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Sarah Anne's Reviews > Rabid

Rabid by Ivy Asher
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No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Overall: 2.5-stars

[Edit 4 May 2021] The book still bugs me so I'm decreasing the 3-star rating to 2.5-stars.

Originally was going to be 4-stars, but because of the purposeful OW drama (see Safety Rating and my comment for details) and trauma minimization (see the spoiler in my Possible Triggers spoiler), it got pushed to 2-stars.

However, I pushed it up to 2.5-stars because once the Hero realizes how much he hurt the Heroine he did some serious grovelling. Also, there’s no woman-on-woman hate! The Heroine actually realizes it’s the *Hero* who is in the wrong, which is so rare.

I’m sure most people won’t find it offensive but I’m just really over this sexism being explained away as double standards or disrespect 🤷🏻‍♀️. I really enjoyed the book; it has excellent pacing, a great Heroine to root for (who is so awesomely badass) and intriguing world-building. But, at the end of the day, I had many issues with the book's sexism and trauma minimization. Therefore, my rating needed to reflect my concerns.

For those interested, I understood the Hero's approach to the claiming and his treatment of the Heroine sexist and here's why: (view spoiler)

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions... could be Not Safe for some (view spoiler)

Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)

Ending: (view spoiler)
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Reading Progress

April 9, 2021 – Started Reading
April 9, 2021 – Shelved
April 9, 2021 – Finished Reading
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: reviewed
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: g-paranormal-romance
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cd-alpha-hero
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cd-alpha-heroine
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cd-asshole-hero
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cd-badass-women
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: th-betrayal
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cw-grief
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cw-ptsd
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cw-abuse
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: sr-safe-with-exceptions
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: l-kindle-unlimited
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: g-action-adventure-suspense
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: th-angsty-af
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cd-cruel-or-cold-hero
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: c-disgusting-patriarchal-society
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: c-double-standards
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: th-emotional
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: tr-enemies-to-lovers
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: g-erotica
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: sr-hero-gotta-grovel
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: sr-hero-pushes-away
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: sr-heroine-pushes-away
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: tr-insta-lust
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: c-insufferable-hero-ew
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: sr-ow-om
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: c-paternalistic-sanctimonious-hero
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: tr-soulmates
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: ns-standalone-in-series
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cd-strong-female-lead
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cw-triggers
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cw-traumatic-past
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: cw-tragedy
April 11, 2021 – Shelved as: sg-werewolves

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Comments Showing 1-9 of 9 (9 new)

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message 1: by Bego (new)
Apr 11, 2021 03:28AM

Bego Loooove finding this review with safety!! It's just flirting or there's kissing and/or touching? Has he ever been with that OW?


message 2: by KLynn (new) - rated it 3 stars
Apr 11, 2021 08:49AM

KLynn Bego - it's implied he's been with the other woman, but really all she does is sit in his lap. I hate cheating, but this didn't effect me too much ... It was more that he was doing it to hurt the heroine that made me mad.


message 3: by Bego (new)
Apr 11, 2021 09:04AM

Bego Klynn wrote: "Bego - it's implied he's been with the other woman, but really all she does is sit in his lap. I hate cheating, but this didn't effect me too much ... It was more that he was doing it to hurt the h..."

Yeah, I would be mad too, and more knowing that he had a past with the OW...


message 4: by Sarah Anne (last edited Apr 11, 2021 10:06AM) (new) - rated it 2 stars
Apr 11, 2021 10:05AM

Sarah Anne Bego wrote: "Loooove finding this review with safety!! It's just flirting or there's kissing and/or touching? Has he ever been with that OW?"

I’m going to write a full rant (ahem) review later but these are the OW concerns... Initially, I was going to rate the book 4-stars because I loved the Heroine. But, the Hero does three things to purposely hurt the Heroine; two of which include throwing OW in her face.

One situation is the Hero tells her to go into a bedroom to find clothes; surprise, it’s the room he had sex with all his past lovers and her wolf loses it cuz she can smell them. The Heroine is furious and quick to point out how disrespectful it is to her (and her wolf because he would have known her wolf could smell what happened in the room).

The other instance is when the Heroine is hesitant to complete their mating (she’s only been a wolf for 4 days!) so the Hero lashes out–hurt. He purposely flirts and allows an OW to sit on his lap while socializing with his pack at a bonfire — making her feel like he betrayed her *and* that she’ll never belong in the pack. The Heroine rightfully loses it and it was so awesome.

You find out later the Hero schemed with this OW to hurt the Heroine; he knew the OW didn’t like her so he roped her into his plot.

It’s 3-stars though (not 2) because once the Hero realizes how much he hurt the Heroine he did some serious grovelling. Also, there’s no woman-on-woman hate! The Heroine actually realizes it’s the *Hero* who is in the wrong which is so rare.

Honestly, I’m sure most people won’t find it offensive but I’m just really over this sexism being explained away as double standards or disrespect 🤷🏻‍♀️. It’s really such a great book but my rating needed to reflect my concerns.


message 5: by Bego (new)
Apr 11, 2021 11:47AM

Bego Sarah Anne wrote: "Bego wrote: "Loooove finding this review with safety!! It's just flirting or there's kissing and/or touching? Has he ever been with that OW?"

I’m going to write a full rant (ahem) review later but..."

Thanks for all the info!! Between this with his past and OW and his disregard for her trauma instead of support, it's definitely a BIG NOOOO for me.


message 6: by Sarah Anne (new) - rated it 2 stars
Apr 12, 2021 08:07AM

Sarah Anne No problem! Glad I could clarify.

Honestly, revisiting the scene where he minimized her trauma made me reconsider the 3-star rating. I didn't like how he *thought* because her trauma occurred over a year (or years), her feelings were invalid.


message 7: by kattykatkat (new)
Apr 29, 2021 08:59AM

kattykatkat Thank you for this detailed review. I was interested in reading from the blurb but, like you, I am sick to death of sexism and trauma minimization and gaslighting. I would have been so angry had I invested time in this.


message 8: by Sarah Anne (new) - rated it 2 stars
May 04, 2021 03:51PM

Sarah Anne kattykatkat wrote: "Thank you for this detailed review. I was interested in reading from the blurb but, like you, I am sick to death of sexism and trauma minimization and gaslighting. I would have been so angry had I ..."

I'm so glad you found my review helpful! It's unfortunate there aren't many (or any) content warnings for such character behaviour. I get so angry reading it – hence my discourse analysis under my 'possible triggers' spoiler 😂.


message 9: by Paige (new) - rated it 1 star
Oct 03, 2023 04:27PM

Paige I was looking for a comment like this!! I’m at about 60% now & the minimization of her trauma & what she’s been through by the hero INFURIATES me. It honestly makes me want to stop reading & I haven’t even gotten to the other shit you mentioned yet. Ugh.


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