I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Born to Be Badger
by
Shelly Laurenston
paranormal romance in a Kindle edition on November 28, 2023 and has 414 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include The Mane Event, The Mane Event, The Mane Squeeze, The Mane Attraction, Beast Behaving Badly, Big Bad Beast, Here Kitty, Kitty!, Hunting Season, Pack Challenge, Go Fetch!, When He Was Bad, Everlasting Bad BoysS, Bear Meets Girl, Howl for It, Wolf with Benefits, The Unleashing, The Undoing, The Unyielding, Hot and Badgered, In a Badger Way, Badger to the Bone, Breaking Badger, Bite Me, The Undoing
Fifth in The Honey Badger Chronicles paranormal romance series (an offshoot from Laurenston’s Pride series) and revolving around those dangerously unstable yet highly organized gangs of vicious predators — those honey badgers. The couple focus is on Emily “Tock” Lepstein-Jackson and Shay Malone.
My Take
I’ve been noticing that I love those stories / series in which the hero is a heroine, especially one that kicks butt and takes names, lol. So, yeah, I do love Shelly Laurenston’s books.
Okay, that prologue from eleven years in the past is a crack-up with Tock’s mom freaking out and coming up with some outlandish “stories” about what her daughter is “really” doing. Her husband loves her nutty nutsness; he reckons it keeps their married life interesting, lol. Poor Ayda is so in denial about her family’s propensity for stealing, lol.
Laurenston uses third person global subjective point-of-view from a whole lotta perspectives, and it starts with that prologue, just the opening to introduce the precociousness, ahem, of Tock and her teammates, just like her parents are learning. Yep, jaw dropping action, lol. The kids’ reaction to Tock’s parents seeing them “at work” had me laughing even more.
I am enjoying how authors are putting in references to current events. Yep, I always locally source my fresh scorpions.
I am confused about Freja ambushing Tracey when Laurenston later states that Mads had wiped out her mother’s clan. Wouldn’t that mean that Freja was no more?
I do love how caring the easygoing Shay is about Dani. And it’s weird how Tock becomes, not obsessed, but has a thing about Dani. She wants to help her, protect her; Shay reminds Tock of her father and how both look at their daughters with such pride. The skill Shay displays with Dani’s hair. That said, Tock and Dani do take opposing stances on the importance of time. It almost feels like Dani is making excuses in liking the other stuff too!
I do love Laurenston’s Honey Badger Chronicles. It’s so irreverent and supportive. That scene where Shay walks into the MacKilligans and is taken aback with nostalgia as he absorbs the family atmosphere. Something I suspect we all want. Tock calls it the Gift of Charlie.
That first book, Hot and Badgered, introduced us to the MacKilligan sisters AND the bear neighborhood. You really must read this one before touching any of the following books, if only to truly understand Charlie’s baking and ferocity, lol. Charlie wins yet more fans — and the 180 that happens will crack you up.
Nat and Max war with each other. I suspect Nat is as bad as Max at stirring up trouble. Aww, Charlie is stunned to learn that Max’s teammates are all still afraid of her.
I would love to know how all these shifters can afford to eat! Forty burgers apiece as a snack to tide them over!? Then there’s the kitchen-envy Charlie experiences.
Lately I’ve been reading a lot about dictatorial HOAs and the Malones’ next-door neighbor seems related to them. There’s a side-step into Charlie managing her team that will have you laughing. Yet more will erupt from you when you read about Dani chastising her father . . . sob *laughing a lot*. I’m, I’m not sure what to say about Dani’s mom. But she doesn’t sound at all maternal about Dani.
Oh, oh, oh, hypocrisy at work with Dani not accepting that boys can push her around — and being labeled as having an aggression problem. Yeah. Hmph. There seems to be more of that there hypocrisy when it comes to Malones vs Malones. Seems the other side of the Malones hadn’t pitched in when the brothers’ dad was murdered. Yet there’s not much of an emphasis placed on getting that revenge. It’s more about Uncle Meanie’s anger issues and introducing Dani.
That vet visit was rather funny how she freaked out about Princess. Stevie does a quick recap of her visit to the “spa” in Switzerland *snicker*. That girl has a unique perspective!
Ya can’t blame shifters for focusing on protecting their own. You couldn’t trust humans to do it!
I am feeling a bit annoyed — there seemed to be a bit of a chill in Born to Be Badger. It could simply be because Tock is so closed off and obsessed about time — I gotta wonder if Tock is a little bit autistic.
The action was wild, but it was a mess too with too much unexplained. Too many events with tenuous connections. It took a bit to understand that scene with Mark, and I confess, I still don’t get it. Laurenston continues the confusion with that container full of bodies. Who are they? Why were they killed? As for old man De Medici, huh? When did this happen? As for the prison visit? What was the purpose for including it? I’m assuming the whole poisoning issue is introducing a new thread in the series. . . . yeah, it’s too disconnected.
The whole story felt like a rush job.
The Story
A series of unfortunate events brings Emily “Tock” Lepstein-Jackson and her teammates into an unexpected partnership with the Black Malones.
The Characters
Tock and her teammates — Streep, Mads, Nelle, and Max MacKilligan — work for the shifter nation with day jobs as a professional basketball team, the Wisconsin Butchers, who are coached by Diane Fitzgerald, a She-wolf. Janice is part of the team. Mads has a house in the MacKilligans’ neighborhood with a coyote she’s harboring. Ashley Baker is Streep’s girlfriend. Ash knows what a drama queen Streep is and lets her milk it.
The fearsome Tracey Rutowski, a highly successful art dealer, is Tock’s aunt and a honey badger, which means she’s been banned from a number of countries. Yeah, she’s done some amazing things, lol. Hey, the Berlin Wall had to come down . . . Neil Jeffers, a feline shifter, is her bodyguard, driver, assistant, and friend. Tracey’s very best friends include Cecilia “CeCe” Álvarez, a painter and sculptor; the Korean Stephanie “Steph” Yoon of Yoonotics; and, Oksana “Ox” Lenkov.
Tock’s very manipulative Israeli maternal grandmother, Savta, Mira Malka-Lepstein, a.k.a. Grandmother Death, is danged scary. Tock’s relatives include cousins Uri and Shira (Uri’s sister) and Uncle Jakub who babbles about dancing pink polar bears. The Lepsteins don’t steal. They’re assassins who take down the bad guys.
The Black Malones are . . .
. . . four Amur tiger shifter brothers who are half-Mongolian and half-Irish Traveler and very different from those other Malones. For one thing, these Malones love football. Shay Malone, the widest and most sensitive, is way too easygoing for Tock. Keane, a.k.a. “Uncle Mean”, the tallest and most brutal, is angry all the time. Finn is the one who hooked up with Mads in Breaking Badger, 4. Dale is the youngest and supposed to be going to college. Their half-sister, the deaf Natalie, is half-badger and half-tiger, which means she’s ALL badger. Their mother has some obsession with gambling. The boys’ dad, a CIA agent, had been murdered. We finally get a proper introduction to ten-year-old Dani, Shay’s baby girl who does love her bling. And math. Her mother, Chu, a tigress, is more concerned with her sons’ football practice. She and Aunt Lei take Dani to math camp. Princess is one of their three Tosa Inu dogs, and she’s just had puppies.
Some of those “other” Malone relatives include cousins Donovan, Georgie, and Michael Patrick who doesn’t understand no; Uncle Seán; and, Uncle Callahan and Aunt Muriel.
The MacKilligans are . . .
. . . half-sisters, who now include Natalie. The allergy-ridden Charlie MacKilligan, half-wolf and half-honey badger who can’t shift, is the oldest sister and a brilliant baker whom the bears adore. They and all other shifters fear her. She sees her biggest job as keeping the troublemaking sociopathic Max in line and young Stevie MacKilligan, half-tiger and half-honey badger who shifts into a mini-Godzilla and nutty genius who makes Einstein look slow, safe. That lowlife, Freddy MacKilligan, is their hated father. Shotzy is one of Charlie’s dogs.
Berg Dunn, a grizzly protective specialist, is Charlie’s boyfriend (Hot and Badgered, 1). Dag and Britta are Berg’s siblings and triplets. They live across the street from the MacKilligan sisters. Shen Li, a panda protective specialist, is Stevie’s boyfriend (In a Badger Way, 2). Zezé “Zé” Vargas, a jaguar shifter, is Max’s boyfriend (Badger to the Bone, 3). Dutch Alexander, a wolverine shifter, has been Max’s best friend since high school. The eighteen-year-old Kyle Jean-Louis Parker, a jackal shifter and a brilliant artist, rents studio space in their basement.
Protective shifter organizations that . . .
. . . protect their own kind.
The Group is . . .
. . . run by wolves but interested in protecting all shifters and headed up by Niles “Van” Van Holtz who is part of the Van Holtz pack and the third oldest, wolf shifters who own a string of expensive restaurants, the Van Holtz Steakhouses (When He was Bad: “Miss Congeniality”, 3.5). Imani Ako, a lion shifter, now works for The Group.
Edgar Van Holtz is the oldest and oversees the entire American pack. The second oldest, Alder, had once run the restaurant business (Big Bad Beast, Pride #6). Ulrich “Ric” Van Holtz is Van’s younger cousin and mated to Dee-Ann Smith, one scary Marine who shifts into a wolf (Big Bad Beast). Dee-Ann’s father, Eggie Smith, is even scarier (Howl For It: “Like a Wolf With a Bone”, 0.5). There are three more Van Holt brothers, rich and trained chefs: Heller “Hel”; Lothaire “Lot” (he’s married to CeCe); and Gerulf “Wolf”. Their sister, Carrie Van Holtz, is an Alpha Female and the head chef of the Van Holtz Steakhouse in the Village.
Katzenhaus is . . .
. . . a protective organization for cats. Cella Malone is one of their agents (Bear Meets Girl). Mary-Ellen Kozłowski is the head of the New York branch.
The Bear Preservation Council (BPC) is . . .
. . . similar to The Group but only concerned with bear shifter issues. Its head is Bayla BenZeev, who used to run the shifter division of Mossad.
NYPD’s Shifter Only Unit is headed up . . .
. . . by Captain Desiree “Dez” MacDermot, an ex-Marine mated to Mace, an ex-Navy SEAL and lion shifter (Mane Event: Christmas Pride, Pride #1). Detective Lou Crushek, a polar bear shifter, had been Dez’s partner and is still a close friend (he’s married to a tiger, Cella Malone — Bear Meets Girl, Pride, #7).
Dr Chan, a She-lion, is a specialist in artery damage. Mark (a human??) was captured. Dr Maurice is a veterinarian. Burt, a black bear, is at one of the Malones’ practices. Patrice is a Realtor who does work for Tracey. Jerry and Gregg are prison guards. Anya Morozov and Donna Datolia are She-lions.
There are de Medicis and Medicis . . .
While they are swamp lion shifters, they’re unlike the usual pride. In their group, they are a coalition with the males running the family. The de Medicis are based in Italy and led by Giuseppe de Medici. Paolo is one of Giovanni’s six half-brothers. The Medicis broke off from the Italian side and are based in New Jersey and led by Giovanni Medici (his father is Guiseppe de Medici). Silvio is an uncle and, while nutty, he is kind of a diplomat.
Giuseppe Romanov is a grizzly.
The Galendotter Hyena Clan
Freja Galendotter, a hyena and Mads’ mother, has a grudge against Tracey (Tracey’s brother was Mads’ father). Pete is an unhappy hyena male and Freja’s nephew.
Eleven years ago . . .
. . . Kerrick “Kerry” Jackson is married to Ayda Lepstein-Jackson, a pacifist(!) in denial about her family; their only daughter is the protective Emily “Tock” Lepstein-Jackson, an Israeli-Jamaican honey badger. All three of them are honey badger shifters who live in Wisconsin. A type of shifter known for their independence and need to steal. Aunt Lucille is from Kerry’s side of the family. She says Tock is Satan’s minion!
Tock’s high school teammates include little Cass “Streep” Gonzalez who can cry on cue, Mads Galendotter with her horrible family, Gong “Nelle” Zhao (from a very wealthy family), and Max MacKilligan. Streep’s Aunt Trudi and cousins stole from the Vatican.
Mae is Nelle’s nasty sister. Livia Drusilla, a honey badger, married Augustus, the Roman emperor. The Borgias had been smart honey badgers and included Rodrigo Borgia who became Pope Alexander VI. Mrs Latimer is one of the teachers at math camp.
The Cover and Title
The cover is ORANGE! It’s a distressed looking orange with plenty of texture added with yellows and rusts. At the top and very bottom the text is white, starting with an info blurb and the author’s name below it. At the bottom is a testimonial. The title is just above this in yellow. In the middle is a graphic of a roaring black-and-white striped tiger prowling against a mass of interlocking yellow winged V’s (or antlers?).
I haven’t any idea why the title is Born to be Badger, as it would seem that all the badgers were born that way??
