Rated 4.5 Stars

What a crazy trip Born to Be Badger was. There were no dull moments just action, action and more action. There was also suspense, a little bit of romance and a whole heap of craziness mixed in with chaos. These honey badgers know how to entertain. They had me laughing out loud and snort laughing at their antics. This book was an absolute joy to read. I loved it and so cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment. I definitely recommend it as well as the previous books in the series.

I received this book from Netgalley for a honest review.

This the fifth book in the Honey Badger series by Shelly Laurenston, this is Tock's story. I laughed a lot with these gals and I was sad when it was over. But not too worry I know there is at least one one more, fingers crossed. I have reread this series numerous times and I always come away smiling.

I still don’t understand why people haven’t learnt to leave badger shifters alone 💀, BUT anyway, thanks to them we get to laugh.

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Badgers and Watches
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Dani
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Novel
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Adventure shifter romance
4.3/𝟱

🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Wild shifters with flirting
~ Adventure & high stakes action
~ A cozy-ish mystery feel in a few big cities
~ Single but SPICY instance
~ Found family
~ Sibling & friendship loyalty
~ Amusing banter on many levels

“Tock”, the time obsessed, only child, responsible badger shifter with the scary gangster grandma, is being targeted by some people who REALLY know no better. Not only does she have her own gang of psycho thieving badger shifter sisters, is friends with Max, sister of the freakishly strong & determined Charlie, & a love interest of an Amur tiger shifter — but her badger sisters are related to violent freaks & she also happens to be her psycho manipulative gangster granny’s fav 😬 = ALL dumb ways to die for the people targetting her.

🌿 Reading Shelly Laurenston is a guaranteed chuckle & delight for me, & this was no different. The world these characters exist in is broad & although these books can be read as standalones, I recommend getting to know the backstory of the other characters, it makes it that much more enjoyable.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

🌱THE MEH
~ The chosen ‘island’ :( ruined that expectation for me 😭
~ An in-between story that makes me want to know more NOW (although SL does try to leave it settled)

♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

Shelly Laurenston is the queen of romantic comedy paranormal romance. While this book didn't have as much romance or heat as her others, the comedy is gold! I highly recommend this series.

3.5 stars

This latest entry into the honey badger chronicles was witty and fun but I don't know if it fully delivered the plot and romance that the previous books delivered. I like our main characters, I liked the general story line, I just felt like it seemed clunky at times, like it was unpolished and not fully formed. I would still recommend this book for those who have enjoyed the others I just don't believe this is her strongest work

The In the beginning of this series we learn that Shay's Malone father was killed and both he and his brother are looking into the killing. No one in the shifter community is talking to the brothers. Emily “Tock” Meyerson-Jackson is on a mission to rid the world of shifters trafficking humans for hunting and cash. With her team they are seeing a connection between the human traffickers they are after and Shays father Killer. Love, Laughs and blood what more can we asked for in this new book by Shelly Laurenston.

What can I say , this Author just keeps giving and giving - producing works of the highest quality , works that make you laugh out loud , works that keep you entertained throughout .

This latest book features yet the latest in the Author's Honey Badger basketball team - Emily “Tock” Lepstein-Jackson.
Tock uses her obsession with timekeeping to keep her team to a schedule and from getting caught during their extracurricular activities .
Tock and her team have found out that a brutal Lion coalition are behind the trafficking of humans for hunting and cash ......... the same coalition who were responsible for the death of the Malone brothers father , a death that the shifter coalitions won't investigate . But the Malones and now the honey badgers will never give up no matter the obstacles in their path .
Shay Malone has somehow found himself attached to Tock for the investigation and its is great to see how their attraction grows - with lots of help from Shay's 10yr old , maths obsessive daughter , Dani. I loved the involvement of Tock's family , especially her grandmother .

This is another easy read , full of laugh out loud moments ,plenty of action , a gentle romance build up and a focus on what is happening in their world from the Author - she is always one of the 1st on my TBR list
I cannot wait for the next in the series - well I will have to mark my diary so I don't miss the publication date

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Paranormal Steamy Romance about a honey badger and an Amur tiger shifter who team up to stop a coalition of shifters trafficking humans and were also behind his father's death.

5/5 stars: I have been a longtime fan of Laurenston's shifter universe and this fifth entry in The Honey Badger Chronicles doesn't disappoint. Laurenston's writing and distinctive character work makes for an engaging and hilarious read. I love the complexity of the world building which began way back with Pack Challenge and hit it's stride with the Pride series, which starts with The Mane Event. It's always a joy to read what everyone's doing and the various high-jinks that everyone's gotten involved in. So If you enjoy this world and want to learn more about how the characters connect be sure to check out Laurenston's backlist. Additionally, Laurenston's OPS scenes are hotter than Hades. While this is an incredibly snarky and humorous read, Laurenston's does tackle some tough topics, so take care and check CWs. While you could pick this up as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more if you start at the beginning and pick up Hot and Badgered, book one.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Kensington in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I was kind of in a reader’s funk, not finding anything I really wanted to read until I got myself the ARC copy of the new Honeybadger’s by Shelly Laurenston. I was home again, in that place where books are home and you feel happy and cosy in them. By the way, the fact I was graciously given the ARC copy doesn’t mean I will compromise my opinion. I won't.

After all this time delivering delicious material, I trust Shelly Laurenston. Even though you never know what will happen with that trust, do you know what I mean? Especially in long series, sometimes the author falters or starts repeating the tropes, or starts making cookie-cutter books…
Not the case, thank you very much.

Let me talk to you about the book:

The good: We have the Honey badgers, the Malones, or I should say the black Malones, the Group… all the usual suspects and new ones, lots of new and very interesting ones.

Being centred in Tok, we open to a new set of characters, through her family, especially her grandmother and through other characters we already know… ok, new and interesting characters are to be found in this book. I don't want to explain to you what you can find in any excerpt of the book and I don't want to do spoilers either, read it for yourselves and find out. I recommend it to you.

More good things: my laughing out loud. I laughed like a loon a couple of times and it was great. Is not that easy for me while reading and I love when it happens. Shelly Laurenston gets at least a laugh out of me in each one of her books, this one also.

Feminism is again one of the things to love about this author and it shines through the book, through all of them. I am thinking of the scene with the lionesses in the food court, to pick an example among others but is the the general tone also.

The bad: it is not that bad really. I find this time around there are many more recapitulations, more putting the non-principal characters in this book in context at the beginning. This I could do without, it is not for me, I know who those characters are and their stories, I read and loved all the books, and that is why I am here. Maybe it is made for people who start the series with this book? I don’t know, I believe it is the first time it has happened in this universe. I didn’t enjoy it much, but it was not a terrible experience either. After a while, the narrative picks up in intensity and these little annoyances disappear.

The book has not been published yet and I can't wait for the next one, the ending of this one keeps you wanting for what's to come.




https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5932297961

As always MS Laurenston has wrote about our favorite crazy, violent, hilarious shifter females. Story moved along so smooth I was done reading book before I knew it. Shelly gives you right amount of story for each set of characters without drawing it out. The sex scenes made sense where they were again without dragging it out. Can't wait for more Badger books.

I'm a huge fan of Shelly Laurenston and her Badger series. That said, this book was just OK. I think I am getting less interested in the overall bad guys trying to hunt/destroy the shifters story arc. I'm at my most interested when the various characters are bickering and bantering. As always, I love how the dialogue was written. Which made it fun to finish even if the overall story was not a favorite. I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.

I have a serious weakness for the chaotic madness that is the Honey Badger Chronicles. Shelly Laurenston creates relatable characters and places them in fantastical settings. Tock and Shay are no different, they both have their own baggage dealing with overwhelming families but manage to find joy in each other as the world is burning around them. I also adore how connected to their heritages these characters are without it seeming like these were point thrown in for a touch of pizzaz.
This newest addition to the this collection of hilariously violent shifters gave me so much joy. Between the drama with the De Medici Coalition and Shay's adorable daughter Dani, i sped thru this series. I hunger for more any time I get an opportunity to read about the characters from this series.

Fun, sexy and so very entertaining. I love Shelly Laurenston’s gift of writing some of the most engaging and entertaining dialogue I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

If you like Shifters and badass group of women who take no shit from the world and know they are badass but are good hearted and are up against those who want to harm anyone they love this series is for you! Shelly Laurenston has crafted a world that incorporates Shifters into our world and basically we don't know they exist. But they are thriving and since they have skills that human don't have they are having more fun! The honey badgers are a cray bunch but so loyal and the Shifter world knows not to mess with them. The story of Tock and her teammates was a great read and I was laughing and intrigued the whole time. There were a lot of new characters and familiar faces. I WANT to learn more of the world and I think Shelly Laurenston has done a great job laying the ground floor for many adventures. The book had a hint of romance but the relationship was great to read as it was built from mutual respect and charm. Loved it. Great installment in the series.

Born to be a Badger is the next in the Honey Badger Chronicles. This story follows Tock on her way to finding love. Tock is like all badger shifters wanting to steal pretty things and take no crap from anyone. Her grandmother calls her away on a secret mission, and the big cat Shay will not stop following her. Shay has to follow, everyone needs backup, even honey badgers. Shay follows and it's a good thing because the mission doesn't go as planned and Tock did the backup.

Tock is part of the basketball team with the other badger shifters and Shay on the football team but there is little about that aspect in this story. This series has a lot of background and the storyline arcs from one book to the next. This is a slow burn with very little spice. There are a lot of characters from previous novels and future ones with violence throughout by the shifters.

More honey badger shifter books please! I really enjoyed this excellent addition to Laurenston's Honey Badger shifter series. Tock is a great character. The gang is back. And Shay is HOT! So much fun.

Shelly Laurenston never disappoints! After reading this book I immediately went back to reread the whole series. Laurenston is a master at including many different characters (from past books) without every losing the main plot of the book. I can always guarantee a honey badger book will leave me laughing and having a great time. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I love this series, it's funny and a bit crazy. However, the plot is a bit messy and no longer focuses on the couple. Also, it feels like former main characters were added as an after thought.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read an advance copy of Born to be Badger by
Shelly Laurenston. I love the Honey Badger chronicles, because it is hilarious, hot, with snarky shape-shifters. This latest one does not disappoint! I knew when we were introduced to Max Mackilligan's basketball friends in Badger to the bone, I definitely wanted to know more about Mads, Tock, Streep, and Nelle. Emily “Tock” Lepstein-Jackson is front and center, when they discover shifters are trafficking humans for hunting and cash. Honey badgers are almost impossible to kill, and with the help from Malone brothers. they are unstoppable!
I enjoyed all the character cameos from previous books, and the introduction to new ones! I definitely recommend this series!

I always love the honey badgers, the other shifters and all their antics. As usual Shelly Laurenston made me laugh out loud throughout. But this one suffered from way too many characters and plot threads. Even though they all came together at the end, it was a bit of a mess for me.