A review by robinwritesallthethings
Barbarian's Heart by Ruby Dixon

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

What It’s About: Pashov doesn’t remember the arrival of the humans on the ice planet after his accident during the earthquake, which means he doesn’t remember his mate or his son. Stacy isn’t sure how to deal with the loss of her mate, because while he might be standing right in front of her, he’s not the same anymore.

Spice Level: A little sad, even though it is incredibly hot.

Realism: There hasn’t been a whole lot of real tragedy on the ice planet, beyond the initial landing, so while this was a hard one to read, it was also new and different. It was heartbreaking to read about both Stacy and Pashov’s feelings and see them struggle to reconnect and build a new life together.

Trope Alert: Amnesia alert! I’ll admit that this is usually one of my least favorite tropes, but honestly, if Ruby does it, I’ll give anything a chance.

Trigger Warnings: Brain injury and memory loss.

Final Thoughts: I liked that there wasn’t a quick fix for this problem. Avid Ruby readers know that the khui can cure a lot, but it’s actually kind of nice that it can’t fix everything.

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