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Life Lessons #1.5
And to All a Good Night
In Life Lessons, MPD detective Mac and high school teacher Tony decided that a relationship in the closet was worth the difficulties involved. Now they are briefly separated by Tony's trip home for the Christmas holidays. On the Florida beach, Tony contemplates the joys and stresses of a hidden relationship, while in the snows of Minnesota Mac tackles a murder case that hits close to home. And in the evening, over the phone, they try to touch each other with words.
Any proceeds from this book will be donated to The Aliveness Project, Minneapolis.
Any proceeds from this book will be donated to The Aliveness Project, Minneapolis.
28 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2011
93 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
About the author
Kaje Harper
85books2,676followersI get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje� is pronounced just like “cage� � it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers.
I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.
I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers � fifty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi�) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)
My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.
I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at .
You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on ŷ - I hang out on ŷ a lot because I moderate the ŷ YA LGBT Books group. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.
You can also find me on Facebook.
I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.
I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers � fifty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi�) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)
My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.
I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at .
You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on ŷ - I hang out on ŷ a lot because I moderate the ŷ YA LGBT Books group. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.
You can also find me on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
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April 19, 2017There are no new Mac and Tony stories here, but the Valentine's story 1.8 hasn't been well known or widely available, and I couldn't resist a spiffy new cover. (I was such a newbie when I put the first edition out that I used a picture of my own snowy back yard for the cover LOL) So this is a minor re-edit, combo, and pretty artwork by Karrie Jax for two older stories.
December 24, 2021
I can't believe it's been nearly 10 years since I first read this series. 😲
This short is better than I remembered, and focuses mostly on Mac and his latest case as Christmas approaches. I pretty much remembered how that ended, and it was nice to see Mac's walls getting chipped at a little bit.
This short is better than I remembered, and focuses mostly on Mac and his latest case as Christmas approaches. I pretty much remembered how that ended, and it was nice to see Mac's walls getting chipped at a little bit.
January 22, 2015
Being a gay man, this story touched me on a very personal level. It is seriously one of the best gay themed short stories I know.
I'd give this one 6 stars if I could.
I'd give this one 6 stars if I could.
June 16, 2017
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Still not satisfying*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
And to All a Good Night is a short book with 2 short stories in it: #1.5 is three months after Life Lessons, and #1.8 is a half year since Marty's death, so there's a bit of a time jump. Other than that, these two free short stories was cute, but not really satisfying as I feel like Anthony ‘Tony� Hart (24?/late twenties?) and Jared ‘Mac� MacLean (early thirties?) are holding back a lot. Yes, I know Mac is deep in the closet, but I mean it feels like they are holding back when they are alone, safe between four walls. I want more depth and more personal connection. Hell, it bothers me that I don't even know the main characters ages... On to book #2.
But instead it was easier to put his game face on for work, knowing that at the end of the day he could take it off again. With Tony he could just be. No hiding, no masks, no pretending he didn't care and didn't feel. Best of all, no worries about what people might see and what they would think of him. Tonight, that sounded like heaven.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series, Book #1.5-1.8
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Anthony ‘Tony� Hart.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Sure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5 stars.
November 29, 2015
3,5 Stars - lovely to meet them for a short time again - it's Christmas and it is celebrated in different ways
A perhaps somewhat fragmented short story but a nice update on the state of the Christmas vacant teacher Tony and his dear homicide detective Mac lives. It has been two months since their story ended in the first book () and life in the closet is partly wracking but they also have some really nice moments together.
Why should it be so difficult? In this shortie there are also some other people's life story that Mac encounter during an anticipated murder investigation. Tearful and memorable. Never wait...
Some nice minutes with these guys.
I LIKE - a bit sad - sob!
~~~~~~~~
A very short novella (28 pages) about Tony & Mac
A perhaps somewhat fragmented short story but a nice update on the state of the Christmas vacant teacher Tony and his dear homicide detective Mac lives. It has been two months since their story ended in the first book () and life in the closet is partly wracking but they also have some really nice moments together.
”And whoever it is you love, Detective, use your time wisely. I'm at the end of this road, and you're ar the begginning. Doesn't mean you have all the time in the world, though.�
Why should it be so difficult? In this shortie there are also some other people's life story that Mac encounter during an anticipated murder investigation. Tearful and memorable. Never wait...
Some nice minutes with these guys.
I LIKE - a bit sad - sob!
~~~~~~~~
A very short novella (28 pages) about Tony & Mac
September 6, 2012
3.5 stars.
An enjoyable freebie. Should be read between and .
An enjoyable freebie. Should be read between and .
March 4, 2022
A very nice snippet into this closeted couple's life. You can start to see being closeted will be a problem for Tony. It felt nice to be with book friends. Mac needs to get a grip and I'm sure he will in the next!
May 27, 2013
A sweet little look into Tony and Mac's life. Would of loved it a little more if they were together, but the ending was so cute I can forgive lol.
August 13, 2011
This free short story is taken place in between and . A very well-written snapshot on how Tony and Mac were doing two months after the first time they meet. How they have settled into a relationship and they handled being separated on Christmas.
November 25, 2011
short Christmas story about Tony and Mac set about two months following Life Lessons. The mystery was a bit blah and bittersweet but is was nice getting a glimpse of Mac and Tony's current relationship.
April 2, 2017
2,8 stars
I feel me bad to rate it under 3 stars. Because I like the writing style of Kaje Harper, my problems are the main characters. I started not to care about them and it made the reading difficult.
I feel me bad to rate it under 3 stars. Because I like the writing style of Kaje Harper, my problems are the main characters. I started not to care about them and it made the reading difficult.
May 28, 2014
Great to get another glimpse into life with Mac and Tony, although it's sad they couldn't spend Christmas together. I foresee some major drama in their future with the whole "Mac in the closet" issue. Love this series so far!!
November 28, 2022
***3.5 Stars***
August 19, 2017
I have been meaning to try this series for-ev-er. And I still haven't gotten around to Life Lessons, book one, yet. I decided to go ahead and sample this pair of holiday-themed short stories that chronologically fall in the weeks and months after Life Lessons ends. They definitely got me enthused to go back for the first book.
Mac is a deep in the closet police officer who is stumbling his way through a relationship with warm, openly gay Tony. There are hints of that the status quo of hiding a relationship will become critical, but for now, holidays, Mac's work, and family keep them occupied.
I enjoyed the developed characters, slow-burn romance, and plot in this ongoing romantic suspense series.
Mac is a deep in the closet police officer who is stumbling his way through a relationship with warm, openly gay Tony. There are hints of that the status quo of hiding a relationship will become critical, but for now, holidays, Mac's work, and family keep them occupied.
I enjoyed the developed characters, slow-burn romance, and plot in this ongoing romantic suspense series.
October 23, 2019
I was expecting this novella to be focused on Tony and Mac, and was surprised that it actually featured a mystery case for more than half the book.
This story didn't put Tony in a good light for me and I thought he overreacted during a phone call with Mac. I would have given the story three stars but I actually enjoyed the resolution of Mac's mystery case that made me bumped up the rating.
This story didn't put Tony in a good light for me and I thought he overreacted during a phone call with Mac. I would have given the story three stars but I actually enjoyed the resolution of Mac's mystery case that made me bumped up the rating.
April 28, 2020
Voto: 4+ una novella davvero molto carina, incentrata sulle prime settimane della relazione tra Mac e Tony, la loro lontananza durante le festività natalizie, un legame che si consolida sempre di più nonostante le difficoltà. La penna di Kaje Harper mostra una sensibilità sempre maggiore toccando con delicatezza temi importanti 💗
January 22, 2012
What a great little story but I wish I had read it between and . This is a really great series, I highly recommend it!!
January 31, 2022
Sweet, solid holiday short. Fun for fans of the series.
April 19, 2013
A little novella about Mac and Tony and their first Christmas together 4 stars
Mac has moved in with Tony as Mac's place is a complete dump!! Unfortunately as Mac is still trying to stay in the closet as far as work and everyone else is concerned, Tony is going to spend Christmas with his parents in Florida, and leaves Mac doing what he does best...working!! He solves a mysterious death while Tony is away, and leaves Tony lusting (only pretending...why would he need anyone else when he's got hunky Mac??) after the cute guys on the beach. A nice little story to catch up with the guys.
February 22, 2022
This is a free novella that contains 2 short stories about Tony and Mac from the Life Lessons series. The first is a Christmas story and the second is a Valentine’s Day story.
I didn’t like the Christmas story at all. A lot of it was Mac complaining about how his cousin Brenda’s religion doesn’t allow him near his daughter. GET OVER IT MAC AND GO GET YOUR DAUGHTER!!! She’s your daughter, not Brenda’s! I’m sick of this religion stuff! No need to detail it because it comes across as religion bashing. So, zero stars for that part. (Although there was finally some acknowledgment to Marty’s death, his funeral, and Tony’s mourning which was omitted in book one.)
I did like the Valentine’s Day story. It was sweet. And I absolutely LOVE this cover because Mac looks very delicious.😍😍
I didn’t like the Christmas story at all. A lot of it was Mac complaining about how his cousin Brenda’s religion doesn’t allow him near his daughter. GET OVER IT MAC AND GO GET YOUR DAUGHTER!!! She’s your daughter, not Brenda’s! I’m sick of this religion stuff! No need to detail it because it comes across as religion bashing. So, zero stars for that part. (Although there was finally some acknowledgment to Marty’s death, his funeral, and Tony’s mourning which was omitted in book one.)
I did like the Valentine’s Day story. It was sweet. And I absolutely LOVE this cover because Mac looks very delicious.😍😍
March 1, 2023
RECENSIONE A CURA DI SLANIF
Dopo aver lasciato i nostri beniamini alla fine del primo volume dell’omonima serie, “Lezioni di vita�, decisi a vedere dove l’attrazione che li ha fatti gravitare l’uno verso l’altro sin dal primo sguardo li porterà, questa novella ci coccola con scene dolci e tenere, uno scoprirsi lento e un mancarsi a causa della distanza.
A intervallare questi aspetti più sentimentali, c’� una piccola e breve indagine che vedrà coinvolto Mac e che non solo ci fa rimanere nel mood del primo libro, ma permette anche alla trama di movimentarsi e di tenere l’attenzione del lettore piuttosto alta.
Dopo aver lasciato i nostri beniamini alla fine del primo volume dell’omonima serie, “Lezioni di vita�, decisi a vedere dove l’attrazione che li ha fatti gravitare l’uno verso l’altro sin dal primo sguardo li porterà, questa novella ci coccola con scene dolci e tenere, uno scoprirsi lento e un mancarsi a causa della distanza.
A intervallare questi aspetti più sentimentali, c’� una piccola e breve indagine che vedrà coinvolto Mac e che non solo ci fa rimanere nel mood del primo libro, ma permette anche alla trama di movimentarsi e di tenere l’attenzione del lettore piuttosto alta.
June 21, 2011
Really enjoyed this glimpse into the not so distant future. Loved reading this little bit of their lives. You can feel the tension simmering below everything. Tony's thought of Mac getting injured in the line of duty and him not finding out until he saw it on the news hit me. Here's hoping they tackle that issue when we get to read more of them.
March 20, 2012
A nice, free short story to supplement the series. I thought it was interesting and I always sincerely appreciate free reads from the authors. It makes me want to continue buying the rest of the series.
August 4, 2011
It was a nice free short story i liked seeing these guys together after the events of book one
i was a little bored with the investigative details in this one though, they were too detailed and i got bored reading about Mac looking for clues and all that stuff
i was a little bored with the investigative details in this one though, they were too detailed and i got bored reading about Mac looking for clues and all that stuff
May 20, 2013
A bitter sweet Christmas interlude. Through an investigation which turns out to be a suicide Mac learns that life is too short to be spent without a loved one by his side. He misses Tony who is Florida with his family for Christmas; absence makes the heart grow fonder.
April 11, 2013
A nice short story that provides us with a glimpse at Tony's and Mac's life a couple of month after the incidents of 'Life Lessons'. I enjoyed reading the freebie.
April 25, 2013
Short short story after Life Lessons, enjoyable short.
July 18, 2022
3 stars and half
August 11, 2017
4.5 Breve, ma interessante.
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