Sam's Secret (Icehome Book 15)

I don’t even know where to start about this one…it was definitely the most heavy book since book one of the original IPB series in terms of themes (as stated in the content warnings in the beginning) with that said it’s probably one of the better books in the series!! Sam has been through such horrible things and it’s completely understandable why she would feel the way she does after Daisy just randomly shows up and her sense of security crumbles away…I think Sessah is exactly the mate she needed. He’s so sweet and loving and just wanted to be her friend for the longest time BUT boy oh boy! When he went all Alpha protective and threatened to kill to protect her???? He sure grew up exquisitely! As Flor said *chefs kiss!* and I’m wondering just how long their little secret will stay buried, I’m assuming Rokan was hinting that he knows but will keep their secret like a good big brother! That epilogue had me laughing my ass off at Aehako teasing Sessah over the bone “dill~doh” it’s nice to see that Liz’s prank lives on all these years later!! Now, Daisy. I’m curious to see how this one plays out. We all know how much value she placed on what she thinks is her only asset, her beauty, and with it compromised I know she’s going to struggle something fierce now. I guess I’ll jump right into her book now and see what unfolds!!!

Let me try again.I was looking forward to reading Sam’s book for some reason. Then I read the first paragraph of the first chapter and I almost cried at finding out what conflict we would be dealing with in her story.I still think she took too long to understand what she already knew, but I tried really hard to understand what was in her head for this story. This is a real trauma that I felt some sympathy for. Her for. But she knew, knew, this wasn’t something to be worried about, but fear isn’t always rational.So as we are waiting for her to get it, we are thrown something out of left field that looks like it was coming the right. I know it happened, and I can, to a degree appreciate it. But now at the end of the book it feels like a mini nightmare that Sam should have had to realize what she already knew, but I also know that it would have physically robbed her of something she needed to live through. She had to really go through this.Then near the end of the book a tribe mate got disfigured and low and behold she’s the next story. Wwwhhhhhyyyyy??????I am grateful that the story didn’t end there. We leave this couple on a much happier note and I am thinking of this as a nice little breather before starting the next book. And as I say that, it occurs to me that Ruby will give us a little recap of what was going on before the disaster hit.The two curve balls have taken my mind off of Sam’s issues that was the reason I was slightly disliking the book. Now it doesn’t even bother me anymore, but someone has to start telling these girls that putting off answering resonance just makes you physically weaker. That almost caused problems in this story and it has in others.I am a little proud that Ruby didn’t stick Sam in front of the shrink, aka Steph. She is a textbook case, but now that she, Steph, is there that doesn’t mean that we should use her for all the girls/couples to cope with things. But I’m sure she will be part of the next story. And I am totally ok with that.

Trigger warnings!I really liked how the author explored Sam's background in this book. It was good to see how she comes to terms with her past so she can have a feature. Sessah I so sweet with her. He allows her to put up boundaries until she is ready to go to the next step.

Absolutely loved it - she handles an incredibly real and serious reality that people deal with daily and gave us a set of characters who could work through it, but it all happens on Not-Hoth!Sam’s journey from feeling fine (fine-ish) to her panic rising to confronting her feelings and fears in healthy ways with steady Sessah with her was just amazing. One thing I adore about Ruby’s stories is that neither the khui nor the spurs fix things. The characters feel so real and they find their own strength in their own ways. They might have support, but it’s really them finding it and working through everything.

Sam’s Secret is book fourteen in the Icehome series by Ruby Dixon. This series needs to be read in order.Sam has learned not to trust anyone and being on Not-Hoth hasn’t changed that. She’s glad she hasn’t resonated, but things are about to change.Sam is one of the strong and resourceful humans in the series. I like that about her. We finally understand what drives her. Now I understand her fears about relationships, but her concerns where ridiculous on the Icehome plant. Don’t want to give anything away.Seesah has been the gangly teenager in the series, but now he’s a man. I liked how he took it slow with Sam and let her set the pace.Trigger Warnings: abuse, stalking, threatsOverall, Sam’s Secret was ok. Not my favorite. It moved the series along and added another couple by the end.Rated: 3 Stars

This has been my favourite coupling from the icehome series, and i was so pleased that it was sessah for sam.As usual, the book is full of drama, humour, sauciness, complete cluelessness from the big blue guy and a happy ending where you get to catch up with old friends!I did not like the addition of the pod, knowing it wasnt going to be anything good....then i spent my time wondering how it was all going to play out and how involved the while tribes would be - so I'm very pleased it ended up the way it did (yay.lol) And poor, poor Daisy. I'm itching to see how her story pans out given all that we knew about her before...but thats how Ruby gets us - she leads us a certain way and then drops a bomb destroying everything we thought we knew, leaving us gasping for the next fix! Pure genius.Another 5* from me!

Ruby Dixon strikes again!After so many books between both the Ice Planet Barbarians and the Ice Home series, you’d think by now there might be a little repetition.I can categorically say, that is not the case at all. This book had me hooked!Sams Secret was a welcome return to the Ice Home Camp featuring Sam and Sessah.Sessah is an old favourite who has carried over from the Ice Planet Barbarians where we saw him grow up from a teenager. He is such a lovely soul who is very endearing and definitely all grown up!!Sam we didn’t know too much of, she kept to herself a lot around the Ice Home camp so we only got to discover the full extent of her story through this book.This book touched on some dark issues.. it’s possibly one of the darkest ones in the series to date but for all the hard hitting issues, there was also a lot of joy.Seeing Sam grow from strength to strength with Sessah’s loving support was one of my favourite things. The bond which formed between them so apparent and heart warming. The spicy scenes were also soooo good! Ruby even managed to throw something in there I don’t recall seeing before, and having got this far in the series - I LOVE that!I can’t wait for the next book to bring me back to my favourite ice planet again!

Sessah omg ,the best mate yet,so sweet ,so supportive ,this story was one of the best although there are so many that are the best,ruby Dixon i love your imagination,I wAnt to live in these worlds you create if i see a book that's written by ruby Dixon it's a book I'll buy straight away ,never read a book that's disappointed me ever .......👍💘

Loved it, I'm also glad Sessah didn't end up with Tia!!! I really enjoyed that Sam was her own hero too, she needed that for sure. I'm even happy with the daisy thing, i think I'm going to like her a lot more in her own story than i have up until now.

Ruby is at it again. Writing "give me more" books.lovely story, well written and from the heart. I do love me an Iceholme story.