First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! And what a great way to celebrate than with the new release of a spin off series from one of my favorites of all-time series. Wild Hunger brings us crashing back into the Cadogan house vampire world that I have missed so much with the end of the Chicagoland series last year. Elisa, daughter of Ethan and Merit, is now front and center of the action. I have to say that her character is a perfect blend of Merit’s grit and determination no matter the cost and Ethan’s fiery temper and cool exterior. Elisa is sheer perfection, and exactly what I could have hoped for as a long-time fan with two characters I belove so much as parents.

Because I received this book early, I cannot comment too much on the storyline. I wouldn’t want to ruin it for those who like surprises. I will say that if Wild Hunger as the debut novel that the rest of the series will be more than just a wild hunger. It will be a unhinged devouring of action, sass, and romance.

When you are one of a kind, the world wants a piece of you, as a friend or a foe, but as the only vampire ever born, Elisa just wants to be herself and keep her secrets just that, secret. Only one person knows what she hides, and Connor, shifter prince and future King of his pack isn’t about to force her hand, even when a diplomat’s mysterious assassination could destroy the supernatural world of Chicago.

Chloe Neill hasn’t just brought back the intrigue of her Chicagoland Vampires with a spinoff of the new generation, she has built a strong foundation to what could prove to be even more exciting, more intense and more importantly, FRESH! It's time for change and Ms. Neill is bringing it on!

No worries fans, WILD HUNGER the first in the Heirs of Chicagoland series doesn’t’ miss a beat! The same “Neill” attitude is ringing through with a fresh spin, humor and heat! These characters will come alive, and their relationships will be “complicated” to say the least, because this generation is getting ready to take center stage in a world still filled with the conflict that only a melting pot of supernaturals and supernatural egos could create!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley Publishing Group!

Series: Heirs of Chicagoland - Book 1
Publisher: Berkley (August 14, 2018)
Publication Date: August 14, 2018
Genre: Urban Fantasy | Romance
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Elisa Sullivan, the only vampire child ever born, is back in Chicago escorting the French House to talks which are supposed to bring peace to the European vampires. She has mixed feeling about being back in Chicago. She's glad to see her parents and her old friends. But being back in Chicago also makes control of the monster inside her more difficult. Somehow in the chain of events that led to her birth, a piece of magic - an angry, uncontrollable piece - became a part of her. This is a secret that she hasn't shared with anyone.

One of her old acquaintances is Connor Keene who is the son of the Alpha of the Shifter pack and who was the bane of her existence when they were children together. Her years away have changed Connor or, at least, changed her perception of him which is causing her to feel a lot of confusion.

When a vampire from Spain is murdered and one of Connor's packmates and a good friend of Elisa's is found standing over the body holding a knife, Elisa knows she needs to get involved to prove that her friend is being framed for the crime. The main problem with Elisa investigating is the agreement between Cadogan House and the city of Chicago which states that they won't interfere with the work of the Ombudsmen. Elisa uses a loophole - she has never pledged to Cadogan House - to conduct her own investigation. Soon she is deep in an investigation of faeries who have a deep and twisted plot to gather more power for themselves. Connor gets involved too by way of a few timely rescues.

I enjoyed this spinoff of the Chicagoland Vampires series and look forward to more adventures for Elisa and her friends.

I haven't finished the Chicagoland Vampire series but really enjoy it and didn't want to let the first book in this new series pass me by. Even though I haven't finished the other series I was still able to catch on to what was happening in this book although it probably helped that I had some clue who some of the other players were.

This book focuses on Elisa Sullivan the only vampire child born of two vampires. Most vampires are made not born. However the magic that helped create her also resides inside her as a monster that is Elisa has been trying to control since she was a child. Connor is the son of the Apex or pack leader of the shifters. Connor and Elisa have known each other since they were children but now they are both grown and their passion for each other has turned from a childish rivalry to grown up passion.

The Vampires of Europe have converged on Chicago for peace talks which go sideways when one of the oldest vampires is murdered and a shifter is charged with the crime. Connor and Elisa try to find evidence to prove him innocent and stumble onto a much larger conspiracy.

Politics, passion, and predjudice run rampant through these books just as they do in the real world. This book kept my interest and was a quick read, I look forward to what is happening between Connor and Elisa and also with Elisa and the monster living inside her, which I find to be an interesting story line particularly because it mimics something that happened to her mother back when she was first turned. Great start to a new series.

I enjoyed the other Chicago land series with Ethan and Merit but this one failed to appeal to me. It felt off and failed to pull me in, however I can easily see how others would enjoy it. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

This was my first outing with Chloe Neill, but I think it will not be the last. I really enjoyed the start of this new urban fantasy series. It is a spin off from another series, but I can attest that you do not need to have read that series to follow what is going on in this one just fine. There was some structural and pacing weirdness in the beginning, but it picked up and I am excited to see where the series goes.

"In the first thrilling installment of Chloe Neill's spinoff to the New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series, a new vampire will find out just how deep blood ties run.

As the only vampire child ever born, some believed Elisa Sullivan had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Connor Keene, the only son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she's a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he's prince of the Pack and its future king.

When the assassination of a diplomat brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever.

I love Urban Fantasy set in places I love, like Chicago! Here's to Chloe Neill writing more Chicago set books! Chicago FOREVER!

Another great book by Chloe Neill. I loved Ethan and Merit, but Elisa and Connor., I just don't know. Elisa is the only born vampire in the word and that has lead to some very interesting powers and conflicts. They way Connor and Elisa snipe at each other was amusing. The only problems I had was that Elisa seems very much like Merit and they are very young.

*Thanks to NetGalley for this title that I read voluntarily in exchange for an honest review*

Merit and Ethan's story is over but that's totally fine because we get Elisa and Connor! I have to say that I may just like Connor more than Ethan... yeah I was surprised by this but I can't help but love me a sexy shifter. Eliza is trying to find who she is through most of this novel, having always been the daughter of two very famous vampires and the only born vampire to boot, it's not been easy on her to just be herself. So she goes off to Paris but when she gets back things sure have changed and the easy peace in Chicagoland maybe gone...

If you have read and enjoyed any of the books from the first series then you're going to love this. It's more of the same awesomeness that we've come to expect from this author. The writing keeps getting better with every single book that comes out. I will say that I thought we would see more of the characters from the other books but I'm sure we will in time. I just honestly want more of Connor.

Overall, this is going to be just as awesome as the first series and I can't wait to be here for the ride!

Will go live on my blog: 8/7/2018

Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill is the first book in her new Heirs of Chicagoland, which is a spinoff from her Chicagoland Vampire series. I have not read the Chicagoland series, but this new series was very easy to start as a standalone. Though sometime in the future, I think I would enjoy starting that series, as I have been enjoyed another series by her, and I really loved Wild Hunger.

This series picks up years later, Elisa Sullivan, our heroine, is the only vampire child ever born, and her mother and father (Ethan & Merit from the Chicagoland series) are the leaders of the American Vampires. The American Vampires have been in peace for many years, and now try to bring the European countries to attend a peace treaty, to stop the wars in France and other European countries. Elisa returns after a couple of years in France, working with their leader on an internship.

Connor Keene, a shifter & the only son of North American Central Pack leader, Gabriel Keene (also from Chicagoland series), is the heir apparent of the pack. Connor and Elisa knew each other well as children, surrounded by their families, and they never got along, with the older Connor calling Elisa “brat”. After many years, both are shocked at how different they are today. In a short time, their disdain for each other will change to a full blown attraction, which stays in the background and I am sure will be explored in future books.
The focus of the story revolves around the Fae, who have returned and want their lost powers back. A murder occurs at the party, and all hell will begin to break loose, which will lead to many of the European countries to break up and return home. Elisa will work with others to help clear a shifter from murder charges, and well and try to stop the Fae from taking over America.

I thought Elisa (Lis) was a wonderful heroine; strong, smart, sensible and truly likeable. She does have a secret that goes back to her childhood when her mother took control of evil being, a power she struggles to control. She feels she has a monster inside of her, but when she is in danger, her monster is what will help her fight like a berserker and help save the good guys. The only one who knew about it was Connor, who remembers when she had an episode as a child. He will try to convince her to accept her power, and learn to control it. It was very sweet to watch how he was always there for her whenever she was in danger. I loved watching them falling for each other; he was surprised how beautiful and smart, with her unable to not fall for the hot hunky new Connor.

What follows is an exciting adventure, especially in the last third of the book as the war escalates with the vampires and shifters trying to protect their country and the humans against the dangerous hostile fairies. Chloe Neill introduces a wonderful new series, with some fantastic characters, which include, Elisa, Connor and LuLu, as well as a romance that has so much potential. Wild Hunger is a great start to a terrific Urban Fantasy/Paranormal series. I for one cannot wait for the next book.

5 Hearts, Recommended Read
SJ, Romance Junkies

In WILD HUNGER, the first of Chloe Neill's new series, HEIRS OF CHICAGOLAND, Elisa Sullivan is thrust into a mystery that will take all her courage and intelligence to survive.

This story is a spin-off from Neill's popular CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES series, which I haven't read. I wasn't lost at all, so I can say this series truly stands on its own. It was so good, however, that I plan to go back and read CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES.

Elisa is the only vampire child ever born, and she's grown up the daughter of both the Sentinel (protector) and Master (leader) of Cadogan House. Away to earn her way in the world and grow up on her own, she returns home to Chicago to provide support for the Parisian vampire house to which she's attached. A vampire summit is being held to ensure a world-wide peace, and Elisa can't wait to serve her house, as well as see her family.

But someone doesn't want that to happen, and murder is just the start of a deepening conspiracy to shake up the supernatural world.

As Elisa tries to help absolve a friend who's been framed for the crime, she's paired with her old best friend, a witch who refuses to do magic, and Connor Keene, a boy she grew up with. Connor is a werewolf and the only son of the North American Central Pack leader. He's the heir to the shapeshifter throne, and an arrogant werewolf with attitude who rubs Elisa the wrong way.

Shifters and vampires don't mix, but there's something about Connor that pulls at Elisa. That and he's the only one who knows her dark secret, one she's never, ever told.

The story packed a punch of excitement and adventure with a touch of romance. Its mystery was enthralling, the characters vibrant and multilayered, the world-building detailed and well-crafted.

If you like urban fantasy and are in search of a satisfying, entertaining read, look no further. WILD HUNGER is a perfect mix of adventure and intrigue.

Recommended Read

Fantastic characters, strong writing, and a quick pace make this an excellent start to a new series. :)

If you ever intend on reading the author's Chicagoland Vampire series, you'd better do it first, because even the blurb on the back of this book is going to totally spoil an entire series for you. That being said --

Wild Hunger is an exciting ride that captures the energy and enthusiasm of the early Chicagoland Vampire books, despite a rushed beginning.

At the end of the Chicagoland Vampire series, readers are left with quite a bombshell: Merit, a vampire, is pregnant, and vampires don't get pregnant. The explanation and circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and Elisa's birth felt very rushed and unsatisfying to me, but ignoring that, the rest of the story is actually quite entertaining.

Elisa is likable enough, and despite needing to be rescued by the romantic interest a few times, also does some rescuing of her own. When one of her friends is framed for a horrific murder during an international vampire peace summit, she and her friends set out to find the true killer, opening up a Pandora's box of diplomatic power struggles and making unexpected enemies in the process.

Recommended for readers of the Chicagoland Vampire series, even those whose interest waned early in the series, and even those who disliked the way the series ended.

Unrelated: if I were to compare this book to food, it is a warm bag of cheesy caramelcorn. Proceed accordingly.

Unrelated 2: I still can't get over the fact that the vampires in the books are always Chicago Cubs fans, when Cadogan House is like 3 miles away from where the White Sox play and the Cubs' stadium is clear on the opposite side of the city... White Sox just can't get any love, even in fiction.

I tried to like this book, I really did. If you are already a fan of this author, you will probably enjoy this series. Chloe Neill has built a unique world, but I find the characters a bit formulaic. Alpha man is alpha! Strong female (supposed) warrior is....crippled by self doubt and needs a lot of validation. I found myself wanting to shake the main female character throughout the book, but that may be because she is 21 and I am...not. Lots of thinking about boys, and chasing after boys, and loudly not being interested in the boy she is clearly interested in. However the author does manage to move the plot along nicely, and it was fun seeing familiar characters from the old series return.

I was beyond excited when I was approved to review this book. I absolutely loved so many of Chloe's books. When I first started this blog her books were spread across my reviews. When I started this I will be honest I was terrified that I didn't enjoy her writing any more as it had been a couple years since I've read her writing. But the further I got into the book the more I fell in love. I was back to being overwhelmed with excitement that I was able to read this book before it was published and to be able to review another of her titles. The further into this book I got the more of a feel I got for the other series Chicagoland which is what made me fall in love with Chloe's writing. This book is fantastic. I found myself staying up at night reading, having a hard time going into work to find out what was going to happen next. Would everything get resolved? Would there really be peace among the vampires? Honestly once I got past my teen years I thought I was past all that vampire, werewolves, stuff. But I guess Chloe just captures my soul. I am ready for the next book in the series.. Is it here yet? I am also ready to pick up where I left off on the Chicagoland series as well because I know I never finished that either. I may have loved that but my TBR pile was bigger than my love of my love of that series unfortunately. I totally recommend this book.

4 ½ ★
I have read and loved The Chicagoland Vampires Series, (mostly) so when I saw this will be released I was really psyched to get my hands on it.
I should say that it also can be easily read if you have not read the first series, everything that is important will be mentioned and explained. So if you have not read it and don’t plan on it you still can read this book and not be lost.
After reading it I can say that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was a perfect mix of old and new , the old Chicagoland we know and love and the new with fresh new people to love just as much if not a bit more . Familiar faces and storyline being brought over to the new faces and new problems with Chicago.
We still get to see Merit and Ethan but out if the eyes of their Daughter Elisa which I not only liked but it was different. But obviously this being Elisa’s story they stay pretty much in the background but still poke their head in sometimes. Which was nicely done.
I really enjoyed Elisa, she was strong, unique funny and really working on distancing herself from her parent’s legacy and wants to stay on her own two feet. But what nobody knows is that she fights an internal battle with a monster inside her since she was pretty much born. A possible side effect if the way she was made and or born?! Only one person know a little about it and that is Connor Keene.
Speaking of Connor I really enjoyed him, sexy string alpha male with a sense f humor. I really loved them together and their banter, it had many laugh out loud moments.
But there was also a tender and really honest site to them that I loved. Overall I just really liked them. The few awkward moments between them made it just so much more realistic and fun read.
I also enjoyed Theo, thought his role in the Ombidubus office was great, I just\ hope we will not see a love triangle here.
I also enjoyed Lulu, the daughter of Malory and Catcher who decided to ban Magic in her life, but I think that will change and we will see some kind of conflict with herself.
Of course we also see the faeries again and of course they up to no good. We learn more about their magic and history but also more about Magic in general that also involves the vampires and wolves .
The seen prophecy we heard about before is hinted at but we still don’t know what it is or what was seen……but I think it will be a major part of the series.
Overall, I really enjoyed it was fresh and funny, the writing was smooth and it was easy to fall in love with the characters . The final battle I thought was a bit anti climatic but overall it was great first book and I ‘m looking forward to reading the next ne already.
I rate it 4 ½ ★

The next generation is here! This spin off of the Chicagolands Vampires features the one and only Elisa. As the only born vampire, she is unique and treated differently. It is possible to read this book as a standalone. Reading the original series would help. Full disclosure, I have not read all the other books in the other series. I left it in a huff when Mallory went all crazy "dark Willow". I didn't like it and thought it came out of the blue. I digress. In this new series, it is literally featuring the son and daughters of the original powerhouse. The powerhouses are still here, in a supporting cast role. They will be needed as it seems this next generation has issues.

I like the new generation. Elisa is responsible and conscientious daughter. As a possible heir to her father's House she is a princess. This could make her as spoiled brat. She is not. She did her training in Paris, France to be treated the same as other young vampires. However, her apparently lack in age does not equate to lessor power. She holds an extra oomph and she's afraid of it. This has trouble written all over it. Why children think they can hide something from responsible, caring, loving and supportive parents is beyond me. We do get to see a little bit what is to come. Personally, I think it's awesome what Elisa has, but that is because I'm a jaded old woman uncaring of other people's opinions. When I was as young as Elisa, it would have mattered a lot to me.

Along with Elisa, Connor, son of the Pack Alpha makes his presence known. Connor is a hawt, sexy werewolf shifter with issues of his own. His are responsibilities to his pack. It shouldn't be a problem, but it is because Elisa messes with his priorities. He isn't expecting to be attracted to the snot nosed little princess he remembers. To round out this supernatural triad is LuLu. She is the daughter of Mallory. As a witch from two very powerful magicians, one would think Lulu is a powerhouse too. But no, she complete cut of any magic use and ignores her full potential. Of the three, Lulu is the one I'm most disappointed in. I understand where she is coming from. However, her willful blindness to magic is going to be a major handicap and will only bring her grief. I'm already thinking of all the different scenarios of how she will be a liability. None of the permutations are looking good.

The conflict in this story is a long time coming. The Fae are back and what they want is fathomable if unachievable. When they attempt to do what they want, all hell breaks loose. The strong alliances between the American vampire houses and the shifters are strains. This flushes the European Vampires peace treaty talks down the drain with Elisa caught in the middle. The political intrigue in written heavy handed. The players are not subtle in the Pack, Vampire house and especially not in the Fae. It is clear from the get go who are the main threats. Although I have a sneaking suspicion there is a quieter vampire betrayer that will come in follow books, out of the blue. Just like how there was zero indication of Mallory going bad, just one day she went crazy. Not a fan of this writing style, but tends to be a trademark of Ms. Neill, coming out of the left field with the unexpected. It will be exciting to see what happens. This new adult book is recommended to paranormal readers who enjoy seeing a new batch of supernaturals coming into their own.

When we last Elisa Sullivan in the epilogue of Blade Bound, she was a toddler. Now she’s twenty three and a recent college graduate living in Paris. Wild Hunger brings her back home to Chicago for a vampire peace conference. She’ll be reunited with her parents, her childhood friends, and the “monster” inside her which she says comes from the magic that allowed her to be born. Being close to her mother’s katana, which imprisoned that magic, makes it stronger. This reminds me of when Merit and her inner vampire were at odds in the early Chicagoland Vampire books, and I can’t help but wonder if the solution to the problem will be similar.

I think I expected to fall right back in to the familiar feel of the CV series, but that’s not exactly what happened. Elisa is more serious than Merit - more angst, less snark – and the book feels heavier in tone because of it. Connor’s also quite different from Ethan in some ways – leather and denim and motorcycles rather than Armani suits and high end sports cars. We get updates on some of the CV characters, though many of them are just mentioned and don’t appear. The story focusses more on the next generation of characters. I like the new Ombuddies, especially Theo who Elisa teams up with. I also like the BFF vibe she has with Lulu, Mallory and Catcher’s daughter.

I wish that Neill had written something else first and come back to this idea a few years from now. That’s partly because I would have liked some novellas about the supporting characters in Chicagoland Vampires - the Ombuddies, Merit’s necromancer friend, the FBI agent introduced at the end of the series. Mostly, it’s just that I’m not I’m not a fan of time jumps in general, and I thought this one could have been executed better. Wild Hunger is set about twenty years from now. They have flexible silicone “screens” instead of phones and they’ve finally perfected self-diving cars. The future tech is interesting, but feels inconsistent – Connor can pay for dinner by tapping his key fob on the table, but Elisa’s favorite coffee shop is cash only? And Elisa’s pop culture references feel dated even by today’s standards (Do twenty-somethings make Seinfeld references?) though I guess it’s comforting to know that people will still be sorting themselves into Hogwarts houses twenty years from now.

Which is not to say that I didn’t like Wild Hunger or Elisa. I just think I may have some growing pains with the new series, which is not uncommon. I found myself taking a lot of notes, trying to dig out every little detail of backstory, which may have been distracting. But I have always wanted to learn more about Neill’s shifters and this series might do that - we get bits of Connor’s POV in the prologue and epilogue. I’m definitely excited to see where it goes.

3.5 stars

Everything I hoped it would be and so much more! Ethan and Merit were there which thrilled me no end. Loved the kids all grown up. Lulu was hysterical, Connor sounds HOT! And Elisa is a very deep, relatable character. I think I will love this as much, if not more than Chicagoland!!

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Wild Hunger (Heirs of Chicagoland #1) by Chloe Neill
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
I have not read the series that this book is a spin off for I guess I should say right off the start. I have seen the other series and thought YES but it’s so deep in and I just don’t have the time to dedicate to starting a new series so when this happened I jumped. I didn’t have any real trouble understanding storyline information from the other series. I think the author did a great job explaining issues during the story for people like me to get was happening. But I love paranormal so I can just kinda roll with it and go. Some people might not be able to just go with it.
Essentially this book is about Elisa and the fact of her birth being so crazy and supernatural….see she is the only VAMPIRE child to be born and born with magic too….see why I love paranormal???!!
Connor and Elisa have a very complicated and sorted relationship to say the least. They have great banter in the book and it made me laugh a bit. They also have great chemistry which makes for fun reading too. Connor and Elisa have to figure out about themselves and what they want when what they are starts to show. This makes everything a bit more interesting.