Life Lessons

De: Kaje Harper

Narrado por: J.F. Harding

Tony Hart loves teaching, even though he's not much older than his high school students. Between his profession, a few good friends, and plenty of books, he's content with his quiet life. Then, the murdered body of another teacher falls into the elevator at his feet, and Tony's life becomes all too exciting.

Jared MacLean is a homicide detective, widowed father to a young daughter, and deeply in the closet. But, from the moment he meets Tony's blue eyes in that high school hallway, Mac can't help wanting this man in his life. Mac's not out and can't afford to be out, but Tony makes him want the impossible.

Mac isn't the only one with his eyes on Tony, though. As the murderer tries to cover their tracks, Mac has to work fast or lose Tony, permanently.

©2011, 2021 Kaje Harper (P)2021 Kaje Harper

Perfection!

Wild ride from beginning to end! Excellent character development, murder mystery and narration. Highly recommend!

KAJE HARPER'S CLASSIC!!

I have had Life Lessons and the rest of this series books for years and have read and reread them many times. J. F. Harding is the perfect narrator for this series and I look forward to listening to the rest of the series as they become available.

I highly recommend this book and audio!

Good mystery and relatable characters

I have had this book on my to read list for a long time, and I was excited to see it re-released and put on audio. Of course I jumped at the chance to review it. The first version of this book was released in 2011 and only lightly edited. I feel like you can tell it’s just the littlest bit dated, with marriage equality not being a thing back then. Overall the themes are still relevant today.

Tony is an out and proud teacher, who no kid in school seems to hate, even the more homophobic ones. I think that boils down to the fair way he treats his student and because his expectations of them are strict but not unreasonable. Beyond his career, we know he has a few friends, a child who is like a nephew to him, and a turbulent break-up in his past. Jared is a closeted cop with a daughter who lives with his cousin. His hectic career makes it hard to provide her with a stable environment but he tries to spend as much time with her as possible. Everything he does is for his child, including staying in the closet. Though work is another big reason for that. Both guys are good guys who are likable and relatable, though I do wish Jared could find a way to be himself.

The mystery in this book was interesting. It starts when a dead body falls through the elevator doors at Tony’s stop. Jared is a detective who shows up to the crime scene. Unlike a lot of mysteries that I’ve read, Tony doesn’t immediately start trying to solve the mystery himself. He lets the police do their job, but he does encourage students to let the police know anything they think might be relevant. The killer doesn’t know whether Tony saw him or not, and threats against Tony escalate throughout the book.

I thought the mystery was really good. I don’t think it’s obvious at any point who the guilty party is, and how much more is involved in regards to what made him kill. I found it very intriguing though and enjoyed the ride. I look forward to the next book coming out on audio to see how Tony and Jared manage their budding relationship while keeping it secret and what other mysteries Jared has to solve. The narration by J.F. Harding was perfect for these two characters. I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Great Narration!

So good! I didn’t realize that the book was from 2011 so that made some of Mac’s actions a little better for me. I loved Tony and I can’t for the next book in audio to come out. I already read the two shorts between this and the next book so I’m ready hopefully not a long wait. I need more Tony, Mac and JF Harding!!

fantastic!!

Fantastic! I loved Tony and Mac. They each had hidden depths to themselves. I felt so much for Mac feeling that he had to be in the closet. The mystery was well done. I guessed who the killer was but not why, great job. Overall, fantastic. JF Harding did an amazing job with the narration. His voice fit the characters and gave the story a realistic feel.

Brilliant

This was a brilliant, suspenseful, story. Wonderful characters, and an amazing narrator. One of the best this year.

Great audio experience

This was an excellent audiobook and I am eager to begin book 2. First off, JF Harding is a stellar narrator. His pace is great, and his inflection is fantastic. He does a great job of distinguishing between characters. He sets the bar extremely high. The story was excellent as well. There was just the right balance between the thriller/mystery aspect of the story, and the relationship between Mac and Tony. Each person has a lot they have to deal with. You can see them coming together slowly. We don’t know where they’re headed but I’m eager to find out. Highly recommended.

Great narrations and a good romantic suspense

Life Lessons is a book that’s recently rereleased and new to audio (and me). The blurb caught my eye straight away because I have a soft spot for romantic suspense and law enforcement books. However, it was the audio sample that convinced me this was a must listen, and I’m glad I did.

Life Lessons starts off rather quickly with a high school teacher unexpectedly finding a murdered fellow teacher. While the story spans the active investigation and always carries an air of suspense, I’d say the overall pace of it is pretty steady with some pockets of action. Both main characters are great, and I enjoyed getting to know both men. I found their ties together unexpected but interesting, and I enjoyed watching their romance take shape.

Romantically, Life Lessons is a bit different. Upon meeting Mac, I definitely expected this to be an out-for-you romance. However, the author holds true to her characters and doesn’t force Mac out of the closet. Instead, Tony and he develop a strong, palpable bond that takes them through some nerve-wracking moments, and they end up making a quiet life that’s fairly different than the bulk of the stories I read, but no less enjoyable.

As much as I enjoyed the story and different, honest approach to a romance with a closeted hero, I was also really happy to discover a new-to-me narrator. The even tone, good variety and distinction between character voices, and clear diction made for a lovely listen. The narration coupled with the exciting close to the book kept me listening late into the night and makes Life Lessons an easy recommendation to fans of romantic suspense stories.

Life Lessons

This wasn’t a bad first book. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration a little boring. The mystery wasn’t bad either though I figured out most of it fairly early. Some parts of the book I found ridiculous such as the actions from Tony at various points and completely not the behavior expected from someone described as smart throughout.

Long awaited audiobook

I have read this series a couple of times and loved it. I am very happy that it got an audio. And with such a good narrator.
Can't wait for the rest of them!
So much drama ahead xD