I have always loved Asha and Hemalo's story. Asha is more than just a queen bee character who always gets her way, she's very dimensional and struggles a silent struggle- losing her baby and her mate. She lashes out even when she doesn't want too, and Hemalo is right there with her. Their story is complex, sad, and enlightening. I love how Hemalo doesn't have the "masculine" role compared to the other male characters and it shows that he is also more than he seems. He capable, loving, patient, and supportive! Their story is one that always sticks with me in this series and I hold it close to my heart. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the early access.

Ruby Dixon really never misses in her work, and I love this new edition of Barbarian's Hope. Asha's story is so moving, and Ruby writes very thoughtfully when thinking about miscarriages and grief. A fantastic science fiction romance, with a sweet additional novella at the end!

Listen, I'm not saying I WANT to be abducted by aliens and taken to an ice planet... But what I AM saying is that if I found myself in this big blue tribe, I wouldn't be THAT upset...

I've been anticipating Hemalo and Asha's story for awhile now, and Barbarian's Hope gave me everything I wished for. I absolutely loved getting to know Asha better, understanding all that she has been through and all that she carries with her. Her heart is so big and while it was deeply bruised, this is her story of healing, friendship, and re-forging the love she desperately craves. And my sweet sweet Hemalo. Sometimes he doesn't quite think before he speaks or acts, but we love him nonetheless. He's the calm to Asha's wild and I just adore the pair they make.

Friendship among women is a major theme across this entire series, and each book delves into different relationships that have different needs and desires. Asha and Claire's relationship is one of my favorites. Open, genuine, honest, and soft.

This series keeps getting better and better, in my opinion. And naturally the spice delivers every single time; you can't help but be emotionally invested so when things get physical... BOOM.

**Thank you so much to Berkley for an ARC of Barbarian's Hope and the opportunity to leave my honest, voluntary review! All thoughts and opinions are my own <3**

Thank you Berkley for an ARC of the rerelease of Barbarian's Hope.

Asha and Hemalo's story is a tougher read than their previous counterparts as it makes it one of the more serious IPB books but also one of the best ones. Learning about Asha's grief and depression and how that shaped her into the prickly character we've grown to hate/love gives her a great redemption arc in my eyes. And Hemalo being so kind and sweet while they both work through their mistakes and sadness really cemented him as the perfect partner for firey Asha. It was also so good to have a book that had both main characters be sa-khui since it gave us a better look at how the romance is different between this couple vs a couple that includes a human. Finally, this book gives us a peek into Claire's life which is nice as it breaks up the story from focusing constantly on one couple.

I'm so happy to be continuing this series 💙 4/5

Loved Asha and Hemalo's story! It was kind of nice to get a break from all the human/sa-khui pairings. Made the anatomy super interesting.

Interesting to have a book about essentially two different couples with 3 different POVs, but nice to check in on the ones we know.

Tails are interesting.

Love the healing from loss and the very real anxiety and panic over trying again.

3.5 Stars I never thought I'd be into an alien romance series, but the Ice Planet Barbarians series is so fun! Like many readers of this series, Asha has been far from my favorite character and was unlikeable in many of the previous stories. I didn't expect to get an Asha and Hemalo second chance book, but I'm glad that Ruby Dixon gave them one because once I read more about what transpired between them before the start of the series, the better I understood their characters and why they deserved a second chance.

Years ago, outgoing and center-of-attention Asha mated to the last member of the tribe she expected: Hemalo, the quiet and unassuming tanner. When their kit, Hashala, died shortly after birth, it tore Asha and Hemalo apart. He left their home and she lashed out at everyone. Now, their khuis have resonated again and they are destined to be mates once more. Both are afraid of what could happen this time and unsure if what they had could ever be fixed. Is there still hope that they could once again be mates and have a healthy, living kit?

As I said, Asha was quite unlikeable in previous books; trying to get into the furs of the other males in the tribe and being generally unpleasant to everyone in the tribe, especially the newly arrived human women. Reading her perspective about the loss of her daughter and abandonment by her mate, Asha becomes a little bit more likeable and it's easy to understand why she lashes out. She's still prickly and stubborn, but that's part of what Hemalo loves about her. Hemalo is different from the other MMCs that Ruby Dixon has written for this series; he's not as "alpha" as the others and is happy to let his mate's strong will take the lead. Having Claire's perspective sprinkled throughout their story was an interesting addition and I liked that she recognized that befriending Asha wasn't a burden and she was simply hurting.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

Although this is not my usual go-to trope, I did enjoy getting to know Asha a bit more. She was always portrayed as mean and standoffish because of her grief over losing her baby, but there was a lot more to her. Her mate annoyed me, always leaving to give her "space" when all she needed was him to understand her type of grief. I loved seeing Asha make friends with Claire, but I didn't enjoy the holiday celebration subplot. It just felt like filler to make the story longer. I think Asha's story could have been a really good novella instead of a novel.

A very cute book by Ruby Dixon. I appreciated her going in depth for Asha’s character and her writing is fast paced and well written. I look forward to her next book.

I enjoyed it! It was short and sweet:,) I hadn’t realized I had already used it but once I had and my confusion was gone I throughly enjoyed it! I wish they had a longer story

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.)