Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Born to Be Badger by Shelly Laurenston

Book 5 in the Honey Badger Chronicles series

Author Shelly Laurenston

Narrated by Charlotte Kane

Publication date Nov 28, 2023 by Tantor Audio

Running time 11 hrs

Paranormal romance /to review

There is one way to describe this book: Crazy.

This is not a series you jump into. Even I had to keep my wits around me when it comes to this one because the action is non stop. The craziness never calms down. There are so many freaking badgers around.

You really have to read them to get them. It is a shifter world. Honey badgers are bad ass mofos. They never back down, they never die. And they all seem to be insane

Tock gets involved in some craziness together with her friends. She meets a hot tiger named Shay (but, yes that takes a long time to evolve into something.) Timewise no, but book length yes. So no real romance before the end when they get hot and heavy.

Danger, fights, food and lots of shifters and you have this book. It is a crazy ride. And at the end, well the next one will be intense

Good audio. She kept up the crazy pace in a good way

Emily "Tock" Meyerson-Jackson is on a mission to rid the world of shifters trafficking humans for hunting and cash. And now that she's narrowed down her suspects to a brutal coalition of male lions, nothing will get between this honey badger and her prey—not even a dog-loving Tiger with absolutely no time management skills. Doesn't matter that Shay Malone is ferociously adorable. With a war brewing between cat families, Tock doesn't have time to lounge around with a football-playing tiger shifter. But when she realizes the coalition is also responsible for the death of Shay's father, she's forced to partner up with the flirtatious feline . . .

Revenge is most definitely on the menu for Shay and his tiger shifter brothers. But when it comes to Shay's alluring partner in crime-solving, so is seduction. Tock might be a bad ass of a honey badger, but she's awfully cute when she's flashing her fangs, which she's pretty much doing all the time these days. Good thing revenge is a dish best served hot. Because when it comes to Tock, Shay knows just how to turn up the heat . . .

Audiobook Review - In a Badger Way by Shelly Laurenston

Author: Shelly Laurenston

Narrator: Charlotte Kane

Title: In a Badger Way

(Honey Badger Chronicles #2)

Genre: UF, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Humor

Format: Audiobook

Published: March 26th 2019

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Petite, kind, brilliant, and young, Stevie is nothing like the usual women bodyguard Shen Li is interested in. Even more surprising, the youngest of the lethal, ball-busting, and beautiful MacKilligan sisters is terrified of bears. But she’s not terrified of pandas. She loves pandas.

Which means that whether Shen wants her to or not, she simply won’t stop cuddling him. He isn’t some stuffed Giant Panda, ya know! He is a Giant Panda shifter. He deserves respect and personal space. Something that little hybrid is completely ignoring.

But Stevie has a way of finding trouble. Like going undercover to take down a scientist experimenting on other shifters. For what, Shen doesn’t want to know, but they’d better find out. And fast. Stevie might be the least violent of the honey badger sisters, but she’s the most dangerous to Shen’s peace of mind. Because she has absolutely no idea how much trouble they’re in . . . or just how damn adorable she is.

Review:

Read book 1 and enjoyed it. Had to check this one out because 1) it fits a couple of my challenges, 2) PANDA!, 3) I want to see Stevie find happiness. 

In book 2, we follow Stevie and Shen Li. Stevie is petite, kind, smart, and young. She is also one of the lethal, ball-busting, and beautiful MacKilligian sisters. However, Stevie has a lot of anxiety and fears. She is normally terrified of bears, but for some reason she is okay with pandas. Shen is a panda shifter who is hired to be a bodyguard for Stevie and her friend. However, they find themselves falling in lust and love. Stevie has a way finding trouble or trouble finding her? 

I love, love, love Shen. I love LOVE how he is a panda shifter. I cannot remember a time I have seen one of these!! And why are they so rare???? More panda shifters would be lovely. Yes, I'm biased....they are in my top 5 favorite animals! 

Ugh. I liked Stevie in the last book, but she really annoyed me here. Maybe she is better off a side character? She has a lot of anxieties, fears, and depression. She is also very Sheldon-like (you know...from the Big Bang show?) and it drove me absolutely insane. 

This did have humor and there was NEVER a dull moment for sure. I caught myself chuckling, but I found myself rolling my eyes more so this time around. Not like the writing changed much from book 1, but I just got annoyed more here. 

It was over-the-top. Sometimes it was fun, sometimes it felt too much. Again...found myself being annoyed and had to take a break. Too much. Stevie was too much. The drama was too much. The bitchy-ness of our characters...too much. 

Just too much. 

The narrator did well. I believe this was a different narrator then in book 1. I think the other narrator fit better. 

In the end, I wish I had liked this more. I found myself having to take breaks or I would zone out. It was just a lot. Lots going on...lots of attitudes....lots of drama....lots of over-the-top moments....just too much in this one. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll read book 3, because I am not crazy about Max.... but we shall see. I'll give this 2 stars. 

Challenge(s):
- #6 for Audiobook challenge

- #5 for Romance Reading Challenge 

Audiobook Review: Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston

Author: Shelly Laurenston

Narrator: Traci Odom

Title: Hot and Badgered

(Honey Badger Chronicles #1)

Genre: Paranormal Romance, UF, fantasy, Humor

Format: Audiobook

Published:  March 27th 2018

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

It’s not every day that a beautiful naked woman falls out of the sky and lands face-first on grizzly shifter Berg Dunn’s hotel balcony. Definitely they don’t usually hop up and demand his best gun. Berg gives the lady a grizzly-sized t-shirt and his cell phone, too, just on style points. And then she’s gone, taking his XXXL heart with her. By the time he figures out she’s a honey badger shifter, it’s too late.

 

Honey badgers are survivors. Brutal, vicious, ill-tempered survivors. Or maybe Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan is just pissed that her useless father is trying to get them all killed again, and won’t even tell her how. Protecting her little sisters has always been her job, and she’s not about to let some pesky giant grizzly protection specialist with a network of every shifter in Manhattan get in her way. Wait. He’s trying to help? Why would he want to do that? He’s cute enough that she just might let him tag along—that is, if he can keep up . . .

Review:

Seen a few good reviews and this popped up as a recommendation at my library so why not!!

We follow Berg Dunn and Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan. Charlie is half honey badger and they are known for being brutal, vicious, and ill-tempered. This is true, but Charlie is also mad at her useless father who is trying to get her and all her sisters killed....again. Protecting her little sisters has always been her job. When she comes across Berg and nearly gets him hurt or worse....he offers to help them since he is a protection specialist with a network of every shifter in Manhattan.

This was funny. The sisters are a HOT mess for sure. They are the definition of hot mess. They bring chaos with them no matter where they go. Their father is a scoundrel. Poor things. I want them to find happiness and someone to take out that father of theirs. 

Berg was a big-hearted soul. Loved him. 

This was cheesy and ridiculous in some parts, but I liked it. You WON'T be bored. There isn't a calm moment. Which....I do wish we had a couple. 

I did not see the spark between Berg and Charlie. I feel like we needed more solo time between the two. They were always up to something or someone was in the room (ie her sisters). I think that was my only big issue. I didn't see or feel the love/chemistry. Maybe more in the next?

The narrator worked well. I liked it. The voices fit. 

In the end, I enjoyed this. I was laughing and caught up in all the action. There wasn't a dull moment. I do wish Charlie and her boo bear had more time together....alone. I just didn't buy their love/lust. I'll give this 3 stars. 

 

Challenge(s):
- #72 for Audiobook challenge

Blodeuedd's Monday: Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston

 

Book 4 in the Honey Badger Chronicles series

Narrated by Charlotte Kane

Publication date Aug 31, 2021

Running time 11 hrs 25 min

Paranormal Action

Good narrator, it does take someone great to keep up with this craziness. And lots of people to make stand out on their own.

Though I must confess, the craziness was maybe a bit too much, though at the same time I liked it cos it kept me on my toes, all the time! It never stopped.I like crazy, constant action and all that.

But on the other hand, Mads who is supposed to be the main never got to shine because her teammates, and especially the McGilligans were around all the time. So that it my biggest problem, the main was just as much a side character as the rest. Which means her romance was thrown in at the end. Sad because I want it to develop more and get more time. Sure the tiger hottie was always around so it's not like it was sudden, but more time with them please. Yes the McGilligan sisters are insane and funny, but this was Mads book. Oh and the Mads and Max this while listening fast was confusing ;)

What am I saying is, could have been more about Mads, Mads alone.

Do not start this one if you haven't read the first ones, you will feel like you are being thrown into a war zone and have no idea where you are. Def a series where you start at book 1

I did like it, but damn they be crazy. 

As for the story, trying to reach the play offs, coming across hot tiger brothers. McGilligan sisters are in trouble, and lots more

It’s instinct that drives Finn Malone to rescue a bunch of hard battling honey badgers. The Siberian tiger shifter just can’t bear to see his fellow shifters harmed. But no way can Finn have a houseful of honey badgers when he also has two brothers with no patience. Things just go from bad to worse when the badgers rudely ejected from his home turn out to be the only ones who can help him solve a family tragedy. He’s just not sure he can even get back into the badgers’ good graces. Since badgers lack graces of any kind . . .

Mads knows her teammates aren’t about to forgive the cats that were so rude to them, but moody Finn isn’t so bad. And he’s cute! The badger part of her understands Finn’s burning need to avenge his father’s death—after all, vengeance is her favorite pastime. So Mads sets about helping Finn settle his family’s score, which has its perks, since she gets to avoid her own family drama. Besides, fighting side by side with Finn is her kind of fun—especially when she can get in a hot and heavy snuggle with her very own growling, eye-rolling, and utterly irresistible kitty-cat . . .

Audiobook Review: The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

Author: Shelly Laurenston
Narrator: Charlotte Kane

Title: The Mane Event
(Pride #1)

Genre: Paranormal Romance & fantasy
Pages: Audiobook
Published: September 25th 2007
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



Mace Llewellyn. Brendon Shaw. Two tall, gorgeous, sexy alpha heroes who are 100% male―with a little something extra. Lion-shifters, to be exact, who can unleash every woman's animal side and still look good―make that spectacular―in a suit... and even better out of it...

NYPD cop Desiree "Dez" MacDermot knows she's changed a lot since she palled around with her childhood buddy, Mace. But it's fair to say that Mace has changed even more. It isn't just those too-sexy gold eyes, or the six-four, built-like-a-Navy Seal body. It's something in the way he sniffs her neck and purrs, making her entire body tingle...

Meanwhile, for Tennessean Ronnie Lee Reed, New York City is the place where any girl―even one who runs with a Pack―can redefine herself. First order of business: find a mate, settle down, and stop using men for sex. Even big, gorgeous, lion shifter men like Brendon Shaw. But she needn't worry, because now that Brendon's set his sights on her, the predator in him is ready to pounce and never let go...


This was an interesting format. Two couples. One book. Why not? 

First we get Mace and Dez. They had been childhood friends and they come across each other years and years later. Dez is a cop. Mace is a rich boy who is just coming back from the Navy. The two meet and sparks fly. Next, we have Ronnie and Brendon. Ronnie is a flighty Southern gal and Brendon is newly rich and looking for his brother. 

I did like how the two stories are intertwined. It was like a two-in-one. Right after Mace and Dez get their HEA we start right up with Ronnie and Brendon. I didn't think I'd like it, but it worked. 

I will say I liked Ronnie and Brendon better. D and M were okay...but they were annoying at points. R and B were cuter and funnier. Plus I got a kick out of two opposite shifters coming together. One is wolf and one is Lion. Loved all the jokes.

The biggest issue I had though was the copy and pasting especially in the first story. Ugh. WE GET IT. We promise. I got so annoyed with all the repeating. The second story had SOME but not as bad as the first one. Ugh. 

Other than that I had no real issues. 

I adored the narrator. She made this fun and funny. I think I would've been annoyed if I had to read this, especially with the copy-paste bits. The narrator was awesome. I want to listen to more by her. 

Overall, I did like this story. The repeating elements got old and M and D annoyed me at some points. However, the narrator really pulled everything together for me. And I did really like R and B It was enjoyable. I'll give this 4 stars.