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My Brute Husband
Guardianship has rules. Desire doesn’t.
When Captain Xander Vale returns home after seventeen years at sea, he’s no longer the man who left. Gruff, disciplined, and weary of the world, he doesn’t expect to find himself bound as guardian to Fin Black.
The rebellious, beautiful young fae with fire in his eyes and no regard for rules tests Xander’s patience at every turn. Defiant, spoiled and far too clever for his own good, Fin refuses to be tamed by anyone, and Xander soon learns he’s no exception.
What begins as duty soon turns into something far more dangerous... a forbidden desire that burns between them, no matter how hard they try to deny it.
Longing. Tension. An attraction that neither of them can ignore.
My Brute Husband is the first book in The Taming of the Fae series, a steamy old-school MM fantasy romance full of yearning, passion, and love that defies all odds.
For readers who love:
• age gap tension
• slow-burn pining
• guardianship dynamics
• grumpy x rebellious pairing
• forced proximity
• forbidden desire
• human/fae romance
When Captain Xander Vale returns home after seventeen years at sea, he’s no longer the man who left. Gruff, disciplined, and weary of the world, he doesn’t expect to find himself bound as guardian to Fin Black.
The rebellious, beautiful young fae with fire in his eyes and no regard for rules tests Xander’s patience at every turn. Defiant, spoiled and far too clever for his own good, Fin refuses to be tamed by anyone, and Xander soon learns he’s no exception.
What begins as duty soon turns into something far more dangerous... a forbidden desire that burns between them, no matter how hard they try to deny it.
Longing. Tension. An attraction that neither of them can ignore.
My Brute Husband is the first book in The Taming of the Fae series, a steamy old-school MM fantasy romance full of yearning, passion, and love that defies all odds.
For readers who love:
• age gap tension
• slow-burn pining
• guardianship dynamics
• grumpy x rebellious pairing
• forced proximity
• forbidden desire
• human/fae romance
865 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2025
10 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
D.N. Ashbourne
2 books1 followerD.N. Ashbourne writes old-school romances for modern readers. Her stories are full of yearning, grand gestures, dramatic confessions, and plenty of spice. Inspired by the golden age of historical romance, she enjoys writing slow-burn romances with humor, heart, and complicated characters who have to work a little to learn how to love and be loved.
If you love romance-driven stories, magical worlds, and guaranteed happy endings, you are in the right place.
Follow D.N. Ashbourne on TikTok and Instagram (@dn.ashbourne) for book updates, sneak peeks, and the occasional dose of author chaos. For exclusive content, never-published scenes, and early previews, you can also find her on Substack (dnashbourne.substack.com).
If you love romance-driven stories, magical worlds, and guaranteed happy endings, you are in the right place.
Follow D.N. Ashbourne on TikTok and Instagram (@dn.ashbourne) for book updates, sneak peeks, and the occasional dose of author chaos. For exclusive content, never-published scenes, and early previews, you can also find her on Substack (dnashbourne.substack.com).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 13, 2026
Emotional Damage, Terrible Communication, and 900 Pages of Me Yelling at Two Men. (Lovingly.)
This book was a journey.
Not just for Xander and Fin.
For me.
Roughly 100 pages into this almost 900-page Kindle brick, I realized something deeply unfortunate had happened:
I had fallen in love with it.
And from that moment on, the book decided that my emotional stability was optional.
This story made me laugh, cry, swear, and repeatedly wish I could break the fourth wall just to **hit both main characters with a loaf of bread**.
Not because I dislike them.
Because THIS ENTIRE STORY COULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED WITH BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
COMMUNICATION.
A radical concept, apparently.
Reading this book feels like riding a rollercoaster designed by someone who has never seen a rollercoaster but has strong opinions about chaos.
Up.
Down.
Sideways.
Emotional whiplash.
And every time you think:
“Okay. That must be the climax.”
You check the progress bar and realize:
**Congratulations. You’re only halfway through this emotional hostage situation.**
The author does not gently guide you through this story.
No.
She throws you into the deep end like a swim instructor who has already given up on you.
And somehow you keep swimming.
Because despite the suffering, the book is*funny, chaotic, dramatic, bratty, and strangely addictive.
Xander?
I cheered for him.
That poor man suffers like it’s a competitive sport.
Fin?
I love him. I do.
But there were moments where I genuinely wanted to grab those fae ears and stretch them another few inches as a learning experience.
Listen.
Just once.
Please.
And then there’s Amma.
Amma must have **the patience of a saint, the nerves of steel, or the brassiest balls in fantasy literature**, because I would have committed at least three acts of violence by page 200.
By the time I reached the end of this book, I felt like I had been emotionally rearranged into **modern art**.
Twists.
Drama.
Pain.
Character growth.
And through it all, poor Xander keeps getting emotionally and physically punched by fate like he personally offended the universe.
I genuinely wish he had gotten even more moments to shine for Fin.
He deserved them.
And now the book is over.
I’m sitting here with my Kindle, feeling weirdly robbed.
Like I’m standing on a pier watching Xander and Fin sail off into the life they fought so hard for while I’m stuck on shore holding 900 pages of emotional damage.
Honestly?
Worth it.
But if the sequel exists and those two **still refuse to communicate**, I’m bringing the bread.
This book was a journey.
Not just for Xander and Fin.
For me.
Roughly 100 pages into this almost 900-page Kindle brick, I realized something deeply unfortunate had happened:
I had fallen in love with it.
And from that moment on, the book decided that my emotional stability was optional.
This story made me laugh, cry, swear, and repeatedly wish I could break the fourth wall just to **hit both main characters with a loaf of bread**.
Not because I dislike them.
Because THIS ENTIRE STORY COULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED WITH BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
COMMUNICATION.
A radical concept, apparently.
Reading this book feels like riding a rollercoaster designed by someone who has never seen a rollercoaster but has strong opinions about chaos.
Up.
Down.
Sideways.
Emotional whiplash.
And every time you think:
“Okay. That must be the climax.”
You check the progress bar and realize:
**Congratulations. You’re only halfway through this emotional hostage situation.**
The author does not gently guide you through this story.
No.
She throws you into the deep end like a swim instructor who has already given up on you.
And somehow you keep swimming.
Because despite the suffering, the book is*funny, chaotic, dramatic, bratty, and strangely addictive.
Xander?
I cheered for him.
That poor man suffers like it’s a competitive sport.
Fin?
I love him. I do.
But there were moments where I genuinely wanted to grab those fae ears and stretch them another few inches as a learning experience.
Listen.
Just once.
Please.
And then there’s Amma.
Amma must have **the patience of a saint, the nerves of steel, or the brassiest balls in fantasy literature**, because I would have committed at least three acts of violence by page 200.
By the time I reached the end of this book, I felt like I had been emotionally rearranged into **modern art**.
Twists.
Drama.
Pain.
Character growth.
And through it all, poor Xander keeps getting emotionally and physically punched by fate like he personally offended the universe.
I genuinely wish he had gotten even more moments to shine for Fin.
He deserved them.
And now the book is over.
I’m sitting here with my Kindle, feeling weirdly robbed.
Like I’m standing on a pier watching Xander and Fin sail off into the life they fought so hard for while I’m stuck on shore holding 900 pages of emotional damage.
Honestly?
Worth it.
But if the sequel exists and those two **still refuse to communicate**, I’m bringing the bread.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2026
Stunning story that took some unexpected turns. Plenty of amazing sexy moments. Love Xander's possessiveness and literally everything about Fin. He is the beautiful bratty boy of my dreams.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews