Reviews with content warning for Rape - Barbarian's Mate

I feel like there’s grumpy and there’s kind of mean and so feel like Haeden was on the kind of mean spectrum of grumpy and that if not for resonating with Josie, he would have continued to be mean and disrespectful to her. I didn’t “buy” the way it was explained as fear and I just wasn’t super convinced by this match.<br /><br />The premise is that endlessly-bickering pair Josie and Haeden find that they experience resonance for one another and Josie, after a childhood of abandonment, neglect and abuse, who has dreamt of a love match, is devastated to find that she’s matched with Haeden, a joyless sort who seems incapable of love.<br /><br />I think this could have been more convincing but I appreciate that the author kept Haeden in character. Even though thinking of Raahuk who was a similar gruff sort, that felt more of a convincing match to me- this one seems like he’s going to eventually silence her because she talks too loud or too much.

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ehmannky's review

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I've truly been waiting to start Haeden and Josie's story since they first grumped towards each other like three books ago. I wasn't disappointed, they might be my favorite of the couples to date. This is practically a slowburn for Dixon, as Josie (for understandable reasons that include the fact Haeden has been a dick to her and because she's been sexually abused in her past--don't let the other reviews here mislead you) holds off on the whole mating thing. But it's fun to see how Dixon essentially makes the same plot exciting each time!

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jenna36's review

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4 stars might be too high of a rating, but I have always loved Haeden and Josie so much! I think I might even like this book the most (sorry Raahosh and Rukh, I still love you guys!). The way that Haeden and Josie grew to understand and care for each other was just so authentic and sweet. Their romance was honestly the most believable of all of them so far. There are quite a few trigger warnings for this one though.

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kbairbooks's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm gonna be honest. I can't remember if I finished this book last night or mid day today or... actually that might sound right? I don't even know. I'm genuinely reading these books too quickly to keep up lol but I did like Josie and how she and her mate have both lived hard lives and managed to overcome their miscommunication long enough to realize that they were a good match. Also, wow, two more females? I wonder if they are gonna figure out a way to start tracking down these aliens and stop this trafficking bullshit.

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