A Lesson Learned

By Carol Lynne

Graduate student, Dane Jefferson, believes the sun rises with Magnus Sofokleous. He would do anything for the chance to get closer to the sexy professor. Unfortunately, Magnus is so busy researching the past, he doesn't take the time to live in the present.

One week before winter break, Magnus gratefully accepts a grant to further his research at Barrett House, a small plantation in Louisiana. With extenuating circumstances surrounding the grant, Magnus is forced to ask his assistant, Dane, to accompany him. Although Dane is qualified, the attraction Magnus feels for the younger man makes him uncomfortable.

Away from the rigors of academia, Magnus lets down his guard and quickly becomes sexually involved with Dane. In the past, Magnus used domination to protect himself against the weakness of love. When Dane doesn't accept the Dominate/submissive relationship Magnus has used as a shield for years, he is forced to decide which is more important, the lifestyle or the man in his arms.

Reader Advisory: This story is best read in order of sequence as part of a series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 1988
• ISBN: 9780857158413

Carol Lynne

An avid reader for years, one day Carol Lynne decided to write her own brand of erotic romance. While writing her first novel, Branded by Gold, Carol fell in love with the M/M genre. Carol juggles between being a full-time mother and a full-time writer. With well over one hundred releases, one thing is certain, Carol loves to keep busy writing sexy cowboys, shifters, bodyguards, vampires and everything in between. Although series books are her passion, Carol enjoys penning the occasional stand-alone title. As founder and President of GRL Retreat, Inc., Carol helps organize the annual GayRomLit Retreat. Now in its sixth year, GayRomLit is an annual retreat that brings together the people who create and celebrate LGBT romance for a one-of-a-kind, must-attend gathering of dynamic, informal, and diverse fun.

Reviews for A Lesson Learned

[serenayates · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A student with a crush on his professor may not be anything new, but Dane, whom I met in the previous book, finally has the means to do something about his devotion to Magnus - and once he is handed the opportunity he proceeds without hesitation. The sexy professor, on the other hand, has so many issues stemming from his abusive past that any kind of involvement beyond casual sex, and then only when he is in absolute control, is entirely impossible for him. With Dane wanting forever, and Magnus not even capable of considering it, they are heading straight for disaster.

Dane recognizes that he has a crush on Magnus, and he realizes it may never lead anywhere, but he needs to find out, once and for all, if there is more to his feelings for Magnus or not. Spending two weeks with them doing research in the field may just be his only opportunity to ever get close enough to Magnus. Luckily he is honest about his family and their wealth from the beginning, or he might have lost Magnus right away. When Dane, who is fairly naive, finds out Magnus is into BDSM, he balks. The idea of someone hitting him is just not sexy to him at all. It was fascinating to watch how Dane deals with this and other realities he discovers about Magnus as they get to know each other better. And I loved how Dane was open to discussion, but not willing to compromise who he is. Not even if it would mean achieving his goal of becoming Magnus's boyfriend.

Magnus seems cold and distant at first glance, but there is so much more under the surface than he ever lets anyone see. Dane suspects this, and that may be the only reason he hangs on, but Magnus is so focused on his past and protecting himself from ever being hurt again that he is about to miss living altogether. Magnus is attracted to Dane, but he will not let himself admit there may be more. However, when he decides to "get it out of his system" and becomes physical with Dane, that is all it is. Dane balks at the clinical approach, and only when Magnus lets some of the passion he definitely feels flow into their encounters do they get any further. But the process of breaking down Magnus's walls and him realizing what is really important is long, painful, and fraught with more than one error.

If you like stubborn men who go after what and whom they want no matter what, if you enjoy reading about personal growth caused by emotional distress, and if you're looking for a love story set in the context of a major anthropological mystery and some devastating revelations in one family's history, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review.