This was a reread for me and I immediately remembered why it’s one of my favorite book in the series.

More than any other blue alien, Rukh is truly a barbarian. He has raised himself and been alone since he was a preteen. He’s survived but doesn’t know how to communicate. He kidnaps Harlow because he’s lonely and wants someone to share his life with.

Harlow only wants to escape. Until she realizes what her resonance means. This feral, stoic, grumpy alien is her mate. The hurdles they have to cross because of his emotional distance, aversion to human contact and ignorance of healthy relationships and the mechanics of the human body are daunting.

Their forced proximity leads to Stockholm Syndrome and Lizzy wants to stay and continue to heal her mate when her friends find her again.

Tropes: grumpy vs. sunshine; fated mates

Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon is the fourth book in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, yet it’s the first one I’ve read. I was completely swayed into reading this due to the massive social media barrage about it. This series has flooded Instagram and Tik Tok.

Before your read on, please know that this is an extremely steamy, sci-fi romance.

Barbarian Mine focuses on Harlow and Rukh, Raahosh’s long lost brother. Rukh is presumed to be dead but grew up alone in the wild since he was a child. He recognizes Harlow as his mate through “resonance” (part of Dixon’s great world-building) so he knocks her out and kidnaps her. Romantic, right? He really takes “barbarian” to a whole new meaning.

Despite their not-so-cute “meet cute,” I loved watching the relationship between Rukh and Harlow grow. Harlow brings sunshine and smiles into Rukh’s isolated life, and Rukh is as sweet as a cinnamon roll and the most naive hero. There wasn’t much outside action as most of the story centered on their isolated life in their cave.

Overall, this was a satisfying story with a lot of character growth and a romance that had me feeling all types of warm and fuzzy.

Harlow was kidnapped by aliens, dropped on an ice planet, accepted a symbiote to stay alive, and happily accepted the help and safety of the only tribe of alien people on the planet. She's healthy and ready to make the most of her new life on Not Hoth, until she kidnapped (again) by an alien (again). Harlow faces more than she bargained for when she wakes to find Rukh, an alien who seems to be from the tribe she joined, but doesn't seem to know their language or life. Plus, she seems to be resonating for him.....

Ruby Dixon put a lot of love into these novels and it's apparent the further into the series I get. She makes the smallest moments loom so large and wonderful. I adore her big blue alien men and the women that love them, and I find it compelling to read romance novels that really try to work through the characters' issues instead of just glancing over them. I was excited to pick up this ARC in the hopes we might get to see the first kits born and I was not disappointed, but I will say no more lest I spoil anything. Another fun and cozy novel for my collection.

**Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruby Dixon does it again!

I'm absolutely loving the IPB series. Every human woman's story, every sa-khui male's history... They all blend together and give us an adventurous, emotional, funny, and unique story of love. And survival.

I love the expansion of the world that we get in Barbarian Mine. Not-Hoth is just different enough from Earth to be wild and interesting, but just similar enough to be easily pictured and compared to. The scenery in this book was fun, even when the story was heavy. Ruby Dixon weaves serious topics and very real human experiences into the characters' stories in this series, for the aliens and the humans both. Each character is relatable in their own ways and they're exciting to get to know as they resonate with one another. But they are also all healing from their own traumas. They're navigating, healing, and sometimes severing their bonds with their pasts. Adapting and creating new paths.

Harlow's struggles, both internal and with her outcast Mate, gave this book a heaviness that couldn't be swept away in the Salt Sea breeze. Ruhk's resilience and dedication bolstered the pair, and I adore the couple that they grew to be. I admittedly didn't connect with Harlow as much as I did with Georgie, Liz, and Kira. But I thoroughly appreciate Harlow's experiences and her contributions to the tribe. Her significance to Ruhk.

And of course, the spice was excellent, as always, Ruby. I'm ready for more.

Overall, I'm just thrilled with this entire series and can't recommend it enough!!

**Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ruby Dixon for a copy of Barbarian Mine in exchange for my honest review!**

This entire series is absolutely ridiculous... and I still love it.

I can't exactly pinpoint what I love about it, but the outrageous situations that the characters have found themselves in (being abducted by "bad" aliens, crashing on a different planet, being saved by "good" aliens, having a lifesaving creature implanted in their bodies, "mating" with the good aliens, etc.) are so interesting that I can't stop reading!

This book was no different; each woman that the previous books have focused on have found their mates in different ways, and in this one, her mate is found after he knocks her out and takes her to his isolated cave. Not my favorite incident (very caveman-like), but their story is definitely interesting.

These aren't necessarily the books that I boast about reading on Goodreads, but I do enjoy reading them!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Aqui vamos conhecer Harlow e Rukh.

Harlow está junto com outros habitantes de Ice Planet perdidos, ela decide que precisa ajudar eles que estão feridos e vai atrás de folhas para ajudar na cura, só que no meio do caminho "alguém" bate nela fazendo ela perder a consciência.

Rukh não sabe nada sobre outras pessoas e nem quer saber, ele vive isolado no meio do nada em sua caverna e não gosta dos habitantes de Ice Planet.

Quando ele vê a ruiva Harlow ele simplesmente bate nela achando que ela está lá para de alguma forma prejudicar ele.

Só que eles ressonam, ou seja, eles tem um tipo de paixão e ligação a primeira vista e esse ressonar só acontece em pessoas que são companheiros e não tem muito como fugir disso.

Rukh e Harlow se apaixonam obviamente e acabam vivendo juntos no meio do nada, ela acha que os habitantes de Ice Planet que estavam perdidos com ela morreram e Rukh não vai deixar ela simplesmente sair por aí sozinha para descobrir, afinal ele precisa proteger a companheira dele.

Eu particularmente sou apaixonada nessa série, e por mais que esse livro possa ser lido como único recomendo demais ler os livros anteriores principalmente o segundo, porque não só o plot tem ligação com o personagem do livro 2, como também todos os personagens aparecem um no livro do outro.

Eu poderia passar horas dando motivos para você ler essa série, mas vou apenas falar que o todos os ETs de Ice Planet além de ser azul, tem chifres, são totalmente protetores e tem um pau diferenciado que sabem usar muito bem.

The fourth book in the Barbarian Aliens series the novel follows Harlow and Rukh and their strange path to romance.

We last saw Harlow in Kira's book leaving to get help and then apparently disappearing and later thought dead. Harlow obviously did not randomly disappear but was taken by Rukh. And by taken I mean clubbed-over-the-head-dragged-off-to-a-cave taken. Unlike the rest of the Barbarian Alien books mating does not happen right away mainly because Rukh has no idea what mating is. Rukh is basically feral and can't understand English or his own alien language. Obviously like all Ruby Dixon books the two manage to overcome their communication issues for some spicy moments. This book also explores themes of abandonment, found family and belonging which was also nice.

Are these books great works of literature? No but they are fun, easy reads and with guaranteed happy endings and more than a little spice. These books are the perfect comfort read and can be consumed in one sitting (preferably while also eating your snack of choice). I highly recommend the Barbarian Alien series and will definitely pick up the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this arc. All opinions are my own.

These are literally the Pringle’s of the book world because once you read one you can’t stop!! I love the overall story progression throughout all the book. I think the world building is so unique and interesting to read about. The characters are all easy to like even Rukh who literally clubbed and dragged his mate back to his cave 🥴 overall this is a really spicy, funny and easy to read series. I will definitely keep reading this series and buying the special edition versions because the covers are colorful and fun and I love the extra content inside.

Harlow and Rukh are adorable together! They have no language between them, but an undeniable connection and have to work through that barrier. He has trust issues that stem from his childhood that makes their decision to return to her camp a difficult one. She's very supportive of him and he works hard to accept her life there because it's what his family needs. It's a fun, easier read that I just adored!

I really enjoyed Barbarian Mine, which is the 4th book in the Ice Planet Barbarian series and features Harlow (who was unaccounted for at the close of the previous book). You don't need to read the prior books before jumping into this one, but it will give you more insight into the world and the dynamics if you do.

Things to look forward to
- Tropes like: forced proximity, sexual lessons/instruction, virgin hero, fated mates
- A great spin on the Tarzan story. I actually loved how almost feral Rukh was. He has had zero socialization and contact with the tribe/outside world, and I found that innocence really endearing, but also very sad. My heart broke for him and how lonely he was for all those years. I thought the tribe connection was really well done and didn't see that twist coming.
- I appreciated that this story focused on Rukh and Harlow building their relationship and sustaining it. Their struggles were understandable and I liked that their connection wasn't solely because of them resonating. I really felt like they fell in love.
- The steam. Gotta love that spur and how eager these aliens are to please their mates ;) Rukh's inexperience only cranked the heat level even more.
- Getting to see previous couples like Georgie and Vektal and Liz and Raahosh and updates on their lives (and kits!)
- The special edition includes: a bonus short story called Fathers (which takes place after the events of Barbarian Mine) and the novella Ice Planet Honeymoon. The novella takes place chronologically around the first third of Barbarian Mine and is a closer look at what was happening with Rukh and Harlow as they settled into life together.

CW: death of parent (past), cancer (past), pregnancy and complications, grief, kidnapping, hunting/killing of animals, parental abandonment (past)

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

My first alien romance, and this won't be my last. HOLY FREAKING ALIEN ROMANCE! Where has this been all my life?

The reader knows that Harlow was kidnapped (not killed as the rest of the tribe believes) in the previous installment of the series. Barbarian Mine opens on Harlow and Rukh (raised outside the tribe) as they struggle to understand each other enough for Harlow to survive on not-Hoth.

This book was a little closer in theme to the first book in the series - since Harlow and Rukh have communication issues, but with a relationship twist - Rukh knows nothing about sex since he was raised in isolation. If you like romance with an alien twist check out this book.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, here I am reading a fourth one of these insane blue alien books. This was for sure my least favorite so far, as I didn't enjoy the barbarian aspect and also thought that Harlow was a little too eager to shack up with someone who kidnapped her and also didn't speak her language. I thought the politics were a little interesting in regards to Rukh's history but damn, now that the babies are here I really don't care that much anymore. Maybe this is the last one for me!

3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Books, and Ms. Dixon for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I read this back when it was originally self-published in 2015 and enjoyed it. I actually read this and #5 in one big binge-read fest. I compared this then, and I stand by it, to the literary form of Pringles: it’s not highfalutin’ fare but you cannot stop consuming it.

I also said then, and I agree with it now, that I liked that the linguistic "uploads", which seemed like kind of a shortcut in the other books, were rendered irrelevant in this one. Harlow and Rukh’s relationship, as it were, seemed a little wilder and a little more authentic having had to “feel each other out”, so to speak. I also liked that Rukh is (view spoiler), because of COURSE he is, and it makes the dynamic between Rukh and Harlow, and the tribe, even more complicated and interesting.

I really couldn’t tell what (if anything) was added for the “new” version but I still enjoyed it just as much. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Is there really any way I could give an ice planets book LESS than five stars???

This is definitely a favorite of the series, coming in at #2 on my list, and its allllllll with good reason. Those of you who love the language barrier we semi-faced in some of the previous books, this really had me in a choke-hold with this one!! Also, this is by far the most "barbarian" book of the series as we all know that this plot line follows a barbarian who is not a part of the original tribe we first meet in book 1.

Though this plot line is similar to book 2 (the man literally takes her away- *kidnaps* some could say) I found this one to be just a good, and added with the language barrier SO MUCH FUN. It really goes to show you how much communication can be done with your body (and no, im not talking about just the hanky panky).

Overall, I really loved this one! I thought the overarching plot that is always present in these books advanced well, and THAT TIME JUMP!! At first I wasn't sure about it, but I grew into the fact that these two lovebirds had to learn to communicate without fancy tech and simply just learn to be together.

This one makes my heart swoon. And I love the two main characters... Harlow is literally the smart boss b we all strive to be <3

xx
-Christine

I enjoyed Barbarian Mine! Harlow and Rukh's story was not as fast moving as some of the others in the series, but we finally got to see a few(!) babies - yay! I ended up enjoying Barbarian Mine and am already looking forward to book 5!

At the end of Barbarian Lover, we were left with a little cliffhanger: Harlow was bonked over the head and dragged away, while the all-knowing computer said there was one extra sa-khui on the planet. Hmmmm, could these two things be related?

So yeah, as expected, Harlow was abducted by a heretofore unknown sa-khui dude, Rukh. He has been on his own for a long, long time, and while he knows how to survive he's a little Tarzen-esque in his inability to speak and interact with other beings in a socially-acceptable manner. Also (and this is important in an Ice Planet Barbarians book) Rukh is probably the most virgin of all virgin heroes because he never got any sex ed. Harlow's feeling guilty for "abandoning" her tribemates (SHE DIDN'T ABANDON THEM, SHE WAS ABDUCTED) so she decides she's just going to go with the flow and hang out with this super-barbarian alien dude. (Please note: just because you /say/ you don't have Stockholm Syndrome doesn't mean you don't have it, Har-loh.)

There's some other stuff that happens (including a cure for brain cancer, hot springs baths, and daddy issues) but that's all plot stuff. Look, this is IPB so it's wild, sexy, fun, totally implausible, and we finished it in about 60 minutes. Totally worth it.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the new Berkley edition of the novel.

3.75 stars
Not my most favorite of the Ice Planet series, but still a solid read. While I really enjoyed the first half in which we were following Harlow and Rukh on their adventures, I found the second half a little boring. But that doesn't mean I'll stop reading the series. These books are like skittles. I cannot have just one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Barbarian Mine is about Rukh and Harlow. Harlow finds herself alone and unconscious in the wilderness of the ice planet, and Rukh resonates with her when he finds her passed out. From there it is a bit of a Stockholm syndrome situation- Harlow has nowhere to go but with Rukh if she wants to stay alive because he does not let her leave.

Let's start with the things I liked about this book:
Ruby Dixon knows how to write good erotic scenes. They're descriptive without using words that can turn you away from the moment (yes, I'm talking about "moist"). Her world-building of the ice planet is really elaborated on in this novel. We learn that it has an ocean, with different wildlife. It has a beach! Prior to Barbarian Mine, we didn't know much about the ice planet other than the tree-fish and the abundance of caves. We get to see cameos of more couples from the series- Georgie and Vektal, Liz and Raahosh. Kira and Aehako.
Harlow has a bit of a different background than the rest of the girls we have seen so far. She is sick. The khui actually cures her of her illness but poses some problems for her future pregnancy.

What I didn't like:
The time jumps! They were placed at the beginning of the book, at the point of the plot where the couple would usually fall in love and have their 'Honeymoon' phase. This created an issue for me because I didn't see the connection between Rukh and Harlow as I have with the previous couples. There was a lack of relationship development between the two. Add the time jumps in with the Stockholm syndrome situation and it created a relationship that was more forced. It feels like they are only together because the khui wants them to be. Whereas with the other couples we got to learn about personalities before they got together. I would have preferred the time jumps to be in replacement for the chapters where it is mostly just descriptions of the route they are taking, this way we could've gotten more development between Rukh and Harlow.
It was slow-paced. There were so many moments when I was reading this going "when will it be over?" and "how am I only just 50% in?" which is something that turns me off from a book. The time jumps did add to the slow pacing, as well as the pregnancy. I knew from previous books the pregnancy of human/barbarian babies was long, but with Harlow's it felt so much longer even though it was cut short.
The books are getting more and more repetitive as they go. Mating. Khui resonating. Surviving. Babies. The overpacked tribal cave. I'm not sure if I can handle reading another book from this series.

This series is FUN and SEXY and honestly brings me much joy. This is the fourth book in Ice Planet Barbarians and I liked that Barbarian Mine took a slightly different direction than that previous books and that we saw our characters dealing with new situations and challenges.