Review, Guest Post and Giveaway: Prickly Business by Piper Vaughn and Kenzie Cade (Portland Pack Chronicles Book 1)

Blurb:
Some people might call Avery Babineaux a prick. He’s a hedgehog shifter from an old-money Louisiana family with a penchant for expensive shoes and a reputation for being a judgmental snob. His attitude is why he and his fated mate are estranged. Not that Avery cares. He doesn’t want to be mated to some blue-collar werewolf anyway. Or so he keeps telling himself.

No werewolf likes to be looked down upon, least of all Dylan Green. He doesn’t need a mate, especially not some snotty hedgehog who sneers at his custom motorcycle shop and calls him a grease monkey. But when Avery gets into trouble with a shady loan shark, Dylan can’t stand by and let him be hurt—whether he wants the brat or not.

Yet once Dylan steps into Avery’s world, he realizes there’s more to Avery than his prickly exterior, and that unexpected vulnerability calls to Dylan’s protective instincts. The sassy little hedgehog needs a keeper, and despite their horrible first impressions, Dylan starts to believe he might be the wolf for the job.

Review:
I was very excited to read this book because of the hedgehog shifter. I love books with non-stereotypical shifters. And I definitely loved that aspect of the story. Avery is clearly part hedgehog with his mannerisms while Dylan is so obviously a wolf before you even see him shift. Holy moly the scene where Dylan in his wolf form and curls up with Avery in his shifted form? Absolute favorite and the cute was so much I might have squeed just a little bit. However the book was trying to be too many things at once but wasn’t strong enough in each. I liked many of the story lines in the book. I couldn’t connect with any of the pieces beyond the surface because there were too many. Avery didn’t do enough growing in the book. He would start to seem to learn from his past mistakes. But then he’d go and do the same thing wrong again. I still very much want to know what happens and will definitely be reading the second book when it comes out. I enjoyed the cast of characters around Dylan and Avery and can’t wait for each of them to get their own stories with their own happy endings. Plus I want to see how these two grow together even more.
Stars:
Three and a half

Guest Post:
Avery Babineaux is a man after my own heart. He and I share a love of shoes. Piper’s here today to talk about some of his favorite shoes. Such shoe envy going on here. Even if they’re mens shoes! Read and enjoy!
Hi, everyone! Thanks to Molly Lolly for hosting me today and for suggesting today’s topic. In the blurb for Prickly Business we mention that our hedgehog shifter, Avery, has a penchant for expensive shoes. Molly Lolly asked us to share some of Avery’s favorites and how they make him feel, so without further ado, let’s jump right in! 😀

One of Avery’s absolute favorite pairs of shoes are these purple Edward Leather Semi-Brogue Lace-Ups by Tom Ford. He loves the color (I do too) and they make him feel confident and stylish, especially when matched with his perfectly tailored charcoal Tom Ford suit and plum-colored silk scarf.

Another of his faves are these Iron Ranger cap-toed boots. For him, they feel just the right amount of rugged while still maintaining his overall fashion aesthetic, which veers decidedly toward the moneyed hipster side of the scale. Of course, they need a bit of breaking in before they reach the ideal state of rugged but not too shabby. He often pairs these with the tightest skinny jeans possible, white button-up shirts, and his black Wayfarer sunglasses.

But if I had to name a favorite shoe brand for Avery, it would likely be John Lobb. The company is based out of the UK and specializes in luxury shoes and boots for both men and women, as well as other leather goods. They’ve been around since the mid-1800s and even the cheapest of their shoes will cost you hundreds. He loves their boots, especially the double monk strap styles, but the pair of John Lobbs he wears the most are the pewter suede Derby shoes. These he’ll often wear with olive skinnies and a jean jacket over a tweed vest and button-up shirt. These fit his version of “casual,” and when he’s in the middle of angsting in the book—you’ll see why, if you read it—he nearly has a breakdown after spilling some of his drink on them. Yes, for him, shoes are that serious. 😉

Any other shoe lovers out there? I confess I’m really jealous of Avery’s shoe collection in the book. If only I could afford some of his faves. I’ve definitely drooled over those purple Tom Fords. If I ever saved enough to buy them, I’d probably wear them every day for a month. Heh.

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks again to Molly Lolly for having me today! I had fun writing the post. Avery sends his regards and hopes you all have plenty of fabulous shoes in your future!

~Piper

About The Authors:
Piper Vaughn wrote her first love story at eleven and never looked back. Since then, she’s known that writing in some form was exactly what she wanted to do. A reader at the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book—fantasy, young adult, romance, she loves them all (and has a two thousand book library to prove it!). She grew up in Chicago, in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, and loves to put faces and characters of every ethnicity in her stories, so her fictional worlds are as colorful as the real one. Above all, she believes that everyone needs a little true love in their life…even if it’s only in a book.

Kenzie Cade was born and raised in the South where she spends her days in the sometimes stressful field of private medicine observing interesting people and committing them to memory for later use. When she isn’t reading, experimenting with recipes, or being distracted by social media, Kenzie spends time with her family, friends, and the Pomeranian/Long-haired Chihuahua mix who likes to keep her company while she writes. As a young girl, Kenzie dreamed of princesses and their white knights. As an adult (or sort of adult), she dreams of princes and their proverbial white knights, which she attributes the fellow Arkansan S.E. Hinton and her novel The Outsiders. Writing to keep the fictional voices at bay, Kenzie enjoys the journeys her characters travel to find their happy endings, and she loves the challenge of writing a great love story.

Author Contact:
Piper Vaughn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pipervaughn
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pipervaughnauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pipervaughn
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pipervaughn7
Website: http://pipervaughn.com
Google+:https://plus.google.com/u/0/104698982870458063898/posts

Kenzie Cade
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenziecade.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekenziecade
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thekenziecade
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/1/+KenzieCade
Tumblr: http://thekenziecade.tumblr.com
Blog: https://kenziecade.wordpress.com/

Where To Buy:
Dreamspinner Press eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6530
Dreamspinner Press Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6531
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Prickly-Business-Piper-Vaughn-ebook/dp/B012BVE0YM/

Tour Stops:
27-Jul: Joyfully Jay
28-Jul: Prism Book Alliance
29-Jul: 3 Chicks After Dark
30-Jul: Hearts on Fire
31-Jul: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
3-Aug: Charlie Cochet’s Purple Rose Teahouse
4-Aug: The Novel Approach
5-Aug: Molly Lolly
6-Aug: Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
7-Aug: Rainbow Gold Reviews

Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Advertisement