Reviewed by Tori (Vicki)

TITLE: Test of Valor 

SERIES: Valor #2

AUTHOR: Keira Andrews

PUBLISHER: KA Books

LENGTH: 225 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 26th, 2018

BLURB:

They’re free of the White House, but can their forbidden romance survive in the real world?

With his father no longer president, twenty-two-year-old Rafa Castillo can finally be with ex-Secret Service agent Shane Kendrick. Shane’s given up his career for Rafa, a move his fellow agents question the sanity and morality of. Eager to get away from the questions and judgement, Rafa and Shane are building a new life together in Australia. Though Shane struggles with nightmares and his over-protective instincts while Rafa fights his own insecurity, they love each other more than ever.

Now they just have to get through a visit from the former president and first lady.

Rafa’s parents certainly don’t approve of his romance with forty-year-old Shane, and they’re determined to make him see reason. They don’t see how their son could possibly be happy settling down with an older man, and they question Shane’s motives. Shane and Rafa just want a normal life together—but when they must suddenly battle for survival, they fight to prove their fierce love can withstand any threat.

This gay romance from Keira Andrews is the conclusion of the Valor duology. It features a May-December age difference, sex on the beach, and of course a happy ending.

REVIEW:

Ohhhh…. this book as risky. I reviewed Valor on the Move in 2015 and I loved it, and was satisfied with where things ended for Rafa and Shane. I had no idea this was coming out until I was asked by Dani if I wanted to review it! I was curious and excited, but had a little trepidation. For the most part I was happy. I mentioned in a review I wrote recently that sequels that have the same couple continuing to a new book can be a problem for me, since all of the excitement and will-they-won’t-they has been resolved in the first book. Unless there is external drama to keep things going, I’m rarely as satisfied with book two as I am with book one. It works with series that have a big overall plot line, or are suspense or mystery novels, since the couples have something to do once they have fallen in love. The issue with this sequel, is the drama of the first book could not be replicated, since Rafa’s dad is no longer the current President, and Shane is out of the Secret Service. So….

A quick little catch up: (I re-read Valor on the Move RIGHT before this one, so I remember it all well!) In Valor on the Move, we meet Rafa, the 21 (22?) year old son of the President, and Shane, his Secret Service agent. The two flirt a bit while Shane is protecting Rafa, but really get involved when Rafa is kidnapped. After Shane rescues Rafa and returns him to his parents, Shane leaves since sleeping with his protectee is a big huge no-no. And he sees the age difference as an issue, even though he is clearly in love with Rafa. At the very end of the story, once Rafa’s dad is out of the White House, Rafa finds Shane as he is heading to Australia to attend school, and the  attraction between the two reignites. And we find out that Shane had quit his job and was already planning to follow Rafa to Australia and find him. Rafa confesses to his folks, who freak out, and, they all live happily every after! Or so we assume.

Until this book starts! Now in Test of Valor, Rafa and Shane have been in Australia for several months, maybe six months? Rafa has learned to surf from Shane, they are renting a little bungalow, Shane is working on establishing connections to start doing some security work, and Rafa is about to start school. But all is not really well underneath. Shane is having nightmares, and of course won’t tell Rafa. Rafa’s parents are coming for a visit, and will undoubtedly put the screws to Rafa to get him to give this all up. Shane is forced back to the US to speak about the kidnapping and his involvement, and of course has to leave the night before Rafa’s parents arrive. Rafa is a mess about all of it. Shane is a mess about all of it. And it only gets worse when Rafa’s parents arrive, and challenge/bully/question everything that is happening. Shane arrives home after spending maybe three days gone, and finds Rafa in a true state of fucked-up. It only gets worse, until it gets better, after disaster strikes and Shane again plays the hero.

So I had a harder time with this book than the first one. I gave the first book 4.5 hearts and was able to ignore my discomfort with the age difference between Rafa and Shane. Somehow I had a harder time with that in this one, and I’m not really sure why. I think in the excitement of the first book, with all of the drama of the kidnapping, I was able to get past the difference. But in this one, it’s really apparent that there is a big difference between them. Rafa is really young and inexperienced, and I don’t mean about sex, although that too. Just life in general. He’s spent the last eight years as the younger son of the President of the United States. He’s made very few decisions for himself, he’s been very sheltered, and has very few friends. Shane on the other hand is bold, outgoing, sexually experience, well-traveled, an adult man. The two can barely communicate, Shane spends all his time trying to protect Rafa physically and emotionally. Rafa doesn’t know how to be in a relationship, and doesn’t get much from Shane in that area, since he’s never been in a relationship either. They both withhold information the other needs to know, and both overreact. At one point Shane fakes a stomach bug and hides in the bathroom to avoid telling Rafa he’s having nightmares. Rafa frequently overreacts, jumps to conclusions and says “whatever” a lot… Lots of time is spent flipping perspectives between Shane and Rafa, so we really do get to see just how fucked up each of them are about the whole thing. I wanted them to sit down and have an actual conversation. I don’t mind an age gap when the younger participant is mature for his age, or the older participant is young for his age, but this was kind of hard for me. But that is a personal issue and not the fault of the author.

Rafa’s parents treat Shane like crap, as do the Secret Service agents that are with them. And I have to say I’m not sure I disagree. Shane really did cross a line with Rafa, and should probably have faced some charges. Having a sexual relationship of any kind with his protectee, the son of the President, is seriously fucked up. At the time I read the first book, I was all caught up in the relationship itself, but looking at it after the fact, can’t say I’d have reacted any better if I was in his parents situation. His coworkers as well. Shane is surprised and disappointed when he is ignored and harassed, but come on! YOU HAD SEX WITH YOUR PROTECTEE! Who is 20 years younger than you. Why are you surprised they are pissed at you?

Anyway. So I struggled with the first half of the book, I think it really brought home the differences between them for me, and how I would feel as a parent in that situation. I hope I would act better about it that Rafa’s parents did, however. Then the second half got better. A thing happens that puts Rafa and his parents in a very bad situation, and Shane is the one to save them. THEN everyone likes him. As they should! I kinda wish less time had been spent in the first half of the book on how fucked up everything was, and more time had been spent after Shane gets to play the hero. The first half made me question the appropriateness of their relationship, then the second half I forgot that, just like in the first book. The excitement distracted me. Once everything is sorted, Rafa and Shane are able to get their heads out of their asses and talk like grownups and things between them end on a much better note. I think if the big thing hadn’t happened, I would have rated this book lower. But if the shit leading up to the big thing had been reduced, I probably would have rated it higher. First half was ok, second half was great!

I still love Rafa and Shane, in the first book it was all flirting and sexual tension between them until the culmination at the end. This time we get several really hot sex scenes, including outdoor sex! I liked some of the emotional tension between them but wish it had been toned down a bit. It was just really clear to me that Rafa is very immature. I loved the excitement of the big thing! I loved the details about Australia, especially the bridge climb. And of course I loved the ending! Keira Andrews is an auto-buy for me, and anytime I get to read one of her books it’s a good thing. Even when I don’t love every bit of it. It’s still worth it!

If you liked Valor on the Move you really need to read this one. If you haven’t read that book, you’ll need to before reading Test of Valor or it won’t make any sense. I do recommend both of this books, give them a try!

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

Amazon