Nadine's Champion

Icehome #7

by Ruby Dixon

Of all the men on the Icehome beach, Thrand's the most competitive and most aggravating. He's cocky. Arrogant. Turns everything into a rivalry. He's a pain in the you know what.

He also keeps insisting that I kiss him. After all, I'm the one that told him a kiss didn't mean anything. It shouldn't. A kiss is just a kiss as far as humans are concerned. But Thrand's a clone, a race of people called a'ani, and he's been brought up to play hard and to win.

And he wants to win me.

But does Thrand want me for the right reasons? Or am I just another conquest?

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Aliens, Fantasy, Audiobook, Science Fiction Romance, Paranormal Romance

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2019

About the author

Ruby Dixon is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She likes fated mates, baby-filled epilogues, and cinnamon roll heroes. She also likes to write biographies of herself in the third person, because it feels more important that way.

Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point. :)

Reviews

[Brittni Kristine · Rating 1 out of 5]

They were about to die. But they resonated in the giant birds nest (the bird about to kill and eat them) so they decided to fool around, and then when the big dragon came to save the day, they had sex while a battle was going on overhead. All while the guy had a concussion.

I will never recover from this. This is worse than feyre and Rhys blowing each other to the sounds of the dying

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nadine & Thrand's story

Y'all...

...they hooked up in a mother-effing pterodactyl nest.

Only Ruby Dixon can pull bs like that and STILL make me swoon at how flippin' cute the relationship is.

This series is so dumb, but I'll be damned if it isn't also adorable as all hell.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old grandfather strikes again!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚❤️💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: ☹️☺️😒😍🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The heroine: Nadine - she was abducted from earth by aliens and ended up on a spaceship that crashed on an ice planet. She becomes a useful member of the Icehome tribe and is a good hunter. She is attracted to Thrand but he has been taken with Angie from the start, so even though he now seems to want her, she doesn’t want to be anyone’s second choice. She also misses her mom and sisters who are back on earth.

The Hero: Thrand - he and his brother Vordis are two of over a thousand clones who were made to be gladiators. They were on their way to a new owner when their ship crashed on the ice planet. Both Thrand and Vordis thought it was their duty to protect Angie who woke up from her pod to find she was pregnant. Though Vordis ended up mated to Angie.

The Story: During a silly game of spin the bottle, Thrand and Nadine kiss and he finds that he is very attracted to her. The following day when Nadine seems depressed, Thrand is there to help her out of her depression. He offers to go running with her, since she used to run with her sister. Though he doesn’t understand running for the sake of running when it isn’t to go somewhere or to race.

This story was a good one, I thought both characters were cute, and I loved that Nadine was a good hunter and happy for the most part. She got a little sad a few times because she missed her family, but she didn’t dwell on it or whine about her lot in life. She enjoyed things and I like how she treated Thrand. Thrand was so cute in that he was really competitive and never wanted to hear that others could possibly do something better than him. Though it ended him up in some trouble with old grandfather.

This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration. It was narrated by Sean Crisden and Felicity Munro. These two have done most or all of the Icehome audiobooks and both of them are terrific narrators. I like both their voices and they are great at doing multiple characters in different voices.

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[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love these aliens and their mates! :)

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nadine' s Champion es el octavo libro de la saga Icehome y tiene como protagonistas a Nadine y Thrand. Es cierto que esta pareja no era de las que mas deseaba leer, no obstante, admito que la lectura se me paso en un instante, en parte porque si hay algo que caracteriza al estilo de Ruby Dixon es lo muy faciles y gratos que son sus libros, he leido muchos de sus trabajos y aun no he encontrado ni una sola de sus historias que se me haya hecho aburrida o densa de leer.

Este tomo se centra mucho mas en el romance que en las tramas secundarias de este mundo alienigena y tal vez por eso senti que a este libro le faltaba algo, no me malentiendan, es una lectura agradable y entretenida pero extrañe mas accion en ciertas partes.

El final como siempre me dejo con ganas de mas, y eso que la relacion de Callie no es la que mas ganas tengo de leer pero despues de este desenlace tengo curiosidad por leer como se va a dar su romance con M’tok.

En fin, Nadine's Champion no es de mis novelas favoritas de la autora pero me gusto lo que encontre entre sus paginas, sobretodo el conocer como poco a poco los protagonistas se enamoraron.

3.25 Estrellas!

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nadine’s Champion is book seven in the Icehome series by Ruby Dixon.

The series needs to be read in order.

Thrand is a clone and former slave. He’s adjusting well to life on the Ice Planet. His constant competitive nature is fun, but it did get tiresome after a while.

Nadine is one of the few humans that hunts. She is adapting and liking the Ice Planet, but does miss her sister. I liked Nadine.

I was hoping for this novel to be after Angie’s story, but it didn’t happen that way. The author does deal with Thrand’s “dedication” to Angie and so Nadine realizes she has nothing to worry about.

These two are good together and I liked the development in their relationship. There is lots of drama brewing for others on the Ice Planet.

Nadine’s Champion was an enjoyable read. The story does end on a cliffhanger, but Thrand and Nadine’s story is complete. If your looking for some sexy science fiction romance then I suggest picking up a Ruby Dixon novel.

Rated: 3.5 Stars

[Zero (semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thrand is a clone and former slave. It took a while, but he's adapting well to life on the Ice Planet. His competitive nature is really funny, but it did get kind of old towards the end of the book.

Nadine is tough and is one of the few humans that hunt. She likes the Ice Planet, but misses her sisters a lot. I like Nadine's character.

The resonance part of the story was pretty ridiculous, and the Old Grandfather parts of the book were glossed over too much, but the book was cute and I liked Nadine and Thrand's relationship.

[♛ Garima ♛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:
4 stars

Cover:
It's okay...

Trigger:
No triggers

Short review:
I forgot Nadine as this amazing afro girl. She is a strong independent woman and perfectly matches Thrand.
Taking quotes from Ruby here -

But let's talk about Nadine and Thrand! I loved this pairing because Thrand is, well, he's a bit much at times. ;) He needed a heroine who had no time for his bullshit and didn't need to depend on him. I thought Nadine, the fledgling huntress, was perfect. She's self-sufficient and doesn't want anyone doing shit for her, so they're a perfect pairing. Someone softer like Sam or even Angie wouldn't do well with him. He's run roughshod over them because he only has one speed: full blast. But Nadine is level-headed and practical and she's a good balance for his ultra-competitiveness.

Reading Ruby Dixon is slipping into comfortable pajamas after a long day (maybe after wearing a wired bra for all day!)

Review in image/gif:


Recommended:
Yes but entire series, not as standalone

Aftermath: (possible spoilers)
Edit: 16/10/2019

I forgot to record that this book ends with a cliffhanger. The story of Nadine and Thrand is complete but there is some information provided, it makes you want to jump to the next one immediately. Considering it would be difficult since the next one is not released yet. It goes something like this -

R’jaal has a thunderous expression on his face. “S’bren and M’tok are missing, as well. They told me they would go night-fishing down by the caves.”

T’chai lifts his head, his face still thin and drawn, his cheekbones far too prominent. “Mari and I just came back from the caves. No one is there at all.”

“Stolen,” Raahosh says in a harsh voice. He crosses his arms over his chest. “They have stolen the females.”

“Here we fucking go again,” Liz agrees.

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icehome Home

💙 Bookish Thoughts
Nadine and Thrand are one of my favorite couples of Icehome! Thrand is so freaking funny and next level competitive 🤣🤣 Nadine is his perfect match and just as competitive. I love them together!

Thrand’s trauma from being a clone and a slave was heartbreaking 😭😭
But I really loved how he came into his own. And Nadine always saw him as Thrand!

💫 Favorite Quote
“I felt as if I had been reborn. That I could be someone different. Someone new. I could just be Thrand, and Thrand could love Nadine. It is a new concept for me. An overwhelming one.”

[Laura Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ice home series sorta spinoff is the same old same old. It’s not bad. The girls at ice home are unlikeable ( most of them) It’s time for the author to close this series or seriously change it up. Because every story is like, exactly the same.

[Umaiya ❄️Ramblings of a Scattered Mind❄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say this and I really do. But these books are getting repetitive.

[AKA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been waiting for Nadine's book with a bit of apprehension since I finished Angie's. Thankfully, Ruby Dixon dealt with Thrand's "dedication" to Angie (he explains his life as a guard/gladiator) and Nadine realizes she has nothing to be jealous of early on. Both issues come up a bit later but they serve the purpose of Nadine getting a sense of how much she means to Thrand.

Thrand and Nadine are really good together. Some of the IceHome books have lacked relationship development but in this one it was pretty great. Nadine sees him as an individual instead of a copy from the beginning. Thrand is so good with her about missing her family and he was so attentive! I was really glad to read about how much he wanted her even when he thought he was supposed to care for Angie.

Lots of drama brewing for the others! Bridget gets better with time (and I was glad Nadine realized how everyone was treating her was not fair), Tia is really going to get some mess started and there was a kidnapping! Plus, my favorites Veronica, Ashtar, Liz AND Raahosh had cameos. 😁

Callie's book is next and I will read it but Penny's book is the one I can't wait to get my hands on. She was a lot of fun and a great friend.





Safe mostly... H is a virgin, h is not but no details.

Not completely safe because of the Spin The Bottle game. Only the T/N kiss is on page. We know Thrand pecked a few other women (one tried to French him and he pulled away) and Nadine kissed others as well. Also, most of the ladies/aliens kissed people they will not resonate with and everyone saw. This might bother some SG members.

[Kimmylongtime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesss !!! A Gladiator

Why am I obsessed with the gladiators? Why do they light a fire for me. Let’s just say I need more. So I will keep reading until I run out. Yay two down in one day.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Loved it! Review to come

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I slowly die waiting patiently for every new Ruby book, I was a tad bit less eager for this one. I remember from Angie’s story how both the clones were so almost obsessive about her. As clones they were programmed to look after her and care for her and her unborn baby. Often times this came off as them fawning over her yet that was not the case. And our red boy Thrand may care about Angie’s well being, the one he's really obsessed with is Nadine. Nadine is one of the more unknown ladies of the group, she’s independent, enjoys learning to hunt and certainly does not need a man to look after her. The last thing Nadine will accept is being second place and for awhile that’s what she thinks she is to Thrand, but this is guy I still nothing but persistent and while making Nadine see the truth may not be easy, there is nothing Thrand thrives and lives for more than a challenge. And everything, literally everything is a challenge to him and I’ll say this had me laughing out loud more than once. While this attitude may be exhausting to most, Nadine takes it all in stride. I really loved their story and I’m happy they had the chance to really get to know one another before their Khui took the choice away from them. Nadine is scared and hesitant jumping into something with him. Like the other girls before her, without the thrumming in her chest she’s afraid to give in to her feelings worried resonating would take them away from one another. But alas the khui knows best. The damn ending was a great segue into the next two books and once again I’m back to being needy and impatient. I almost like these cliffy type endings (and you will NEVER hear me say that about another series) because they work best for this series and all the damn characters. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for Ruby to keep track of timelines and resonances in a way that keeps all these books moving but she does and I was once again thrilled and delighted, until it ended 😂

[phoebess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Thrand's boisterous attitude and his competitiveness, it made me laughed so many times. And Nadine for perfect fit for him.
The only disappointing thing about this book would be how Ruby Dixon decided to get rid of that ever-elusive Old Grandfather. I felt cheated.

[babygyalreadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt so good being back in this world omg. Nadine and Thrand were so good together

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to the good stuff lol
This was sweet and fun
Loved both Nadine and Thrand
I though his competitive side was cute

Safe
VIRGIN HERO
EXPERIENCED h

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars?

Listened to this on audiobook over the course of a few weeks…it was fine. While I found Vordis’ clone naivety to be kind of cute Thrand was mostly just annoying with his competitiveness. He and Nadine were still cute enough together, eventually.

[Boo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. Think I’m going to take a break for a little while with this series. They’re starting to feel way too samey

[Nikoleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Sarahcophagus · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked: Nadine’s competency at hunting. Thrand’s boyish competitiveness and that it’s consistent from his characterization in Angie’s book. I thought the near death resonance bang seconds after they’re rescued was hilarious.

What I didn’t like: Just because Nadine doesn’t like that everyone is slut shaming Bridget she’s still contributing to the problem by not calling everyone out on their treatment of Bridget and her ex pleasure mate. In fact, because Nadine clarifies when she wants to start hooking up with Thrand that she doesn’t want to others to see her the way they see Bridget just confirms how she shitty she really feels about Bridget and her situation anyway. Also I had this image of Old Grandfather as much bigger than the dragon shifter guy (whose name I have completely forgotten) but instead it’s practically a non issue once he gets involved.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the Ice Home beach, Nadine has been eyeing up the untake a'ani clone, Thrand...he's made his interest in her quite clear as well, but Nadine isn't about to take on a casual sexual relationship after the crap that Bridget went through. Guys on this world don't know what casual is and Nadine doesn't want any entanglements. But it's hard to deny that Thrand makes a good friend, especially once he explains his "dedication" to Angie and her baby and tells Nadine a bit about being a clone. They eventually start hunting together and Nadine permits a bit of a sexual relationship, but she's clear that it has to stay secret. Now if only Nadine could keep her heart out of it. At this time, there's also some issue going on with Old Grandfather and his being spotted closer to camp.

So....I think I'm done with this series. I still think Ruby Dixon is an awesome writer and I will definitely be on the lookout for other, different series from her. While I did enjoy this one, I found myself kinda bored with it...like I'd read it before and was just reading to finish it. Thrand was a decent guy who mostly listened to Nadine (except when he went and grabbed her breasts when he was still waiting for permission to kiss her...but Nadine clearly didn't care and had lost control of the situation anyway). Point is, he read the situation correctly and wasn't an ass for any part of the book. Nadine was delightfully feisty and accurately introspective about the relationships at Ice Home. I really did like her, which is saying a lot since I mostly don't like any of the characters who are at Ice Home right now....

But I'm increasingly having trouble differentiating characters anymore. Nadine reads like a lot of the other heroines in this and the accompanying series. Thrand and every other guy on Ice Planet is identical in their thoughts - want girl, want to lick her, want to fuck her, want her to have babies. There isn't anything else to make them stand out (Mardok is the only exception and that's because he's from a different planet...so explain Ashtar and Vordis?)

I think part of the problem here is that the author has written herself into a situation that doesn't offer a lot of different plot options - HEA only comes with resonance (every time), guys want women but women want independence, every guy no matter how virginal is a sexual expert and the guys keep doing the same thing to get the girl (and the girls keep reacting the same way). And after the way this story ended with another frickin' kidnapping I don't like where this is going...in fact, I looked further forward into the next two books and if kidnapping ain't your thing, avoid them. I didn't full on read them, so I'm not going to review, but I was not comfortable with the way the conversation at the end of Penny's Protector makes it all seem like kidnapping is the only good way to get resonance. So I don't think I like where this is going at all. I hated it in the Ice Planet Barbarian series, I am not going to like it here. So I think I'll take a long break from this series for a while and hope Ms. Dixon either wraps it up and starts some new stuff or finds a fresh perspective for this series.

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"If no one else will join my COMPETITION," and he says the word so obviously that I want to die, "then I shall go alone."



Accurate rating: 3.5 stars

Well this was all fun and games and literally making me laugh out loud . . . until they "fulfilled resonation" literally one minute after getting away from a big baddie creature OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD like, y'all, resonation can wait and has waited before.

But still, that aside this is the funniest Dixon book yet.

[Lula Pantoofle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So clone Thrand and Nadine. This was great. I loved Nadine. She was strong and capable. She was learning to hunt so she didn’t have to rely on a man. She was not going to be Thrand’s sloppy seconds. Right on!

I loved Thrand. I loved his need to make everything a competition. It made this story light hearted and fun.

Another day, another IPB success. I have no idea how Dixon keeps this series going. I just lap it up each time. Long may it continue.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - It was fun seeing how different Thrand was from his clone. Nadine gives as good as she gets and it was fun watching their push/pull. Also a satisfying resolution to Chekhov's killer gigantic eagle that's been looming over us for a few books

[Izzie d · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story.
HEA.

[Twilla Wickedly Sweet and Synful Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Ketchup!

This was so good. Ruby is my guilty pleasure. Love the ice planet Not Hoth. When is Farli gonna have that baby’s? She’s been pregnant for like 5 years.

[Kristina]

FINALLY SOMEONE CARES ABOUT LOTION

[TinaNoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute. Thrand was a big ol' puppy.