Reviewed by Heather C.
TITLE: Learning Curve
SERIES: Life Lessons series #4
AUTHOR: Kaje Harper
PUBLISHER: MLR Press
LENGTH: 117,000 words
BLURB: Mac is afraid he’ll never recover enough to go back to being a cop, while Tony is afraid that he will.
Three months after being shot, Detective Jared MacLean is healing, but he’s afraid it may not be enough to go back on the job. He won’t give up, though. Being a cop is written deep in Mac’s bones, and he’ll do whatever it takes to carry his badge again. Tony used to wish he could have Mac safely home, but watching his strong husband battle disabilities is far from Tony’s dream come true. When Mac is asked to consult on a case involving one of Tony’s students, both men will have to face old demons and new fears to find a way to move forward together.
REVIEW:
It’s Mac and Tony’s final book!!! Gah! I ♥ these guys so much!
For those of you who haven’t read Home Work, you’ve been warned there will probably be spoilers in my review.
This book was long…I mean really long with a lot going on. Some may even say it was “too long”, but I loved every page of it. Since this is supposed to be the final book of the Life Lessons series, there were a lot of things going on in Mac and Tony’s life since the very beginning that needed resolutions, and I feel happy about how things were wrapped up.
I’m going to break my review out into a list because…well, that’s just how I like to do it.
♥ Its a few months later and Mac is still recovering from the brain injury. Book 3 ended on a sad note with Mac’s career future still up in the air. I really liked how the author handled the realism of the aphasia and what all Mac has to do to retrain his speech and overcome his fears. It’s hard seeing Mac so vulnerable, but he will always have Tony there to support him in who he needs to be…no matter how much it scares Tony.
♥ The murder mystery. Honestly, it wasn’t the most interesting mystery in the series. It was a bit simple with really only one possible solution that was glaringly obvious to me. BUT…the key point of the mystery was how Mac was able to slowly reorient himself to working a case after the injury, without “officially” working a case. Also, a few of Mac’s old cases that we’ve been following over the last few books finally get resolved.
♥ Tony is still having problems with that stupid, homophobic, bitch Grady at his school. And that storyline also gets a bit tied into Mac’s mystery. Not a major factor in the story, but it also uses the time to touch on the realities of teen bullying and the benefits of a having a Gay Straight Alliance to support gay teens and their networks.
♥ Tony and Mac are still hot hot hot! I think this book was definitely the smexiest book in the series…as a whole; because nothing will ever top the hotness of their wedding night for me. They are so fucking perfect together!
“Look in that mirror,” he whispered. “There. That stunning, big, dark man, and that smaller guy. That’s you and that’s me. And that’s fucking hot and gorgeous and just about perfect. That’s as gay as an Easter parade, and still completely about two real men. Your family can throw insults, and they can shun us, and they can discriminate all they want, but they can’t make that less than fucking perfect.” ~ Tony
♥ Speaking of Mac’s family, we finally get to meet them. We learn a lot about Mac’s childhood and the foundation for many of his fears. It’s now obvious why being a detective is who Mac really is and that it will never change. His family is horrible; thank God he now has a new family with Tony, Ben, and Anna.
♥ Tony finally becomes Ben’s “Dad”! I know that’s a spoiler, but did you really think that wouldn’t happen? It was so sweet and perfect, and of course I had a happy cry through the whole thing! I just adore Ben, and I wish his judgmental, homophobic grandparents would give him the love he deserves. Maybe someday…a long time from now.
♥ The HEA. It was beautiful and perfect and I CRIED like a baby at the end. Tony and Mac’s journey hasn’t been easy, but seeing the life they made together is inspiring and still leaves me with happy tears and a smile on my face. I hope Kaje gives us happy updates of their future together.
5 stars…no question about it!
BUY LINK: MLR Press :: All Romance eBooks :: Amazon
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Heather C. is one of the official reviewers on The Blog of Sid Love.
To read all her reviews, click the link: HEATHER’S REVIEWS
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