ARC Review: Wicked Hour by Chloe Neill

Wicked Hour
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: An Heirs of Chicagoland Novel (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (December 3, 2019)

Description: In the second pulse-pounding novel in the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series, vampire Elisa Sullivan gets drawn into the shifting sands of Pack politics.

Vampires were made, not born — until Elisa Sullivan came along. As the only vampire child in existence, she grew up with a heavy legacy, and tried to flee her past. Then circumstances drew her back to Chicago, and she stayed to keep it safe. With shifter Connor Keene, the only son of Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, at her side, she faced down a supernatural evil that threatened to destroy Chicago forever.

After the dust from the attack has settled, Elisa is surprised when Connor invites her to a usually private Pack event in the north woods of Minnesota, and by the warm welcome she receives from some of Connor’s family, even though she's a vampire. But the peace doesn't last. The shifters tell tales of a monster in the woods, and when the celebration is marred by death, Elisa and Connor find themselves in the middle of a struggle for control that forces Elisa to face her true self — fangs and all.

My Thoughts: This is the second book starring Elisa Sullivan and Connor Keene. They resolved their childhood issues in the first in this series but now are wondering if they can have a romantic relationship being that she's a vampire and he's a werewolf and the next Apex of the clan. When Connor is invited to a christening in Grand Bay, Minnesota, in a pack that is still hiding its supernatural heritage from the rest of the world, he asks Elisa to ride along on his motorcycle. He feels there is something wrong with the pack and wants Elisa's input.

They arrive to find that the pack is firmly divided between the old guard who are hanging on to power with every bit of their strength and the young members who want something different for the pack. Add to that the recent death of a young pack member, an attack on another by some strange creature, and the death of one of the elders in a particularly gruesome way, and you have a case that will take all of Connor's and Elisa's various skills to solve.

Elisa is also still trying to learn how to deal with the monster within who has always been a part of her life and her most closely guarded secret.

I liked the fast-paced action of the story. I liked the Minnesota setting. I liked the snarky dialog. And I especially liked the growing relationship between Connor and Elisa.

Favorite Quote:

Paloma blanched when she saw us coming, then tried to play casual by flipping the "Open" sign to "Closed."

"Wow,: Theo said. "I don't know if we should go in now that she's turned that sign around."

"Yeah," I said, pushing open the door. "It's a real obstacle."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.