Title: In a Badger Way
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: Honey Badger Chronicles #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019
I must admit, I’m kind of completely obsessed with the Honey Badger Chronicles, because… well, honey badgers. But also, Laurenston writes amazing romances that are filled with wonderful friendships, strong women and a whole lot of humour. They make me smile with every single page turned and leave me incredibly happy that I’ve had the pleasure of discovering such amazing books. The fact that this continues to follow the MacKilligan sisters, who are most certifiably insane and completely lovely, well, that made me dive right in. Actually, it took me a little while to actually get to this – because I can’t seem to put these books down once I start reading them.
I love that this story is about Stevie, who is most definitely the most neurotic of the MacKilligan sisters. I particularly enjoyed that she just… decides that Shen is her boyfriend. He is such a chilled being and kind of just meanders along. The dichotomy between Stevie’s intensity and inability to relax, and Shen’s calm nature worked really well in this relationship. It was fun getting to know another species of shapeshifter in this series – Shen’s enjoyment in upsetting the other bears with his bamboo chomping in particular. There’s also the way that, although Shen is so damn calm all the time, he is also not exactly the kind of being that you want to mess with… kind of making him the perfect laid back balance to Stevie’s high-strung reality and tendency to find herself in dangerous situations.
Stevie’s other form is definitely terrifying and intense – as demonstrated in Hot and Badgered. It was thoroughly enjoyable getting to know more about just what Stevie is capable of in this form. And just how much damage she can truly do. Although, the moment when she realises that she is actually a badass with DNA that eats other DNA… I thought this was freaking fantastic. And may have laughed for a good minute after reading this. Stevie’s ability to finally accept a part of herself that she’s both feared and reviled was a really nice moment. Definitely gently helped along by Shen’s quiet presence, but also just finally growing enough to realise that just because you’re scary, it doesn’t mean you’re bad.
This might have been a romance about Stevie and Shen, but, yet again, it’s the MacKilligan sisters and their honey badger kin that really steal the show. I genuinely loved the parts where everyone attends a honey badger funeral… there’s a truck vs. badger collision, Charlie wanting to kill her father (again), and a whole bunch of snakes thrown into the mix. It’s not quite what I expected, but fits in completely with the idea of honey badgers being certifiable, down to the last one. I honestly don’t want to stop reading about any and all of the crazy honey badgers that are running rampant through this series. But, it’s not just the honey badgers that steal the show, it’s all of the sibling pairs. Laurenston has a wonderful way of writing about sibling relationships which just feels genuine – there’s loving and affectionate antics, but also those that are about just pushing each others’ buttons, because that’s always fun. I’m honestly hoping that Shen’s, Berg’s and Kyle’s siblings all get their own stories as this series continues on….
This was such an amazing paranormal romance. Not just for the wonderful, steamy sex. The beautifully matched couple. But also the high jinx and shenanigans. Every time I read one of the wonderful stories written by Laurenston, I’m transported to a wonderful world that has me smiling and laughing. Also having all the feelings, because that’s what you should always have in a good romance.
Earth and Skye 