Review by Jessewave - Lessons in Love by Charlie Cochrane

Title and Link: Lessons in Love
Author: Charlie Cochrane
Publisher URL: http://www.lindenbayromance.com/
Genre: Historical Romance, Mystery, GLBT (M/M)
Length: novella (157 pages)
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

THE BLURB

When Jonty Stewart takes up a teaching post at the college where he studied, the handsome and outgoing young man acts as a catalyst for change within the archaic institution. He also has a catalytic effect on Orlando Coppersmith.

Orlando is a brilliant, introverted mathematician with very little experience of life outside the college walls. He strikes up an alliance with the outgoing Jonty, and soon finds himself having feelings he’s never experienced before. Before long their friendship blossoms into more than either man had hoped and they enter into a clandestine relationship.

Their romance is complicated when a series of murders is discovered within St. Bride’s. All of the victims have one thing in common, a penchant for men. While acting as the eyes and ears for the police, a mixture of logic and luck leads them to a confrontation with the murderer—can they survive it?

THE REVIEW

Extrovert Dr. Jonty Stewart returns to his alma mater, St. Bride’s, to teach English and on his first night he meets shy Dr. Orlando Coppersmith, a Mathematician. Initially, Jonty and Orlando have nothing in common but gradually over the next few weeks they develop a bond which leads to a wonderful friendship that blooms into love. However, there is a dark cloud hanging over them and St. Bride’s. Murders are being committed at the college and the victims are all gay men. Since Jonty and Orlando were among the first to discover the bodies the police co-opt the two friends to help in their murder investigation.

Orlando, who is very naive, at first does not understand his growing feelings for Jonty; all he knows is that for the first time in his life he has a friend who makes him happy to be alive and who returns his friendship and esteem. Gradually they venture into what is unexplored territory for Orlando who is still a virgin at 27, and his naiveté at times is endearing, as the more experienced Jonty teaches him that sometimes you just have to trust that everything will turn out alright. But it seems that every time they attempt to take their relationship to the next level another murder is committed, which is very frustrating for our would-be lovers.

Lessons in Love is equal parts mystery and romance and although I am a real mystery buff it was not the mystery (which was quite well done with numerous false clues) that held my interest; it was the characterizations that were really outstanding. The portrayal of Orlando was brilliant – he was so vulnerable and innocent, having lived in a bubble all his adult life because of a tragedy in his childhood, and there was a feeling of wonder to see him change almost overnight from the stern, disapproving persona into someone warm and fun. Jonty on the other hand was worldly and more experienced and although his first sexual experiences were horrible, he never allowed them to cloud his life or his judgment.

The book provides a salutary lesson about the impact and consequences of childhood sexual abuse and the paths taken by different people in trying to deal with something that was so monumental and life changing. Charlie Cochrane gives us a realistic picture of tragedy in the lives of those who live at St. Brides and similar establishments in the early 1900s and how they try to cope and deal with something so out of their element.

I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy of the book since history is not my area of expertise but Lessons in Love is steeped in tradition, and the setting of Cambridge University is the same as that in the author’s first story which I thoroughly enjoyed. Charlie Cochrane’s books always have enough detail without hitting the reader over the head with her knowledge of the period and she goes to great lengths to ensure accuracy so I have no reservations in saying that the background seems to be representative of the historical period.

Lessons in Love is book I of the Cambridge Fellows Mysteries is available now and I can’t wait for Lessons in Desire which will be published in February 2009. I loved this wonderful book and highly recommend it to readers, whether or not you are a fan of historical romances and mysteries.

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