Aubrey’s trust is shattered. A year ago his wife tried to assassinate their new queen in his name, a betrayal of everything he believes in. And now an attack on his life is proof the dark conspiracy is not yet over. Although injured and weak, Aubrey can’t help but be drawn to this shy assassin and loyal protector. Xanthe is everything Naida wasn’t, and the passion she stirs in him is something he thought had long passed him by.
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As someone who loves and owns all of the books in the series but doesn't feel the same way about the novellas, I absolutely loved Hunter's Season. Even though for some reason I'd made Aubrey into an older looking man in my head (maybe I was distracted? I got nothing) the evolving relationship between him and Xanthe was both romantic and wonderfully drama-free. I'm sure someone out there is gonna say things were too easy but you know what? I don't need an epic battle every time supporting characters find their own HEA.
After a brutal attack Aubrey and Xanthe are thrown together as patient and nurse, and for a woman who already has 'non-guardy' feelings for her charge this is a more difficult task for Xanthe than usual. She sees the honorable man Aubrey is, in spite of all the hardships he's had to endure and the personality he could have developed as a noble Dark Fae. She has less steps to take as her feelings evolve into love thus probably the best part of the story is reading about how Aubrey gets to know - and eventually love - Xanthe. She's so shielded in her normal life that as he gets to know her, to 'see' her, he has to learn what to do with all the new emotions. It makes for a wonderful fairytale :).
Highly recommended, though I can see how someone who hasn't read the books or the other novellas might not love it quite so much.
Overall Feeling - A-
Series - (Elder Races Novellas) 1) True Colors 2) Natural Evil 3) Devil's Gate 4) Hunter's Season
