Barbarian King's Bride

Supernova Escapes #1

by Sonia Nova

Buy a female. Produce an heir. Send the female back. What could possibly go wrong?

A king needs an heir. That’s what everyone keeps telling King Dagar, anyway. But the ruler of Ramanth isn’t interested in taking a wife—and ruining his chances of someday finding his true mate—just to satisfy that duty.

Hiring an off-planet surrogate should have been an easy solution. No strings, no trouble. But with the nuances of the transaction lost in translation, Dagar finds himself with a mail-order bride instead—one that is unwilling.

Fiery and unyielding, the curvy little Terran is all wrong for the job. But she might just be right for him…

If the barbarian king thinks she’s here to be his broodmare, he’s in for a rude awakening…
Jobless, desperate, and stuck on a remote spaceport, Rose can’t believe her luck when she wins a free vacation to a tropical paradise across the galaxy. And it’s tropical, sure—but no one told her she was being shipped here as a bride.

When the village’s brutish king makes it clear he expects her to give him an heir, Rose isn’t having it. Despite her name, she’s no wilting flower and the alien bastard made a big mistake thinking she was going to give him anything but a piece of her mind.

She’ll show him—just as soon as her traitorous body stops pulling her toward the infuriatingly hot king with a force stronger than gravity…

Barbarian King's Bride is a steamy standalone sci-fi romance set in the Supernova Escapes universe. Complete with a HEA and no cliffhangers.

Genres: Aliens, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Romance, Royalty

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2020

About the author

Sonia Nova is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She loves to write about sexy, dominant alien men and the women who melt their hearts. When she is not writing, she can be found watching sci-fi movies, reading, and dreaming of her very own alien hunk!

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http://sonianova.com/newsletter

Reviews

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quick(ish) Review

I wanted to like this but the conflict was nonsensical, the worldbuilding was flat and I didn’t really feel any chemistry between the leads at all. Not my fave.

[Kristy Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I thought it was a fated mates kind of book, but it was really disappointing to find out that a sinra mate, the person that is acceptable to leave the mother or father of your children for, just means love mate. It just means you fell in love with someone else.

That’s awful!

So the aliens of this land pair up and (hope their partner doesn’t find their sinra) have kids and if one of them falls in love with someone else the one they have spent years with steps aside. That just didn’t sit right with me.

But other than that I enjoyed the story. I knew it would be a fast paced/insta-love thing. And that was exactly right. So knowing that going into the book makes it easier to take when it happens.

[Olya Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this title as an ARC, which will not influence my review. Beware what you wish for when you go to strange agencies for vacations as our heroine Rose. I liked the mix up of barbarian society with tech and loved the planet they were on and the monster in the book. The only thing that makes me give less stars is the too rushed relationship.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing and editing of the ARC version of the manuscript was fairly clean, with occasional typos but not enough to really detract from the reading experience. The world building was minimal, which was somewhat disappointing. I did not get a vibrant impression of the hero's home world and culture beyond the fact that the culture was VERY patriarchal. The characterization was okay, with the heroine especially being sympathetic if not complex or nuanced. The development of the romantic relationship was okay, but I cannot say that I fell in love with the hero as the heroine was falling in love with him. The plot and pacing were a little uneven and not very logically put together, but I read this novel pretty quickly, so it did not drag. There was very little angst and high stakes in this novel, which tends to be one of my preferred narrative structures for a romance novel. This novel used the Kidnapping and Mail Order Bride tropes. The world building was two stars. The plot and pacing were three stars. The characterization and development of the romantic relationship were also three stars. The combined rating of this novel was therefore three stars. This novel ended on a Happy Ever After ending instead of a cliffhanger, so that is a plus. I don't know that I would recommend this novel to readers who love sci-fi romance, because it was quite forgettable for me. I do not think I will read any more novels in this series by this author. I do not plan to buy myself a keeper copy of this novel.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dagar is King of his village and when he is injured fighting the Formor, a shadow beast that landed on his planet long ago, he is pressured about getting an Heir. He wants to wait for his fated mate so he decides to hire a female to produce his Heir and then to leave.
Rose is having a bad day, she loses her job and then is given ten days to pay late rent or leave! But then she wins a vacation, it’s strange they wanted a DNA test to enter, but she eagerly enters the craft and is on her way. She lands on a beach and the pilot quickly leaves without telling her where she is or where to go.
When Dagar meets Rose there is a lot of misunderstanding due to translation but he is very happy with his temporary bride, she on the other hand is not interested in being a brood mare even if he is a hunk.
The moe time they spend together the more their feelings grow but the sentient Formor has had a taste of Dagar and now is after them both.
Dagar is a wonderful, caring leader who is trying to do the best thing for his village and Rose is doing what she always does, makes the best of the situation and survive. I enjoyed watching their relationship from its rocky start and the many slips along the way. This book kept me turning the pages from start to finish. I hope there will be more books about the other warriors in his village.

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entertaining Sci-fi romance is set sometime in the future where interstellar travel is the accepted mode of travel. The plot is well-written with some devious undertones & unexpected situations, it has detailed descriptive scenes. The characters have well-defined personalities & each of these characters is quite unique in their individuality & display extreme defiance and/or determination.
It is about: a feisty human female (Rose) was under the impression that she was going on a free vacation somewhere in the galaxy only to discover that she has been shipped as a mail-order bride to the “Ruler of Ramanth” (King Dagar) & that she is expected to give him an heir needless to say Rose is definitely not impressed with him or his expectations.
There is: a galactic alliance, a rather deceitful Supernova Escapes Agency, various kinds of aliens, humans, dangerous creatures, true mates, action, adventure, humor some twists, drama, intrigue, suspense, danger, threats, conflict, violence, defiance, distrust, advice/warnings, strange attractions, complications, manipulations, misunderstandings, contentment, love, steamy scenes & a satisfying conclusion.

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Dagar, the King of his village, has a close brush with death, he decides it's time he has an heir. But he isn't ready for the burden of a mate, unless she is his 'sinra" or forever mate. He decides on a mail order womb. Rose, a human, is always one step ahead of another problem. Not able to find her way on Earth, she heads out to another planet only to find its not any better. When she is contacted that she may have won a free vacation and only needs to supply her DNA, she jumps at the chance for something good in her life. The story is past paced, has some steaminess, and a few twists along the way. Fun Read

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristine L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose is always in one jam after another. She just never can get a break. She goes from one disaster to another one. No end in sight. Now she's going on an all expense vacation just by giving someone her DNA. She gets dropped on an island with a Clan Chief who needs an Heir. This is just a ton of emotions, action, adventure and plenty of steam. I really liked the storyline and Rose and Dagar has great Chemistry and interaction. I really liked that. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sydney M Neblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything will be all right
What an exciting and emotional story. I love how it starts with a dramatic exit and a dream of escape, and morphs into a new reality and a HEA. I especially enjoy the bad guy since I am pron to jump at things that go bump in the dark and it got my blood pumping. I would love for the author to write more books about this village, I would love to see how the king's best friend fairs when it comes to finding his one true love, not to mention the princess needs a man of her own. I can't wait to see what the author writes next, no matter what that might be.

[Melody Hillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

she was a human working in a horrid job looking for a way out when she found a add for DNA matched vacations, signing up thinking she would never get picked.
He is a Clan Chief who needs an Heir, but has yet to find his fated one, and not wanting to cause strife in his own clan with the females by picking one of them to just breed his baby and then possibly have to set her aside when he finds his fated mate.
He places an add for a female.
This story has tons of emotion, some action and adventure, as well as steam.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is great, Rose enters a competition to win a vacation but she gets a very different experience, Dagar doesn’t know what is going on! Dagar is an excellent character with lots of layers and depth. The two characters want to find their one and only, but there cultural differences and misunderstandings The story is interesting and very entertaining.The ending is happy, so all is good.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sherry Westendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

She ends up in a situation she didn't count on when she signed up. She was thinking she would get out of it. But ends up as a mail order bride. He is a king looking for his fated mate. He needs to have an heir to keep his people happy but doesn't want to get involved and then have to break up with them if his mate comes. She is feisty and he is hot and sexy. I received a review copy and voluntarily review it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a chance to win a vacation that asked for a DNA sample. WINNER, now you are the mail-ordered bride of a king that needs to produce an heir. Not the best start for a relationship but it all works out in the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Bing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun fast paced story that showcases Rose, a gal who ends up as an alien mail order bride - what a day she's been having! - and Dagar, a king who's in need of an heir. There's a sweet romance for these two, in and around the misunderstandings, danger and action, and it was entertaining to see how things would unfold.

[LuDena · Rating 5 out of 5]

😀

I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next book . The shadow creature is quite frightening . I do not like the changes to rate and review . its irritating when the page drops before I post an have re write the review 😒

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, it has a good storyline. This book is filled with action, adventure and intrigue. The chemistry and interaction between the characters of Rose and Dagar is great. I can't wait for more from this author. I received this book as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun sci-fi romance! I loved it! There is danger, drama and misunderstandings.. The romance is adorably sweet!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[🅙𝔲𝔩𝔷 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet but author not for me

[Karen Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast fun read with a unique monster. The "Formor" is really creepy. Loved the new world and their customs. I received an advanced copy of this book and freely leave this honest review.

[Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this book a 2.25 stars.
I won't read any more in the series.

This is another story that I had high hopes for when I started reading it. It started strong with the characters, introducing the enemy, the Formor, and why the king needed an off-world bride. I was excited. Then the rest of the story fell flat. The rest of the world-building had no payoff in the story. The falling action and ending felt rushed to wrap up the storyline. I was left racing through the ending just to end the book.

Rose was said to be a strong, independent woman. She felt she was a bit more headstrong and rude. I also didn't like the total 180 in her feelings towards Dagar once she nearly died.

Dagar character was fine. I understood motives; he was a bit more arrogant since he was a King.In this race of aliens, the royals, highborn (I can't recall if it is the whole kingdom that follows this rule or just highborn and royalty) are encouraged to take a partner even if they are not their sinra. Sinra is the term for "mate" in this series. Dagar only wants his sinra, which is one of his major motivators. I get frustrated with the "she can't be my sinra, but after I nearly lost you, it is you." trope. I find this idea of not believing it, especially coming from the main Male lead character, whose species has the understanding of what the "sinra mate" bond feels like, the symptoms, etc. A little disbelief at first is understandable in a storyline. Dagar, whose parents had a sinra bond, might make some connections and understand what the pull might be..

[Goddess of Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Which is worse, lies or genuine misunderstandings?

Rose is suspicious of things that sound too good to be true, but there's a difference between being prepared to be disappointed because they implied the Ritz and delivered a pup tent in a forest and out and out being lied to.

Dagar requested not just what he wanted, but what he needed, and when Rose arrives she seems to be more than he could have hoped for... the only problem is she wasn't expecting him, or any of his expectations.

This done in one Kindle Unlimited quick read is a wonderful story about two people putting in the effort, and doing the proverbial work. People who recognize relationships take effort, communication is required, and works best when it is open and honest... not to say they always hit the mark, but that they learn from their mistakes, and strive to do, and be, better.

[Debbie Kilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upset and confused

Rose was pissed! It was supposed to be a vacation of a lifetime. Dagar thought she was a mail-order bride. She needed some where to recop from a disaster in her life. Dagar needed an heir with no complications. Rose wants No part of Dagar! They lock horns from the get go, even her kicking him out of his own hut. But instead of her sleeping, she tosses and turns all night. And Dagar isn't much better thinking about her. She finally convinced him that she has no interest in being his broad are. On the way to the city, she ends up in some quicksand. Dagar has to rescue her and he realizes that he doesn't want her to go. Can he help her to decide to stay? You will have to figure that out on your own. This is kinda rescay, so be adults in reading it. I liked reading the book.

[Spinneretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dagar and Rose

Rose’s life on an outer planet wasn’t working out as she had hoped, so when she entered a competition to win an all expenses paid vacation, she was ecstatic. She was far less ecstatic when she arrived on the planet only to find she was a mail order bride!
Dagar is a tribal king, unmated and looking to get an heir, he orders a mail order bride, only to find the bride matched to him had no knowledge of the agreement!
Getting to know each other, and dealing with the dangers present on the planet, Rose and Dagar have their work cut out for them.

This is a sci-fi romance read, featuring an alien hero and set in a futuristic time.
It’s a quick read, and an enjoyable one. It’s not soul searchingly deep, but does feature a number of sci-fi romance tropes that are sure to be enjoyed by fans of the genre.

[Katherine Ziebold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coasting not rollercoasting

A few instances had me cringing at their cliche-ness and the build up wasn’t as smooth as I liked. I didn’t really feel like I rode an emotional rollercoaster which seemed what the authors may have intended. There was love and sex but the story was kinda meh. For this intelligent beast that threatens all the tribes, the resolution seemed very deus ex machina.
The romance part was sweet and hit some good notes, but I do like a bit more story with the sexy times. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I should have been maybe and I’m not certain if that was because of the writing or just my own quirks.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose is already barely making ends meet at her dead end job when she gets fired. She is frantically trying to find a way to survive when she is notified that she has won a trip to an exotic vacation planet. However , she is actually being sent to produce a child for Dagar who is the king for his people. Naturally, she is not down for that, and misunderstandings are the watchword. Adding to the chaos is a mysterious force called the Formor that they struggle to keep out of their land. This is a short tale but an exciting one!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars
Down on her luck Rose just can't seem to catch a break. From one disaster to another, her trials seem to be endless. But then, JACKPOT! An all expense paid vacation based on her DNA. From there, her new experiences call into question her honesty, her fortitude and her gumption. Will she persevere when it seems like her bad luck has followed her? Will she give her vacation a chance to become all she wanted? Will Dagar convince her that he can be all she desires?

[Merry One Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet romantic story

This was a nice read and in the best way. The King was thoughtful. Even other Kong’s were understanding. It was quite the change of pace. Rose is not having a good time in life and is in a rut. Her boss is a jerk and ditto for her landlord. She barely makes enough money to survive. Rose is a fierce female with opinions that she may let out at not the best time. Go on this journey with Rose. Read On!

[Erin Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose is a human far from home who just lost her job and is now being evicted, but HEY she won a free vacation...which turns out to be anything but. Dagar almost died and left his people without an heir and knows he must do his duty but he wants to find his "sinra". So he decides to hire a surrogate, only problem is this surrogate has no idea what's going on. This was an okay read, will check out book 2 hopefully it will call to me more then book 1.

[Trixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geez! Rose and Dakar were looking for the same thing all along and they both found it in the end. It’s sweet actually. The beginning of their love story might have been rough, her leaving him but couldn’t. Fate won’t let her and then the reveal.

Would like an epilogue though. Please

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose signs up for a vacation based on her DNA but things do not go as planned. These are strong characters that are from different cultures so they have a lot of work to understand each other. The story is very good and I really liked the ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.