Member Reviews
Shelly Laurenston always writes the funniest books. She has the perfect combo of humor, romance and action. Its never dull when you read her shifter books. So now that we know Honey Badger's exist and that they are all thieves that eat snakes whom are also hard to kill - in walks Shen and Stevie. She is manic and a prodigy. Shen is laid back and all he wants to do is his job and eat bamboo. The most unlikely combo, but throw in a suspect ex of Stevie's and the craziness that is the MacKilligan family and you have yourself a great read.
I just go the excerpt of this book where Stevie from Honey Badger Chronicles book 1 and Shen from the Pride books are set up as the romantic interests. Shen has been set up as a super laid-back, continuously bamboo eating panda shifter. Stevie is a highly strung tiger-badger hybrid who is also ridiculously smart. The beginning of the book has Stevie freaking out about the number of bears in her kitchen while her sisters (normally the only ones who can calm her down) are not in the area. It's going to be up to Shen to help figure it out.
I'm a little hesitant about this book but am pretty sure it's going to be the fun ride we can normally expect from Laurenston.
After reading the whole book, I am glad to have gotten a better story than I was expecting. We get to explore the artist side of her nature. There is a story line with shifters experimenting on other shifters, trying to make them into normal humans but the ending was a bit over the top for me and I thought the romance between the two wasn't fully planned out. I am VERY much looking forward to Max's story.
Three and a half stars
This book came out March 26
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own
If you liked the teaser sneak peek to Stevie’s book, the rest won’t disappoint. You still get crazy protective Charlie, more of crazy and wild Max and of course crazy with a side of quirky adorableness that is Stevie.
There’s plenty of action, plenty of humor and did I mention plenty of crazy? Yup, a whole ton of crazy as only the MacKilligan sisters can deliver.
Shen was Stevie’s perfect match and I loved the dynamic he brought to the story and especially to Stevie. Do I wish we’d gotten more one on one time with Shen and Stevie? Yes. Did I wish for more romance? Hell yes. But that being said, I still really really enjoyed the story and loved every minute of this crazy shifter world Shelly Laurenston has created.
The story has a lot of secondary characters, secondary plots and at times I did feel a little lost as we have a lot of recurring characters (from other books) popping up and it felt like you were expected to know them without any proper introduction. That was a bit awkward but I honestly was so into Shen, Stevie and her sisters that I forged through the complicated/confusing bits just so I could get to the good stuff so I didn’t wig out too much.
The author did an amazing job with Stevie and she has hooked me, line and sinker for Max’s story next. I know Dutch is only her friend but come on, am I the only one shipping these two nut jobs???
Memorable Moments: Every Shen moment with Stevie. They were few but they packed a punch. I loved how he was with her, a friend first and foremost. Their slow burn love was unconventional but it’s Stevie so of course it wasn’t normal, lol!
Would I recommend? If you like OTT everything - action, drama, humor, general craziness? This is the series for you. I loved it and would definitely recommend! This was a little short in the lovey dovey romance department but you do get a sweet HFN ending and ILU’s.
I just love Shelly Laurentston's books so much. They are filled with everything anyone could ask for; violent adventure, sexy love, hilarious banter, and characters you just want to keep knowing more and more about. My only issue is she doesn't write fast enough. It's a long time between books. Not her fault and if she keeps putting out stories like this, then I guess it's something I'm willing to deal with. I just want more and more and more.
Anyway, Shen and Stevie were great. I loved how she set her mind on him and that was it until he realized he was in too. I loved the back story of the crazy twin aunts still out to get Charlie, Max and Stevie, and their insane cousin Mairi, tasked with executing their plan. I can't wait to find out if Max will get to them first and what she will do to them. The story of Stevie's ex and his demented brother. I love how the sisters are willing and able to lay waste to anything in their path to protecting each other.
I love that these are shifters that are hard to kill and that they can almost withstand anything.
I just want more. Why can't I have more NOW!?
I really loved [book:Hot and Badgered|35534548] and I was looking forward to reading more about the MacKilligan sisters. This book is focused on Stevie, the youngest sister. Stevie is a genius - a prodigy in both science and music but she also has anxiety and tends to panic. When she does she turns into a GIANT honey badger/tiger hybrid. Her sisters Charlie and Max are very protective of her and are a bit out there as well. Charlie the heroine of the first book and constantly worries about her sister and takes protective to a whole new level. Max is a psychopath and cracks me up.
Honestly, it's a bit hard to picture Stevie in a relationship but Shen is the perfect match for her. He's chill and relaxed and just rolls with all the crazy the MacKilligan sisters bring. Shen is a giant panda shifter who is the bodyguard for another child prodigy, Kyle who tends to hang out with Stevie quite a bit.
This book is over the top ridiculous and humorous but also full of violence. However, it isn't too much it's just a lot of fun! Just like the first book a bunch of the crazy characters from The Pride series make appearances in this book as well. There's a bit of an overall plot that goes along with a bunch of the antics and the growth of the relationship between Shen and Stevie. They work well together and Shen helps Stevie control her anxiety a bit along with therapy and Stevie gets a bit of control.
I'm assuming the next book is about Max and I can't wait to read the next one.
*****Updated Full book review*****
Ms. Laurenston has done it again!!!!
Wooohoooooo!!!!
5 Bamboo-Loving, "I'm Not Your Boyfriend", Astonishing, Laughing As I Fell Off The Bed, Crying With Fits of Laughter At Work, Stars*****
I can't even! I'm laughing right now as I'm trying to write this review. Stevie Stasiuk-MacKilligan and her sisters, Lol. This story is hilarious! There were wolves, lions, bears, jackals, wild dogs, hybrids, humans and those lovable honey badgers! Trying to stop a mad man from destroying any more hybrids and trying to keep up with the numerous storylines was freaking awesome!!! So happy that Miki made an appearance! I love that girl, Lol. I cannot get enough of this family. Max MacKilligan was just great! Her and that cat, Lol. Oh, I just can't. To good and uproariously funny. I loved every moment of this awesomeness!!!
****I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book provided by NetGalley*****
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:
Shelly really never needs to stop writing!
I will say this again....Honey Badgers are freaking awesome!
This is the second book in the offshoot series from the Pride series. If you have red the Pride series or even the first book in the Honey Badger Chronicles, you will see a lot of familiar characters. That is one of the things that I like about Shelly's books, characters from other books do not go away. How she keeps track of all of them I will never know, I have a hard enough time keeping track of three kids...lol If this is your first time reading one of Shelly's books, welcome to the crazy, it is a really fun and sexy place to be. If you like crazy, flawed, sarcastic, and interesting characters you should read her books. This book like her others are full of strong women characters. Stevie is such a fun character she is frightened of bears, super smart and turns into the most amazing hybrid. Poor Shen, does not know what is happening, he is a bodyguard and suddenly he has a girlfriend, without knowing she is her girlfriend. Shen is very patient and a perfect calm for the crazy going on around them There is sex, violence and good times all through.
Cannot wait for the next book and these wonderful, interesting characters.
5Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*
From the first interaction between Stevie and Shen I was crossing all my fingers and toes that they would get a book and end up together. And I wasn’t disappointed! Every character in this series (in all her series really) are so unique and fun to read about. I love the relationships between not just the main couple but all the other characters in the book. Stevie is a strong woman who doesn’t let her fears hold her back from life and being a badass in her own way. And I know he’d hate for me to say it but Shen was sooo cute. He was continuously confused by Stevie and it was adorable. I also love reading the dynamic between the three sisters, they might fight with each other but god help anyone that tries to come for them. I also found the storyline really absorbing and I can’t wait to see what happens next with all their extended family and their father. Definitely recommend reading this series in order because it has an on going story through the books. My only complaint is that there wasn’t a single hint on who Max will end up with (assuming she’s next? I mean she better be lol) unless I just completely missed it. Can’t wait for her book! It’s probably going to be the craziest yet.
ARC Provided By NetGalley For An Honest Review
I’ve never read one of these books so I’m pretty far behind in the series. I would not suggest reading this book if you’ve never read one of them. I was confused and I feel like there’s just too many characters it’s hard to keep up with I was unable to keep up with them. It gave me a headache. The couple got lost in this book. It was just ok for me. Way over the top! I struggled to finish it.
This book picks back up not long after the events of Hot and Badgered and we’re still dealing with the fallout of the MacKilligan sisters’ father stealing from their Scottish uncle. This story mostly focuses on Stevie, the youngest MacKilligan sister, and her romance with Shen Li, a panda shifter that she thinks is just adorable despite usually being terrified of bears. There’s also a major plot where hybrid shifters are being kidnapped, experimented on, and being found dead - which is a concern for all the shifters, because it could lead to their discovery. Although, I’m not wholly clear on how secret shifters are because plenty marry/mate full-humans and there seem to be some full-humans in the know without direct connections to shifters...
This book is hilarious in the messiest of ways. There is a lot of violence, threats, and off the Wall comments. I really like that we see how Stevie deals with her mental health by getting therapy and medication. She is a mess and she knows it, but she’s doing the best to manage her symptoms, especially her panic disorder which can lead to panicked shifting. And for Stevie, a tiger-honey-badger hybrid, her shifted form is a Lot, even though her demeanor is closer to that of a housecat.
Shen is a very calm contrast to Stevie, though he’s wholly able to take care of himself. He works as protection and security, primarily for a family of jackals and specifically for their son Kyle, who has a tendency of getting on the family’s last nerves, so he’s living with the MacKilligan sisters.
I like that we get so many POVs with this book because there are so many characters and several plots happening simultaneously. I’m really excited to see what happens next and this book is really such a fun read, though I do recommend being aware how awful the humor is; this is definitely not a book for everyone. I also like seeing the continuation of Charlie and Berg’s relationship, the ways they’re learning to communicate better and rely on each other, especially Charlie.
One of my favorite aspect of this book/series is the family Bonds. Charlie, Max, and Stevie would literally do anything to protect each other. Even though Max and Stevie fight a lot and can be quite mean to one another, it’s also easy to see how deeply they care for one another. But the MacKilligan sisters aren’t the only family we see - which is probably for the best because their dynamic isn’t always the healthiest and definitely has elements of codependency as a result of their history. Shen has two older sisters and we see all three of them together for a few short scenes, plus some text messages, and I love the ways they care about one another and how Shen goes to his sisters for advice. And can’t forget the Dunn triplets! There’s so many different sibling dynamics and I love the different ways familial love is expressed!
Overall, this is such fun in the most messed up sense. “Honey badger don’t care” is a great summation of the humor this book has, but there’s also great scenes of caring for each other and while romance between Shen and Stevie isn’t most emotional, it was still cute and sweet.
These books are so buzzy it is hard to keep up. I love the characters and all of the many facets that are revealed as the different shifters take center stage. Poor humans are often just left at a loss. Great story. world building and back story.
I can't seem to help myself, I really do love the Badger books. Laurenston keeps her action tight, her storylines flowing, and keeps me laughing all at the same time. I was happy to have a happily ever after for Stevie and Shen. Shen has been one of my favorite low key background characters from his introduction. Who doesn't love the idea of shape shifting pandas? A definite win for Laurenston and fans of her shifter books.
I was in the mood for this kind of book and like always Shelly Laurenston didn't disappoint. I was so excited to read about the MacKilligan sisters again and see what kind of crazy problems they got now.
This book we get to know Stevie a little more, her crazy shifting problems and this new relationship she is building with Shen.
Who would have thought I could find a man-panda sexy, but after meeting this amazing guy I kind of do.
The way Stevie blindsided him into the relationship was the best part of the book, He couldn't help himself even though everything about it was crazy, like this awesome family.
I laughed out loud a LOT, as always the author has this special talent for making thrilling and yet sexy stories that also include hilarious and witty characters.
I was hooked from the start and couldn't put the book down for a second.
We get insane and bloody fight scenes that only these honey bagder shifters can deliver and a whole crazy other new shifters to meet and get to know. Don't forget the amazing bear brothers that we fell in love with on the first book in the series.
If you haven't read any books by the author the time to start is now! A must read!
Interesting, I have read quite a few shapeshifting books becuase the idea fascinates me.
This one was not my favorite, for some reason the characters just didnt click for me. I didn't feel like I really got to know them or felt their emotions.
That being said I have never read a shapeshifting book about Honey badgers so maybe they just have different emotions.
Overall it was a unique and different story. I will look forward to reading more books by this author to know wheither I will better understand and feel more connected to the characters.
I volunteered to read this book in exchange for my honest feed back, the opinions expressed within are my own.
I just love Stevie! She so quirky and quick witted. And Shen, so cute and mostly adorably confused. My only criticism is of the description of Shen and the picture of Shen.so not the same.
I love Shelly Laurenston. This book caused me to laugh out loud a few times. Not a cute giggle but a true gaffaw. I love how Stevie owns her mental issues and understands mental health is as important as physical health. Shen reminds us that pandas are more than cute. The addition of the jackal siblings added a great sense of family. You just have to love Kyle. The story itself is just great. If you want a book you cannot put down and want to reread as soon as you are finished. This is it.
This book was definitely well worth the wait. The dynamic between these sisters is captivating and alluring and extremely entertaining. That coupled with a hot sexy panda shifter and you have one hell of a read. Props to Ms. Laurenston for delivering a highly entertaining and exciting read. Im so excited to see what these girls get into next!
A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series, it may be a tad bit confusing if you are new to the series, but it is worth it!! Keep reading. Thanks book made me giggle and laugh! So jealous of the tenacity, brains and self esteem this crowd has. Shen was soo silly!! What a panda. Lol. For me, this was a great pick me up book. 4 1/2 stars I think most paranormal shifter romance readers will love this book!
Stevie and Chen surprisingly work! On the surface those two couldn't have been more oposite: the genius with the laid back average guy! But we see them work. Unto the story: this start a few months after the event of Hot and Badgered. So the repercussions of what happened is still being dealt with. The thief of millions of the Scottish crimes lord, and the thief managing to lose the money almost immediately after. The jailbreak of the crazy cousin who everyone is afraid of, and the reason is quite apparent, as after a trip to the past, we got back to the present in the midst of a murder. The new antagonist is someone from Stevie past, which gives us some delightful scene with Niles and Irene Van Holtz. Miki makes an appearance when the investigation requires a hacker. While all this was happening a sweet romance was developing between a woman who went after what she wanted, and a at first clueless bewildered man. But Stevie didn't keep the upper end for long before Chen yank it back from her. She didn't stay down for long as soon she was befuddling her new boyfriend. In the last scene Stevie told Chen she see them as permanent when she told him, in her roundabout way, that he gets to decide where they lived, here in the states or back to her old job in Switzerland, in a discussion about whether she would accept a new job offer from the Group. All in all a masterfully woven story with the mismatched quirky cast of characters told in the can't keep my seat am laughing too much style of Shelly Laurenston!
FABULOUS, FABULOUS, FABULOUS.
I don't think there can be many books as addictive and as engaging as this one. Not only that, it has an excellent range of characters and character traits, a lot of heart and a TON of humor, and a uniqueness that makes it nearly impossible to put down.
If you're a reader who appreciates high energy, slightly screwball, and well-written shifter romance that's outside the box, definitely grab this series. (Start with book one!)