inconceivably

Let's be real here. The publishing biz is saturated with vampire novels. The amount of them that totally suck (no pun intended) is staggering. So...if you're going to publish a vamp novel...it better be a freaking fantastic one. It also better be original. Something about it better literally shout Pick me! out of all the other 943,273 vampire novels you could be reading, I'm the one you want! Lucky for this series, it does stand out. Merit is an incredible character. She has exactly the right blend of naivete, brains, sensitivity, and general bad assness. When we meet her in this book - she is an unwillingly made vampire. She and Ethan Sullivan, her "liege" definitely butt heads. Often. And in public. She sticks her foot in her mouth an impressive number of times. Luckily for her, Sullivan has the hots for her. And thinks she is funny. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have lasted into a second book. Don't expect a lot of romance right out of the gate though - Neill makes you work for it. This one is a slow burn...mainly because both characters involved are stubborn beyond belief. There is attraction...and oh yes, there is chemistry. But this time around, that is all you get. (Believe me, when you do reach the payoff later in the series- WORTH THE WAIT.)The action, all the side characters, the overall plot...everything comes together. This is a book you won't be able to put down - and believe me, you want all three published books at your immediate disposal. I read all three in a row and would now give a lung and/or my hypothetical future children for the next book.