Another amazing read from one of my favorite authors! I love all the MacKilligan sisters and this time the plot revolved around Stevie and Shen. I really enjoyed getting to know both main characters and see their romance blossom, all while laughing my head off at the sisters antics.

I have read most of Shelley Laurenton’s novels and have really come to enjoy her crazy characters and insanely funny plot lines and action However, I could not get into this book. It suddenly seemed harder to keep track of which character was which and instead of being improbable/funny I found it improbable/who cares? I will read the next book she releases to make sure this was just a fluke. But I cannot recommend this item.

I read both this and the first book in this series in less than 24 hours, which gives a clue about how much I loved this. Laurenston’s done something really interesting, by having multiple povs, so you get to know all three of the MacKilligan sisters really well, whilst still managing to focus in on one central romance in each book. And in In a Badger Way, it’s youngest sister Stevie’s turn.

Stevie, part-Honey Badger, part-Siberian Tiger, is a genius. That’s not hyperbole, she genuinely is a genius. Internationally famous composer at 10, and now working with the top scientists in her field. All that fame, though, has an impact on a person, and Stevie suffers from acute panic. Some of the funniest moments are where she gets startled by the bears who live in the houses near her and her sisters, and she clambers onto the ceiling, or hides behind Shen.

Oh Shen. The Wild Panda shifter I didn’t know I needed in my life. He is funny and constantly calm in a way that offsets Stevie’s frenetic energy perfectly, and I love the fact she just decides this is it for the two of them. Watching them fall in love, whilst surrounded by the chaos that is Stevie’s family, is both heartwarming and hilarious.

A really unique way of engaging with a larger cast, I cannot wait for Max’s book!.

This is one of the most craziest books I have read in a while. The series is focusing on three sisters and Stevie has to be the craziest of them. She is a lethal badger shifter that has attracted the attention of a panda shifter, Shen Li.

There is more violence in this book than I normally like. I kind of ignored it because I liked the way the book was written. It a slow build to romance for Stevie and Shen Li.


I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

I have finally read #shellylaurenstons In a B.adger Way. Iiiihh, it was wonderful, just as I suspected. I live the MacKilligan sisters and the people around them. And it was great to meet my favorite hockey player Bo Novikov again. Thank you @netgalley for this opportunity to read this book.

Published on Instagram under the usernamne: Addicted_to_reading_romance

This book was so freaking hilarious! I loved the first book, and yeah, I was really looking forward to reading this book. And it didn't disappoint, I really enjoyed Stevie and Shen, they were a great couple, thought they were unconventional.

I'm planning on reading the prequel series. I really think I have to, because from skimming the synopsis' of those books, those characters are showing up in this series, and with everything that's going on, it is a little confusing.

There were a few things going on. There's Stevie's ex who is though to be doing evil experiments on other shifters. There's Stevie's anxiety and lack of control over her shifted self and thus wanting to get rid of that self. And there's a death in the family, which means the Irish side of the MacKilligans as well as the girls' dad. So much going on!

I really enjoyed the relationship she and Shen have. Like, she just tells him that they're dating, and that's it. It's pretty hilarious! And as he's a panda, the most adorable of bears and thus won't eat her, he doesn't make her panic, and he calms her down. I really enjoyed them together!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more of this series!

This is not a stand alone book- I recommend that you at least reading the first one in the series, Hot and Badgered. Although I would good as far as saying you should probably read the entire Pride series first so that you know who all the “other characters” are as well.

Sometimes when shifter’s mix, the hybrid that is formed is unique to say the least. Stevie is one such hybrid (tiger and honey badger), who has an IQ that is pretty much off the charts. A double prodigy: music- she walks away from this one thanks to daddy dearest and science. As a scientist she has dated other scientist. When the Group suspects one of them of experimenting on the hybrids they ask Stevie behind her sister’s back to see if her ex is up to no good. Complications are sure to arise as Stevie has extreme anxiety and issues controlling herself when she shifts. Enter her bodyguard Shen, on lone from Kyle due to Stevie’s family issues.

Shen is a panda shifter who would like nothing better than to eat bamboo while laying in the sun. His laidback attitude is the perfect mix for Stevie’s anxiety riddled one. Nothing seems to faze him, not even Stevie’s shifter form. Panda shifters are known for being calm, cool and collective- cuddly even. He takes her to therapy, and goes along with her sisters when he needs to. Even calms her when bears some around- she is terrified of them even though she is like a ton bigger than them when shifted. Doesn’t really help that she lives in a bear neighbor.

Favorite scenes have Irene in them- she really is the funniest logical human in this world. The fact that she shows up in this series after being in Pride just goes to show how much influence humans have in the shifter world. I think I love her the most out of all the Pride characters.

In a Badger Way is hilariously over the top, shifting craziness with the MacKilligan sisters front and center. I laughed so loudly reading this one. Their sisterly love is shining brightly in this one which makes it just that much better. I cannot wait for Max’s story. I know that a lot of people are shipping her with Dutch but honestly I hope she ends up with Cooper.

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “My DNA eats other DNA for lunch. SO I am great! Emotionally and genetically.”

Other People
Max- Stevie’s older sister
Charlie- Stevie’s oldest sister
Kyle- child prodigy, Stevie’s bestie
Irene- human, science prodigy
Oriana- Shen’s sister

Another funny, enjoyable read with the Honey Badgers. Shen and Stevie are not the lovey dovey type and their relationship are on their own terms. It was a nice change from typical couples. Plenty of action in this one and the flow was fast paced. So, so many funny parts. The sisters' relationship is starting to grow up a bit. Only thing I would add is a guide for the families in the back, what they are and who they are related too and such

Shelly Laurenston’s shifter romances always have me laughing my face off and that makes me a happy reader. Madcap ridiculousness is the only way to accurately describe a typical Shelly Laurenston plot and that’s exactly what she delivers here. The main characters get into a number of shenanigans, including everything from accidental destruction of a ballroom, meaningful therapy sessions, the honey-badger-shifter version of an Irish wake, elaborate karaoke routines, and way more anal gland related humor than one book really should be able to get away with.

The second in a trilogy about three half-sisters, the story centers on youngest sister Stevie. She’s a tiger/honey-badger-hybrid, a music and science prodigy, and an anxious mess. She’s constantly being hunted by various organizations and/or governments who want to use her mind for their own purposes. When some shady scientists, possibly with a tie to Stevie’s misogynist ex-boyfriend, are found to be kidnapping hybrid shifters, she and her sisters get pulled into the fray.

The sisters were my favorite part of the first book and nothing has changed here. Eldest sister Charlie is the fiercely protective one. She’s prone to overreacting with violence whenever her sisters’ happiness or wellbeing are threatened. Middle sister Max is definitely the most sociopathic of the siblings. If she has to kill a bunch of bad guys to stop her sister from being abducted AGAIN, she damn well will. The fact that she can’t stop picking fights she always loses with the feral house cat who claimed their back yard is a running gag that never gets old for me. I love the sisters and how they always have each other’s backs in the exact ways they need.

Here’s a little sisterly love:
“Do you actually think I’d be alive if it wasn’t for you?” Max asked.
Charlie thought a moment, and replied, “Yeah, I do.”
“Yeah,” Stevie agreed. “You would have totally survived.”
“Okay.” Max raised her forefinger. “Let’s try this . . . would I have survived outside of prison, if it weren’t for you?”
“Oh, no.”
“No, no. You wouldn’t have.”
Max nodded. “Exactly.”

Shelly Laurentson’s books often skew more toward comedy than romance and that’s definitely what happens here. While there is a budding romance between Stevie and panda-shifter bodyguard Shen Li, it’s not the primary driver of the book. Shen and his laid-back approach to the insanity around him are a refreshing antidote to the otherwise non-stop hijinks. He’s calm and in control and really, really loves bamboo. In Stevie and Shen’s case, opposites really do attract.

I grinned the entire time I was reading this book. I loved seeing and visiting with familiar characters. I loved the sisterly hijinks. I can’t wait for Max’s book.

I was prepared to fall in love with In A Badger Way, but unfortunately I never found myself believing in the chemistry between Stevie and Shen was real which was disappointing. It was a decent read, but not what I had hoped for.

4.5 stars.
See below word definition as this pretty much sums up my entire feelings about this book!!!!!
🎈 WACKY🎈
(adjective) informal
funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way.
synonyms:
zany · madcap · offbeat · quirky · outlandish · eccentric · idiosyncratic · surreal · ridiculous · nonsensical · crazy · absurd · insane · far out · fantastic · bizarre · peculiar · weird · odd · strange · cranky · freakish · funny · amusing · comic · clownish · loopy · loony · mad · dotty · nutty · nuts · freaky · batty · potty · goofy · bonkers · crackpot · screwy · screwball · oddball · way-out · off-center · off the wall · dippy · cuckoo · kinky · barmy · daft · kooky · wacko · bizarre

💖I AM TOTALLY LOVING THIS SERIES.👍💘

It is the "Monty Python" of Paranormal Romances.
Oh, did I not mention that it is totally absurd and hilarious to boot!!!!!!!!

Can't wait for Max's story.

***I received this book via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

This is my 3rd Shelly Laurenston book and the second in this series. All three have confused the hell out of me, but I don't even care. The stories and characters are so crazy, but I am hooked after one page.

Stevie and her sisters are over-the-top and are each 10 pounds of crazy in their own 5 pound bags. The love they have for each other is so good. There are actually tons of positive familial and regular friendships. I love reading about those.

Shen is just the cutest Panda. He is so calm in such a stressful world. I could actually feel his calmness whenever he was the POV character. It allowed me to relax as the reader. I loved his constant and methodical eating of bamboo. I'm totally team panda.

There is a romantic sub plot. It was fun and kind of unique. The way Stevie approaches romance (and friendships) is different than anything I've ever read. She's like a bulldozer and I mean that in the best possible way.

While I was (and continue to be) confused, I did like getting more info on this world-especially the MacKilligan family. I'm assuming I have to wait a year for another book and I can't wait. Plus, I'm guess it's be more focused on Max and I need that.

This was just not the book for me, but it was definitely a case of "it's me, not you." I haven't read the first book in the series, assuming it wouldn't be a problem. But because this book starts right in the thick of things from (presumably) the first book, and because it has a huge number of characters, I found it hard to follow. It's also the first shape=shifting book I've read, and I guess that is not really my thing. But I know tons of people love this book, so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who has read and enjoyed the first book. If you haven't, I'd say start with the first one.

The Characters in this book did not really live up to my expectations of Shelly Laurenston characters. They were repetitive and really fell short in how they interacted in my opinion. The entire book just while good was not great in comparison to her other works.

Shelly Laurenston has that special place of honor in my heart where it doesn't matter what the book description is or anything else about it because if she says she's writing a book, I'm ordering it.

Is that a lot for an author to live up to? Oh absolutely. But Shelly hasn't let me down yet, and In a Badger Way is another in a long line of brilliantly funny paranormal, suspense romances.

I was a little nervous at the beginning of this book because the MacKilligan sisters feel, for lack of a better phrase, "overpowered." It's difficult to root for a character who seems unbeatable, and if Stevie MacKilligan is so powerful she can more than take on Bo and Blayne and a mess of other shifters, then what can beat her? If there is someone or something that can beat her, who would be powerful enough to help her?

I shouldn't have worried. My faith in Laurenston didn't come from nowhere. Between her shifter books, crow books, and the dragon books under her "G. A. Aiken" pen name, she's written something like twenty-five books that I've adored along with quite a few novellas and short stories. She knows what she's doing, and I should never have doubted her ability to tell me a story I'd love about a brilliant prodigy named Stevie and a calm security expert named Shen.

Shen, tasked with keeping seventeen-year-old, artist and self-absorbed Kyle alive, has a hard job. It is not an easy task to keep Kyle out of harm's way considering the boy's perchance for explaining to people how important he is and how they're unworthy of his presence. To add gasoline to the flame of danger, Kyle is friends with Stevie MacKilligan, and life-threatening trouble is never far behind her and her sisters.

Stevie is darling, but her panic attacks send her spiraling or into a shift she can't control. She's working on handling it with therapy and medicine, but her honey badger-tiger hybrid DNA means the medication prescribed by humans are iffy at best. With her father up to no good and her family converging for a funeral and God-knows-what-else, Stevie's stress is already miles high. Then there are the bears, the big, lumbering bears with giant teeth and knife claws. In the end, though, it's the hug that sets her off and with that, a great deal of adventure and scheming.

If you've already read the rest of Laurenston's books, you're in for a treat. Characters from all of her other shifter books show up, some more so than others, and a sly reference to The Crows sneaks in too.

If you haven't read any of Laurenston's other books, you're still in for a treat because In a Badger Way is a glorious mix of mystery, family love, romance, and hilarity, but I think you're doing yourself a disservice.

I can't recommend Shelly Laurenston enough, and if you're already a fan, you're not going to be disappointed.

Shelly Laurenston is the author of a long-running series of hilarious books about shape-shifters. (She also writes about dragon-shifters as G.A. Aiken.) Laurenston is known for her off-the-wall characters who can shift into lions, wolves, bears, etc. In a Badger Way is Book Two of the Honey Badger Chronicles about the three MacKilligan sisters — beautiful, smart, and crazy-lethal.

Stevie is a genius. Ever since she was a child and her prodigious intellect became known, she has been sought after by governments, underworld figures, and assassins. Her older sisters Charlie and Max have been keeping her protected — and soothed — all her life. Despite all her talents, Stevie battles crippling anxiety and panic attacks. And when Stevie gets into a full-blown attack, she can’t control her shifting or the dangerous hybrid creature she becomes.

Stevie’s young friend Kyle is staying with the sisters for a while to give his jackal family a break from the obnoxious teen. With him is Shen Li, a panda-shifter and Kyle’s bodyguard.

With all the craziness going on at the sisters’ house, Shen is a laid-back source of calm. He is content to live in the moment, maybe while enjoying some bamboo snacks. Stevie is drawn to his confident serenity and decides the handsome shifter will be her boyfriend, much to Shen’s surprise and confusion. But whenever she smiles at him, he feels a zing.

Stevie is drawn into a dangerous investigation of a lion scientist she used to date; he is suspected of conducting lethal experiments on hybrid shifters. She agrees to help but is also curious to know whether he has figured out a way to change hybrids, to “fix them.” Stevie is acutely aware that she is only a panic attack away from being a danger to others and is ashamed of her lack of control.

For all the joyful zaniness of her characters, Laurenston can also cover some heavy topics amid the hilarity and action. Mental health issues are addressed as Stevie works toward self-acceptance with the love and support of her sisters and Shen.

The bonkers adventures of the McKilligan sisters continue in the second book of Laurenston’s Honey Badger Chronicles. Stevie, the baby sister of the chaotic trio and a musical and scientific prodigy, is struggling. Her meds aren’t working to control her panic disorder anymore, her good-for-nothing father and her dangerous uncles seem headed toward a confrontation, and at the same time The Group needs her help to figure out who is targeting shifter hybrids.

Shen Li doesn’t let a lot rile him. His seemingly infinite patience makes him the ideal bodyguard for Stevie’s good friend, the utterly obnoxious but undeniably talented Kyle Jean-Louis Parker. He is used to fielding unreasonable demands, and keeping the little whelp from getting killed on a regular basis, but when Stevie gets drawn into a dangerous plot, his easy-going nature might not be enough to keep them all safe.

In a Badger Way is more romancey than Hot and Badgered but remains strongly focused on Charlie, Max and Stevie. Their relationships and history remain at the center of the story. Laurenston gives as much focus to Charlie and Max starting therapy and learning let go of some of their overprotective reactions to threats against Stevie as it does to Shen and Stevie’s relationship. Like all Laurenston books, this story is filled with 500% more named and interrelated characters than most other books, and has at least 3 different plotlines going at the same time. There is over-the-top violence, madcap hijinks and crass jokes a plenty.

The depictions of mental illness, depression and panic attacks in these books are far from respectful but at the same time also taken very seriously. Stevie's panic attacks might be portrayed in an ridiculous way, yet the fact that people have reactions and feelings they can’t always control is treated as normal, as is looking for help.

I really enjoyed that Shen and Stevie’s dynamics. He is no pushover with Stevie, but at the same time so different from her overbearing sisters that Stevie can trust him to be a partner that is not out to control or overprotect her. I also loved that Laurenston does not shy away from having former leads looks utterly ridiculous outside their books. It just such a refreshing thing to see. They absolutely have their HEAs but that doesn’t mean they all get along with each other or are always right. Can’t wait to see what Max’s book is like and who she will get paired up with.





Content Warnings: depression, kidnapping/abduction, Medical Procedures,mental illness, sexual harassment

In a Badger Way can be summed up in three words: hilarious, adorable, and action-y!

The humor is always a constant with Shelly Laurenston and I swear there were parts I thought I was going to die laughing at!

I love, love, love all aspects of Shen and Stevie's relationship - especially the way Stevie could not see past Shen's adorable panda-ness to his lethalness. She just decided they were dating and that was it!

The great thing about this book is that the plot moved along. There was enough action in the story to keep the story moving, but not so much that it became boring and took away from the romance. I think this is one of the few stories I've read that have had a perfectly balanced action and romance relationship.

4 Physics Stars

I got a snippet/sneak peek and just needed more so it only got 3 stars. But getting the whole Stevie & Shen experience was a whole lot of fun.

Stevie Mackilligan is slightly unhinged, scared of bears has bouts of depression but she is a prodigy of science and of music. And with her sisters she is unstoppable. But hybrids are going missing and being experimented on and it is time for her to step up.

Shen got into the madness of the MacKilligan sisters while protecting another prodigy. He is the most laid back person ever but then again he is a panda, so cute but once you get them wild you better watch out.

I love that the author goes out of the realm of possibilities when it comes to shifters very few branch out when it comes to involving more than cats and wolves. And here it is no different. A panda, I mean how frigging cute is that and a tiger badger.

This is one crazy ass book with a lot of banter and all in all bloody hilarious. I got to say though that sometimes it was just a tad too much with the mayhem going on just gotta roll with it though.
If you want a pick me up book then this is for you, you got to read a book one though to get the full experience.
Max the crazy knife wheeling Asian MacKilligan sister is next.

I love Shelly Laurentson's The Pride series and was super excited when she started this offshoot in The Honey Badger Chronicles. The first novel was hilarious. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book, In A Badger Way. Stevie has to be one of my favorite characters. She's a freaking genuis. Gotta love a smart female heroine! She totally doesn't have her sh$t together, though, which is fun to watch.

I liked Shen as well, but I did feel he wasn't the same character we've seen in previous novels. What happened to the guy who wanted to date crazy girls because crazy is hot? He's a bit flat as a character.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel, but I feel the story was more paranormal than romance. I missed the 'feel' moments. And you really need to remember the first book in the series to get what's happening in this one. The storyline is not only continuous but Laurentson hasn't repeated much information.

I recommend to paranormal romance lovers who don't mind the romance falling to the background.