Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Barbarian's Mate by Ruby Dixon

17 reviews

catrose97's review

adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Blood

ninahuynh's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

Ok. I know there are mixed feelings about Josie and her actions & reactions towards Haeden. For me, it's the whole not-communicating-leading-to-miscommunication trope, which I seldom enjoy. We get a lot of their respective side of the story, so we are able to understand their actions, but they both fear vulnerability and expressing their thoughts. It's times like this where I think to myself, maybe this is also me in real life to- being so in your own mind and not speaking your feelings and thoughts out of fear of judgement when really, the other person is feeling the same way and would accept you and understand you when you explain.

Josie did remind me a lot of Liz, though not so much a speaker cause of her hotheadedness as it is out of wanting to live for herself finally. She has gone through so much trauma- childhood and with the captor aliens- so it only makes sense that she is more steadfast about not being taken advantage of and looks out for her best interest and happiness now that she has the chance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy

mbasford's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault

wad3mil3sgarru2's review

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Sexual assault, Blood, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy

smuttymcbookface's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Easily one of my favourites from this series. Grumpy-sunshine is always a wonderful pairing, and mix in the enemies to lovers and the crazy spicy scenes, and it's hard not to love this.

Plus, it's kind of great that Haeden remains a surly Neanderthal when it comes to Josie.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual content

Moderate: Gore, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

pbella3's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

jessicalarson125's review against another edition

emotional hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Rape, and Blood

Moderate: Grief and Pregnancy

katiekeske's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I was nervous starting this book about these two because there had been such buildup in the previous books. I do not like it when characters are mean to each other and have miscommunication, which these two had a lot of. I am giving it a four because there is character growth and more adventure with some more world-building in this one (instead of just being stuck in a cave resonating the whole book). 

Once I got to read Haeden's POV and get his background and feelings, I was totally smitten with him. His story is so sad, and his actions make sense once you understand him. I wished he had shared more of his feelings out loud. Of course, that's part of the angsty drama. 

I personally had a hard time connecting to Josie. I like that she's supposed to be a sunshine character, but her strong and constant desire to have a baby, especially after all the trauma she's gone through, just doesn't make sense to me. It was a little jarring to go from Tiffany's book, which I thought handled her trauma really well, to Josie's book where she doesn't seem affected by her past at all. She briefly mentions things, but then just gets over it...? (Good for her, I guess. Are there people out there like that? I don't know any myself...) I know every woman is different, so there are women out there who will feel a connection with her. I'm just not one of them. I wished she treated Haeden better sooner. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Josie mentions being sexually abused when she was in foster care . She does not go into great detail. Haeden very briefly attempts suicide in a moment when he thinks he's lost Josie.

alisoun's review against another edition

4.0

Honestly I loved this one! 
It's miscommunication because they both express their love differently 🥺🥺🥺🥺 he's all acts of service and she's expecting words of affirmation. 
I really enjoyed re reading their journey! 
In a way I also think this is a second chance resonance for Haeden but with someone he actually loves! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Josie grew up in foster care which is were the brief mention TWs occured

ashleybeereads's review

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Injury/Injury detail