Book Review: Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon

About the Book:

Title: Barbarian Mine

Author: Ruby Dixon

Series: Ice Planet Barbarians #4

Page Length: 182

Publisher: Berkley

Synopsis: The ice planet has given me a second lease on life, so I’m thrilled to be here. Sure, there’s no cheeseburgers, but I’m healthy and ready to be a productive member of the small tribe.

What I didn’t anticipate? That there’d be a savage stranger waiting nearby, watching me. And when he takes me captive, the unthinkable happens… I resonate to him.

Resonance means mating, and children… but I don’t know if this guy’s ever been around anyone before. He’s truly a barbarian in all ways, right down to clubbing me over the head and claiming me as his own.

So why is it that I crave his touch and hunger for more?

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

I remember reading Barbarian Mine years ago, and I was curious to read this new edition when I heard the story had been expanded upon. It’s a steamy sci-fi romance with total Tarzan vibes.

The story follows Harlow, as she is kidnapped by and falls for Rukh. Rukh is a barbarian and has never lived with a tribe. He doesn’t know the language, doesn’t bathe or wear clothes, and he’s never had a partner. He’s been alone for a long time, and he and Harlow struggle to communicate. However, he knows that his connection to Harlow is strong. Harlow knows she has resonated with Rukh, but with a language barrier and the way their relationship started, she is skeptical. I like how they slowly learn to communicate and begin to fall in love.

Rukh and Harlow both have interesting back stories, and their journey together is quite an adventure! A lot of the story takes place in the remote areas of non-Hoth, and you get to see new terrain, caves, and creatures. It’s immersive and vividly described, and it sounds like a really tough place to live. Harlow is way more resilient than me! She really does what she can to make the best of it, and I love how she uses the skills she’s learned to make life more comfortable. Luckily, between Rukh and Harlow’s skills and knowledge, they make a quaint place to live and love.

Something I like about this series is how all of the characters have formed this unique found family. They support each other and go through a lot of new and unusual experiences together. So, when, a year after their fateful first meeting, Harlow has pregnancy complications (Yup, preggo!! Rukh is going to be such a good dad!), the tribe does all they can to support her and Rukh. Rukh, who has always seen others as the enemy, learns so much about who they really are and his unique connection to them.

This was a fun read and one I’d recommend to readers who enjoy steamy sci-fi alien romances. However, I would suggest checking the content warnings, as there are a few aspects that could prove triggering. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The world-building.

• The found family.

• The romance.

Recommendations:

Barbarian Mine will appeal to readers who enjoy:

• forced proximity
• fated mates
• alien romance
• found family