“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Title: Love Lessons Learned
Author: K.C. Wells
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 286 Pages
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: John Wainwright is having a momentous day. To start off, he lands his first teaching job. Then his brother, Evan, and Evan’s husband, Daniel, take him out to celebrate in Manchester’s gay village. An encounter with a sexy man forces John to admit what he’s been denying for too long—he’s gay. His coming out proves he’s supported and loved by his family and roommates. What more could a man want? There’s just one small problem: John’s dishy Head Teacher, Brett Sanderson, and John’s gigantic crush on him. Too bad Brett is straight.
Brett Sanderson leads a double life. At thirty-three, he is the Head Teacher of a primary school. But for seven years now, during every school holiday, Brett has fled to Brighton, where he becomes ‘Rob,’ a man who has a different guy in his bed every night but has never had a relationship.
Once he’s back in school, Brett is firmly back in that closet, until his newest staff member starts prying open the door. When John pulls out all the stops to get Brett’s attention, neither man is prepared for the consequences.
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Review: My disclaimer up front. I Beta read this book, so I loved it before it existed. I am also one of K.C. Wells’ number one fans. Not in a Kathy Bates in Misery kind of way, but in a real and truly respectful way.
Love Lessons Learned is a new series from K.C. Wells. It is not a continuation of her Learning to Love series, although there is some character cross-over. The fifth installment in the Learning to Love series is upcoming. In fact, if you read Love Lessons Learned very carefully, you will see a cameo of a character from her Collars & Cuffs series. Everyone confused enough now?
Love Lessons Learned is the story of John Wainwright, who is Evan’s (from Learning to Love) brother. John’s story starts out on the day he gets his first teaching job and comes out to his brother and brother-in-law. This leads to his coming out to the rest of the family and finding a place of his own to live. Since he has a job now, he doesn’t have to live with his parents, who are very accepting of his homosexuality. John finds a house to share with three housemates, all of whom are gay men. I think I see where K.C. Wells will get the material for the rest of the Love Lessons Learned series.
John met Brett Sanderson when he went in for his interview for the teaching position. Both men find the other attractive, but Brett is closeted as Head Teacher at the school, and believes that John is straight. John isn’t sure coming out at work is a good idea because of the fact that some people erroneously believe that gay equals pedophile.
Brett maintains his secret at work by spending school breaks at a hotel in Brighton as “Rob”, a man who spends every night with someone new. He has been taking these vacations for seven years, but the one after he meets John is different. He can’t seem to find anyone who he’d like to spend the night, or even part of the night, with. He has become friends with the owner/bartender, Elliott. Brett introduces himself to Elliott using his real name for the first time. He has come to realize that he wants more from life than sporadic visits to a hotel to scratch his itch with a series of one night stands. Brett admits to Elliott that there is someone at home he is interested in but that the man, John, is straight. With Elliott’s encouragement, Brett decides to see if his initial impression of John as straight is accurate.
Meantime, John wants to figure out if Brett is gay. His housemates arm him with every subtle and not-so-subtle seduction technique they know. After putting those techniques to work, Brett and John acknowledge their mutual attraction and have an explosive first time. But then the regrets start piling up. Brett is John’s line manager, his supervisor. John is newly out and inexperienced. It looks like the odds are stacked too high against them.
Then K.C. Wells does what she does best. The thing I love most about her writing is that she is consistent. I know that her characters will face an uphill battle to be together. Every stumbling block you can think of, she will think of it too, and throw it in front of them. Then she wields her secret weapon: the power of love, that timeless super-power that triumphs over evil and women scorned and job threatening complaints and gun wielding criminals. I love that I can always count on K.C. Wells to give me a satisfying read. She always makes me wait for the sex, but makes it so worth the wait.
Brett and John are no different from any of K.C.’s previous characters in that way. Their sex is off the Richter scale. Their love is powerful and moving. Apart they are great, together they are phenomenal. I can wholeheartedly and confidently recommend that you read this book. You should read all of her books. Especially if you are struggling and need proof that love can move mountains. In K.C. Wells’ world, love can and does move mountains.
You can buy Love Lessons Learned here:
