the week' type plot. It didn't make for very interesting reading.

-There were quite a few info dumps especially in the first few chapters. I'm pretty sure every single character and arc was recapped - what characters looked like, what their personality was like, what their job entailed, what Merit's relationship was like with each of them, what things the characters got up to in previous books. It was frustrating… I didn't need to be retold every little detail.

-Lame humour. Especially the running gag of Merit's obsession with meat, chocolate and other food. I found it more irritating than funny. Why did it have to be mentioned so much?

-Merit sure blushed a lot for someone who was a vampire and also someone who wasn't a teenage girl. Also, her cheeks seemed to warm whenever Ethan so much as glanced at her… I already know that Ethan is 'hawt' and sexy and that Merit just can't help but react like a teenager girl… I don't need it shoved down my throat!

-I used to think Ethan and Merit had loads of chemistry but for the last couple of books, I've not really felt it. I'd prefer they spilt up and Merit just be single for a while. Also, their romance seemed forced rather than natural.

-Ethan didn't have an attractive enough personality. The amount of times he's been manipulated and played is ridiculous - Lacey, Amber, that other person, Darius and Michael. Why is he is so naive? When is he going to get a clue?

-I don't like Ethan. I guess he was okay at times but for the most part he came across as childish, weak, hypocritical and hurtful. Especially when it came to his relationship with Merit - instead of acting like a 400 year old adult he acted like a pouty emo teenager. My opinion of him went way down when he used Lacey to hurt Merit and make her jealous because he was angry at her… Ugh. He should have behaved like a man and communicated instead of acting like a teenager.

-I wish there was more focus on Merit's family and her relationship with her non vampire friends. IDK she doesn't show any growth (she has exactly the same personality as she did in book 1, only now she's a better fighter) or real depth — she needs something more than her Sentinal/RG duties and her relationship with Ethan.

-I got tired of Merit being referred to as Sentinel… It's one of my pet peeves when characters aren't called by their name. I also got sick of the amount if times Ethan/Merit/Other vamps eyes silvered.

-I was irritated by every little thing or nuance being explained — give the reader some credit. If Ethan had a proud look in his eyes after Merit did or said something admirable, she would monologue about why he was proud — it didn't need to be explained, it was bloody obvious.. Or if Merit's dad wanted something from her, she would then monologue about his personality… Why? We've seen his personality in previous books and we can also figure out his personality by his dialogue and actions… I don't need it explained to me… it was like being hit on the head with a hammer!

-I do like the side characters but I have noticed that they're all rather vanilla. Mallory was the only one with some depth and complexity but even she was going back to her vanilla roots. I was expecting some sense of conflict, struggle and deep emotion — but she rarely showed it.

-When Lacey found out about Merit meeting Jonah and thought they were having an affair… Why didn't Merit make a better excuse for seeing Jonah instead of telling Ethan she joined the RG? Merit could have easily said that she meeting Jonah to get his opinion/help with the murders… After all, Ethan knew he'd helped her before in investigations. It was a joke that the very day she was fully initiated into the RG, she broke her oath to keep her membership a secret.

-I found it off putting how Merit was overly protective of Ethan in dangerous situations. I know it's her job as sentinel but it's also comes across (to me) as a mother bear protecting her pwecious son. It's just not my idea of a hot romance.

-The end action scene was a let down - I rolled my eyes at Michael explaining everything, like a true cheesy bad guy does. Evil people must reveal all their evil deeds to the good guys! I wish the who, what's, where's and why's were revealed in an organic and skilled way instead of the typical confession and explanation in the big showdown.

-All of Ethan's speeches as a Master and leader were mediocre (at best). How he's a leader, I don't know. He rarely says or does anything truly inspiring. He doesn't have that enigmatic and effortlessly powerful quality that makes people want to change, listen and follow. He's just so blah.

-At one point, Ethan/Merit were talking on the phone with Morgan and Merit mentioned that his eyes widened — it wasn't mentioned that he was on a video screen, it was made out to be a normal phone call… so yea, that took me out of the story.

I think dedicated fans of the series will love this. Unfortunately for me, I'm no longer feeling the series. Will I read the next one? Yes. I've come this far, I'm not giving up… I'll be getting it from the library though.

[Tabatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can check out more reviews by me on my blog:


I guess I should start with..

Helloooooo ! (:

Let's face it, we're all looking forward to reading House Rules by Chloe Neil and there's really no denying it. Difference is, although I love the storylines, I'm really, truly reading it for one thing.

That thing has a name.

*AHEM*


Wait for it..


Ethan Sullivan.

Yep, you heard me, the god-among-men-Ethan-frikin'-Sullivan. Because face it, we all love him. Even these guys:


(See? Are you feeling the love?)

I want to kiss him,


And although it may be a little stalker-ish (yep, just a little bit..) I want to steal him away and keep him all to myself..


Anyways, just thought I'd inform you of that.. (Not 100% sure why I always feel the need to.. Oh well (:)

Hope You're having a great day wherever you are,

BYEEEEEEEEEEE !


Over & Out, T xx

[Jilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess if there is good news in this book, it is that Ethan doesn't actually break-up with Merit this time. No, he's really matured. Instead, he gets mad at Merit and uses his ex-girlfriend's feelings for him against Merit by ignoring Merit while having wine with his ex and then spending the night on the couch - with his ex - while Merit slept alone in their bed. That shows real growth. The kind of maturity that a teenage boy might show.


aww, vampire emo boy is butthurt...

Lindsey, the best character in the book aside from Jeff, explained the Merit/Ethan situation well:
"you're knee-deep in angst...It's like a teenager's emo birthday party in here."

You said it, girl!

So, there's all of that... Blech! And, sadly, this is an actual improvement in the Merit/Ethan relationship in these books. Maybe in the next book we will actually see them have an adult relationship.


That's crazy talk! What do you think he is, like 400 years old or something?

The storyline didn't bother me, but I agree with everyone about how it is the same storyline that's been going on for books and books. It would be nice to inject some new life into this series. Something Jeff related.

And, speaking of 400 years old, which Ethan supposedly is; he seems pretty dumb. Every crime scene they check out, Merit comes up with the most obvious ideas and he acts like she just invented electricity or something. For example, they check out a crime scene and Merit notices there is an apartment building across the street and says that they should ask the doorman if he saw anything on the night the crime happened. Ethan acts like this is some sort of genius idea. "Well done, Sentinel." Um, isn't that common sense? Even if you watch the lamest of cop shows on television, they ask the people around the crime scene if they saw anything. I think SpongeBob could have come up with that idea.

And, then, after Ethan and all of his lawyers and the higher-ups have been searching for ideas on how the GP (their union, basically) could mess them up if they leave, Merit comes up with the idea of reading the contract that they originally signed with them.
Ethan's brows lifted in surprise. "That's not a bad idea, Sentinel. I'll suggest it..."
Are you telling me that they never thought of reading the contract that they wanted to get out of? Really? I think a lot of these people need to be fired if that's the case. Dumbasses!

Another time, Merit suggests that they look into the background of the murder victims to see if they had any enemies. Ethan: "It's a good thought, Sentinel."
Again, nobody thought of that? Who the hell are these people and how did they ever get along before Merit came around? I'm surprised they haven't caught themselves on fire by playing with matches by now. Holy crap!

There were so many times that this read like a really bad episode of CSI - a show I won't even watch because of its lameness. I highlighted and wrote the note: "this is so stupid" way too many times!

On the good side: Lacey finally gets her comeuppance. Believe me when I say that it takes way too long, but worth it! Later Bitter Betty!

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely not going to be the most objective review seeing as how I'm a total Ethan fan. As long as Ethan's in the book (and even when he's not), I've loved the book. I just love Ethan and Merit together and I've loved seeing them through all their trials and tribulations. The difference in this book was that I felt many things came together and solidified...finally.

The Cadogan house is breaking its ties with the GP and while there's lots of uncertainly, the house vampires have really come together. They are also having lots of support from the Rogue vampires, the Shifters and Merit's grandfather's group. But the GP has some moves up their sleeves and causes some problems. (I loved when Merit found the 'object' but I'm a little sad about the fairies.)

Ethan and Merit finally have a bit of down time for their relationship but of course, there has to be trouble and her name is Lacey. Yep, that wicked witch is back in the picture. Unfortunately, she is not the only problem...just the catalyst. Even though there was tension, I enjoyed seeing Ethan and Merit work through things and I think they've come out stronger because of it. (I loved when Ethan and Jonah was sparring!)

Naturally, there has to be some mystery and that starts with two vampires being killed in a type of ritualistic set up. I was really intrigued by how everything came together and was surprised at who the killer actually was. I love how CN sets up all the puzzle pieces and seeing the light click on for Merit.

Things are also coming together with/for Mallory. She's not out of the woods yet but I'm happy that her and Merit are mending their fences. I wish there would've been more of her and Catcher but maybe next time.

There were lots of interesting new things that came out especially the one about the Tiger. I quite enjoyed that one as well as the Shifters poker game!

Overall, I really enjoyed it though I wish we had a more detailed account (or even some details!) of Merit and Ethan's smexy times...I almost feel cheated about that. And even though I liked the ending, the end crept up on me!




Favorite quotes:

♥ “So you traded up?” I asked, walking toward the car and opening the door. “Do you treat your relationships in the same way?”

“Yes,” Ethan gravely said. “And I spent four hundred years shopping before I met you.”

♥ "You may begin impressing me now."

♥ "I walked into his arms, and he embraced me with relief, as if the act of touching me removed the weight from his shoulders. That might have been the most flattering compliment I’d ever received from him, nonverbal as it was."

♦ "ETHAN EATS TOAST WITH A FORK.

It took a moment before she responded. DARTH SULLIVAN = PRETENTIOUS HOTTIE, she responded."

♥ “You are mine and mine alone, and it appears you need reminding. I suggest you return to our apartment; otherwise you’ll be ravished here and now where you stand, and the door is open.”

♥ "I will have you. Body, mind, and soul. And I won't share you with anyone else."

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires novels have been brain-candy reading for me for a few years now. The books are quick reads that don’t require a lot of thinking but provide action, romance, humor, and occasional pathos. But, sad to say, I think I’m breaking up with this series.

I had high hopes at the beginning of this seventh book, House Rules. Neill introduces a mystery: two rogue vampires have gone missing, last seen at one of the vampire registration offices the new mayor has set up. In the other main plot, Cadogan House has voted to secede from the Greenwich Presidium, and that would surely shake things up a bit.

The series, however, has fallen into the same trap that Neill’s Dark Elite series did for me. The plot often seems secondary to immature bickering among the characters. It’s not funny enough to work as comic relief; it’s just sniping. An example here is the cattiness between Merit and Ethan’s ex, Lacey Sheridan. The tension of the major conflicts gets lost in the shuffle when there’s too much of this.

Chapters 11 and 12 of House Rules were the final straws. Both Ethan and Merit come across as incredibly stupid here. How did Ethan not realize the GP wouldn’t let Cadogan leave without a fight? How did Merit not realize Lacey suspected her of cheating on Ethan, not of joining the Red Guard? These things are both painfully obvious to the reader. And then when Lacey tattled on Merit, how had she not thought up a better story to keep from blowing Jonah’s cover? The answer to all these questions, of course, is that the plot required it. I hate it when characters have to be stupid for the plot to work. It makes me lose respect for them, and since it’s so out of character, it also shatters the suspension of disbelief because it’s too obviously a plot device.

I don’t want to see Merit and Ethan, who were both established as smart characters, act stupid. I don’t want to watch them continually have relationship drama even after weathering Ethan’s death and resurrection. And I don’t want to get sidetracked by characters sniping all the time. I want Merit to kick butt and solve mysteries.

I think I’ll just tell myself this series ends with Drink Deep. Ethan came back to life, and then Merit and Ethan lived happily ever after and killed lots of bad things and ate lots of deep dish pizza. The End.

www.fantasyliterature.com

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed something quick and fun to read, as I'm dancing on the edge of a reading slump (and have been all year, really). I had forgotten how much fun the Merit & Ethan series was, but I'm glad I chose this book from my e-book TBR this time out. And it did the trick, I'm re-energized and feel like I can tackle my paper library books again.

As usual, Merit and Ethan are facing major crises. Also as usual, our brand new vampire, Merit, has the skills, connections, and street smarts to stay ahead of disaster. I should be rolling my eyes, but instead I'm having fun. Some of my acceptance of Merit's exceptionalism is due to my general love of the vampire genre in general, but Neill writes interesting problems for the Cadogan vampires to solve.

So, back to business after a pleasant interlude. Just in time, as it is supposed to snow today and I'll want to cozy up at home for a day or two.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as it was proposed that Cadogen House break with the GP, I got excited for this story and it didn't let me down. As I like all the political machinations and intrigue in the series, I was drawn to this book from the beginning. I expected shenanigans from Darius, Lacey and the other cronies but they still were able to surprise me. And, there is a major betrayal that I should have seen coming but...I didn't.

The added mystery related to the rogue vampires made things even more interesting and though I'd picked the right suspect, the motivation eluded me until the end.

The requisite Ethan/Merit drama showed up once again but at least it played out differently for a change. Here's hoping we've seen the last of this tiresome device.

I really enjoyed this story and liked how everything played out. It was exciting and gnarly at the same time. This may be one of my most favorite stories to date.

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*I'm sad*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Re-read: 03.02.2018
Eh, I believe my love for this series is mostly gone. It might be that I'm not interested in re-read the story, simply because I remember it so well (probably because I loved it so much) and the excitement is gone? I don't know... We'll get the answer to that when I get to book 13, which is the only book in the series that I haven't read yet. I pray to however that I'll love it.
The characters:
— Caroline ‘Merit’ ‘Mer’ Evelyn Merit (becomes vampire at 27, but is 28 in years), Sentinel of the Cadogan House.
— Ethan ‘Liege’ ‘Darth Sullivan’ Sullivan (394, though became a vampire at 30), master of the Cadogan House —> dead, but is back from the dead.
— Mallory ‘Mal’ Delancey Carmichael (28), Merit's bestfriend and a fourth-class sorcerer, a master of the First Key; power.
— Charles ‘Chuck’ Merit, Merit's grandfather is the Ombudsman; a ‘liaison’ between the regulars and the sups.
— Chuck's team:
↳ ∘ his secretary, Marjorie (50),
↳ ∘ the computer prodigy and a shape-shifter, Jeffrey ‘Jeff’ Christopher (21),
↳ ∘ a fourth-class sorcerer and a master of the Second Key; weapons, Catcher Bell (29),
↳ ∘ and there's also a Housed vampire who works for him that not even his colleagues knows about.
— Joshua Merit, Merit's dad sucky dad.
— guard of the Cadogan House, Lindsey (115) and who is also a psychic, and a good friend to Merit. Also dating Lucas.
— Lucas ‘Luc’, the Captain of the Cadogan House guards, now House Second; back to being Captain.
— Malik Washington, Second, House Cadogan, now Master of Cadogan House, until Ethan takes back leadership; back to being Second.
— Morgan Greer, Master of Navarre House, (72, though looks 28) Merit's sorta ex and a weak man.
— Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Keene, Apex of the Central North American, Jeff's pack leader (love him).
— Darius West, head of the Greenwich Presidium and a total dick.
— Seth Tate (36), former mayor of Chicago and a fucker. A part of him, that is; His twin brother Dominic was evil and lived inside of him. Seth is technically good. He's angel/messenger.
— Scott Grey, Master of Grey House.
— Noah Beck, the leader of Chicago’s independent vampires and a Red Guard ‘RG’ (a vampire Secret Service, of sorts).
— Jonah, the Guard Captain, Grey House and a Red Guard, has a crush on Merit.
— Franklin Theodore Cabot, was the appointed receiver of Cadogan House (Darius West, head of the GP, had decided he didn’t like the way the House was run, “Frank” had been sent to Chicago to inspect and evaluate the House). He sucked big time.
— Berna, shifter, and ended bar and worked the kitchens at Little Red.
— Diane Kowalcyzk, Chicago’s new mayor.
— ‘John Q.’ McKetrick, a former military type with a raging hatred of vampires. He now the head of the Office of Human Liaisons, or OHL.
— Michael Donovan, House Cadogan's security auditor.

He stepped forward to keep our bodies aligned, and took my chin in his hand. “I will have you. Body, mind, and soul. And I won't share you with anyone else.”

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy.
Series: - Series, Book Seven.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - No.
Favorite character? - Ethan ‘Liege’ ‘Darth Sullivan’ Sullivan.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Yes?
New Rating - 3 stars.

First read review:
I adore Ethan and Merit. Love them. And Gabriel is awesome!
5 stars.

[Ain020596]

.
LOVE THE COVER!

It may look similar to quite a lot of other Urban Fantasy novels, but this cover is just really sexy. And the dimensions of Merit's body don't look weird:)

[Ivana Azap Feješ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as it was proposed that Cadogen House break with the GP, I got excited for this story and it didn't let me down. I expected shenanigans from Darius, Lacey and the other cronies but they still were able to surprise me. And, there is a major betrayal that I should have seen coming but... Merit and the rest of her fellow Cadogan House vampires lives are about to be forever changed as they prepare to formally break from the GP and their oppressive reign. But despite all their preparations they know they can't possibly predict everything, so their is a cloud of worry hanging over their heads. They've taken steps towards making peace with the rogues of Chicago, but that relationship is fragile at best. So when two rogues go missing, Merit and Ethan both know they have to provide all assistance possible despite their own House turmoil. The plot in this installment focuses on two separate threads - Merit's investigation into the disappearance and subsequent murder of two Rogue vampires, and the politics surrounding Cadogen House's decision to leave the GP.

Let me start off by saying I really do love this series. With most Book Sevens, I am usually checking release schedules and making all kinds of martyred noises about how series should quit while they're ahead. By that point, authors are usually stuck on rules they've set for how the relationships play out, or they're having trouble coming up with new problems without changing the nature of certain characters. That's not the case with Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires, however. This series shows no signs of slowing down or relying on tired, recycled story lines or forced conflict to move the action forward. This is definitely not going to be the most objective review seeing as how I'm a total Ethan fan. As long as Ethan's in the book (and even when he's not), I've loved the book. I just love Ethan and Merit together and I've loved seeing them through all their trials and tribulations. The difference in this book was that I felt many things came together and solidified...finally. As I like all the political machinations and intrigue in the series, I was drawn to this book from the beginning. That's what I'm talking about. A decent story, some suspense and a mystery that kept me guessing. Cadogen House and its residents are taking a new direction!! It's about time!! It took a bit of time for me to get into this series but finally…..I am really loving it. The first couple of books I found Merit to be the most irritating heroine ever!!!! And even though I did like Ethan Sullivan, I was a bit dubious about his character. I had a love/hate relationship with House Rules. I loved the concept but I often put the book down. It took sometime for me to really get into it. I enjoyed HOUSE RULES more than its predecessor mostly because I felt that Neill really made some progress with the plot and the relationships that readers are most looking forward to in this book. It felt more solid, moving forward as the character show some growth and I enjoyed the pacing of this book more than the last one. HOUSE RULES brought the series back on track for me and I think readers will be excited to see the sparkle that comes along with this series that we have missed as of late. Chloe Neill and her Chicagoland Vampires are certainly firing on all cylinders in this 7th installment! And that’s saying something considering that I was all but ready to give-up on this series after the last couple of novels. House Rules is the book that keeps on giving with lightning fast pacing, a masterful web of plot lines and a steadfast heroine who refuses to give up.
To say that Merit has her hands full in this installment would be the understatement of the year. Chicagoland Vampires is one of those weird series that you can't help but enjoy. The writing is cliched, the dialogue is immature and the plots are predictable. Nevertheless, the characters are engaging, the actions scenes exciting and the story entertaining. After the last few books being hit and miss some more than other I was nervous starting this book. But also a little annoyed.
I have to say this book was better than the last few and we finally getting some answers but not all of course. Merit and Ethan are back together, more or less, but of course not everything is rainbows and sunshine for them.

“So you traded up?” I asked, walking toward the car and opening the door. “Do you treat your relationships in the same way?”
“Yes,” Ethan gravely said. “And I spent four hundred years shopping before I met you.”

"You may begin impressing me now."

"I walked into his arms, and he embraced me with relief, as if the act of touching me removed the weight from his shoulders. That might have been the most flattering compliment I’d ever received from him, nonverbal as it was."

"ETHAN EATS TOAST WITH A FORK.
It took a moment before she responded. DARTH SULLIVAN = PRETENTIOUS HOTTIE, she responded."

“You are mine and mine alone, and it appears you need reminding. I suggest you return to our apartment; otherwise you’ll be ravished here and now where you stand, and the door is open.”

“Ethan Sullivan,” I marveled. “You have a library fantasy.”
He smiled slightly. “I have a doctoral-student-turned-vampire fantasy.”

“I'm taking fifteen, and we're moving this discussion upstairs."
"You can have here! I will not listen."
"You will listen," Mallory said, "and you'll tell your book club exactly what you heard."
"But is like Twilight in real life!" Berna protested. "Sparkles!”

“He stepped forward to keep our bodies aligned, and took my chin in his hand. "I will have you. Body, mind, and soul. And I won't share you with anyone else.”

“We’ve talked. We’re talking. Lots and lots of talking and then more talking and conversing and communicating and talking.”
I arched an eyebrow at her. She made an awful sound. “God, you’re already Mrs. Sullivan. Let’s go downstairs.”

Ethan grinned and crooked a finger at me.
"I don't perform on command," I reminded him.
He unsnapped the top button on his jeans.
My eyes widened. "Sneaky Bastard."

"Yo," Jeff answered, his voice ringing through the Bentley's impeccable stereo system.
"Hey, it's Merit."
"Merit. Have you finally decided to ditch the zero and get with the hero?"
Ethan cleared his throat--loudly--while I bit back a smile. I didn't see anything wrong with reminding Ethan that I had other options, even if they were slightly goofy options I'd never actually take advantage of.
"Jeff, you're on speakerphone in Ethan's car. He's driving."
There was an awkward pause.
"And by 'zero,'" Jeff quickly corrected, "I meant, you know, you should...um...start liking the White Sox. Go, Sox," he weakly added.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 Stars!! That's what I'm talking about. A decent story, some suspense and a mystery that kept me guessing. Cadogen House and its residents are taking a new direction!! It's about time!!

The suspense/mystery portion of the story played out well and had me guessing well into the book, as to who was committing the heinous crimes. Not until it was brought to the steps of Cadogen House itself, did I finally figure it out. I love the new direction that the series is taking and this will certainly open it up to some fresh story lines. I'm hoping the shifters have a bigger presence as it moves forward and well frankly I would love to spend more time with Jeff...RAWRRRR...and for that matter Gabriel too! Okay enough about that.

The biggest treat of all, Ethan and Merit are still solid!! He waffled a bit, but I felt he was within his right. He was hurt and angry, but still committed. Merit didn't give up, and the snarky girl I love so much was back full strength. I wish however that the author would write them as the mature adults that they are. Many reviewers feel the same way and I couldn't agree with them more.

Bottom line...I really enjoyed this book, and felt it was a strong installment. I'm looking forward to this new Cadogen House and an Ethan and Merit relationship built on trust and love.

[Limonessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alas,
of all the things that I originally liked about this series, close to nothing is left.
The amazing, witty dialogues between Merit and Mallory are long gone since she turned to the Dark side.
The boiling hot sexual tension between Ethan and Merit is gone, stifled by the daily routine and the worries of a House to run.
All is lost, swallowed in vampire stories and the reality of what this series has become.... a detective story.
Let's face it, that's exactly what this is: murder, investigation, suspect, motive, grand finale. No sh*t, Sherlock.
I'm a bit bored, that's what I am. Add to that the fact that the GP has turned into the Vulturi reloaded and you get a very disappointed me.
I'll still read the next one - I'm still interested in finding out about Gabriel's prophecy! - but this series can definitety be tagged as "lost steam" in the GR shelves. It's dragging and it smells badly of a cow that someone is trying to milk to hard.
I'm still giving three stars, for old times' sake. At this point, all I want is to see the end of this; I've invested way too much time and money in this series to drop it.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved this series for a really long time now and Merit and Ethan have held a special place in my heart ever since. The past few books have left me feeling really frustrated with the lack of relationship development between them. Every time things just seem to be going well for them, something happens to pull them apart, or make them doubt themselves or each other. Whilst that still happened in this book, I am very happy and proud to say that they do not succumb to their old habits this time.

Ethan and Merit are the strongest they have ever been. It was like a breath of fresh air to see them so happy together, to see them have fun and to find their comfort from each other, whenever they need it.

'"You’re all right."
He ran his hands through his hair, which fell in a halo of golden blond around his face. "I will manage. We all will.” He crooked a finger at me. ”Come here, Sentinel."
I walked into his arms, and he embraced me with relief, as if the act of touching me removed the weight from his shoulders. That might have been the most flattering compliment I’d ever received from him, nonverbal as it was.'

Merit was so amazing in this book; I don’t even know where to start. She has grown so much, so fast and she handled every situation with such grace and strength.

1, Dealing with the murder cases – She was so clever and always one step ahead of the game.

2, Lacey Sheridan – Jesus, I would have punched that woman ages ago. Come on lady, the desperate bitch never wins! But Merit trusts her love for Ethan and his in return. She knows that after everything he has done for her, to be with her, that Ethan loves her and she just lets the situation play out. It works out for her in the end.

3, McKetrick – Man, that guy is a creep. But Merit had his number, right from the beginning.

4, The Red Guard (and Jonah) – I was so damn proud of Merit for joining them officially. Even when told she should just quit now, while she can. She stands her ground. She knows that this is the right thing to do, that she can help if she joins them. She knows that Jonah will be an amazing partner and that with him at her back, they can accomplish so much. I love that she didn’t back down, even when it would have been easier.

5, I also love her for even considering forgiving Mallory, who doesn’t really deserve it, yet.

Anyway, moving on…
Ethan still annoyed me at times. He tends to over-react, *gasps*, Ethan? Surely not! LOL. But when it came down to it, he defended Merit and put her first.

It still annoys me that after everything Lacey did, he still allowed her to work for him, to sit on the sofa with him and drink wine. Whilst working of course, but that still didn’t hurt merit any less.
But what I did love most about Ethan in this instalment was the affection he showed for Merit. He told her he loved her when she needed to hear it, and held her when she wanted him. It was beautiful to see them fulfil that incredible potential we’ve always know they’ve had.
I also have to say that there was the hottest scene ever in this book, finally! I was starting to think we’d never get one like this :)

Jeff is as wonderful as ever. He is so adorable and funny. He had me laughing so many times.
Merit calling Jeff…

"Yo,"Jeff answered, his voice ringing through the Bentley’s impeccable stereo system.
"Hey, it’s Merit."
"Merit. Have you finally decided to ditch the zero and get with the hero?"
Ethan cleared his throat – loudly – while I bit back a smile… "Jeff, you’re on speaker phone in Ethan’s car. He’s driving…" There was an awkward pause.'
Bwahahahaha.

I know that even with seven books out, it hasn’t even been one year since Merit was turned into a vampire, so we can’t expect too much. But I have to say that when I finished this book I was a little disappointed with everything that had, or more to the point, hadn’t happened. I really liked the killer story, but when you add it all together. Nothing much happened.
It felt like this story was a distraction, or just a filler story. Celina is dead, she died quite a while ago now, so I am a little bored of still hearing about her or the people she was or wasn’t connected to. I think this series should really move on from Celina now. That’s why my rating was a little lower than usual.
Bar despite my few minor problems, I still really enjoyed this book, like I always do with this series. I cannot wait to read the next one. But please, no more Celina :)

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say... I finished this book last night, and I'm already biding my time for the next one. If you haven't started the Chicagoland Vampires series I highly recommend that you do. I struggle with finding goood Paranormal Romance but one thing I can count on is that Chloe Neill will always bring it.

House Rules picks up shortly after Biting Cold ends. Cadogan House is making their move and parting ways with the GP but of course it's not going to be simple. Darius is out to take everything and a surprise alliance proves that maybe Ethan can't take care of his vampires like he plans.

Meanwhile someone is murdering vampires and Merit needs to get to the bottom of who's behind it.

I think that this is probably the best book of the series yet, and I have to tell you that I'm incredibly excited to see that there are going to be at least three more!!

Merit has to be one of the toughest heroines I've read about in PNR lately. She can wield a katana like nobody's business and she's smart and educated and doesn't really take shit from anyone. I'm not sure I could love her more!

Ethan ...*Sigh* he's centuries old, and he also doesn't take shit from anyone. He's everything you want in an egotisitcal, alpha male vampire, that's for sure. Yet that man can bring the swoon.

I'm no James Bond," he cannily said. "I loved the Mercedes. It fit me perfectly. The Aston just... didn't."

"So you traded up?" I asked, walking toward the car and opening the door. "Do you treat your relationships in the same way?"

"Yes," Ethan gravely said. "And I spent four hundred years shopping before I met you."



In House Rules, we get tons of action, from Merit trying to find out who's behind the murders, to Lacey trying to thwart her relationship with Ethan, to Merit working with Jonah as part of the secret Red Guard and I love the return of the cast of characters.

We get to see Merit and Mallory work to repair their relationship, we get to see bits of Luc and Lindsay, and we get a bit more of Jeff in this book than we have in the past.

McKetrick makes an appearance and I can't wait to see what kind of havoc he'll bring in the future books - I think Merit said it best in this book...

"Will there be a time when things are normal? When vampires are loved or hated just like everyone else? When we live simpler lives?"

Ethan settled himself on an elbow, and pushed a lock of hair from my eyes with his free hand. "I'm not sure you were cut out for a simple life, Merit. You don't seem like a suburban type of girl."

And I don't see them having any quiet, simple times in the near future... yay for us readers... not so much for the characters we love! The flow and pace of the story was really well done, and to be perfectly honest I had no clue who the big bad was until it was revealed to the reader.

Like I said, if you're a fan of Paranormal Romance this is the perfect series to start. House Rules is book #7 of a wonderful series that has the perfect blend of action, supernatural and romance and I'm pretty sure you won't be able to put it down once you start!

Thank you to Rosanne Romanello at Penguin for an advanced copy for review!

This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a bit of time for me to get into this series but finally…..I am really loving it.

The first couple of books I found Merit to be the most irritating heroine ever!!!! And even though I did like Ethan Sullivan, I was a bit dubious about his character. The interaction between the two drove me absolutely crazy…..yes I do, no I don’t!!! Jeez!!!!! Back and forward!!!! So much drama. It almost felt forced at times. Make up your minds you two!!!!

But by the time I came to House Rules, book #7…I finally realized how much he fascinating and captivating fantasy of the Chicagoland Vampires magical world where with vampires, shifters, witches, gnomes, angels, demons, fairies, nymphs and humans live.

Things are changing at Cadogan House. With the risk of being excommunicate from the GP which will result in them becoming rogue vampires, the gang now has to deal with a much more dangerous threat. Someone is killing off rogue vampires and, which adds to the stress of the Cadogan House vampires.
Merit has finally realized that this is now her world and home and she will have to use all her skills, allies , strength and not forgetting her wits to protect her “family”.

Lots of non-stop action, magic, tension…..and I really enjoyed the secondary characters……even Mallory, Merit’s best friend sorcerer is growing on me…and Catcher too!!! Which was really surprising because I have not been that enamored with them in the past.

Loved Gabriel and shifters clan….there are some interesting characters in that group and I am looking forward to see how the friendship between vampires and shifters will go.

Some of my favourite quotes:

“Ethan Sullivan,” I marveled. “You have a library fantasy.”
He smiled slightly. “I have a doctoral-student-turned-vampire fantasy.”

“I'm taking fifteen, and we're moving this discussion upstairs."
"You can have here! I will not listen."
"You will listen," Mallory said, "and you'll tell your book club exactly what you heard."
"But is like Twilight in real life!" Berna protested. "Sparkles!”

“He stepped forward to keep our bodies aligned, and took my chin in his hand. "I will have you. Body, mind, and soul. And I won't share you with anyone else.”

“We’ve talked. We’re talking. Lots and lots of talking and then more talking and conversing and communicating and talking.”
I arched an eyebrow at her. She made an awful sound. “God, you’re already Mrs. Sullivan. Let’s go downstairs.”

The ending pretty much wraps up with resolving the killings and we don’t really get a cliffhanger. But by now, I am looking forward to Merit and Ethan’s next “adventure’!!!

[Catarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has cover!

And by the way its freaking gorgeous (thank you god)

but we do have a problem..

Are you kiddin with me chloe? FEBRUARY? WE NEED TO WAIT 6 FUCKING MONTHS TO READ THIS? WHAT. THA. FUCK GIRL?




Seriously I can't wait more long... I NEED TO READ THIS NOW. I NEED TO KNOW ETHAN'S TATTOO MEANING, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE HOUSE, TO ETHAN, MERIT... ARGHHH

Freaking 6 months to wait for .. Fuck that


WAKE ME UP WHEN FEBRUARY STARTS BY THE WAY.

*going into hibernation state*


EDIT

IT'S COMING OH IT'S COMING!

OH my Ethan Fucking Sullivan I can't wait ... I'm going to pass out :)

6 days to go !






Chloe Neill never fails to surprise me !

[Chelsea ✨Arielle’s Nebular Ally and Team Acrux✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Just plain awesomeness. I love Ethan. I love Merit. I adore THEM. It's absolutely adorable to see them together and even more satisfying that they are going through turmoil-Together. Their love is tested. It is tried. But all I can say is-There I was, reading a perfectly awesome novel where the house goes through it's most substantial crisis yet and



BAM! All the emotions of a freight train plow me over and I am, once again, mystified by this wonderful and alluring series.

I've talked and talked and talked about these books and I can't say anything you don't necessarily already know if you have read anything close to all my reviews about my wonderfully flawed vampire (and not so vampire) friends. So, ya know-read it, don't read it-it doesn't make a difference to me. But, here are some quotes for you to enjoy if you wish. Aaaaah I love 'em.


Flirty Ethan:

"I see you're here in this"-he gestured at the shelves-"library all alone. You must be a student here?" He traced a fingertip down the hollow of my throat, lifting goosebumps on my arms.
Since my mind hardly worked when he did things like that, it took a moment for his words to register. Was he initiating a bout of role-playing...about a library?
"Ethan Sullivan," I marveled. "You have a library fantasy."
He smiled slyly. "I have a doctoral-student-turned-vampire fantasy."

Playful Ethan:

Still. He'd had an Aston Martin. A brand-new, right-off-the-lot Aston Martin delivered to him by a very pleased salesman.
"All due respect, a brand-new Aston Martin 'didn't do it' for you? That's James Bonds's car."
"I'm no James Bond," he cannily said. "I loved the Mercedes. It fit me perfectly. The Aston just... didn't."
"So you traded up?" I asked, walking toward the car and opening the door. "Do you treat your relationships in the same way?"
"Yes," Ethan gravely said. "And I spent four hundred years shopping before I met you."

New at 'give as good as you get' relationships Ethan:

"Okay, then."
Ethan looked at me. He watched me, really checking my mood and whether that "okay" meant okay in the male sense ("okay") or the female sense ("possibly okay; it depends on what you say next").

Possessive Ethan:

Without warning, and before I could correct him, he reached out, gripped the edges of my jacket, and kissed me fiercely. "You are mine and mine alone, and it appears you need reminding. I suggest you return to our apartment; otherwise you'll be ravished here and now where you stand, and the door is open."
...
"You wouldn't."
He dropped his head, his lips at my ear. Instinctively, my blood singing, I dropped my head back, giving him access to my neck. "Try me, Sentinel."
"Ethan," I muttered, the sound pushing him over the edge.
"Too late," he said, moving to the office door, slamming it shut, and locking it behind him.

Just because I love how she explains things:

For a split second, the entire city swam before us, the edges bent by the curvature of the earth. And then, as if gravity bowed to us instead of the other way around, the world slowed, and that single, gigantic leap became one small step.


There are so many more I wanted to put, but I guess you'll have to read the series to find them...oh well. :P


For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Keisha Fite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merit has gone from hard student to a vampire with issues at every waken turn.
With a broken heart full of greif, a reciever whom is threating to shut down the house, a stressed out bestfriend and mayor that blames vampires for everything. What more can happen? Merit is on a mission to save both her house and Chicago.
Chicagoland is thrilling and entertaining. It's a complete page turner with no disappointment.

[Beatriz Lins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I the only one who didn't like the cover very much? The other covers were so unique and beautiful, and this one looks so common.
Still, I'm DYING to read House Rules <3

Edited
Sigh. Chloe Neill, why do you keep blowing me away? 5 stars all the way. Again.

[Kt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Merit and the rest of her fellow Cadogan House vampires lives are about to be forever changed as they prepare to formally break from the GP and their oppressive reign. But despite all their preparations they know they can't possibly predict everything, so their is a cloud of worry hanging over their heads. They've taken steps towards making peace with the rogues of Chicago, but that relationship is fragile at best. So when two rogues go missing, Merit and Ethan both know they have to provide all assistance possible despite their own House turmoil. With everything crumbling around them, Merit and Ethan will have to rely on one another more than ever if they are to have any hope at saving their House and the vampires of Chicago.

Merit and Ethan have come leaps and bounds in their relationship. Before whenever they were tested, one or the other one would panic and run. There was so much push and pull, I was starting to get whiplash. So, when some nasty issues of betrayal and the green jealousy monster reared its head I instinctively braced myself for impact. Much to my surprise, they seemed to have broken that pattern and didn't immediately run for the hills. Not that I'm saying their behavior, nor the way they lashed out at one another was exactly healthy, but at least they stuck through the rough times. I still think they have a very long way to go to build their relationship to the point where they can fully trust one another. Of course, Merit would have to get over a whole lot of her insecurities first, and Ethan, well he'd have to stop being such a meat-head at times. Hopefully these bumps along the way will only serve to strengthen them. That being said, I absolutely love the chemistry between them and really think they are perfect for one another.

One of the most impressive things about these books is that while each one has a clear and concise plot, there also are other things going on as well to further the overall plot, or set things up for the next book. In HOUSE RULES there are actually two main plots, one being the murders, and the other being the separation from the GP. I will say that the GP issue had me much more on the edge of my seat as I figured out the identity of the murderer rather early on, so the suspense just wasn't there. There are times where I really hate my ability to see plot twists coming as it can sometimes make it hard to catch me off guard, and I don't get the full effect of some parts of the book. But getting back to the GP issue, even though I knew they weren't going to let Cadogan House get away scott free, I just didn't expect them to go as far as they did. Be prepared for some pretty major shock and awe as their actions left both the characters and myself reeling. Speaking of shockers, we finally find out what Jeff's animal form, and let me just say that he only became more awesome in my eyes. I love that boy something fierce and I hope he gets his own happy ever after!

I'm an incredibly huge fan of this series, so much so that I've given each book five stars across the board. So, when I realized that I couldn't give HOUSE RULES that same rating, there was a whole lot of internal debating going on since I hated to have to find fault in this series. Unlike the previous installments, I just felt a bit disjointed from the characters as I just didn't get sucked into the world like I normally do. Don't get me wrong, the book was still very good, it's just that it didn't have the all consuming nature that I have come to expect from this series. Perhaps a lot of that had to do with my worry over whether or not Merit and Ethan's relationship woes would wind up in a repetition of history, and also the fact that I missed out on the suspense of the murders, so I think it's more of a personal issue rather than any real fault on the book itself. So, in the end, minus my slight issues, overall the book was a very good read in one of my all time favorite Urban Fantasy series. A delight for fans of the series, HOUSE RULES is not to be missed!

[Carmel (Rabid Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Chloe Neill and her Chicagoland Vampires are certainly firing on all cylinders in this 7th installment! And that’s saying something considering that I was all but ready to give-up on this series after the last couple of novels. House Rules is the book that keeps on giving with lightning fast pacing, a masterful web of plot lines and a steadfast heroine who refuses to give up.

To say that Merit has her hands full in this installment would be the understatement of the year. Pick your poison, take a number and get in line behind: a killer on the lose, a love sick master vampire moving in on her turf, Cadogan’s upcoming excommunication from the GP, allies turned enemies and RG secrets. The fact that all of these events unravel over the course of a mere 72 hours is extraordinary. It’s been a while since I’ve stayed up late into the night to finish a book but House Rules was simply impossible to put down.

Ethan and Merit’s relationship has been a point of contention for me since Drink Deep and when trust issues surface between them I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and think “here we go again”. With so much going on in this book I found it difficult to understand why Neill chose to go there. Again. I was really hoping for a drama free installment but this time around their relationship woes actually added to my overall enjoyment of the story. It’s sad that it’s taken them 7 books to reach their happy place but I guess even vampires aren’t perfect.

I’ve always loved Merit as a character and House Rules was her moment to shine. I’ve never witnessed a heroine stick to her guns as adamantly as she does in this book. She finds herself forced to choose between her House and the well-being of all vampire kind while at the same time trying to make Ethan understand that she’s actually picking both. The resulting argument plants doubt in Merit’s mind but despite her internal struggle she makes the right call, consequences be damned. That a girl!

My love/hate feelings towards these books have officially been put to rest thanks to House Rules. For the first time in a long time I’m actually looking forward to the next Chicagoland Vampires installment.

[Shumaila Dosani · Rating 5 out of 5]

best one so far reminds me y I fell in love with the series in the first place
realy curious about Gabrielle's premonition with green eyes like ethans but not ethans

[Jennifer (Bad Bird Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From: http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy....

3.5 stars

At A Glance
I had a love/hate relationship with House Rules. I loved the concept but I often put the book down. It took sometime for me to really get into it.

The Good
Let me start off by saying I really do love this series. I like how the vampires in this world aren't creepy or scary. They are normal like you and me, but they just have some special powers. They are relatable and in essence live normal lives except for a few vampire type problems. I can't think of any other vampire series like this one. That being said, though House Rules didn't have the pizazz as the previous books in the series, it was still very much enjoyable.

I think many fans have been dying to see what happens next after Ethan and his House of vamps decided to finally leave the horrible GP, the ruling group of vampires who make all the rules. It's an understatement to say the GP are no longer out for the good of all vampires. They are out for themselves only. As they say, absolute power, corrupts absolutely. And though I am proud of Ethan for finally removing his House from under their thumb, it was hard to see the lengths the GP would go to bring down these innocent vampires. If it wasn't obvious in the past couple books, the GP have no limits, no reservations in their cruelty. And to add more crap to an already ceiling high crap pile, some psycho is going around killing vampires. And of course it falls to Merit to find the killer before his list of victims grows any bigger.

Merit had so many obstacles in this book it's hard to keep count. I truly don't know how she can stay sane dealing with everything she has on her plate. I think she did a pretty good job of keeping it together. I love how Merit always takes the initiative. She makes the hard decisions when no one else can. She is the kind of person that would do anything, even take a stake to the heart, to save a friend. And with her and Ethan finally starting to build a life together, I can see Merit opening up, becoming whole. Not that she needed Ethan to make herself whole, she just needed someone to finally love her for her, not her connections. When the inevitable fight came, I was so worried that we would see the same Merit and Ethan as before. They still frustrated me in many ways, with Merit's insecurities and Ethan's pig-headedness, but I also saw a change in them. They didn't break-up right away, they let each other have space while they figured out what was the right thing for them as a couple.

I do love where the series as a whole is going. Now, with Cadogan House free from the GP, I hope their relationship with the Rogue vampires becomes even stronger because they need allies. I am still pissed off at the other Houses for using Cadogan's House as their personal helpers but never returning the favor in fear of GP's reprisal. But I see a change coming, and I can only hope things get better from here.

The writing was well done and the side characters were, as always, entertaining in their own ways. It's nice to see Mallory doing better as well. Though I feel like Merit in that it's hard to forgive what Mallory did, I am finding myself warming to her more and more. Mallory use to be one of my favorite secondary characters ever. I hope I feel that about her again sometime soon.

The Bad
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get into this book for the longest time. It was too slow and the whole Merit being a detective thing just wasn't working for me. I know she is often investigating crimes in each book, but this time around I didn't find it engaging.

Ethan annoyed the crap out of me in House Rules. His attitude in past books has bothered me before so I wasn't really surprised when it happened this time, too. He really knows how to act like a baby when he doesn't get his way. It's so weird how he can come across so pompous and "mature" as the Master of the House, then act like a child when Merit doesn't follow his every command or reveal every single aspect of her life.

The Snuggly
It's nice to see Ethan and Merit finally together. They don't have much time together because of all the chaos, but the few stolen moments they get are both sweet and sexy. And we actually get a semi-sex scene that I just loved. Ethan can be so naughty and flirty. I love that side of him.

Final Thoughts
House Rules is not the best book in the series, but for fans, it is a must read. The Cadogan vampires are making huge progress in their bid for freedom. I am dying to see what is going to happen next. Recommended for fans of the series.

Quotes
Ethan grinned and crooked a finger at me.

"I don't perform on command," I reminded him.

He unsnapped the top button on his jeans.

My eyes widened. "Sneaky Bastard."

*****

"Yo," Jeff answered, his voice ringing through the Bentley's impeccable stereo system.

"Hey, it's Merit."

"Merit. Have you finally decided to ditch the zero and get with the hero?"

Ethan cleared his throat--loudly--while I bit back a smile. I didn't see anything wrong with reminding Ethan that I had other options, even if they were slightly goofy options I'd never actually take advantage of.

"Jeff, you're on speakerphone in Ethan's car. He's driving."

There was an awkward pause.

"And by 'zero,'" Jeff quickly corrected, "I meant, you know, you should...um...start liking the White Sox. Go, Sox," he weakly added.

[YA Reads Book Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Nichole.

In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps.

At the tender age of 27, Merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle—and her metal —tested like never before.

It started with two . . . Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.



I have been such a huge fan of the Chicagoland Vampires series for several years now. I remember sucking down the first three books in a matter of days, and it has been a struggle to wait for the new releases ever since then. I cannot even being to tell you guys how much I love this series and how excited I was for this book to release. Unfortunately, I didn't like it, and I'm going to find it really difficult to write this review.

I noticed in the last book, Biting Cold, that the series was starting to develop a sort of slowness. It took about a quarter of the way through for me to get interested in Biting Cold. Once I did, though, I fell in LOVE with the book. House Rules started out exactly like Biting Cold. It was really slow, but this time it started to edge on borderline boring. Unlike Biting Cold, House Rules just did not pick up. I ended up skimming the very last half of the book, because it just got too painful to read.

Ethan and Merit are still as adorable as ever, but I feel like there's nothing really to latch on to now that they're officially a couple. In previous books, we got to see the hunky, snarky, masculine side of Ethan, but now he seems pretty tame. Likewise, Merit has also changed. I have always liked Merit's character, but I couldn't stand her in House Rules. I felt like she had a total personality change. I cannot really put into words how she was different, but she was.

One thing that really bugged me was that I had a really difficult time finding individual voices for all of the characters. Some of you may know what I am talking about when I say that I can see the characters in my head and hear them speaking when I am reading a book. This time, though, everyone sounded like Merit. Another way to put it is that everyone sounded like Chloe Neill. I was reading the words, I was staring at the characters, but nobody really stood out to me. It kind of felt a little bland to me.

I'm starting to fear that this series is going on too long. I love these books, and I want to read about Ethan and Merit forever, but the books are no longer holding my interest. They are lacking the spark that the first three or four books have, and I want that spark back! But I did not feel that spark in House Rules, and I am unsure if I will be continuing the series.



Pages: 352

Publisher: NAL Penguin

Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher

Publication Date: February 5th, 2013

Rating: [rating: 2]



Teaser Quote: "But is like Twilight in real life!" Berna protested. "Sparkles!"

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original Post http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
REVIEW TODAY AND TOUR KICK OFF TOMORROW

In this volume in the series, finally Ethan and Merit are beginning to really trust each other. And more importantly, Merit, never a shrinking violet, is beginning to trust her own decisions as sentinel. THe couple is under a lot of stress as this nasty, nasty something is going around and beheading vampires in a serial killer fashion. Then the worst mayor in the history of Chicago hires the militant McKetrick to essentially have Merit's Grandfather's old job, but without the helpful way her grandfather did it.

As Merit points out, she and Ethan haven't been together very long, and part of that time he was really dead. We know a relationship is only as good as how it weathers a crisis. And that relationship crisis is coming down the pike at a clip. Chloe handles this well. Merit's decision to stand her ground is vital to her character, but her feeling of upset is palpable. We don't see Ethan's feelings as much here. But it is a big part of Merit's character to NOT give in when she feels she has made the right decision.

Of course the whole series is told through Merit's point of view, but while I find many authors use this position as an excuse for exposition I applaud Chloe's ability to write a descriptive account instead of an expository tale.

There is so much going on in this series entry. The hosue is under fire on several fronts. The governing bodies that organizes the "house" system is trying to get back at Cadogan, there's a serial killer on the loose and there is this relationship crisis at the same time. And, it all happens in the space of about 72 hours.

I began reading this book on the way to Miami and then in the car on the drive down the Keys. Never has a trip flown by so fast. By the time we checked into out hut, I was almost finished. This was definitely hard to put down.

I really love this whole series, some parts of it are like the battle scene in Breaking Dawn 2 -- down right shocking. But in this book I found a feeling that Merit and Ethan are moving into a really committed relationship, Cadogan is moving in a new direction and the mayor has some explaining to do.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Wow! wow!

This book was crammed with everything happening from the back stabbing McKetrick to the GP and ass wipe Darius to Jonah and Ethan and Merit... what a combination and I almost combusted!!!!

We see Lacey again in this book, giving support to the Vampire who made her, of course she had other motives on her mind too, which, makes Merit spill the beans... what a ride that was!!!

I love that Mallory is still working her way back with her Shifter watcher... Berna! This is something that is mending as the books progress. Merit's father, he's another story and quite surprised me in this book... makes me wonder if bridges will be built?

The real storylines of course were Merit and Jonah, Merit and Ethan and McKetrick and everyone... he is moving in closer all the time...

Another fantastic installment that had me pushing through the pages, full of action from the start and a book that does not disappoint....

.......NEXT!!!!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed HOUSE RULES more than its predecessor mostly because I felt that Neill really made some progress with the plot and the relationships that readers are most looking forward to in this book. It felt more solid, moving forward as the character show some growth and I enjoyed the pacing of this book more than the last one.

HOUSE RULES brought the series back on track for me and I think readers will be excited to see the sparkle that comes along with this series that we have missed as of late.

Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction

[Claire]

I'm very excited for this book, but if the "evil more familiar than they ever could have imagined" involves Celina somehow coming back from the dead I'm going to bang my head against the wall.

That said, YAY.