Variable Onset is the first romantic suspense story I’ve read by Layla Reyne. I know, I know – she’s probably written more romantic suspense than any other type of MM romance but Dine With Me is the only other book I’ve read (I loved it). And now…I’m asking myself why?

Variable Onset kept me glued to me ereader all day; I barely got anything else done at all. Thank goodness I’m retired and can’t go out because we’re currently under lockdown due to COVID-19. I love fake relationship and forced proximity tropes and this story adds in a former adult student / teacher trope to add to its deliciousness.

I’m not going to rehash the blurb so give it a read. This was a suspense story where I didn’t have any idea who the baddie was going to be until the author wanted me to. So many things about this story kept me truly engaged. I also gave my electronic dictionary and Google search a good workout while I was reading. There was quite a bit of technical stuff related to forensic genealogy that I was compelled to look up and delve deeper into. I think this is probably a story that required quite a bit of research and it showed in the details.

I loved the bantering and flirting between the two MCs; it kept the story from feeling too heavy. Lincoln and Carter have a hard way to go to get their HEA but I knew they’d get there and the journey was worth it. I should probably add if you’re looking for hot and sweaty sexy time this might not be the story for you. It’s slow burn all the way with only one (I think) pretty tame bedroom scene and that was fine with me. It’s the story that’s most important and this was a great one.

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Lincoln bent to pick his socks up off the floor, and Carter admired his firm, round ass in well-worn jeans. He’d never seen Lincoln this dressed down before. Not that the professor wasn’t handsome in slacks, a button-down, and argyle, but jeans, a tee, and said argyle was a look Carter could get behind.

Literally.

That gray tee and pink-and-purple argyle rucked up around his torso, those jeans stretched around lean, muscular thighs, that perfect ass in the air, pale skin flushed for the kisses Carter would like to…

A sharp clap broke through the fantasy unspooling in Carter’s head. Lincoln was on his way back from the mudroom off the kitchen, exasperation painting his face, as if he could see inside Carter’s head. “Explain this,” he said, using his ring finger to gesture between them. “Beverley said I was going undercover as the new librarian at Apex U and that my partner on this case would be teaching a survival course to Apex PD. He said nothing about living together or pretending to be married.”

“Because I asked him not to,” Carter replied. Lincoln opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but Carter spoke again first. “It wasn’t only Agent—Senator—Kirk who asked for you on this case. I asked for you too. You are the Bureau’s resident expert on Dr. Fear. But it doesn’t take an expert to know who Dr. Fear targets.”

“Couples.”

Carter nodded and waited for the implication to register.

It took a few seconds, but then Lincoln paled and braced a hand on the end of the island. “You want us to be bait?” he squawked.

Carter dipped his chin to hide his grin. When he was sure his face was in order again, he lifted it and said, “If they’re active again, or even if this is a copycat, who better to lead the killer to than to two trained agents instead of to more innocents?”