OMG I loved this book just like I have loved all the other honey badger books and Shelly's writings since Pack Challenge. Once again, she delivers a snarky, smart, strong, psychotic a$$ b!tch. The way she writes her female characters are some of my favorites as they are no wilting flowers and are usually starting and ending any trouble they start which this book had in spades. I loved Tok and she was hilarious to read especially when it came to her neurotic behavior about time. This book had me smiling and laughing from start to finish and I loved the MMC Shay and his relationship with TOK and his daughter as well was in some ways a mini TOK. This is a slow burn with spice at the end of the book, so I do wish there was a little more of that and I do feel that their relationship was really only just starting at the end of the book though there was tension and a growing connection from the start of the book. I just wish the book had continued a little more just focusing on their relationship as it was just starting to get good, and I didn't want to stop reading about these two. I thought they were really cute together.

In the end I love this book and I loved Shelly's writings which are always my comfort rereads when I get in a book slump. You will have to read the other books in the series and not just the honey badger one but much further as there are characters popping up from a lot of the previous books, but you will not regret it as they are all amazing reads.

This book is about Emily "Tok" a honey badger obsessed with time who along with her best friends/basketball teammates are working to take down a human traff!cking ring being run by lion shifters. But she isn't going to let some arrogant hair loving lions get in her way especially when she finds out they may be responsible for the de@th of a "friend's' father. This friend is tiger shifter Shay who got himself involved with her missions because he wanted to help her and got himself in over his head, but he wants to find out what happened to his father and help Tok because she is just so cute, especially when she snaps her fangs at him or cuts his artery "accidently."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc. All thoughts are my own

<strong> Slapstick Humor, Intense Action, A Dash of Mystery, Two Teaspoons Of Romance, And Three Spicy Chili Peppers Combined Into One Great Book.</strong>


<b>Quote:📖</b><i>
These girls were true honey badgers. Mean, vicious, snarling, honey badgers that no one should ever sneak up on. Or try to kill while they were having a sleepover at a friend’s house.
</i>
<b>Thoughts: 💡</b>
I love Shelly and this story captures her iconic sarcasm and wit entwined with intense action sequences and romance. For the last few years Laurenston’s books have encompassed more action sequences and intricate plot twists than romance elements and that trend has continued into this book. It’s still an exciting page turner and has a fun little dose of smut, but there is very little romance.

<b>Writing Mechanics: ✍️</b>
The story is well written and edited with a plot driven storyline that has a few twists. Each character is deeply developed with motivations and back stories. There isn’t a lot of romance but there are 🩸 action scenes in every chapter. The characters are staunchly morally gray with their own code of ethics and a love of chaos. “Honey badger don’t care” is the prevailing theme. I laugh at some point in every chapter, usually multiple times.

<b>Fun Bits:</b>
⚜️ Deadpan Humor
⚜️ Fierce Give No 🤬 FMC
⚜️ Cinnamon Roll MMC With A Killer Instinct
⚜️ Hilarious Side Characters
⚜️ Close Friendships

<b>Important Note:✨</b>
This is an interconnected standalone that builds on the previous books.
✨✨✨ There are multiple POVs in this book and none of them are marked, you have to figure out which is which while you read.



<b>Stats:📊</b>
Spice Scale: 2 🌶️🌶️/ 5
Character Dev: 5 💙💙💙💙💙/5
Genre: Paranormal Shifter Romance📕
Tropes: Solving Crimes, Catching a Killer, Unlikely Allies, Opposites Attract, Found Family, Multicultural, Organized Crime, Honey Badger Don’t Care📘
POV: Multi 10+ POV 💃🏻🕺
CW: Violence, Gore, Murder, Death, Assault⚠️

Baking good. Mass murder bad. Words to live by. #TeamHoneyBadger

Tock is a honey badger on a shifter basketball team. Shay is a tiger on a football team. Shay follows Tock as back-up when she leaves on a secret mission. She really needed back-up because there is trouble in shifter-land and everyone is going to be called into service. I forgot to mention Tock's grandmother. The badguys call her "Grandmother Death". Great banter, lots of shifters and a few good humans.

Reasons to read this book:
Dresses with pockets (best to hide knives)
FMC who has dissed Kissinger (yes the Henry guy).
10 year old girls who love math.
The return of Charlie MacKilligan, the honey badger that bakes to relieve stress.
Fine cuisine like fresh scorpions, grilled cottonmouth snake in BBQ sauce and poison-laced wine. A diet only a honey badger could love.
A woman who values time management hooks up with a man who doesn't wear a watch.
A group of older, female honey badgers who pissed off Reagan & Bush? Yes, please and thank you.
And I almost forgot -- PUPPIES!

I did not want this book to end! I love the Honey Badgers and all their friends/family. There is war brewing and I am always #TeamHoneyBadger.

5 stars

The Honey Badger Chronicles is one of my favorite series. Born to Badger is Tock and Shay’s story but not the main storyline. I love the antics and snark the other honey badgers provide to the story. I recommend reading in order as the plots all tie together. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Everything Shelly Laurenston writes is gold.
Born to be Badger is the fifth book in Shelly Laurenston’s Honey Badger Chronicles Series. this book focuses on T, Emily “Tock” Meyerson-Jackson, a honey badger-hyena shifter and, Shay Malone, a Siberian Tiger shifter.
I have to say this is probably my favorite book in the series. The characters are so well written and well rounded for this series.Their story is one of friendship, love, respect and support.

This story is filled with excitement,action, annoying family and awsome friendships. it has many diffrent points of viiew, not only from the main characters but many others. This is a continued story and should be read in order, or you will be lost. If you like strong woman (shifters), protective hero's and strong cast of characters with a intresting story.
Warning this will cause you to laugh out loud, so use caution when reading this story.

Born to Be a Badger is another winner for Laurenston’s Honey Badger Chronicles series that take place in the Pride world she created.

As usual, the badgers personalities shone through and the plot moved forward in a direction that should bring plenty of drama and action. The romance between Tock and Shay is quite lovely if a bit slow, but what really takes center stage is the relationship between the Badger teammates and their insane family dynamics.

I absolutely adore this series and the world Shelly Laurenston has created and I cannot wait for more!

(The review will be posted on Amazon as soon as the book is released)

Born to be Badger is the fifth book in Shelly Laurenston’s Honey Badger Chronicles Series. It is a paranormal shifter romance filled with humour, interesting characters, a great storyline, a precocious ten year old and her dogs. This story has a happily ever after for the couple and no relationship cliff hangers. However, the reader is left wanting to learning more about the interesting shifter world that Laurenston has created and the “can of worms” the honey badgers have opened.

This book is written in third person and from the view point of multiple characters in the series. The heroine, Emily “Tock” Meyerson-Jackson, a honey badger-hyena shifter and the hero, Shay Malone, a Siberian Tiger shifter have been mentioned in previous stories in the series. But it’s in book fifth that they get their own story. The chemistry between the two main characters was intense and entertaining as they learn to navigate, as a couple, the complicated world of the MacKilligan Sisters and their friends.

Great read! I hope there’s a book sixth in the works! I’d love to see if Keane Malone or Tock’s friends get their own stories.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I’m loving this series, it’s so dark and funny and irreverent. The main characters are complicated badass women and I can never guess where the plot is going to take me, i just know that there will be some steamy romance, lots of conflict and animals everywhere. Looking forward to the next one!

Ms. Laurenston has done it again. In this episode of the Badgers series, we find ourselves following Tock (or Emily Meyerson-Jackson) from the troublesome 5 as I think of them; or as most of whom follow the series know them, Tock, Max and the basketball loving teammates/BFFs. I rated this book as 5 stars because it satisfied my personal criteria of both entertaining me and making me laugh out loud regardless of who was nearby. The honey-badgers never fail to entertain and this story was no exception. They are nuts but you can't help but root for them because while they may be predators, they're smaller than most of the predators they're up against and yet they're fearless, cunning and their storylines are always taking you to unexpected places with the normal violence and snarky scenes you expect when these ladies are involved.
In addition to the zany happenings of the honey-badgers, we also have Shay and his brothers (Siberian Tigers) involved in the madness looking for revenge and watching out for their baby sister (who is a hybrid and related to Max, Charlie and Stevie).
I loved how the "romance" between Shay and Tock warms up like the best rising of a good dough when baking. It takes its time and then heats up and it's just this fabulous product in the end.
The story has some visits from previous favorite characters and hints on their current family updates (which made me smile). It covers a lot of ground and I enjoyed it as I fully expected to with many laughs along the way. Can't wait for the next honey-badger adventure.

Another great installation in the Honey Badger Chronicles. In this book we have Tock, the bomb expert, teaming up with Shay, who is her complete opposite in every way. Tock’s mission is to bring down a ring of lion shifters who have set up a human trafficking ring. Shay tags along and is instinctively protective of Tock, though it takes both of them a while to realise they are mates. It’s very much a slow burn, low steam romance, with the focus firmly on the action ( and sometimes violence) as Tock and Shay take on the lions. The plot is fast paced, full of fun and craziness. The dialogue is absolutely hilarious and had me giggling out loud as I read. Although this book can be read as a standalone, it is so much better if read in sequence.

I have really been enjoying the Badger Series. I really enjoyed this story line. It had a good story completion while taking us a step closer to the continuing story arc being completed. I really liked Tock and Shay both, they made me laugh a lot. I took away one star just because I didn’t feel the steam between the two main characters quite as much as normal. They were both so good at hiding their feelings even from themselves that it made it harder to pick up on. It is usually so much easier to see the attraction between the main characters in this series. It is still there, but just not quit so noticeable. I still really enjoyed this book. This entire world is such a great place to enter if you feel like you need a good laugh, all while figuring out a serious plot in a book. I definitely recommend this book and series. If you haven't read the first in the series, Hot and Badgered, I would recommend starting with that one. Or if you haven’t yet read the Pride series that is set in the same world you should really start where it all began just to enjoy this great world Shelly Laurenston has given us. You will not regret it.

I've be reading Shelly Laurenston for a long time, and have enjoyed all her books and this does not disappoint. I love the family, humor, even the violence (because they're Badger shifters trying to save to track down human traffickers, and if they can steal something while they're at it, all the better). This book focuses on time obsessed Tock, Shay who doesn't know the what time-management means, but loves his daughter, Dani. Add the MacKilligan sisters, and the Malone brothers looking to avenge his father's death and let the crazy begin.

The author weaves past books and series together seamlessly, and it's always fun when she bring in other series characters. Totally disappointed when the book ended, but as always, I look forward to the next installment.

Title: Born to Be Badger (The Honey Badger Chronicles, Book #5)

Release date: 11/28/23, read 11/24/23

Author: Shelly Laurenston-an auto-buy author for me

Page Count: 414

Setting: NY

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Tropes: opposites attract, shifters, single dad

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Source: Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC💛! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Quick summary: The honey badgers are being hunted, and the culprit may have been involved with the death of the Malone brothers’ father. Emily "Tock" Lepstein-Jackson goes on a secret mission and Shay Malone decides to invite himself along. She doesn't tell him anything about her mission but asks that he be her look-out. When all hell breaks loose, nothing angers Shay more than sneak attacks on his mate. Neither of them knows it though.

Content warnings/triggers: murder, human trafficking (mentioned)


Review: This book had plenty of shifters, found families, action, and humor. The romance was very slow burn and took a backburner to the crazy banter and fights. I love Keane and can't wait for his book. I didn't read ANY of the other books in this series (but having read all her Pride and Dragon Kin books) I let myself forget about all the crazy family characters' names and focus on the main romance with laughs.

You know, there are shifter books, and then there ARE SHIFTER BOOKS that you just cannot put down - love Shelly Laurenston’s Honey Badger Series. This is yet another great installment, and you’ve got to love those Honey Badgers…really. There are a few characters who have had more backstories in previous books, so it would definitely benefit to read from the first book, and honestly, it is worth every minute to go back to book one.

The humor, the crazy antics, their crazy reputation, and last but not in least, the snark - this is a great story about Tock and Shay, and her daughter Dani. Even better, there will be another book in this series!

This is one of the best gifts you can give yourself, a great escape, a peek into the antics and episodes in the world of shifters, and who knew badgers were the best ones!!!

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review*

If you are one of the people, like me, who wait with baited breath for anything that Laurenston releases, this book will not disappoint. Full of the same antics, the need to completely turn off your disbelief and just enjoy the ride, and the exclamation points (!), this book pairs up another of Max McKilligan's teammates with one of the Malone brothers. Somewhat rigid Tock (time management is NOT just about being on time) might not initially be thought of with the laid back Shay (he's a tiger shifter who owns dogs) but the two actually work really well together. Tock isn't actually as rigid as she appears, she just prefers to have a schedule. Shay isn't lazy, he just doesn't care about most things. But he appreciates Tock's need to be on time as well as how well her personality meshes with his daughter's. Except for the felonies. But Tock does try really hard to keep that from her.
There are, of course, also old grudges and new characters that come into this book as well as a lot of killing. A LOT of killing. Especially since Tock's grandmother. But we do finally get to know more about what happened with the Malones' father and you can definitely see the beginning of how Laurenston will be able to wrap up this arc in the last book.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out November 8, 2023
Honey Badger Chronicles #5
Follows Breaking Badger
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Kensington Books
Opinions are my own

This was a great addition to the Honey Badger Chronicles. Shelly Laurenston blasted it out of the ballpark again. I have loved all the books and their characters. The main characters in this book are Tok and Shay. I Loved meeting new badger characters like a new Van Holtz's and new Malone's. I love how Shelly brings in characters that were in previous books. While reading this the book opens up a new world within the shape of the shifter universe. There are some series and great topics brought up in this book like human trafficking, but she intermeshes it with her humor. So, it's not too hard to read about. This is an adult book being a romance and sci & fantasy, but it does not have a lot of spice, so it is safe for readers that like a more safer spice level read. I cannot rave enough about how good this book is or about the whole series as a hole so far, I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Thank you NetGalley for the Arc copy.

Early access review;

Shelly does it again! Another dive into the Honey Badger Chronicles that always leave me wishing I was a shifter and can I live in this world lol.

This is another member of Max MacKilligan’s basketball team. I love the way Shelley showcases the quirks of everyone making them even more endearing but relatable in this wild world. I really enjoyed the progression of Tock and Shay as a couple and they are one of my favorite pair. I will say there were times were it felt like the story deviated a bit and lost their connection — felt more about others than them. While I love diving into the world and updates on other characters and couples it distracted a bit.

If you’ve been wondering about the ongoing mission of the Malone brothers to find out what happened to their father this gives some juicy bits.

All in all this was a great read that I dived into immediately once given access and if you loved the antics of the crazy honey badgers this is an another solid installment.

First, a big thanks for ARC, and secondly just wow. I so love the Pride world book series and I allows fear that the level of excitement I feel waiting for a new release, will be met with disappointment but NOT you Shelly Laurenston. You never disappoint.
I loveed book. We got to know more about another family branch of the crazy honey badgers and met old friends. I hate how short it was. I wanted more.
Summary
Emily ‘Tock’ Lepstein-Jackson is one of the Butchers and is very obsessed with time and can kill for rum and raisin ice cream. She loves-hates her crazy family and very loyal to her friends. Shay Malone is the single-dad tiger who is somewhat clueless if it does not involve football and protecting his baby gal.
These two start spending time when Tock is assigned a supposedly easy mission and Shay uninvitedly volunteers to help her, And as you know where a honey badger goes trouble follows and I loved a bit of it.
I highly recommend it and can’t wait for the next book.

Born to Be Badger is the fifth book in the Honey Badger Chronicles that follow a group of basketball playing honey badger shifters who moonlight as thieves, killers and rabble rousers. They’re borderline sociopaths and a reader can never be sure how they react in any given situation (other than with violence.)

In this book, the playoffs that brought the girls to New York in the first place are still going on, but while it’s mentioned several times, not a single game is played. Instead, the group learns of a new poison that might be the only thing in the world that can kill them. Not that it worries them long. The story progresses to a violent ambush and a declaration of war among shifters. All in a day’s work for the girls.

The romantic (sub)plot is between Tock Meyerson-Jackson, the bomb expert of the group (not that she blows anything up in this book), and Shay Malone, a tiger shifter footballer. Like in previous books, the romance is sort of in the background, isn’t terribly romantic or emotional, and kind of just happens. There’s no inner monologues or other indications about why they like one another, let alone love, so it’s mostly about attraction and lust until it isn’t. The best interactions by far and scenes where both characters come to life are when they deal with Shay’s daughter Dani. In the end, she’s as good a reason as any for the two to become a pair.

Like always, the cast of characters is large and the reader never really knows who is important. Some appear for a scene, others clearly have elaborate backstories and might show up again. Some are characters from author’s earlier series that were given more than necessary airtime, but since I haven’t read those books, their appearance and tendency to take over wasn’t so much nostalgic as it was annoying.

Still, I would’ve like if the main pair was given as much space and as good descriptions as the guests. Now it wasn’t until half-way to the book that I realized that Tock is Black and Shay—the guy with Irish name—is Asian. Maybe earlier books brought that up, but I can’t remember things from that far. Their ethnicity doesn’t play a role in the story, but details like this are what bring these stories alive.

Compared to earlier books, the story advanced in a rather straightforward way. Like always, events and violence sort of spring up, and the plot happens in the background, moved by forces that aren’t shown, and the girls simply react to events. But side-plots were kept to minimum, and we sort of finally know who killed Shay’s father, so that’s progress. The ending promises more violence to come. I don’t really read this series for the romances, so I found this entertaining in a totally bonkers way. I’ll likely read more.

Born to be Badger
This is the fifth book in the Honey Badger Chronicles. Tock Lepstein, badger, is called to rescue a family member. Shay Malone, tiger shifter, was with her at the time and insists on going with her. But it was a trap and Tock is injected with some kind of poison which paralyzes her. She can’t even close her eyes. Luckily, Shay was there to keep her from being taken. Because someone is kidnapping shifters.
I enjoy Shelly Laurenston. Her stories are just fun. They are so outrageous you can’t take the brutality or carnage seriously. You will laugh out loud.
This book had the added bonus of having cameo appearances by characters in previous books.