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A review by missbliss
Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
4.25
I Can't Quit You IPB
Clearly I have a problem I am addicted to this series and devouring them at a problematic pace but dang they are so much better than I expected and I am in Central Texas summer and I am all about sexy smut in wintery worlds. Kira/Aehako pairing are fantastic and again I can't say enough how much i love the distinctive characters that Ruby creates. Aehako was introduced in the last story and loved how he immediately stands out as playful. I was also delighted by the character development of Kira and really seeing a quiet character find courage and strength. I also was practically yelling AMEN when the male lead talks openly about never shaming a woman for having had previous partners, or finding her own personal pleasure, or her breedability. I get incredibly tired (and disgusted) by the fixation in many books of the romance genre that put the highest value on virginity and making babies. It was nice to have characters discuss these topics openly. Especially in a culture where sex does not seem to be shamed. I think some folks felt certain fears of the characters were stupid and unfounded but I disagree as I really feel that through each voluming we along with the characters are still learning about how humans fair on this world and how everything works with the khui. It is fascinating to see the building community and culture as folks are getting settled in. I will say that although I continue to enjoy the narrators Hollie's voice started to grate a little. In her attempt to make the character voices distinct she struggles to infuse them with emotion so there is a lilt in all dialogue I associate with how one sounds when being casual or joking that is used in moments of pain and fear that feels incongruent to the moment and pulled me out a little. Again she is far better than many others but just something I noticed. I am continuing to my binge of this series and went to Ruby Dixon's website so I can read/listen to all the books in the suggested order since it seems there are several series in the same universe.
Clearly I have a problem I am addicted to this series and devouring them at a problematic pace but dang they are so much better than I expected and I am in Central Texas summer and I am all about sexy smut in wintery worlds. Kira/Aehako pairing are fantastic and again I can't say enough how much i love the distinctive characters that Ruby creates. Aehako was introduced in the last story and loved how he immediately stands out as playful. I was also delighted by the character development of Kira and really seeing a quiet character find courage and strength. I also was practically yelling AMEN when the male lead talks openly about never shaming a woman for having had previous partners, or finding her own personal pleasure, or her breedability. I get incredibly tired (and disgusted) by the fixation in many books of the romance genre that put the highest value on virginity and making babies. It was nice to have characters discuss these topics openly. Especially in a culture where sex does not seem to be shamed. I think some folks felt certain fears of the characters were stupid and unfounded but I disagree as I really feel that through each voluming we along with the characters are still learning about how humans fair on this world and how everything works with the khui. It is fascinating to see the building community and culture as folks are getting settled in. I will say that although I continue to enjoy the narrators Hollie's voice started to grate a little. In her attempt to make the character voices distinct she struggles to infuse them with emotion so there is a lilt in all dialogue I associate with how one sounds when being casual or joking that is used in moments of pain and fear that feels incongruent to the moment and pulled me out a little. Again she is far better than many others but just something I noticed. I am continuing to my binge of this series and went to Ruby Dixon's website so I can read/listen to all the books in the suggested order since it seems there are several series in the same universe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infertility, Violence, and Kidnapping