Beauty and the Beast (Timeless Fairy Tales, #1)

by K.M. Shea

What is love but friendship set on fire? “Oh, get off it. You are twisting my words. Besides, everyone knows love requires a base, physical attraction,” Elle said. “And claws and fangs are hardly the things of romance.”

Physical desire is a lie, Emele continued. It is not a bad thing, but it blinds a person and makes them unable to see truth. Falling in love is a matter of the heart, not of the exterior.

Let me tell you something, missy. You young maidens nowadays get misty-eyed thinking about true love and the fathomless adoration you will share. It’s not like that. Real love is looking at someone and knowing that you wouldn’t mind waking up to their bad breath for the next century, and you are fine with them seeing you before you brush your hair and fix your face for the day.

Loving a person isn’t a magical, sparkly passion. It’s hard work. It’s putting the other person before yourself. It’s companionship and being able to trust and depend on each other. That theatrical true love everyone spouts about is really finding a partner who will go through the heartbreaks and joys of life with you.