Learning Curve

Life Lessons, Book 4

De: Kaje Harper

Narrado por: J.F. Harding

Mac is afraid he won't recover enough to go back to being a cop; Tony's afraid that he will.

Three months after being injured, 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.

(This is a lightly edited rerelease of the 2013 original, bringing Mac and Tony to their HEA.—content warning for a domestic abuse case, suicide.)

©2013, 2022 Kaje Harper (P)2022 Kaje Harper

Goodbye to our guys

JF Harding, as narrator, brings Book 4, the final in the series to life for us. He’s been perfect for Tony and Mac.

And what can I say, as we’ve come to a conclusion of Tony and Mac’s story, it’s a bit bittersweet. Though it’s great to see their ending, we’ve built quite a relationship with them. Four books in, we know them well, we’ve been through it all so it’s a little hard to say goodbye.

With that said, this was a wonderful installment in their journey. Mac is grumpily and slowly recovering from his injuries, helping more with the children while he’s off. The more he heals the sooner he gets back to work, which is too fast for Tony and too slow for Mac. Though he’s not back yet, he gets drawn into a case that involves one of Tony’s students. While helping to figure out who the murderer is and where the missing boyfriend is, Mac has to also figure out how to be better present with the children and their care and make time for his husband. He also needs to face his new reality, because he will never be 100% his old self.

I love the acknowledgement that real life means you are often pulled in multiple directions and it is sometimes messy, but through it all, it’s the love that keeps you fighting to get through it and build it together.

It’s never an easy road for these two, but it’s always worth it in the end.

Terrific

Terrific series, well written, great characters. J F Harding does a fabulous job narrating

Kaje Fan

I really enjoyed this series. I loved Tony and Mac. But Ben stole my heart.

Great story that left me happy

At the end of the last book, Mac was hurt on the job and it was clear he was going to need some recovery time before he could resume his job as a police detective. Tony was, of course, devastated by Mac’s injury. While he helped him in his recovery process, it has to be said that Tony would be happy if Mac never returned. The danger of Mac’s job is a little stressful on their relationship, but I love that Tony isn’t a selfish person. If I was in his place, I am sure I would have the same feelings as him, but he knows that Mac loves his job and is good at it, so he puts aside his fears and hopes for the best.

Despite Mac being on medical leave, a young man with Mac’s name and number is found at a murder scene and Mac is called in to help consult. The college boy used to be in Tony’s class and the dead man is his father’s boyfriend. He only trusts Mac to make sure his father isn’t immediately suspected because of his sexual orientation. The mystery is interesting in this book, but it features mostly as a background to keep the characters busy.

Most of the angst I felt in the first three books has been eliminated. Sure, Mac and Tony will still struggle. Every couple and family will face problems here and there. Mac’s confidence in his ability to do his job has been shaken; Tony has to deal with his fears and want what’s best for Mac. They have two young kids, Ben and Anna, and Tony is working to adopt Ben. A concern has also risen at school about Tony’s role as the head of the gay-straight alliance. Mac’s family is finally introduced and we learn his childhood wasn’t a happy time. But it does explain why Mac joined the police force and why he wants to help others. There are a lot of things going on for these two, but their relationship is stronger than ever, and they face these problems together.

I have really enjoyed this series. At times, you could definitely tell that the original story was written years before more freedoms were extended towards the LGBTQ community. It doesn’t take away from feeling for these characters and their struggles, though. I am hoping there are more books to come, but if there somehow isn’t, I feel content in my heart with where they are right now. J.F. Harding’s narration was the cherry on top of this awesome sundae. He embodies the characters so well, even the kids, and he really brings the emotions to the next level. I definitely recommend this book and the whole series.

Nice conclusion

It felt complete and was an enjoyable listen. A well earned HEA for Tony and Mac.

A Great Conclusion To The Series!

This audiobook series was fantastic! I'm glad I got to go on Tony and Mac's journey. It was heartbreaking hearing the narrator, J.F. Harding, portray Mac's struggles with his brain injury. Tony and Mac's relationship felt very relatable and realistic. The case that Mac unwittingly gets involved in helps him overcome his fears and invigorates him to rejoin the homicide unit. The case was fascinating but predictable. The audience had a good idea who the killer was. I enjoyed this conclusion to the book series Life Lessons; I will miss the characters and their adventures. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Fabulous end to series

This is book 4 you do need to read in order to understand as this takes up after last book.

I’m not going to do a deep rundown since I’d have to spoil past books.
Tony and Mack are going through many challenges both separately and as a family.
I’ll say there is a lot going on with Mack’s personal struggles, getting called in to consult on a case, Tony dealing with work issues, a hurting student, Mack’s struggles, Mack has to face family pasts he wants kept buried, and the love between two gay professional men.
If you like police detectives, teachers, established couples, angst, love , cute kids and hot mansex this is for you!
I listened on audio and man I loved this narrator. He really nailed Mack’s challenges, brought forth all the excitement, drama snd many voices. If you can get the audio version I highly recommend it.

Tony and Mac

Love, love, love this series. and the story continues. Mac and Tony a great Love story. well written and the performance by J F Harding with the narration is so outstanding. Just Awesome!!!

Mac and Tony and their HEA

I’ve loved this series so very much. I’ll start with the fantastic – and even heroic – narration by J.F. Harding. I thought book 3’s narration was stellar – this one was even better! Mac is recovering from being shot in the head and he still has a lingering brain injury. His speech is stilted and sometimes his mind is slow to find the right words. J.F. manages every nuance of this. He gets the timing right so I’m struggling right along with Mac. He manages to get the words perfect as they’re written – jumbled as they might be at times. I can’t even express how amazing his work was on this great book.

Okay, on to the book. There’s a lot going on in this story. Mac’s still recovering. Tony’s still fretting – he’s worried about his cop husband going back to work. He’s also got a student he’s worried about and a vice-principal hellbent on making things way more difficult than they need to be. For the record, I enjoyed the scene where the students made their opinions clear.

When Mac’s called in to ‘consult’ on a case, he’s thrilled. He might not always have the right words, but the skilled interrogator is still in there, yearning to come out. He might not be ready to head back out on the street with a gun at this point, but he can sit down with recalcitrant witnesses, victims, and perpetrators and elicit confessions. I viscerally felt his joy in feeling useful again.

Except this brings back the stress of having two working parents and juggling two children. I adore Ben and Anna – they bring something special to the book as I watched Tony and Mac navigate parenthood. Ben’s special day was magical as far as I was concerned. Anyway, Tony’s parents have moved to town and there’s nothing like the power of loving grandparents. But Ben’s other grandparents – his bio mom’s parents – are still basically homophobic and cruel. I wanted them out of the picture, but that’s not always the solution to tough problems.

The plotline that hit hardest for me was Mac’s mother. I won’t give away what happens, but I’m facing a similar situation and wondering what’s going to happen when that day comes for me. As always, with Tony’s support, Mac makes it through.

I adored the dénouement of the mystery when things all came together. Basically, I loved everything about this book and I think everyone should pick it up. I especially recommend reading them in order. I’m sad to see this end, but it’ll be a comfort to be able to pick the series up again and again.

5+ stars- This series was wonderful

The Life Lessons series is one of those that I just can’t seem to get enough of. I love Mac and Tony and enjoy seeing the life they are building together. I love the writing and how things are never oversimplified but the angst and conflict always seem reasonable rather than just to make things difficult. And I love the suspense and casework–it’s different, exciting, and with enough twists to keep me glued to my device. Add in a great narrator that elevates the stories that much more, and this is a winning combination I am all too happy to recommend.

Learning Curve is the fourth book in The Life Lessons series and follows Mac’s continued recovery from the gunshot he survived. Once again, I was impressed at how well the author keeps things real- highlighting the highs and lows of Tony and Mac’s lives and romance. There were plenty of loose ends wrapped up in this story, bringing the series a little more full circle for me, specifically regarding Mac’s family and the family Tony and Mac are creating with their two young children.

I found Learning Curve really tugged on my emotions almost more than Home Work, something I didn’t think would be possible. It really highlighted just how much I adore these characters and feel a part of their story now. Similarly, the case showcased some of the best parts of this series–blending Tony and Mac’s lives and professional strengths in a powerful and interesting story that made for a wonderful cap to this series. As sad as I am to see The Life Lessons series come to an end, this proved to be a wonderful send-off to a great series that I will recommend again and again to readers who enjoy romantic suspense stories.