Escaping to the Barbarians

Savagely Sweet Barbarians #2

by Amy Padilla

My clan calls me vigilant. My brother calls me overprotective. I call it my duty. I knew since I was young that I wanted to protect my clan and those who could not defend themselves. So when one of the towns we were visiting turned us away without giving us a chance to speak to the people there, I couldn’t make myself stay away. If someone was there that needed to escape, I wanted to help them. It turned out my instincts were right. I went back after dark and stumbled upon a terrified man being hunted by his own people. He collapsed into my arms, grateful and sobbing, and something in my chest lit for him. A protective instinct that burned solely for him. But his town wasn’t going to give him up so easily. Getting him out of the country would be harder than I expected. I would smuggle him out if I needed to. Whatever it took to keep him safe.

Genres: M M Romance

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

Reviews

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My Arlen. Gods blessed me when finding you.” - Tyos

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4 because I love these barbarians and couldn’t bring myself to give it 3.
Dual POV, 1st Person, Set in a past time/different universe
MCs: Arlen (Tailor for his Town, Bromwich) & Tyos (Warrior for his Clan, Tyos and blood brother Dras from Clan Velgraz)

📝💭Super cute and sweet like the other barbarians Amy has written. I’ve enjoyed all that I’ve read. A little disappointed in the anticlimactic plot, while it was nice to read, I was hoping for a little more to come up problem wise with Arlen running. I also feel like the ending was rather abrupt with no epilogue. I don’t think I would have minded the lack of epilogue if we could have at least been able to read that Arlen and Tyoa had officially become bondmates. That was a let down that cost almost a full star for me. I would still recommend this series and the Not So Savage series to others! I find them very entertaining and am already looking forward to the next… maybe Dras?💭📝


🛑⚠️Trigger/Content Warnings: ⚠️🛑

- Homophobia
- Safe Sex/Protection & Traditional Lube, neither are a topic in this universe/time


😰😓My Limits:😓😰

Sharing: No
Cheating: No
OW/OM: No
Break Up: No
HEA/HFN?: More of a HFN because they do not become bondmates before the story ends.
Emetophobia: There is a short scene where a few characters are ill due to the wagon ride but it is not graphic. Nausea mentions a couple times after.


❤️Tropes/Themes:❤️

- Explicit Sexual Content
- Virgin MC
- Found Family vibes
- MM Romance
- Homophobia


📚 Read These: 📚

Not-So-Savage Barbarians series:

Khrull & Briar: The Unexpected Barbarian #0.5 (prequel), 4 ⭐️ This one you can get on the author's website.

Rath & Finn: The Barbarian’s Tribute #1, 5 ⭐️

Verus & Patrick: Saved by a Barbarian #2, 5 ⭐️

Tomas & Simon: Seducing a Barbarian #3, Have Not Read

Einar & Matthew: The Barbarian’s Claim #4, 5 ⭐️

Godr & Ambrose: The Physician’s Barbarian #5, 5 ⭐️

Uttin & Zakai: Prince of the Barbarians #6, Have Not Read


Savagely Sweet Barbarians Series:

Orthorr & Cedric The Barbarians Heart #1, 4 ⭐️

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

TBR, who? ARCS, what? Here's Amy Padilla's latest: "Escaping to the Barbarians." It's the second novel in her Savagely Sweet series, which is a Not-So-Savage Barbarian's spin-off.

["My clan calls me vigilant. My brother calls me overprotective. I call it my duty. I knew since I was young that I wanted to protect my clan and those who could not defend themselves. So when one of the towns we were visiting turned us away without giving us a chance to speak to the people there, I couldn’t make myself stay away. If someone was there that needed to escape, I wanted to help them. It turned out my instincts were right. I went back after dark and stumbled upon a terrified man being hunted by his own people. He collapsed into my arms, grateful and sobbing, and something in my chest lit for him. A protective instinct that burned solely for him. But his town wasn’t going to give him up so easily. Getting him out of the country would be harder than I expected. I would smuggle him out if I needed to. Whatever it took to keep him safe."]

Loved, loved, loooooved these two. I'm obsessed with hot instant the desire and devotion is in this series. It's nearly magical on how sure how fast they are. It's something clicking into place and fate giving you a little shove. Even if the meet-cute isn't always cute (though this was one--given the circumstances).

I also love how this one takes place along the same time frame as the last one, which always takes place between the last chapter and epilogue of the final Not-So-Savage Barbarians book. It's fun, knowing sooo much is going on all at the same time. I also (x2) love all of the cameos from Not-So-Savage Barbarians; love me all of those sassy and sweet tributes, and their savagely adorable and fiercely protective bond mates.

#barbariansheart #escapingtothebarbarians #savagelysweet #savagelysweetseries #notsosavagebarbarians #notsosavagedbarbariansseries #amypadilla #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Lula Brielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the second book of the Savagely Sweet Barbarians series, we find a group of Barbarians from the different clans that had settled at Al Nazeem, working together to pick-up/rescue people from various towns who want to leave. Their reason for leaving? To be free from scrutiny and judgment from their peers and live and love openly, preferably in a same sex relationship.

If their "affliction" was to be known, they would face death. The majority of towns willingly give these people over to the Barbarians. But one town in particular decides to trap their group of people who want to leave. Yet, that's not enough for tailor Arlen, who has always dreamed of finding love.

He finds a way to sneak out but unfortunately he is chased by the towns guards, ready to capture and kill him. Nearly dead, he is rescued by one of the Barbarians, Tyos, and in my opinion, it was love at first sight. Their caravan back to Al Nazeem faces a bit of an adventure both good and bad, but it is clear Tyos is protective and smitten with Arlen.

Will their language barrier and different customs hinder a possible bondmate? Will Arlen want someone new when they reach Al Nazeem? These are all potential worries but with how quickly they've connected, you're going to root for their HEA! And remember those good and bad adventures I mentioned? I think this book is definitely a great set up for an action packed Book 3, and I can't wait to read it!

Special thanks to the author for providing me the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[SNik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in series (Savagely Sweet Barbarians), best if read in order. Hurt/comfort. Found family. Quick read. Dual POV.

Arlen plans to leave his hometown and his tailor shop behind in order to find the freedom to love who he chooses. But he has to resort to sneaking out and luckily is rescued by a protective barbarian that helps him escape and eventually feel safe and loved.

Anyone familiar with this author’s barbarian series will again find the recurring formula of an outsider falling for a cinnamon roll barbarian, and if that’s your jam (which apparently is it for me), then this is another fun read. Arlen and Tyos become close quickly, Arlen relying on Tyos for safety and Tyos deciding that he would willingly protect Arlen for the rest of his life. Although not deep, this story certainly fits the sweet, cute and short categories, with a bit of spice. This story overlaps slightly in timeline to book one, and has some hints at possible future characters which I look forward to seeing get their HEA. 4.25

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escaping to the Barbarians is the second book in the Savagely Sweet Barbarians series. This book can be read as a standalone but why not enjoy the whole series. This is the story of Tyos a barbarian and Arlen. The blurb gives you a good idea of what to expect in the story. This is another wonderful story about love finding a way with the help of the barbarians that Amy Padilla writes so well. This book had everything I would expect in the series. It has a little bit of steam, wonderful characters, great world building, and a bit of angst. I loved these two and watching them figure things out. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book and series.
received a free review copy

[Demetra Roussakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read. Arlen is a tailor in his village and is very popular. People are always asking him when he is going to get married, but he always says he is too busy to court someone. When he hears that the barbarians are coming to his town he gets himself ready to leave. He hears rumors that the mayor will not let anyone leave but finds a way to escape. Tyos is a protector and is very caring. When he realizes that the town is closed and pushing away his clan, his instincts tell him he needs to go back. When he does, he saves Arlen from his townspeople. This is the start of their story with how they got together and how Arlen started to feel safer. Great chemistry, heat and world building. Cannot wait for the next book in this world.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arlen is really put through the wringer in order to find his place in the world, but he finally finds freedom and safety with Tyos. There are both new and familiar faces from prior books in the story. I like how the bond mates find a place within the clans by helping out and using their knowledge and skills. As the series title says, these guys are savagely sweet. The story is fairly low angst and seems to be leading to bigger problems for the people wanting to leave the towns for a new life. I'm curious as to which barbarian finds his mate next.

I noted only a couple of proofreading issues in the ARC.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arlen and Tyos story was quite interesting with a bit of adrenaline and danger as there’s escaping, chasing, and people that are determined to make things difficult.
I liked how their relationship developed, the trust between them, how Arlen was accepted and protected from danger, and the changes he brings to the clans.
I liked the teasing and the shenanigans, and I absolutely adored their awkward communication thanks to the slight language barrier.
I liked seeing old characters and the happy community they formed.
They were sweet and endearing together, and I liked how they got their happiness.
I enjoyed the story, and I’m looking forward to the next couple.

[Showarst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escaping to the Barbarians by Amy Padilla is book 2 in the Savagely Sweet Barbarians series. Arlen is a tailor from Matthew’s village. He has made the decision to leave his town and take refuge with the barbarians to have a chance at love. Tyos and the rest of the group rescue Arlen when he was chased by his fellow villagers. Tyos was so sweet and drawn to Arlen. It was sweet to see them fall in love on the journey. I absolutely love these stories about how the barbarians are not what they seem. It is always nice to see previous characters as well. I love this series and cannot wait to see where Amy takes us next!

I received an ARC from the author for my honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book one of this spin-off series mentioned the conflict the barbarians encountered when traveling to pick up new tributes/volunteers. This book delves more into the reason behind that conflict and how it was handled. Arlen finds himself at the center of the conflict, and Tyos is his barbarian rescuer turned paramour. Tyos was incredibly sweet towards Arlen, and they made the cutest couple. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

Note: I received an advance copy in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really can’t get enough of these barbarian stories. They are just such fierce looking men but are basically just giant marshmallows for their bond mates. Poor Arlen’s experience was just terrible and i was so happy when he found Tyos. I thought Tyos was so cute with his misunderstanding of the languages and his protectiveness of Arlen. I just loved this book. Can’t wait for more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Darryl Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I loved that expanded on the trek after picking up a townie. A great couple that was a nice slow burn get to know each other but fall in love fast. One of my new favourite couples