Learned Reactions

A Single Dad Romance (Higher Education, Book 2)

By: Jayce Ellis

Narrated by: K. Bernard

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

“The friends-to-lovers trope feels fresh in Ellis’ hands, in part because it’s underpinned by a lovingly drawn depiction of Black family dynamics.” (Publishers Weekly)

Carlton Monroe is finally getting his groove back. After a year playing dad to his nephew and sending him safely off to college, it’s back to his bachelor ways. But when his teenaged niece shows up on his doorstep looking for a permanent home, his plan comes to a screeching halt. Family is everything, and in the eyes of social services, a couple makes a better adoptive family than an overworked bachelor father. A fake relationship with his closest friend is the best way to keep his family together.

If things between him and Deion are complicated, well, it only needs to last until the end of the semester.

Living with Carlton is a heartbreak waiting to happen, and once the adoption goes through, Deion’s out. He’s waited two decades for Carlton to realize they’re meant for each other, and he’s done. It’s time to make a clean break. But it’s hard to think of moving away when keeping up the act includes some very real perks like kissing, cuddling, and sharing a bed.

Even the best charades must come to an end, though. As the holidays and Deion’s departure date loom, the two men must decide whether playing house is enough for them - or if there’s any chance they could be a family for real.

©2021 Jayce Ellis (P)2021 Recorded Books

Love and faith

Maybe Ellis gives a remarkable story of love and life that every gay man can relate that some point, if not all, of their existence.

The Story of Three Friends Continues

In Learned Reactions, the story of the three friends - Jaquan, Carlton, and Lawrence - introduced in Learned Behaviors continues. This time Ellis focuses on the relationship between Carlton and Deion, a twenty year friendship; and how each man struggles to come to grips with their wants, needs, passion, desires, and fears when Carlton’s niece enters their lives.

Ellis crafts another rich story of friendship, family, love and romance. Ellis raises appropriate and relevant social issues and attitudes in the mix not as insurmountable, but as a recognition of immediate/longer term challenges the characters may face in a compelling manner. The courtroom scenes at the end of this story are heartwarming and brought tears to my eyes as they captured a positive and supportive Black family experience which was so personally familiar.

Jayce Ellis please continue this series. Matt and Jaquan got their happy ending in Learned Behaviors; Carlton and Deion found theirs in this book; so please don’t leave us wondering too long about what happened/happens between Lawrence and Vance!

Boring narrator.

Reminds me of a computer reading text. I read the boom myself. maybe it will be better.