Barbarian’s Lady

4 stars — This one was solid, but I will admit it took me quite awhile to figure out Harrec and his behavior. There was actually quite a bit more to Harrec’s story than I was expecting, and it really helped to understand why he is the way he is. He almost comes off a bit mean, or at minimum super insensitive at the beginning, with the nature of his jokes. But honestly? He’s just kind of socially awkward I think. Understanding how much he loved to make others laugh, and how some of that stemmed from the tragedies in his childhood and how he grew up, it helped to make him more lovable I guess. I even appreciated that we got to learn a bit more about his aversion to his own blood. He’s not going to be my favourite hero, but he was sweet and well meaning, and a lot deeper than I was expecting. Kate was easier for me to connect with, simply because while I am not as tall as her, I do understand the insecurities that come with being tall and not, like, model tall and slim. So while it was hard to watch her misunderstand and overreact, I honestly had no trouble understanding where it was coming from (though my experiences were not nearly as bad as hers growing up). I loved how strong and motivated she was, how she did what was necessary to survive. I kind of loved that their love story wasn’t centered on resonating and then falling in love. I really ended up feeling their connection, and I loved watching them come together and explore and develop feelings. I was getting worried near the end, but Ms. Dixon just likes to give her readers anxiety apparently. I both love and hate that there are these epilogues that set up the next book — love because it tantalizes, hate because it tantalizes and I have other things I need to read first. 😛

This one definitely hit the heart. I feel for the past that Kate has and how it has shaped her. I know what some of that feels like. I really enjoyed and connected to this story. I like how Kate and Harrik bonded and worked together. It was a true joy to watch these two come together. Such intense moments, I was on the edge of my seat for them.