New Release-Review: AFTER HOURS LECTURES by Kimberly Knight & Rachel Lyn Adams (The Forbidden Series)

After Hours Lectures

by Kimberly Knight & Rachel Lyn Adams 

Publication Date: July 10, 2023 

Genres: MM Romance / Student and Professor

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After a devastating loss, Hayden Foster guards his heart with unwavering determination. As a part-time professor and photojournalist, he immerses himself in work, finding it easier to face the world from behind his camera lens. But when his one-night fling walks into his classroom four days later, his carefully constructed walls begin to crumble. Carefree frat boy Tyler Statler loves a good time. He's eager to take advantage of everything college life offers before embarking on his dream job as a music journalist. Yet, when the blue-eyed stranger from a few nights before turns out to be his new professor, his world changes. Despite the risks, Tyler and Hayden struggle to ignore their forbidden connection. And when their undeniable attraction blurs the boundaries between student and teacher, their academic relationship quickly turns into illicit passion. Knowing they're playing a dangerous game; they do all they can to keep their relationship private. But when an unforeseen revelation threatens to expose everything they’ve tried to keep hidden, it leaves their future hanging in the balance. Now they must make a choice. Either abandon their after hours lectures or embrace the thrill of breaking all the rules.

Carra's Review

I’m always game for a story revolving around a taboo-type relationship.  In this case it’s student/professor, and I am so very here for it!  The setup is one I’ve seen before - an anonymous hookup before finding out each other’s true identities - and sets the stage for the remainder of the tale.

I liked the main characters, and thought they were very well matched; they certainly had plenty of sexual chemistry!  For the majority of the story things were relatively easy for them, and the angst level was pretty low.  Even the couple of instances in the beginning where people close to them found out there wasn’t any real drama.  The inclusion of the photography elements was a nice touch without being overly technical.

We all know though that there will come a point in this type of story where things go sideways, and when they do here it’s a very abrupt change that I actually found a bit jarring.  The first two thirds of the story where everything flowed so easily for Tyler and Hayden is a complete opposite from what comes after the drama that pops up (I’m laying the blame squarely at Hayden’s feet based on his total permanent shutdown as his reaction).  From that point until things are resolved things feel a bit desolate, and once the resolution comes around it feels a bit quick like loose ends being hurriedly tied up to end the story.  

Overall, I did enjoy the story, I just would have preferred a less discordant transition for their relationship when things went south.  This story still fell somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars for me thanks to the pre- and post-drama relationship being so loving and easygoing bringing it back up.  If you’re a fan of the student-professor trope, you’ll want to check this one out, keeping in mind it’s meant for readers 18+ for adult language and plenty of sexual content.

About the Authors

 

Kimberly Knight is a USA Today Bestselling author who lives in the mountains near a lake in California with her loving husband, who is a great research assistant. Kimberly writes in a variety of genres including romantic suspense, contemporary romance, erotic romance, and paranormal romance. Her books will make you laugh, cry, swoon, and fall in love before she throws you curve balls you never see coming. When Kimberly isn’t writing, you can find her watching her favorite reality TV shows, binge-watching true crime documentaries, and going to San Francisco Giants games. She’s also a two-time desmoid tumor/cancer fighter, which has made her stronger and an inspiration to her fans.

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Rachel Lyn Adams is a USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, five children, and several pets (currently 8 of them). She is an avid baseball fan and rarely misses an opportunity to watch her beloved San Francisco Giants. When she isn’t busy with the demands of her family, you will find her reading or writing as she couldn’t imagine her life without books.

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