A Midnight Clear

by Kaje Harper

Can a painful goodbye become a second chance?

Adric's pretty sure his hopeless crush on his roommate Royce has an end date. They'll finish their EMT training course before the holidays and take the exam. When they pass—fingers crossed— he has plans for job hunting, but even when he teases or nags, Royce refuses to discuss anything beyond that looming test date. That has to be a red flag.

Adric tries to be resigned to a bromance goodbye at Christmas. But when he and Royce end up in bed together, that changes everything. Doesn't it?

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Holiday, Friends To Lovers, LGBT, Christmas

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

I 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

Reviews

[Kaje Harper]

This second-chances friends-to-lovers holiday novel is now available wide, beginning with Smashwords and Amazon US.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Great writing as usual, well-rounded characters (and that includes the secondary ones, which is always a nice touch) and lots of realistic feelings without any drama. I loved, loved, loved what happened around the middle of the book, the 2-year gap practically made the entire book for me. I was expecting something different and it was a lovely surprise, perfect for the story and the characters.

Why the rounding down, then, you might ask?

Because as much as I liked this story, I didn’t fall in love with it. In the first half, I had trouble buying Adric being so in love with Royce, mostly because Royce didn’t seem all that special to me and I didn’t even like him much. (I also expected some hints about Royce to be leading to a revelation regarding his mental health, but apparently I read them wrong, because that was never brought up again.) I liked him much more in the second half and I appreciated how his reasons came through during the “second chance” part. I didn’t think he could come up with anything that could justify his behavior to my satisfaction, but he did. I think some more page time could’ve been dedicated to Royce and Adric rebuilding their relationship, though, instead of giving that much time to the cats (lovely as they were!) and then Heath in the epilogue.

I might’ve still rounded up for another author, but in my very personal—and very unfair, I know—Kaje-Harper scale, this just didn’t reach the 4-star mark.

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Kaje does some of the best "just romance" stories around. She gives her characters realistic obstacles that they need to work out or work through, and their decisions always make sense for that character. And she does complex and messy family situations in a way that just works for me. Most of the time, lol. (We will not speak of Tracefinder.) 🤭🤢

For the most part, I liked this. It took awhile to get going for me, but once it did, I was fully invested, and I wasn't disappointed. Although I do want to know what was in Royce's gift that he gave to Adric before he left for the Army. Is it still in the back of the closet out of sight and out of mind eleven years later? I really liked both Adric and Royce, and I liked that the conflicts weren't the typical friends to lovers tropes, and that they were able to work them out without dramatics. No drama llamas here, which I appreciate.

[Teal]

Just not feeling it. Adric's 1st-person narrative has totally failed to engage me. I can't drum up any interest in these guys, and don't care what happens to them, so DNF @ 20%. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I hate my brain. I really liked the first half of the book. It was sweet and a bit sad. And I figured I know where the story is going, and I didn't want it to go in that direction. And when it really didn't... I was disappointed. o.o Piece THAT together.
So the other half wasn't as strong for me. I don't want to say why coz that's a spoiler. But my best advice is try and turn your brain off. Let the story take you and not the other way around. Somehow I always make that mistake, let my mind get ahead of the story.

It turned out the boys were 18 when they met, which I should've been aware of, but they sounded a bit more mature. I put them around 22-23.

There were also a couple details that are not really that significant but... uhm those few times I felt like the author was gearing up for something to be revealed later, except there was no reveal in the end. And I was confused... maybe I should have read between the lines? I dunno.

But I still liked it. 3.5 stars

[annob [on hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing and atmosphere, particularly loved the whole first half of this story. Lack of communication and heartache done right. It hurt! I was rooting so hard for Adric to reunite with his love, and his bruised heart to be mended. When they did it was good, but played out a bit too quick, too insta for my taste. And as much as I love cats, I'd swap a scene or two of the furbabies for more second chance romance development. But as most books I've read by this author, the ending delivered a happy, warm feeling of contentment.

[Pam]

DNF @11%, but it's just a disconnect between me and the book

Every once in a while, I'll pick up a book and no matter how far I read I remain painfully aware that I'm just reading words on a page. I can't connect with the characters/situations or lose myself in the story. That's never happened before with this author, so I'm sure it's just a fluke, but that whole words-on-a-page awareness got really awkward when the sex scenes started, so I decided to cut my losses.

[Agla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this one! The relationship development is in two parts: the first relationship and the second chance. Both were nice to see. I understood Royce and thought that he groveled enough for his stupidity. The explanation made sense even though it was a bit convenient. Both MCs deal with a lot of family drama and I maybe wish that that part was delved into more. The end was meh because we focused on the wrong thing after Royce comes out we are promised that they are gonna meet their in-laws on the same day but through 2 separate dinners. I wanted to see that but we didn't. The epilogue focused on Adric's cousin but I didn't really care for what happened and we also learn in a throwaway line that the MCs are married. We should have seen them open the present that Royce had given Adric before he bailed or seen the proposal. This epilogue really was meh . All in all a short and nice read.

[Len Evans Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

So worth the time!

This was was a bit of a slow starter, but once it got going it was pure gold. Loved these two guys... The author made them come alive for me and through all their ups and downs they felt so real. So happy I stuck to it and finished!

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the guys, I loved the single point of view, I admired the variety of supporting characters and the comings out and the variety of conflicts, and all of it, and above all, I loved the time this story encompasses, giving room for the resolution to really mean something. And a good epilogue. I love a good epilogue.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second-chance romance is one of my least favorite tropes, hence me dragging my feet on this one despite quite enjoying this author's work. I *did* end up enjoying it, but as anticipated, I wasn't wild about the second-chance aspect. Though the story does feel complete, and it quite long for a short story, it did sort of feel like it was straddling the line between short story and full-length novel and I wish the author would have committed to one or the other. There was quite a lot of detail and sub-plots that I think would have been better either cut entirely, or given a bit more room to feel adequately fleshed out.

[Fritz42 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love those stories where two good guys have to negotiate life, and sometimes it takes an effort to make things work out. Both Adric and Royce were such good people, and I ached for them when their difficulties struck. I also love those stories where we get to see their lives into the future, and it makes all those tougher times all the more worth it.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww man. I’m torn on what to rate this. On one hand, I was really into reading this and I felt pretty connected to Adric as a character. On the other, Royce really hurt Adric and that kinda pissed me off. I know that he never promised anything to him, but if Royce was feeling like he was falling for Adric, obviously he should’ve realized that Adric was falling for him too. And to leave without saying goodbye? To ignore his texts and not respond once? That is an incredibly shitty thing to do.

So I was not sure what to think or feel when Royce came back after 2 years and showed up at Adric’s door. I hurt for Adric and I didn’t want him to give Royce another chance... but I also did at the same time. I was still super fucking pissed at what Royce did, that he wanted to leave and try to have a “normal” life with a wife and whatever. The whole thing just hurt... but you can feel the love that Adric still had for him and so I wanted him to get the happily ever after that he deserved with Royce.

So I guess I’m glad that everything worked out for the most part. I’m glad they got their second chance and the epilogue set 9 years later showed that they ended up married with a HEA.

I’d probably rate this somewhere around a 3.5 - 3.75⭐️
It was definitely worth the read even though it put my emotions through the ringer a bit.

[AngelFire]

DNF @ 13%. No rating.

I usually like Kaje Harper's books but this one didn't work for me at all. The writing felt stiff and lacked emotion, which isn't her usual style. I got a strong YA vibe from it, which was probably the combination of the amateur writing style with the characters acting very young. Royce was kind of okay but I couldn't stand Adric. Being clumsy and annoying seemed to be his dominant personality traits, which isn't my thing. Then we learn that Adric had been pining over Royce for months, yet he didn't even know the guy's sexual orientation (ie he knew absolutely nothing about him except that he also wanted to be a paramedic) and I realized I had zero interest in this story.

[Jax · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating has to do with my satisfaction with the pairing and the pacing, but note that this is not really Christmasy. I don't think it would satisfy if that's what you're looking for.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

This is a difficult one for me. I really disliked the beginning and avoided reading it because I wasn't enjoying it, but I kept on because I used to love Harper's books, and I hoped this would turn around for me. It did eventually and I do love the MCs separately and together, but I really could have done without parts of the book. I would love for the aunt and the cousin to disappear entirely because they really didn't add anything to the story other than unnecessary ugliness. I did like the point made about Royce's father's words affecting him so much because people don't realize how much of an impact words can have. It's another story that happens around Christmas, but isn't specifically a Christmas story. Overall a good story, just a little more angst than I wanted.

[QuietlyKat]

🤷🏻‍♀️ *cringe* I don’t really want to review this one but I hate when I go back to my Read Shelf and can’t remember why I didn’t review a book.

A few years ago I undoubtedly would have given A Midnight Clear 4, maybe 5, stars. It’s well written. It’s moving, it made me cry a couple of times. The characters are likable. The plot, engaging. But for all that, I was low key bored and contemplated DNFing a bunch of times. And here’s the crux of not wanting to write this review: it feels wrong to downgrade a story because I read so much romance and I’ve read this basic plot before and before and before. It’s not the story’s fault I’ve been there, done that.

So yeah, ignore this review, it’s a good story, I just read too much 😅😆

[Susan Scribner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this second-chance holiday romance. The first half was especially strong as the two young adult MCs embark on a relationship they know has a built-in expiration date. My heart broke for the POV MC, Adric, as he realized that there was nothing he could do to make Royce stay with him. The second half was rewarding as the two are reunited, but I needed a little more grovel from Royce or hesitation on Adric's part. Their path to a HEA was almost too smooth. Bonus points for including two cats with very different personalities, always a welcome addition.

Harper writes the most human characters of any M/M author around; they are interesting but so very real and relatable. I wish she wrote more straight contemporary romance because she doesn't need suspense or paranormal plots to engage a reader. And (this is no small thing in today's world of self-publishing) her books are perfectly edited.

[Will Parkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought out all the emotions. At times I was sniffling, other times angry, and more than once hurting for the boys.

The one that gave me the most feels was Royce. He was stuck in an impossible situation: wanting to please his father, care for his mother, and all the while coming to terms with his love of Adric. I can't imagine what I would do if faced with those problems.

Would I have liked Royce to figure it out sooner? Of course. I'm a HEA kind of guy, but their story wasn't at the point yet where the option was open to them. (Plus, if he had, the book would have been over at the halfway mark!)

The ending? Can you open your heart to giving love another try? Can you stop worrying about everyone else's expectations and finally step up and claim what you knew all along was meant for you?

I loved this book so hard.

[Kim Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this author before. This was a MM contemporary story set in the USA. Main character are Adric and Royce. Second chance love. They are roommates during a short EMT course. Finding love the last 3 weeks they spend together. Royce leaves to join the army and breaks Adric's heart. Fast forward 2 years and Royce is let go from the Army after a terrible car accident. Adric slowly forgives him. Great story, read page turner.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked this and I'm would read more books from this author, I really think Royce needed to do so much more groveling, and if I were Adric, I wouldn't have taken him back. If there wasn't the accident, Royce wouldn't have come back to Adric!! That made me so mad and sad for Adric.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in late 2020 as a freebie, and then it just kind of sat in my Kindle app until this past week, when I finally clicked it to read. Possible spoilers...

This book is told in what seems to be two main halves, both prominently featuring a pivotal Christmas Eve. The first half is the build-up, establishing the characters, their relationship, their mutual attraction, the hot and heavy but all too short love affair on which they embark, and the subsequent crash when Royce leaves (as planned) on Christmas Eve, with no further contact, and Adric's world burns to ashes. The second half, two years later, finds Adric working as a paramedic, living a quiet, somewhat lonely life with two cats and occasionally seeing his mom. And then Royce returns, unexpectedly, with his heart in his hands offering it up for keeps, and Adric needs to figure out whether he can forgive and whether their love deserves a second chance.

The romantic relationship at the heart of this novel, between the two men, would be easy and simple, like breathing, if it weren't for outward influences i.e. family issues that hinder them. Royce's mother has mental health issues, and his father is ex-Army and presumed queer-phobic, and Royce feels he has no choice but to leave Adric, join the Army himself, and force himself into a het life. Adric's family is no picnic either. His mother moved in with her older sister when she was pregnant, and Adric has spent 18 years of his life under the resentment of his super-religious aunt and her oldest son, Jase, who's treated like a golden boy but is in reality anything but.

The writing is impeccable as always, and the author weaves a compelling tale of love under pressure, family demands (perceived or real), while exploring heartbreak and second chances. The two main characters are fully fleshed out, even though we see Royce only through Adric's eyes, as this story is told in his POV only, though what we do find out about Royce comes from the man himself as he tells Adric about the missing two years.

The issues with Adric's cousin Jase come up more than once, but are either too easily resolved or not resolved at all, depending on how you look at things. I didn't quite understand why Adric's mom didn't get a job and a place of her own instead of living with her bitter hag of a sister. I wondered if the author meant to do more with those situations, and then decided not to - I dunno, it just felt incomplete, I guess. What I also had to remind myself of every so often is that Adric and Royce are but 18 at the beginning of this book, and only 20 and 21 by the second half of it. Their portrayals make them feel as if they're at least in their mid-20s, but they're actually not.

I did enjoy Heath, Adric's youngest cousin, who reappears in the epilogue showcasing that their relationship has remained positive. Speaking of the epilogue, I loved how casually the author threw in that Royce and Adric are married at that point , and how they still hold each Christmas Eve close to their hearts, taking the time to mark each one as an important moment to connect and express their devotion to each other.

The moral of this story is honesty, really - being honest with yourself and your partner especially, and talking about your fears and hopes, instead of keeping them bottled up, and instead of making monumental decisions on your own when those decisions affect you both.

This wasn't quite the easy holiday story I expected, but I have no regrets. This book was worth the tears because I also got to smile and laugh and sigh and rejoice.

Well done, Kaje.

Y'all read this!

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a MAGNIFICENT Book about two young men trying to get through EMT training. They get an apartment together to save money. Adric is the klutzy, standoffish, hardworking geek. Royce is outgoing, gorgeous and a genius. Nothing seems to erode his confidence. Both are dealing with underlying dysfunctional circumstances. Adric is trying to take care of everyone. He has a sweet and caring heart. Royce is very private, comes across arrogant in a party way. Both in their own way take care of the other. What is going to happen when want becomes reality. This is a story told in true KAJE HARPER fashion. With a EPIC EPILOGUE!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!

[Isa Tis · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai vraiment apprécié ma lecture de ce court roman de Kaje Harper et quel plaisir de voir une photographie de Dan Skinner en couverture ! A Midnight Clear est une histoire de seconde chance, douce-amère et émouvante.

Royce & Adric ont seulement 18 ans quand ils se rencontrent mais font preuve d'une certaine maturité, amis et colocataires, ils ont tout deux des projets déjà tout tracés. La vie n’a pas été tendre avec les héros, chacun a le poids d'un fardeau sur ses épaules et cela fait d'eux des personnages très touchants.

Mon cœur s’est vraiment serré pour le si attendrissant Adric, et j’avoue que j’en ai voulu à Royce…mais j’ai aussi compris sa façon d’agir. La vie nous conduit à faire des choix qui ne sont pas forcément les plus judicieux, à suivre la raison plutôt que le coeur. Mais j'avoue que j’ai tout de même un peu grincé des dents car si Royce n’avait pas eu son accident, est-ce qu’il aurait enfin ouvert les yeux et serait revenu auprès d’Adric ? Royce lui-même ne le sait pas... Et c’est quand même assez rude pour Adric. Alors comme Royce est quelqu’un de bien, je lui ai pardonné comme l’a fait, peut-être un peu trop facilement, Adric mais ouch ! . Malgré tout, on ressent la force des sentiments qui les unit et c'est là le plus important !

Une jolie lecture qui est en plus est agrémentée par deux boules de poils adorables… 😻

[Tessi4M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t really know why, but whenever authors make these giveaway events I always expect the books to be mostly light and low on the angst. I logically know that no one has made any such promises, but it’s just there in the back of my subconscious.

This means I sometimes get a bit of a surprise. This book was one of those times because it packs quite an emotional punch.
Kaje Harper knows how to write engaging stories and and doesn’t hold back when it comes to letting her characters work for it.
The result hurts a lot along the way, but it is so worth it.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This book follows the young adult lives of two roommate EMT's in training. One is out and the other, for family reasons, is deep in the closet (in fact I think it surprised him to fall for his roommate). Upon EMT graduation the two have started a relationship. However, the closeted one is destined for a two year stint in the Army (following in his father's footsteps) and refuses to admit to anyone his sexuality and leaves his roommate in the dust as he embarks on his tour of duty. Tears flow.

The book then jumps two years and the army medic returns with some serious wounds and shows up at the door of his old roommate. Will the roommate take him back? Can this romance be rekindled (or did it ever really go away)? A nice second chance romance M/M romance.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, it made me cry! And smile, and it was hot! I really liked these characters.

[Nidz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! It made me so emotional, and it also kinda hurt, but I honestly really loved this book.

[Td]

DNF - 40%
Did not know this would be or feel like NA. Not something I tend to go for nowadays. My fault for not paying attention. No rating.

[SCo74 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, with enough doses of angst and romance. I wish it would have been dual POV, but at the end we got a little more understanding of Royce's feelings and decisions.
Both MCs seemed older, tough, I think it would have worked better with them being early 20s (not sure if it would make sense with the studies and enlisting timeline)
Sex scenes were hot but seemed realistic, I liked that not everything was perfect.
I got a little bothered that the timeline seemed wrong at the epilogue if Heath was 9 at the beginning and then there's a 2-year separation and epilogue is 9 years later, Heath should be 20, not 18 and also Adric's mom deserved some life of her own.
But there was a BIG unsolved mystery in this book, which is the Christmas presents Aldric hid in the closet at the entrance of their flat! They were completely forgotten, we don’t know what Royce bought for Aldric, and the exchange of presents could have been a lovely scene for the final chapterand I'm mad that it was not brough up again.

Anyway, cute, but could have been better