Cover Image: Badger to the Bone

Badger to the Bone

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Member Reviews

As usual a very entertaining book. Max is a hilarious character, tough both on the inside and outside, but with a soft center. She cares deeply about her family and friends, is loyal to the bone. She accidentally meets up with a shifter who does not know what he is (is that possible?). Hilarity ensues, but also a sensitivity to introducing Ze to what he is in a manner that he can endure. Good book.

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I love Shelly Laurenston's take on the world of the shifters. They are wild and crazy and dive headlong into trouble. She never disappoints with the fast paced narrative and continues to enthrall with unique characters that are not found with the usual shifter trope. I loved how she included actual National Geographic footage in her story to explain the nature of a honey badger and a jaguar. I look forward to reading about the next zany shifter or human. I would recommend this novel and anyone that likes paranormal or fantasy books.

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When it comes to paranormal romance, Shelly Laurenston never fails to deliver, and Badger to the Bone is no exception! Chaos, danger, madness and the usual abundance of laugh out loud banter are just some of the many wonderful aspects of this entertaining story. Excellent visuals and characters you either want to hug or kill; it’s all part of the norm in this author’s world and what keeps me coming back time and time again. I was addicted to this book from start to finish and only hope the next instalment isn’t too far off. A fabulous read that provides the reader with delight and fulfilment.

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This is the anticipated third story of Max the second Mackilligan sister. The hero Zeze is an operative who had no idea of what he's getting himself into, both in his new assignment of infiltrating the mercenary group hired to kidnap Max and in getting involved with her. Since meeting her surprise upon surprise are heaped in the poor kitty head. First in thinking of protecting her, only instead, for her to get them both out of trouble. Second, finding his entire human life till now was a lie when Max in her blunt way inform him he was a feline. This book was a hoot, as expected of Shelly Laurenston book, i was laughing from the first chapter till the last. This being the third book and probably the end of this story lane, she finnish/resolve two of the conflict introduced since the first. All the while introducing a zinzer plus a new enemy, with a new team to combat him. So while this storyline is over am expecting a book for next year pursuing the new story lane. It was a hilarious book, a fitting end of the sister's storyline. I look foward in seeing them as secondary characters for years to come.

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"Honestly, your entire house is kind of a freak show."

I'm sure there are many different ways to get introduced into the world of shifters. Ze chose the path with the most insanity. He went the MacKilligan route. It was just supposed to be a job. Saving the kidnap victim from her kidnappers isn't anything out of the ordinary for him. Crazy honey badger is a whole new level of insanity though. As with any Laurenston book the insanity and questionable decisions never stop.

That's what I love about Shelly Laurenston books. They are typically laugh out loud to the point that you have tears running down your face. I usually can't her books quickly because of the constant laughs. Badger to the Bone didn't have it. I smiled often. There were witty moments. I didn't once laugh out loud. That is insanely disappointing.

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This is the third book in The Honey Badger Chronicles. It is another intriguing read with endearing characters. From the first page until the last this intriguing read will have you saying "What", and the next you will be laughing out loud. As usual with this talented author's books you will be entranced and anxiously awaiting what will happen next. This is another amazing read and I would definitely recommend it.

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Max, Stevie, and Charlie continue through life, being kidnapped, playing basketball, and baking. Just like good Honey badgers do. Continuation of the series. ARC from NetGalley.

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This is the third in a series the Mackilligan sisters.. There are many who don’t read shifter stories but I would say if you want to read a fun book with crazy characters and great word building, than you should read books by Shelly Laurenston. Here we have Max, who most would consider to the most unpredictable of the three sisters. In one of her adventures Max finds herself being helped by ZeZe Vargas, who doesn’t know that he is a shifter. Max recognizes that Ze is a jaguar shifter and brings him home to help him adjust into his new world. Of course when you enter a world of shifters and are staying with honey badger sisters, there will be many adventures. While Max tries to stop her cousin and aunts who are trying to kill her and her sisters, Ze finds himself intrigued by Max and her world. We see some favorite characters from previous books as well as meet new characters. The characters are well written and there is so much comedy in the dialogue. This is a laugh out loud story with action and well written characters. I look forward to future stories by Shelly Laurenston.

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Dear Ms. Laurenston,

Please stop writing paranormal romance books. The world is in chaos right now and we need you to think globally - we need your violently humorous and humorously violent escapades not only on paper but on the big screen. When things open, I'd like to know we can go back to movie theaters or stream big, glossy action blockbuster popcorn flicks bursting with the amazing girl-sister-shifter-BDE you imbue the Honey Badgers Chronicles. I love every MacKilligan sister, but Max is something special. Terrifying and sociopathic, but special. The world needs to not only read about Max but see her in all her technicolor glory

Max is unapologetically a full-fledged badass. She loves her sisters but also loves riling them to full fury. She considers her shifter basketball teammates sisters as well, and I want sequels for all of them (especially Streep).

Rules are definitely not for Max, and neither was a romantic relationship until Ze Vargas somehow burrowed his way into her life and family. As Max took on her homicidal shifter cousin, kidnapping attempts, getting ready for shifter basketball games, and staying one step ahead of the shifter authorities, Ze was often an afterthought for Max. Max has no time for a guy, much less one who just learned he's jaguar shifter.

At a time when it feels like the world is coming apart at the seams, it has been the best form of soothing self-care lose myself for a few hours in the world of the MacKilligan sisters (and the bonus one!) where the heroines don't need saving, just their fists and friends.

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Shelly never let's me down!
This book has the humor and ridiculousness that makes her books enjoyable and entertaining. I love how characters from her previous books make cameos as you can never get enough of them. It would take a cat to put up with Max as she is absolutely nuts and a true honey badger and despite the fact that he just found out, Zè turns out to be all cat. The hilarity of this book is enhanced with some of Max's friends (including Dutch). Of course what would a McKilligan sisters book be without good ol Freddy ( seriously how has he survived in life this long!) and his machinations, which take an interesting turn. I was so sad when I got to the end of the book but I cant wait to see where she takes the shifter world next!

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There is always one book in the series that disappoints me and usually it is the last one. Why? The endings are always rushed and here it was no different.

Seems I'm a black sheep when it comes to this book. It is most definitely Me and not the book!

I considered myself to be a very lucky lady and I am still of that opinion. However Shelly Laurenston writes hilarious female characters that are unique and know what they want and here with Max it is no different but out of these three sisters she is the wild card and I felt that she didn't really get her time in this book neither did the Hero Zé. There was just so much going on with other parts of the books and it was for me hard to keep track of who is who and why who was doing that. I can see potential for a lot of spinoffs for this series.

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Review will post 04/01/2020

I’m still surprised when I find readers who love PNR, but still haven’t picked up a Shelly Laurenston book. I mean if you love zany, laugh out loud humor and a crazy good time, this is the author for you.

I won’t even get into the plot but suffice it to say it’s full of ups and downs and wild and crazy characters. This is Max’s story and it begins when she rushes headlong into her own kidnapping and ends up rescuing a man who has no idea he is a shifter. A jaguar shifter to be exact. Her protective instincts kick in and when she is ordered by her sisters to help him navigate through the shifter world and learn about his nature she complies. (Despite her normal difficult, surly personality.) In the meantime she and her sisters have a lot to deal with when their family/enemies come calling.

If you’re here for the romance, this is typical of the series and takes a slight backseat to the hijinks and shenanigans. But, this is classic Shelly Laurenston fun so if you enjoy this author this will absolutely work for you.

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Badger to the Bone is the third book in Shelly Laurenston’s Honey Badger Chronicles and continues where the previous two left off – trailing the trials and tribulations of the MacKilligan sisters, Charlie, Max, and Stevie, as they deal with their supremely odd and messed up extended family. In this book, we get to see Max, arguably the most daring and crazy of the three sisters meet – well, not her match but rather someone who’s willing to look past all those flaws of hers.

Just as with the previous two novels in the series, Laurenston’s interesting sense of humor and love of kooky characters shines through. The sisters and the shifters who share their world are zany and over the top in the best way possible. This, combined with their penchant for getting into situations that often end in violence, is a recipe for entertainment. And I think that’s the best way to describe a series centered around honey badger shifters – entertaining. Most shifter series/romances tend to focus on the bigger predators, i.e., lions, wolves, bears, etc. so these books truly bring something new to the table and force you to reconsider the ferociousness of the honey badger.

I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series before moving on to Badger to the Bone. There are a lot of interconnecting plotlines that begin and are carried out throughout the previous two books that continue in the third. The different points of view (and there are a lot) can often become confusing – which is my only real issue with the books. It’s hard to remember all the key players and who is related to whom and why they want to kill so-and-so.

If you’re looking for a book chock full of humorously psychotic characters, strong sisterly bonds, and more than a little violence, this is for you. What you lose in the fast pacing and barrage of information, you definitely make up for in humor and that makes it worth the read.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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I enjoyed the characters. Max, her sisters, her team and Ze. I laughed out loud at some of sassy comments and I loved the banter between all of them. Max’s attempts to explaining things to Ze and his introductions to his new life had me giggling.

It was hard to follow at times with the many different points of view. There were so many details included with all the varying points of view that I found myself skimming as the drawn-out inner monologue and the varying goings on of so many characters seemed to go on for pages. It didn’t feel like this was Max and Ze’s book, it was a book for many characters.

The many other points of view and so many things going on at once took away from Max and Ze and as a whole made the experience less enjoyable than I had originally thought this book would be since I expected more romance.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t in anyway effect my opinion of the book or my review.

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It combines Shelly Laurenstons signature humor with exciting action and a really lovely sister relationship that at times really steals the show. All the previous characters from other books make an appearance too which I loved. These sisters have each other back and really show what family is meant to be. I do love who Max is paired up with. Ze brought just as much entertainment to this book as the sisters did.

I love the MacKilligan sisters!

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This is the 3rd book in the series, I would recommend reading them in order as there are a lot of characters. Nothing like the crazy antics of this family. Max is still bat crazy but we get a better understanding of her. Ze was a good match for her. I would of liked him to be apart of the story more.
Highly recommend if you like humour, vilence and a little romance.

Absolutely love this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read, i voluntarily read and reviewed all opions are my own.

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Another great read from Shelly Laurenston! You really need to have read the first two books in the honey badger chronicles series to get the most out of this book.

I will say, it's not my personal favourite of the three, but I adore Charlie and Berg and Stevie and Shen as couples, so that is not surprising. I still loved Max and Ze, though, and it was great to meet a whole host of new characters. Ze and Max as characters are both fantastic - I just didn't feel like the same focus was given to developing their relationship as the others in earlier books.

It felt a little rushed and confused in places, and a heck of a lot happens in the book, buy you still get all the laughs, ridiculousness and over the top action that I have come to expect from Laurenston.

It felt like we met a lot of new characters in this book, and in some ways it felt more like a bridging book, opening up the series for future books, than it did a full story about Max and Ze, which I get, but was a little disappointing after the first two books in the series. I'd be inclined to give it a solid 4.5, because of this and a couple of minor mistakes (Max's mum was in a Belgian prison in earlier books, but in a Bulgarian prison in this book), but I still thoroughly recommend it as an enjoyable read

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This was probably the best book in the series yet!

I flippin loved Max, and Ze was the epitome of an amusing cat. I liked how the book gave you the chance to revisit some of Laurenston's other characters without requiring you to have read any other book first.

All in all, the book was hilarious, and now I need to either read it again or read another Laurenston book.

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Well, that’s was absolutely freakin awesome! Every page is exciting, funny, sexy and captivating, I love how just when you think you know where it’s going, we take a left turn and it’s just gets better and better. So looking forward to the next book.... oh did you think it was over..... nope, there is so much more crazy ass badger sisters to come!

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Badger to the Bone is just as manic and complicated as Max “Kill It Again” MacKilligan. Max has depths we haven’t plumbed to date. She is much more than a crazy killing machine. I really enjoyed seeing the multifaceted sides of Max and I think its poetic she falls for a cat. This book much like Max will leave you dizzy and wondering what hit you. I LOVED IT!

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