This is such a heartbreakingly bittersweet story that has all the feels. It’s beautifully fragile in tragedy, yet strong in heart, determination, and love.

Asha is one of a handful of full-blooded Sa-khui women that survived a khui sickness that spread throughout the tribe many seasons ago, killing much of the Sa-khui tribespeople and most of the females. Asha, being the only unmated female Sa-khui, reveled in the fact that she could have any hunter she pleased in her furs, and did.

When Asha resonates, she does so to a quiet Sa-khui tanner (leather worker) named Hemalo. He is a hard worker, quiet yet purposeful and has secretly been in love with Asha. It’s not an ideal match for Asha but the khuis have spoken.

After resonance was fulfilled, Asha was so happy. She had her mate whom she’d grown to love and now they are expecting a kit (baby). Unfortunately, Asha’s kit came early, too early. She lived only a handful of hours and was not strong enough for her body to accept a khui. Asha and Hemalo were devastated.

Things got worse for Asha when a ship crash landed on the planet with several human women. This was an answered prayer for the tribe because there is a severe shortage of females and now many of the hunters will be able to find mates. Asha hated the human women because they are competition. And when the humans started resonating with their hunter mates, it continued to make Asha bitter and resentful. These weird humans have their babies and Asha’s had to die? It’s not fair!

Asha’s loss fundamentally changed her and left a trail of tears, resentment, heartache, detachment, absence, loneliness, and ended with her mate leaving her bedside to go bunk down with the unmated hunters.

Asha silently battles a foe she cannot see but feels deep within her soul. Time has not healed, it’s only made things worse.

Asha and Hemalo’s story is full of heartache and hope. Their struggles to grieve the promise of their kit is tough to watch, but necessary for healing.

I freakin’ love this series so much! It’s fun, funny, and super spicy! I always thought Asha was a mean, vengeful female, but after reading (and grieving) her story, it all makes sense.

Barbarian’s Hope is everything I wished it to be and so much more. I highly recommend the entire series.

**Glossary**
Sa-khui - name of the tribe of blue alien barbarians native to the ice planet.

Khui - a lifesaving organism that allows beings to survive in the ice planet’s climate. The being and the organism have a symbiotic relationship. One cannot live without the other

Resonance - When a person’s khui sings (vibrates/purrs) in the presence of another person’s khui. When this happens, the khuis have determined that this is the person that will give the host the best chance to procreate. This also means that those who resonate are mates for life. When resonance is fulfilled (lots of sexual healing), pregnancy is achieved.

Asha and Hemalo's relationship was torn apart by tragedy and now they have a second chance to find a way to rebuild their relationship and move forward together.

I was glad Asha got her second-chance romance, and I thought the book from two alien perspectives was interesting, but I did think some of the sci-fi elements detracted from the second-chance romance. I wished more of the overall series plot had moved forward, but other than some brief interactions with the metlaks, I didn't feel like any of the questions set up in earlier books were answered yet.

I did think the novella at the end from Megan and Cashol was fun addition, even if it was a little out of order chronologically.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f scifi romance
-second chance
-marraige in crisis
-forced proximity

I really enjoyed that we got to see things from an alien couple's perspective in this series, not just a human/alien couple. A bit angstier but another great read.

Oooo boy I don't like Asha. But she needed this redemption story and I'm happy for her. The side plot with Claire and Bek was a bit odd - couldn't figure out why that made it into this book. I love seeing that there may be some future plot development with the metlaks 👀

One thing I really love about this series is that there are so many potential side stories and ways to expand the universe.

This was a good redemption arc and I'm glad Asha is actually likeable. She's become a team player finally. Still don't fully trust her!

Of course, spicy as hell.

This book is different from others in this series by FINALLY having a storyline on friendship between the women! Especially between humans and sa-khui. Such a refreshing instalment of the series, with lots of new points of views - even in the epilogue!

Having skipped around in the series, I have to say that it might be in readers best interest to read in order. I used to think these could be read in whatever order you want as long as you read the first one first. There are a few major details and spoilers that seem to come up between book 4 and this one as #10 so it might be best to stick to publication order.

I have found that as this series goes on it feels less about alien sexy times and more about emotional connection. The couple in this novel are both Sa-Khui and even though they’re not human, these pages are flush with humanity and complex emotion. Dixon does a great job of highlighting the species differences while also carefully building their similarities.

This is very grief heavy, so take care if that’s a trigger for you.

Now I really need to go back and read the ones I’ve missed in the middle!

I do love a redemption arc and Ruby Dixon really redeemed the bad attitude of the entire Ice Planet clan. Asha and Hemalo have been separated for seasons and Asha has never been...friendly to the new human ladies. This is the book where we get to find out the whole story. Asha and Hemalo suffered the loss of a newborn kit and Asha isolated herself. She was angry, hurt, heartbroken with grief, ashamed, and she didn't know how to fix it. Hemalo didn't know how to help, so he gave her space and loved her from afar. This book gave us some much needed perspective into the character's feelings. I appreciated the perspective, even Asha's slight resentment of the humans ladies felt genuine. She was the queen bee, the one everyone wanted, and then some alien humans show up and she felt knocked down a peg.
Outside of Asha and Hemalo's story we are also treated to Claire being the sweet friendly lady she is, reaching out to a fellow female (asha) and wanting to relate to her. We also get Ereven, Bek, and Claire make peace and form a tentative friendship once more. I was thrilled to see Bek be such a supportive former lover who now understands that he and Claire wouldn't have worked.
So much emotion in this novel! Second chances at love, redemption, female friendship, forgiveness and of course spice. Great job!

After nine books of interspecies relationships, we get our first story featuring alien-on-alien contact and it's a second chance romance!

"I thought maybe if you had time to yourself, time to heal, then you would come back to me. And even if you did not come back to me, if you were happy, I could live with that. It is your sadness that tears me apart."


💙

Asha and Hemalo's journey began seasons ago when their unlikely resonance brought them together. Extroverted and spirited, Asha was uncertain about being mated to the quiet and reserved Hemalo. Their bond was tested when their first child tragically passed shortly after birth, plunging Asha into an all-consuming grief that drove a wedge between her and everyone she loved—including Hemalo.

Now, fate has intervened again: Asha and Hemalo have unexpectedly resonated once more. She must confront her deepest fears, opening her heart to the possibility of healing, another child, and the man she once vowed to call her mate. But the scars of loss run deep, and Asha and Hemalo's past threatens to overshadow any chance of a future together.

💙

This was a re-read in preparation for the special edition release, and considering last time I read this was last spring where I binged 15 IPB books in the matter of like 2 weeks... I needed this reread to refresh my memory. Up to this point in the series, Asha has always been presented as, quite frankly, a bitch. But getting this story, not only from her and Hemalo's POV, but also the bonus added POV from Claire, really helped "humanize" her, for lack of a better term. She was going through it, and felt like she had no one to lean on (partially her fault, but the prolonged grief and internalized blame definitely played a big factor in her behaviour). Hemalo definitely had some reflecting to do to, mainly in the vein of better communication, or really any communication (typical man).

In typical IPB fashion, it made me laugh, made me emo at times, and of course a little flushed. Getting the switch to an alien pairing was a nice change of pace, and having Claire explain to Asha some of the human tricks for pleasuring an alien actually had me laughing out loud.

Oh! And of course the added bonus chapter featuring Megan and Cashol was a nice little treat.

I do like to believe that there's a timeline where I live on Not-Hoth.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital arc from Berkley Romance via NetGalley.

what a sweet story of reconciliation and healing after such a difficult loss! Asha demonstrates a tender grief that’s experienced by any mother who has lost a child. during this period of grief, she pushes her mate away, isolating herself and yearning for another chance to become a mother once more. through the holidays on Not Hoth and the gentle urging of her new friends and own mate bond, she eventually finds love again with her mate! so heartwarming! more somber than I’d typically expect from Ruby, but a beautiful novella nonetheless.

Barbarian’s Hope offers a refreshing change of perspective in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, finally giving Asha—one of the more complex and misunderstood characters—her moment in the spotlight. After nine books primarily centered on the human women who crash-landed on the planet, it’s satisfying to delve into the story of a native tribeswoman who has been on the fringes of the series so far.

The story explores Asha’s fraught relationship with Hemalo, her former mate, as they navigate the pain and heartbreak of their shared past. Resonance grants them a second chance at love, but both characters must overcome deep emotional scars to find their way back to each other. The inclusion of Claire’s point of view adds an interesting layer, providing a rare glimpse into how the human women perceive Asha and their attempts to bridge the gap between them.

While shorter than the main books, Barbarian’s Hope delivers a deeply emotional and satisfying story. Asha’s journey from grief and isolation to healing and love is poignant, and her happily-ever-after feels well-earned. This installment proves that even secondary characters can carry compelling narratives, making it a standout addition to the series. Fans of the Ice Planet Barbarians will appreciate this heartfelt tale of a second-chance romance.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this one. Asha was pretty tough to like early in the series, but this book really brought her into perspective. Asha is dealing with some very heavy feelings and that was well portrayed in her behavior. I appreciate having an 'unlikable' heroine. Her friendship with Claire was adorable and I'm glad we got some other perspective through the book. It was also great getting some closure on Claire and Bek. A great addition to the series! Just check the trigger warnings if you have a sensitivity to child loss (takes place before the book happens.)

This the first one with a blue female heroine in the series! I really enjoyed this installment, because it gives us a different perspective on everything that has been going on for a while now, and we love to see it. I won't stop talking about this series, so you will have to deal with it!

I wasn't sure about reading Asha's book at first but I really liked how her story was told! I really liked Hemalo during the other books so having his love story was great! I love how fun these books are and it's really fun that we get a book for all of these different pairings.

Barbarian’s Hope features Asha, alien and Hemalo, alien. This is a second chance romance and the first in the series that features two aliens together. Asha and Hemalo resonated before, but traders struck and they’ve been estranged ever since.

Second chance romances have been growing in me lately. The emotion of having a person in your corner and then losing them due to circumstances and poor decisions is gut wrenching. And this didn’t disappoint with the emotions. I felt so sad for both Asha and Hemalo and just wanted the to talk.

This edition also includes a short story featuring Meghan. It’s very cute, but is out of order in the sequence of the story, which wasn’t my fave.

Overall, delightful, just as I find all of Ruby Dixon’s stories!

Barbarian’s Hope offers a deeper, more emotional dive into Asha and Hemalo’s complicated relationship. Their journey is of grief, heartbreak, and the struggle to heal after tragedy. I appreciated the raw vulnerability woven into their story—Asha’s pain and anger felt palpable, and Hemalo’s quiet strength and unwavering love balanced that beautifully.
That said, the pacing felt uneven. Some parts of the story dragged, while others rushed through moments I wanted to linger on. It was also hard at times to connect with Asha’s perspective, as her bitterness overshadowed the emotional growth I hoped to see earlier in the book.
What stood out to me was the theme of forgiveness—not just between two people but also learning to forgive oneself. While it wasn’t my favourite installment in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, it added depth to the world and characters I’ve come to know. This one has poignant moments for fans of second-chance love stories, even if it didn’t fully resonate with me.

Ruby Dixon is a comfort author for me and each book in this series has a special place in my heart. I wasn't really looking forward to this one, only because the FMC wasn't shown in the best light throughout the series thus far. BUT, in true Ruby fashion she pulls out an a great character redemption. These two went through so much and are getting their second chance. It's spicy, it's swoony, it's extra yummy. If you love the series don't miss this one!

I love this series so much and this was another sizzling scorcher of a story! Felt more slow burn than others but still enjoyed it, great tension, plot and characters, if you're a fan of this series you're gonna love it!

the romance and angst are top tier but the girlhood???? TEAR JERKING!!!!

Asha and Hemalo’s story!! I love that Asha went from being this background, jealous, petty character to someone I deeply sympathized with and also really liked!

Hemalo knowing why Asha is the way she is, no matter what she’s doing, whether it be her lashing out or being mean, but never judging her- to be loved is to be known and he knows her so well. The way he refers to her as his “sweet mate” although others would be shocked to hear her be called sweet, makes me EMOTIONAL!! He loves her so much and the evolution of their relationship has been so beautiful to read.

Also, love the povs from the other couples and getting to “check in” with how happy they are!!!

I love this series and all of the couples! And this book specifically now has a special place in my heart!!

I'm not quite sure what the secret sauce is that makes me eat up every IPB book. Maybe it's the secret desire to mate with a massive blue alien man, I'm not sure. Regardless, I will continue to read and enjoy the hell out of these books.

While still really enjoyable, this one was probably my least favorite. Just felt a little slower and had a third POV from an already established human villager. Made it feel like two stories in one, but not in a way that I thought served the story.

TW: child loss, infant loss, adoption, fostering, precarious pregnancy