Read an #Excerpt from Barbarian's Mate by Ruby Dixon

International publishing phenomenon and TikTok sensation Ruby Dixon returns this spring with the next special Trade Paperback edition of her wildly popular Ice Planet Barbarians series, BARBARIAN’S MATE - out today!

About the Book

Barbarian's Mate
Ice Planet Barbarians #6
by Ruby Dixon
Format; 320 pages, Paperback
Published: July 11, 2023 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780593639467

The next novel in the international publishing phenomenon the Ice Planet Barbarians series, now in a special print edition with a bonus novella!

Josie has always dreamed of finding The One, but the hunter chosen for her is nothing like what she expected (or wanted)—but he might be exactly what she needs.
 
“Resonance” is supposed to be a dream—that’s when your soulmate is chosen for you. And every woman on the ice planet has hooked up with a big, hunky soulmate of their own—except me. So do I want a mate? Heck yeah. More than anything, all I’ve ever wanted is to be loved by someone.

But the soulmate chosen for me? My least favorite person on the darn ice planet. Haeden’s the most cranky, disapproving, unpleasant, overbearing male alien . . . so why is it that my body sings when he gets close? Why is he working so hard to prove to me that he’s not as awful as I think he is?

I hate him . . . don’t I?

AMAZON | B&N 

Excerpt

Josie

I can have a family, a happy ever after. I can have everything I always dreamed of. I don't have to wait for Harlow to fix the surgery machine back at the elders' ship, because my cootie decided to be awesome after all. Thank you, khui! Thank you! You're the best! I take back all the awful things I said about you.
I look around eagerly at the people in the main cave. Who's going to be my mate? There are several males in the tribe that are attractive and all of them are nice . . . except Haeden.
I'm not picky. I'll let my cootie choose someone for me. It knows best, after all. It's going to pick the perfect male for me so we can make sweet little babies together and I can live a life of joy and happiness. My mood has totally changed and I'm so happy I could shout with pure joy.
Nearby, Vaza catches my eye and gives me a speculative look. To my relief, my khui remains silent. Good. It's not desperate. Vaza's older and he's tried hitting on everything with tits. He's seated next to Bek, and I'm glad that my khui isn't making a sound for him, either. Cootie, you are one smart cookie.
Hassen is probably my number one draft pick at the moment, because he's sexy and all alpha, and I'd be down with that. At the moment, he's nowhere to be found. Taushen, either. Both of them are probably still moping after losing Tiffany. Well, hello, I'm perfectly willing to be a consolation prize. Time to find my guy and make his day.
There are two elders talking off to one side but I'm pretty sure one had a mate back in the day and the other could be my grandpa. Just to make sure, though, I stroll past them. Nothing happens. Whew. No problem, cootie. We still have lots of man-meat in this cavern before we run out. "Anyone seen Hassen?" I ask.
"He's in his cave, packing," Vaza says.
"Super." I jump to my feet and head in that direction before Vaza can decide if he wants to hit on me or not. Come on, Hassen. Be my mate! Of course, even if I don't resonate to Hassen, there's always the guys back in the other cave. I immediately think of Rokan. He's hot, and he's nice. I'd be down with that.
I head for the cave that many of the single hunters live in, and the privacy screen isn't up. "Yoo-hoo," I call out, my voice sweet. I'm excited, and I push away thoughts of Rokan. The other cave seems so far away right now. It's going to happen tonight, I can feel it. Rokan's going to lose out, because he's not here. I feel like my mate is here. My chance.
I'm going to get my happy ever after. Tonight, my life starts. Tonight, I get my family. Tonight, I'm no longer a reject.
Hassen pops out of his cave, a confused look on his face. His gaze settles on me. "Yes? What is it?"
I smile at him, but . . . nothing happens. Rats. Hassen was hottie number one on my list. "Just . . . thought I'd say hi? Have you seen Taushen?"
He narrows his eyes at me, as if trying to figure me out. "He is here."
"Can I say hi to him, too?" Might as well kill two birds with one stone.
"Is this a human custom?"
I keep smiling, because even his puzzled look is not going to get me down. Not tonight. "Yes, yes it is."

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Excerpted from Barbarian's Mate by Ruby Dixon Copyright © 2023 by Ruby Dixon. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Ice Planet Barbarians

About the Author

Ruby Dixon is an author of all things science fiction romance. She is a Sagittarius and a Reylo shipper, and loves farming sims (but not actual housework). She lives in the South with her husband and a couple of geriatric cats, and can’t think of anything else to put in her biography. Truly, she is boring. Learn more online at www.rubydixon.com.