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

This book was so cute. I loved how fast you flew through it because of how short the chapters were. It made you not want to put down the book. It is one of my favourite books I’ve read so far this year.
The only thing is I felt when it got to about the 70% mark it did get a little bit rushed. Otherwise I really enjoyed the writing style and would definitely read from this author again !!

I never thought much about hedgehogs until now. What a cute story. I found the start to be a bit slow. I picked it up and put it down a few times. But then it picked up. It dealt with some deeper issues which I liked. Overall it was a solid read.

I loved all the storylines. It was entertaining and easy to understand. Sooo many emotions with this book. A great read.

If you’re looking for a book that follows character development in a neighborhood, this pretty much hits all those points. Bit of a slow start that read a little heavy, but it started to pick up at about 30%. I breezed through from there and couldn’t put it down. A lot of heavy topics but Kitty meshed them into the story without weighing down the pacing, which was perfect. Ending was a little too clean and too happy happy, but that’s okay.

Recommend!

This was a cute, easy read. The characters were relatable enough to imagine they could be your neighbors, and their stories all felt believable and easy to connect with.

I really appreciated the differences in life circumstances and the character development that helped the reader to become invested in each of their individual storylines. I also enjoyed that the story was based around nature and wildlife conservation.

For me the book was good to start, slow for the middle, and then it picked up and went fast. I really enjoyed how interesting things got in the last third of the book, but I wished it came sooner and gradually instead of all at once.

Overall I'd recommend this for someone looking for something easy to read and relatable.

Who knew hedgehogs could be the center of an entire neighborhood drama? 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 ending was all a bit too tidy for me, but it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book!

I love books that transport us into small towns and give us complex characters that we aren't sure whether to root for or against. The main characters of the book have complicated relationships with each other as they work together to create the project of a hedgehog highway (aka a connected series of yards with habitats and lawn maintenance more suitable for the little animals). There are several main characters, but none of them get lost in the shuffle and the author balances the storylines that are most important very well while dealing with an ensemble cast of characters. If you're not a fan of a lot of characters (and character development) I wouldn't recommend the book because it does really more heavily on character than plot.

However, I do think most people who pick up this book will like it. There's a lot of humanity in the way the characters are written and I like that none of them are 100% good or bad. Just like the hedgehogs, people are also complex - adorable but sharp. My favorite parts of the book centered around Jess, Ryan, and Frances, but the other parts are still enjoyable to read and I also left with a greater appreciation for hedgehogs.

5/5 for solid character development and very few negatives (got through this one very fast).