House Rules is number 7 in the Chicagoland Vampires series. A lot has happened since the first book Some Girls Bite and Merit hasn't even been a vampire for a full year yet. She came to the house at a turning point for vampires. Vampires had just announced their existence to the human population and now at this point in the series, humans have started to become cautious and weary of the supernatural world. The problems with the humans takes a back seat, however, to problems within the vampire community itself. 
 At the end of Biting Cold, the Cadogan House vampires had declared that they were separating themselves from the Greenwich Presidium. After events building up in previous books, the separation was inevitable. House Rules opens with the vampires cleaning out that which belongs to the GP and what belongs to the house. Since technically the Cadogan vampires will be Rogues they decide to have a party to introduce themselves to the Rogues. While at the party Noah (the technical Rogue leader) learns that two Rogues have gone missing. Merit, Ethan, and Co. volunteer to investigate the disappearances. 
 So House Rules deals with two different storylines going on at the same time, the missing / murdered vampires, and the arrival of the GP and what it means for Cadogan's house termination. The storylines basically alternated between being the main focus. I found myself caring more about whichever storyline was the main focus at the time and disliking it when it would change. I felt like this made the story feel a little disjointed. I felt a lot of times like scenes were told in little snippets. Like the reader wasn't in a scene long enough to make an impact, or the scenes would be short and would leave me wanting more. 
 Merit and Ethan's relationship is also something that gets a lot of page time and I'm not complaining there. Although at times it wasn't the page time I would have preferred, but Neill doesn't disappoint. In Biting Cold they finally became the couple that we've been waiting books for them to become. Basically since the beginning of the series. It's been a long and bumpy ride for Merit and Ethan to get here, and we shouldn't expect their actual relationship to be anything different now that they are here. The difference is that now that they are fully committed to each other. They've tried the partially and the almost commitment before and then everything changed with Hard Bitten. Now something that may have driven them apart in the past causes them to take a breath and some time apart without hasty decisions. If you've been following the series you probably know there have been developments in Merit's life for a few books now that she's kept from Ethan. Suffice it to say I was satisfied with their relationship and I look forward to seeing how Neill continues it. 
 This book deals a lot with vampires. In this case it feels a lot like the first book in the series. There are appearances from the shifters and the nymphs, but whereas the other books in the series slowly progressively introduced other supernaturals, House Rules deals with vampires. It is almost like a second chapter / story arc of the series, going back to the beginning in a sense. I liked this since I am very fond of the series especially how it all started out. 
 There are still quite a few story threads that have yet to be finished the main one is McKetrick. The vampire hunter is newly appointed to the Ombudsman's office in lieu of Merit's grandfather. This storyline is set up, but we have to wait for at least the next book for more to be played out with this, but it's definitely coming. 
 I like the way that Neill sets up these storylines. With a little introduction in one book and slowly building up until the topic is front and center in its own book. 
 This series remains one of my favorites and I've now got the problem where i read the book too fast and have to wait until August for Biting Bad. Until Then!