The Hunter by Monica McCarty

Prized for his unbeatable tracking skills, Ewen “Hunter” Lamont accepts a dangerous assignment: locate a missing undercover courier. But this is no ordinary target. Ewen has met his prey before as “Sister Genna,” a fiery, forbidden woman forever etched in his memory after one stolen, sinful kiss. Now that he knows her real identity, he’s more determined than ever to keep her safe. But without the protection of the veil between them, fighting the allure of the beautiful lass may be the toughest battle this extraordinary warrior has ever faced.

After her ill-fated attempt three years ago to rescue her twin sister, Janet of Mar has found salvation acting as a royal messenger—until she surrenders to a darkly handsome warrior whose rough, sensual kisses stir feelings the woman in her can’t deny. But when betrayal leads to danger, and a crucial communiqué is put in jeopardy, Janet has no choice but to put her faith in the hunter who can find anything—perhaps even her heart.

REVIEW

Nun on the run.

Seven books in and McCarty manages to produce yet another delicious Scottish hero for readers to devour. One of my favourite species, in fact—the strong, silent type—Ewen was an absolute delight. You know, when he wasn't being a giant pain in my ass.

Famed throughout Scotland for his incomparable tracking skills which earned him the moniker "The Hunter" within Bruce's elite guard, his prowess as a warrior is without question. His social skills on the other hand, particularly where the fairer sex is concerned, are somewhat lacking, to put it mildly. He's brusque, abrupt, has no discernible soft edges, nor charm... and I absolutely loved him!

Big, gruff bear characters who find all that "mushy love stuff" uncomfortable and awkward are a bit of a weakness for me, it has to be said. There's often a soft, squishy side under all their bluster that I find irresistible, and usually only one special li'l lady capable of bringing it to the surface. Ewen is no exception to that sweeping generalisation. You know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and it's very satisfying as a reader to watch that transformation. Of course, the fact that Ewen was hummuna hummuna hummuna drop dead gorgeous, certainly didn't hurt matters.

Speaking of ladies, ever wonder what happened to Janet, Mary (heroine from The Recruit) of Mar's sister after the big bridge explosion? Well, I can tell you she's still alive and kicking here in THE HUNTER, and is still as fearless—some people, *cough*Ewen*cough*, might say needlessly reckless, but that's beside the point—and is currently living life perilously close to the edge by being one of Bruce's "Couriers of the Cloth" (Members of the Church, or in Janet's case, big, fat fake members of the Church, who carry messages between informants back to Bruce to help with the war effort). Disguised as an Italian nun, she first meets Ewen when her life is in imminent danger, causing his protective— and worryingly for him, his possessive—side to rear its head, along with a big can of wuppass for those who are threatening her. It's not long before the two are thrust together on a journey that tests Ewen's sense of honour to the limits. I mean, she's a nun, but she sure doesn't act, speak, or look like any nun he's ever met. I actually felt really sorry for Ewen during this deception. Bless him, he thought he was going to burn in hell for sure. But it was also kinda fun being in on the secret.

THE HUNTER was a satisfying read all in all. There was plenty of action, conflict, sexual tension, and even some pretty heavy emotional scenes. While it's probably not my favourite McCarty book (I tend to like the really gut-kicking ones that have me sobbing all over my Kindle), it's certainly a great addition to the series and maintains the high standard of those preceding it. The next book is set to be called The Raider and is Robert Boyd's story. I'm hoping we'll soon be getting a "The Striker" book because after this one, I'm entirely fascinated by the sham marriage of Eoin MacLean and want to know how McCarty plans to handle that one.

I hope I've convinced you to give THE HUNTER a try, and if you haven't started this series yet and want to get the full experience, you can start with The Chief and meet each gorgeous hunk of man in chronological order, as well as enjoy learning about the historical events surrounding Robert the Bruce's reign during this time period.