A review by robinwritesallthethings
Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

What It’s About: Once again, this story picks up basically where the last one left off. This time the focus is on Kira, who fears the return of the bad aliens and that she will never resonate at the same time that Aehako is seriously courting her.

Spice Level: Hot as heck because of the anticipation that builds up throughout the story.

Realism: This volume brings up some of the bigger questions that are lingering about the khui and resonance. How does it pick partners? Is it just fertility and genetics, or is there something more? And what happens if you don’t think you can have children? I also appreciated the lingering fear that the other aliens would return. It would have been odd if they’d just disappeared from the story after the first volume.

Trope Alert: Virgin heroine and slow burn.

Trigger Warnings: There’s a discussion about abortion and infertility, and slavery comes up again a bit because of the bad aliens.

Final Thoughts: I thought it was especially nice to explore the idea of choosing someone in spite of not resonating this time around. It was almost the reverse of the second novel, and it was a good contrast.
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