Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Breaking Cover

SERIES:  Life Lessons

AUTHOR:  Kaje Harper

NARRATOR:  J.F. Harding

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  9 hours & 46 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  June 29, 2022

BLURB:

Sometimes one moment defines a man.

For homicide detective Mac, it’s been a good year. Having Tony to go home to makes him a better cop and a better person. For Tony, it’s been hard being in love with a man he can’t touch in public. Evasions and outright lying to friends and family take a little of the shine off his relationship with Mac, but Tony is determined to make it work.

As the Minneapolis Police Department moves into a hot, humid summer, Mac is faced with a different challenge. A killer has murdered two blond women, and the police have no real clues. Mac hates to think that another murder may be the only way they’ll make progress with the case. But when that murder happens, it hits close to home for Tony. And suddenly Mac faces an ultimatum: Come out into the sunlight and stand beside Tony as his lover, or walk away and live without a piece of his heart.

REVIEW:

NOTE:  This is the second story in this series and is best listened to/read after the first book.

This book starts about a year after the end of Life Lessons, the first book in this series.  Mac and Tony are in a good place – even if it’s in the closet.  But then a terrible and violent act occurs that really shakes up their lives.  Everything they had hoped for kind of goes out the window as Tony has to make a decision that will affect more than himself and more than Mac.  When a child’s wellbeing is involved, it’s a no-brainer.  So despite how much Tony and Mac want to be together, they don’t really have a choice since Mac is in the closet and is definitely not ready to come out.

As time goes on though, Mac and Tony are not happy apart and Mac, despite being caught up in a serial killer case, wants to ensure that Tony gets the support he needs.  The mystery and the serial killer aspect of the case Mac is working on and the crossover into their personal live really just causes pain and chaos in their lives.  Tony needs to make sure that he does the right thing by Ben, the son of his best friend and it’s going to be a struggle to do that on his own.  He knows it and he does ask for help from one of his dear friends, but he’s desperate to make sure he gets custody and he can’t do that with a closeted boyfriend.  Especially since Ben’s grandparents are homophobic jerks.  Mac’s support is going to risk his sexuality becoming public.  He has no idea how to deal with that, but in the end he loves Tony and knows what he has to do.  There is fallout.  There are things that have to be settled and will shake up a lot of people’s lives.  And oh yeah, there is STILL a murderer to catch 😉

I for one am so so happy that this favorite series is now going into audio.  I can listen to one of my all-time favorite couples and the evolution of their epic story again and again.  Mac and Tony are really some of the best written characters in mm romance.   I adored this couple from the first book I read back in 2010 and the first reading of this book nearly 11 years ago now.  I feel the same way now as I did then.  Kaje Harper is a master at writing authentic characters.  I feel like there isn’t a false note in any part of this story with these two men who love each other but are definitely at very different points in their journey.  Mac’s coming out of the closet and dealing with something that Tony has dealt with well in his past is beautifully written if painful to watch. Mac’s job in an environment of the police department with it’s overtones of toxic masculinity rings so true.  While we know there are consequences for Mac being honest about his sexuality, there also is the promise of the release of some of the pressure he has endured leading this double life with Tony.  When push comes to shove though, Mac does the only thing he knows to do – the right thing – the thing that will mean the most to Tony and he stands by him and makes sure that a little boy is taken care of and is in the right environment.  He knows it’s going to cost – exactly what and how much, he’s not sure.  But he does love Tony and he can’t go on pretending he can compartmentalize his life.  There is fallout.  But in the end, he and Tony together and handle whatever comes next.

JF Harding does a fantastic job of narrating these books.  This series is my first experience with this narrator and I am so pleased because I am extremely picky about audio book narration.  But I love his gruff and growly Mac especially 🙂  He and Tony are definitely the light and dark of these stories.  They are complementary in so many ways and the characterizations in these performances I think really are spot on.  There are a lot of emotions here – when Mac and Tony have to take a break, neither one is happy about it and it’s clear from the tenor of Mr. Harding’s performance that they are both weary of the work of hiding who they are to each other from the outside world.  While neither has been unclear about their expectations and their comfort levels, it’s clear that being in the closet has really been wearing on Tony. And when it comes down to it, he has to put Ben before his own happiness.  He’s clearly in pain and that is clear in the way Mr. Harding’s narration communicates that.  While Mac’s pain is different to Tony’s, again we feel the loss and ache and despair in Mac that he’s losing the best thing that’s ever happened to him.  I couldn’t be happier with the performance of this favorite story.  The kids voices, the female characters, Mac’s cop co-workers, everyone is distinct and easily discernable throughout the book.  The pacing is perfect and I cannot wait for book three.  Bravo!  Well done.  Highly recommended for lovers of great stories and narration that perfectly complements.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Audible