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Hello, my book butterflies, and welcome to this week's episode of the main chapter podcast.
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My name's Brianna, and if you haven't already, please be sure to like and subscribe so we can continue going and spreading our love of books with the entire world.
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Now, as promised, this week's episode is all about alien romance.
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Now, I don't read alien romance myself, but I have three bookish besties who do.
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Some of you might recognize Katie from my dark romance episode.
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And now we also have Paige and Chantal.
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And they have all read to Varying Places of Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarian series.
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And we really dive into it about why they love the series.
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What made them pick up alien romance to begin with?
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And we talk about a lot of topics trending when it comes to this subgenre and the series.
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Like, how does it feel to be reading a book where the male characters are literally blue and have tails?
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How does this language barrier work?
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How does a woman feel literally being in a new environment?
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And what does strong female characters look like in isolated barbarians and alien romance?
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We talk about the strangest things they've ever read.
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They literally mention a worm that I'm still thinking about days later after recording, but it is a super fun conversation, and I'm so happy that it was able to happen because we're in different time zones and had different work schedules.
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So I hope you enjoy it.
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And who knows, maybe by the end you'll want to pick up some alien romance yourself.
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My gosh, well, Sean's Hall, Paige, Katie, Stanley the Dog.
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Welcome to Main Chapter.
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Katie, you are a returning guest, which is so exciting.
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Last time you were here talking about dark romance.
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Today we are here talking about alien romance.
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But to give everyone an intro, I met these three lovely ladies when we were at TMZ.
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We are TMZ survivors.
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Katie's the only one still there, but we all bonded over a love of books.
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I met Paige first, who so lovely introduced me to Chantal and Katie, and they all are such great, great people.
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Do you guys want to give brief intros to yourself?
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We can start with Chantal.
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I should have.
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All right.
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Yeah, I'm a book lover.
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I don't know.
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What am I?
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Uh like books, love me some unhinged dark romance, love me some alien romance.
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Uh yeah, I don't really have a personality beyond that, but I'm excited to be here.
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I've never done this before.
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So I will yap and it'll be fun.
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I don't say you have a personality more in books.
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You're like the most well-traveled person I've ever met.
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So don't sell yourself short.
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But thank you.
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Of course, of course.
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Paige, do you want to go next?
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Yeah, so um I like am a huge, obviously book lover, like my fellow book besties over here.
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Um I love romanticy.
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That's what got me back into reading.
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Um, I also love sports romance and contemporary romance, and of course, alien romance, a new addition to the subgenres of romance that I love.
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Um, of course, try to dabble in some other ones, but nothing, nothing hits like like romance.
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Um, and um my friendships with all of you, like books are at the center, and I just love that.
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We're always sending memes and um fun posts and going on adventures.
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So um yeah, love you guys.
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Love books.
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I love you too.
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All right, round us out, Katie.
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Reintroduce yourself.
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Um, as I've been here before, I'm a dark romance reader.
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I started with classics and then I met Chantal, and then she ruined me and she introduced me to dark romance.
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Now I kind of like went through a really big mafia phase, and now I've kind of evened out where I'll do everything.
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I do a little contemporary, a little mafia, lots of alien.
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Um, I'll I'll kind of try anything once at this point, as long as it's the doors are open.
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Exactly.
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Well, you all prefaced it beautifully that we are here to talk about alien romance.
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So I'm assuming some people who clicked on this are also alien romance enthusiasts.
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But for those who clicked on this are like, what the heck is alien romance?
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Google officially defines this as stories that are a mixture of cosmic adventures with deep emotional themes like trust, isolation, and belonging, often exploring how characters bridge vast cultural uh and physical differences.
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So usually it's a human and an alien.
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I'm sure there's alien alien out there, but we're talking here, gonna talk about human and alien.
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We're specifically going to be talking about Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon, which was originally self-published by her in 2015, but then was traditionally published by Berkeley Romance in 2021.
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I could not find an official number, but I assume I hear there are over 40 books in this series between the full-length novels and novellas.
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It basically follows, from my understanding, a group of women who were abducted by an alien spaceship and are now in this ice planet to help the aliens repopulate and they're mates with these aliens.
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But would you say that's kind of a correct synopsis for people who aren't familiar with ice planet barbarians or want to give more detail with it?
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No, that's a good, that's a good quick, quick overview.
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Quick overview.
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Okay, we're definitely gonna get more into Death with Fit.
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But I also do want to preface this is a judgment-free zone.
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I'm very fascinated by this.
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This is just all so new to me.
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Um, but you know, I'm here for whatever floats your boat when it comes to romance, and I'm excited to learn more about alien romance and see if I can be commenced if I want to read more about it.
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But to start us off with how we got here, how we got into alien romance.
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Chantal, you are the instigator in this spring group.
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It was the same thing with dark romance too.
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You got Katie into Dark Romance, and you've gotten her into Alien Romance.
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What made you pick up an alien romance book?
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I'm just really freaky, and so uh I wanted to corrupt everybody here.
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No, I'm kidding.
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Um, I'm very much like someone, I'm like a bucket list reader.
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So if there's like an author or a genre that's very hyped, I want to give it a chance at least once.
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Um, and then at the time I started reading Ice Planet Barbarons, this is like a couple of years ago now, but I'd just gone through just like a very stressful time in my life.
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And so I wanted to read something escapist and fun, but that also wouldn't take like 500 pages of world building because I'm a romanticy reader as well.
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And love me some romanticy, but it's it can be a lot to get into when you're not mentally in the space for it.
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So Ice Planet Barbarians kind of fit the mold of what I wanted at the time, and then it kind of just turned into a fever dream where I read the first one and then I woke up four weeks later and I've gone through six books and two novellas, and the writing is insanely addictive.
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And I think once you get deep enough into the plot, aka like by half of your first book, anything is believable.
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So like I think there was definitely elements of it that, you know, I never would have thought, oh yeah, no, that that's that's hot, or like that that's a plot that makes sense to me.
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But I think like Ruby Dixon's writing is so masterful that once you're once you get into it, it just it's just a breeze.
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Loved it.
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So like when did you first hear of like Ruby Dixon?
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Was it TikTok?
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Were you just like on Goodreads?
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I think it must have been TikTok years and years ago.
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Cause I think I'd like heard about maybe page off actually.
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Like we were at Barnes once, and you were like, oh, I was gonna bring that up.
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Right.
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I think like you'd shown me it, and I was like, oh yeah, like I'd seen the cover before, but nah, like aliens aren't really my thing.
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And then I was like, no, but let me just try at least once.
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Cause if I'm not gonna like something, I want to be an informed hater.
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So I gotta read it all the way through and form it, have an informed opinion on it before I critique it.
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And uh, I was not a hater, I became obsessed, as everybody else in this in this little group was.
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So uh the rest is history.
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Okay, I love that.
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And as the one person who's been in here the longest, what Alien Romance have you read the entire series?
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How many books have you read?
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So, this is where I think I fall short to everyone here.
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Is I only have read the first six books and like three novellas, because I think I went through like six weeks of just Ice Planet Barbarians.
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And then I realized I needed to like touch grass and come up for air, and so I put it down for a little bit, didn't read for a couple of weeks and then never got back into it.
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But after prepping for this call, I've been getting into it again.
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So I think this week I'll probably start the next book in the series from where I left off.
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Okay, you're gonna you're gonna fall in love with it all over again.
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And Katie all over again.
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You were the second person to fall into Ice Planet Barbarians.
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So I know you said you'll try anything at least once, but what made you finally pull the trigger?
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Because last time we had talked, you had actually said that Chantal had been like telling you about Ice Planet Barbarians for a couple of years now.
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So what got you to the point where you're like, okay, why not?
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This is next on my TBR.
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It was kind of like a combo of Chantal and like and like book talk and bookstagram, because like she was the first one to point it out to me.
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And I hadn't even like hit Dark Romance yet.
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This was like our first time hanging out.
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And she's like, you should try this and this and this, and it's like aliens hard, hard pass.
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I'm like, I was still like in my contemporary world.
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So it was kind of like always in the back of my head because I kept seeing people on like Goodreads that I follow and on t on book talk being like talking about it, and I was like, what the h if all of these people who like a lot of them read very vanilla stuff compared to like what we read too, and they like it, then like it must be fine.
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And they're like 200 pages.
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So it's like like Chantal said, I was like, worst case scenario, I've I the three hours of my life are gone and I'm at least informed on it.
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But I mean, you're like 50 pages in and like crazy shit is going down.
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So I was like, all right.
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So next thing just like she said, next thing I knew, it was like all I had been reading for like two months.
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Um so yeah, I think I just like this year I decided to kind of dabble in other stuff and I decided to give it a shot, and now I'm obsessed.
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You're obsessed.
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And how many books deep are you into Ice Planet Barbara?
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Um, I finished book 10 this morning.
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Oh my gosh.
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But I think there are if you put all of her series that are in interconnected together, it's over 70 books.
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Oh my goodness.
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So you've got your work, all of you have your work cut out ahead of you to get through this.
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And Paige, I was most surprised when I saw a few weeks ago that you started reading this because you are such my contemporary sports romance girly.
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I know you've dabbled in dark romance, but it wasn't your thing as much.
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So, what made you decide to go into Ice Planet Barbarians?
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Well, Ashley Antal mentioned um, like we, you know, had talked about it briefly even before she read them because we wrote time at Barnes and Noble like many years ago, and we were like, oh my god, this looks like there's like a big ass alien on the front.
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Or I didn't mean to.
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And I was like, and I was like, oh, like what is this?
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And we were like reading it, we're like, this is so interesting.
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And then I kind of like forgot about it, but then over the years, kept seeing it on book talk, and talked about it, and then Katie was started getting really into it, and Katie was telling me about it as she was reading it, and I kept seeing her posting about it.
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And I was like, you know what?
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I really need an escape, something totally different.
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And Katie had mentioned they were short, and I was like, perfect.
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I you know, as you, Brianna, always say, you love a good palate cleanser.
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I was in need of a good palette cleanser at the time.
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So I was like, let's check it out.
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And I'm not gonna lie, like in the first like first few chapters, I'm like, what am I reading?
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If you get past that point, it's like take off, like you're done.
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Like I've read, um, I checked because I was curious because they all blend together.
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I don't know if you guys feel that way, but yeah, yeah.
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Together for some.
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Um and I've read seven, including um uh one novella, Ice Planet, I think the holiday one, because Katie was like, read the holiday novella because there's some there's several novellas, and I was like, I don't really like some of them.
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I was like, Yeah, like I read the blurb and I wasn't interested.
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But Katie's like, read the holiday one.
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Also agree, it's really cute.
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Um, but uh yeah, and I definitely will plan to read more.
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I think there's 22 in the main series, yeah.
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And then it like goes to like there's like a tropical, I was like looking last night, there's a tropical island or something on one.
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Yeah, uh, but I just yeah, it was it's so entertaining.
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And as as um Chantal said, like the writing is just like it really just sucks you in.
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And um, it's such an easy read, and they're so short.
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So it's like go to the next and then they kind of like leave off, they level a little cliffhanger, they kind of tease the next one, but it's you're like, might as well just go to the next one.
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Might as well it was so funny when Paige started because she was like, I'm just gonna read one and then I'm gonna, I'm like, okay, great.
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And then she's like, okay, so I've read three and I'm just gonna read one more.
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I'm like, okay, and then she's like, so I've read six.
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I'm like, okay, so I'm gonna do one more.
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Yeah, yeah.
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I just like couldn't stop.
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Like, I was like, Oh, I'll take a break after this, and then I just kept going.
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It just like, yeah, but I took a pause.
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So the general theme here is that you kind of get snowballed, you snowballed in, you just can't read one.
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Okay, so now that we've established how we've gotten here, how we like alien romance?
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I guess my main question is what does alien romance give you that regular like romanticy does not?
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Because I feel like romanticy, there's similar things of world building, there's magical creatures, even though they're not necessarily aliens.
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What makes alien romance and icepart and barbarians different from reading like Aquatar or Fourth Wing or anything else that's like out of this world, um, but maybe not as as taboo as alien romance is- I mean, I oh, you gotta go, Paige.
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Are you sure?
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Okay, so I think one thing that I don't know if you guys agree with this, but one thing that I found like very refreshing and like different is that because the girls were abducted from Earth, like they have they're like normal, like from like us, like they talk about things that they, you know, like bathrooms and food and like things that they had on earth.
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And they also like their inner monologues, they are like, especially in the first one, she's like, What's going on?
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Who are these big blue men?
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It's like they don't know that this exists, uh, and so they're surprised that they're in this new world.
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So it kind of like uh pokes fun at it a little bit in the beginning.
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So like they're questioning what's going on, whereas in romanticy, like they're all in the world, if that makes sense.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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And I think the thing with romanticy is the FMCs are, you know, so kind of superhumanly strong, even when they're supposed to be human, they have this insane like determination, and you know, they're like, you know, acrobats and you can suddenly are expert archers, it's you know, survival experts.
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And I think to your point, what's so fun about these FMCs is that it's kind of like if we were all just put onto an alien planet and like, yeah, some of them are more resilient than others, and but like, you know, all the problems they have, all the inner monologues they have, I'm like, yeah, no, that crash out is valid and very relatable.
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And and I see myself in this, it's a little more self-inserty, I guess, but but also just so fun.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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Katie, do you have anything to do?
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I'm not a romanticy reader, so I don't I can't really compare them.
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This is like my version, I guess.
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Fair enough.
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Fair enough.
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And then so I guess like, do you think like this alien aspect, because it's like on a planet and it's not real, like makes it easier to enjoy or imagine the things that are far fetched, like similar to romantic, because you're like, oh, it's like not real, or oh, it's like a different circumstance.
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So of course kidnapping is normal kind of thing.
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Yeah, well, and like they're not just to like to smooth that out, they're kidnapped by like bad aliens that are not these hot guys.
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Like they're they're like dumped there.
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So they like run into these guys and everyone's just kind of like, well, I guess we better make do and bang.
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But um, I I think that like they said you're you're it's so relatable that it it makes it kind of easier to think about just because it's like what would happen if I just ended up on a random other planet and there's just no way for them to get back.
00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.399
So they have to like, they just have to acclimate.
00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:24.159
They're in like a place where there's two suns.
00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:26.639
So they're like, I don't even know how the hell to get out of here.
00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:28.799
Um so yeah.
00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:44.320
Cause I like know, like, from what I was reading and doing research leading up to this interview, like I know in the first book when the girl and the main girl meets the first main guy, he like declares that like he's her mate, and like there's kind of like this early I love you declaration.
00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:55.519
Does it feel like less red flag-ish because they're just kind of like, oh, we're in this planet, like we've gotta, we've gotta move on, or is it or is that kind of like a misconception with the with the book?
00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:01.840
Yeah, it's because it's so far out there, regardless, it's very like, yeah, no, that that makes sense.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:05.680
So you already they're kidnapped by basketball-headed aliens, and and why not?
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.920
There's these really hot blue guys.
00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:09.440
I think so much that happens.
00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:12.559
Yeah, no, exactly.
00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:21.039
And it's like, yeah, I can take this magical worm that like cures me and also makes me realize who my mate is, and that's probably more context we need to break down.
00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:28.559
But basically, so much crazy shit happens that none of that like bad shit feels as scary.
00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:35.039
So I guess, yeah, to answer your original question, it is probably easier to read about a lot of the stuff that happens, whether it's like kidnapping.
00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:40.799
I know there's essay in the first book and things like that because you're kind of removed from it all.
00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:56.640
Um, but I think that's I don't know how you feel about dark romance, Katie, but I think I have a similar thing when reading dark romance is it it's so like the language, the inner monologues are so far-fetched, the situations are so far-fetched that like the darker shit that happens doesn't feel as like triggering or or anxiety-inducing when I read it.
00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:59.279
So I think like Ice Planet probably had that effect too.
00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:00.000
Interesting.
00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:11.759
I saw some people compare like Ice Planet to Dark Romance in the sense that you have these MMCs who are willing to basically go to great lengths and do anything to protect their women.
00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:22.000
So would you say like alien romance and dark romance kind of have that that intersection, like, like, oh, it's just like these unhinged MMCs that make you feel feel safe in a way?
00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:28.799
I think I think it's more palatable for contemporary romance readers because they're not like murdering people for these women.
00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:31.279
They're just like making them more furs.
00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:40.240
Like, I don't, it's like they're just like like they love them so much, but they're not like it, they're not murderous or like, or and they're not like dealing drugs or anything.
00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:45.039
They're just like these really sweet, giant, hot guys that like love them so much.
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.799
Okay, I feel like I'm learning so much.
00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.559
So if I've learned that they weren't originally because I thought they were abducted by the blue men.
00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:52.559
So I'm learning that they were abducted by the blue men.
00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:52.960
No.
00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:58.079
And there's there's some type of worm involved, and we're making a lot of furs.
00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:03.599
Okay, so that kind of goes into our next section of plot and logistical questions.
00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:11.519
Because I've heard a lot of things about Ice Planet Barbarians, where I'm like, oh, I feel like it would take me really hard long to get into this book because of these things.
00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:16.319
So I want to ask you like what your opinions on them when you were reading and how you feel about them now.
00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:18.799
So the first thing is that they have tails.
00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:30.160
And I can't, I'm kind of a hypocrite when I say this because I do read romantici, so I have read stuff where the guys have wings, or one of like my TBRs is the cruel prince, and I understand that he has a tail in that too.
00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:43.119
So I feel like tales aren't necessarily as far-fetched, but what is that like when you're reading a character, like a male love interest that has that has a tail or these attachments that aren't aren't typical in most characters?
00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:44.559
Honestly.
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.880
I kind of forget that it's there.
00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:47.920
Yeah, same.
00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:50.160
I just forget it.
00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:53.359
And then when it gets mentioned, I'm like, oh yeah, the tail, and then it goes away again.
00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:54.960
And then I'm like, okay.
00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:56.799
Yeah.
00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:01.920
And if it's mentioned, and like it almost feels like it doesn't feel that weird to me.
00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:12.240
It almost feels like honestly, kind of like an equivalent, like that you've read, Brianna, would kind of be like Avatar with the bat boys having wings or something.
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:19.200
Like it's just like a part of them, if I were to compare to something that you've read, but it's even mentioned like way less than that.
00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:24.240
So like what Katie was saying, and Chantal, like I often forget, and then I'm like, oh, I forgot they have tails.
00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:25.200
So yeah.
00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:33.039
And the tails like make them like the human women more because they can do things that they can't do to like the women that have tails.
00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:42.559
In order to make this, I realize, yeah, I try not to get like X-rated with it, but like the tail gets on the right sometimes.
00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:44.160
And just is it like a dog?
00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.920
Does the tail wag when they're excited?
00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:48.480
It switches, yeah.
00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:56.960
And then like the book I read this morning was too, it was just alien alien, and it's like they would like they would it like instead of holding hands, they would like intertwine their tails and stuff.
00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.279
So like it was it was weird.
00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:02.319
Not my favorite.
00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:05.519
Okay, that's that's that's different.
00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:08.240
But the next one is the blue skin.
00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:14.960
I guess like, you know, we have avatar and people have blue skin and that, but what is it like reading reading a man with blue skin?
00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:21.279
Honestly, I'm I I like I find Jake Sully really sexy.
00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:25.440
So um I didn't like it, kind of core itch in the new movie too.
00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:30.640
So reading about blue men, I was like, yeah, that that make that makes sense.
00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.400
I could see why you would find that hot.
00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.359
Absolutely.
00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:38.160
For me, it's like part of the like you they have no other choice.
00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:44.079
So I'm like, okay, if I was stuck again, like I said before on this planet that I can't get off of, like all right.
00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:46.640
I guess that's my tr like that's my only option.
00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:48.880
So I that's fine, I guess.
00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:49.680
I don't know.
00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:51.440
Yeah, I mean, I agree.
00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:59.759
I mean, they're like these like seven, eight foot like chiseled blue skinned men with like they always talk about the rock.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:04.400
Hard packs and abs and like tight booties and like things like that.
00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:10.960
And it's just like it's kind of it's hard to imagine the blue sometimes for me.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:14.160
Like there'll be moments where I'm like, oh, I forgot that they're blue.
00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:16.960
Um but yeah, just kind of like avatar.
00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:19.920
Like they're just that's just part of their just like just their skin color.
00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:26.799
Like actually, I actually find more hard times imagining like the ridges and stuff that they have.
00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:34.079
Yeah, like a little more difficult to imagine, but the blue skin isn't as difficult because again, you'd like it's like avatar.
00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:34.480
Okay.
00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:35.200
Okay.
00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:40.480
Well, I feel like the next one I would ask would be the hardest for me, which is the language barrier.
00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.200
Is these aliens don't speak English.
00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:45.039
So how do they communicate?
00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:45.920
What is that like?
00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:50.640
Like, I feel like that's just too much room for error or harm to happen.
00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:54.319
What is it like reading a language barrier when they don't speak the same language?
00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:57.920
And I feel like there's no way to really learn for them to learn each other's language.
00:22:58.160 --> 00:22:59.440
Well, is there not?
00:22:59.599 --> 00:22:59.839
Yeah.
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:01.839
Do we want to get into spoiler territory?
00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:03.039
Like, I mean, we can tell you.
00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:04.480
We can tell, we can talk a little bit.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.440
I'll I always put a spoiler disclaimer in the beginning.
00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:08.400
So you can tell me.
00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:09.680
Okay.
00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:11.119
Katie, you want to take it away?
00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:17.200
Um, so one of the like first places they stumble upon, I don't remember if it was book one or book, it had to be book one.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:21.279
They like stumble upon an old spaceship, which is where the blue men had come.
00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:25.119
They're not from this ice planet, they're from another planet, who knows how long ago.
00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:30.720
And they're like even more uh like technology technological than we are.
00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:37.200
So they have a spaceship that just like it's kind of dumb because it's like she just kind of solved this as easy as she could.
00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:42.240
They just go in the spaceship and it has like an Alexa, and they're like, Alexa, make me speak English.
00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:46.960
And then it like they all get knocked out for a second and they wake up and they all just speak the same language.
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:47.440
Oh.
00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:58.319
So it's like it's kind of like, but like there are things where it's like they don't know what holiday is and they don't know what like kiss is, and like they don't a lot of things, like just because they can speak the language, they don't know what the words are.
00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:00.400
So they do like learn things.
00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.839
But yeah, she kind of just like took the easy route out on that one.
00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:07.119
She was like, let me just like quickly like alter their brain.
00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:14.000
It like literally, it's like it like I don't know if it like, I don't remember if it like shoots rays or what, but it's just like and then everyone speaks the same language.
00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:14.559
Okay.
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:24.640
That makes me feel a little better because I feel like that makes it hard for things like consent and all that if they don't feel if they can't speak the same same language.
00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:25.680
100%.
00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:29.759
Okay, so now that that's answered, I think the also biggest thing is going into this.
00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:34.640
What is like the smut to plot ratio here when you're reading a book?
00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:40.160
Like when you're reading in here, like I because I know that I can't do it when like every two chapters they're going at it.
00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:45.519
So is this what is this what's happening at Ice Plan of Barbarians, or are we having other things, other things happening here?
00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:47.519
I think it depends on each book.
00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:48.160
Yeah.
00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:48.799
Yeah.
00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:54.640
Different couples have different spice levels because like with some of them it's a little more gradual as well.
00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:59.680
And so there's I forget which one, but one of them didn't have spice until like 50 or 60 percent of the book.
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:02.000
Like, I think it just depends on the couple.
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:12.079
And I think Ruby does a really, really good job of within each book having an overarching plot that is existential to like the tribe or like the characters.
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:14.000
Like, will this person die?
00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:15.119
Like, what's happening?
00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:22.640
So I think it's uh even if there is a lot of smut, the plot is all it always hits really, really hard, is is my my take on it.
00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:24.799
But it's also been a couple years since I was fully immersed.
00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:27.279
So I don't know if the other two have different opinions.
00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:35.440
I think like it toward the the beginning there's a lot, like in the first few books, because it's like they first get there and everyone's like, holy shit, there's been no females here and everyone's just horny.
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:40.960
But then like the one I read today, they didn't there was no sex until like the last chapter.
00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:45.119
So it's uh but that one was more about like, I don't know, it was deeper.
00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:50.319
So it's like some of them are like slow burns, some have like a lot of trauma that they have to get over.
00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:53.039
It just kind of depends on on the couple for sure.
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:53.599
Okay.
00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:57.200
So what like obviously everyone has to start at the beginning.
00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:02.960
What's the first book like in terms of like when someone's gonna pick it up and say, Oh, I want to read Ice Planet Barbarians after this?
00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:05.680
Like, what can they expect going into that first book?
00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:09.119
In terms of smut the plot.
00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.160
Oh, then in general, yeah, yeah.
00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:13.680
Like that's hard.
00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:24.960
I think there's a good amount of smut, but there's also like they have there's so much other stuff you're dealing with, because you're dealing with like there's so much like the world building and stuff.
00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:31.519
So it's like there's a lot of smut, but you're you're learning so much that it's really not like the main thing, I think.
00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:33.200
If I can think back that far.
00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:33.680
Okay.
00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:47.200
Yeah, the first one is the only one I think where there's a bit more ambiguity with like consent and things like that, especially when there's still a bit of a length, because like, you know, plot um spoiler, there's like the language thing doesn't happen until a little bit into the book.
00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:50.240
So there's still a bit of ambiguity when it comes to that communication.
00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:56.559
But even within that, you're like you still know that the FMC is like Dorgie isn't is in a safe space.
00:26:56.640 --> 00:27:03.279
So I don't think you're ever, apart from that first, like really traumatizing when they're kidnapped by the bad bad aliens, which is the first like two, three chapters.
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.319
Apart from that, you never feel like she's in any like real danger.
00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:07.839
At least that's how I felt reading it.
00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.480
But also, I think you go into it knowing like this is just a fun time, it's not gonna be too deep.
00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:16.400
The cover is the cover of the first one is like so bonkers, too.
00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:21.039
It's like it's it just it's like it's like the girl like leaning back and his head's done.
00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:23.519
Like you know what you're getting into when you pick that up.
00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:26.400
Oh, oh, the old covers because of the old cartoon.
00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:31.680
Yeah, the new cartoon one is so just it's like neon and pretty well.
00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.480
I think I have yeah, the new one's just like cute.
00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:36.240
That's what I like the old one.
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:38.880
I'm I like sent it to my mom and she's like, What are you reading?
00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:48.480
Like, so basically, people who aren't familiar with it, they might be surprised when they pick up like a cute cover in Barnes and Noble now.
00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:51.680
But OG readers, they know they know what they're getting into.
00:27:52.079 --> 00:28:03.279
So I see people always trying to convince others to read Ice Panot Barbie, and saying tropes like, oh, like the first one's gentle giant slash stubborn girl, or then it's stubborn giant and stubborn girl.
00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:13.039
Uh so like what do you think is your favorite trope in the series, or what do you what tropes do you think hit harder in alien romance than regular romanticy or contemporary romance?
00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:14.799
Oof.
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:20.319
I'll just say my favorite is like, and I think it's because it's like barbarians.
00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:26.880
Like my absolute favorite book is Harlow and Rook, and it's like spoilers, but like he's not part of the tribe.
00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:33.440
He's like an outsider that's just like caveman, like he just like bonks her over the head and steals her.
00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:35.680
Like I love like, but I love like a kidnapping.
00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:39.359
So like I don't so anything mafia romance.
00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:42.000
What it's giving mafia romance, it's giving mafia romance.
00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:43.519
You're like my thing.
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:45.519
It's caveman mafia romance.
00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:48.240
Like, I love like a big dumb hot alien.
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:50.079
So like, and she's just so sweet.
00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:52.240
So like it that's a really good combo.
00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:55.759
For me, that's my my absolute favorite book of the whole the whole series.
00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:57.599
Okay, what about you two?
00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:01.359
Who wants to go first?
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:03.519
I think I can, or do you have one?
00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:09.359
I think that the um Grumpy Sunshine trope is done really well in these books.
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.000
And I think it's really entertaining.
00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:19.759
Um when like because Katie said even just because they're these big hot illy men, and so when they're grumpy, it's like another level.
00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:34.319
But kind of off that, I think they're essentially all have like faded mates trope in there because they when they take just a quick context, Rihanna, when they like they have to have this worm to like survive.
00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.480
And when they let's talk about this worm.
00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:37.440
What is this worm?
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:39.279
Is that how you say it?
00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:39.680
A queen?
00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:41.359
I think so, yeah.
00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:45.440
And so they take this worm, then it like they need the worm to survive.
00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:51.759
When they take the worm, that means that they are now like um, correct me if I'm wrong, guys.
00:29:51.839 --> 00:30:02.000
It's really hard to kind of explain that they um can have this like ability to get resonance with another with another per other another cooey.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:06.480
And so the point of resonance, and this is where I feel like it's gonna be hard for you, Brianna.
00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:11.039
The whole point of resonance, resonance is to have is to procreate.
00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:11.920
Okay.
00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:23.759
And I know you like hate rope, but this is like different because it's like very uh like animalistic and very physical, but there also is like love stories in there too.
00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:55.920
But because of that physical like need for each other, several of the books they there's often like a main character, either the male or the female, who is like fighting this like innate need that they have inside them to be with the other person, which that like really turns like, especially if it's grumpy sunshine, they're like really do not like or like fighting not to be the other person, but then you find out with a dual POV that sometimes like they seem like that on the outside, but in reality they like really love the person.
00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:04.799
If I'm explaining that at all well, it's like and those are like those are like a slow, those are like the slow burn books, yes, because they're like fighting it, yeah.
00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:07.680
So follow up with the worm.
00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:13.279
Uh like the actors like we're staying on this, we're not moving past it.
00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:19.279
So after you like take it, does like the worm just like live inside you?
00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:21.519
Yeah, yes, yeah, like a parasite.
00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:35.440
It was like another kind of like easy way out for Ruby to have like you where you can acclimate to the world, like because like humans can't live there because they can't breathe the air and like it's too cold, but this worm makes it possible for you to survive there.
00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:39.119
But then it also does this thing where it like finds your mate.
00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:42.640
So it's kind of like Do you feel it like wiggling inside you?
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:44.000
I don't think so.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:50.880
First they do because they like cut your skin open and they don't need it, they like put it in and yeah, but then it just stays there.
00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:51.920
I don't like do it.
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:53.279
Pass out.
00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:56.000
Yeah, and it makes your eyes glow.
00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:57.920
Yeah, eyes glow blue.
00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:58.720
Yeah.
00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:00.880
Yeah, cures ailments too.
00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:12.160
As a health anxiety girly, I think one of them got like had a tumor and like got cured by this worm, and like I was like, Yeah, no, I'd love to take a worm and just like cure every possible ailment I could ever have.
00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:18.160
But it also like gets it gets rid of your like birth control as well, because it's like you will get pregnant.
00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:34.000
So yeah, they when I mentioned earlier about how like they bring in like references from the real world, like one of the girls has like an IUD, and like that becomes like a plot detail and an issue because like they can't get it out.
00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:36.559
So does the worm eat it?
00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:42.000
No, but the worm does its thing without spoiling it.
00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:43.200
Yeah, okay.
00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:44.240
It gets solved.
00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:45.200
Okay.
00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:50.160
Well, going back to the initial question, because Chantal, I don't believe you answered.
00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:58.960
Is what trope do you think hits like harder in alien romance than regular, just like contemporary romance or romanticy?
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:07.519
Honestly, I was gonna say I don't really have a good answer to this question because I have a favorite book, but I think it's also my favorite trope in like regular romance, which is enemies.
00:33:07.759 --> 00:33:28.400
I think Liz, like the second book is enemies to lovers, like Liz and Rahosh, or I don't know how to say the aliens' names, but um, and that's my favorite book because I love in a good enemies to lover is like the attention buildup and the, you know, well, again, without spoiling too much, there's a lot of push and pull internally for both of them, and I love that buildup until it finally explodes.
00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:39.119
Um, so I don't think it's like for me personally, I don't think there's a trope that hits harder in alien romance, but I do think I love seeing a trope that I love in a different context that I've never interacted with before.
00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:42.079
And there's a lot of different tropes, so there's something for everybody.
00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:44.160
So, you know, you're being really polite.
00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:48.720
I can see the horror on your face, and we're like, this is for procreation, and you're being so polite about it.
00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:51.920
But honestly, you might you might enjoy a couple of the books in this.
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:54.400
I'm I'm starting to say it's a judgment-free zone.
00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:57.440
I'm just more fascinated than anything else.
00:33:57.599 --> 00:34:01.519
So to me, this thing, the weirdest thing I've heard so far is the worm.
00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:07.839
But what has been the weirdest thing for you guys as you've read it, where you've been like, it's almost been like too weird for you, or what was the weird?
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:15.519
It can either be the weirdest thing that you've read or the weirdest thing you found attractive while reading this book.
00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:21.039
Oh I actually don't know.
00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:34.639
This doesn't answer your question, really, but like I think the hardest thing for me, and I'm always because you kind of put yourself in this book since like we said they're humans, is that like if I were I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years, I'd have to eat meat there.
00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:37.840
And like the meat sounds so gross.
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:43.039
Even when they find like the the guys eat it raw and the girls cook it, and like I it all sounds terrible.
00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:44.079
And I was thinking about it today.
00:34:44.159 --> 00:34:47.760
I was like, I don't know what I would actually like do if I were there.
00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:49.920
Like to me, that it's just gross.
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:50.400
I don't know.
00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:53.119
That's my least favorite thing is that you like have to eat meat.
00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:54.800
Kind of going off that.
00:34:55.360 --> 00:35:04.800
I sometimes like some of the creatures, I mean, I know this is a thing in like romantic, but some of the creatures are like so weirdly described.
00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:11.039
I'm like, what it's kind of, you know, think of like Star Wars kind of, I guess, is the easiest like reference I can think of.
00:35:11.199 --> 00:35:16.159
But some of these creatures are so weird, and then like they like, you know, kill them and like skin them.
00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:18.079
And I'm like, ugh, my god, it's disgusting.
00:35:18.480 --> 00:35:25.599
And then especially when like some of the girls are pregnant and then they already like have to eat, but like they nothing sounds good.
00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:28.960
But also I'm like, I don't think that sounds good if you were pregnant, you know?
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:43.199
Oh, honestly, on the note, because I guess I don't have a good answer to the original question, but jumping off of Paige's point, for me, the weirdest thing was like when the girls get pregnant and give birth to like alien baby hybrid things.
00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:44.320
I like, I don't know.
00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:45.440
I mean, it's a spoiler.
00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:53.920
They get the they give birth to alien baby hybrids, but like I think that would like freak me out, having to push out like a little horned creature out of my hee he's like that.
00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:56.239
But they're so cute, and I don't even like page.
00:35:57.039 --> 00:35:59.119
That just that just sounds so painful to me.
00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:06.320
That's the one thing I was like, oh, okay, yeah, no, that that's suspending the disbelief to like an an another degree.
00:36:06.800 --> 00:36:07.119
Okay.
00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:09.440
Because I was gonna ask about the birth scenes.
00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:12.880
I was a little curious about that if they're if they're getting pregnant.
00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:27.199
Um, but we have a few minutes left, and I really did want to talk about the female characters a little bit because I everyone when I hear about this book, I'm always like the men, people are always like the men, the men, the aliens.
00:36:27.679 --> 00:36:30.480
But with the females, I feel like I don't hear much about them.
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:42.400
And like being honest, do you feel like these women actually have personalities or are they made to be easy self-inserts, or do you feel they're more like passive in just like this whole storyline?
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:44.880
Like, what are the women like in these books?
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:47.599
Some of them I absolutely hate.
00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:49.920
So and some I love.
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:54.559
So they're all very, very, very different, like extremely different types of book.
00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:55.519
Agreed.
00:36:55.840 --> 00:37:19.119
And as Katie mentioned earlier, that a lot of them or several of them have like different they all have like different traumas, like things to overcome, whether it's something like various degrees, um, whether it's something that happened to them on Earth or after they landed on the planet um or something that happened with when they were kidnapped by the basketball head aliens.
00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:23.920
I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's part of the things that it's how they're described.
00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:37.760
Um but yeah, I think that they all have they're not just like all duds, like they all have different kinds of journeys to go on and different kinds of trauma or um things that they are dealing with.
00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:45.360
So kind of off that, you kind of, you know, one of like we each might have a favorite FMC because we relate to her in different ways.
00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:46.079
Yeah.
00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:47.119
Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:56.639
And I think because kind of going back to what we were talking about at the beginning was how they're very relatable in their internal, because they're from Earth and they're put into this really bizarre situation.
00:37:56.719 --> 00:38:00.559
And I think with that relatability, the growth is really interesting.
00:38:00.719 --> 00:38:06.320
Like in each like FMC has her own sort of arc that she has to overcome, like a range of obstacles.
00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:11.360
But like you go on that journey with her and it feels so relatable.
00:38:11.519 --> 00:38:23.440
Like, I think sometimes in romanticy, like I think Fourth Wing is an example of a book that like I adore, but like the struggles Violet goes through and the fact that she like you know rides a ginormous dragon despite her like bones hurting.
00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:25.280
I'm like, oh no, I could never imagine doing that.
00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:32.960
But like you look at or you you're inside like inside the mind of some of the FMCs and Ice Planet Barbarians, and you're like, oh no, I I could I could relate to that.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:36.800
I could see how if any of us were like put onto this planet, that's the journey we'd go on.
00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:40.000
So I think there is a beauty to that too, to that relatability.
00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:40.639
Okay.
00:38:40.800 --> 00:38:47.679
It's nice to know that they have like personalities and they're just not just kind of like not vessels for these aliens.
00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:54.159
And so far, you like I a couple times in this interview says they're like, oh, they're like, they're they have no way of getting home, they don't even know where they am.
00:38:54.320 --> 00:38:56.639
So they're just trying to like make the best of it.
00:38:56.800 --> 00:38:59.039
Do you see them like longing for Earth?
00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:05.760
Because I know like if I was like one of them, I'd just be like, I miss my family, I want my mom, I want my dad, I like want to go back to like my bed.
00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:13.599
Do you see them ever having like that internal struggle of being like homesick and missing the life they know, or do they overcome that like pretty quickly?
00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:17.440
I feel like there's only a small I actually do think there should be more of that.
00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:25.519
I think like a lot, a lot of them are just resigned to the fact that, like, well, I'm here now, and like every once in a while they'll be like, Oh, I miss Christmas, or like, oh, I miss my mom.
00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:32.480
But like, nobody is like, I don't remember early enough, but like I've gotten to a point where everyone is just like chilling.
00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:34.639
Like, like no one is distraught.
00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:46.079
Yeah, it's part of the plot, I think, in like the first one of the first two books where they talk about how each girl who was kidnapped was someone who wouldn't be missed on earth or who would be forgotten on earth.
00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:59.920
So I think it's like they talk about missing their parents or like their family, but like I think most of their like their parents are like not around anymore, or they were in foster care and never had a family, or you know, like essentially they were very alone on earth.
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.159
And so this whole thing is like they found found family, but on a different planet.
00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:12.719
So I think that's another like kind of easy-ish plot device Ruby uses to not have to run into the constant, oh, but I want to go back to see my dog, you know.
00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:16.400
It's it's like, no, I have nothing and no one on earth, so this is fine.
00:40:16.639 --> 00:40:17.039
Yeah.
00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:17.519
Yeah.
00:40:17.920 --> 00:40:18.639
I agree with that.
00:40:18.719 --> 00:40:25.119
It was, it's almost and a lot of them, it seems like their lives are well, actually, majority of them, like their lives are better on the planet.
00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:25.360
Yeah.
00:40:25.840 --> 00:40:30.159
They have rough lives on Earth in like various way, shape, or form, too.
00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:33.360
I actually I don't want to go back to the other question, but I kind of am.
00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:36.800
I actually feel like the men have less personalities than the women do.
00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:43.280
Like I get the men mixed up more than I do the women because they're kind of just like the hot blue guy that's there to bang them.
00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:47.840
But like the women, I feel like you're on this more for like the women's journey than the men.
00:40:48.079 --> 00:40:48.239
Okay.
00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:52.800
So book talk just loves to glorify men characters, is what I'm hearing with this with this alien.
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:56.000
I mean, like, but like I'm not gonna be like, wow, Georgie's so hot.
00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:58.239
Like, obviously, I'm gonna be like, oh, Neckel's hot.
00:40:58.480 --> 00:41:02.239
Like, I I'm not gonna like gush about the human women.
00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:04.960
Like so, yeah, I don't know.
00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:10.559
We can celebrate them, we could celebrate them, but we will thirst over the very sexy alien match.
00:41:10.880 --> 00:41:12.800
Okay, okay, fair, fair enough.
00:41:12.880 --> 00:41:19.920
I guess when you're trying to convince people to read an alien roman match, not gonna be like, oh, the female so relatable, you're gonna be like, no, the man is so hot.
00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:21.199
So yeah.
00:41:21.519 --> 00:41:22.719
Makes makes sense.
00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:25.519
So to conclude this out, I just want to get a preface.
00:41:25.760 --> 00:41:28.000
Obviously, we've read Ice Planet Barbarians.
00:41:28.079 --> 00:41:32.159
Have we read any other alien monster romance series?
00:41:32.239 --> 00:41:37.599
Or now are we open to now reading any other types of series now that we've gone into gone into this one?
00:41:38.400 --> 00:41:40.159
I've read no other alien.
00:41:40.239 --> 00:41:42.239
This is the only alien romance series I've read.
00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:46.960
I think I've read a couple like novellas that are alien romance, but it's always like in like alien world.
00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:50.800
It's not like different monsters, but I'd definitely be open to reading different monsters.
00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:52.880
I just don't know if I could get into it.
00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:59.599
I know Dinosaur Erotica is a thing, like like T-Rex as the male, like MMC and stuff like that.
00:41:59.840 --> 00:42:02.480
Um, so I've again I'd try everything once.
00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:08.719
Don't think I'd maybe get into it in the same way because these are such humanoid f MMCs, even if they are aliens.
00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:12.880
I think I think that this this led me slightly astray.
00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:17.519
I am open to other alien romance, like there's like saving Lucas or something.
00:42:17.679 --> 00:42:21.599
There's other ones that people talk about that are like just as good, which I will get to eventually.
00:42:21.920 --> 00:42:28.239
But Monster Romance, I tried it and like I don't it's rough.
00:42:28.639 --> 00:42:29.679
It's weird.
00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:32.639
Like it is not the same as like hot blue men.
00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:46.559
It's like I did Morning Glory Milking Farm and I would like it removed from my memory because everyone's like, oh, it's not, it's not a it's not a bull, it's a man, but like the only thing that's man about him is that he has abs and hands.
00:42:46.639 --> 00:42:48.079
He still has hoofs and a bullhead.
00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:49.199
So like I don't know.
00:42:49.920 --> 00:42:53.840
It's it's just it's so I'm it feel it felt bad.
00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:56.719
Like it felt really bad reading that, and I did not enjoy it.
00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:01.039
And it was part of my I'll try anything once, and that was once.
00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:03.039
Almost once.
00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:04.800
It was the once.
00:43:05.039 --> 00:43:20.639
I haven't read any other alien romance um or monster romance really, but I have read some paranormal romance, um, just like you know, mainly mate and bride, but I would be open to more paranormal romance because I really did, I loved those.
00:43:20.880 --> 00:43:24.800
Um it kind of brings back to like teenage years of like Loving Twilight.
00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:28.719
So I definitely I guess paranormal kind of can go in with romance.
00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:33.599
I mean, uh with monster romance if you consider the fact that they're like werewolves and vampires and and those kind of.
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:35.840
Sorry, go ahead.
00:43:36.079 --> 00:43:39.679
No, I'm just saying I always put those differently in my mind, but I guess you are right.
00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:41.760
They are they are in a way paranormal.
00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:45.199
Yeah, at least they like end up human at some point.
00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:45.679
Yeah.
00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:46.639
Human, yeah.
00:43:46.800 --> 00:43:50.719
Not just humanoid, like they're actual like men who are also not men.
00:43:51.280 --> 00:43:51.599
Yeah.
00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:56.480
But I think like my like my pals here, I think I'd be open to trying different ones.
00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:59.280
Maybe not like that Hoofman one that you read.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:00.639
Please don't do it.
00:44:01.679 --> 00:44:07.519
But I was I would definitely like I'm open to to give things a shot, you know, to find.
00:44:07.679 --> 00:44:08.320
Because you never know.
00:44:08.400 --> 00:44:10.400
I mean, even just with this, like it surprised me.
00:44:11.760 --> 00:44:12.000
Yes.
00:44:12.639 --> 00:44:17.760
I saw someone advocating for a Kraken romance the um the other day.
00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:19.920
So I did see that too.
00:44:20.079 --> 00:44:22.000
That's a popular genre.
00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:22.559
Yeah.
00:44:22.800 --> 00:44:23.039
Yeah.
00:44:23.199 --> 00:44:25.039
Is it because is it like the tentacle?
00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:29.519
Is like is that the one where they have lots of tentacles and that's like they're like an octopus.
00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:33.119
But like the the stickies, like the the cupcake.
00:44:33.199 --> 00:44:35.119
I feel like that might not be very comfortable anyway.
00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:41.039
Anyway, I think it's the multiple tentacles that people are like my gosh.
00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:42.400
Well, knock it.
00:44:42.480 --> 00:44:43.679
No one knock it till I try it.
00:44:43.920 --> 00:44:44.960
To read it, I mean.
00:44:45.199 --> 00:44:45.599
Exactly.
00:44:45.679 --> 00:45:01.039
I feel like there's so much to talk about because we didn't even get to the fact because last time Katie and I talked on this uh podcast, you told me how like the men Ice Planet Barbarians, like their anatomy was shaped like a rabbit vibrator, and we didn't even get to that part in this book.
00:45:01.119 --> 00:45:09.599
So honestly, there's so much to talk about when it comes to alien romance, but Paige has to get to work.
00:45:09.679 --> 00:45:14.239
So we are gonna finish out with one question, which is ending this interview.
00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:19.840
Pitch to me or anyone listening why they should try Ice Plana Barbarians.
00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:23.760
If you had to do it in one to two sentences, how would you what would you say?
00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:41.599
Um it's three hours or less of your time, and it's hot, and it's a good like we had said, it's a good like palette cleanser escapism type thing that you can just kind of leave Earth for.
00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:42.400
Okay.
00:45:43.519 --> 00:45:43.920
Agree.
00:45:44.079 --> 00:45:46.400
That was like really like perfectly summed up.
00:45:46.480 --> 00:45:47.519
Like, couldn't say it better.
00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:53.519
And I know like Brianna, as Katie mentioned, like it is a great palette cleanser, and I know how much you love a palette cleanser.
00:45:53.679 --> 00:45:55.119
And like Katie said, they're short.
00:45:55.199 --> 00:45:59.599
So if you don't like it, like you didn't really like spend a lot of time on it.
00:45:59.920 --> 00:46:00.239
Okay.
00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:07.440
And I would say it's just the most, I think reading it was the most fun I've had in a very, very long time.
00:46:07.679 --> 00:46:15.440
So if you're just looking for a fun time and nothing else, like turn your brain off, go for the ride, it's the perfect place to be.
00:46:15.679 --> 00:46:20.960
It's also just like it's not even like I've never annotated a single one of those books.
00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:29.599
There's nothing that like nothing is in it is like deep or like it's just easy, quick, cute, hot, and like fun.
00:46:29.840 --> 00:46:34.960
But like none of it's it's not, it's just not like deep enough for me for any for any of that.
00:46:35.679 --> 00:46:42.639
Well, I will say I am more intrigued by the alien romance versus the dark romance when Katie and I did this last time.
00:46:42.719 --> 00:46:44.079
So never say never.
00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:49.280
I've got other I've got other books to get through, but maybe, maybe one day I will try the Ice Plane of Barbarians.
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:53.440
And maybe someone listening or watching is inspired to do it now.
00:46:53.599 --> 00:46:58.719
So thank you all three for coming on and talking with me about this.
00:46:59.280 --> 00:46:59.840
Of course.
00:47:04.559 --> 00:47:06.239
Thank you so much for listening.
00:47:06.320 --> 00:47:07.280
I hope you enjoyed that.
00:47:07.440 --> 00:47:08.239
I hope you laughed.
00:47:08.320 --> 00:47:09.199
I hope you smiled.
00:47:09.360 --> 00:47:12.320
I hope you maybe learned something new about alien romance.
00:47:12.480 --> 00:47:20.079
Both Paige and Katie do have bookish Instagrams, so I'm gonna put those handles right here if you want to follow them.
00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:23.519
Thank you, Paige, Katie, and Chantal, for joining me.
00:47:23.679 --> 00:47:27.840
And I hope you all enjoyed this episode as much as I had fun filming it.
00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:32.159
Now, before September, let's talk some business and scheduling.
00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:37.840
So next week is the first week of September, and that is going to be my dead week, as you noticed.
00:47:38.000 --> 00:47:45.360
When I am in season, I release three episodes of monthly one week being my dead week, and it's gonna be the first week for September.
00:47:45.519 --> 00:48:03.440
And then the second, third, and fourth week will all have episodes because I will be back the second week of September, and I'm doing my first historical romance, and I'm interviewing Rose for the development of her new historical and romance, The Unknown Birds, that takes place in both World War I and World War II.
00:48:03.519 --> 00:48:07.679
And apparently she's done years of research leading up to this book.
00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:10.159
So I'm really interested to talk to her about it.
00:48:10.320 --> 00:48:14.800
I hope you come back for it and get into some historical romance with me as well.
00:48:14.960 --> 00:48:17.599
And I will see you soon, my book Butterflies.
00:48:17.760 --> 00:48:18.800
Have a great week.
00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:06.559
Hello, my book butterflies, and welcome to this week's episode of the main chapter podcast.
00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:14.960
My name's Brianna, and if you haven't already, please be sure to like and subscribe so we can continue going and spreading our love of books with the entire world.
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Now, as promised, this week's episode is all about alien romance.
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Now, I don't read alien romance myself, but I have three bookish besties who do.
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Some of you might recognize Katie from my dark romance episode.
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And now we also have Paige and Chantal.
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And they have all read to Varying Places of Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarian series.
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And we really dive into it about why they love the series.
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What made them pick up alien romance to begin with?
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And we talk about a lot of topics trending when it comes to this subgenre and the series.
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Like, how does it feel to be reading a book where the male characters are literally blue and have tails?
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How does this language barrier work?
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How does a woman feel literally being in a new environment?
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And what does strong female characters look like in isolated barbarians and alien romance?
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We talk about the strangest things they've ever read.
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They literally mention a worm that I'm still thinking about days later after recording, but it is a super fun conversation, and I'm so happy that it was able to happen because we're in different time zones and had different work schedules.
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So I hope you enjoy it.
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And who knows, maybe by the end you'll want to pick up some alien romance yourself.
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My gosh, well, Sean's Hall, Paige, Katie, Stanley the Dog.
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Welcome to Main Chapter.
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Katie, you are a returning guest, which is so exciting.
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Last time you were here talking about dark romance.
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Today we are here talking about alien romance.
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But to give everyone an intro, I met these three lovely ladies when we were at TMZ.
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We are TMZ survivors.
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Katie's the only one still there, but we all bonded over a love of books.
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I met Paige first, who so lovely introduced me to Chantal and Katie, and they all are such great, great people.
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Do you guys want to give brief intros to yourself?
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We can start with Chantal.
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I should have.
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All right.
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Yeah, I'm a book lover.
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I don't know.
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What am I?
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Uh like books, love me some unhinged dark romance, love me some alien romance.
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Uh yeah, I don't really have a personality beyond that, but I'm excited to be here.
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I've never done this before.
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So I will yap and it'll be fun.
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I don't say you have a personality more in books.
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You're like the most well-traveled person I've ever met.
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So don't sell yourself short.
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But thank you.
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Of course, of course.
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Paige, do you want to go next?
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Yeah, so um I like am a huge, obviously book lover, like my fellow book besties over here.
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Um I love romanticy.
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That's what got me back into reading.
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Um, I also love sports romance and contemporary romance, and of course, alien romance, a new addition to the subgenres of romance that I love.
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Um, of course, try to dabble in some other ones, but nothing, nothing hits like like romance.
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Um, and um my friendships with all of you, like books are at the center, and I just love that.
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We're always sending memes and um fun posts and going on adventures.
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So um yeah, love you guys.
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Love books.
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I love you too.
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All right, round us out, Katie.
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Reintroduce yourself.
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Um, as I've been here before, I'm a dark romance reader.
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I started with classics and then I met Chantal, and then she ruined me and she introduced me to dark romance.
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Now I kind of like went through a really big mafia phase, and now I've kind of evened out where I'll do everything.
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I do a little contemporary, a little mafia, lots of alien.
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Um, I'll I'll kind of try anything once at this point, as long as it's the doors are open.
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Exactly.
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Well, you all prefaced it beautifully that we are here to talk about alien romance.
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So I'm assuming some people who clicked on this are also alien romance enthusiasts.
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But for those who clicked on this are like, what the heck is alien romance?
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Google officially defines this as stories that are a mixture of cosmic adventures with deep emotional themes like trust, isolation, and belonging, often exploring how characters bridge vast cultural uh and physical differences.
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So usually it's a human and an alien.
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I'm sure there's alien alien out there, but we're talking here, gonna talk about human and alien.
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We're specifically going to be talking about Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon, which was originally self-published by her in 2015, but then was traditionally published by Berkeley Romance in 2021.
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I could not find an official number, but I assume I hear there are over 40 books in this series between the full-length novels and novellas.
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It basically follows, from my understanding, a group of women who were abducted by an alien spaceship and are now in this ice planet to help the aliens repopulate and they're mates with these aliens.
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But would you say that's kind of a correct synopsis for people who aren't familiar with ice planet barbarians or want to give more detail with it?
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No, that's a good, that's a good quick, quick overview.
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Quick overview.
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Okay, we're definitely gonna get more into Death with Fit.
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But I also do want to preface this is a judgment-free zone.
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I'm very fascinated by this.
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This is just all so new to me.
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Um, but you know, I'm here for whatever floats your boat when it comes to romance, and I'm excited to learn more about alien romance and see if I can be commenced if I want to read more about it.
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But to start us off with how we got here, how we got into alien romance.
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Chantal, you are the instigator in this spring group.
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It was the same thing with dark romance too.
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You got Katie into Dark Romance, and you've gotten her into Alien Romance.
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What made you pick up an alien romance book?
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I'm just really freaky, and so uh I wanted to corrupt everybody here.
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No, I'm kidding.
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Um, I'm very much like someone, I'm like a bucket list reader.
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So if there's like an author or a genre that's very hyped, I want to give it a chance at least once.
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Um, and then at the time I started reading Ice Planet Barbarons, this is like a couple of years ago now, but I'd just gone through just like a very stressful time in my life.
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And so I wanted to read something escapist and fun, but that also wouldn't take like 500 pages of world building because I'm a romanticy reader as well.
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And love me some romanticy, but it's it can be a lot to get into when you're not mentally in the space for it.
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So Ice Planet Barbarians kind of fit the mold of what I wanted at the time, and then it kind of just turned into a fever dream where I read the first one and then I woke up four weeks later and I've gone through six books and two novellas, and the writing is insanely addictive.
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And I think once you get deep enough into the plot, aka like by half of your first book, anything is believable.
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So like I think there was definitely elements of it that, you know, I never would have thought, oh yeah, no, that that's that's hot, or like that that's a plot that makes sense to me.
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But I think like Ruby Dixon's writing is so masterful that once you're once you get into it, it just it's just a breeze.
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Loved it.
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So like when did you first hear of like Ruby Dixon?
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Was it TikTok?
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Were you just like on Goodreads?
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I think it must have been TikTok years and years ago.
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Cause I think I'd like heard about maybe page off actually.
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Like we were at Barnes once, and you were like, oh, I was gonna bring that up.
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Right.
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I think like you'd shown me it, and I was like, oh yeah, like I'd seen the cover before, but nah, like aliens aren't really my thing.
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And then I was like, no, but let me just try at least once.
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Cause if I'm not gonna like something, I want to be an informed hater.
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So I gotta read it all the way through and form it, have an informed opinion on it before I critique it.
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And uh, I was not a hater, I became obsessed, as everybody else in this in this little group was.
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So uh the rest is history.
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Okay, I love that.
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And as the one person who's been in here the longest, what Alien Romance have you read the entire series?
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How many books have you read?
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So, this is where I think I fall short to everyone here.
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Is I only have read the first six books and like three novellas, because I think I went through like six weeks of just Ice Planet Barbarians.
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And then I realized I needed to like touch grass and come up for air, and so I put it down for a little bit, didn't read for a couple of weeks and then never got back into it.
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But after prepping for this call, I've been getting into it again.
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So I think this week I'll probably start the next book in the series from where I left off.
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Okay, you're gonna you're gonna fall in love with it all over again.
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And Katie all over again.
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You were the second person to fall into Ice Planet Barbarians.
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So I know you said you'll try anything at least once, but what made you finally pull the trigger?
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Because last time we had talked, you had actually said that Chantal had been like telling you about Ice Planet Barbarians for a couple of years now.
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So what got you to the point where you're like, okay, why not?
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This is next on my TBR.
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It was kind of like a combo of Chantal and like and like book talk and bookstagram, because like she was the first one to point it out to me.
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And I hadn't even like hit Dark Romance yet.
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This was like our first time hanging out.
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And she's like, you should try this and this and this, and it's like aliens hard, hard pass.
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I'm like, I was still like in my contemporary world.
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So it was kind of like always in the back of my head because I kept seeing people on like Goodreads that I follow and on t on book talk being like talking about it, and I was like, what the h if all of these people who like a lot of them read very vanilla stuff compared to like what we read too, and they like it, then like it must be fine.
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And they're like 200 pages.
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So it's like like Chantal said, I was like, worst case scenario, I've I the three hours of my life are gone and I'm at least informed on it.
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But I mean, you're like 50 pages in and like crazy shit is going down.
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So I was like, all right.
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So next thing just like she said, next thing I knew, it was like all I had been reading for like two months.
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Um so yeah, I think I just like this year I decided to kind of dabble in other stuff and I decided to give it a shot, and now I'm obsessed.
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You're obsessed.
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And how many books deep are you into Ice Planet Barbara?
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Um, I finished book 10 this morning.
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Oh my gosh.
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But I think there are if you put all of her series that are in interconnected together, it's over 70 books.
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Oh my goodness.
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So you've got your work, all of you have your work cut out ahead of you to get through this.
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And Paige, I was most surprised when I saw a few weeks ago that you started reading this because you are such my contemporary sports romance girly.
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I know you've dabbled in dark romance, but it wasn't your thing as much.
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So, what made you decide to go into Ice Planet Barbarians?
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Well, Ashley Antal mentioned um, like we, you know, had talked about it briefly even before she read them because we wrote time at Barnes and Noble like many years ago, and we were like, oh my god, this looks like there's like a big ass alien on the front.
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Or I didn't mean to.
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And I was like, and I was like, oh, like what is this?
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And we were like reading it, we're like, this is so interesting.
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And then I kind of like forgot about it, but then over the years, kept seeing it on book talk, and talked about it, and then Katie was started getting really into it, and Katie was telling me about it as she was reading it, and I kept seeing her posting about it.
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And I was like, you know what?
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I really need an escape, something totally different.
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And Katie had mentioned they were short, and I was like, perfect.
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I you know, as you, Brianna, always say, you love a good palate cleanser.
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I was in need of a good palette cleanser at the time.
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So I was like, let's check it out.
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And I'm not gonna lie, like in the first like first few chapters, I'm like, what am I reading?
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If you get past that point, it's like take off, like you're done.
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Like I've read, um, I checked because I was curious because they all blend together.
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I don't know if you guys feel that way, but yeah, yeah.
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Together for some.
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Um and I've read seven, including um uh one novella, Ice Planet, I think the holiday one, because Katie was like, read the holiday novella because there's some there's several novellas, and I was like, I don't really like some of them.
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I was like, Yeah, like I read the blurb and I wasn't interested.
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But Katie's like, read the holiday one.
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Also agree, it's really cute.
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Um, but uh yeah, and I definitely will plan to read more.
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I think there's 22 in the main series, yeah.
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And then it like goes to like there's like a tropical, I was like looking last night, there's a tropical island or something on one.
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Yeah, uh, but I just yeah, it was it's so entertaining.
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And as as um Chantal said, like the writing is just like it really just sucks you in.
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And um, it's such an easy read, and they're so short.
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So it's like go to the next and then they kind of like leave off, they level a little cliffhanger, they kind of tease the next one, but it's you're like, might as well just go to the next one.
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Might as well it was so funny when Paige started because she was like, I'm just gonna read one and then I'm gonna, I'm like, okay, great.
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And then she's like, okay, so I've read three and I'm just gonna read one more.
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I'm like, okay, and then she's like, so I've read six.
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I'm like, okay, so I'm gonna do one more.
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Yeah, yeah.
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I just like couldn't stop.
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Like, I was like, Oh, I'll take a break after this, and then I just kept going.
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It just like, yeah, but I took a pause.
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So the general theme here is that you kind of get snowballed, you snowballed in, you just can't read one.
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Okay, so now that we've established how we've gotten here, how we like alien romance?
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I guess my main question is what does alien romance give you that regular like romanticy does not?
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Because I feel like romanticy, there's similar things of world building, there's magical creatures, even though they're not necessarily aliens.
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What makes alien romance and icepart and barbarians different from reading like Aquatar or Fourth Wing or anything else that's like out of this world, um, but maybe not as as taboo as alien romance is- I mean, I oh, you gotta go, Paige.
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Are you sure?
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Okay, so I think one thing that I don't know if you guys agree with this, but one thing that I found like very refreshing and like different is that because the girls were abducted from Earth, like they have they're like normal, like from like us, like they talk about things that they, you know, like bathrooms and food and like things that they had on earth.
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And they also like their inner monologues, they are like, especially in the first one, she's like, What's going on?
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Who are these big blue men?
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It's like they don't know that this exists, uh, and so they're surprised that they're in this new world.
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So it kind of like uh pokes fun at it a little bit in the beginning.
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So like they're questioning what's going on, whereas in romanticy, like they're all in the world, if that makes sense.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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And I think the thing with romanticy is the FMCs are, you know, so kind of superhumanly strong, even when they're supposed to be human, they have this insane like determination, and you know, they're like, you know, acrobats and you can suddenly are expert archers, it's you know, survival experts.
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And I think to your point, what's so fun about these FMCs is that it's kind of like if we were all just put onto an alien planet and like, yeah, some of them are more resilient than others, and but like, you know, all the problems they have, all the inner monologues they have, I'm like, yeah, no, that crash out is valid and very relatable.
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And and I see myself in this, it's a little more self-inserty, I guess, but but also just so fun.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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Katie, do you have anything to do?
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I'm not a romanticy reader, so I don't I can't really compare them.
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This is like my version, I guess.
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Fair enough.
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Fair enough.
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And then so I guess like, do you think like this alien aspect, because it's like on a planet and it's not real, like makes it easier to enjoy or imagine the things that are far fetched, like similar to romantic, because you're like, oh, it's like not real, or oh, it's like a different circumstance.
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So of course kidnapping is normal kind of thing.
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Yeah, well, and like they're not just to like to smooth that out, they're kidnapped by like bad aliens that are not these hot guys.
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Like they're they're like dumped there.
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So they like run into these guys and everyone's just kind of like, well, I guess we better make do and bang.
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But um, I I think that like they said you're you're it's so relatable that it it makes it kind of easier to think about just because it's like what would happen if I just ended up on a random other planet and there's just no way for them to get back.
00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.399
So they have to like, they just have to acclimate.
00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:24.159
They're in like a place where there's two suns.
00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:26.639
So they're like, I don't even know how the hell to get out of here.
00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:28.799
Um so yeah.
00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:44.320
Cause I like know, like, from what I was reading and doing research leading up to this interview, like I know in the first book when the girl and the main girl meets the first main guy, he like declares that like he's her mate, and like there's kind of like this early I love you declaration.
00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:55.519
Does it feel like less red flag-ish because they're just kind of like, oh, we're in this planet, like we've gotta, we've gotta move on, or is it or is that kind of like a misconception with the with the book?
00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:01.840
Yeah, it's because it's so far out there, regardless, it's very like, yeah, no, that that makes sense.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:05.680
So you already they're kidnapped by basketball-headed aliens, and and why not?
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.920
There's these really hot blue guys.
00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:09.440
I think so much that happens.
00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:12.559
Yeah, no, exactly.
00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:21.039
And it's like, yeah, I can take this magical worm that like cures me and also makes me realize who my mate is, and that's probably more context we need to break down.
00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:28.559
But basically, so much crazy shit happens that none of that like bad shit feels as scary.
00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:35.039
So I guess, yeah, to answer your original question, it is probably easier to read about a lot of the stuff that happens, whether it's like kidnapping.
00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:40.799
I know there's essay in the first book and things like that because you're kind of removed from it all.
00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:56.640
Um, but I think that's I don't know how you feel about dark romance, Katie, but I think I have a similar thing when reading dark romance is it it's so like the language, the inner monologues are so far-fetched, the situations are so far-fetched that like the darker shit that happens doesn't feel as like triggering or or anxiety-inducing when I read it.
00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:59.279
So I think like Ice Planet probably had that effect too.
00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:00.000
Interesting.
00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:11.759
I saw some people compare like Ice Planet to Dark Romance in the sense that you have these MMCs who are willing to basically go to great lengths and do anything to protect their women.
00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:22.000
So would you say like alien romance and dark romance kind of have that that intersection, like, like, oh, it's just like these unhinged MMCs that make you feel feel safe in a way?
00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:28.799
I think I think it's more palatable for contemporary romance readers because they're not like murdering people for these women.
00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:31.279
They're just like making them more furs.
00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:40.240
Like, I don't, it's like they're just like like they love them so much, but they're not like it, they're not murderous or like, or and they're not like dealing drugs or anything.
00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:45.039
They're just like these really sweet, giant, hot guys that like love them so much.
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.799
Okay, I feel like I'm learning so much.
00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.559
So if I've learned that they weren't originally because I thought they were abducted by the blue men.
00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:52.559
So I'm learning that they were abducted by the blue men.
00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:52.960
No.
00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:58.079
And there's there's some type of worm involved, and we're making a lot of furs.
00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:03.599
Okay, so that kind of goes into our next section of plot and logistical questions.
00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:11.519
Because I've heard a lot of things about Ice Planet Barbarians, where I'm like, oh, I feel like it would take me really hard long to get into this book because of these things.
00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:16.319
So I want to ask you like what your opinions on them when you were reading and how you feel about them now.
00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:18.799
So the first thing is that they have tails.
00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:30.160
And I can't, I'm kind of a hypocrite when I say this because I do read romantici, so I have read stuff where the guys have wings, or one of like my TBRs is the cruel prince, and I understand that he has a tail in that too.
00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:43.119
So I feel like tales aren't necessarily as far-fetched, but what is that like when you're reading a character, like a male love interest that has that has a tail or these attachments that aren't aren't typical in most characters?
00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:44.559
Honestly.
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.880
I kind of forget that it's there.
00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:47.920
Yeah, same.
00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:50.160
I just forget it.
00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:53.359
And then when it gets mentioned, I'm like, oh yeah, the tail, and then it goes away again.
00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:54.960
And then I'm like, okay.
00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:56.799
Yeah.
00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:01.920
And if it's mentioned, and like it almost feels like it doesn't feel that weird to me.
00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:12.240
It almost feels like honestly, kind of like an equivalent, like that you've read, Brianna, would kind of be like Avatar with the bat boys having wings or something.
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:19.200
Like it's just like a part of them, if I were to compare to something that you've read, but it's even mentioned like way less than that.
00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:24.240
So like what Katie was saying, and Chantal, like I often forget, and then I'm like, oh, I forgot they have tails.
00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:25.200
So yeah.
00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:33.039
And the tails like make them like the human women more because they can do things that they can't do to like the women that have tails.
00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:42.559
In order to make this, I realize, yeah, I try not to get like X-rated with it, but like the tail gets on the right sometimes.
00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:44.160
And just is it like a dog?
00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.920
Does the tail wag when they're excited?
00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:48.480
It switches, yeah.
00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:56.960
And then like the book I read this morning was too, it was just alien alien, and it's like they would like they would it like instead of holding hands, they would like intertwine their tails and stuff.
00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.279
So like it was it was weird.
00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:02.319
Not my favorite.
00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:05.519
Okay, that's that's that's different.
00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:08.240
But the next one is the blue skin.
00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:14.960
I guess like, you know, we have avatar and people have blue skin and that, but what is it like reading reading a man with blue skin?
00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:21.279
Honestly, I'm I I like I find Jake Sully really sexy.
00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:25.440
So um I didn't like it, kind of core itch in the new movie too.
00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:30.640
So reading about blue men, I was like, yeah, that that make that makes sense.
00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.400
I could see why you would find that hot.
00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.359
Absolutely.
00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:38.160
For me, it's like part of the like you they have no other choice.
00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:44.079
So I'm like, okay, if I was stuck again, like I said before on this planet that I can't get off of, like all right.
00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:46.640
I guess that's my tr like that's my only option.
00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:48.880
So I that's fine, I guess.
00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:49.680
I don't know.
00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:51.440
Yeah, I mean, I agree.
00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:59.759
I mean, they're like these like seven, eight foot like chiseled blue skinned men with like they always talk about the rock.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:04.400
Hard packs and abs and like tight booties and like things like that.
00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:10.960
And it's just like it's kind of it's hard to imagine the blue sometimes for me.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:14.160
Like there'll be moments where I'm like, oh, I forgot that they're blue.
00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:16.960
Um but yeah, just kind of like avatar.
00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:19.920
Like they're just that's just part of their just like just their skin color.
00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:26.799
Like actually, I actually find more hard times imagining like the ridges and stuff that they have.
00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:34.079
Yeah, like a little more difficult to imagine, but the blue skin isn't as difficult because again, you'd like it's like avatar.
00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:34.480
Okay.
00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:35.200
Okay.
00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:40.480
Well, I feel like the next one I would ask would be the hardest for me, which is the language barrier.
00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.200
Is these aliens don't speak English.
00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:45.039
So how do they communicate?
00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:45.920
What is that like?
00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:50.640
Like, I feel like that's just too much room for error or harm to happen.
00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:54.319
What is it like reading a language barrier when they don't speak the same language?
00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:57.920
And I feel like there's no way to really learn for them to learn each other's language.
00:22:58.160 --> 00:22:59.440
Well, is there not?
00:22:59.599 --> 00:22:59.839
Yeah.
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:01.839
Do we want to get into spoiler territory?
00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:03.039
Like, I mean, we can tell you.
00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:04.480
We can tell, we can talk a little bit.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.440
I'll I always put a spoiler disclaimer in the beginning.
00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:08.400
So you can tell me.
00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:09.680
Okay.
00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:11.119
Katie, you want to take it away?
00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:17.200
Um, so one of the like first places they stumble upon, I don't remember if it was book one or book, it had to be book one.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:21.279
They like stumble upon an old spaceship, which is where the blue men had come.
00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:25.119
They're not from this ice planet, they're from another planet, who knows how long ago.
00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:30.720
And they're like even more uh like technology technological than we are.
00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:37.200
So they have a spaceship that just like it's kind of dumb because it's like she just kind of solved this as easy as she could.
00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:42.240
They just go in the spaceship and it has like an Alexa, and they're like, Alexa, make me speak English.
00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:46.960
And then it like they all get knocked out for a second and they wake up and they all just speak the same language.
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:47.440
Oh.
00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:58.319
So it's like it's kind of like, but like there are things where it's like they don't know what holiday is and they don't know what like kiss is, and like they don't a lot of things, like just because they can speak the language, they don't know what the words are.
00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:00.400
So they do like learn things.
00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.839
But yeah, she kind of just like took the easy route out on that one.
00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:07.119
She was like, let me just like quickly like alter their brain.
00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:14.000
It like literally, it's like it like I don't know if it like, I don't remember if it like shoots rays or what, but it's just like and then everyone speaks the same language.
00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:14.559
Okay.
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:24.640
That makes me feel a little better because I feel like that makes it hard for things like consent and all that if they don't feel if they can't speak the same same language.
00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:25.680
100%.
00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:29.759
Okay, so now that that's answered, I think the also biggest thing is going into this.
00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:34.640
What is like the smut to plot ratio here when you're reading a book?
00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:40.160
Like when you're reading in here, like I because I know that I can't do it when like every two chapters they're going at it.
00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:45.519
So is this what is this what's happening at Ice Plan of Barbarians, or are we having other things, other things happening here?
00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:47.519
I think it depends on each book.
00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:48.160
Yeah.
00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:48.799
Yeah.
00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:54.640
Different couples have different spice levels because like with some of them it's a little more gradual as well.
00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:59.680
And so there's I forget which one, but one of them didn't have spice until like 50 or 60 percent of the book.
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:02.000
Like, I think it just depends on the couple.
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:12.079
And I think Ruby does a really, really good job of within each book having an overarching plot that is existential to like the tribe or like the characters.
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:14.000
Like, will this person die?
00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:15.119
Like, what's happening?
00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:22.640
So I think it's uh even if there is a lot of smut, the plot is all it always hits really, really hard, is is my my take on it.
00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:24.799
But it's also been a couple years since I was fully immersed.
00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:27.279
So I don't know if the other two have different opinions.
00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:35.440
I think like it toward the the beginning there's a lot, like in the first few books, because it's like they first get there and everyone's like, holy shit, there's been no females here and everyone's just horny.
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:40.960
But then like the one I read today, they didn't there was no sex until like the last chapter.
00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:45.119
So it's uh but that one was more about like, I don't know, it was deeper.
00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:50.319
So it's like some of them are like slow burns, some have like a lot of trauma that they have to get over.
00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:53.039
It just kind of depends on on the couple for sure.
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:53.599
Okay.
00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:57.200
So what like obviously everyone has to start at the beginning.
00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:02.960
What's the first book like in terms of like when someone's gonna pick it up and say, Oh, I want to read Ice Planet Barbarians after this?
00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:05.680
Like, what can they expect going into that first book?
00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:09.119
In terms of smut the plot.
00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.160
Oh, then in general, yeah, yeah.
00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:13.680
Like that's hard.
00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:24.960
I think there's a good amount of smut, but there's also like they have there's so much other stuff you're dealing with, because you're dealing with like there's so much like the world building and stuff.
00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:31.519
So it's like there's a lot of smut, but you're you're learning so much that it's really not like the main thing, I think.
00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:33.200
If I can think back that far.
00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:33.680
Okay.
00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:47.200
Yeah, the first one is the only one I think where there's a bit more ambiguity with like consent and things like that, especially when there's still a bit of a length, because like, you know, plot um spoiler, there's like the language thing doesn't happen until a little bit into the book.
00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:50.240
So there's still a bit of ambiguity when it comes to that communication.
00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:56.559
But even within that, you're like you still know that the FMC is like Dorgie isn't is in a safe space.
00:26:56.640 --> 00:27:03.279
So I don't think you're ever, apart from that first, like really traumatizing when they're kidnapped by the bad bad aliens, which is the first like two, three chapters.
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.319
Apart from that, you never feel like she's in any like real danger.
00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:07.839
At least that's how I felt reading it.
00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.480
But also, I think you go into it knowing like this is just a fun time, it's not gonna be too deep.
00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:16.400
The cover is the cover of the first one is like so bonkers, too.
00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:21.039
It's like it's it just it's like it's like the girl like leaning back and his head's done.
00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:23.519
Like you know what you're getting into when you pick that up.
00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:26.400
Oh, oh, the old covers because of the old cartoon.
00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:31.680
Yeah, the new cartoon one is so just it's like neon and pretty well.
00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.480
I think I have yeah, the new one's just like cute.
00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:36.240
That's what I like the old one.
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:38.880
I'm I like sent it to my mom and she's like, What are you reading?
00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:48.480
Like, so basically, people who aren't familiar with it, they might be surprised when they pick up like a cute cover in Barnes and Noble now.
00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:51.680
But OG readers, they know they know what they're getting into.
00:27:52.079 --> 00:28:03.279
So I see people always trying to convince others to read Ice Panot Barbie, and saying tropes like, oh, like the first one's gentle giant slash stubborn girl, or then it's stubborn giant and stubborn girl.
00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:13.039
Uh so like what do you think is your favorite trope in the series, or what do you what tropes do you think hit harder in alien romance than regular romanticy or contemporary romance?
00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:14.799
Oof.
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:20.319
I'll just say my favorite is like, and I think it's because it's like barbarians.
00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:26.880
Like my absolute favorite book is Harlow and Rook, and it's like spoilers, but like he's not part of the tribe.
00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:33.440
He's like an outsider that's just like caveman, like he just like bonks her over the head and steals her.
00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:35.680
Like I love like, but I love like a kidnapping.
00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:39.359
So like I don't so anything mafia romance.
00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:42.000
What it's giving mafia romance, it's giving mafia romance.
00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:43.519
You're like my thing.
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:45.519
It's caveman mafia romance.
00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:48.240
Like, I love like a big dumb hot alien.
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:50.079
So like, and she's just so sweet.
00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:52.240
So like it that's a really good combo.
00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:55.759
For me, that's my my absolute favorite book of the whole the whole series.
00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:57.599
Okay, what about you two?
00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:01.359
Who wants to go first?
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:03.519
I think I can, or do you have one?
00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:09.359
I think that the um Grumpy Sunshine trope is done really well in these books.
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.000
And I think it's really entertaining.
00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:19.759
Um when like because Katie said even just because they're these big hot illy men, and so when they're grumpy, it's like another level.
00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:34.319
But kind of off that, I think they're essentially all have like faded mates trope in there because they when they take just a quick context, Rihanna, when they like they have to have this worm to like survive.
00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.480
And when they let's talk about this worm.
00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:37.440
What is this worm?
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:39.279
Is that how you say it?
00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:39.680
A queen?
00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:41.359
I think so, yeah.
00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:45.440
And so they take this worm, then it like they need the worm to survive.
00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:51.759
When they take the worm, that means that they are now like um, correct me if I'm wrong, guys.
00:29:51.839 --> 00:30:02.000
It's really hard to kind of explain that they um can have this like ability to get resonance with another with another per other another cooey.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:06.480
And so the point of resonance, and this is where I feel like it's gonna be hard for you, Brianna.
00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:11.039
The whole point of resonance, resonance is to have is to procreate.
00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:11.920
Okay.
00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:23.759
And I know you like hate rope, but this is like different because it's like very uh like animalistic and very physical, but there also is like love stories in there too.
00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:55.920
But because of that physical like need for each other, several of the books they there's often like a main character, either the male or the female, who is like fighting this like innate need that they have inside them to be with the other person, which that like really turns like, especially if it's grumpy sunshine, they're like really do not like or like fighting not to be the other person, but then you find out with a dual POV that sometimes like they seem like that on the outside, but in reality they like really love the person.
00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:04.799
If I'm explaining that at all well, it's like and those are like those are like a slow, those are like the slow burn books, yes, because they're like fighting it, yeah.
00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:07.680
So follow up with the worm.
00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:13.279
Uh like the actors like we're staying on this, we're not moving past it.
00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:19.279
So after you like take it, does like the worm just like live inside you?
00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:21.519
Yeah, yes, yeah, like a parasite.
00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:35.440
It was like another kind of like easy way out for Ruby to have like you where you can acclimate to the world, like because like humans can't live there because they can't breathe the air and like it's too cold, but this worm makes it possible for you to survive there.
00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:39.119
But then it also does this thing where it like finds your mate.
00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:42.640
So it's kind of like Do you feel it like wiggling inside you?
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:44.000
I don't think so.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:50.880
First they do because they like cut your skin open and they don't need it, they like put it in and yeah, but then it just stays there.
00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:51.920
I don't like do it.
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:53.279
Pass out.
00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:56.000
Yeah, and it makes your eyes glow.
00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:57.920
Yeah, eyes glow blue.
00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:58.720
Yeah.
00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:00.880
Yeah, cures ailments too.
00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:12.160
As a health anxiety girly, I think one of them got like had a tumor and like got cured by this worm, and like I was like, Yeah, no, I'd love to take a worm and just like cure every possible ailment I could ever have.
00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:18.160
But it also like gets it gets rid of your like birth control as well, because it's like you will get pregnant.
00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:34.000
So yeah, they when I mentioned earlier about how like they bring in like references from the real world, like one of the girls has like an IUD, and like that becomes like a plot detail and an issue because like they can't get it out.
00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:36.559
So does the worm eat it?
00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:42.000
No, but the worm does its thing without spoiling it.
00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:43.200
Yeah, okay.
00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:44.240
It gets solved.
00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:45.200
Okay.
00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:50.160
Well, going back to the initial question, because Chantal, I don't believe you answered.
00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:58.960
Is what trope do you think hits like harder in alien romance than regular, just like contemporary romance or romanticy?
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:07.519
Honestly, I was gonna say I don't really have a good answer to this question because I have a favorite book, but I think it's also my favorite trope in like regular romance, which is enemies.
00:33:07.759 --> 00:33:28.400
I think Liz, like the second book is enemies to lovers, like Liz and Rahosh, or I don't know how to say the aliens' names, but um, and that's my favorite book because I love in a good enemies to lover is like the attention buildup and the, you know, well, again, without spoiling too much, there's a lot of push and pull internally for both of them, and I love that buildup until it finally explodes.
00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:39.119
Um, so I don't think it's like for me personally, I don't think there's a trope that hits harder in alien romance, but I do think I love seeing a trope that I love in a different context that I've never interacted with before.
00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:42.079
And there's a lot of different tropes, so there's something for everybody.
00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:44.160
So, you know, you're being really polite.
00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:48.720
I can see the horror on your face, and we're like, this is for procreation, and you're being so polite about it.
00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:51.920
But honestly, you might you might enjoy a couple of the books in this.
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:54.400
I'm I'm starting to say it's a judgment-free zone.
00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:57.440
I'm just more fascinated than anything else.
00:33:57.599 --> 00:34:01.519
So to me, this thing, the weirdest thing I've heard so far is the worm.
00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:07.839
But what has been the weirdest thing for you guys as you've read it, where you've been like, it's almost been like too weird for you, or what was the weird?
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:15.519
It can either be the weirdest thing that you've read or the weirdest thing you found attractive while reading this book.
00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:21.039
Oh I actually don't know.
00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:34.639
This doesn't answer your question, really, but like I think the hardest thing for me, and I'm always because you kind of put yourself in this book since like we said they're humans, is that like if I were I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years, I'd have to eat meat there.
00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:37.840
And like the meat sounds so gross.
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:43.039
Even when they find like the the guys eat it raw and the girls cook it, and like I it all sounds terrible.
00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:44.079
And I was thinking about it today.
00:34:44.159 --> 00:34:47.760
I was like, I don't know what I would actually like do if I were there.
00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:49.920
Like to me, that it's just gross.
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:50.400
I don't know.
00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:53.119
That's my least favorite thing is that you like have to eat meat.
00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:54.800
Kind of going off that.
00:34:55.360 --> 00:35:04.800
I sometimes like some of the creatures, I mean, I know this is a thing in like romantic, but some of the creatures are like so weirdly described.
00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:11.039
I'm like, what it's kind of, you know, think of like Star Wars kind of, I guess, is the easiest like reference I can think of.
00:35:11.199 --> 00:35:16.159
But some of these creatures are so weird, and then like they like, you know, kill them and like skin them.
00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:18.079
And I'm like, ugh, my god, it's disgusting.
00:35:18.480 --> 00:35:25.599
And then especially when like some of the girls are pregnant and then they already like have to eat, but like they nothing sounds good.
00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:28.960
But also I'm like, I don't think that sounds good if you were pregnant, you know?
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:43.199
Oh, honestly, on the note, because I guess I don't have a good answer to the original question, but jumping off of Paige's point, for me, the weirdest thing was like when the girls get pregnant and give birth to like alien baby hybrid things.
00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:44.320
I like, I don't know.
00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:45.440
I mean, it's a spoiler.
00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:53.920
They get the they give birth to alien baby hybrids, but like I think that would like freak me out, having to push out like a little horned creature out of my hee he's like that.
00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:56.239
But they're so cute, and I don't even like page.
00:35:57.039 --> 00:35:59.119
That just that just sounds so painful to me.
00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:06.320
That's the one thing I was like, oh, okay, yeah, no, that that's suspending the disbelief to like an an another degree.
00:36:06.800 --> 00:36:07.119
Okay.
00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:09.440
Because I was gonna ask about the birth scenes.
00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:12.880
I was a little curious about that if they're if they're getting pregnant.
00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:27.199
Um, but we have a few minutes left, and I really did want to talk about the female characters a little bit because I everyone when I hear about this book, I'm always like the men, people are always like the men, the men, the aliens.
00:36:27.679 --> 00:36:30.480
But with the females, I feel like I don't hear much about them.
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:42.400
And like being honest, do you feel like these women actually have personalities or are they made to be easy self-inserts, or do you feel they're more like passive in just like this whole storyline?
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:44.880
Like, what are the women like in these books?
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:47.599
Some of them I absolutely hate.
00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:49.920
So and some I love.
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:54.559
So they're all very, very, very different, like extremely different types of book.
00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:55.519
Agreed.
00:36:55.840 --> 00:37:19.119
And as Katie mentioned earlier, that a lot of them or several of them have like different they all have like different traumas, like things to overcome, whether it's something like various degrees, um, whether it's something that happened to them on Earth or after they landed on the planet um or something that happened with when they were kidnapped by the basketball head aliens.
00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:23.920
I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's part of the things that it's how they're described.
00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:37.760
Um but yeah, I think that they all have they're not just like all duds, like they all have different kinds of journeys to go on and different kinds of trauma or um things that they are dealing with.
00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:45.360
So kind of off that, you kind of, you know, one of like we each might have a favorite FMC because we relate to her in different ways.
00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:46.079
Yeah.
00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:47.119
Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:56.639
And I think because kind of going back to what we were talking about at the beginning was how they're very relatable in their internal, because they're from Earth and they're put into this really bizarre situation.
00:37:56.719 --> 00:38:00.559
And I think with that relatability, the growth is really interesting.
00:38:00.719 --> 00:38:06.320
Like in each like FMC has her own sort of arc that she has to overcome, like a range of obstacles.
00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:11.360
But like you go on that journey with her and it feels so relatable.
00:38:11.519 --> 00:38:23.440
Like, I think sometimes in romanticy, like I think Fourth Wing is an example of a book that like I adore, but like the struggles Violet goes through and the fact that she like you know rides a ginormous dragon despite her like bones hurting.
00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:25.280
I'm like, oh no, I could never imagine doing that.
00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:32.960
But like you look at or you you're inside like inside the mind of some of the FMCs and Ice Planet Barbarians, and you're like, oh no, I I could I could relate to that.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:36.800
I could see how if any of us were like put onto this planet, that's the journey we'd go on.
00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:40.000
So I think there is a beauty to that too, to that relatability.
00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:40.639
Okay.
00:38:40.800 --> 00:38:47.679
It's nice to know that they have like personalities and they're just not just kind of like not vessels for these aliens.
00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:54.159
And so far, you like I a couple times in this interview says they're like, oh, they're like, they're they have no way of getting home, they don't even know where they am.
00:38:54.320 --> 00:38:56.639
So they're just trying to like make the best of it.
00:38:56.800 --> 00:38:59.039
Do you see them like longing for Earth?
00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:05.760
Because I know like if I was like one of them, I'd just be like, I miss my family, I want my mom, I want my dad, I like want to go back to like my bed.
00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:13.599
Do you see them ever having like that internal struggle of being like homesick and missing the life they know, or do they overcome that like pretty quickly?
00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:17.440
I feel like there's only a small I actually do think there should be more of that.
00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:25.519
I think like a lot, a lot of them are just resigned to the fact that, like, well, I'm here now, and like every once in a while they'll be like, Oh, I miss Christmas, or like, oh, I miss my mom.
00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:32.480
But like, nobody is like, I don't remember early enough, but like I've gotten to a point where everyone is just like chilling.
00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:34.639
Like, like no one is distraught.
00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:46.079
Yeah, it's part of the plot, I think, in like the first one of the first two books where they talk about how each girl who was kidnapped was someone who wouldn't be missed on earth or who would be forgotten on earth.
00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:59.920
So I think it's like they talk about missing their parents or like their family, but like I think most of their like their parents are like not around anymore, or they were in foster care and never had a family, or you know, like essentially they were very alone on earth.
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.159
And so this whole thing is like they found found family, but on a different planet.
00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:12.719
So I think that's another like kind of easy-ish plot device Ruby uses to not have to run into the constant, oh, but I want to go back to see my dog, you know.
00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:16.400
It's it's like, no, I have nothing and no one on earth, so this is fine.
00:40:16.639 --> 00:40:17.039
Yeah.
00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:17.519
Yeah.
00:40:17.920 --> 00:40:18.639
I agree with that.
00:40:18.719 --> 00:40:25.119
It was, it's almost and a lot of them, it seems like their lives are well, actually, majority of them, like their lives are better on the planet.
00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:25.360
Yeah.
00:40:25.840 --> 00:40:30.159
They have rough lives on Earth in like various way, shape, or form, too.
00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:33.360
I actually I don't want to go back to the other question, but I kind of am.
00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:36.800
I actually feel like the men have less personalities than the women do.
00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:43.280
Like I get the men mixed up more than I do the women because they're kind of just like the hot blue guy that's there to bang them.
00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:47.840
But like the women, I feel like you're on this more for like the women's journey than the men.
00:40:48.079 --> 00:40:48.239
Okay.
00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:52.800
So book talk just loves to glorify men characters, is what I'm hearing with this with this alien.
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:56.000
I mean, like, but like I'm not gonna be like, wow, Georgie's so hot.
00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:58.239
Like, obviously, I'm gonna be like, oh, Neckel's hot.
00:40:58.480 --> 00:41:02.239
Like, I I'm not gonna like gush about the human women.
00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:04.960
Like so, yeah, I don't know.
00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:10.559
We can celebrate them, we could celebrate them, but we will thirst over the very sexy alien match.
00:41:10.880 --> 00:41:12.800
Okay, okay, fair, fair enough.
00:41:12.880 --> 00:41:19.920
I guess when you're trying to convince people to read an alien roman match, not gonna be like, oh, the female so relatable, you're gonna be like, no, the man is so hot.
00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:21.199
So yeah.
00:41:21.519 --> 00:41:22.719
Makes makes sense.
00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:25.519
So to conclude this out, I just want to get a preface.
00:41:25.760 --> 00:41:28.000
Obviously, we've read Ice Planet Barbarians.
00:41:28.079 --> 00:41:32.159
Have we read any other alien monster romance series?
00:41:32.239 --> 00:41:37.599
Or now are we open to now reading any other types of series now that we've gone into gone into this one?
00:41:38.400 --> 00:41:40.159
I've read no other alien.
00:41:40.239 --> 00:41:42.239
This is the only alien romance series I've read.
00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:46.960
I think I've read a couple like novellas that are alien romance, but it's always like in like alien world.
00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:50.800
It's not like different monsters, but I'd definitely be open to reading different monsters.
00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:52.880
I just don't know if I could get into it.
00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:59.599
I know Dinosaur Erotica is a thing, like like T-Rex as the male, like MMC and stuff like that.
00:41:59.840 --> 00:42:02.480
Um, so I've again I'd try everything once.
00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:08.719
Don't think I'd maybe get into it in the same way because these are such humanoid f MMCs, even if they are aliens.
00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:12.880
I think I think that this this led me slightly astray.
00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:17.519
I am open to other alien romance, like there's like saving Lucas or something.
00:42:17.679 --> 00:42:21.599
There's other ones that people talk about that are like just as good, which I will get to eventually.
00:42:21.920 --> 00:42:28.239
But Monster Romance, I tried it and like I don't it's rough.
00:42:28.639 --> 00:42:29.679
It's weird.
00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:32.639
Like it is not the same as like hot blue men.
00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:46.559
It's like I did Morning Glory Milking Farm and I would like it removed from my memory because everyone's like, oh, it's not, it's not a it's not a bull, it's a man, but like the only thing that's man about him is that he has abs and hands.
00:42:46.639 --> 00:42:48.079
He still has hoofs and a bullhead.
00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:49.199
So like I don't know.
00:42:49.920 --> 00:42:53.840
It's it's just it's so I'm it feel it felt bad.
00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:56.719
Like it felt really bad reading that, and I did not enjoy it.
00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:01.039
And it was part of my I'll try anything once, and that was once.
00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:03.039
Almost once.
00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:04.800
It was the once.
00:43:05.039 --> 00:43:20.639
I haven't read any other alien romance um or monster romance really, but I have read some paranormal romance, um, just like you know, mainly mate and bride, but I would be open to more paranormal romance because I really did, I loved those.
00:43:20.880 --> 00:43:24.800
Um it kind of brings back to like teenage years of like Loving Twilight.
00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:28.719
So I definitely I guess paranormal kind of can go in with romance.
00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:33.599
I mean, uh with monster romance if you consider the fact that they're like werewolves and vampires and and those kind of.
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:35.840
Sorry, go ahead.
00:43:36.079 --> 00:43:39.679
No, I'm just saying I always put those differently in my mind, but I guess you are right.
00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:41.760
They are they are in a way paranormal.
00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:45.199
Yeah, at least they like end up human at some point.
00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:45.679
Yeah.
00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:46.639
Human, yeah.
00:43:46.800 --> 00:43:50.719
Not just humanoid, like they're actual like men who are also not men.
00:43:51.280 --> 00:43:51.599
Yeah.
00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:56.480
But I think like my like my pals here, I think I'd be open to trying different ones.
00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:59.280
Maybe not like that Hoofman one that you read.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:00.639
Please don't do it.
00:44:01.679 --> 00:44:07.519
But I was I would definitely like I'm open to to give things a shot, you know, to find.
00:44:07.679 --> 00:44:08.320
Because you never know.
00:44:08.400 --> 00:44:10.400
I mean, even just with this, like it surprised me.
00:44:11.760 --> 00:44:12.000
Yes.
00:44:12.639 --> 00:44:17.760
I saw someone advocating for a Kraken romance the um the other day.
00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:19.920
So I did see that too.
00:44:20.079 --> 00:44:22.000
That's a popular genre.
00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:22.559
Yeah.
00:44:22.800 --> 00:44:23.039
Yeah.
00:44:23.199 --> 00:44:25.039
Is it because is it like the tentacle?
00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:29.519
Is like is that the one where they have lots of tentacles and that's like they're like an octopus.
00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:33.119
But like the the stickies, like the the cupcake.
00:44:33.199 --> 00:44:35.119
I feel like that might not be very comfortable anyway.
00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:41.039
Anyway, I think it's the multiple tentacles that people are like my gosh.
00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:42.400
Well, knock it.
00:44:42.480 --> 00:44:43.679
No one knock it till I try it.
00:44:43.920 --> 00:44:44.960
To read it, I mean.
00:44:45.199 --> 00:44:45.599
Exactly.
00:44:45.679 --> 00:45:01.039
I feel like there's so much to talk about because we didn't even get to the fact because last time Katie and I talked on this uh podcast, you told me how like the men Ice Planet Barbarians, like their anatomy was shaped like a rabbit vibrator, and we didn't even get to that part in this book.
00:45:01.119 --> 00:45:09.599
So honestly, there's so much to talk about when it comes to alien romance, but Paige has to get to work.
00:45:09.679 --> 00:45:14.239
So we are gonna finish out with one question, which is ending this interview.
00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:19.840
Pitch to me or anyone listening why they should try Ice Plana Barbarians.
00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:23.760
If you had to do it in one to two sentences, how would you what would you say?
00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:41.599
Um it's three hours or less of your time, and it's hot, and it's a good like we had said, it's a good like palette cleanser escapism type thing that you can just kind of leave Earth for.
00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:42.400
Okay.
00:45:43.519 --> 00:45:43.920
Agree.
00:45:44.079 --> 00:45:46.400
That was like really like perfectly summed up.
00:45:46.480 --> 00:45:47.519
Like, couldn't say it better.
00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:53.519
And I know like Brianna, as Katie mentioned, like it is a great palette cleanser, and I know how much you love a palette cleanser.
00:45:53.679 --> 00:45:55.119
And like Katie said, they're short.
00:45:55.199 --> 00:45:59.599
So if you don't like it, like you didn't really like spend a lot of time on it.
00:45:59.920 --> 00:46:00.239
Okay.
00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:07.440
And I would say it's just the most, I think reading it was the most fun I've had in a very, very long time.
00:46:07.679 --> 00:46:15.440
So if you're just looking for a fun time and nothing else, like turn your brain off, go for the ride, it's the perfect place to be.
00:46:15.679 --> 00:46:20.960
It's also just like it's not even like I've never annotated a single one of those books.
00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:29.599
There's nothing that like nothing is in it is like deep or like it's just easy, quick, cute, hot, and like fun.
00:46:29.840 --> 00:46:34.960
But like none of it's it's not, it's just not like deep enough for me for any for any of that.
00:46:35.679 --> 00:46:42.639
Well, I will say I am more intrigued by the alien romance versus the dark romance when Katie and I did this last time.
00:46:42.719 --> 00:46:44.079
So never say never.
00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:49.280
I've got other I've got other books to get through, but maybe, maybe one day I will try the Ice Plane of Barbarians.
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:53.440
And maybe someone listening or watching is inspired to do it now.
00:46:53.599 --> 00:46:58.719
So thank you all three for coming on and talking with me about this.
00:46:59.280 --> 00:46:59.840
Of course.
00:47:04.559 --> 00:47:06.239
Thank you so much for listening.
00:47:06.320 --> 00:47:07.280
I hope you enjoyed that.
00:47:07.440 --> 00:47:08.239
I hope you laughed.
00:47:08.320 --> 00:47:09.199
I hope you smiled.
00:47:09.360 --> 00:47:12.320
I hope you maybe learned something new about alien romance.
00:47:12.480 --> 00:47:20.079
Both Paige and Katie do have bookish Instagrams, so I'm gonna put those handles right here if you want to follow them.
00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:23.519
Thank you, Paige, Katie, and Chantal, for joining me.
00:47:23.679 --> 00:47:27.840
And I hope you all enjoyed this episode as much as I had fun filming it.
00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:32.159
Now, before September, let's talk some business and scheduling.
00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:37.840
So next week is the first week of September, and that is going to be my dead week, as you noticed.
00:47:38.000 --> 00:47:45.360
When I am in season, I release three episodes of monthly one week being my dead week, and it's gonna be the first week for September.
00:47:45.519 --> 00:48:03.440
And then the second, third, and fourth week will all have episodes because I will be back the second week of September, and I'm doing my first historical romance, and I'm interviewing Rose for the development of her new historical and romance, The Unknown Birds, that takes place in both World War I and World War II.
00:48:03.519 --> 00:48:07.679
And apparently she's done years of research leading up to this book.
00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:10.159
So I'm really interested to talk to her about it.
00:48:10.320 --> 00:48:14.800
I hope you come back for it and get into some historical romance with me as well.
00:48:14.960 --> 00:48:17.599
And I will see you soon, my book Butterflies.
00:48:17.760 --> 00:48:18.800
Have a great week.
