Review: Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon
I cannot really explain why I gave book one four stars, even though I had a lot of issues philosophically, and I am giving book two one or two stars. I just kind of was bored by this book.
This series follows a group of women who crash land on an alien planet and end up joining a local society (they do keep calling them aliens though I think in this situation the humans are the aliens) and pairing off with aliens. This book recovers some of the ground from book one, which was where my boredom started, the recapping section was entirely too long. After that, the alien dude low key kidnaps the human lady and they go hide out in a cave and eventually engage in adult activities. Then around 60% we get some plot with the other aliens and crash landed humans. At this point Liz, the human lady, does a 180 on how she feels about her alien beau and is completely obsessed with him.
I just could not follow the emotional progression of this story. It did not work for me at all. I do tend to like the fated mates trope, I can buy into the initial connection. But I just never actually progressed to actually being on board with this couple. Aside from the worm controlling who they are attracted to (these books are bananas) I don't get why they like each other.
I think my previous issue was also why I found the pace really lackluster. I did not like the pacing of this story. I was just not captivated or reallyinterested. I am really baffled as to why I was glued to book one and not book two. Maybe I just was going to like whatever book in this series I read first and the premise just does not work for me long term.
I hated the way Liz talked. She uses so much slang and human references, I was annoyed and I understood her. I know this book is like seven years old, but it seems so much older than that by the way Liz speaks. I was also frustrated that the aliens learned English and the humans don't seem to be learning alien lingo, just seems rude.
I weirdly did like the alien guy. I should have had him, I am not sure why I didn't.
I also hate "my mouth is saying no but my body is saying yes" and this book is the absolute weirdest and most annoying use of this I have ever read.
This book was just very much not for me, I probably won't keep reading the series.
I gave this book two stars.
