Review: Hot and Badgered

Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Several people have recommended Ms. Laurenston to me over the years. I am not quite sure why I waited so long to read her books. I'm currently in a honey badger kick so when I saw she wrote a trilogy with honey badger shifters, I figured I'd try it out Let's be clear, I didn't read the blurb. All I did was look at the title, see the type of shifter I wanted to read about and picked it up. I was not expecting to be so fully engrossed in this book within the first few pages.

I loved how this series starts out, with Charlie and her sisters. This first book is all about Charlie. She's half honey badger and half wolf. Generally when it comes to honey badger genes, it beats out the other shifter genes and a shifter is all honey badger. Charlie, not so lucky due to her deadbeat dad. She is cursed with his get rich schemes that always land her and her sisters in trouble.

I loved this first book because it made me laugh so hard. Expecting a lighthearted paranormal romance, I was caught off guard by the honey badger Charlie's Angels kick butt sisters. The things she has to deal with are heavy. Whilst the humour and some of the most ludicrous things happen to Charlie and her sisters, this story has a strong plot. A plot that breaks my heart. How Charlie's father treats her and her sisters is an abomination. He needs to die. I am 100% supportive of Charlie offing her dad. As a side note, her reaction at the morgue to identify her father's body is HILARIOUS.

This book is over the top in action, violence and craziness. I love it! The romance part is so sweet. It is sweet because Charlie catches the eye of Berg, a bear shifter. His laid back attitude and his own family dynamics makes him the perfect mate for her. He is a steadying force of affirmation and loyalty. Something Charlie hasn't experience in a long time, outside of her two sisters.

The world building is a bit chaotic. There are multiple points of view as well as a cast of a thousands... Normally I would find this hectic mish mash unappealing. However, Ms. Laurenston's writing style pulls it all together and gives a reader a fantastic thrill ride. This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who know that "honey badgers don't give a shit".