Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Valor: The Complete Duology
AUTHOR: Keira Andrews
PUBLISHER: KA Books
LENGTH: 427 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2021
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Forbidden love in the White House—read the complete action-packed romance!
He’d give his life to protect the president’s son. But he never expected to risk his heart.
Growing up gay in the White House hasn’t been easy for Rafael Castillo. Codenamed “Valor” by the Secret Service, Rafa feels anything but brave as he hides in the closet and tries to stay below the radar in his last year of college.
It’s definitely not part of Rafa’s plan to get a hot new Secret Service agent, but he’s made it this long dateless and innocent, keeping his desires strictly to himself. Besides, it’s not like Shane Kendrick would even look at him twice if it wasn’t his job.
While protecting the president’s shy, boring son isn’t Shane’s dream White House assignment, it’s an easy enough task since no one pays Rafa much attention. He discovers there’s a vibrant young man beneath the timid public shell, and while he knows Rafa has a crush on him, he assures himself it’s harmless. Shane’s never had room for romance in his life, and he’d never cross that line with a protectee.
But he’s never been tempted like this before. Even if Shane and Rafa can run away together, will their forbidden love survive in the real world?
Read Valor on the Move and Test of Valor in one convenient collection!
Valor: The Complete Duology by Keira Andrews is a collection of two M/M bodyguard gay romances featuring an age difference, Jane Austen levels of pining, first times, forbidden love against the odds, and of course a happy ending.
REVIEW:
Valor on the Move is the first book of Keira Andrew’s newly released Valor: The Complete Duology. Rafael Castillo is the twenty-one-year-old closeted son of the President of the United States, a Republican whose ideology on LGBTQ+ issues is in direct conflict with Rafa’s beliefs. Rafa is a virgin and had never even kissed a man. He’s currently in a fake relationship with his best friend, Ashleigh, a lesbian. There are only seven months remaining in the president’s second term, and as a courtesy to his father, Rafa is waiting to come out until after he vacates the office.
With Rafa’s older siblings living away from the White House, and with Ashleigh in Paris for the summer, Rafa is incredibly lonely and weary from constantly having to present a public persona that doesn’t represent his true self. When he gets a new secret service agent on his protective detail, he finds himself attracted to Shane and pushes him to become involved. But not only is Shane nearly twice his age, the relationship is forbidden and would be highly inappropriate because Rafa is Shane’s protectee.
I normally enjoy age gap tropes but I couldn’t buy into this plotline. Rafa has lived a sheltered life being coddled by his parents, particular his controlling bitch of a mother. As a result, his life experience and emotional maturity are much younger than his chronological age. Rafa and Shane are in vastly different stages of their lives and they don’t have many commonalities. The age difference just didn’t sit well with me in this book. Furthermore, Shane’s willingness to risk his entire career over a twenty-one-year-old inexperienced man seems preposterous. Yes, he is physically attracted to Rafa but I can’t believe he couldn’t or wouldn’t squash those feelings. He is supposed to be a professional in a position with enormous responsibility and expectations. A character this flawed didn’t ring true.
The suspense storyline in the second half of the book is quite exciting and increased my enjoyment of the book.
Test of Valor is the companion piece to Valor on the Move. It’s not just an extended epilogue; it’s a full-length (although on the short side) sequel with its own conflicts and tension. Rafa and Shane are now living in a bungalow near the beach in Australia. Shane is doing security work and Rafa is about to fulfill his dream of attending the Cordon Bleu culinary school. This book focuses on the obstacles to their happily ever after, including interpersonal struggles with insecurity and trust issues, and the controlling, overbearing behavior of Rafa’s mother.
Manipulation is my last favorite plot device and it’s pervasive here. I despise manipulation in real life and in fiction. For me, books are not enhanced by the tension engineered by manipulation, and unfortunately, it monopolizes this story. Second to manipulation as my last favorite trope is the Big Misunderstanding, and that’s incorporated, also. Shane’s inability to communicate with Rafa is problematic. He’s insecure about their age gap, he’s overly possessive, and he’s worried Rafa will acquiesce to his parents’ disapproval of their relationship. He even has intrusive thoughts of this nature during sex. His unwillingness to discuss his concerns and mention his recurring nightmares begins to degrade the relationship.
I liked spending more time with Rafa and Shane but there were themes I didn’t care for. The ending is lovely with an epilogue that provides an even more satisfying HEA.
Overall, Valor: The Complete Duology is an okay read. I enjoyed book one more because of the suspense and the origin story. I found flaws in the plotlines of both books, though, specifically the unconvincing age difference and the misunderstandings and manipulation in book two. I recommend the duology – just barely – but only for readers who are more tolerable of these plot devices than I am.
RATING: 
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