Title: Barbarian Alien
Author: Ruby Dixon
Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: January 25, 2022
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback

Liz Cramer swears she’ll find a way off of this alien planet she’s stuck on–then she meets Raahosh, the surliest and stubbornest alien, who won’t leave her alone, and she just might be okay with that…

Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet. I’m one of them. Yay, me.
In order to survive, we have to take on a symbiont that wants to rewire our bodies to live in this brutal place. I like to call it a “cootie.” And my cootie’s a jerk, because it also thinks I’m the mate to the biggest, grumpiest alien of the group. Raahosh believes the cootie’s right, so he steals me away from the group, determined to make me fall for him–or else.

He has no idea who he’s up against.

And if I didn’t want his insufferable self so much (thanks, cootie), I’d let him know exactly what I’m thinking. As it is, I’m doing my best to fight this instant attraction. Just because the symbiont thinks we’re supposed to be together doesn’t mean I have to go along with it. And if we fool around a little, it’s merely biology. It doesn’t mean I’m in love–or that I’m destined to be his.

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(I read this back in January, so this is a bit late lol) The second book in the Ice Planet Barbarians series follows a different girl and alien pair with Liz, a speak-your-mind kind of girl who’s very up front about what she thinks and feels, as well as Raahosh, an alien man who’s quiet and brutish in ways. This series is very much a guilty pleasure, and it introduces more plot from the first, but the focus is very heavy on the two who are secluded for a large portion of the book that’s separate from the plot thread throughout.

Liz’s character grated on me a bit as one of her flaws was overreacting to many things that were said or done throughout the story. In many ways she was creating her own chaos and I was like, “Girl, please, stop it.” She was very strong willed, and though the circumstances all of the girls find themselves in is strenuous, Liz always tries to find a way to cheer the others up, which is a trait I liked, even if her ways were oftentimes kind of out there with how she would say things. I sometimes found myself confused by the way she would say something, but the meaning behind it, especially toward the other girls, came from a good place.

Raahosh was the better part of this particular pair in my opinion. Though the way he went about bringing him and Liz together wasn’t the best choice in the moment, it turned into a strong bond between the two. He was a skilled hunter and wouldn’t hold Liz back from doing what she wanted (mostly because he wouldn’t be able to lol). I thought he was overall sweet yet desperate in a way that showed how much the symbiote makes those who pair up resonate with another are really made for one another. The two balance each other out, which is something I think Dixon really strived for in these stories.

The plot focused heavily around the pair secluded from the rest of the group, and, much like the other books, was filled with varying sex scenes that were steamy. It seemed like this one was more about the beginning of what it would be like when true winter comes to the ice planet, but it was really just about those two learning about themselves and each other, and respecting one another.

Overall, it wasn’t my favorite so far because I did find Liz’s character to be… annoying, frankly. But if you’re reading the series, obviously since this is only the second book, I’d still read it in order to see where the threads of plot are going – though those really take off in book three.

★★★☆☆