Reviews

Barbarian's Mate by Ruby Dixon

Only show reviews with written explanations

hermstefanny's review

2.0

I wanted to understand why these books were so popular, so after having a general rundown of the saga by the kind folk from the Unresolved Textual Tension podcast, I chose the book that I believed would interest me the most, the enemies-to-lovers one. Listen, I get the appeal. I really do. Incredibly gorgeous men that are truly devoted to their 'mates' and their pleasure. And I understand that this is first and foremost wish-fulfilment smut. I can forgive the plot contrivances and some unrealistic choices ( e.g. the fact that these women seem to not miss at all their previous life and accept almost immediately their new circumstances) However, I can not get past flat characters. If I am not attached to you and/or your partner, I will not feel the romance. And even if it is smut, it is also a fairytale type with a HEA, so I need to believe the romance. So, yeah, it's a meh for me. Two stars because I think it at the end of the day is a fun, little-book to enjoy when you just want to turn off your brain for a while.

sianny's review

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4.0

4.5 stars

Josie is the last single human female, and she desperately wants to resonate to someone, she doesn’t even really care who. All the single hunters are attractive and nice to her, she would have no problem being tethered to any of them. Anyone but Haeden. Her arch nemesis.

So of course the very night her IUD falls out is the night that she resonates…to Haeden.

Josie has felt rejected her whole life, being passed from foster home to foster home, bad experience to worse. All she wants is to be loved, to be cherished, and have a family of her own.

Meanwhile, Haeden has felt a pull to Josie from the first moment he ever saw her. But as he lost a resonance mate when he was younger, any attraction or feelings for another terrify him. So he constantly pushes Josie away, making her think that he hates her for no reason.

Oh Haeden! My poor, dear, sweet, wonderful Haeden. I always feel the unrequited love/rejection so strongly in these tropes! My heart absolutely broke for Haeden every time Josie rejected him or yelled at him. My skin actually prickled with sadness.

If they had both just communicated better - or maybe even at all - they could have saved so much heartache.

The travelling back to the home caves scenes though?

erammel34's review

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emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lunar_owl_reader's review

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4.0

3.75 stars

peytonm's review

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3.0

I'm not a huge enemies-to-lovers fan. Still, I still liked Josie and Haeden who are both damaged in different ways. They're flawed, they annoyed me, but I'm glad these crazy kids worked it out.

TW:

Spoiler

dubious consent between main characters due to compulsive soulmate bond