I love the cover of this book, but that's about it. For some reason, the opening chapter didn't keep my interest at all. I couldn't get past the hedgehogs. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I will try this again another time.

This was a pleasantly surprising read. I never knew exactly where the story was headed next, but it was also overall comfortably predictable. Prickly Company was a very easy read, with characters you hated and characters you rooted for and all the feelings that come with both. While I was reading, I felt like there were chapters where nothing really happened. However, by the time I finished, I realized what a whirlwind this book was. This book truly had everything happening! I also learned a lot about hedgehogs. If you’re looking for a cozy book that will entertain you, this is it!

I love a book where the characters revolve around the theme of community connection/disconnection and this one did not disappoint! It’s like a Melrose Place conglomerate of unlikely friends (and some enemies). You will not only root for the hedgehogs and come to love the diverse set of characters, but you will leave feeling like you believe in humanity again. I loved that she chose a character with a disability and I appreciated the differences between the characters she painted. Most are from differing stages of life, with varying backstories and life choices. If you like your books tied up with a sense of completion, this book is for you, This book reminded me of Clare Pooley’s works- The Authenticity Project and Ivona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting. Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review.

Like others have said this was extremely unexpected for sure. It was cute, frustrating at times, definitely had my jaw drop at one particle part that I had a feeling happened with Frances. But all in all, a very nice breath of fresh air. Not the type of book I would normally pick up and read but I read this and it kept me hooked. My favorite character by far was Ryan. He to me felt like the glue to this community. I related to his feelings a lot. The vibe was almost desperate housewives in my opinion but with hedgehogs. Very very interesting read, with an ending that didn’t leave me with questions.

I liked it!

3 Reasons to read Prickly Company by Kitty Johnson:
1. Hedgehogs! And others British details, phrases like Christ on a Bike and the contraction d'you.
2. If you enjoy a very interconnected, small web of characters with A LOT going on you'll love this book.
3. Kitty Johnson has a knack for writing about heavy topics in a light way. You find yourself reflecting deeply while breezing through this read.

Happy Reading!

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

Hedgehogs, humor, and hope. What other ‘h’ words could you possibly want in a book?

Prickly Company was a delightful read with complex characters and a lovable setting in Hilltop Place. I didn’t think I would ever enjoy a book that began with hedgehogs, “pooey shoes”, and a dead cat, but Prickly Company was charming and well-done right off the bat. Not to mention, I learned the adorable fact that baby hedgehogs are called hoglets.

The story follows a mass of characters such as Jess and Michael Crawford with the ups and downs of adopting a toddler alongside their daughter Stella, struggling newly wheelchair-bound Ryan Tindall and his stern mother Irene, hedgehog loving Frances, and Tara and her wild daughter Hermie.

All the residents of Hilltop Place make this book a great jumble of interconnected stories. The characters are complex and relatable all at once. I did find that the middle of the book started to feel utterly hopeless and but some happy endings solved that ‘problem’. My biggest critique is that the plot got a little lost in between all the problems of all the different characters. Otherwise, it was generally an enjoyable read!

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed. I am looking forward to other books by this author.

A very pleasant, cozy read! While it took me a little bit to get into, I felt the pacing picked up about 1/3rd of the way through. The character subplots were unique yet relatable, and I really enjoyed how Kitty intertwined the stories of the neighbors, especially Jess and Ryan. Overall an easy ready to pick up every night, but not one that I was losing sleep to finish.

First, thank you NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book focuses heavily on character development so that has to be your thing if you want to read this book. I do like that and that's why I enjoyed this book! The characters were all quite different and had their own stories and struggles to tell and get through. As another reviewer said, it feels a bit like you're watching your neighbours in the street. Overall, I thought this was well done and makes for a fun and easy read!

thankyou netgalley for the arc. all opinions are my own and are totally honest and unbiased!

OKAY THIS WAS SO SWEET AND GRIPPING AMD HEARTWARMING AND HILARIOUSLY FUNNY. Kitty Johnson nailed it!! you say it and this book has it!!🤭❤️😩

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. :D
Now, this story focuses heavily on the growth of the characters, which I found super entertaining. I liked how each of them were super different and had unique subplots, this was exactly like watching drama unfold between neighbors on my street HAHA
However, I felt that the pacing was sometimes off in some sections, slow in some parts and too fast in others. Not to mention I found the actions of some characters questionable. 🤨 But that's really a me problem, since I'm able to see why they would have acted the way they did, I just wouldn't have done the same thing, does that make sense? lol.
Anyway, this was an overall light read, perfect for passing the time entertaining yourself. If you are interested in reading it, the book comes out on May 28, on Amazon.

A nice story about campaigning in a little British street, easy reading story. Relatable characters.

This was a compassionate story about love, friendship, complicated lives, set against the backdrop of campaigning and saving the environment... I enjoyed it and would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Not my favorite--I felt like the plot was meandering and slow. However, I could see this being a big win for fans of The Joy Luck Club and family dramas.

Jess's and Tara's story arc were by far the most interesting!

Life can be prickly, and it certainly is in Kitty Johnson’s latest, PRICKLY COMPANY. Set in a small relatively prosperous UK neighborhood, Hilltop Place, the book chronicles residents’ lives falling apart, reconfiguring and reemerging into new and better forms. Miscarriages, adoptions, abandonments, both literal and figurative, careers lost and pursued, divorce, marriage, disfigurement: a cornucopia of human challenges befall the residents of this self-contained neighborhood. If resolutions to these various crises were the sum total of the book, I’d consider it an engaging story, a four star charming read. But the personal stories are framed by information about the waning hedgehog population and possible solutions. As the neighbors open their fences and yards to the hedgehogs and to each other, the neighborhood becomes a caring community.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it was something different than the usual read because it had the hedgehog theme throughout. Being a huge animal lover, I absolutely loved this aspect and the way it was wound throughout the chapters. It was a feel-good book that made me not want to put it down, and I would love to read a sequel!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to reading this ARC.

First I want to start by saying I appreciated Johnson's reliable storytelling and clear, uncomplicated writing style. The characters, such as Jess, Michael, Ryan, and Frances, are described as appealing, each dealing with their own struggles and complexities. The challenges and conflicts in the storyline, particularly the introduction of Toby into the Crawfords' lives, gave me mixed emotions.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet and charming nature of the story, highlighting its ability to address difficult and complex subject matter with a satisfying resolution. If you choose to read this amazing story, you are likely to learn something new about hedgehogs while following the characters' journeys. If you enjoy novels set in close-knit communities with a blend of heartwarming and bittersweet moments, this is a perfect read for you.

When I tell you my heart felt so full after reading this book, I mean it. For something as cute and little as a hedgehog to bring a neighborhood together was so great. I love that each chapter is a viewpoint of a different neighbor throughout. You quickly figure out which characters are great and which ones need to go away. It was a steady read, not at all overwhelming or flowery with words. And the ending??? Oh what a surprise! It is amazing what can bring and separate a community, family, marriage, so many relationships. This is a book to read outdoors while you see Mother Nature, or comfortably in bed when you are winding down. Absolutely, absolutely loved it. Thank you, NetGalley for the sneak peak, I can't wait to tell my friends to get this book!

Not gonna lie...I saw the hedgehogs and thought it was such a fun, unique premise that I had to open the pages to the book. It's a lovely, interesting and well-done plot. The characters are well done and you can imagine each of them.
Frances, a senior member of the neighborhood realizes that hedgehogs are facing danger each time they try to reach feeding holes and more. She starts a campaign for all of the neighbors to make their yards hedgehog friendly.
Another couple has recently adopted, and it is chaos. Ryan, a war reporter will never walk again, and he is dealing with that, his young son and trying to deal with his new status.
There are many other scenarios, and they play out in a way that kept me reading.
This book is not just about hedgehogs...it's about relationships, neighbors, changing with the hurdles that come our way, and deciding your future.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book already has so many good reviews but sadly for me this won't be a 5 star review. With all the amazing things I've read and heard about this book I was a bit disappointed. I did like the story overall and I understand why so many people loved this one. The characters are relatable, flawed and real, the writing was good and the hedgehogs were an added plus!! Love the little hedgehogs. I can't quite put my finger on why this one wasn't a true hit with me, but I know so many others will really resonate with this book.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

Thank you NetGalley Lake Union Publishing and Kitty Johnson for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.