Note: While not graphically sexual in nature, this story entails a romantic relationship between two men.

The year is 1906. When the gregarious Jonty Stewart joins the staff at the Cambridge College of St. Bride’s, one of his first new acquaintances is Orlando Coppersmith, a Fellow of mathematics who is so withdrawn as to appear antisocial. Looking to make a new friend, Stewart jumps into getting to know Coppersmith with all his innate enthusiasm and soon pulls the man out of his solitary shell. Although they may appear to be polar opposites, Stewart and Coppersmith find that they share enough interests to cement a firm friendship.

Friendship soon deepens into something more, but before the two men can begin to explore this new aspect of their relationship, the quiet and order of the college is disrupted in a terrible way. One of the students is murdered, and a note left with the body suggests that the man was murdered because of his intimate association with other men. This murder is followed by two more, and as the police investigate, Coppersmith and Stewart begin to fear for each other’s lives. Although they have tried to keep their romance discreet, it is entirely possible that one of them could be the next victim.

Lessons in Love by Charlie Cochrane is a story about love and change and crimes of passion. It is also a surprisingly tender love story and an engrossing read. Ms. Cochrane has given us two multifaceted main characters who are almost complete opposites but who complement each other perfectly. Stewart is sunny and happy, contrasting with the dry and dusty academics of Cambridge that surround him. He bounces around bringing light everywhere he goes, yet he has his own deeply-buried issues of the past. Coppersmith is the “dark and brooding” half of the partnership, but he is also the innocent. During the course of the story, Coppersmith blossoms as the result of Stewart’s attentions, and his transformation is a delight to witness. The narrative style of Lessons in Love gives us occasional peeks into the minds of the two main characters, which in turn allows us to know these two men better and to develop a fondness for them. As the romance between our two heroes develops, the issue of the murders looms around them and gives a very real sense of danger. It is just another example of the love between the two that Stewart and Coppersmith are more concerned about the other’s safety than they are their own.

For its mixture of a tense whodunit along with tender love and wonderful characterization, I endorse Lessons in Love as a Recommended Read. Book two of this series is due to be published in early 2009, and this reader looks forward to it.

Reviewed by: Whitney