Venan by Ashley L. Hunt

He no longer knows himself, but he needs to know her.

Octavia’s job as a hairstylist is to make people feel good about themselves, and she embraces the responsibility wholeheartedly. A full-figured woman confident in her own skin, she is happy to be a listening ear and advisory mind to her clients while enhancing their outer beauty. Since leaving Earth to take up residence on Albaterra, she has spent her days in the colony’s salon and her nights in her hut with her books and her memories. When the brooding A’li-uud Elder of Dhal’at asks her to dance, the peaceful life she’s built on the alien planet sharply interrupted

The newest Elder to join the Council, Venan has found himself at the head of the same kingdom he’s spent his life protecting. Thanks to the controversial death of his predecessor, Venan is met with criticism and disgust from the very people he is now tasked to lead. The only relief he has from the relentless judgment is when he meets dark-haired and dark-eyed Octavia. He is immediately taken not only by her loveliness but also by her open mind and understanding nature. Finding solace in the sympathetic human sends him on a journey of self-discovery to strip his once-orthodox ideals and learn where his priorities truly lie.

After the unintentional death of Dhal’atian Elder Kharid, Venan has been named as his replacement. For months, he was accused of murdering Kharid, and it seems the Council’s acquittal and the appointment has done little to ease the public’s suspicions. Quickly growing frustrated by the backlash against him, Venan is granted slight reprieve when he meets Octavia. They find kindred spirits within one another, and it should be the beginning of a smooth and amazing romance. When the Novai, an alien race also colonized on Albaterra, descend upon the planet with a life-altering demand, however, Venan is forced to step up in his new role and make the timeless choice between what is easy and what is right. Octavia intends to support him in this, but she finds herself suddenly caught in an A’li-uud family drama she could never have imagined. The next thing she knows, she has to decide if a relationship with the troubled Elder is worth it or if she needs to put herself first.

Is there a happy ending for the mysterious A’li-uud and the dreamy stylist, or will their search for themselves leave them lost and alone…or worse?