Its here!

Wicked Hour has finally arrived and we have finally returned to Elisa and Connor’s story!

Chloe Neill returns to Chicago once again with the latest in the Heirs of Chicagoland series, Wicked Hour.

Wicked Hour starts off with Connor inviting Elisa to join him at a Pack initiation ceremony for a newborn shifter in Minnesota. Though at first hesistant, Elisa decides to go on this roadmap with Connor and take this chance to learn more about the shifters and her budding relationship with Connor. However, not everything goes as Elisa would have liked because upon arriving there’s trouble. First, a shifter is attacked by something unknown but Cash, the elder of the shifter clan, believes is to be nothing. Second, Cash and numerous other shifters are not happy with Elisa’s presence. Third, a dead body appears after the initiation ceremony which looks like it was attacked by shifter only bigger and ruthless. Lastly, Connor and Elisa learn that it’s not the first body to be found in such a condition. As a result, Connor and Elisa decide to investigate but can they discover who or what the attacker is before more bodies start to pile up?

Overall, Wicked Hour makes it clear that this series is not a continuation of the Chicagoland Vampires series but is its own series, the Heirs of Chicagoland. Sure we get to see old characters but only in small doses so they will not overshadow our new characters. Also, Chloe Neill has done an excellent job creating new secondary characters! There’s one introduced in this installment that is certain to be one of my favorites as the series goes on. I really enjoy how she’s developing Elisa and Connor’s budding romance and also Wicked Hour gives us a sneak peek of the future obstacles they will face as a couple in upcoming novels.

Wicked Hour by Chloe Neill is the 2nd book in her Heirs of Chicagoland series. I looked forward to reading this book, especially after I loved the first book, Wild Hunger. I am happy to say Wicked Hour was equally as good as the first book, and I cannot wait to continue reading more of this wonderful series.

Refresher: Elisa Sullivan, our heroine, is the only vampire child ever born, and her parents are the powerful leaders of the American vampires that lead the Chicagoland series. Connor Keen, our hero, is a werewolf and the heir apparent to the North American Central Pack Apex (Alpha). Both Connor and Elisa have known each other since childhood, though they did not consider themselves friends, as their families maintained a peaceful friendship, despite the different species (vampire – werewolf). In the last book, Connor and Elisa become friends, now that they are no longer children, and the chemistry between them continues to heat up.
In Wicked Hour, Connor needs to go to visit the Minnesota Pack, because of an initiation, and also some concerns. He convinces Elisa to go with him, as she is very good at reading people, as well as Alexei, another werewolf loyal to Connor and his pack. What they find is a clan in disarray, with the elders and the younger generation becoming separated, especially after the death of one of the younger females. Connor and Elisa will also discover that the elders are ignoring signs of a dangerous species that is hurting and killing others. Both will have to find a way to stand up to the clan, and earn their respect, especially since they do not like a vampire in their mist.

What follows is an exciting action filled adventure, especially in the last third of the book as the danger escalates with this new species trying to take over, including killing humans. Connor and Elisa will discover how this new mutant is being created by a magical spell, and must find a way to defeat them, as well gain the trust of the clan.

I thought Elisa was a wonderful heroine; strong, smart, sensible and truly likeable. She does have a secret that Connor knows about; 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. As the danger escalates putting their lives in danger, it is Connor who persuades Elisa to use her gift to help save their lives. It was nice to see her accept her other part, and I look forward when she will be able to use this more when needed.

Chloe Neill gives us another great story, with a wonderful couple, great secondary characters, which include, LuLu, Alexei, Theo and Elisa’s strange cat, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Wicked Hour was well written by Neill and continues this wonderful Urban Fantasy/Paranormal series, which I can’t wait for the next book.

"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."

I love Midwest Urban Fantasy. Can NOT get enough!

If you've been following me for a while, you know I love Chloe Neill, I was more than eager to find Elisa and Connor in this second book of the series dedicated to them.
In the first book, there was a small connection between Elisa and Connor, who are respectively a vampire and a werewolf.
In Wicked Hour, Connor asks Elisa to accompany him to Minnesota on a pack business. In other words, everything will be complicated, not only must Connor get the Minnesota pack to admit Elisa, which is quite complex since werewolves don't like vampires. Moreover on this territory there has already been a murder and the atmosphere within the pack is not very pleasant.
Elisa and Connor will have to solve a mystery and they will also have to make choices that will not be easy.
I love Elisa, she inherited the character traits of both her parents, she is a fighter like Meritt, an observer like Ethan and frankly I am impressed by her deductions every time. She also has to face the darkness she is sheltering, I am looking forward to discovering a little more about this subject because for the moment we are only touching it and even if Elisa learns to trust it and to release the monster at times, she will have to learn to live with it.
Connor is absolutely brilliant, I love his Alpha side, protective and possessive, yet he knows how to let go for Elisa, he understands that she doesn't need anyone to defend herself. He will have to face his feelings and he will also learn that being the son of the Alpha does not necessarily open all the doors for him.
I really loved this story, this series is the worthy continuation of the Chicagoland Vampires series.
Quick Word: A second exciting book that plunges us into the world of the pack.

Wicked Hour is the second book in the Heirs of Chicagoland series by Chloe Neill. This series is part of the Chicagoland Universe. It provides a deeper insight into the world of the vampires of Chicago and the North American pack. This universe is based twenty years after the epic battle in the last Chicagoland book. While some of the characters from the earlier books do make appearances in this book, the focus is on illuminating a new mythos and relationships. We were introduced to this series with Wild Hunger, and the story continues with Wicked Hour.

Elisa Sullivan is a rarety among supernaturals, the only vampire who was born not made due to a confluence of magic and circumstances surrounding the great battle of Chicago. She's very intelligent and independent and has spent her life learning new skills and emerging out of the towering shadows cast by her illustrious parents, Ethan and Meritt Sullivan.

Connor Keene is the only son of the Apex of the North American pack, the potential heir apparent to the throne. He is a strong and intelligent alpha in training and has the potential to lead his people into the future and protect the next generation of the pack.

Together, Connor and Elisa have already stopped a supernatural evil and saved Chicago, but their journey has yet begun. Connor invites Elisa to a sacred and secret pack event. However, they are soon beset by dangers at every turn and must work together to come to the bottom of the situation and repel the evil stalking the woods of Minnesota. This book is truly spellbinding and a must-read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Chloe Neill's second book in her Heirs of Chicagoland spinoff series finds Elisa and Connor heading on a road trip to visit Pack in the wilds of Minnesota. What starts out as a trip to formally initiate a new(born) shifter into the Pack quickly turns into Elisa and Connor investigating attacks purportedly carried out by a mysterious, mythological creature. Elisa and Connor become embroiled in a struggle for power and control that could ultimately become their undoing.

I loved how much Wicked Hour sets Heirs of Chicagoland apart from its predecessor. Whereas Wild Hunger was setting up the characters and a 20-years-in-the-future Chicagoland, Wicked Hour solidifies Elisa and Connor's stories on their own. Chloe Neill does a great job, still, of incorporating characters from the previous series (namely Ethan, Merit, and Gabriel) but their appearances never overshadow what Elisa and Connor are trying to accomplish. I'd also say I love the building up of the group dynamic that happens with Connor, Elisa, Lulu Bell, Ombudsman Theo, and Pack member Alexi. Alexi is an interesting character addition in that his parents are the Breckenridges whom readers will know as friends of Merit's family and his father Nick a former childhood love of Merit's. But, again, all this tying together of past and present does is enhance what we have in the present, never dampening, and never overshadowing. Neill handles it all masterfully and if the first book was a good read and left me interested for more, Wicked Hour has me chomping at the bit to see what's next for our group.

I think the key to all of this is the fact that the narrative moves out of Chicago. It's something the original series did a couple of times, but never, in my opinion, for any significant amount. I hope that Heirs of Chicagoland continues trekking through different terrain. It's somewhat hinted that, that is the direction the series will go, but I guess we won't know for certain until the next book comes out. I think with Elisa unaffiliated with a House and the Pack literally being spread all over the country, there's plenty of places they can go, and I'm sure plenty of trouble they can stir up (or thwart!).

Another thing I really appreciate is Connor and Elisa's budding relationship. When the book starts I wasn't so sure about it. I didn't feel a zing or a connection for them to be together, but by the end, I'm fully on board. I think the book starts out that way because they are both still trying to define what's between them. I'm hoping Chloe Neill will continue to go a different route with Connor and Elisa than she did with Ethan and Merit. Not only because I don't want to read a rehash of how long it took them to finally get it together and the fact that they're completely different characters, but I like the idea of a relationship that spans an entire series, exploring the ups and downs. Plus, I think there's enough outside conflict to deal with in regards to Elisa being a vampire and Connor being Pack that adding internal conflict would be too much. Wicked Hour touches on this directly and repeatedly, but I feel like things are far from settled.

The creature mystery kept my attention and I liked how seamlessly Chloe Neill ties it into a wider conflict that is going on around this branch of the Pack in Minnesota. But it wasn't the main draw for me to the story. It kept my attention, but I was coming back because of the characters and their interactions more than solving the mystery. Which is not a bad thing, that's just my experience while reading.

Overall, Wicked Hour doesn't disappoint. It sets this new series firmly on its own path. Pretty soon we'll be saying "Ethan and Merit who?". Kidding! Seriously though, Connor and Elisa - together, individually - are a force to be reckoned with and I'm happy to be along for the ride.

I am absolutely in love with Lis and Connor.
Things kind of come to circle in the world Neill has built. She also continues to give us a well balanced book full of action and world building. I also cannot express my love for the wit she gives the characters.

Lastly, Chloe if you see this—I need some more Alexei and Lulu ;).

The only born not made vampire in existence, Elisa Sullivan grew up the privileged daughter of a master vampire and his sentinel wife in Chicago. After spending time in France for education and distance from the confines and demands of such a heritage, Elisa decides to stay in Chicago; however, she has a very big secret weighing heavily. Connor Keene, son and prince of the Apex leader to the shifter pack, has known Elisa her whole life. In the previous book, it became clear that Elisa and Connor are more than just former adversaries and occasional playmates; they have begun the tentative steps to a relationship. Elisa trusts Connor with her secret and is beginning to trust him with her heart.

Connor invites Elisa to attend a Pack ceremony in the far Minnesota north woods that usually includes only shifters and a few rare humans. With trouble in the Pack, stories of a monster stalking them, the opportunity arises for them to spend time together teaming Connor and Elisa for this adventure. Some of Connor’s extended and very large family welcomes Elisa, but others distrust having a vampire in their midst. During all the drama, Elisa has to deal with that part of her which is very other and which is becoming quite a challenge.

Away from their powerful parents, Elisa and Connor come more into their own as forces to be reckoned with playing an important role dealing with supernatural relationships as well as humans. For a shifter and vampire to be together crosses quite a wide chasm of ingrained prejudices and mistrust from both sides. Second in the Chicagoland Heirs series, this story is a good mix of action, adventure, and a little romance. Fans will be quite pleased to see how this new generation performs and look forward to watching how Connor and Elisa’s relationship plays out.

Wicked Hour is the second novel in the Heirs of Chicagoland series by Chloe Neill. And yes, the entire series is a spin-off of her famous Chicagoland series, in case that wasn't obvious. Fans of her writing are going to love this latest addition to her world.
There's a private event happening in Pack territory back in Minnesota, that's nothing new or surprising. What is surprising is that Conner has asked Elisa to come with him. A vampire attending a private Pack event is utterly unheard of. And naturally, that means that nothing is going to be as simple as expected, or hoped for.
Elisa Sullivan isn't your ordinary vampire – and no, she's really not just saying that. She was born a vampire, not made into a vampire. And that has brought with it several...unexpected surprises along with her condition. But she's slowly getting control over her monster, thanks to the open acceptance of people like Conner.

“There was more to me than fans and immortality: There was the monster that lived inside, created – as far as I'd guessed – of the same fragmented magic that had allowed me to be born, as the first vampire ever created by birth, not by bite.”

I've been looking forward to Wicked Hour ever since I heard that it was coming out. And trust me, it did not disappoint. It was everything that it promised, compelling, heart-pounding, and full to the brim of weres.
Wicked Hour has a little bit of something for everyone. There are witches, werewolves, vampires, magic, politics, and romance. It's a perfect combination, all things considered. And it's something Neill's fans have come to expect.
I was fascinated by this plot. I loved the idea of Conner going out of his way to show Elisa his interest – and by doing something totally unexpected. Such as inviting her to a Pack-only event. It also gave us readers a chance to see a whole different side of this world, and I couldn't be more excited about that.
Naturally, things didn't go according to plan. But I loved every minute of it. The politics were intense and concerning. The mystery was intriguing, raising more questions than it answered, right up until the end.
I devoured Wicked Hour, and that's a fact I kind of regret. Before I knew it, I was out of pages. And that's going to leave me with one heck of a book hangover (worth it). I'm honestly looking forward to seeing the rest of Elisa's tale, ideally alongside Conner and her quirky group of friends.

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.

I still prefer the original Chicagoland Vampires series. I thought that was the point in having immortal characters....you could continue writing them in perpetuity. :) Wicked Hour is still an enjoyable read and I will be ordering it for our library..

A road trip with the hottie Connor Keene to a private clan event in the woods of Minnesota soon has Elisa Sullivan facing down danger. Grab your helmet for one heck of a ride with Wicked Hour.

If you like a mix of lore, mystery, snark and enjoy vampire and shifter books, you won't want to miss this series. I am having a blast with Elisa, Conner and their friends!

Full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer on December 3rd and will cross-post to Goodreads & Amazon. Link to blog review will be uplifted and shared on all social media sites. Link to complete review provided below.

#WickedHour #NetGalley
Excellent addition to the series! An action packed ride and I think Chloe Neill has recreated that same magical chemistry from her other books with Connor and Elisa. I hope readers will enjoy the romance, magic, and ass kicking.

While this is technically book 2 in a new series, it is really a continuation of Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampire series, and does require the background knowledge of those books. And while I was a bit lukewarm on the original series, I am really loving the spinoff. Recommended for fans of urban fantasy, or maybe a bit of paranormal romance (although it's not a romance-romance, per se).

Its Chloe Neill and Wicked hour is her best yet! Fast pace, a nice mix of humor and drama, and her world building as usual is among the best!

I was really looking forward to this book, as I liked the first book a lot.
This book started out pretty good and strong but at the 30-40% mark it just went downhill and had a hard time ti recover from that.
One I thought as we leaping Chicago we get a little more action on the road and we do get some, but we also get some long and a bit boring politics. Some parts are just a bit too drawn out. We do leanr a bit more about the pack and not only the ones we know but also some elders and rules from other packs, which was sort of interesting and I liked that part.
We also meet some new people and I must say Alexei, is one of my new favs ….. So far. Of course we see some familiar faces and its aslways good to see Ethan and Mer again, and see little has changed with them lol .
I really like Connor and Elisa, I like them even more. Of course we get some pretty funny banter between them which I loved … for the most part. Except there were a few times I was annoyed how they had to call or point out that one is a vampire and one is a wolf…… that happened way to many times for my liking and got old. Though I have to say that I like Connor more than I ever liked Ethan. I did not start liking Ethan till the end of the series lol .
I don’t want to spoil anything so I just be very vague but some things happened in the book , that got handled not every well for me, that just sort of ruined a lot of it .
Overall. It started out good, then things got wonky and never really recovered. I most likely will still pick up the next book in the series to see how things turn out. But this book was just okay for me and could have been a bit better.
I rate it 3 ★

Connor Keene and Elisa Sullivan have been apart since they fought fairies together at the end of Wild Hunger. Connor’s been travelling on Pack business and Elisa’s in Chicago working with the Ombudsman’s office. They’ve kept in touch though. And maybe they’re dating. Elisa’s not sure. Now Connor’s come back to Chicago to ask Elisa to accompany him to a Pack event in Michigan.

Elisa’s welcomed by most of the pack, but its elders are less receptive. When there’s a murder during the event, the outsiders are the obvious suspects. Connor and Elisa are stuck until they find the killer and clear their names. And, oh yeah, catch the monsters stalking the woods.

Wicked Hour feels almost like it belongs in Patricia Briggs’s Alpha and Omega series, which I mean as a compliment because that series is awesome. That’s partly because Connor’s role is similar to Charles’s in A&O, both literally as the Apex’s son and in the context of the story as an investigator and enforcer. But also it’s full of Pack politics viewed from an outsider’s perspective, in this case Elisa’s. Going in to this series the one thing I wanted most was to learn more about the Pack so I loved that.

I had mixed feelings about book one, in part because I kept comparing it to Chicagoland Vampires. Taking Connor and Elisa out of Chicago and away from the vampires probably helped lessen those comparisons. That said, I couldn’t help but notice how much Elisa is like her father Ethan. She’s cool under pressure and politically astute. Since we never got to see Ethan’s POV in the original series, I enjoyed that comparison.

I’m loving Connor and Elisa together, as well as supporting characters Lulu and Theo. I also liked the introduction of Connor’s friend Alexei Breckenridge since I had been wondering what happened to the Brecks, who played a role in the previous series. I feel like the series is off to a solid start now. I just hope that this next generation of characters will continue to stand on their own when the story takes them back home.

This one was somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 star read for me. I really REALLY loved the building romance between Elisa and Connor, but the plot started to bug me around the halfway point. Cash played the stubborn denial game for WAY too long than he should have gotten away with and people continued to just let it slide. It went on for so long that people should have started spotting/calling him out on how blatantly heavy handed he was being. It drove me crazy and I would have liked him to be a little slicker in his manipulations. It was disappointing that not only did none of the elders go, wait a minute, that's not right, but no other reasonable adult in the entire clan stepped in, even with him being so ham-fisted. The sheriff also allowed a LOT, especially with strangers as witnesses.

This book suffers somewhat from sophomore slump, methinks, though I do plan to continue on in the series. I think I would give this a 3.5/4 star for the relationship between Elisa & Connor progressing and a 2.5 star for the plot itself. That dichotomy makes for a somewhat conflicted reading experience for me, but overall, I'm still invested in seeing where these characters go

Chloe Neill continues the story of Elisa Sullivan and Connor Keene in the second instalment of the Heirs of Chicagoland series. After the upheaval of the fairy attack in Chicago, Connor and Elisa are off to Michigan to witness a pack induction ceremony. Elisa expects a certain amount of tension from the locals - after all, she's a vampire dating the son of the Apex - but when shifters are attacked and killed, "Blame the outsider" becomes the prevailing theory. She and Connor will have to find hard evidence of what is happening or face justice from an unstable pack.

It was great to revisit these characters who are just as engaging as those in the original series. Connor and Elisa are still feeling each other out as a romantic pairing so the byplay was especially fun to watch. If you like a good action-packed urban fantasy, check out Wicked Hour.