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Fair Isn't Life
When a man hits rock bottom, he needs someone to remind him life comes with second chances.
Luke Lafontaine lost everything— his father, their family farm, and a whole way of life. He’s survived the past year by putting one foot in front of the other in dead-end jobs to survive. Cleaning up city folks’ trash at the State Fair is just another two weeks of money between him and being back on the streets. But seeing Mason Bell in the parade— gorgeous, gay, out-of-his-league Mason— stirs dreams he thought he’d given up long ago.
Mason left his small hometown for college in Minneapolis without looking back. It’s been fun and easy— classes and guys— but nothing has really felt important. Then he spots his high school crush, Luke, picking up trash at the Fair. Mason’s done with smooth and easy; he desperately wants a second chance with the boy he left behind.
This is a rerelease of the 2018 Dreamspinner Press novella, with only minor editing changes.
Luke Lafontaine lost everything— his father, their family farm, and a whole way of life. He’s survived the past year by putting one foot in front of the other in dead-end jobs to survive. Cleaning up city folks’ trash at the State Fair is just another two weeks of money between him and being back on the streets. But seeing Mason Bell in the parade— gorgeous, gay, out-of-his-league Mason— stirs dreams he thought he’d given up long ago.
Mason left his small hometown for college in Minneapolis without looking back. It’s been fun and easy— classes and guys— but nothing has really felt important. Then he spots his high school crush, Luke, picking up trash at the Fair. Mason’s done with smooth and easy; he desperately wants a second chance with the boy he left behind.
This is a rerelease of the 2018 Dreamspinner Press novella, with only minor editing changes.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2018
24 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Kaje Harper
91 books2,728 followersI 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 https://kajeharper.com/.
You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on Goodreads - I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads 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. https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper
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 https://kajeharper.com/.
You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on Goodreads - I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads 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. https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper
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July 8, 2020This book has now been republished, with a great new cover from Karrie Jax of Luke and his beloved cows :)
You can find it at Amazon and Samshwords for just .99 now.
You can find it at Amazon and Samshwords for just .99 now.
December 3, 2018
*2.5 stars*
I'm the hugest Kaje Harper fan, but Fair Isn't Life wasn't a stand-out for me.
I found it to be a bit... slow, and maybe with too much of an unlikely pairing. I didn't find that the chemistry grabbed me, and I felt like the story plodded along without much to reel me in.
Sometimes the dialogue felt a bit awkward for me, like it didn't match their ages or their places in life. I think NA is a hard genre to write, and I don't know if the author captured the nuances of their conversations well enough.
Parts of the story were heartfelt and very heart-wrenching, and I felt for these characters. I'd say that I enjoyed it overall, but it wasn't that LOVE like I get from most books from this author.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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I'm the hugest Kaje Harper fan, but Fair Isn't Life wasn't a stand-out for me.
I found it to be a bit... slow, and maybe with too much of an unlikely pairing. I didn't find that the chemistry grabbed me, and I felt like the story plodded along without much to reel me in.
Sometimes the dialogue felt a bit awkward for me, like it didn't match their ages or their places in life. I think NA is a hard genre to write, and I don't know if the author captured the nuances of their conversations well enough.
Parts of the story were heartfelt and very heart-wrenching, and I felt for these characters. I'd say that I enjoyed it overall, but it wasn't that LOVE like I get from most books from this author.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
June 22, 2019
This was one of those rare cases of a Kaje Harper book not hitting the mark. Or not hitting it with the usual accuracy, to be precise.
There were a lot of things I liked in this book.
The writing goes without saying, this author’s style has always worked for me and this was no exception. Every ingredient that made so many of her books a success for me was there. The plot had depth and realism without drama, the characters were likable but not perfect.
I liked Mason and I loved Luke. The premise and plot made it so that much of the story was focused on Luke’s life, and that naturally gave him more of a chance to win me over, even though Mason had some pretty good moments.
I also liked how some stereotypes were upended. I liked it, but I’m not sure I bought it, if that makes sense. The part about seemed to come a bit out of nowhere and I’m not sure it was needed, .
And the romance didn’t completely “clicked” for me. There was nothing wrong with it, I even liked them together, it simply didn’t hold my interest as much as Luke figuring out his life, even though the two things were interconnected.
That’s why the 3 stars. 3 stars on the Kaje Harper scale, which is still pretty good.
There were a lot of things I liked in this book.
The writing goes without saying, this author’s style has always worked for me and this was no exception. Every ingredient that made so many of her books a success for me was there. The plot had depth and realism without drama, the characters were likable but not perfect.
I liked Mason and I loved Luke. The premise and plot made it so that much of the story was focused on Luke’s life, and that naturally gave him more of a chance to win me over, even though Mason had some pretty good moments.
I also liked how some stereotypes were upended. I liked it, but I’m not sure I bought it, if that makes sense. The part about seemed to come a bit out of nowhere and I’m not sure it was needed, .
And the romance didn’t completely “clicked” for me. There was nothing wrong with it, I even liked them together, it simply didn’t hold my interest as much as Luke figuring out his life, even though the two things were interconnected.
That’s why the 3 stars. 3 stars on the Kaje Harper scale, which is still pretty good.
November 10, 2018
Far sexier than I anticipated (in a good way), and with far more feels and churning emotions throughout, Fair Isn't Life was a real pleasure to read.
Both Mason and Luke complement each other so well, which, for me, is a hallmark of Kaje Harper's writing style. She consistently creates believable characters with relatable problems and weaves a storyline that sucks the reader in and keeps them interested throughout.
The only thing I would have liked differently would have been an on page conversation between Mason's vegan sister and Luke.
Dual third-person POV romance, with medium heat, some hurt/comfort, and a very happy ending.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Fair Isn't Life provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Both Mason and Luke complement each other so well, which, for me, is a hallmark of Kaje Harper's writing style. She consistently creates believable characters with relatable problems and weaves a storyline that sucks the reader in and keeps them interested throughout.
The only thing I would have liked differently would have been an on page conversation between Mason's vegan sister and Luke.
Dual third-person POV romance, with medium heat, some hurt/comfort, and a very happy ending.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Fair Isn't Life provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
November 17, 2018
You don’t know how excited I was when I saw Kaje Harper’s title listed at Dreamspinner Press Upcoming Release section. Harper is one of my favorite authors and it’s been a while since I read any stories of her – the last one was back in 2017.
Luke Lafontaine has had a challenging year – losing his father and his family daily farm in amount short of time, and ends up working a dead-end job at Minnesota State Fair. Mason Bell, on the other hand, has been living his life as a college student and an out gay young man, even if the relationships is short and rather meaningless.
They meet again at the State Fair and Mason remembers his crush over Luke in high school – he tutored the guy back then, but Mason didn’t even know Luke’s sexual preference, so he never really did anything about it. However, now that he finds Luke again – and that he knows Luke is gay – Mason wants that second chance. Despite Luke’s reluctance because of his economic condition.
Fair Isn’t Life -- how great is the title? – is simply lovely! This is story about two young men, who come from different stage in life, but discover that when they’re together, they can overcome the unfairness of life :).
I liked that the ‘conflict’ was about Luke’s financial (and job) situation – I felt that it added a realistic touch to the romance. I really loved how Mason, slowly but convincingly, managed to give Luke a helping hand. Mason also showed Luke that he had something to offer in their relationship. Not everything in life is about money after all, isn’t it? Though yes, having them really help :).
It’s a hopeful kind of read, which manages to put a satisfactory smile to my face when I finish it.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
Luke Lafontaine has had a challenging year – losing his father and his family daily farm in amount short of time, and ends up working a dead-end job at Minnesota State Fair. Mason Bell, on the other hand, has been living his life as a college student and an out gay young man, even if the relationships is short and rather meaningless.
They meet again at the State Fair and Mason remembers his crush over Luke in high school – he tutored the guy back then, but Mason didn’t even know Luke’s sexual preference, so he never really did anything about it. However, now that he finds Luke again – and that he knows Luke is gay – Mason wants that second chance. Despite Luke’s reluctance because of his economic condition.
Fair Isn’t Life -- how great is the title? – is simply lovely! This is story about two young men, who come from different stage in life, but discover that when they’re together, they can overcome the unfairness of life :).
I liked that the ‘conflict’ was about Luke’s financial (and job) situation – I felt that it added a realistic touch to the romance. I really loved how Mason, slowly but convincingly, managed to give Luke a helping hand. Mason also showed Luke that he had something to offer in their relationship. Not everything in life is about money after all, isn’t it? Though yes, having them really help :).
It’s a hopeful kind of read, which manages to put a satisfactory smile to my face when I finish it.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
dnf
November 28, 2018DNF at 50%
I was sure I would love this since it's filled with hurt/comfort, but I had such a hard time liking these guys that I decided to throw in the towel.
I think it was mostly because the conversations between Mason and Luke were a bit strange. Their emotions and what they said didn't feel all that natural to me. Like when Luke would snap at Mason for no apparent reason (that was just one example that comes to mind right now, but there were several other moments that had me scratching my head).
I think I need to stop reading this author, her books have never been a hit for me.
I was sure I would love this since it's filled with hurt/comfort, but I had such a hard time liking these guys that I decided to throw in the towel.
I think it was mostly because the conversations between Mason and Luke were a bit strange. Their emotions and what they said didn't feel all that natural to me. Like when Luke would snap at Mason for no apparent reason (that was just one example that comes to mind right now, but there were several other moments that had me scratching my head).
I think I need to stop reading this author, her books have never been a hit for me.
November 20, 2018
Kaje Harper wrote one of my most favourite MM historical romances - Into Deep Waters - and now she's just added to that with this excellent contemporary new adult romance.
It's surprisingly sexy for a Dreamspinner Press States of Love entry and I loved the care and devotion Mason offered up to Luke as he slowly introduced him to all the many ways two men can be intimate in a relationship without having full penetration.
This level of care is extended throughout the narrative as two former school friends meet again after life has hammered one of them almost to breaking point.
Both characters also break the often overused stereotypes of 'jock type' and smaller, more femme MC, and I loved seeing Luke just hand over all responsibilities to Mason because he had trust in him to not steer him wrong.
This is just all over a truly sweet romance.
#ARC kindly received from the publishers Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
It's surprisingly sexy for a Dreamspinner Press States of Love entry and I loved the care and devotion Mason offered up to Luke as he slowly introduced him to all the many ways two men can be intimate in a relationship without having full penetration.
This level of care is extended throughout the narrative as two former school friends meet again after life has hammered one of them almost to breaking point.
Both characters also break the often overused stereotypes of 'jock type' and smaller, more femme MC, and I loved seeing Luke just hand over all responsibilities to Mason because he had trust in him to not steer him wrong.
This is just all over a truly sweet romance.
#ARC kindly received from the publishers Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
July 23, 2020
This was really sweet and adorable, two awesome MCs, dairy cows and a wonderful story!
September 6, 2021
Mason was Luke's math tutor at their Buffalo Minnesota high school and when they meet up again at the Minnesota State Fair, Mason is intrigued. He imagined Luke still on the family farm helping his father with their dairy herd, but Luke's father is dead, the farm lost to foreclosure and Luke is living in a small apartment with 3 others trying desperately to not return to homelessness.
Kaje does a wonderful job of giving us a young man whose passion is farming and you really understand why Luke yearns for the farm, his connection to the land and the cows he raised and showed at 4-H, and his willingness to give his all for something that has the real possibility of failure despite all his hard work and effort. The plot really draws you in (and you may shed a few tears, like I did, over those sweet bovines) and although the book is less than 150 pages, it feels fully developed and complete.
The relationship between Mason and Luke is nicely complex as Luke embraces Mason's out-and-proud attitude while Mason understands Luke's hesitancy in sharing his truth with his former neighbors and friends. I liked the trust between the two young men and how their relationship develops without needless manufactured angst. This story succeeds on so many fronts, giving us a sweet and compelling romance and a strong sense of what makes Minnesota the greatest state in the union (I may be just a bit prejudiced here). 4 strong stars for "Fair Isn't Life."
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Kaje does a wonderful job of giving us a young man whose passion is farming and you really understand why Luke yearns for the farm, his connection to the land and the cows he raised and showed at 4-H, and his willingness to give his all for something that has the real possibility of failure despite all his hard work and effort. The plot really draws you in (and you may shed a few tears, like I did, over those sweet bovines) and although the book is less than 150 pages, it feels fully developed and complete.
The relationship between Mason and Luke is nicely complex as Luke embraces Mason's out-and-proud attitude while Mason understands Luke's hesitancy in sharing his truth with his former neighbors and friends. I liked the trust between the two young men and how their relationship develops without needless manufactured angst. This story succeeds on so many fronts, giving us a sweet and compelling romance and a strong sense of what makes Minnesota the greatest state in the union (I may be just a bit prejudiced here). 4 strong stars for "Fair Isn't Life."
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
November 18, 2018
More and more I read about people struggling with underemployment, health care costs, poverty and making ends meet.
I think it's a social issue that touches a lot of people's lives and is causing real social strife across many countries. It might be the issue of the year.
Luke's circumstances are terrible, unfair and common. To find Mason, to be able to keep marching on, to find strength despite everything makes this a strong read.
Very realistic and also uplifting.
I think it's a social issue that touches a lot of people's lives and is causing real social strife across many countries. It might be the issue of the year.
Luke's circumstances are terrible, unfair and common. To find Mason, to be able to keep marching on, to find strength despite everything makes this a strong read.
Very realistic and also uplifting.
Read
November 19, 2018Paused at 30%. Just not capturing my interest.
November 19, 2018
Dear Kaje Harper,
I really enjoyed this novella - and as I hasten to add, often contemporary m/m romance is not my favorite subgenre. Moreover, farming is not really my thing, but I ended up really enjoying learning some stuff about farms that I had no idea about.
As blurb tells you Mason and Luke reconnect two years after they graduated from high school. Mason is an out and proud and marching as part of his school orchestra and Luke is struggling to make ends meet after the beloved farm that he helped his dad run for years went down after and he was forced to let the experienced farm hand go and left his home.
Mason and Luke did not come out to each other in high school, but they were friends and both were secretly crushing on each other. When Mason notices Luke he is curious and worried about him and wants to reconnect so being an optimistic and stubborn person he seeks out Luke and after brief initial reluctance Luke agrees to meet up.
I really liked both young men . Their circumstances may have been drastically different, but it was clear to me almost from the very beginning that their friendship /untold crush was based on something real and it does not take Luke too long to admit that he is indeed gay and interested in continuing meeting Mason and maybe dating him too.
Luke is in a dire financial circumstances when we meet him, and he knows that his cleaning job at the Fair is going to end when the Fair ends, so he knows he has to start looking for something permanent. Meeting with Mason gives him a necessary push - by no means Mason was saving him, or anything like that. Luke is a hard working and stubborn soul in his own way, but Mason helped with something as simple as stable internet connection and use of his laptop for example to send emails related to his job search.
Luke's passion is farm and animals ( especially cows - Anne was awesome :)), he knows a lot about them and that's the kind of work he wants to do and it seemed to me ( as somebody who respects farmers, but knows nothing about farming ) that he was very qualified after helping his father run the farm for several years.
"Luke pulled himself together, squaring his shoulders like he was in 4-H judging class, and looked at the cow. “Nice strong frame, pinbones a bit high, nice feminine head. Good dairy character, deep chest, wide ribs. Decent legs, pasterns kind of long. Good udder, rear attachment a bit narrow. How many lactations?” The man laughed. “I knew it. 4-H kid, right?” “Yes, sir.” “So was I. About fifty years before you.” He let out a long breath. “Farming’s never paid worth a damn, but it’s a noble calling. I went on to vet school, made a good living from it, now I’m teaching. But every year, there’s less and less kids with a real feel for cattle or pigs or sheep.”
I was rooting for Luke to have his dream come true and I rooted for him and Mason to have some kind of the future. I thought the story was well paced, since it was a novella, and the relationship arc seemed to be for the guys to reconnect, to me it made sense that there was no what I call "mandatory break up" plot point. I thought it worked very well.
Since they were both young, I would have been totally fine with the story not having strong HEA, and I was very happy and believed in how it ended.
Grade: B/B+
I really enjoyed this novella - and as I hasten to add, often contemporary m/m romance is not my favorite subgenre. Moreover, farming is not really my thing, but I ended up really enjoying learning some stuff about farms that I had no idea about.
As blurb tells you Mason and Luke reconnect two years after they graduated from high school. Mason is an out and proud and marching as part of his school orchestra and Luke is struggling to make ends meet after the beloved farm that he helped his dad run for years went down after and he was forced to let the experienced farm hand go and left his home.
Mason and Luke did not come out to each other in high school, but they were friends and both were secretly crushing on each other. When Mason notices Luke he is curious and worried about him and wants to reconnect so being an optimistic and stubborn person he seeks out Luke and after brief initial reluctance Luke agrees to meet up.
I really liked both young men . Their circumstances may have been drastically different, but it was clear to me almost from the very beginning that their friendship /untold crush was based on something real and it does not take Luke too long to admit that he is indeed gay and interested in continuing meeting Mason and maybe dating him too.
Luke is in a dire financial circumstances when we meet him, and he knows that his cleaning job at the Fair is going to end when the Fair ends, so he knows he has to start looking for something permanent. Meeting with Mason gives him a necessary push - by no means Mason was saving him, or anything like that. Luke is a hard working and stubborn soul in his own way, but Mason helped with something as simple as stable internet connection and use of his laptop for example to send emails related to his job search.
Luke's passion is farm and animals ( especially cows - Anne was awesome :)), he knows a lot about them and that's the kind of work he wants to do and it seemed to me ( as somebody who respects farmers, but knows nothing about farming ) that he was very qualified after helping his father run the farm for several years.
"Luke pulled himself together, squaring his shoulders like he was in 4-H judging class, and looked at the cow. “Nice strong frame, pinbones a bit high, nice feminine head. Good dairy character, deep chest, wide ribs. Decent legs, pasterns kind of long. Good udder, rear attachment a bit narrow. How many lactations?” The man laughed. “I knew it. 4-H kid, right?” “Yes, sir.” “So was I. About fifty years before you.” He let out a long breath. “Farming’s never paid worth a damn, but it’s a noble calling. I went on to vet school, made a good living from it, now I’m teaching. But every year, there’s less and less kids with a real feel for cattle or pigs or sheep.”
I was rooting for Luke to have his dream come true and I rooted for him and Mason to have some kind of the future. I thought the story was well paced, since it was a novella, and the relationship arc seemed to be for the guys to reconnect, to me it made sense that there was no what I call "mandatory break up" plot point. I thought it worked very well.
Since they were both young, I would have been totally fine with the story not having strong HEA, and I was very happy and believed in how it ended.
Grade: B/B+
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2018
This was all over the place. I never bought into the romance. I absolutely adored Luke and thought he was an amazing character. His pairing with Mason seemed entirely unfitting to me. Mason was a typical 20 year old college student -mind on sex 24/7 and quite immature. He was obviously quite helpful to Luke and empathic of his situation but Luke was way wiser than his 22 years of age would imply. He’d been through too much loss and just seemed different. I would go as far as to say that despite Luke’s high school crush on Mason, the reason why Luke was drawn into Mason now was because he had absolutely no one and craved some human affection.
The ending was a tentative HFN and didn’t really inspire much. Seeing this book as Luke’s story was fine but the romance was almost in the way.
Didn’t enjoy.
The ending was a tentative HFN and didn’t really inspire much. Seeing this book as Luke’s story was fine but the romance was almost in the way.
Didn’t enjoy.
July 25, 2020
I’ve never read anything by Kaje Harper before, but Fair Isn’t Life—and isn’t that the best play on words?!—was a delightful contemporary romance novella with a heartwarming story at its center.
Luke and Mason were both genuine and realistic characters. Their friendship felt believable, and I adored how Mason stepped up to support Luke without trying to take over or fix his problems for him. Luke struggles to live paycheck-to-paycheck without knowing for sure where his next paycheck was even coming from. He lives with roommates in a small flat, just trying to keep his head above water and avoid being homeless. He’s recently lost his father as well as the farm and cows that meant the world to him. To say the least, this character is down on his luck and more than a bit broken when Mason, an old high school friend and secret crush, steps unexpectedly back into his life.
Mason, on the other hand, is your typical college-age kid who happens to be delightfully out and proud. He also has an old crush lingering in his mind and it breaks him to see Luke working as a custodian at the fair he should be participating in. So when he decides to pursue Luke, it takes on a bit of the hurt/comfort trope. Including some lovely sexy time scenes where Mason shows Luke different ways men can make love that don’t necessarily involve penetration—even though, yes, eventually that happens too. And it’s beautiful and steamy.
This was a quick read with some enjoyable and relatable characters. I would recommend it to all lovers of MM romance, but also to anyone who enjoys a good old country boy romance!
Luke and Mason were both genuine and realistic characters. Their friendship felt believable, and I adored how Mason stepped up to support Luke without trying to take over or fix his problems for him. Luke struggles to live paycheck-to-paycheck without knowing for sure where his next paycheck was even coming from. He lives with roommates in a small flat, just trying to keep his head above water and avoid being homeless. He’s recently lost his father as well as the farm and cows that meant the world to him. To say the least, this character is down on his luck and more than a bit broken when Mason, an old high school friend and secret crush, steps unexpectedly back into his life.
Mason, on the other hand, is your typical college-age kid who happens to be delightfully out and proud. He also has an old crush lingering in his mind and it breaks him to see Luke working as a custodian at the fair he should be participating in. So when he decides to pursue Luke, it takes on a bit of the hurt/comfort trope. Including some lovely sexy time scenes where Mason shows Luke different ways men can make love that don’t necessarily involve penetration—even though, yes, eventually that happens too. And it’s beautiful and steamy.
This was a quick read with some enjoyable and relatable characters. I would recommend it to all lovers of MM romance, but also to anyone who enjoys a good old country boy romance!
November 21, 2018
4.5 Stars
A very dear friend of mine is from Minnesota and we’ve been talking for years about joining her and her family at the State Fair followed by a week at their cabin. Fair Isn’t Life made me call her and talk about actually making it a thing next year. Thanks Kaje!
I can always count on this author giving me characters to read about that have so many dimensions and more realism than I expect. I should expect it though as it’s a normal Harper thing, I just get to re-appreciate it every time.
The realism in Fair Isn’t Life starts out pretty heartbreaking actually. Mason spies the farm boy, Luke, he tutored and crushed on when he was in high school picking up trash at the State Fair. Luke should be working the farm that he loved, not picking up trash. Mason is intrigued (and still attracted) and so begins a campaign to reconnect with Luke.
Luke seems like a stereotype on the surface, but as Mason draws him out we get to see that he is so much more than the dirt poor dairy farmer his peers mocked him for. Growing up, Luke was ridiculed for his perceived lack of smarts and wealth, but he kept his head down and did everything for the farm and the cows that he loved. All the while, he kept his sexuality to himself and the constraint he lives with made me so sad.
Slowly Luke reveals a little bit more and a little bit more and Mason is just a star for him. Luke has never really had Mason level support and while he doesn’t necessarily know what to do with it specifically, he knows it’s a gift and he’s smart enough and humble enough to accept what Mason offers.
Luke has lost the one piece of his identity he could embrace fully. His life as a dairy farmer is over and he’s at a complete loss as to who he is meant to be now. His life has narrowed down to living paycheck to paycheck, not necessarily knowing where that paycheck would be coming from. When Mason comes along Luke is finally afforded, for the first time in his life, the opportunity to explore more dimensions of himself and the courage to have hope for his future.
The journey these two went on was absolutely sublime. It was much spicier than I expected and I enjoyed the two of them together muchly. I loved where the author took Luke and his sexuality. It was unexpected in that it didn’t fit stereotypes and isn’t that the point of a great book? We should all expect more from our MC’s and Kaje Harper delivered in spades. The beauty of breaking stereotypes is that the “different” becomes “normalized” and it gives hope that boys like Luke can be more than just a poor dairy farmer and more than just what is expected from him because of how he looks.
The angst in Fair Isn’t Life is external from the relationship between Mason and Luke and that was just as it should be. There was plenty of life going on without unnecessary drama between the two of them, which, given their personalities, would have felt manufactured.
I didn’t really say much specifically about Mason and that is doing his character a disservice, but just know you will love and appreciate him as much as Luke. Trust me, that’s a lot.
I’m going to call my bestie so we can plan a Minnesota vacation.
**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**
A very dear friend of mine is from Minnesota and we’ve been talking for years about joining her and her family at the State Fair followed by a week at their cabin. Fair Isn’t Life made me call her and talk about actually making it a thing next year. Thanks Kaje!
I can always count on this author giving me characters to read about that have so many dimensions and more realism than I expect. I should expect it though as it’s a normal Harper thing, I just get to re-appreciate it every time.
The realism in Fair Isn’t Life starts out pretty heartbreaking actually. Mason spies the farm boy, Luke, he tutored and crushed on when he was in high school picking up trash at the State Fair. Luke should be working the farm that he loved, not picking up trash. Mason is intrigued (and still attracted) and so begins a campaign to reconnect with Luke.
Luke seems like a stereotype on the surface, but as Mason draws him out we get to see that he is so much more than the dirt poor dairy farmer his peers mocked him for. Growing up, Luke was ridiculed for his perceived lack of smarts and wealth, but he kept his head down and did everything for the farm and the cows that he loved. All the while, he kept his sexuality to himself and the constraint he lives with made me so sad.
Slowly Luke reveals a little bit more and a little bit more and Mason is just a star for him. Luke has never really had Mason level support and while he doesn’t necessarily know what to do with it specifically, he knows it’s a gift and he’s smart enough and humble enough to accept what Mason offers.
Luke has lost the one piece of his identity he could embrace fully. His life as a dairy farmer is over and he’s at a complete loss as to who he is meant to be now. His life has narrowed down to living paycheck to paycheck, not necessarily knowing where that paycheck would be coming from. When Mason comes along Luke is finally afforded, for the first time in his life, the opportunity to explore more dimensions of himself and the courage to have hope for his future.
The journey these two went on was absolutely sublime. It was much spicier than I expected and I enjoyed the two of them together muchly. I loved where the author took Luke and his sexuality. It was unexpected in that it didn’t fit stereotypes and isn’t that the point of a great book? We should all expect more from our MC’s and Kaje Harper delivered in spades. The beauty of breaking stereotypes is that the “different” becomes “normalized” and it gives hope that boys like Luke can be more than just a poor dairy farmer and more than just what is expected from him because of how he looks.
The angst in Fair Isn’t Life is external from the relationship between Mason and Luke and that was just as it should be. There was plenty of life going on without unnecessary drama between the two of them, which, given their personalities, would have felt manufactured.
I didn’t really say much specifically about Mason and that is doing his character a disservice, but just know you will love and appreciate him as much as Luke. Trust me, that’s a lot.
I’m going to call my bestie so we can plan a Minnesota vacation.
**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**
August 6, 2021
Save the cowman from the dairy air funk.
What happens when a high school "friend" (crush) is down on his luck? A dairy farm boy with a string of bad luck with the kids of his mother, then hiss father's cancer drains everything from the farm with no hope of saving anything. Foreclosure panic causes Luke to run for his life, leaving almost everything behind as darkness takes over everything.
A homeless life on the streets is almost the end. With hard work things get better for a while. But another job loss and two weeks of picking up trash at the Fair seems like the end. It's not fair. What now? A HEA? Discovering Anne, his award winning dairy cow? Someone who really cares? Just take it slow and things will get much better. Together. Milk it for all it is worth.
What happens when a high school "friend" (crush) is down on his luck? A dairy farm boy with a string of bad luck with the kids of his mother, then hiss father's cancer drains everything from the farm with no hope of saving anything. Foreclosure panic causes Luke to run for his life, leaving almost everything behind as darkness takes over everything.
A homeless life on the streets is almost the end. With hard work things get better for a while. But another job loss and two weeks of picking up trash at the Fair seems like the end. It's not fair. What now? A HEA? Discovering Anne, his award winning dairy cow? Someone who really cares? Just take it slow and things will get much better. Together. Milk it for all it is worth.
March 7, 2023
I wasn't a fan of this one, at all. I'm not quite sure why. We meet Luke when he is down on his luck after his father died and his family farm went under. He then sees Mason again, a former high school friend. They start dating and Luke gets his life back on track. They are both really young (20 and 22) and that may be why it failed to resonate with me. I didn't really see what they saw in each other, Mason seemed obsessed with having sex with Luke and their dynamic didn't quite work for me. Mason is presented as femme, wearing make up and long hair while Luke is big, broad shouldered and had a hard time picturing them this way for some reason. Oh well I still love this author.
December 1, 2018
As always, Kaje's characters are appealing, her writing is thoughtful, and the whole thing feels very grounded in both reality and romance. I hope you'll give it a try!
November 15, 2018
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
for the full review, visit https://wp.me/p220KL-ff2 on 11/16
From that review: "I live in a county that used to be almost entirely agricultural, horse farms, sweeping forests, orchards and fields of corn and grain. Now mostly mini mansions or townhomes/condos as far as you can see depending on where you live in the county. That you had a choice of a farm on your license plate was highly ironic given how fast the farms were being sold and plowed under. But what we weren't seeing was the emotional cost on the other end.
That Kaje Harper now delivers in heart wrenching detail. If for no other reason to buy this book, it's for the portrait of what the loss of a legacy, a family, a person's foundation does to one young man. It will hit you in the gut. And we don't even go through the worst of it with him. That's already been done. By the time we meet Luke Lafontaine, he's survived the loss of his dad to cancer, the sale of his family house and farm, including livestock he himself raised, to auction, and been homeless. No, now he's through that, but just barely."
For all our reviews, check out http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
for the full review, visit https://wp.me/p220KL-ff2 on 11/16
From that review: "I live in a county that used to be almost entirely agricultural, horse farms, sweeping forests, orchards and fields of corn and grain. Now mostly mini mansions or townhomes/condos as far as you can see depending on where you live in the county. That you had a choice of a farm on your license plate was highly ironic given how fast the farms were being sold and plowed under. But what we weren't seeing was the emotional cost on the other end.
That Kaje Harper now delivers in heart wrenching detail. If for no other reason to buy this book, it's for the portrait of what the loss of a legacy, a family, a person's foundation does to one young man. It will hit you in the gut. And we don't even go through the worst of it with him. That's already been done. By the time we meet Luke Lafontaine, he's survived the loss of his dad to cancer, the sale of his family house and farm, including livestock he himself raised, to auction, and been homeless. No, now he's through that, but just barely."
For all our reviews, check out http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
December 2, 2018
More like 4.5 stars
January 1, 2019
I had a hard time with this one.
I was really looking forward to a new Harper book.
I've quite enjoyed her books in the past.
But this one was...eek...kinda boring?
Yeah. I couldn't get into it.
And I was ready for it to be over. Which it's fairly short, so that's even worse.
I liked the guys. I didn't care for the politics so much though. And I'm still trying to figure out how they work out in the end. It didn't end on solid ground for me. More like an HFN instead of an HEA.
*2.5 are we there yet? stars*
I was really looking forward to a new Harper book.
I've quite enjoyed her books in the past.
But this one was...eek...kinda boring?
Yeah. I couldn't get into it.
And I was ready for it to be over. Which it's fairly short, so that's even worse.
I liked the guys. I didn't care for the politics so much though. And I'm still trying to figure out how they work out in the end. It didn't end on solid ground for me. More like an HFN instead of an HEA.
*2.5 are we there yet? stars*
November 15, 2018
Round up to 3.5
Blurb is solid so I won’t rehash the plot. This was a gentle, sweet read that had me sniffling over cows.
Of our two characters, Mason is definitely the driving force in the plot. He’s engaging, a tich flamboyant, and cares about his family and friends. Now that he’s reconnected with Luke, Luke can’t help but be pulled into Mason’s sphere of influence and positivity.
Luke is stoic only how a Minnesota farmer can be – almost to a fault. He’s hard working, respectful, tall, blond and handsome, and life keeps shitting on him. Luke…was almost too stereotypical for my tastes and I had a hard time feeling engaged with his character. Except with his cows – I melted. Udderly melted.
My only small complaint with the book was as our characters reunite, and Luke might see a way out of his predicament, Luke’s interests or tastes in the bedroom (and potentially in the greater world) become a bit garbled. I don’t want to give away too much here, but rather than feeling like it added to “Luke”, it felt disconnected or disjointed. Like I noted, a small thing and my humble opinion.
Recapping, this is a sweet, gentle read revolving around two college-age kids who reconnect under very different circumstances.
Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Blurb is solid so I won’t rehash the plot. This was a gentle, sweet read that had me sniffling over cows.
Of our two characters, Mason is definitely the driving force in the plot. He’s engaging, a tich flamboyant, and cares about his family and friends. Now that he’s reconnected with Luke, Luke can’t help but be pulled into Mason’s sphere of influence and positivity.
Luke is stoic only how a Minnesota farmer can be – almost to a fault. He’s hard working, respectful, tall, blond and handsome, and life keeps shitting on him. Luke…was almost too stereotypical for my tastes and I had a hard time feeling engaged with his character. Except with his cows – I melted. Udderly melted.
My only small complaint with the book was as our characters reunite, and Luke might see a way out of his predicament, Luke’s interests or tastes in the bedroom (and potentially in the greater world) become a bit garbled. I don’t want to give away too much here, but rather than feeling like it added to “Luke”, it felt disconnected or disjointed. Like I noted, a small thing and my humble opinion.
Recapping, this is a sweet, gentle read revolving around two college-age kids who reconnect under very different circumstances.
Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
November 24, 2018
Having just visited Minneapolis for the first time this June, I was very much looking forward to this book set around the State Fair.
I very much enjoyed the particularness of this romances in terms of is Minnesota setting and the think of small farms in genre and the dairy farm more exactly.
The Fair makes a great location for this romance between Luke who works very hard for what little he has and Mason who is a bit oblivious in his class privilege at times but brave enough to pursue his high school crush.
The romance is a bit stop and go but that makes sense as Luke is busy surviving and also trying to find a way out of the day to day scrabble. Luke saves himself with his labor and his knowledge a a lot of luck really. One of the more interesting moments in the book is when, he really wants to helps another struggling farmer but has to weigh saving himself first. Very powerful discussion in the book between our heroes.
There is also a lovely awareness of how very young Mason and Luke still are but yet such hope in this sturdy love.
A pleasure of a read if a bit stunted here and there because of the length of this category.
I very much enjoyed the particularness of this romances in terms of is Minnesota setting and the think of small farms in genre and the dairy farm more exactly.
The Fair makes a great location for this romance between Luke who works very hard for what little he has and Mason who is a bit oblivious in his class privilege at times but brave enough to pursue his high school crush.
The romance is a bit stop and go but that makes sense as Luke is busy surviving and also trying to find a way out of the day to day scrabble. Luke saves himself with his labor and his knowledge a a lot of luck really. One of the more interesting moments in the book is when, he really wants to helps another struggling farmer but has to weigh saving himself first. Very powerful discussion in the book between our heroes.
There is also a lovely awareness of how very young Mason and Luke still are but yet such hope in this sturdy love.
A pleasure of a read if a bit stunted here and there because of the length of this category.
January 15, 2019
Having gone to an ag school, I can relate to a lot of what Luke felt. The sweet smell of a working barn and even better smell of a man made for a great romance. The story was written in just the right way that both Luke and Mason felt real as did their problems. Well worth the time it takes to read it.
March 26, 2020
Nice story, but maybe a few too many bits & pieces floating around. It's nice, though, to have a "realistic" style romance that isn't too much of a downer.
December 28, 2022
This is one of those cases where the 2 stars are for Luke and his journey in the story but because I couldn’t stand Mason, the romance fell flat for me.
I really liked the way the author portrayed Luke. He’s one of those men who happens to look huge and intimidating but he also happens to be introverted and quite shy. It’s a combination I love so it was no surprise that I adored Luke. But adding in his heartbreaking history and his struggles just to survive made me fall in love with him. All the guy ever wanted was to keep living on his dad’s dairy farm and spend his life taking care of their cows. But when his dad got sick and eventually passed away, things snowballed in a sadly predictable way and Luke ended up not just losing the only remaining member of his family but he was also forced to give up his beloved cows and the farm. The poor guy’s situation broke my heart.
But at the same time, I really liked seeing Luke slowly crawling out of the pit of depression that he’d sunken into. He’d lost everything and his grief had him caught between a rock and a hard place: live in poverty in the city while doing jobs he hates or try to return to farming even though the ghosts of everything he’d lost would be surrounding him. For a long while, he’d decided to avoid farms but throughout the book, he’s at the point where he’s ready to get back to it. I really loved seeing him re-connect with his dad’s old farm friends and I was in tears when . The way the author incorporated the highs and lows of dairy farming into the story was fantastic. It’s an extremely difficult life but it’s filled with people who are passionate about nature and animals to a degree that city folks can’t come close to.
Unfortunately, I really disliked Mason. Right from the start, the guy’s attitude and general personality rubbed me the wrong way and things got worse and worse as the story progressed:
When Mason and his bandmate buddy (who used to bully Luke in high school) first come across Luke at the start of the story, the buddy immediately starts bullying Luke cause that’s exactly what mature adults do, right? Anyway, Mason doesn’t bother trying to stop the guy because that’s apparently pointless...never mind that it would have meant a lot to Luke if Mason had bothered trying to stop the bullying. But that’s the type of guy Mason is – he’s very selfish so he’ll happily take any tiny excuse to do things his way.
Luke is a virgin and has never even kissed anybody when he gets together with Mason. While Mason claims to respect this and he says he’s willing to go as slow as Luke wants, the guy’s main focus throughout the story is getting into Luke’s pants. It was at a level where he made me feel anxious and uncomfortable, never mind poor Luke. Some examples:
Speaking of clothes – it really irritated me that Mason was constantly pointing out how ugly Luke’s jeans were. Luke can only afford to eat once a day and he’s paying for a room where he only gets to sleep on a mattress every few days, yet Mason is nagging him about the state of his jeans?!? That specific thing really demonstrated to me that these two guys will never work out in the long term because their priorities about everything are completely different.
Then there’s the way Mason spoke to Luke. Whenever Luke expressed anxiety or confusion about sex related things, Mason would snap at him in this condescending or sometimes sarcastic way, as if he couldn’t believe that Luke didn’t know about such-and-such. For example, . Just the way the guy said it rubbed me the wrong way. Later, when Luke tells Mason about some of the difficult things he’d gone through (like his dad passing away and everything that followed), Mason’s responses felt anything but sympathetic. He basically demands that Luke tell him how to help and when Luke doesn’t have an immediate answer, Mason brushes the whole thing aside and changes the subject. He doesn’t do it out of consideration for Luke but rather, it comes across like Mason doesn’t want to talk about a sad topic that doesn’t revolve around Mason.
It also pissed me off that the author seemed to pivot away from her pro-farming stance when it came to Mason’s POV chapters. For example, . In addition, Mason is always complaining about the way Luke smells and how dirty his clothes are. Not to mention that Mason has zero interest in farming related things. I don’t mind when characters are opposites in terms of their likes and dislikes, but I wanted Mason to put way more effort into supporting Luke. As I said earlier – there’s no way these two would work out long term.
Overall, Mason was rude, pushy and he was a jerk. The author tries to justify his behavior by saying that Mason had been in a lot of bad relationships where the guy’s he’d been with hadn’t listened to him. As a result, Mason has adopted a me-first attitude. And that’s fine but it doesn’t work when the romantic interest character is somebody like Luke. They need somebody who is patient, kind and understanding and Mason wasn’t any of those things. It’s really too bad because I loved Luke and the whole farming thing but he deserved somebody way better than Mason.
I really liked the way the author portrayed Luke. He’s one of those men who happens to look huge and intimidating but he also happens to be introverted and quite shy. It’s a combination I love so it was no surprise that I adored Luke. But adding in his heartbreaking history and his struggles just to survive made me fall in love with him. All the guy ever wanted was to keep living on his dad’s dairy farm and spend his life taking care of their cows. But when his dad got sick and eventually passed away, things snowballed in a sadly predictable way and Luke ended up not just losing the only remaining member of his family but he was also forced to give up his beloved cows and the farm. The poor guy’s situation broke my heart.
But at the same time, I really liked seeing Luke slowly crawling out of the pit of depression that he’d sunken into. He’d lost everything and his grief had him caught between a rock and a hard place: live in poverty in the city while doing jobs he hates or try to return to farming even though the ghosts of everything he’d lost would be surrounding him. For a long while, he’d decided to avoid farms but throughout the book, he’s at the point where he’s ready to get back to it. I really loved seeing him re-connect with his dad’s old farm friends and I was in tears when . The way the author incorporated the highs and lows of dairy farming into the story was fantastic. It’s an extremely difficult life but it’s filled with people who are passionate about nature and animals to a degree that city folks can’t come close to.
Unfortunately, I really disliked Mason. Right from the start, the guy’s attitude and general personality rubbed me the wrong way and things got worse and worse as the story progressed:
When Mason and his bandmate buddy (who used to bully Luke in high school) first come across Luke at the start of the story, the buddy immediately starts bullying Luke cause that’s exactly what mature adults do, right? Anyway, Mason doesn’t bother trying to stop the guy because that’s apparently pointless...never mind that it would have meant a lot to Luke if Mason had bothered trying to stop the bullying. But that’s the type of guy Mason is – he’s very selfish so he’ll happily take any tiny excuse to do things his way.
Luke is a virgin and has never even kissed anybody when he gets together with Mason. While Mason claims to respect this and he says he’s willing to go as slow as Luke wants, the guy’s main focus throughout the story is getting into Luke’s pants. It was at a level where he made me feel anxious and uncomfortable, never mind poor Luke. Some examples:
Speaking of clothes – it really irritated me that Mason was constantly pointing out how ugly Luke’s jeans were. Luke can only afford to eat once a day and he’s paying for a room where he only gets to sleep on a mattress every few days, yet Mason is nagging him about the state of his jeans?!? That specific thing really demonstrated to me that these two guys will never work out in the long term because their priorities about everything are completely different.
Then there’s the way Mason spoke to Luke. Whenever Luke expressed anxiety or confusion about sex related things, Mason would snap at him in this condescending or sometimes sarcastic way, as if he couldn’t believe that Luke didn’t know about such-and-such. For example, . Just the way the guy said it rubbed me the wrong way. Later, when Luke tells Mason about some of the difficult things he’d gone through (like his dad passing away and everything that followed), Mason’s responses felt anything but sympathetic. He basically demands that Luke tell him how to help and when Luke doesn’t have an immediate answer, Mason brushes the whole thing aside and changes the subject. He doesn’t do it out of consideration for Luke but rather, it comes across like Mason doesn’t want to talk about a sad topic that doesn’t revolve around Mason.
It also pissed me off that the author seemed to pivot away from her pro-farming stance when it came to Mason’s POV chapters. For example, . In addition, Mason is always complaining about the way Luke smells and how dirty his clothes are. Not to mention that Mason has zero interest in farming related things. I don’t mind when characters are opposites in terms of their likes and dislikes, but I wanted Mason to put way more effort into supporting Luke. As I said earlier – there’s no way these two would work out long term.
Overall, Mason was rude, pushy and he was a jerk. The author tries to justify his behavior by saying that Mason had been in a lot of bad relationships where the guy’s he’d been with hadn’t listened to him. As a result, Mason has adopted a me-first attitude. And that’s fine but it doesn’t work when the romantic interest character is somebody like Luke. They need somebody who is patient, kind and understanding and Mason wasn’t any of those things. It’s really too bad because I loved Luke and the whole farming thing but he deserved somebody way better than Mason.
July 9, 2019
Fair Isn’t Life is the story of two young men, Luke Lafontaine, who works a menial job at the State Fair, and Mason Bell a college student and old high school classmate. This story is told in third person from both Luke and Mason’s pov.
November 15, 2018
This is one of the States of Love lines. I love reading about the different states.
Luke lost his father and their farm due to high medical bills. he tried his best but things were just too far gone to make it with a small dairy farm so much in debt. When the auctioneers came he bailed into the city got a job as janitor, then working the State fair where he ran into his old tutor Mason.
Mason had had a crush on Luke but always thought he was straight. seeing him picking up trash at the State Fair surprised him but he was happy to see him and went after him to see if they cold pick up as friends.
Fair isn't life is a sweet, sexy second chance story about two young men that had secret crushes on each other in high school but went their seperate ways. They meet up and become friends again, and Mason hopes for more when he finds out Luke is gay.
I did like both characters a lot. Mason is out and proud and very out there. Luke seems to be a boy next door, farm boy but isn't hiding either, he just never had a chance to act on his desires with all going on in his life so your heart really goes out to him.
The story line is sweet and there is so much emotion and feels in this book.
If you like second chances, friends to lovers, new adults, sweet romance with lots of heat and lots of feels in a story you will like this one.
Luke lost his father and their farm due to high medical bills. he tried his best but things were just too far gone to make it with a small dairy farm so much in debt. When the auctioneers came he bailed into the city got a job as janitor, then working the State fair where he ran into his old tutor Mason.
Mason had had a crush on Luke but always thought he was straight. seeing him picking up trash at the State Fair surprised him but he was happy to see him and went after him to see if they cold pick up as friends.
Fair isn't life is a sweet, sexy second chance story about two young men that had secret crushes on each other in high school but went their seperate ways. They meet up and become friends again, and Mason hopes for more when he finds out Luke is gay.
I did like both characters a lot. Mason is out and proud and very out there. Luke seems to be a boy next door, farm boy but isn't hiding either, he just never had a chance to act on his desires with all going on in his life so your heart really goes out to him.
The story line is sweet and there is so much emotion and feels in this book.
If you like second chances, friends to lovers, new adults, sweet romance with lots of heat and lots of feels in a story you will like this one.
November 16, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Fair Isn’t Life is both a coming out/first love novel and one of recovery from a loss that has left one young man hanging by a thread, both emotionally and physically. Luke has never recovered from what he feels is his failure to keep hold of the family farm. Now he can barely keep himself fed and the future is bleaker than ever. When he sees Mason, he experiences a riot of intense feelings that span the spectrum from shame to lust. The author cleverly makes Mason both bumbling, at times, and incredibly perceptive at others. Mason learns over his encounters with Luke how to avoid making assumptions, such as the idea that Mason should have a working phone with ample data or that he has actually eaten a full meal that day. Both of these things, plus a myriad of others that Mason takes for granted, are far from the life Luke now leads. It’s this journey of discovery and empathy that makes Mason such a lovely character to learn about and know.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Fair Isn’t Life is both a coming out/first love novel and one of recovery from a loss that has left one young man hanging by a thread, both emotionally and physically. Luke has never recovered from what he feels is his failure to keep hold of the family farm. Now he can barely keep himself fed and the future is bleaker than ever. When he sees Mason, he experiences a riot of intense feelings that span the spectrum from shame to lust. The author cleverly makes Mason both bumbling, at times, and incredibly perceptive at others. Mason learns over his encounters with Luke how to avoid making assumptions, such as the idea that Mason should have a working phone with ample data or that he has actually eaten a full meal that day. Both of these things, plus a myriad of others that Mason takes for granted, are far from the life Luke now leads. It’s this journey of discovery and empathy that makes Mason such a lovely character to learn about and know.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
October 2, 2020
A sweet romance.
4.5 stars
Kaje Harper knows how to tug your heart strings and play to the tune of love, sweetness and generosity. Reading this book, highlighting the plight of farmers was heartbreaking at times.
A smaller top and femme, Mason has had a crush on Luke for a long time, but didnt know it was reciprocated. It was great to see Mason taking care of Luke and turn his life around.
Lovely romance. Recommended.
4.5 stars
Kaje Harper knows how to tug your heart strings and play to the tune of love, sweetness and generosity. Reading this book, highlighting the plight of farmers was heartbreaking at times.
A smaller top and femme, Mason has had a crush on Luke for a long time, but didnt know it was reciprocated. It was great to see Mason taking care of Luke and turn his life around.
Lovely romance. Recommended.
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