ARC Review: Breaking Badger by Shelly LaurenstRomanon

Breaking Badger
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: The Honey Badger Chronicles (Book 4)
Publication: Kensington Books (August 31, 2021)

Description: Back with more sexy shape-shifting antics, New York Times bestselling author Shelly Laurenston’s outstandingly witty, snarky, steamy, world-building Honey Badger Chronicles continue . . .

It’s instinct that drives Finn Malone to rescue a bunch of hard battling honey badgers. The Siberian tiger shifter just can’t bear to see his fellow shifters harmed. But no way can Finn have a houseful of honey badgers when he also has two brothers with no patience. Things just go from bad to worse when the badgers rudely ejected from his home turn out to be the only ones who can help him solve a family tragedy. He’s just not sure he can even get back into the badgers’ good graces. Since badgers lack graces of any kind . . .

Mads knows her teammates aren’t about to forgive the cats that were so rude to them, but moody Finn isn’t so bad. And he’s cute! The badger part of her understands Finn’s burning need to avenge his father’s death—after all, vengeance is her favorite pastime. So Mads sets about helping Finn settle his family’s score, which has its perks, since she gets to avoid her own family drama. Besides, fighting side by side with Finn is her kind of fun—especially when she can get in a hot and heavy snuggle with her very own growling, eye-rolling, and utterly irresistible kitty-cat .

My Thoughts: This was another zany adventure starring honey badger shifters and tiger shifters and a few other shifters too. Mads Galensdotter is a honey badger/hyena mix who is despised by her hyena family. Only her grandmother Solveig who sees herself as a Viking was ever kind to her in a honey badger sort of way. When she meets a bunch of other honey badgers including Max MacKilligan on the bus on the way to middle school, she finds her real family - though, being honey badgers, they don't want to admit it. There friendship grew and Mads love of basketball was the centerpiece. 

Now grown, they are on their way to the championships of the shifter basketball league. But that doesn't stop them from getting involved in other ventures. The story in the present begins with them on an island off New York and under attack for some unknown reason. There they meet the black Malones - tiger shifters - who are looking for clues to the person who murdered their father. The Malones save the honey badgers when their evac team disappears. But when Max goes to bring them muffins and thank them, they are thrown out of the tigers' house. Then the tigers find out that Max might be the key to getting information about their father's death...

Between basketball playoffs, football practices, attacks from Mads' relatives, kidnappings and various other events, Finn Malone and Mads fall in love. 

The story was action-packed and filled with snarky banter. There were lots of appearances from other characters who have appeared in other books by Laurenston. In fact, there were so many plot threads and appearances that the romance really took a back seat and seemed almost like an afterthought. Still it was a very enjoyable story especially for those who have read other of Laurenston's books and want another look at some favorite characters from earlier stories.

Favorite Quote:

Charlie heard the front door slam open and a familiar voice cry out, "Help! I need help!" She waited while big feet ran down the hall toward the kitchen.

"See?" Stevie pointed out. "Neither of us moved, even though we heard someone screaming for help."

"We were supposed to move?"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.