Review: Hunter's Season by Thea Harrison

Hunter's Season (Elder Races #4.7) by Thea Harrison
Format: ebook
Source: purchased

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Date read: 2012

Elder Races
1. Dragon Bound
2. Storm's Heart
3. Serpent's Kiss
3.5. True Colors
4. Oracle's Moon
4.5. Natural Evil
4.6. Devil's Gate
4.7. Hunter's Season - Paperback | Kindle
5. Lord's Fall
5.5. The Wicked
6. Kinked
6.5. Dragos Takes a Holiday
6.6. Pia Saves the Day
6.7. Peanut Goes to School
7. Night's Honor
8. Midnight's Kiss
8.5. Dragos Goes to Washington
8.6. Pia Does Hollywood
9. Shadow's End
9.5. Liam Takes Manhattan
9.7. The Chosen
9.8. Planet Dragos
9.9. The Unseen
9.95. The Adversary

Thea Harrison
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

Duty. Devotion. Desire. When fate brings two isolated people together, love is in the cards.

As a palace guard and assassin for the Dark Fae, Xanthe always wore a mask, hiding her emotions to do her duty. But when her identity is compromised, she trades undercover work for guarding Queen Niniane—a position that often brings her in contact with Chancellor Aubrey Riordan.

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.

Warning: Take a man recovering from an assassination attempt, the assassin sworn to protect him, add in a magical Tarot card deck and an isolated cabin, and watch the sparks fly!

My Thoughts: I've really enjoyed the previous novellas in this arc, but this one blew me away. Aubrey and Xanthe were so very lovely and sweet together. They just... made me happy. Plus, PLUS, we got to visit with Tiago and Tricks again! Err... sorry, Queen Niniane. She's such a bubbly, fun, exuberant personality. Their story hurts a little, you know. To be mated, but unable to marry. *sniffle* Yet, they make it work. And Tricks, with her matchmaking self, stirs up the pot for Xanthe and Aubrey. So sweet!

I loved that Xanthe, undercover operative and assassin, was so unsure of herself around Aubrey. She can kick ass with the best of them, yet she's so emotionally vulnerable to him. Meanwhile, Aubrey doesn't trust as easily as he did before his wife's betrayal and he's quick to jump to the wrong conclusions after his attack. However, he's also quick to see the error of his ways and he's open to exploring the feelings that Xanthe's presence rouse.

Overall, this was a very satisfying ending to the Tarot's journey. It gave us sexy times, emotional times, visits with old friends, and a couple that felt sweetly real. I'm very sad to see this arc end but I love *how* it ended. Well done, Thea Harrison. Well done!