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coffee_books_breathe's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet little Christmas read. Donnie and Adam were just meant for each other. I love second chance romance, and after all those years it was great to see Donnie and Adam find their way back to each other.
teresab78's review against another edition
5.0
Genuine feelings
For being a novella, there was a lot of depth packed into it. I loved that they weren’t perfect but they were trying. Donnie was a very sympathetic character and Adam was perfect for him. There’s a lot of family dynamics, healing, and forgiveness. It gave me lots of feels.
For being a novella, there was a lot of depth packed into it. I loved that they weren’t perfect but they were trying. Donnie was a very sympathetic character and Adam was perfect for him. There’s a lot of family dynamics, healing, and forgiveness. It gave me lots of feels.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
3.0
C+
Decent but too easy to put down. It's a fine way to pass some time, but no real conflict,or at least none that isn't cleared up quickly.
Decent but too easy to put down. It's a fine way to pass some time, but no real conflict,or at least none that isn't cleared up quickly.
suze_1624's review against another edition
4.0
3.5*
Written with the flair for story telling that one expects from a KH story, pacy and entertaining despite the potential pitfalls frommsuch a story line.
Told in alternating pov from Adam and Donnie. Donnie’s time in prison is alluded too mostly and we get a small glimpse of what he endured but it never quite got as emotional as I was expecting (much to my hearts relief).
Adam was very good with Donnie, a true friend even when he had been pushed awayduring Donnie’s years in prison. Very supportive.
Adam’s dad and brother obviously had issues which came out, both now and at the time of the accident and I don’t feel these were fully explored to my nosiness level, esepcially Nate’s antagonism.
Overall, really liked. And willow too.
Written with the flair for story telling that one expects from a KH story, pacy and entertaining despite the potential pitfalls frommsuch a story line.
Told in alternating pov from Adam and Donnie. Donnie’s time in prison is alluded too mostly and we get a small glimpse of what he endured but it never quite got as emotional as I was expecting (much to my hearts relief).
Adam was very good with Donnie, a true friend even when he had been pushed awayduring Donnie’s years in prison. Very supportive.
Adam’s dad and brother obviously had issues which came out, both now and at the time of the accident and I don’t feel these were fully explored to my nosiness level, esepcially Nate’s antagonism.
Overall, really liked. And willow too.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
Now available on Smashwords, and Amazon, and soon at other retailers. The cover picture is by Dan Skinner - if you aren't familiar with his lovely photos of young men and gay couples, check them out online.
nightpeaches's review
4.0
I can't put my finger on what exactly made this book work for me, so I'll chalk it all up to Kaje Harper's writing. There was an angsty current running through the book but it never felt too dark since there was hope and redemption lighting up the way. The slow pace of the book made it feel longer than it was, but not in a bad way, and I liked that the book took time to explore Donnie's character not only in relation to Adam, but also to Adam's family and his hometown itself.
the_novel_approach's review
5.0
~ 4.5 Stars ~
Donnie has spent six years surviving in a prison cell he didn’t deserve to be in. During those years, one boy stayed on his mind—the one he left a wreck in a hospital room after crashing the car they were both in. Who could blame him for wanting to check on Adam just to make sure he was truly okay. He was determined not to stay—not to further complicate or disturb Adam’s life more than he already had. But Adam had different ideas.
Adam had taken some time off from getting his social work degree to help at the family store after his mother had passed away and his father had resigned from most of his daily activities while mired down in mourning her. Helping his older brother manage the Christmas crowds, Adam is shocked when he sees the familiar face step inside the door. Despite dating other men, Adam has never lost the feelings he had for Donnie—his first love. Now he was back, and Adam knew he had to do whatever he could to keep him there. But Donnie was not the same boy he once was, and Adam knew that he had to take it slow or lose the man he was still hopelessly in love with.
Don’t Plan to Stay by Kaje Harper is a Christmas story that’s all about second chances. Donnie has lived a quiet hell while in prison, and while we only get occasional glimpses of what he must have endured, we are given just enough to know it has changed him forever. Adam has grown as well, not only physically filling out but emotionally maturing as well. He has never forgotten how much Donnie meant to him, and it takes little interaction with him to set those feelings aflame again. But this Donnie is different—wounded, raw—and Adam wisely realizes if he is to win Donnie back, he has to take it ever so slow and reassure the man that no matter what he has endured, it has not changed how Adam feels about him.
Forgiveness is key in this story. Donnie is tortured by what happened that drunken, fateful night when an accident landed him in jail, and Adam in the hospital fighting for his life. Donnie needs to be sure Adam forgives him before he can move on with his life. Told in alternating points of view, there is more expressed through internal dialogue than verbal discourse with these two men. The passion that flares between them is almost painful for Donnie, who has done things in prison in order to survive that have left him feeling soiled and dirty. Adam is heartbreakingly gentle and kind, slow moving and careful to allow Donnie to take whatever he is capable of handling. With just the right pace, Kaje Harper allows for Donnie to begin healing emotionally and mentally.
I so wish this had been a full length novel and we had been made privy to more of the backstory concerning how Donnie ended up in prison, and what part Adam’s older brother played in landing him there and why. These characters were so captivating that I wanted more of their story, and felt a bit cheated when it wasn’t provided. I think that’s the highest form of praise I can give for a novella—that I desperately wanted there to be more of it, more of their relationship growing up, more of Donnie’s experience in prison, and more of the confrontation between Donnie and Adam’s brother after Donnie was paroled. The novella was so enticing, so rich in pathos and emotion that I just didn’t want it to end.
Don’t Plan to Stay is not your typical light and fluffy Christmas fare. Instead, it is a bit stark, a tad darker and yet full of healing and grace. If you’re looking for a deep and meaningful holiday story, you won’t go wrong with Kaje Harper’s offering.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
Donnie has spent six years surviving in a prison cell he didn’t deserve to be in. During those years, one boy stayed on his mind—the one he left a wreck in a hospital room after crashing the car they were both in. Who could blame him for wanting to check on Adam just to make sure he was truly okay. He was determined not to stay—not to further complicate or disturb Adam’s life more than he already had. But Adam had different ideas.
Adam had taken some time off from getting his social work degree to help at the family store after his mother had passed away and his father had resigned from most of his daily activities while mired down in mourning her. Helping his older brother manage the Christmas crowds, Adam is shocked when he sees the familiar face step inside the door. Despite dating other men, Adam has never lost the feelings he had for Donnie—his first love. Now he was back, and Adam knew he had to do whatever he could to keep him there. But Donnie was not the same boy he once was, and Adam knew that he had to take it slow or lose the man he was still hopelessly in love with.
Don’t Plan to Stay by Kaje Harper is a Christmas story that’s all about second chances. Donnie has lived a quiet hell while in prison, and while we only get occasional glimpses of what he must have endured, we are given just enough to know it has changed him forever. Adam has grown as well, not only physically filling out but emotionally maturing as well. He has never forgotten how much Donnie meant to him, and it takes little interaction with him to set those feelings aflame again. But this Donnie is different—wounded, raw—and Adam wisely realizes if he is to win Donnie back, he has to take it ever so slow and reassure the man that no matter what he has endured, it has not changed how Adam feels about him.
Forgiveness is key in this story. Donnie is tortured by what happened that drunken, fateful night when an accident landed him in jail, and Adam in the hospital fighting for his life. Donnie needs to be sure Adam forgives him before he can move on with his life. Told in alternating points of view, there is more expressed through internal dialogue than verbal discourse with these two men. The passion that flares between them is almost painful for Donnie, who has done things in prison in order to survive that have left him feeling soiled and dirty. Adam is heartbreakingly gentle and kind, slow moving and careful to allow Donnie to take whatever he is capable of handling. With just the right pace, Kaje Harper allows for Donnie to begin healing emotionally and mentally.
I so wish this had been a full length novel and we had been made privy to more of the backstory concerning how Donnie ended up in prison, and what part Adam’s older brother played in landing him there and why. These characters were so captivating that I wanted more of their story, and felt a bit cheated when it wasn’t provided. I think that’s the highest form of praise I can give for a novella—that I desperately wanted there to be more of it, more of their relationship growing up, more of Donnie’s experience in prison, and more of the confrontation between Donnie and Adam’s brother after Donnie was paroled. The novella was so enticing, so rich in pathos and emotion that I just didn’t want it to end.
Don’t Plan to Stay is not your typical light and fluffy Christmas fare. Instead, it is a bit stark, a tad darker and yet full of healing and grace. If you’re looking for a deep and meaningful holiday story, you won’t go wrong with Kaje Harper’s offering.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
ladydewinter's review
4.0
This was probably my favourite book of what I've read of Kaje Harper's work so far. Despite it being a novella, it didn't feel too short or like something was missing, and while some parts were a bit cliched and handled too easily (everything related to Nate and what he did), it was a very satisfying Christmas story.