Barbarian's Hope: A SciFi Alien Romance (Ice Planet Barbarians Book 10)

Hemalo and Asha resonated and then had a baby. They weren’t the most obvious pairing, but losing their daughter left a gaping wound in both their souls and it took a lot of time and effort for them to start feeling like themselves again. And then they resonated again, which brought up so many fears for the future and dredged up the past.I can attest to the validity of Asha’s complaints as a grieving mother. I lost myself when I lost my son, also my first, and not only did the people around me NOT know how to deal with my pain, I didn’t know how to deal with the reality that my world had ended but everyone else could continue on as if nothing had happened.Ruby Dixon really dug deep into life and love after pregnancy/baby loss. She was compassionate and informed. I felt a kind of healing reading this, even though it’s been almost 7 years since my loss and I’ve done many years of therapy to get where I am today.I will warn that for anyone who has experienced such a loss recently be very cautious of reading this one. It brings forward the rawest of memories, though it also reminds us that even though we’re irrevocably changed by our loss, life does go on. And we never forget them.

I actually was kinda excited to see that finally we get to read about a full blood alien love story.Plus, the added concept of a broken couple refinding their love after a tragic loss. The grief is an interesting angle.That being said... I was kinda bored 🥱.It was a "slow burn" type of book. I'm not a big fan of that but I can deal. The thing is that it felt a bit dragged out. I wanted more ... Of what? Not sure. But I usually breeze through the books in this series. I actually put down the book and came back to finish it 2 months later. Bummer.The love scene was sweet. I just wish there was a bit more passion.My favorite part was actually the redemption of Bek's character. It's not easy to clean up formally abusive partner's image. But, this book added some clarity and for a lack of a better term, humanity to Bek.So, read the book but it's more to get to the next one in the series.

This is the first Ruby Dixon book I have read and I am not disappointed! The storyline is absolutely AMAZING and I swear there is a meaning behind it… the meaning being that communication is key in a relationship. The author wrote the storyline detailed, but not overly detailed, and it was a Novella. There are sections I thought was grammatical errors, but it was the Aliens trying to make sense of the English language and how they spoke I realized, which is absolutely amazing! This book is a 3 person point of view (Asha, Hemalo, and Claire). Asha’s character development was absolutely amazing to me, how she realized she did wrong as much as her mate and such, to apologize and grow from it.I have nothing negative to say and cannot wait to read more of Ruby Dixon’s books!

Asha and Hemalo are the most frustrating IPB couple so far! Asha is so consumed by the loss of their child that she pushes everyone away. Hemalo is so lost as to how to confort her that he leaves and does not fight for her. They basically shutdown on each other and it’s not until they start talking again, truly communicating, that their relationship heals. I was expecting more from the first Sa-khui couple novel. I enjoyed reading the Claire POV but it felt forced at times, especially when it came to her interactions with Bek. I wish Dixon would have skipped that part and focused on Asha and Hemalo instead. Maybe showing more of their second pregnancy journey, instead of jumping straight to the end. This was the easiest IPB book to read, it only took a few hours. With that being said, if you struggle with infertility and loss of a child I would think twice before reading this novel.

Guys, this one was the best one yet. ASHA AND HEMALO HAVE MY HEART I’m so happy to have been able to witness their love story. It’s so vulnerable and beautiful

Asha has been a thorn in everyone’s side. She feels ignored and left out even if she wanted it that way. After losing her baby and feeling abandoned by her mate, she is just lost. But her mate is still watching her and waiting for a chance to right their wrongs. Let the healing begin :>

This might be TMI for a book review and could be triggering for some...I just recently had a miscarriage and I've been really struggling with the fear of trying again. This book explained thay fear perfectly. Reading this book has helped me feel more hopeful. Honestly, it's my favorite book in the series ❤️❤️.Thank you, Ruby, for being delicate with this topic.

This is finally Asha and Hemalo's book. This one is sad and emotional, but I enjoyed it and was glad to see Asha and Hemalo work their issues out. Major trigger warning for grief and talk of child loss.This one is a very slow burn. The couple has a lot of trauma to deal with before they can get back together in a healthy way, but they do get their HEA.

What beautiful ending 😭 the emotions tearing through me right now, childbearth always makes me emotional but that was on a whole nother level

Loved Asha and Hemalo's book. These two had this brewing for a long time and it was so nice to finally get an insight into their pov. Can't wait to read Farli's book next.

I found the beginning boring just like Asha, but then I started to understand her and I cried a lot with her. Author was very cruel to her when putting the Metlak kit for her to get attached. I end this story with hope that Kit Metlak will appear again in the series of books.

tw: Grief, bereavement, infant deathSo, I hold my hands up.. I hated Asha in earlier stories. Wow, did this story change my opinion. Loved having Claire's POV as well, it really added a human element and another perspective on Asha and Hemalo.This was such a moving story, and I thought the themes of grief were dealt with sensitively. So thankful for that ending as well.

Asha is very sad because she lost her too early born child and her mate Hemalo lives in another house. Asha mostly keeps to her furs and lives very isolated without friendships. The human woman Claire approaches her and asks her to help organize the newly invented holidays. Asha agrees and Hemalo again sees some fire in her eyes. As they feel their khuis (a symbiontic parasite, which enables the host to survive the toxic atmosphere and also resonates, when it finds a mate, so the host can procreate) resonate, Asha is initially scared to lose again a baby. Hemalo wants to give her time and goes for a hunt, but when Asha discovers this, she is angry, that he left her alone and follows him .....It is a beautiful romance with a big tragedy in Ashas past and about finding the courage to try again and also find the courage to change behavior, so the relationship can get better. Hemalo is a quiet and reliable person and he also is the voice of reason. He does everything to make his mate happy again. So it is good and fast read, I highly recommend this book.