So, it was the cute hedgehogs on the cover that sold me on this book. Unfortunately, that was the most it had going for it. I read the whole book waiting for some sort of happy redemption, but all the storylines were horrible. Who finds out their husband is cheating on them, then days later falls in love with their neighbor? Conveniently all the neighbors end up together despite tearing up each others lives.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Hedgehogs huh? It was a unique story element that nicely tied all the lives together in a common thread. I loved the use of multiple narrators to help get all the stories and perspectives, and I thought Jess was really well written. Through her, you can see the ugly, honest truth that sometimes comes with motherhood, and that made her so relatable.

The characters are super relatable and it's easy to see why so many people have enjoyed this book for me it wasn't everything that I wished for but it was good.

Amazing book!
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and I didn't want to put it down! The author captured my attention from the get go! Five stars from me :)

"Prickly Company" by Kitty Johnson is one of those books that just grabs you and doesn't let go. It's all about the drama, love, and laughs in this little community, where even the hedgehogs play a part in the story. The way Johnson writes makes you feel like you're right there, living alongside characters like Frances, who's trying to make the world a better place for hedgehogs, and others who are dealing with all sorts of life stuff like rocky marriages, parenting challenges, and the messiness of just being human. I was totally wrapped up in their lives, laughing one minute and getting teary the next. The story's got twists that keep you guessing and moments that warm your heart. It's really about the big, messy, beautiful thing called life, and it's told in a way that's both down-to-earth and deeply moving. Honestly, I love this book to bits and I'm telling everyone I know they've got to read it. It's a real gem that makes you feel all the feels and reminds you how interconnected we all are, prickly bits and all. 5++++++/5 stars!

I really enjoyed this book but probably wouldn't read it again. It surprised me by being the only book that I was able to sit with start to finish since I finished the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas. I had three other books that I had started and this is the one that seemed to stick. It was a quick and easy read but I did feel like it could've been shorter and there wasn't a major event to look forward to and complete the book at the end. I think there were too many storylines to follow and as a result I didn't feel like the conflicts were developed enough.

Prickly Company is the perfect title for a book about neighbours who keep themselves to themselves - until they get involved with a neighbourhood hedgehog project. The cast of characters is broad, layered, nuanced and real, and as they work through their struggles with themselves and one another, themes of loneliness, love and friendship emerge. But most importantly, the story reminds us about the warmth of community and the rewards of having purpose. A satisfying and uplifting read.

This is my first book by Kitty Johnson and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a genre that I have been gravitating towards lately, up-lit. Feel good fiction that brings a community together. Ever since COVID-19, I have wanted to read books about the downtrodden and their fight to come out on top. Prickly Company fit the bill perfectly and made me feel all the feels.

I loved most of the people in Hilltop Village, they wormed their way into my heart, and let's not forget the hedgehog narrator. I know that sounds weird but trust me, it works and I learnt so much. I like how the community came together to triumph over a big company even though they each had their own difficulties and were suffering.

Hilltop, led by recluse Frances, leads the way to building a hedgehog highway and along the way we meet the different residents of this amazing community. I love how most of them banded together and I cheered them on and rooted for their success. Everyone in this community is connected and there is a lot going on...Abuse, neglect, disability, PTSD, adultery, divorce, death, adoption.

The characters were realistic with depth, issues and flaws. I especially felt a kinship with Hermie, she was terribly abandoned by her mother for boyfriends and was left to fend for and raise herself. As the saying goes "Always be kind because you never know what someone is going through."

This was one of the most unique books I have ever read and would have been a five star read if it wasn't for all the coupling going on. It was too much and a bit farfetched for my liking. I can see some couples getting together, but all of them? Too neat and tidy and HEA for my tastes, it just wasn't needed.

Quirky neighborhood secrets abound in this comical, and sometimes almost slapstick, romance built around a small neighborhood with some strong personalities and stubborn attitudes. Looking for something light with some laughs to take a brain-break - this is it.

This was such an unexpected feel good book that I hadn't expected. The characters felt so multidimensional and I got immersed so quickly. I hadn't expected to finish this so quickly, but I devoured this in a single sitting. A must-read author for sure - I'll be on the lookout for anything else she publishes.

Charming and whimsical, Prickly Company is a must read for fans of books with an ensemble of characters. Equally delightful was the side storyline of neighbors coming together to save their local hedgehog friends! Highly Recommended.

I couldn't help but fall in love with the cast of characters, hedgehogs and all, in this lovely novel. I enjoyed learning the quirks and imperfections of each characters, even the ones I hated as I watched the residents of Hilltop Place navigate all of the normal challenges of life. Kitty Johnson did a phenomenal job of capturing real life without making the book a heavy read and even threw in a few unexpected twists along the way!

There were moments where the book seemed to creep along and others where the relationships developed at what seemed to be lightning speed and yet I loved it all the same.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really adored this book. I love reading about a whole community of people, working together (or not) toward a common goal and discovering themselves along the way. These characters felt so real and imperfect and I loved that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc!
Pub date: 5/28/24

Well this was just an adorable, cozy read perfect to get me through a winter cold snap. I adore books that focus on a cast of characters in a community (or family), so this was just a delight. I think the story balances light and airy story lines with heavier plots as well. The pacing in the middle half of the book felt a little slow, whereas the ending felt a little rushed. I also wish we got more of a wrap up of Jess’s story as the book felt more focused on her in the beginning. Would definitely recommend this! 3.5/5 stars.

I loved it! It is a captivating story with well-rounded characters, an interesting plot and an unusual main topic. It was really interesting to see how the dynamics changed between the residents of the close during the events. I loved the epilogue-like final chapter which also held some surprise! All in all, I can recommend this great book to everyone.

Kitty Johnson’s Prickly Company is a playful story filled with family antics, community rivalry, and surprising discoveries. Readers will adore the colorful characters and ravenous hedgehogs living in the United Kingdom’s
lush countryside.

I'm a sucker for great characters, and by extension, I'm a sucker for ensemble pieces--stories with several point-of-view characters whose stories are so interwoven that their personal arcs are inseparable. Kitty Johnson's "Prickly Company" is like a nice cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day: filling, rich, and sweet all at once.

Set in small town England, the book takes place almost entirely on one, insular street in a small neighborhood. Of the many characters, three come to the front: Jess, struggling to bond with a new adoptive child as everything around her falls apart; Ryan, an embittered journalist raging against the paralysis sustained by an IED injury; and Frances, reclusive, sassy, and determined not to need anyone--but with a soft spot for nature and hedgehogs the size of the North Sea. The lives, loves, struggles, and past heartaches of these characters unfold as these three characters move from barely-acquaintances to close allies and friends.

You won't approve of all the characters in this book, or of everything they say and do. But you won't be able to resist rooting for them all the same.

What do Americans know about hedgehogs? Nothing! We don’t have them in the States! That was one fascinating part of Kitty Johnson’s novel, Prickly Company, due out on May 28. I loved learning about these little creatures and the efforts of the small village, the setting of the novel, to protect them. Among this crowd, the hedgehogs aren’t the only ones who are prickly. The most intriguing character is Frances, an elderly, sometimes abrasive widow who leads the neighbors in their efforts to build a “hedgehog highway” between the yards and gardens of the residents so the hedgehogs don’t have to venture into the road. She embraces Ryan, a disabled war correspondent who is struggling with finding purpose now that he is in a wheelchair. His prickly mother doesn’t help, either. Ryan's empathy for others and his helpful nature make him a favorite character of this reader. By the end of novel most of the characters have sorted their issues, reconciled or found love, or both. This is going to be a popular summer read!

What a wonderful warm hug of a novel!! Reading Prickly Company made me feel the way I do when I settle in to watch a PBS Masterpiece show like All Creatures Great and Small, which is to say it made me feel comforted, entertained, and very happy. It’s not that this multi-POV story is all lightness and fluff; in fact, there are many serious topics and themes running throughout (although it does have a great sense of humor, too). But Johnson handles the heavier issues with such a deft touch and writes her characters with so much grace and compassion, the ultimate result is one of heartfelt joy. If you love a feel-good book and an ensemble cast, this one is a must read. And even if you don’t have a particular passion for hedgehogs when you start, you probably will before the book ends!

4.5 stars, rated up

I adored this one. Initially, I grabbed Prickly Company because of the hedgehogs, but kept at it for the story.

With highly relatable characters living in a community that you can vividly picture, this novel absolutely charmed me.


This was my first time reading the author; I’ll definitely read more of her work.



Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC