Prickly By Nature

I received a free copy of this audiobook to listen to and review for Wicked Reads.

Prickly by Nature picks up a few months after Prickly Business and returns readers back to the lives of Avery Babineaux and Dylan Green. Not only do we get to see how their relationship has progressed since their mating, but we also get to see how Avery has continued to grow as an individual without the continued influence of his family’s money. After his involvement in uncovering the dirty cops and their involvement in a human trafficking ring, Avery has decided to pursue a more legitimate line of investigation and began apprenticing to become a private investigator. Fortunately, the P.I. he’s working with, Reid, is also a shifter and a member of the Portland Pack, thus making it easier for Avery to focus on learning the skills he’ll need as he doesn’t have to worry about hiding his hedgehog nature. Unfortunately, Avery is so focused on his new profession that at times, he leaves Dylan feeling slightly neglected and worried about his safety, much to Avery’s chagrin. So while Avery continues to learn what it means to be a mate, he’s also faced with becoming a P.I., getting a break on Lacey’s case, and navigating the minefield that is his brother’s wedding.

I absolutely adore Avery. The spoiled young man we met at the beginning of Prickly Business is gone. In his place is a man who is not only willing to put in the hard work, but is dedicated to establishing a career as a P.I. Of course, he can still be a diva and has no problem complaining in his haughty manner, but he’s come to know what he wants from his life and does not hesitate to make it known. I will admit to being surprised at how well he stood up to his father – not the part where he turns down his father’s offer, but when he made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that his mate’s happiness was more important to him than his parents’ concern over the Babineaux name. I also enjoyed watching Avery and Dylan work to balance one another’s needs when it came to Avery’s career path – Avery’s need to prove himself capable of doing his job and Dylan’s need to keep his mate safe. What made the story even better is that the authors did not make their relationship perfect. Even after all that they’ve endured, Avery and Dylan are still new to their mating and they experience several bumps in the road in this installment. Yet perhaps the most exciting aspect of Prickly by Nature is when Avery’s discovery of who is involved in the human trafficking ring brings him that much closer to finding out Lacey’s whereabouts. And it makes for one heck of a showdown that gives the reader (or listener) the chance to see just how much alpha Dylan has in him and the lengths to which he’ll go to keep his mate safe.

As for the audiobook aspect of Prickly by Nature, Iggy Toma has yet again brought Avery to life. I cannot properly express how much I enjoy Toma’s narrative talents, especially when it comes to the contrasts between Avery’s southern gentility and Dylan’s gruffness – it’s hard to believe that I’m listening to the same person perform both men’s voices, as well as all the other characters that appear in the book. It amazes me that I can listen to a scene with four or more characters and never get confused as to who is speaking. Listening to Iggy Toma is a treat made even more enjoyable by the characters and story that Vaughn and Cade have created. I look forward to more from Avery Babineaux and the Portland Pack Chronicles.

This one wasn’t as enjoyable as the first in the series, Prickly Business, but it did bring in some new and interesting characters. And is a good bridge to the next books in the series.
I’m intrigued with the looming power struggle in Dylan’s pack. Definitely want to hear more about Lucas. And I think I fell a little bit in love with Heath.