The story is more realistic in its depiction of the difficulty and grinding involved in murder investigations the narrative isn’t littered with unnecessary red-herrings or well-timed clues that happen to fall into the intrepid investigator’s lap. They get to see a different side to one another beyond their previously limited (and somewhat testy) interactions, deepening the attraction. Tony is a foster father to his deceased best friend’s son, Ben, who meets Mac’s daughter, Anna, at the zoo.

While both men are attracted to each other early on, the moment they first bond centers around their roles as parental figures. However, this works for me as they are entrenched in a murder investigation and Mac’s increased presence in Tony’s life is because Tony is being targeted.

Because Tony is unaware that Mac is gay for about half of the story and Mac is great at hiding, there’s no flirtation, longing looks, or “heated” glances. Both MCs are likable characters who get off to a rocky start and wish they aren’t attracted to one another-Tony because he thinks Mac is straight and Mac because being attracted to someone he likes is detrimental to remaining in the closet. Life Lessons is a slow burn police procedural featuring a high school teacher who unwittingly captures the attention of a killer and a detective determined to keep him from becoming the next victim. Yet, no matter how often he reminds himself of these facts, Mac can’t stop thinking about Tony, and when it becomes apparent the killer has his eye on Tony, staying away becomes an impossibility. So no matter how attracted he is to the handsome witness, the man is young, local, and, most troubling, out-therefore off-limits. Coming out is not an option and if that means never having a loving relationship and being content to fly to Vegas a couple of times a year for anonymous hookups, then so be it. For Jared “Mac” McLean, being a good father and a good cop means being diligent, hard-working, and willing to make sacrifices, which includes being closeted. Weston was a bit of a smug git, Tony can’t imagine someone wanting to kill him or that he himself would be ensnared in the investigation. When Anthony “Tony” Hart heads back into school for a forgotten box of books, he never expects to run into a coworker with a knife in his chest, and while Mr. Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks

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