'Resonance' is supposed to be a dream - that's when your soulmate is chosen for you. And everyone on the ice planet has hooked up with a big, hunky soulmate of their own... except me. So do I want a mate? Heck yeah. More than anything, all I've ever wanted is to be loved by someone.
Except that the soulmate chosen for me? My least favorite person on the darn ice planet. Haeden's the most cranky, disapproving, unpleasant, overbearing male alien... so why is it that my body sings when he gets close? Why is he working so hard to prove to me that he's not as awful as I think he is?
Ruby Dixon is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She likes fated mates, baby-filled epilogues, and cinnamon roll heroes. She also likes to write biographies of herself in the third person, because it feels more important that way.
Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point. :)
Reading Barbarian's Mate was like being celibate for years only to have your dry spell broken by a sex god with Michael Fassbender's package.
Mmmmm... Michael Fassbender.
Er, wait, what was I going to say again?
Oh, right.
So in short, this book was definitely worth the wait, and I'm not even going to lie to you, man--it's definitely my personal favourite out of all the installments in the series so far (sorry, Rukh and Harlow!), and I'll tell you why.
First, Haeden was Mr. Darcy incarnate. That is, if Mr. Darcy lived in another planet, had horns, blue skin and ridges.
Mmmmm. Ridges.
And if that doesn't count as reason number 2 then there is something fundamentally wrong with you. BECAUSE. THERE. ARE. SO. MANY. RIDGES. HERE. GODDAMN. AND. RIDGES. ARE. FUCKTASTIC.
And you know what we do with ridges? We Vektal the crap out of them.
Third, Josie was generally a likeable heroine. Yeah, she got annoying and selfish at some parts , but I understood why she was like that. Plus, she realised what a big selfish bitch she was later on anyway, so it never really became a big issue for me. I think that Tiffany was more annoying that Josie, but hey, to each his own, I guess.
The writing here was really good, though the pacing dragged a bit in the middle, forcing me to go all "JUST GET IT ON ALREADY, YOU TWO!"
There is one thing I want to point out, though, and that's the ex. Yes, Haeden was mated before, but before you get your panties in a twist, I'll clear it out now: the ex was an older alien woman who refused Haeden because she was in love with someone else. Thus, they never had sex, and there was no love lost between them. Haeden didn't have feelings for her and vice versa.
So now, all that's left is for you to read the book. Yes, go buy the book now.
Here is a Michael Fassbender gif to persuade you: ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
What a cute enemies to lovers story. This book surprised me a bit. I loved Josie in the other books and didn't care much for grumpy, rude Haeden. In this book I loved Haeden so much and wanted to shake some sense into Josie. Both of their backstories were so sad. They both had a ton of baggage that made them act stupidly about the resonance. Even though they had a really rough start to their relationship they ended up being one of my favorite couples right after Raahosh and Liz.
Haeden had a ton of insecurities. He resonated to an older women who already had a lover. She refused him and kept sleeping with her lover while laughing at Haeden like he was lacking. She made them both so sick from resonances that she died and Haeden almost died and needed a new khui. Which is how he resonated to Josie. He cared so much, and had such fear of losing another mate that he came off pissy and cold. He was neither. He was brave, sweet, and really wanted to please Josie. He made a ton of mistakes, but he learned and changed. Josie also had a horrible life. On earth she was in and out of foster homes. Abused sexually, and mentally. Then she was raped by the bad aliens. She was never wanted and had a ton of insecurities of her own. They were both so broken and in pain. I loved watching them fall in love with each other. I loved seeing that love heal some of their pain.
While out by the ocean, Josie found two more human women in pods of the wrecked spaceship. She also found skyclaws. I don't want to spoil it but OMG those things are creepy. I loved getting to see Harlow and Rukh again. I also loved learning some new big news for Liz. Overall this book was mostly about the relationship between Josie and Haeden with just a bit of action thrown in to keep the series plot going. I really loved this book. I did feel Josie should have gave in sooner but still I loved them together. I can't wait for the next book.
This was probably my least favorite of the series if I’m being honest. It wasn’t necessarily any worse than any of the other books, but I read these exclusively for da smuts and this one didn’t have nearly enough of that for my liking lmao so 2 stars it is
TW: rape; pedophilia, child abuse (all in the past and off page)
Look, I know you don't want to read smut. But, this is alien smut. That makes it fall into the Science Fiction category. You can read this series and tell everyone that you are a Sci-Fi loving girl. They will see this:
When you are actually this:
See? You can fool everyone and still get to enjoy the ooey gooey goodness that is the big blue aliens finding their human mates. It's funny, spicy, and endearing. Just add chocolate and you have everything you need to have a happy, fulfilling life.
okay, Mr. Literal... sheesh, that guy is a buzz-kill
And, if you are still feeling guilty, you can always hide your e-reader in a copy of War and Peace or something.
Haeden is grumpiness personified, but I suppose all the readers despise Josie. That’s because Haeden has a very good reason for being grumpy: He was rejected by his first mate and then she died and he was left alone and virgin all his life. On the other hand, Josie has no particular reason for being reluctant: She wants family and children, but she does not want to give a chance to Haeden.
I think this is the only story –besides maybe the story of Liz and Raahosh as the second one- that the two main characters suffer so much and for so long from khui fever. Seriously, they almost die waiting and not acting on their need.
Haeden and Josie will need a lot of time to come to an understanding, to start liking each other, to fall in love and to realize that they are perfect for each other.
Josie needs so badly love and affection and Haeden needs so much to provide support and care. His nurturing instincts are well hidden behind his bad-temperedness.
The world building is still excellent. A strange green island in the middle of the ocean; the vicious tall, monkey-like creatures; the huge birds that can attack and swallow grown up humans in one gulp.
Sigh. I really like this series because it makes me happy. It’s easy reading and it’s “different”. I find all books different and I was curious about Josie’s story. I really like the tension we got in the previous book so I was REALLY looking forward to this one.
I didn’t event take a reading book break, I instantly jumped from the previous book to this one.
BUT gah. … I wanted to SLAP Josie in her STUPID FACE.
I hated her. She was so annoying, so MEAN, REALLY selfish and I didn’t understand her character at all.
She told the guy SHE HATED HIM!? For what? For being a broody male? Umm.. okay. So he’s not the nicest guy, but he hasn’t done ANTYHING get your anger.
This one was a roller coaster of emotions or Josie giving me whip lash. Does she like him? Does she not like him? She then tries to have sex JUST to have a baby, but she can’t do it because she has to be in love.
It’s kind of like she’s in a fixed up marriage and she REALLY doesn’t like her suitor, but instead of just being grateful and TRYING to like the guy, she calls him names, pushes him around and
I was highly disappointed in this one and the only redeeming quality is the last part. I really enjoyed the ending, esp.
I still love this series and I’m happy it didn’t just end with Josie. I can’t wait for the next… okay I can. I’m going to take a mini book break and then I’ll jump back into this series.
I was really anticipating this story since Josie and Haeden were first introduced in the series. Usually when I'm so eager I get disappointed but this story met my expectations :)
I expected Josie to fight their resonance based on how the last book ended, and that's why I didn't give it 5 stars. She came off a bit mean and insensitive at times and pushed Haeden away so much.
I loved Haeden! He did the sweetest things, although he is not a man of many words his actions and feelings for Josie were very much apparent. He was a very determined yet patient character and understood that Josie needed time to adjust... even though he didn't necessarily agree with giving her time..
"At the thought, another surge of fierce possessiveness rises in me. Whatever she may think, she is mine"
I am so stoked the Ruby Dixon has found a way to prolong this series more! I was not ready to let go of my big blue aliens =D
This series gets better with every new installment.
I finished this yesterday and I'm having trouble finding words to express how much I enjoyed it.
It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made my heart hurt.
Haeden was amazing. So amazing, he very nearly knocked Raahosh out of my heart. But not quite. LOVE YOU RAAHOSH.
Josie was a bit annoying - just get it on with the big blue peen for fucks sake! But she came around eventually and then she was all like "why have I been holding out against this for so long?" *facepalm*
Plenty of boing for your buck in this. But the slow burn at the start with Haeden's heartbreaking observations was what truly made this so great. I had butterflies. Alien smut gave me butterflies.
“I want her. I want her to want me. Is that so unreasonable?”
These two had a really intense dislike towards one another. And unfortunately are fated mates, which meant that ignoring each other was out of the question.
The hero had a really gruff exterior and whilst the heroine is usually bubbly, he brings out the worst in her.
They were both valid in their dislike and the false perceptions that came up because of it. Both of them have had a past.
They’re forced to talk it out at one point and things fall into place.
The sweetness of these alien men remains unmatched. They’re such cheese-balls and I love it! 🥰
This is Josie's and Haeden's story, and OMG it is just heart meltingly good!! I fell in love with them. They both were going through so much but coming together made it all the more special. Love, absolutely love this book!!
The following ratings are out of 5: Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙 Romance: 💙💚💜 Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙 World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎 Character development: 🫣☺️😎😯
The heroine:Josie - she is the last woman in her group that hasn’t yet resonated with a male. When she finally resonates, she is happy, but then she finds out it is with Haeden, the one male she doesn’t get along with. Josie grew up in group homes and foster care with no family and nobody wanting her so she wants a family and wants someone to love her but fears ending up in a relationship without love.
The Hero:Haeden - a long time ago, when he was young, he resonated with a woman who didn’t want him, then died. He felt a connection with Josie since his clan first found the human women. Though he has been grouchy and grumpy with her because human women are so small and fragile and he fears losing another mate.
The Story: Josie dislikes Haeden and when she finds that he is her mate, she doesn’t want it since it is not of her choosing. Though she may have valid fears due to her upbringing, she doesn’t treat Haeden well at all and behaves pretty selfishly. Though Haeden was grumpy to her, once they resonated, he treated her much better but it took her quite a while to realize it.
I didn’t like Josie much through nearly half of the book, but I liked the fact that she finally realizes how poorly she treated him. I also like the fact that though her actions were not the best, they were a part of her growth as a person and I liked where the story went. It got much better after Josie finally lets Haeden in, there was also some side storylines that were great.
The book was told in dual POV with narration by Mason Lloyd and Hollie Jackson and they did a great job. I kind of like the slightly stilted and formal cadence that Mason uses for the male aliens. It sounds authentic and I enjoy it.
Overall Opinion: Welp. I am currently giving myself a pat on the back for finishing this one tbh. It was pretty brutal for the first half with how spectacularly annoying Josie was! I kept on thinking about he reviews from my GR friends and how they said that Haeden makes up for it all, so I kept going...but even though I agree that he was a good H, I'm not sure he really made up for how much I disliked her character. I'm bummed because I have enjoyed this series, but I think I'm just about ready to throw in the towel after this one (and the not-so-stellar reviews of the ones I haven't read yet).
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Josie and Haeden's story. They have a enemy type relationship going on when they are shocked to find that Josie's cootie has chosen Haeden as her mate. Josie strongly fights it for a while, but Haeden sticks with her because he has a strong sense of possessiveness for her. They end up on a journey that has them stuck alone in a cave for several days, and the cannot fight their attraction any longer and give in to their fates. There are some suspenseful moments, some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between Josie and Haeden's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. The ending felt abrupt, but otherwise I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 4 stars. Haeden. I liked him. I did want him to communicate a little better a few times, but for the most part I understood where he was coming from and enjoyed his character.
h rating: 1 stars. Josie. She was freaking annoying! I wanted to shake her (or slap her) so many times! She was such an unlikable character that I really don't have words tbh.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes!
Heat level: Okay. They have some alright tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. It takes a while for things to happen between them because of the h pushing away.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had not much closure, but relationship wise they are pretty solid . I would call it a HFN ending.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Süße Enemies-To-Lovers Geschichte. Hab wirklich sehr mitgelitten, wann immer Josie Haeden zurückgewiesen hat, besonders weil ich sie beide so gut verstehen konnte. Der Miscommunication-Trope war mir etwas zu viel, deshalb eine eher milde Sternebewertung. Und irgendwie verloren bisher alle Teile der Reihe ab dem letzten Drittel ihren Kick. Aber auch in Ordnung, die Bücher sind ja echt total kurz.
3.0 RATING- I think this series is a lot of fun to read and I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, for almost all of the book, I didn't care for the heroine. I thought she acted like a cranky selfish bitch and undeserving of her blue alien hunk.
Before anything else, let me just point out the cover of this book. DAAAAAYM! BEST BOOK COVER IN THIS SERIES SO FAR. JUST LOOKING AT IT IS PRACTICALLY ORGASM INDUCING.
It certainly did wreak havoc in my imaginations -
Gave lots of ideas - BOING!
And (my) mind percolated with possibilities - BOING!
Ok, I think I've said enough how my body went hot with feminine appreciation with that cover alone.
On to the story. This book is about Josie, our last unmated human chick, and Haeden, the cranky, grouchy, overbearing blue horned bag but barbarian.
Josie wanted what an ordinary female would want - a mate to call her own and make babies to love. And Haeden? Well, I won't say anything about his story. I would let you, readers, find out about this grouchy but very alpha blue alien. That way nothing is ruined and you'll get to experience it first hand.
Although, this I would say - Haeden definitely stole the scene. Yes, he was GRUMPY but affable at the same time. I love my Romeos scarred, yes to crabbiness too(coz it makes them more appealing) protective and hellcats in the sack. YES. YES TO ALL. TIMES ONE HUNDRED PLS.
*clears throat*
They resonated. And so their journey begins. I won't go into details in this review, that is why we read books but believe me when I say that this is an EXCELLENT story. Sure you would have frustrating moments induced by Josie's stupidity - I hated her and at some point I didn't want her to have Haeden but without it, the story will be just bland and flat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So unless you want to resonate in public and all the things that entails, come with me so we can talk.”
Bloody Josie just followed him with a scowl on her face. If I were her I would've tossed Haeden against the wall and rub myself all over him like a hussy of a cat on a scratching post. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But of course, cooties are relentless and waay smarter than anyone's heads so they finally gave in. And let me tell you, Haeden who prefers to do the actions started communicating. And his choice of words...
Lastly, RIDGES weren't mentioned a lot in here. I forgave Ms Dixon as she showered me with lotsa Vektalling and I loved it.
Rating it 4.5ICE-PLANET-BLUE-HORNEDBAG-BARBARIANS-ARE-HAZARDOUS-TO-FEMALES-HORMONESStars
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4.4.16
UNDRESSING HAEDEN NOW. AND SO IT BEGINS! COME AT ME RIDGES. COME AT ME! _________ 30.3.16 THEY SAID RIDGES ARE OVERFLOWING IN THIS BOOK 0.0 PUNANIS WILL REJOICE!
__________________ Off to the future to read this book already! ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
This one is a mixed emotion for me. Why you ask? I’ll explain.
My feelings for Haeden…..
My feelings for Josie…..
I correct myself, I hated her for the first 70% of the book. I literally wanted to stab her in the eye. I’m so shocked, surprised and extremely mad because I was so excited for her and Haeden’s book. And instead of devouring this book with happiest, I’m trying not to throw my phone.
Honestly, if it wasn’t for the fact that this book is only 6 hrs of audio, I don’t think I would have gotten through.
The way she treated Haeden and the fact that she was so selfish and what she tried to do just makes me so angry. I will say, she did redeem herself a little, but just not enough for me to go back to liking her.
Nothing worse than disliking the character you couldn’t wait for.
Did I hate Josie, yes. Did I still enjoy this book, yes. Will I continue, fuck yes.
Josie is a self-centered asshole... I kept shaking my head and all her asinine comments and ideas. Disappointed because I really liked her before her own book.
Haeden has been on my radar since a few books ago and Mr Tall, Dark and Broody did not disappoint. Is he my new number 1 in the blue alien fan listing? I'm not sure yet, but I loved him and this book is definitely in my top 2 of the series so far.
"He wears his [long black hair] shaved on the sides and in one extra-long braid over the top of his head and down his back". *starts fanning herself* What is it with this haircut??
We finally discover what hurt him so, and I admit my eyes teared up several times. I kinda hated Josie for a bit there, just because she was causing my Haedie more pain, but I guess we're cool now.
I sigh, thinking of Jo-see's smiles... the ones she never has for me. A wistful ache blooms in my chest. "I want her. I want her to want me. Is that so unreasonable?" NO IT IS NOT, YOU MAGNIFICENT MAN. He's so sad and grumpy and I just want to hug him and give him the biggest smiles anyone's ever given. (Yes, you guessed it, I've had my fair share of "he's broken, I'll fix him" boyfriends in the past - yet somehow that never works out irl?)
I love when she finally warms up to him and he feels like the happiest man alive. And when he thinks he's lost her? MY HEART. I cry.
"I had a mate," I snarl at it, stabbing my knife into its side again. "And I loved her! You took her from me!" He's a passionate one, I'll tell ya that.
I love for her that she finds her safe place in this world as well, because she truly deserves it. I understand why she was so standoffish and love that he had the patience to wait for her. The miscommunications they had irked me to no end, but I'm glad everything got resolved in the end.
"But do not seek to tell me that you are not mine yet. Because you have always been mine." Her wounded eyes blink, and then she nods slowly. "Yours," she whispers. "Always," I growl back.
"He's everything I never wanted. I thought my cootie would pick a mate that would be kind, and gentle, and caring. Instead, I get the sa-khui Oscar the Grouch, minus the garbage can." 😂
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ alien romance ✨ mars needs women trope ✨ enemies to lovers ✨ grumpy x sunshine ✨ fated mates ✨ virgin mmc ✨ miscommunication ✨ angst ✨ 3/5 spice 🌶️ ✨ HEA ✨ tw: past sexual assault and abuse in foster care, death of a previous mate
Summary:
Josie is the last of the human women to resonate, and she desperately wants to find her soulmate. But when her khui picks Haeden, the most cranky, unpleasant, overbearing male alien, she's anything but excited. Josie tries to fight resonance, but it's useless. Their khuis have chosen each other, and their joining is inevitable.
Haeden already had a mate, but she died during the sickness. Now, fate has offered him another chance at happiness. However, Josie doesn't want him, which is understandable considering all he's done since she arrived is fought with her. Haeden's always felt some pull toward Josie, yet his fear has caused him to keep his distance. But with the khui's constant song in his chest, he can no longer ignore Josie and tries to win her affection by proving he's more than just a surly male.
Thoughts:
So happy Josie gets her HEA. ♥️ First off, Josie had a sad childhood where many terrible things happened to her. Yet through it all, she approaches life with such positivity and love. I really admire that about her and think she is one of the strongest characters in this series.
Then, as she settles into life on Not-Hoth, she so desperately wants a mate and a family, yet her khui stays quiet. But that didn't stop her from being hopeful. Until one day, it goes and picks the one person she hates on this planet. 😂 The irony. Josie may have fought resonance at first. However, in the end, her khui knew what it was doing and picked the perfect mate for her - one who would understand what it's like to feel unwanted or unloved.
Haeden is the perfect grumpy MMC! He truly gives off 'I hate everyone but her' vibes, but he even didn't really like Josie in the beginning either. 😂 A total grump. I honestly didn't like him at first, but over the course of the book, we learn about his past and understand why he's built up so many walls around himself and why it's so hard for him to open up. I enjoyed getting to know him and how he softened around Josie. This quote below had me swooning. ♥️
"You are mine. If you are taken, I will come after you. If you are sick, I will never leave your side. If you leave, I will follow. You will never be without me, because I will come after you. Know this."
I absolutely loved the bonus Honeymoon content in Berkley's special edition! This focused on Josie and Haeden further exploring each other and their sexual preferences. There's spanking, safe words, and lube . . . and both Josie and Haeden get their happy endings (if you know what I mean 😉). Overall, a fun and sexy addition to their story.
Even though this is a smutty alien romance, I'm so invested in the world of IPB and the overarching plot. Just when you think the series would end since Josie is the last of the human women . . . something exciting and unexpected happens that will carry us onto the next book. Ruby Dixon knows how to keep things interesting. I can't wait to continue with the series and find out who will be mated next!
Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC copy of this special edition version in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
Notes: - H and h were "enemies" from the start (lots of bickering and antagonism - mostly just picking at each other) - h had an IUD which is why she hadn't "resonated" with anyone until now - H had resonated before and almost died of the illness that took much of the tribe years before; never consummated with his mate bc she was already with someone and didn't want him - H had v-card - Sexy run back to the caves!
Plot --- 3.5/5 Main Characters --- 4/5 Supporting Cast --- 4/5 Steam Level* --- 4/5 Violence --- yes, with some triggers (h was gang raped by the aliens that kidnapped her; some references to it at a high-level - nothing detailed or graphic; h was also abused in the foster system, including sexually - nothing graphic, but certainly can be a trigger for some) Language --- yes! (lots of f-bombs and c-bombs) POV --- Dual
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
Estaba muy ansiosa por llegar a este libro y al fin poder leer la historia de Josie, no solo porque me agradaba mucho su forma de ser sino tambien porque mas o menos me imaginaba como se desarrollaria la trama y eso provocaba que tuviera aun mas ganas de iniciar la lectura.
La historia de amor de Josie y Haeden fue mucho mas bonita, adorable y divertida de lo que esperaba, realmente se convirtio en mi favorita de toda la saga, supero incluso a la historia de Georgie y Vektal que hasta el momento habia sido mi preferida.
Una de las cosas que mas me agrado fue la enemistad que habia entre los protagonistas en un principio, fue realmente muuuy entretenido leer sus primeras escenas.
En fin, Barbarian' s Mate fue un libro muy bueno que me encanto y que ademas cuenta con una historia que me conquisto desde la primera pagina.
Rereading...so much happening in this one, y'all. It is just so difficult NOT to read the next one. Haeden and Josie become opposite to opposite attracts in this one. It is a story happening in one and half years so I guess this is the slowest burning romance.
I guess I'm now up to date on the entire series so when the new one comes, I'll fangirl with the rest of the trope!