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Book Title: Beauty and Valor (D’Vaire, Book 32)
Author and Publisher: Jessamyn Kingley
Cover Artist: LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations
Release Date: October 20, 2022
Genres: MM Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Tropes: Fated mates
Themes: Love, overcoming obstacles
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 88 638 words
It is not a standalone story but does the book end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited
Perfection comes in many forms, and true courage is beautiful.
Blurb
Preston Hawthorneonca-Stone is a warrior. In a fit of rage, his father changed Preston’s life on a horrible day in 1994. Now a brain injury survivor, Preston lives with his brother and their growing family. A recent addition to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters, Preston has landed his dream job of working with animals.
Resurrected in 1995, Ridgely Walsh is dedicated to his job and the tightknit group of friends he considers family. With his penchant for honesty, Ridgely is the level-headed and sometimes hard-assed member of their little group. Ridgely doesn’t play foolish games, and he accepts people at face value.
Although Ridgely yearns for a mate, nothing prepares him for the moment he meets Preston. The beautiful jaguar-human hybrid with the big brown eyes halts Ridgely in his tracks. Ridgely rapidly discovers his true purpose is to be a good partner to his other half. Preston is equally taken with Ridgely but fears how the fallen knight will handle his imperfections. Together, they must navigate the path Fate chose for them and discover what it means to love unconditionally.
Excerpt
“That’s okay," Ridgely said. "We’ll work around your schedule. There are seven days in a week. We’ll work our dates into the nights you’re free.”
“Yeah.”
The lack of enthusiasm in Preston’s voice had a chill running through Ridgely. Although they hadn’t known each other long, they talked frequently, and the man enchanted Ridgely. Until that moment, Ridgely had believed they were on the same page, but perhaps he’d misjudged the situation. It was difficult to discuss it without being able to see the emotions cross Preston’s face, and Ridgely wished he were with him. However, there was no way Ridgely could wait until their date the following night to get the answers he needed.
“Tell me what’s on your mind,” Ridgely prompted and internally winced at the sharpness in his voice.
“I have challenges.”
“I know,” Ridgely responded softly. “That’s not a problem for me.”
“Okay. I didn’t want to bombard you with them at the start though.”
“Don’t worry so much. Talk to me.”
“I tire easily sometimes, and I also have insomnia. I’m concerned that if I’m out most nights, I’ll get exhausted because I still have work and do my therapies. I don’t want my schedule to overwhelm me, and it makes me sad because I want to be with you. Maybe I should wait to do the school stuff.”
“Absolutely not, Dimples. There’s no reason we can’t approach things casually. If we hung out and relaxed instead of dressing up for fancy restaurants, would that make things easier for you? Because honestly, that sounds like more fun anyway.”
“Maybe you could come to my house and have dinner with my family.”
“And meet some cuddly kittens?”
“Yes. You could watch a movie with me in my room or take a nap with me if you wanted. You wouldn’t even have to wear your clothes.”
Ridgely’s laughter was full-throated. “I’m going to need you to repeat that when I can see your face.”
“I’m probably blushing, but I’ve already spent plenty of time wondering what you look like naked.”
“I’ve used my imagination a lot lately too. Invite me to your house for dinner.”
“Tomorrow, instead of you picking a restaurant?”
“All I need is an address.”
Snagging a pen from his desk drawer, Ridgely jotted down the information he needed, then promised to call Preston later. After hanging up, nervousness crept in. Although Ridgely loved the idea of a more relaxed avenue to get to know Preston better, meeting a couple of Council leaders was intimidating.
“Okay, so I was curious before, but now I’m dying to meet Preston,” Warner said.
Ridgely nearly jumped at the sound of Warner’s voice. So swept up in talking to Preston, Ridgely had forgotten he wasn’t alone, which was nuts since he’d shared an office with Warner for nearly two decades.
“What?”
“Your voice and body language completely changed when you spoke with your mate. I’ve never seen that side of you. You were practically gushing.”
“Clearly, I was not, but I won’t pretend I don’t like him either.”
“I feel so good about this now. I was nervous you’d over-analyze every aspect of your relationship and drive your man crazy.”
“Glad to hear it because, clearly, your opinion of the situation is what matters most,” Ridgely deadpanned.
“Seriously, I must meet this beautiful dimpled man.”
“Find some patience, Warner. Or better yet, find your other half.”
“I wish,” Warner replied, and Ridgely did too.
Ridgely wanted everyone to have Fate pair them with someone as wonderful as Preston was turning out to be. And the fact that Preston was pursuing a dream pleased Ridgely. It wasn’t enough for Preston to have only pieces of what he wanted; Ridgely intended to ensure that his mate had everything.
About the Author
Jessamyn Kingley lives in Nevada where she begs the men in her head to tell her their amazing stories which she dutifully writes it all down in what has become a small mountain of notebooks. She falls in love with each couple and swears whatever book she wrote last is her absolute favorite.
Jessamyn is married and working toward remembering to start the dishwasher without being distracted by the scent of the magical detergent. For personal enjoyment, she aids in cat rescue while slashing and gashing her way through mobs in various MMORPGs. Caffeine is her very best friend and is only cast aside briefly for the sin better known as BBQ potato chips.
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