Blog Tour ★ Tactical Crime Division Miniseries ★ Excerpt 1
Monday, 13 April 2020
Hey, readers! I'm back again with Harlequin's new miniseries, Tactical Crime Division. This time, I have excerpts! Over the next week, I'll be sharing four excerpts, one from each of the series' books. Because sharing is caring. And, in this lovely situation our world has found itself in, caring is important. Without further ado, I present book one, 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy.
A new miniseries from Harlequin Intrigue.
Stopping criminal activity wherever it happens. The agents at the Tactical Crime Division are ready for anything.
More and more, federal law agencies have to mobilize to remote locations to address large-scale crime scenes and criminal activity—terror, hostage situations, kidnappings, shootings and the like. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever-increasing response times to these criminal events, the Bureau created a specialized tech and tactical team, combining specialists from several active divisions—weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation, IT. Because they are a smaller unit, they are more nimble for rapid deployment and assistance to address various situations. This joint team of agents is known as the Tactical Crime Division (TCD).
Stopping criminal activity wherever it happens. The agents at the Tactical Crime Division are ready for anything.
More and more, federal law agencies have to mobilize to remote locations to address large-scale crime scenes and criminal activity—terror, hostage situations, kidnappings, shootings and the like. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever-increasing response times to these criminal events, the Bureau created a specialized tech and tactical team, combining specialists from several active divisions—weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation, IT. Because they are a smaller unit, they are more nimble for rapid deployment and assistance to address various situations. This joint team of agents is known as the Tactical Crime Division (TCD).
Book #1: 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy
(on-sale March 17, 2020)
The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI.They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations. When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown, every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in a school for the gifted. He’ll need every resource available at TCD and every ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission—and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.
(on-sale March 17, 2020)
The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI.They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations. When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown, every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in a school for the gifted. He’ll need every resource available at TCD and every ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission—and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.
Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books. She is listed on the Romance Writer's of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Evan Duran — Special Agent Duran is a hostage negotiator for the Tactical Crime Division, a specialized branch of the FBI.
Annalise Taylor — A teacher held hostage at a private school. She’s also Evan’s ex-lover. She’d broken his heart several years before, and now he holds her life in his hands.
Jacob Noble — Is he the leader of a charitable church or the dangerous leader of a cult?
Gretchen Noble — Jacob’s wife, who is not afraid to abuse or kill. Will she kill Annalise before she can be freed?
Hendrick Maynard — Brilliant tech agent for the Tactical Crime Division. Will he be able to get the information Evan needs or will he be destroyed by old painful memories?
Walter Cummings — Chief of police in Asheville. Would his incompetence be the death of the hostages?
Evan Duran — Special Agent Duran is a hostage negotiator for the Tactical Crime Division, a specialized branch of the FBI.
Annalise Taylor — A teacher held hostage at a private school. She’s also Evan’s ex-lover. She’d broken his heart several years before, and now he holds her life in his hands.
Jacob Noble — Is he the leader of a charitable church or the dangerous leader of a cult?
Gretchen Noble — Jacob’s wife, who is not afraid to abuse or kill. Will she kill Annalise before she can be freed?
Hendrick Maynard — Brilliant tech agent for the Tactical Crime Division. Will he be able to get the information Evan needs or will he be destroyed by old painful memories?
Walter Cummings — Chief of police in Asheville. Would his incompetence be the death of the hostages?
EXCERPT
***
As he drove he made a few phone calls, and he finally pulled up in front of the nondescript brick building where TCD’s offices were located. He parked, got out of his car and hurried inside. As he strode down the hallway toward the main meeting room, he could hear Director Jill Pembrook apparently still conducting the morning meeting.
The main conference room was the heart of the office. It was where assignments were handed out and situations were brainstormed. The agents sat at a long, highly glossed wooden table. On one wall was an oversize FBI logo, and opposite that was the TCD emblem. A large, digital flat screen was mounted on the far side of the room, and a tablet lay at the head of the table.
Evan burst through the door. Director Jill Pembrook looked at him in surprise. “Agent Duran, how nice of you to join us on your day off.”
The director was an attractive, stylish woman of substance with cropped steel gray hair and a penchant for dark, custom-tailored suits.
She’d been with the FBI for over forty years, and she was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Her blue eyes could be warm and friendly or they could frost a puddle of water into a sheet of ice.
“I just saw the news out of Pearson,” he stated. “I need to get there… It’s Annalise.”
There was a collective groan from some of the other agents. Evan ignored it. “I’ll need you to arrange a plane to be ready for takeoff. Also, I’ll need Hendrick’s help on this. And I’m taking Agents Brennan and Lathrop with me.”
“Call off the SEAL team, Duran is on the case, everyone,” “Agent at Large” Kane Bradshaw murmured as the three men headed for the door.
Evan ignored him. While he liked Kane okay, there were times in the past they had butted heads when Kane could sometimes be a bit of an arrogant jerk. Director Pembrook though tolerated his glib attitude. And while Kane had no official rank as an agent with the bureau, he had an extensive background with deep black ops.
Hendrick Maynard, the tech guru nodded. “You got it,” he answered without hesitation. “Heading to my desk now. I’ll send you any relevant info ASAP.”
The director narrowed her eyes, and Evan felt the frost radiating from her. “Agent Duran, you are way out of line.” She paused and continued to hold his gaze. “Ten minutes ago North Carolina state officials called for federal help…” She paused and he was wondering if he should offer to submit his resignation. “You will also take Special Agent Rogers along with the others. This is an all hands on deck situation. Rowan as usual will accompany you and provide team support.”
Rowan Cooper, an attractive woman with long dark hair who worked as a liaison between the local police departments and the TCD team members, also rose and followed the men out the door. She accompanied any crew that deployed to a different location. Her specialty was smoothing over any personality difference or turf wars among different law enforcement units on scene. But her main responsibility was arranging overnight accommodations and making sure the agents had what they needed in order to remain focused on the task at hand.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied to the director. He knew he’d overstepped boundaries by barging in, but he’d felt the need to act immediately when he’d heard about the situation… About Annalise…
“Plane leaves in twenty minutes. Now go,” Di-rector Pembrook said. To him she added, “Duran…don’t pull this kind of stunt again.”
Evan would have offered to quit after the assignment if he met any resistance from the director to him heading up the detail due to his personal connection to Annalise. Nothing was going to keep him from negotiating this hostage situation.
“Never,” Evan replied before turning to leave.
***
As he drove he made a few phone calls, and he finally pulled up in front of the nondescript brick building where TCD’s offices were located. He parked, got out of his car and hurried inside. As he strode down the hallway toward the main meeting room, he could hear Director Jill Pembrook apparently still conducting the morning meeting.
The main conference room was the heart of the office. It was where assignments were handed out and situations were brainstormed. The agents sat at a long, highly glossed wooden table. On one wall was an oversize FBI logo, and opposite that was the TCD emblem. A large, digital flat screen was mounted on the far side of the room, and a tablet lay at the head of the table.
Evan burst through the door. Director Jill Pembrook looked at him in surprise. “Agent Duran, how nice of you to join us on your day off.”
The director was an attractive, stylish woman of substance with cropped steel gray hair and a penchant for dark, custom-tailored suits.
She’d been with the FBI for over forty years, and she was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Her blue eyes could be warm and friendly or they could frost a puddle of water into a sheet of ice.
“I just saw the news out of Pearson,” he stated. “I need to get there… It’s Annalise.”
There was a collective groan from some of the other agents. Evan ignored it. “I’ll need you to arrange a plane to be ready for takeoff. Also, I’ll need Hendrick’s help on this. And I’m taking Agents Brennan and Lathrop with me.”
“Call off the SEAL team, Duran is on the case, everyone,” “Agent at Large” Kane Bradshaw murmured as the three men headed for the door.
Evan ignored him. While he liked Kane okay, there were times in the past they had butted heads when Kane could sometimes be a bit of an arrogant jerk. Director Pembrook though tolerated his glib attitude. And while Kane had no official rank as an agent with the bureau, he had an extensive background with deep black ops.
Hendrick Maynard, the tech guru nodded. “You got it,” he answered without hesitation. “Heading to my desk now. I’ll send you any relevant info ASAP.”
The director narrowed her eyes, and Evan felt the frost radiating from her. “Agent Duran, you are way out of line.” She paused and continued to hold his gaze. “Ten minutes ago North Carolina state officials called for federal help…” She paused and he was wondering if he should offer to submit his resignation. “You will also take Special Agent Rogers along with the others. This is an all hands on deck situation. Rowan as usual will accompany you and provide team support.”
Rowan Cooper, an attractive woman with long dark hair who worked as a liaison between the local police departments and the TCD team members, also rose and followed the men out the door. She accompanied any crew that deployed to a different location. Her specialty was smoothing over any personality difference or turf wars among different law enforcement units on scene. But her main responsibility was arranging overnight accommodations and making sure the agents had what they needed in order to remain focused on the task at hand.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied to the director. He knew he’d overstepped boundaries by barging in, but he’d felt the need to act immediately when he’d heard about the situation… About Annalise…
“Plane leaves in twenty minutes. Now go,” Di-rector Pembrook said. To him she added, “Duran…don’t pull this kind of stunt again.”
Evan would have offered to quit after the assignment if he met any resistance from the director to him heading up the detail due to his personal connection to Annalise. Nothing was going to keep him from negotiating this hostage situation.
“Never,” Evan replied before turning to leave.
***
Anonymous Bookaholics Book Tag
Hello, darling readers! This is the first of my not-a-review-but-totally-keeping-my-blog-going-through-a-pandemic-with-massive-mental-health-issues random content posts. I kid you not. Prepare for oversharing and Maggie TMI. Anyways! I found this book tag over on Twirling Book Princess' site and while I've only recently started following her, I'm loving her site. Y'all should go check her out.
1. What do you like about buying new books?
the new book rush and the sniff factor.
1. What do you like about buying new books?
the new book rush and the sniff factor.
2. How often do you buy new books?
As often as my wallet allows. Some months are tighter than others. And, with Manatee's situation and quarantine expenses, I'm "one day at a time"-ing.
3. Bookstore or online book shopping: which do you prefer?
I absolutely adore my local Barnes & Noble (I don't ) and they adore me. It's also one of the places I can take Manatee as a retired service dog and still be safe to shop as long as I please.
4. Do you have a favorite bookshop?
My favourite bookstore (Bev's Bookworm Exchange) closed a few years before her passing unfortunately and I have no local indie, so, if you're ever in the Orlando area, I highly recommend this Barnes & Noble store.
5. Do you pre-order books?
Rarely, that's an expense I can't do right now, but sometimes I splurge and spoil myself.
6. Do you have a monthly buying limit?
My maximum splurge is 4 new books if my budget says I can. If not, I stick to my unread already bought babies because I be responsible.
7. How big is your wish list?
I have no idea. I don't really pay attention to it... But I do know that it's hella big. If I can't sleep (I have insomnia, so often) and don't want to read, I wander around Amazon.
8. Which three books from your wish list do you wish to own right now?
Ha. Um, let's see here... I've recently become obsessed with Rhenna Morgan and her books. I'm reading the Men of Haven series. So, probably the second, third, and fourth books of the series. Because I'm pretty easy.
As often as my wallet allows. Some months are tighter than others. And, with Manatee's situation and quarantine expenses, I'm "one day at a time"-ing.
3. Bookstore or online book shopping: which do you prefer?
I absolutely adore my local Barnes & Noble (I don't ) and they adore me. It's also one of the places I can take Manatee as a retired service dog and still be safe to shop as long as I please.
4. Do you have a favorite bookshop?
My favourite bookstore (Bev's Bookworm Exchange) closed a few years before her passing unfortunately and I have no local indie, so, if you're ever in the Orlando area, I highly recommend this Barnes & Noble store.
5. Do you pre-order books?
Rarely, that's an expense I can't do right now, but sometimes I splurge and spoil myself.
6. Do you have a monthly buying limit?
My maximum splurge is 4 new books if my budget says I can. If not, I stick to my unread already bought babies because I be responsible.
7. How big is your wish list?
I have no idea. I don't really pay attention to it... But I do know that it's hella big. If I can't sleep (I have insomnia, so often) and don't want to read, I wander around Amazon.
8. Which three books from your wish list do you wish to own right now?
Ha. Um, let's see here... I've recently become obsessed with Rhenna Morgan and her books. I'm reading the Men of Haven series. So, probably the second, third, and fourth books of the series. Because I'm pretty easy.
That's the end of this tag, y'all! If you're reading this and you feel like participating, I'm tagging you! Be sure to comment a link to yours below when you post it so that I can come see your answers!
Until next time, duckies, have a happily ever after and stay safe!
Until next time, duckies, have a happily ever after and stay safe!
Sunday, 12 April 2020
COVID-19 has had my family on essential lockdown for 30 days as of today. Because of our family's collective health issues and my grandmother's age, we've been limiting our social interactions since 13 March. Aside from essential shopping trips and two pharmacy runs, total isolation. And y'all. We are not okay. We are not a "the family that plays together stays together" sort, we're four people, cohabitating and interacting in small amounts and never all four together. Monopoly was banned in our house when my brother and I were little because I owned the property my brother landed on and wouldn't sell it to him. There was a first aid kit involved.
I'm not putting my blog on pause for the duration of this pandemic, I've been putting together posts for y'all's entertainment, just not reviews because reviews are hard to put together for me recently. My ADHD and anxiety are going off and everything going on here is making for tense times obviously so things keep being forgotten. I keep forgetting what day it is and I am not comfortable with this!
I think that I won't be sticking to a set schedule aside from my tours and will be posting Top Ten Tuesdays, Book Lists, Book Tags, and random bookish and non-bookish posts. With occasional reviews perhaps. I'll be putting together reviews for future dates but for now, schedules and time construct is not here.
I hope y'all are staying safe and for random weirdness, find me on my tiktok.
Until next time, have a happily ever and keep 6ft apart and wash those hands!
I'm not putting my blog on pause for the duration of this pandemic, I've been putting together posts for y'all's entertainment, just not reviews because reviews are hard to put together for me recently. My ADHD and anxiety are going off and everything going on here is making for tense times obviously so things keep being forgotten. I keep forgetting what day it is and I am not comfortable with this!
I think that I won't be sticking to a set schedule aside from my tours and will be posting Top Ten Tuesdays, Book Lists, Book Tags, and random bookish and non-bookish posts. With occasional reviews perhaps. I'll be putting together reviews for future dates but for now, schedules and time construct is not here.
I hope y'all are staying safe and for random weirdness, find me on my tiktok.
Until next time, have a happily ever and keep 6ft apart and wash those hands!
Tuesday, 7 April 2020
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to The Artsy Reader Girl
How it works:
I assign each Tuesday a topic and then post my top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join me and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information. You’ll find the schedule of upcoming TTT topics below so you can plan ahead. I’ll post a Linky here on the blog each week so you can link up your post (if you want). If you don’t have a blog, post your picks in the comment section below! Have tons of fun talking books and getting to know your fellow bloggers!
NOTE: If a weekly topic is listed as a “freebie”, you are invited to come up with your own topic. Sometimes I will give your topic a theme, such as “love”, a season, or an upcoming holiday. That just means that you can come up with any topic you want that fits under that umbrella.
- Jana of The Artsy Reader Girl
Ten Books I Bought For the Title
Today, our Top Ten Tuesday theme is 'Books I Bought Because —'. I get to fill in the blank of why I bought the books. I like titles. I blame my latent authorial yearnings. I will pull a killer title off the shelf and toss it in my basket without even looking at the synopsis. It hasn't steered me wrong very often, I've found some amazing authors this way.
Water Bound by Christine Feehan
I'm a water-attracted autistic individual, this book was an auto-buy at a used bookstore in Warner Robins, GA. And then I discovered the heroine is autistic and it became my favourite book and #1 rec. And one of my first reviews on my site.
No Place to Run by Maya Banks
I thought this was a book one when I bought it but I really didn't care, I discovered KGI and Maya Banks because of this book and I am forever grateful for this book title.
Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston
That's right, I started my obsession with my personal deity in the middle of her pack-pride series and I have no regrets. This is still my favourite of the series as it's Blayne's story and it's my introduction to Shelly Laurenston.
Deception Point by Dan Brown
I want to say that I bought Deception Point before the whole The DaVinci Code craze. I appreciate the craze though, it made it easier to find his books in stores.
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Kim Harrison's first few books have some 难忘 (y'all, I am having a day today, I forgot the English word for unforgettable) titles.
Game Misconduct by Bianca Sommerland
Did I know that this was a polyamorous romance when I bought it? Nope. Did I enjoy it? Yep. Did it introduce me to healthy polyamory? Yep. Am I open to it myself? Yep.
The Wolf Who Loved Me by Lydia Dare
This was a random buy at my used bookstore one day when I was still recovering from my ankle getting mangled and I wound up buying the entire series. Can't say I didn't enjoy the books. Historical romances meet paranormal romances. Choice.
Dog with a Bone by Hailey Edwards
I JUST HAVE A THING FOR DOGS AND I WON'T EVEN DEFEND THIS TITLE-BUY BUT I LOVE THIS SERIES.
Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin
This was actually a name-cover combo. I still haven't found time to read it but I bought it on my last kindle-spree. I do want a physical copy because it looks so pretty.
Magic of the Gargoyles by Rebecca Chastain
This was a random arse purchase but I'm so glad I bought it because, again, love it. Gargoyles and magic. LOVE IT.
Stay inside, be kind, stay safe, and pick up a new hobby during quarantine, y'all! Until next time, have a happily ever after!
Monday, 6 April 2020
Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston
Honey Badger Chronicles #3
Published 31 March 2020 by Kensington
She’s the woman he’s been hired to kidnap. But ZeZé Vargas has other ideas . . . like getting them both out of this nightmare alive. Just one problem. She’s crazy. Certifiably. Because while he’s plotting their escape, the petite Asian beauty is plotting something much more deadly . . .
Max “Kill It Again” MacKilligan has no idea what one of her own is doing with all these criminal humans until she realizes that Zé has no idea who or what he is. Or exactly how much power he truly has.
But Max is more than happy to bring this handsome jaguar shifter into her world and show him everything he’s been missing out on. A move that might be the dumbest thing she’s ever done once she realizes how far her enemies will go to wipe her out. Too bad for them Zé is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive . . . and honey badgers are just so damn hard to kill!
Honey Badger Chronicles #3
Published 31 March 2020 by Kensington
She’s the woman he’s been hired to kidnap. But ZeZé Vargas has other ideas . . . like getting them both out of this nightmare alive. Just one problem. She’s crazy. Certifiably. Because while he’s plotting their escape, the petite Asian beauty is plotting something much more deadly . . .
Max “Kill It Again” MacKilligan has no idea what one of her own is doing with all these criminal humans until she realizes that Zé has no idea who or what he is. Or exactly how much power he truly has.
But Max is more than happy to bring this handsome jaguar shifter into her world and show him everything he’s been missing out on. A move that might be the dumbest thing she’s ever done once she realizes how far her enemies will go to wipe her out. Too bad for them Zé is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive . . . and honey badgers are just so damn hard to kill!
Amazon•
Angus & Robertson results•
Audible
Barnes & Noble• Barnes & Noble Audio• The Book Depository
Books A Million• Booktopia• Dymocks
Google• Indiebound• Indigo
Kensington• Kindle• Kobo
Libro.fm• Livraria Cultura• Nook
OverDrive Results• Tantor• Target
Thriftbooks• Walmart• Waterstones Results
Barnes & Noble• Barnes & Noble Audio• The Book Depository
Books A Million• Booktopia• Dymocks
Google• Indiebound• Indigo
Kensington• Kindle• Kobo
Libro.fm• Livraria Cultura• Nook
OverDrive Results• Tantor• Target
Thriftbooks• Walmart• Waterstones Results
It's that time of year again, readers! Time to pull you back to the land of clinically insane shifters and the people who love them. That's right, it's time to talk about the newest release from my personal deity, Shelly Laurenston. I'll say it now, the FTC requires I inform you that I was given an advanced copy of Badger to the Bone so I could give you my honest review and share all of my opinions. The FTC thinks I'm easily swayed (they've obviously never met me) and thinks my price for a phony review is a free book and requires a disclaimer or I get a fine. So here's my disclaimer because I'm a broke bitch.
Shelly saved my favourite MacKilligan sister for last in Badger to the Bone Max "Kill It Again" MacKilligan is the middle MacKilligan sister {Charlie is the oldest and Stevie is the youngest} and she's also the badger connecting the MacKilligan honey badger clan to the Yang honey badger clan. Suffice it to say that Max is all the crazy and illegal. I love her.
Max manages to find herself some new kidnappers in the Netherlands while dealing with her sociopathic cousin, and I do mean Max finds them. That crazy little badger actually jumps into their van and tell them to, and I quote, "go, go, go". Then she immediately starts a ruckus with them because why not? and comes out of it with a new friend, Zé Vargas, who doesn't know he's a shifter? Max and her team (you'll love them) bring Zé back to the MacKilligan sisters house to educate him. Zé is a former US Marine (I know, no such thing as former) and current undercover special agent, and apparently a jaguar shifter unbeknownst to him. Because somebody had crappy parenting skills and thought that was a good idea. All the judgment there. And during his fever-induced first (second?) shift, he tries to snack on one of the bear shifter neighbours' cubs then escapes into a neighbouring tiger neighbourhood.
In Badger to the Bone, Max and Zé, with the help of Max's teammates, track down the story behind his shifter genetics, deal with yet another MacKilligan sisters daddy issue, and solve a couple other problems along the way. One of my favourite things about this entire series has been the functional dysfunctional family group. While the sisters are all over each other, left, right, and centre, they're also the ones to be there for their sisters, no matter what. I also enjoy the cute little scenes that Ms Laurenston has included in the beginning of each of the books regarding the MacKilligan sisters' childhood years. They're pure gold.
As usual, Ms Laurenston delivers a hilarious action-packed story with just the right amount of romance to balance out the story. She gives us a few extra twists that I thoroughly enjoyed, complete with snorts and cackles. And right now, during quarantine and pandemic time, hilarity is what this blogger needs. There are out of control hybrids and psychotic relatives, douchebag lions that you will love to hate and new characters that you'll welcome with open arms. Best of all, we get Blayne and Bo and their spawn. Lemme have their weirdness!
Overall, I'm giving Badger to the Bone all 5 of my stars and I'm actually not sure about flames. I know, I suck. But I've been in isolation for a month. Give me a break. If you're looking for a book filled with laughs, this is definitely a good book to read. I'm due for a reread of the Pack-Pride saga myself, so I might be doing that...
Read an excerpt here!
Shelly saved my favourite MacKilligan sister for last in Badger to the Bone Max "Kill It Again" MacKilligan is the middle MacKilligan sister {Charlie is the oldest and Stevie is the youngest} and she's also the badger connecting the MacKilligan honey badger clan to the Yang honey badger clan. Suffice it to say that Max is all the crazy and illegal. I love her.
Max manages to find herself some new kidnappers in the Netherlands while dealing with her sociopathic cousin, and I do mean Max finds them. That crazy little badger actually jumps into their van and tell them to, and I quote, "go, go, go". Then she immediately starts a ruckus with them because why not? and comes out of it with a new friend, Zé Vargas, who doesn't know he's a shifter? Max and her team (you'll love them) bring Zé back to the MacKilligan sisters house to educate him. Zé is a former US Marine (I know, no such thing as former) and current undercover special agent, and apparently a jaguar shifter unbeknownst to him. Because somebody had crappy parenting skills and thought that was a good idea. All the judgment there. And during his fever-induced first (second?) shift, he tries to snack on one of the bear shifter neighbours' cubs then escapes into a neighbouring tiger neighbourhood.
In Badger to the Bone, Max and Zé, with the help of Max's teammates, track down the story behind his shifter genetics, deal with yet another MacKilligan sisters daddy issue, and solve a couple other problems along the way. One of my favourite things about this entire series has been the functional dysfunctional family group. While the sisters are all over each other, left, right, and centre, they're also the ones to be there for their sisters, no matter what. I also enjoy the cute little scenes that Ms Laurenston has included in the beginning of each of the books regarding the MacKilligan sisters' childhood years. They're pure gold.
As usual, Ms Laurenston delivers a hilarious action-packed story with just the right amount of romance to balance out the story. She gives us a few extra twists that I thoroughly enjoyed, complete with snorts and cackles. And right now, during quarantine and pandemic time, hilarity is what this blogger needs. There are out of control hybrids and psychotic relatives, douchebag lions that you will love to hate and new characters that you'll welcome with open arms. Best of all, we get Blayne and Bo and their spawn. Lemme have their weirdness!
Overall, I'm giving Badger to the Bone all 5 of my stars and I'm actually not sure about flames. I know, I suck. But I've been in isolation for a month. Give me a break. If you're looking for a book filled with laughs, this is definitely a good book to read. I'm due for a reread of the Pack-Pride saga myself, so I might be doing that...
Read an excerpt here!
Originally from Long Island, New York, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelly Laurenston has resigned herself to West Coast living which involves healthy food, mostly sunny days, and lots of guys not wearing shirts when they really should be. Shelly Laurenston is also The New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author G.A. Aiken, creator of the Dragon Kin series. For more info on G.A.’s dangerously and arrogantly sexy dragons, check out her website at this spot.
Books by Shelly Laurenston that I've Reviewed include ::
The Blacksmith Queen - writing as GA Aiken
In a Badger Way
Hot & Badgered
Like a Wolf with a Bone
I'm going a bit stir-crazy here in quarantine. I'm on day 25 myself (we be serious here) and there's only so much family togetherness a dysfunctional family can take. So, I'm making cards to send to hospitals and people like you who are stuck inside. If you'd like a card (and are 18+ and are in the US because the shipping is ridiculously expensive, sorry), you can send me your mailing information on Twitter or Instagram. If you're able to, send a card to your local hospital. That's it. Until next time, have a happily ever after and stay safe, y'all!
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