This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com. 
 Remember way back when I declared Jenny my New Best Friend? Well, our original NBFship was based on a mutual adoration for Hawke. It continues because she does wonderful things like setting me up on a (literary) blind date with her Book Boyfriend, Ethan Sullivan. Okay, maybe not me personally, but it sure felt like it. I loved Ethan even before I read his book. Though, I guess it's technically Merit's book. I sort of remember that she was in it. 
 Some Girls Bite begins with Merit's change. While walking across campus at night, she's attacked by a vampire and then rescued by an entirely different person. She has vague memories of what happened, and wakes up a few days later in a strange place, with strange clothes, with no wound at her throat. The tension between Merit and Ethan is set up from the very moment that Merit and Ethan meet--the very moment where he changes her has a "sit up and take notice" zing. We don't, however really meet Ethan until several pages later, after Merit is delivered to the house she shares with her best friend, Mallory. 
 Though Mal is human, she's the one who helps Merit through that initial transition. Becoming a vampire drastically changes Merit's life. She can't finish grad school, she can't go out in the daytime any more, and she has to drink blood. Luckily, vampires came out a few months ago, so the idea isn't as much of a shock as it might have been. Besides Mal, Merit's only guide on newbie vampirism is the Canon, the book that outlines being a Housed vampire. Because Merit was changed by Ethan Sullivan, that makes her a Cadogan vampire, and being in a House means being part of a feudal system. And guess whose at the top? Yep, Ethan "Leige" Sullivan. 
 Merit is a modern woman, and because she's estranged from her hoity-toity high society family, she's used to being independent. The fact that she was changed without her consent rankles, even though it was an act that saved her life. Merit's desire to remain independent is a war with her new reality. It's also the cause of a great deal of her conflict with Ethan. Merit thrives on bucking the system, but she's just become a vampire. And vampire society is ruled by the system. Insta-conflict. 
 I loved this novel. I loved the friendship between Merit and Mal. They're delightful best friends, and Mal is exactly what Merit needs. Merit--though she'd rather die than admit it--has a deep seated fear of rejection. Mal's response to Merit's vampirehood is the perfect one. It makes no difference in their friendship. We should all be so lucky to have a friendship like that. 
 I liked Merit despite the fact that I'm not generally crazy about heroines who are kick ass right out the barn door. I usually like heroines to discover the strengths they never knew they had (or secretly believed they didn't). Another thing I don't like is when characters are turned into vampires and they become unbeatable through no effort of their own. Merit's character sort of straddles this line. Being a vampire increases her powers exponentially, but she still has a lot to learn. 
 The world-building wasn't particularly new, but still delightful. I love the idea of a modern-day feudal system. It always provides meat for modern-day heroines. Getting to know Chicago is fun, too. But then I'm invariably a fan of a series that has a setting that doesn't usually get much air time. I just wish I'd been there so I could visualize Merit driving around the city. Every time she mentions Hyde Park, I think of London, not Chicago. 
 By far, of course, Merit and Ethan's relationship is the star of the story. There are sparks from their first meeting (as I mentioned above), and they just continue to fly every time they meet. I want to warn you, though, that Ethan has another love interest for most of the book--and there's a pretty graphic scene between him and the other girl. One that Merit sees. I was uncomfortable with it--and immediately sent Jenny a screaming email. She assured me it doesn't happen again. 
 I've already purchased the next two books in the series, and my plan is to glom them next week. Not just because I want to see more of Ethan and Merit, but because this is the kind of Urban Fantasy I like. There's the always-necessary romantic element, but there's also good plot, good secondary characters, and fine world-building. In other words, plenty of chew for the discerning reader.