SL is kind of hit and miss for me. She is well known for her absolute madness and insanity when it comes to her characters and the shite they do. It is completely OTT and if I think too much on all of it. I might just change my mind.

What I don't like is the further along a series progresses the less and less time the love interest actually spend time together. Although this was about Mads & Finn (one of the black Malones) it still felt as if it was about the MacKilligan sisters.

It also felt like forever to finish this book.

A fast paced story with mystery, multiple story lines and laugh out loud moments. I loved this story the characters were sassy and amazing along with a chaotic, wonderful storytelling left me excited for who comes next.

A great addition to Laurenston's Pride universe.

Readers meet Mads, a friend of Max "Kill It Again" MacKilligan.. What I really enjoyed was how different the ops team they're apart of is. Be it the organizations that need their help or each other. There's a great definition of world outside the Pride system, even when they intersect. While Max is more shoot first and question later, Mads has a measured approach. Mads does a great job of giving the MacKilligan sisters more world within the New York Pride groups and those outside.

Mads has everything: smart, capable, stellar thievery skills, a lot for quiet places, and the ability to not piss off Charlie MacKilligan. That's a great benefit for a honey badger. Or any shifter with a desire to stay alive. The story has trademark Laurenston humor with serious topics. Mads' love interest, Finn Malone, ties back to a fan favorite. Known as a capable killers with claws, the Malones are out for blood since their father's death. A perfect match for Mads, who needs someone willing to push her in the right direction.

The romance was actually pretty good. Not too deep or shallow. A lot of layered depth. And the way Finn integrated into her world was fabulous. He's slightly disarming, which is fine since she can handle most explosive things.

Loved, loved this book. Dedicated a whole episode of Deconstructing Damsels to the book. Thank you, Kensington and Shelly Laurenston. I loved being able to give my review for an ARC. Can't wait for the next honey badger dive.

I cannot express enough how much I enjoy anything written by this author. If i see anything with her name or pseudonym I am instantly interested.

This book didn't disappoint! It was every bit the adventure, silliness, and story that I expect and enjoy from this author.

After finished, I immediately was ready for more and disappointed that I had to wait for the next story to come out.

Highly recommend!

Breaking Badger is the fourth book in Shelly Laurenston’s Honey Badger Chronicles. The series is about sisters who happen to be Honey Badger shifters. And once you start reading one book, you can’t help but read the next and the next. The MacKilligan sisters are a force to reckon with and so are their friends! In fact Breaking Badger concentrates more on the story of Mads (also honey badger/hyena hybrid) a very close teammate aka BFF of Max MacKilligan. There is mayhem, action, adventure, yes violence, strong female characters, a sisterhood that is unbeatable and a sense of family both of blood and of friendship. There is of course romance but its more developing rather than insta love and we get glimpses of how relationships of previous characters are going as well. I love how diverse the characters are, how funny despite the seriousness of some scenes and how strong that female bond is. Breaking Badger is entertaining, funny and wonderful and I can’t wait for the next one.

Breaking Badger is the fourth title in The Honey Badger Chronicles series – and it is an amazing mishmash of comedy, romance, revenge, vengeance, family issues, deep friendships, and finding that perfect person for you… even if they are a bit, well, unique in their own right.

I don’t even know how to explain Mads and Finn to you, especially if this is your first experience with this series. I adored them, I loved the fast-paced feel of their story with so many other characters showing up and putting in their two cents worth (wanted or not). If you love a good Shifter Romance, if chaos reigns freely in your own life, or if you simply like the unique and unusual… then Breaking Badger is perfect for you.

Finn and his brothers are looking for their father’s murderer. Unfortunately for them, their best bet for gaining information has just been kicked out of their house after Finn helped Mads. You do not just brush off a honey badger and get away with it… have you met honey badgers? Honey badgers know how to hold a grudge better than any other creature on earth, humans included! So now Finn and Mads are working together with a lot of help (?) from just about everyone else… and sometimes that so-called help leads right into a dangerous situation.

I know not everyone is going to love this kind of chaos, multi-character, not too much romance style of Paranormal Romance. Yet, if you haven’t discovered the madness of this series, the quirkiness of this author’s characters (always), or the pure fun of this world of black ops/basketball, murder, mates being found, revenge handed out, or holding that grudge for years then I hope you’ll give Breaking Badger a try. I’d suggest starting at the beginning of the series for all the backstory and such, but that’s not always possible. I had fun here, and if you give it a try you just might discover that you, too, belong in this madcap world of angry honey badgers, revenge-seeking tigers, and the adventures they’ll get into before that happy ending happens.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston is the fourth book in the fabulous, laugh out loud and typically anything goes Honey Badger series. As with so many of Ms Laurenston’s stories, this one will have you doubled over as your laughter erupts while following the antics of this crazy bunch of shifters. A steady-paced story with plenty of action and mystery, Breaking Badger is another example of the author’s ability to reel you in and keep you thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book. I’ve loved every story in this remarkable series and hope there’s more to come.

This book is possibly my favourite of the series so far, especially for the romance which has a slow burn but more focus then the previous books.

I fell in love with Mads instantly, she is so sweet and passionate but more down to earth then many of the Honeybadgers. She seems more of a planner, although she still has that vicious side and combined with Hyena aspect made for great time. Oh and adored the vikings of her history, how she finally stands up to her family.

Sadly I had a love/hate for Finn he just came across very much a jock type in moments with some of his comments. Along with the treatment of brothers Dale and Shey, which i didn't care for although it seemed to be fitting with his tiger side so made sense.

My favourite part was the development of relationship between Finn and Mads, how they stumble on each other and the banter is a lot of fun! The comfort they find together is so sweet and I loved how they worked as a team, supporting one another to achieve goal.

Both have a love sport and strength in different areas. Great chemistry and enjoyed their dates, restaurent, flowers and fights side by side. I just loved every moment with them.

Plenty of the rest of the cast return which is always incredible! Can never get enough of the sisters and I'm really enjoying the team of Honey Badgers, excited to see their stories. I'd also like to see more for the tiger brothers as they grew on me, so hope they might be part of the pairs too.

Overall an entertaining read with lots of action, romance and amazing friendships/found family vibes which is my favourite. Excited to see who will be next 💕

Shelly Laurenston is a gem. I also look forward to her new releases and revisit previous ones like old friends.
Breaking Badger is a continuation of the Honey Badger Chronicles that began with Hot and Badgered. It is filled with Laurenston's signature humor, emotion, and ridiculous violence. The romance takes time to build as the characters get to know each other fewer sex scenes than readers of the previous books might expect. I particularly love the variety of characters, and how many of them have mental health issues, and the prominence of found families. This can definitely be read as a stand-alone but the reader would miss out on the rich backstory to really give everything the context it deserves.

I love the MacKilligan sisters, so of course I jumped at the chance to read more stories in their world. I am glad to say that Shelly Laurenston did not disappoint!

I loved Max's friends from the previous books. These girls are tough, sarcastic and their antics are always a treat to read, so of course, I was excited to learn that this book would feature Mads.

Mads was a great character to get to know and the author did a great job of balancing her backstory with all the other elements that were brought to the page. Of course, it helped that she was surrounded by Max and her other teammates which added a lot more variety to the story. As for the romance, I enjoyed how the author went about bringing this unlikely pair together. I always enjoy the cat shifters in this world because they are hilarious with their uniqueness. So it was no surprise that having Mads paired up with Finn would make for an enjoyable read. I liked that Mads and Finn started out as friends who eventually found something "more" with each other. I loved their banter and bickering and the attraction that always simmered under the surface whenever they were together. I enjoyed watching their connection grow and develop as the story progressed and I appreciated the fact that the author made their romance more of a slow burn than an insta love type thing.

This is the fourth book in the Honey Badger Chronicles series, but I do think it can be read as a stand lone. The author centers the story around Mads and Finn and the conflict surrounding them and she gives enough backstory for the reader to understand what is happening without taking away from the main storyline. However, I think the reader's enjoyment would benefit from reading the previous books in the series simply because they are awesome and would have them be more familiar with the MacKilligan sisters and their world.

Once again, we get a well-rounded romance with plenty of shifter conflict, humor and steam. With fast-paced action, a little intrigue, cameos by previous characters and a tiger as a romantic interest, I assure you, you're in for a wild ride.

All in all, a great addition to the series and a fantastic read.

I have to admit I was a little nervous to read Breaking Badger. I was so worried that it wouldn't live up to the prior books in the series. I love the MacKilligan sisters and wasn't sure how I'd feel about a book that wasn't all about them. I guess I should say all about them and the characters we've come to love so much from the prior books in the series.

Well, guess what? I loved it!!! That is right, I couldn't put it down once I started it and when I finished it all I thought about was reading it again. I love when that happens.

The good news is that there are enough of the sisters to keep this book fun. Add in the Malone brothers and you have a recipe for laughter.

I just love Finn and Mads together. It's almost like they don't know they should be together. Their love affair isn't some big deal, it kinda just happens. I really liked that about them. They just worked so well together that they just became a couple.

This is a great story that will pull you in and at times make you laugh with both happiness and shock. Some of the stuff that happens in this book is crazy. Sigh, I really want to read it again. Maybe the whole series in order.

You'll love learning more about Mads and her teammates. Laurenston gives you enough about them to leave you wanting more. You'll also learn more about the Malone's and why they are the way they are.

So much happens in this story and even though you'll love it you will kinda miss so many characters we didn't see in this story like Max's best friend. I'm hoping he shows up sometime in this series again.

After reading Breaking Badger I want more of the teammates and the Malone's.

**I received an ARC for an honest review.**

This author is hit or miss for me. I have enjoyed some of the shifter books but this one was just too uneven. The level of violence was a lot as were all the cameos.
There were some funny parts, mostly involving the triplets, but over all I just didn’t work for me.
I will stick with her other world written under G.A. Aiken

I am unapologetically a fan of Shelly Laurenston’s shifter books. Her shifters are the best with the humor and the author’s research into animal behavior, which results in character traits that are spot-on. Truly, Laurenston has written some of my favorite and enjoyable books. That’s why it pains me to give Breaking Badger anything other than the 5 that I would normally give.

The Good

Breaking Badger has all the qualities that make her other books a success. That includes the abundance of humor, action and over-the-top antics you’d expect and some. I literally laughed out loud and often. The characters are delightfully insane and fans get to read more about Charlie, Max, and Stevie MacKilligan. There are also cameos of characters from past books, such as Dee-Ann Smith. Plus, I loved reading about Nat, another MacKilligan half-sister. Her abilities are creepy yet awesome and I can’t wait to read more about her in a future book.

The Bad

While I enjoyed reading more about the MacKilligan sisters, they took up way too much of the story. The main characters, Finn and Mads, seemed thrown in out of the need for a new couple than anything else. This wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination a love story between the two. Mads the honey badger and Fin the tiger felt more like a hookup that started calling each other “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” only because their friends and family assumed they were. Gone was the actual attraction that leaps off the page even when they’re being snarky to one another. They just had sex to fulfill the urge, and that was it. No buildup or reason why they suddenly became a couple. There was no sense that there was actual love or even an animal imperative to be together.

My Final Thoughts

As always, the author doesn’t disappoint in crafting an enjoyable read. While the story was good, don’t expect a believable romance. The main two characters felt more like secondary characters in the book who had to share their story with more interesting ones. Do I recommend Breaking Badger? Absolutely, but I feel it is best enjoyed by those who’ve read at least a few of the previous books.

I FREAKING LUUURRRVVVEEEDDD IT!!!!! Once again the fantastic Ms. Laurenston did not disappoint. In this beautiful epic tale and yes it is epic, Mads a hybrid, Viking hyena, and badger mix along with Finn Malone, the other Malones, the Black Malones, made for a rip-roaring funny read. Mads had some work to do with her horrible hyena family and I was never so glad when she but all eradicated their filth from her land, Lol. As for Finn and his brothers Keane and Shay, they are on the manhunt to find a killer. Needless to say, after a very bad meeting with Max and her brood, Mads, Tock, Nelle, and Streep, when some pastry was refused, let loose on the roller coaster ride, that only the MacKilligan sisters can only give, Lol. I can go on and on and on about this book and it would take several pages. It was another beautiful and hilarious read, filled with tender moments. I don't even want to get into the other MacKilligan sister, Nat who has the weirdest ability??? Huh, Lol. Just read it! I promise she never disappoints. 5 HUMOROUS, STUPENDOUS, TERRIFIC, LOVING STARS*****

****I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book provided by NetGalley****

4.25 stars--BREAKING BADGER is the fourth instalment in Shelly Laurenston’s contemporary, adult HONEY BADGER CHRONICLES paranormal series-a spin off from the authors PACK, and PRIDE series. This is honey badger /basketball player Mads Galendotter, and professional football player / Siberian tiger shifter Finn Malone’s storyline BREAKING BADGER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as it pertains to the MacKilligan sisters and family.

Told from third person perspective including Mads and Finn, BREAKING BADGER follows several paths including the building relationship between Mads and Finn. Finn Malone, and his brothers Keane and Shay are desperate to find the person(s) who ordered the kill and murdered their father, a father who appears to have been abandoned by the controlling Katzenhaus, and his extended family. With the help of the strange group of honey badger shifters Mads, Nelle, Streep and Tock, whom they met during an op that went all to h*ll, the Malone brothers begin a search for the truth but not before discovering the over the top lifestyle and existence of honey badger shifters. To thank the tigers for saving their lives, the honey badgers offer a token of appreciation that is immediately denied, and with it begins the acrimonious relationship between the tigers and the honey badgers. But as Finn begins to dig deeper into their father’s death, they make themselves targets of a powerful group, who may or may not be connected to the people in charge.

Meanwhile Mads and her ‘teammates’ prepare to do battle both on and off the court. Hoping to make the basketball playoffs, the shifters, once again, find themselves targeted when Mads’ extended family accuse our heroine of theft of a priceless family artefact. Mads knows she is going to have to face the family that continue to destroy her life but never expected the help from the new family she has come to love.

Again, Shelly Laurenston pulls the reader into an ongoing war between shifter species, discrimination, the fight for power, and the numerous secrets ops groups that control and regulate the shifter community. The level of violence continues to escalate in both human and animal form; there is no forgiveness or sympathy in a world where one is more animal than human.

As per Laurenston’s style, the humor and snark between characters is front and center in the dysfunctional family units that are often beyond repair but the bonds of friendship usually make up for years of questionable upbringing.

BREAKING BADGER begins a new story line arc, and introduces the reader to a new cast of characters: Mads teammates and friends Nelle, Emily aka Tock, Cass aka Streep; Finn’s brothers Keane and Shay, sister Natalie, youngest brother Dale, and mother Lisa Malone, as well as the Yun mob family. Several familiar faces return for cohesion including honey badgers Max, Charlie and Stevie MacKilligan, Dee-Ann Smith, Niles Van Holtz, Finn’s cousin Cella Malone, bears Berg, Dag and Britta, Panda Shen, Jaguar ZeZe, Lou Cruschek, Dez MacDermott Katzenhaus, The Group, and a cameo appearance by one lion shifter with a thing for his hair, and a feisty wolf dog on roller blades.

BREAKING BADGER follows several paths including the slow building relationship between Finn and Mads. Secondary to the storyline premise, the romance is more of an after thought around the 75% mark, a romance that feels like a friends with benefits relationship more than anything else. The fast paced and often frenetic premise is intense, twisted and entertaining; the characters are fun, familiar and sassy.



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This is the 4th installment in the Honey Badger Chronicles series. If you went into this looking for a strong romance, this won't be the paranormal for you. Due to the plot, and so many stories weaving together, Mads and Finn's story didn't shine like the romances in previous books. I think we spent a little too much time focusing on unnecessary things with the McKilligan sisters. We lost a lot of time developing the romance because of that, and so this one fell a little flat for me in comparison.
The plot was fun, and I still had a great time reading this one. I'm a big fan of the series, and still really enjoyed this installment. I just wanted a better chance to see Mads and Finn fall in love.

Breaking Badger is the fourth book in the Honey Badger series and just like its predecessors a roaring good time. Mads is a basketball phenomenon and a cabinet hiding, honey badger. Her teammates, who are like family, are all honey badgers with very different skillsets and equally bad attitudes. A mission to help rescue shifters throws Mads and her crew in with the Black Malone tiger shifters and the action and hilarity resumes. Finn and his brothers want to know who killed their father and Mads' crew promises to deliver on the goods- for a price. Hormones and mischief lead Finn and Mads on a wild ride to happily ever after. While a little lighter on romance than the previous books, this book was fun and outrageous and all the things that make this series my go to for an instant mood lift. Shelly Laurenston is a guaranteed light-hearted, laugh out loud, good time in book form. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Yet another fab book to add to my Shelly Laurenston collection.
Breaking Badger is the first book in the new Honey Badger series, as the first book it’s got a lot of responsibility and I personally think it lives up to them. BB introduces the majority of the main characters we are going to see in the series and it gives a lot of background into just how Max’s HB basketball team formed. It’s full of Snark and the usual HB antics but with a few Tigerisms thrown in for fun.

Bb is the story of Mads a Honey Badger/Hyena Hybrid and Finn a Black Malone Tiger, and their journey from casual strangers to each other’s forever. When I read Max’s story although I loved her crew and wanted more about them I didn’t really concentrate on any of them as characters in there own rightt hey we’re fun and quirky and well HB’s, However Breaking Badger introduced me and invited me into there team and the first character we meet is Mads, well it’s only right this is her story! Mads to me was amazing she had been through so much as a child and the HB crew were her refuge from the craptastic family she was given. She was a true Viking through and through she endured and she conquered you could see her ending up with Skuld as a Crow if HB’s weren’t so tough to kill and I wonder whether sold it will be kicking ack entertaining Skuld in Valhalla.

My favourite Character has to be Natalie Malone we find out a little more about how her Mackilligan genes effed her up in BB and oh my is it a doozy! Finns Little sister is going to be the death of her brothers as she has all 4 wrapped round her little finger. Finn our Male lead is just sigh! He to me is the total package, he’s alpha but with a side of Mama’s boy (well when your mama is a tiger who knows how to bite you learn to say how high when you jump but you do it at your own pace) he’s smart he’s the one that figures out he needs to make peace with the Mackilligans not war. He’s protective (his big brothering over Nat and then worry when Mads is injured just squee) I loved him and his brothers and I am already shipping the 2 remaining brothers with some of our previous characters and current characters from BB.

To me the best book is a book you just don’t want to end and allthough all the pride and HB books could stand alone I think of them as 1 big book with each new release a new chapter or an epilogue.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

One of my favorite books so far this year! It was hilarious and I stayed up too late reading it, but I don’t regret it!

This book was everything. I laughed so hard multiple times, there was the gratuitous violence that Laurenston does so well and the classic sarcasm and lack of caring I need from these crazy honey badger shifters.

Absolutely hysterical. Finn and Mads are not quite a sunshine/grump dynamic, but almost. Hyena family drama, outcast tiger family drama, Max. War zones, designer dresses, private planes, and a missing viking sword. There nothing more fun than these Honey Badgers.