A SciFi Alien Romance (Icehome Book 1) - Lauren's Barbarian

First off... I adore Ruby Dixon and her Ice Planet Barbarians! That said I thought that the new series would be very different from the first series. Sigh... I was wrong....

Sexy Alien that was different? Check

Smart Human heroine? Check

Cooties? sigh....check

Lots and Lots of touching, and petting, and sex? Check

Struggles on the planet? Check

All of this equals to ...the same series.

It was entertaining and made me smile but Icehome and Ice Planet are not different...different couples yes. Same ole Cootie, sigh, yes.

I won't give anymore away but the differences in the end became the same. And that smacks of a formula.

(And I found one glaring typo...which suggests a rush to publish to please her fans...I wouldn't have minded waiting for a more involved story.) It doesn't have to be perfect but I wish it would have been ....more.

Was I disappointed? Yes....but will I read the next one? Of course!

I downloaded this morning and read straight through! Poor Ruby we can read so much faster than she can write! But what an awesome imagination Ruby has!!!

This is a strong book, full of action, adventure, and sexy times. It’s a lot like the original IPB in that there is no language translator so we have a language barrier throughout— much like Georgie and Vektahl in IPB #1.

Ruby weaves in elements and threads that have been dropped here and there through the whole IPB series. Little nuances and mentions here and there about things that all come together in this book. Nicely done.

The only question not satisfactorily answered is where the islanders got their khuis. We know where the IPB tribe get theirs.

Only noticed one continuity thing— in one part of the book RD mentions the 4 clans and calls one the Outcast Tribe who are “long gone”. And then in another there is a reference to the 4 clans and calls the fourth the Long Tail Tribe wiped out during the first eruption. So... things that make you go hmmmm. Not sure if that was an error or something that will come to light later on.

Other than that no complaints and the addition of the 4 non-sahk males adds much needed variety to the planet.

Lauren and K’thar were an enjoyable hero and heroine. I like Lauren and her journey as she begins to have confidence in her leadership traits.

Can’t wait for more stories.

I was thrilled with this book because not only did it answer some long unanswered questions I've had - but it also added more mystery to be solved!
Lauren and Marisol are inside the ship when it accidentally catches on fire and goes out to see. Through a couple of clever moves on both of their parts, they are alive but unconscious when they wash ashore a tropical island (or rather, an active volcano).
We quickly learn that there are three (formally four) rival factions, each one sharing a different characteristic with the Sa-khui, and each one with a characteristic different from the Sa-khui. We learn that these factions were on more friendly terms in the recent past, before their populations were decimated by the same seismological event that left the Sa-khui tribe homeless.
Lauren and Marisol resonate to men in two different tribes and are separated before they awake. Lauren's mate's physical features recall to mind the drawings on the walls of the homes in the Croatoan village. And what he understands about their peoples' history leads hints at what may have happened at the village before it was initially abandoned.
Meanwhile, Lauren knows the volcano is soon to erupt at any moment, as uses her knowledge to bring the tribes together to pull of a dangerous and daring escape, despite the cultural and linguistic barrier. The orchestration of this escape falls mostly in her hands as her friend is absorbed with her mate who may die before they reach the new tribe on the beach.
K'thar, Lauren's mate, is sweet yet bold. He wants to understand his mate as well as do whatever he can to make her happy. He's a kind and compassionate leader of his small group, ensuring care for an immobile tribesmate while also keeping his spirits up, and taking care of an orphaned baby - even though these guys seem to know very little about infant care!

Lauren's Barbarian is the first book in the Icehome series, a spinoff of Ice Planet Barbarians. As I have committed to listening to Ice Planet Barbarians in audio, I have not finished reading that series before embarking on this spinoff. While I don't think it's absolutely necessary that you have finished the first series... I didn't like starting this spinoff without reading the other books. There was just too much that had happened on the Ice Planet and I felt like I was missing out. Otherwise, this book is just as good as the others that I have read.

So a new group of humans and aliens have been stranded on the Ice Planet, it seems like this part of the story must have happened in one of the previous Ice Planet Barbarians books. The book starts off as the captives are being woken up from their pods and being told their fate, and our original big blue aliens are preparing their ship for destruction. Unfortunately, Lauren is on the ship when it catches fire and starts to sink, and she has to bail out into the ocean - which takes her clear across to some previously unknown islands with its own alien inhabitants.

Lauren was a good heroine. She accepted her fate with stoicism and bravery, and she helped where ever she was needed. When she met our new aliens and begins to resonate, she didn't fight things needlessly. She didn't scream or cry or act the brat. She used her brain and found a way to communicate with our hero and his people, despite the language barrier. So she got high marks all around from me.

K'Thar was likewise a good hero. He is the leader of a diminished clan, after a volcano eruption took out most of the inhabitants of the island. He cares for a disabled clan mate, an orphaned child, and always makes sure others needs are met before his own. He was deserving of a resonance mate, and I was glad that he was paired with Lauren. Oh yeah, he looks different than the original big blue guys. He's still blue - but he can turn colors, and he has four hands! Just imagine all the steamy shenanigans those hands can get up to! He put them to good use, let me tell you.

I really liked how Lauren lead the charge to save the clans, and I'm excited that we have so many more couples now to keep the series going. Ruby Dixon does a great job at building a fun and interesting world, with fascinating characters, and crazy animals.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook that I received from the publisher, Tantor Audio.

Lauren is brand new to this new freezing cold alien world, having woke up in a pod surrounded by gigantic blue, horned aliens and the females who say they’re married to them. And, as soon it seems she’s getting – kind of – used to her arctic new world she finds herself catapulted onto a tropical island and straight into the arms (and he has plenty of those) of a new alien. An alien who doesn’t understand English but insists that they’re mates. Only Lauren realises that this new tropical island isn’t the paradise it seems to be, the hot climate is created by a volcano, one that is about to erupt and kill K’Thar, her new mate, and everyone she cares about in her new home. She has to warn them and somehow save them all.

If you’ve read the Ice Planet Barbarians (which you should if you haven’t) you, like me, would have suspected that there was something across the sea. Well, now we have Dixon’s spin off series Icehome to show us exactly what, or rather who is over the sea. Who would have known it was a tropical island full of sexy alien men? Well I had my suspicions.

As I’ve mentioned this is the first book in a spin off series of the Ice Planet Barbarians (IPB) and whilst the love story itself doesn’t require any knowledge of IPB, I think it would definitely help with the context and some of the peripheral characters. However, the characters that will be the heroes and heroines of this series are all brand new to the world, so, in some ways we will get to know this world again through brand new eyes.

I really liked Lauren, I liked how calm and collected she was in the face of such extraordinary circumstances. Although she was freaked out, she still managed to keep her cool and even try and protect and look after some of the other characters. I also really liked K’Thar, who is one of the new aliens, very similar to the IPB aliens, only living on a tropical island led his ancestors down a different evolutionary path…which apparently included 4 arms. Like all Dixon’s romances it was really sweet and sexy, reminiscent of her earlier books in the IPB where neither the hero or heroine spoke the same language so their communication hampered and some adorable misunderstandings take place.

I really loved this book, it was a fantastic start to the Icehome series. There’s already other romances happening within the story that I can’t wait to read about and characters that intrigue me. I want to see how this brand new bunch of strangers manage to survive on their new home together and make the Icehome community work. Bring on the next book!

Since I discovered Ruby Dixon last year I have loved her books and this one is no exception. I never thought blue, horned and plated (or four armed or any other crazy way Dixon can think off) was going to be sexy, but boy does Dixon knows how to work it.

In this book, we go back to the Ice Planet where the Barbarians live. Now it is the turn of Lauren and her group of stranded humans (and some decidedly not humans). After the barbarians of the Ice Planet Barbarians (IPB) series save the group from the stasis pods they are in, Lauren and Marisol get into a bit of trouble and get separated from the group ending up in a tropical island.

K’thar and his fellow islanders are very different from the barbarians of the main island. They are divided into different groups. The Strong Arms who have four arms, the Tall Horns who have very big horns and the Shadowed Cats who have body/facial hair.

I loved this book so much. I think this story has much more flesh than the couple of books I’ve read in the IPB series. This book took me back to the beginning when Georgie and Vektal were trying to communicate. Although not as hilarious as that one it was still pretty funny.

I do recommend that if you haven’t finished reading the IPB series you do so because although this book is a stand-alone if you’ve started the IPB series you’ll be a little bit lost. That being said I cannot wait to read the next story in this new spinoff. In the meantime, I’ll be finishing the IPB series.

Ruby Dixon's magnificent Ice Planet Barbarians have reached a fork in the road. The defeated alien slavers left their commandeered ship and its stasis-bound cargo in the hands of the Tribe. Determined to remain isolated and slaver-free, they decide to revive the sentient cargo, strip and salvage what they can, then destroy the ship and all its traceable tech. Cowardly new arrival Marisol runs off and hides aboard, inadvertently triggering the destruct devices. Lauren, another newbie who was trying to find Marisol, is also trapped aboard the burning, sinking hulk. Lauren's calm never-say-die attitude sees them through, and they wash up on the shore of the tropical island of the Tribe's legend. Once more, new alien barbarians enter the scene - but who are they? Where are they from? Are they related to the Tribe? Lauren resonate to K'thar, but the language barrier creates nearly insurmountable personal problems. Still, resonance is not to be denied. Inability to communicate also hampers them dealing with the life-threatening situation on the island. Communication, trust, and cooperation vs. tradition, ignorance, and prejudice are the recurrent themes in this tale of danger, adventure, loyalty and love in it's myriad of life-affirming manifestations. The sexy pairing of Lauren and K'thar, and their personal HEA is the foreground, but Dixon's true genius lies in her stunning and ongoing world-building. She incorporates elements from previous books and inserts portentous new elements to create a world of increasingly complex detail, with a lost ancient history, an incomplete genetic portrait of a people once thought extinct, a little-understood connection to the rest of the galaxy, and above all, a wide open future on the frontiers of the ice planet.

Although the story was original and good and I was very heartbroken at the end. I know that it’s an alien romance and the language barrier is an issue, blah blah blah... but
Spoiler
Even after she received the implant, and repeatedly professed her love for the alien, he NEVER did the same. It’s like a point was almost MADE of him not saying it.
In these types of situations, with a “mating call” so to speak, I feel like the confession of love is even MORE important than normal. It wasn’t even hinted at here from the male. Every declaration he made, could have simply been the “cooties” drive. Mentally he said nice things, but heroine is not a mind reader.
We call them the 3 magic words for a reason, because they’re so very important. I’m really sad the book was so good, only to leave me feeling crushed and disappointed at the end. I honestly feel like I need to read something else to wash the taste of bitter heartbreak outta my mouth.

This review isn't necessarily for curious readers, but more so for the author, Ruby. However, for the sake of not wasting anyone's time, I do highly recommend this story if you enjoy otherwordly romance novels.

THIS is the jumpstart that IPB series needed! I am so excited to see an introduction of three new clans plus the other male "aliens" recently awakened. I read the author note at the end of this story, and despite knowing what else she has immedidately planned for the series, I am a little saddened that we will not see an immediate story dealing with the Shadow Cat Clan. I'm much more interested in them than I am about a story dealing with an orphaned baby, Gail and her mate; or another Strong Arm story; or any of the other newer species addition.

In the end, though, I've noticed that it has been four months since this story was first published and we've yet to see the next one. Far be it for me to sound rude and say, "Hurry UP!" Instead, let me say that I am eagerly pushing for a sooner rather than later next installment for this series, *hint, hint*.

OH SWEET BLUE ALIENS, YES! More MORE MOAR alien goodness to love. I freely admit that I'm smitten with these guys. It doesn't matter if they're grumpy, surly, sweet, or somewhere in between, I like 'em.

K'athar falls in the sweet category. Sweet and kinda grabby. Not a bad way, he just has all those arms. ALL THOSE ARMS. Which means, you know, he has a few extra hands to get things done. SCORE! Lauren certainly had no complaints. None at all.

For all his sweetness with Lauren, he's also dealing with a lot. The island paradise his clan and the others have been living on is...not doing so well. Considering it's a volcano (the one that forced Vektal's clan to relocate when it blew, collapsing their home) and volcanoes are historically not the best place to build your home, you can see why things aren't going so well.

Fortunately, Lauren's there to help the clans form a plan before things go critical. Human women are good at getting the job done!

Plenty of sexy blue time. A whole new set of aliens to meet. New humans with different skill sets. I'm excited!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

So...I basically couldn't function correctly at work today as I was glued to the book! I really enjoyed this book and am glad that she is able to do this split from the original but still keeps us in the know how with the original characters making an appearance. I imagine a few of them will be in a lot of the books as they help out the new group.

I like that even though the heroine didn't considered herself that brave, she still put in her best to help and take charge when needed. That's what makes a true leader. Considering that she was the first to be awaken from the discovered pods it really isn't a guaranteed she'd be the leader of the new humans but she still did what she could.. Now for the hero...I can't wait to read more and learn of the background, considering that he is a descendant of sakhs as well. These new sakh males are intriguing and yet, like the originals, they are protective of the precious females they lack. So many questions still and I hope she reveals them all to us as we read further into the series.

Looking forward to reading more of this series and also the continuing stories of the originals.

Welcome to the first book in the second series ice world barbarians by Ruby Dixon. I just cannot get enough of this story line. Laurens' barbarian is named K'thar, and he different from the barbarians in her previous stories, he blue, most of the time and a little surprise for in the book.It is a good difference and Ruby really made it work. I read this book cover to cover, lost once again in the icehome world. I love how each couple has come together in their own way. It has kept each new story freash and fascinating. Laurens and K'thar story is refreshing different but with the same solid writing from each of Ruby's previous books in the series. Lauren is awoken after being kidnapped by aliens, by the first tribe from the related series and the story takes you on a tale of fear and danger to reacue and love.You could start reading from here, but having read all the books , I would recommend reading the other stories first. It will help you understand this series more and you will also get to enjoy all the other love stories, as you meet each couple and those surrounding them.

Great story as usual, but I have one great niggling problem with it.

Part of the plot of this book, and a small part of Summer's story, "Barbarian's Rescue" was that the whole point of destroying the ship was to prevent anyone else from finding them. Yet Lauren set off the distress beacon, accidentally, at least once if not twice. Later, when she got back to the tribe, if she told Vektal or Georgie or anyone else in the tribe about doing so I must have completely missed seeing it. When she gets back Vektal asks about the ship.

From K'thar's POV:

He asks her something. “Oh!” L’ren says. “Firesaksident. Wsnchoo. WsMrsl, justmstayk. Datsall.”
Vektal looks relieved. “Thotwsmee,” he says in her odd language. “Dat eyemist smthn.”
“Newp. Sallgood.” She beams at him and looks over at me. “Turntoutgrate.”

Even if setting off the distress beacon figures in the plot of one of the later books, Lauren telling Vektal or even Mardok about it still should have been done in this one.

When Lauren is awoken she finds her life is completely different than when she had gone to bed, for one thing she is in a pod on a spaceship on a planet of ice- no longer on Earth, and can never go back. Secondly she is going to have to get a parasite a 'cootie' to survive her new home, and as a side affect its going to pick a mate for her so she can have babies. While helping to strip the ship of reusable components she ends washing up on the shore of a hidden jungle island/volcano and being claimed by K'thar a leader of one of the groups of the very people left on the island after a explosion a few years earlier. Realizing that the volcano was ready to explode at any time Lauren leads the small group of males from the island back to the world of ice she had awoken in. I love the Ice Planet series and this book is just an extension of the life on that planet with continuing influence from many of the characters from earlier stories, I cant wait to read more in both series.

Ruby Dixon books are so fascinating and spell bounding. She hooks you from the first page and the next thing you know you've spent the weekend binge reading all her books.

She creates these different worlds and species of people that you can't help but to get caught up in it and lost in their world like it's your own. She's such a master at this that you can picture it all in your head vividly.

Lauren's Barbarian has the perfect mix of heat, adventure, action and heart. Loved this book and the introduction of all the new characters and seeing some of our favorites from previous books was awesome too.

I loved the characters are how they develop but I would have liked the human part of the conversations to have been easier to grasp. The words just ran together too much or left out too much to easily grasp. The author does a phenomenal job of writing the romance and the chemistry between the two characters. I loved the way the characters care for one another and learn from each other. I also love the way the characters develop their sexual desires and don't rush into it when it seems unlikely to develop in any normal way. This story was written well and I recommend reading this story and believe you will love it too!

Lauren awakes to find she's been abducted by aliens, she's now permanently stranded on this frigid planet and then ends up lost at sea only to wash up on a tropical island. (That's the first chapter!) K'thar takes her unconscious body and tends to her until she wakes.

I highly recommend this book! I've been reading The Ice Planet Barbarian Series from the very beginning. I always enjoy each new book but have to say the last several books have been interesting but much the same. This new side Series, Icehome, has put in a few very big wrinkles in the storyline and I LOVE IT!

I avidly look forward to the next entries in both Series.

And what's with the gold guy?

Once again, Ruby has outdone herself and presented us with another great book, another exciting series.
Her IPB and Dragon series books keep me on my toes, curious, interested and this one wasn't different, as I kept reading, I felt drawn to the story, to the characters, kept wanting to know what was going to happen.
As usual, the romance development was nice, the love scenes were super hot and the world building and connections with past facts were really well done.
I seriously can't wait to read the next books, I want them all ASAP.
Absolutely recommended, good read.

Ruby Dixon's spin-off series to Ice Planet Barbarians, called Icehome, features a hunky blue/camo alien with four arms and buns of steel and a heroine who is probably the least annoying Dixon has penned since Georgie, who started off this entire adventure about 20 books/novellas back. The new locale was great, the sexual tension yummy, and the set-up for the next 20-or-so books was divine. Keep bringing 'em on, RD! This new series will be my favorite place to vacation when I need some feel-good, smexy fun!

Book source: Kindle Unlimited

I really enjoyed this. I like the new characters and their various different body types and abilities. I've been wondering about the island since Josie saw it in book #7, which by the way, is still my favorite story in the series and have read multiple times. I hope there will be a way to further explore the planet since now everyone realizes that there were others there all the time. Maybe the next ship that comes along, and I have no doubt someone will show up, the ship can be saved and used to see what else is out there. Mardok would be thrilled.

Another stellar ( pardon the pun ) book from Ruby Dixon. As more women and a few males are released from alien " travel pods " 2 women are accidentally carried away in a pod by the ocean, where they eventually land on a hot and balmy island where the women meet more blue males that are different from the aliens they first met. The island sits on a volcano which smokes , rumbles and shakes. It doesn't seem a very stable place to live. What should they do? Read and find out ! ;)

I really enjoyed reading this book. Its so different to what I usually read. I've definitely found a new favourite author. I love the world she's created, the little details shes added in, the characters and the relationships developing between them. Despite the language barrier Lauren and K'thar are able to communicate themselves to each other and it was both fascinating and funny to read about it. I can't wait to read about Willa and Gren's story and honestly everyone's story!

Love.. love.. love where this "new" branch is going. New women...New men....New tribes. I have been waiting for the next book and was not disappointed. The story content holds your interest while passion grips the characters. It is easy to place yourself along side of the characters and feel what they are feeling during the difficult \ scary situations. Great writing by Ruby! I'm so happy this series has been continued. Can't put it down once I start. This is my 17th book following the characters and I have not been disappointed yet!

Island life has never been such an adventure! This story had me on pins and needles one minute and the next I was fanning myself!! K'Thar was an incredible guy/alien to meet and I am so excited about this new series. All of the new characters from the island are just screaming for their own stories. Ruby never disappoints and I am loving the direction she is headed in. I can't recommend this author enough. If you haven't read her books yet, seriously, what are you waiting for!!

Ruby Dixon's books are already worth reading. Sexy,hot,steamy and fun.I've been reading about my blue boys since the beginning, falling in love with each one. Now I get to do it with a while new tribe and I can't wait! If you started with this book and doesn't read the others, do yourself a favor and read all of them, you can thank me later.

This book doesn't disappoint just like the author and her other books. This is absolutely wonderful!! Here we see a different part of the planet. A dangerous part of the not hot planet. A whole different but few barbarians.
Omg you just have to read this book if your a fan of our blue barbarians. Ruby Dixon like always just bring it on and it's just wonderful. LOVED IT!!
Thanks Ms. Dixon

Absolutely loved this book! I was a bit nervous when Ruby Dixon announced a new series that split off from the IPB. How could they ever live up to such a great series? I wasn't ready to stop finding out what was happening to all those familiar characters. But, I was wrong. Not only is this book amazing but it introduces us to more of those blue wonderful men. I'm so anxious for the next book!

I LOVED this 1st installment in the new series jumping off from Ice Planet Barbarians. My new favorite Hero is now K'Thar. He is such a sweetie. Definitely a new reveal on the previous unknown race that was there before the Blue guys. I like the spin that was placed on it, it opens new doors and lots of opportunities to fire the imagination. 5-stars for this new spin off series.

Having read all the previous series, I could not miss the opportunity to follow this adventure on. The writing is simple, the story is simple, but the couples are easy to fall in love with. When I want a story that will leave me feeling good, I know I can always seek one of Ms. Dixon’s

I love The series Ice Planet Barbarians. So anything to do with that has me hooked!! I love that Ruby has so seamlessly added more people to the planet...without stretching to far...while this book will be a different series, I love that she will have crossovers!! Anything with this planet is an awesome, unable to put down read!! Give it a try!!

SPOILER
Do the island clans have khui in them from birth? I heard no mention of the big beasts that the sakhui harvest their khui from as creatures that also inhabit the island.
Why destroy the island and move them to ice home? The jungle island could have been a really interesting new breath of life for what is becoming a rather repetitive set of stories.

The Icehome series is reviving our barbarian tribe by mixing it up a little bit. Ruby introduced to us sixteen new human females and four new alien males in this series. But that's not all! She introduced some new clans made up from some decedents of the Sakh - The Clan of the Strong Arm, The Clan of the Tall Horn, and the Clan of the Shadowed Cat. Some of the newbies have already paired up, so I am sure this series will be just as lengthy as Ice Planet Barbarians. Yay!

4 Stars!

I really enjoyed this book. I really love how Ruby has incorporated the "new" aliens with the etchings on the walls of the ice cave. The story is now coming in a full circle. There are of course still more questions that need to be answered and also lots more people to resonate! I can't wait for the next book.

I really like that this world is expanding to encompass more than the original tribe and humans. I was little worried about how the "Strong Armed" aliens would play out, but the writing is so engaging that you forget the differences. Can't wait for the next story Ice Planet or Icehome story.

This author manages to keep this series crazy interesting. I mean it's a start of a whole new series within a familiar world but still. Can't wait for Willa and Grens story. Heck, and all the others. Beyond happy with how fast this author writes. If you are a fan of IPB you will love this book too.

Of course everything Ruby writes is golden. This book starts a spin off series from our ice planet barbarians. It starts off answering the "wtf is on the island ?"question thank God bc it was driving me crazy. We also get some new interesting men folk some of which have 4 arms yay?? anyway very good book love it as always

I love this series, even with this being the first story in a spin-off/parallel storyline. The males are very alpha, and come with differences - some more noticeable such as 4 arms! Staying alive on this planet isn't easy and falling in love doesn't necessarily help!!

This book is another winner from Ruby. I have loved the Ice Planet Barbarians series, and now I'm already addicted to this new Icehome spin-off series. The characters and their stories are fascinating, sexy, and fun. I can't wait until the next one is available.

Ok.... so I thought it was getting kinda old with the same ol plot but dayum I’m all wrapped up in the series again.... when it ended I said wtf?!?!? Where’s the rest!! Alas I’ll have to wait .... she kept me interested most definitely. I hope she keeps it exciting