A lovely little novel about hedgehogs (yes hedgehogs!). I wasn’t really sure what this would be about going into it but i really enjoyed it and read it very fast. The book hits on some important topics with each of the neighbours at Hilltop having their own stories and secrets but they all come together to help the hedgehogs! Overall it was a really lovely read and has made me want to go and build a hedgehog highway!

A book about hedgehogs? Well, yes, it is. This is the story of a group of neighbors, who barely know each other, coming together to ensure their gardens create an environment safe for hedgehogs. Kitty Johnson introduced us to these neighbors, all of whom had a story, and made each of these characters so likable. We discover that no one's life is just the surface part that can be glimpsed. I found myself cheering for the happiness of each of these people and look forward to reading the previous novel by the author.

Really good character-driven story of complicated lives in suburbia with hedgehogs (and hoglets) woven in as a path to finding purpose and community for broken and breaking lives. I was taken by all the characters and wished I lived there for a while and got to know them myself.

Good decisions, like adopting a child or getting a dog, or covering a war zone, can make life miserable and secrets can hollow out a person’s dreams, and love can move people around like pieces on a chessboard. Personal dramas are the center here and I kept turning the pages to find out how they ended!

Happy hedgehogs, the center of attention, play backdrop to painful situations in the neighborhood and I was intrigued by all I learned about them. This was a thoroughly good read—highly recommended!

And yes, the hashtag #hedgehoghighway is real!

Thank you Netgalley & Quercus for access to this title in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

Oh my goodness, this was such a surprising read. I didn’t really know what to expect when I started it but it amazed from beginning to end. This novel focuses on a community that live on the same street and their motivation to save hedgehogs whilst each household has a story of their own.

Each subplot was unique but had overlapping qualities. It was extremely well-written and thought provoking. I cried so much whilst reading this and I think that is a true testament to how well the characters were portrayed in order to feel an emotional connection to the story.

I was sad, I was happy, and I was shocked. This book has it all. You won’t regret reading this one. Out 28 May ⭐️

The Sawmill Book Club by Carolyn Brown, published by Montlake, is a beautiful small town romance. A story about love, forgiveness and more. A sweet romantic friends to lovers relationship develops between the main characters, Benny and Libby. A pleasure reading their story. Even the secondary characters are fantastic, 4,5 stars.

A lovely novel about a typical British street and its residents. The characters are very enjoyable to read about, and the book had information about hedgehogs between the chapters. A nice easy read that flows well throughout. Definitely recommend. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy

Thank you NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found on Goodreads.

A wonderful book to kick off my 2024! This is the ultimate feel good story with a fun and engaging plot and lovable characters.

Meet the neighbors of Hilltop Place: a community with a lot of personality and worries about their local hedgehogs. We have quite a few main characters, but they're easy to keep track of with Johnson's writing: Ryan (his mother Irene and son Eric), Jess and Michael (their children Stella and Toby), Tara (her daughter Hermie), Helen and Justin, and Frances (her partner Frank).

When Frances realizes that there were quite a few hedgehogs in the neighborhood, she takes it upon herself to make sure they were cared for and safe. Thus begins her neighborhood project of the Hedgehog Highway. While this is a large piece of the book, we get to know each character through the happenings of their own lives. With everyone's individual stories and experiences, we see the messy and true lives of the neighborhood. It begs the reminder that you never know what someone is going through.

I read Johnson's debut novel 'Five Winters' last year, and I loved the simplicity of her storytelling. It felt so real and personal. 'Prickly Company' was done in the same fashion, and I loved it. You can relate to every character in some form or fashion, and you can see yourself or someone you know easily in the characters. It's a wholesome, fun, and lovable story. What else could you ask for?

“Take advantage of all of the help available to you”

Wow! Prickly Company is not what I thought it would be and I loved it. It felt like a warm cozy hug, the feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket by the fire drinking a warm cup of tea (or glass of wine?). Heartwarming, fun, and quirky. Readers of Anxious People by Fredrick Backman will enjoy!

Albeit a little confusing at first, I loved reading about the different characters and following their stories. I had such a soft spot for Ryan and for Jess as well! Truly cannot wait to read this one again. I’ve rated it as 4/5 stars, only because it was a bit slow during the middle and dragged a bit.

Keep your eyes peeled for its’ release in May 2024.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated some aspects of this book, but I had a hard time connecting with the human characters. I think this is a very interesting idea for a story and I'm glad it exists. It has an uplifting message in the end, which I really liked, and I think it comes from a good place. I just wish I cared about the characters overall, not just about the hedgehogs. But that's a me problem! Maybe I didn't pick it up at the right time, I don't know. It's just how it goes sometimes!

Who doesn’t love a book with hedgehogs? Truly you would be a monster if you did not. Lucky for all readers, whether you enjoy hedgehogs or not, this was a book that takes a hold of you and doesn’t let you go. This story tugs at your heart strings, and is a unique storyline (or really, series of storylines) that is comforting as getting under the covers on a rainy day. I enjoyed the plot as well as the characters, who felt like old friends I’d love to be neighbors with.

Excellent writing and a comfort read I will revisit in the future, as well as recommend to readers who want to be surprised with something delightful.

Thank you again for the ARC, Lake Union Publishing, and for the opportunity to read it without a request, NetGalley, it is much appreciated and I enjoyed the read and the opportunity to share my feedback.

I wasn’t expecting to like this quite as much as I did, i knew it would be good but I really didn’t expect to relate to the characters so much. Everyone was so perfectly different and it’s so rare to read a book where I find myself enjoying all the characters! I was able to fly through the book and feel sad now that it’s over and can’t wait to read it again.

This book was so wonderfully unexpected. Admittedly, I didn't really know WHAT to expect when I picked this up, but I certainly didn't expect to devour it in one sitting the way that I did. Each character had an extremely unique situation that was so well portrayed, and the set-up of the neighborhood led to a really nice dynamic among the characters. I was particularly fascinated by the relationship between Jess and Toby; so hard to read about, but such an interesting perspective to see. At so many points during this book I was on the verge of total heartbreak, but in the best kind of way. The way it was written, you can really connect to each and every character.
And of course, how could I deny my love for the hedgehog content [and semi-narrators??]

This book is a feel good story about a very likable cast of characters that feel very real and even flawed at some points throughout the story, that has everything and nothing to do with hedgehogs. Jess and Micheal adopt a little boy early on and struggle to adapt to life as a family of four. Meanwhile down the street Ryan is trying to regain his footing after a landmine costs him his ability to walk and Frances stirs into action after years of living an isolated life to save the hedgehogs.
The people on Hilltop Place have a lot going on in their lives all throughout the book, and while it took me a little bit to get into it, I eventfully fell in love with these characters. Unfortunately the ending felt a little bit rushed to me. I would’ve gladly spent more time with the characters to resolve their storylines at a more comfortable speed.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and was especially impressed that with the sheer amount of characters, they all still had so much personality.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a little neighborhood drama, people working through their struggles to find to each other and a feel good story that still feels real.

Content warnings: PTSD, death, child loss and infidelity.

Not all is well in the world, of course it isn't with those poor hedgehogs and wildlife more generally being under threat.

But this is a feel-good book, one which from the start makes you feel suspect will be a happy ending, this has nothing to do with spoilers... it is just the atmosphere as the story unfolds.
And with quite some lovely characters, I really was taken in with Augustus, happily surprised for Hot Chocolate to make an appearance, and couldn't help but think of Ryan as a character played by Jamie Bamber :)
Just as long as you remember: you never know what exactly goes on behind someone's front door... or in your back garden.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

I had quite the trouble dropping this book once I started reading it- I devoured it in less than 2 days!! A five star read well earned. The characters were so easy to relate to, they felt easy to connect to and only a few chapters made me fall in love. I love Hilltop Place and all the residents, I love how Kitty shows the tension amongst the residents, the little family feuds and gossip. I love the depth she gives to each and every character of hers! The information she gives on hedgehogs in the beginning of the chapters gives the book a certain depth, giving the hedgehog's view on the residents of Hilltop Place. If Kitty ever decides to write another book, I will DEFINITELY be on the top list of anticipated readers. A must read!!