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Second Chance Lovers #1

Crushing on My Father's Best Friend

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I can’t love him. It’s not allowed.

Twenty years ago, I made a promise. If anything ever happened to Marc - my best friend - I'd step up and take care of his wife and baby son.

I never thought I'd have to honor it. Never even dreamed that something would happen to him. He was an unyielding presence in my life. Always solid. Always there.

And now he's dead. Murdered in cold blood.

His wife, Lindy, is holding in there.

But his son, Mason, isn't coping very well at all. It's gotten so bad that he may have to postpone his final semester of university. All I want to do is look out for him, and having me around seems to help.

But I have a secret. It’s more than grief. Mason wants me - the way an omega wants their alpha.

And heaven help me, but I want him, too.

I'm so sorry, Marc. I love your son. And now I don't know what to do.

Crushing On My Father's Best Friend is a dual point of view, contemporary mpreg novel featuring a guaranteed happy ending and the healing that comes through the power of love. The first in its series, this title can be read as a standalone book.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 10, 2019

192 people are currently reading
185 people want to read

About the author

Austin Bates

84 books314 followers

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5 stars
124 (32%)
4 stars
121 (31%)
3 stars
80 (21%)
2 stars
39 (10%)
1 star
16 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Darien.
868 reviews321 followers
August 4, 2022
Story: 1.5 ⭐️

Narration: 2 ⭐️

Using my audible credit to get the entire series of this was a mistake. Maybe it’s the writing which is very simple and it was most definitely the narration that leaves me with all this regret. I really wish more work was put into picking narrators for these stories because you’re not selling the fantasy if you have a dude barely in his 20s sounding like a senior citizen 😫.

It took everything in me to finish this story, EVERYTHING.
Profile Image for jess ✨.
127 reviews31 followers
July 31, 2019
So. This is sad because at first I thought this would be a solid 4 stars but here I am now.

I really enjoyed the bits about grief and depression. Grief is always something very touching and that moves me whenever I read a book that touches the subject and for most of it, all things considered I did think was well done until a certain point.

Everything else felt really lacking. The two main characters didn't had any sparkle. I was enjoying the struggle to date the son of your dead best friend especially when you're both grieving his death, but there's no passion and I couldn't even care for any relationship drama.

Which by the way was so nonsensical and over the top. For someone that wanted to be seen as an adult and reliable so badly, Mason sure can't talk things out like one especially when it comes of the man he alleged loves and his motivations.

This makes me sad and had potential but for me just wasn't what I hoped for.
Profile Image for Trio.
3,627 reviews209 followers
October 8, 2020
I enjoy the edge Austin Bates adds to their romances. Yes, they're super sweet, but there's that edge of danger, or bad guys, that kind of thing. There's nice chemistry between the MCs and a good story.

Audio performed by C.S. Harder who is doing a nice job with this series.

an audiobook copy of Crushing on My Father's Best Friend was provided to me for the purpose of my honest review
Profile Image for Kimberlie.
1,234 reviews
June 24, 2020
I knew right away that I was going to struggle with this one because of the narrator. He's an older adult, too old even for the older man in this story, but certainly too old for a 22 yr old guy. I kept picturing a man in his 60s with a 12 yr old boy.

At first, I didn't understand the repeated alpha/omega references in this contemporary non-paranormal story. Especially about their "scents". Then I found a reference to this being an mpreg story. Apparently this author is popular in this sub-genre. It was my first.

Speaking of... I think of an Alpha as a strong willed, take-charge kind of guy. Beau was anything but. It was Mason that kept initiating and pushing the relationship.

Around 80% I completely lost interest. I didn't feel the attraction between the two characters. I couldn't even hold out long enough to see how the mpreg part was going to work.
Profile Image for ♥️Victoria ♥️ ♥️love books♥️.
837 reviews69 followers
July 16, 2019
I really really love age gap books and after listening to one of my old time fav age gap books I saw this one.......

This could have been soooooo good if only the "Alpha" had some backbone!!! This could just be me but when I hear the word Alpha I think ok in charge in control, care taker NO push over (without being an ass ofcourse) .... well that was missing in this book.
Profile Image for Yessenia.
414 reviews13 followers
July 15, 2019
❕💢 1.5 stars 💤❕

It seems I’ll be the unpopular opinion. The writing wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t engaging. This style is not for me, I ended up bored pretty quick. There were endless inner dialogues, the characters kept more in their heads overanalyzing everything than actually doing something. Especially the older one.

I understand the drama regarding the death of a parent, still, it dragged on and on for both of the protagonists, the son and the best friend. One could understand if this was coming from the son, but from the supposedly "adult"? He was the most indecisive person in this story…ugh! If I didn’t know there was an age difference I’d have thought both protagonists were youngsters.
5,704 reviews39 followers
July 16, 2019
heartbreaking and amazing all at one time. it made me so sad in so many spots... but then it made me smile and happy.. these characters have so much stacked against them.. but so much to live for. it was wonderful
Profile Image for Nic.
949 reviews8 followers
July 30, 2019
Cute

Cute easy to read predictable story. The main characters were likeable the younger Mason did show his age a few times even though he tried to act more mature.
Profile Image for ♡ cal ♡.
769 reviews350 followers
December 20, 2020
I enjoyed this but didn’t give me all the vibes for an omegaverse story. Excited for the others!
Profile Image for J.
1,563 reviews37 followers
June 23, 2020
Not sure where to begin with this. I love age gap stories because they mirror my own life/dating experience. We never really get the age of the older character, but based on the age of the younger guy and the relationship the older guy had with the younger guy's father, I'd say late 40s or early 50s. Again, I'm in my early 50s and date guys in their 20s a lot. It's a thing, whether some people like it or not.

From that point, though, there isn't a lot here. Yes, it's an mpreg book, not my favorite genre of M/M romance, but it's ok. The thing is authors rarely, if ever, explain what this world is like. What are alphas and omegas, what are these "scents" that keep popping up, and for heaven's sake, alphas are knotting their omegas? Are they part dog or something? Ejaculation alone can't get the omegas pregnant? I don't get that part at all.

Then there is the story itself. Bates isn't a gifted writer, and the dialog, as well as the so-called mystery in the story, are drab and poorly thought out. Sometimes, the dialog is so bad I feel like I'm watching one of those TLA gay romance movies. Very flat all around. The supporting characters are not interesting, and the alpha character is a whiny fella. Not much alpha about him except he's a breeder. The omega guy understandably suffers from some grief and depression, but it's not handled well at all. It's always described quickly, like the author wants to get past it all and focus on the sex scenes, which were pretty good.

I don't know if I want to try the next book in the series or not. I'm a sucker for series, to be quite honest, and I would love to know more about the mystery and see how it's resolved. I just don't know if I want to spend another week reading a book that should only take a few hours. Boredom is, well, boring.
Profile Image for Kirstin.
2,112 reviews19 followers
December 4, 2020
I liked this one okay, but there could have been a little more excitement involved in the story. No one really seemed concerned about the murder of Marc.
Profile Image for Courtney Turner.
1,716 reviews4 followers
July 17, 2019
Okay so I really loved this love story. But I found that it kind of ran on a lot. A lot of back and forth with the two characters and not a lot of progress with their love story. But other then that it was sweet and shows that not all relationships are easy. Especially when you loose a parent. There was a lot of pain both characters went through.

Great love story with a sweet happy ending!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Shourya Gupta.
308 reviews
March 9, 2023
i was here for the sex
i got the sex
but why the actual fuck did the author have to put plot in a book that's meant for sex!!???
first half was a four star but it just went really downhill from there
Profile Image for Badh.
3,311 reviews66 followers
July 23, 2019
This is a 3.5.

Overall, not a bad story. Seemed a little too fixated on what would dad think sometimes, but not bad.
Profile Image for Michelle.
784 reviews
January 21, 2020
DNF @ 61% I don’t know why I even try with these type of books, they are always so disappointing. Very immature main characters, always, I don’t get it.
Profile Image for Mikki James - Peters .
196 reviews4 followers
May 11, 2020
This bundle is made up of multiple stories - each story interwoven within a friend group. I found each story to be very interesting and the characters honest. I provided a detailed review of the first two books in the bundle below.

Second Chance Lovers
This novel tells the story of Mason & Beau. Mason's father just died and Mason is slowly losing his grip on reality. Beau was Mason's father's best friend, and a man that Mason already harbored a crush for. Mason is so lost and he needs a strong alpha to help him pick up the pieces of his broken heart. But both men, have a lot to overcome and a lot at risk if they decide to act on the chemistry brewing within.

Mason was a very depressing character because the focal point of the story is that he lost his father. His emotions are completely reasonable and warranted given these circumstances, but it was hard to get a grasp on who he really was outside of all his grief. There were moments in the novel where the reader could see the real Mason, before he lost his father and some stolen moments with Beau, but overall I just felt so gutted emotionally because the whole novel was about his loss. Beau's POV's were a little bit more uplifting because as an attorney he was working with the police to try to bring Mason's father's killer to justice. However, he had suffered a loss too, his best friend and he had a lot of baggage he was bringing into this potential relationship with Mason. Both characters complimented each other, but I wish there was more that we could see behind the grief that brought about their relationship.

In Love with My Bestie
Sawyer is friend's with Mason, and Axel is one of the detectives currently working on bringing Mason's father's killer to justice. Here, we pick up a little bit before the end of the first novel, but then it continues into the hunt for the killer. While Axel is trying to get justice, Sawyer is almost admitting defeat because he has been in love with Axel for years but he doesn't think he deserves him. Axel has been hiding a secret though, he wants Sawyer just as much, but is afraid to make a move. One of them has to give or they may just lose out on a love of a lifetime.

I think I liked this book better then the first, it was set in the aftermath of Mason's dealings with grief and Sawyer and Axel's relationship was more uplifting overall. In addition, there was more suspense as Axel was hunting for the killer and dealing with threats on Sawyer's life. I also liked how they had the foundation of a years of friendship behind them. They had a connection before they embarked on a romantic journey and I think that's what made their relationship even stronger.
2,220 reviews5 followers
May 9, 2020
Crushing on My Father's Best Friend - Book 1 (part of a 6 book bundle)

Falling in love with his best friend's son was never a part of the plan. He's known Mason all is life. Beau watched him grow up to become a very sexy omega. The unthinkable happened to change all of their lives forever. Mason's father dies and suddenly all the roles have changed.

Mason starts a fast moving downward trajectory, ends up in the hospital and Beau stays by his side in more ways than one. "His palm was warm against my skin, and my heart skipped a beat...the guilt and shame and sorrow screaming in my head." This was an age gap that initially got in the way mentally. Over time, the growing feelings could not be denied. It was satisfying to see all the characters grieve, share, grow, and heal together.

There is a lot of different emotions to manage in this heartfelt story. I cried as I read and it took me a moment to get through it, but I was not disappointed with the sweet, slow burn HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for AND 1515.
1,280 reviews15 followers
May 10, 2020
Lets Tango....
by and1515

In love with my bestie....

Axel couldn't understand why Sawyer kept picking losers who didn't appreciate him they all treated him atrociously.
Sawyer definitely liked his one friend more than anything however he never gets the feeling that he saw him as anything other than a friend and seriously he deserved better and Sawyer knew he wasn't.
I wished when Hunter, was talking with Axel about how truly stupid he's really being sometimes you just hope their friend would kindly help them to become less confused with a handy 2x4 to the back of the head.
It's kind of interesting when all their friends know but neither one of them can stop blindly dancing around each and just be honest.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Leanne.
1,458 reviews34 followers
August 2, 2023
Overall I found this book to be okay. Okay characters, okay plot, okay entertaining, and okay writing.

I don’t know, I expected more from this story. More of Beau being in Mason’s presence, more involved in general, just more. I understood the hang ups that Beau had regarding a relationship with Mason, but if we’re going for the protective, supportive alpha, I’d have expected more initiation from said alpha. He’s always reactive vs proactive, though that does change a little at the end, but that’s not where it needed to happen.

Mason is rightfully a mess after his father is murdered, but I didn’t feel his connection to Beau like I hoped. I think a lot of that had to do with how little they were actually in one another’s presence. Anyway, it’s a decent omegaverse that kept me engaged enough to finish.
Profile Image for Helen.
1,006 reviews4 followers
December 18, 2020
6 Books for 1 Credit Wow

We have 6 couples, Mpreg, celebrity, alcoholic abusive parents, second chance lovers, unknown fathers, best friends, murder, older lovers, you nane it this bundle has it. 6 books for the price of 1 credit, how could you not want to read that.

Thoroughly enjoyed these books.

Great Narration by C. S. Harder

Book 1 Mason and Beau
Book 2 Axel and sawyer
Book 3 Wyatt and Carter
Book 4 Isaac and Grayson
Book 5 Hunter and Levi
Book 6 Theo and Nolan

Crushing on My Father's Best Friend
The Complete Second Chance Lovers Bundle
By: Austin Bates
Narrated by: C.S. Harder
Length: 39 hrs and 49 mins



❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.20 speed on Audible
Profile Image for JJ Fey.
83 reviews8 followers
January 15, 2025
Dad's best friend? Say less.

Mason and Beau were a really sweet couple.

After a couple of disappointing audiobook picks recently, this one was just what I needed. Mason’s journey tugged at my heartstrings - it was sad, sweet, and beautiful to see him grow. I also loved seeing his bratty side come out.

This was my first read from Austin Bates and my first listen to narrator C.S. Harder, and I’m hooked. However, according to Reddit, Austin and Aiden Bates, known as “the mpreg brothers”, are pen names created by their publishing company, with a bunch of ghostwriters behind the scenes. So, I’ll see how I go with the rest of this Second Chance Lovers series.

What to expect:
Dual, first person POV
Age gap
Bratty omega
Depression
First times
Grief
Mental health themes
Mpreg
Omegaverse
Profile Image for Sarah Sargent.
Author 2 books12 followers
March 17, 2022
Honestly, I picked this book up because the comment was made that there were so many low-star reviews. When that happens, I am always intrigued by the story. At the same time, grief is processed differently by each person. I loved how we see that Mason struggled with his grief, and he was slow to open up about how much he loved his dad. When Beau and Mason do come together, there is chemistry there. Beau wanted to stay away from Mason, not knowing what Marc would think about the whole thing. But at the same time, Beau finally realized that he was the one helping Mason and himself cope with the loss of Marc. It was a solid read, and I will be going back to read more from this series.
1,244 reviews52 followers
May 10, 2020
Crushing On My Father's Best Friend has all my favorite tropes:
1) hurt/comfort
2) age-gap
3) pining
4) mpreg
5) and a bit of suspense.
I really liked the characters; they were well-developed and interesting. I enjoyed how Mason, one of the main characters, who is the Omega, is very mature and self-assured. I love how Beau, the Alpha, was kind, noble and sensitive. The other books in the series don't all have age gap or hurt/comfort but all and all, it was a nice feel good romance with HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Dolores 💜 .
1,167 reviews14 followers
May 30, 2020
I had recieved the boxset of Crushing My Father's Best Friend to Give My True & Honest Review.

And I found the story both with sadness/worry & ever so loving.
It is a lovely love story of Mason the College (near graduate) who has had a crush on his father's best mate Lawyer Beau.
And it's when the most heartbreaking time of their lives that makes them come closer together.
I did find that the way they were together that they were similar ages not twice the age difference between them & nor the same with their friends...
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews217 followers
May 10, 2020
This box set is absolutely a must have. As always well written stories with a great storylines and plots. It contains amazing stories that has a lot of chemistry and passion in them. If you enjoy romances that offer plenty of sizzling heat, dirty naughtiness and a taboo edge you can not go wrong with this very entertaining and enjoyable collection.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
7 reviews
September 17, 2020
Okay story. There are no descriptions of the characters or anything else. You have a guess at their ages, but you have no idea what they look like. They also mention tattoos, but the author does nothing to describe them. This just marks me as lazy writing in general. Plus the characters are boring and forgettable. Similar style to the author’s other book Sweet Emotion, which also had zero storyline. I think this author will be a skip for me.
Profile Image for C.
175 reviews
December 20, 2019
This story is about Mason and Beau and the love they have between each other. Even as they are suffering from devestating grief, of Mason's father's death. Can their love last, you will just have to read it to find out!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
646 reviews
May 17, 2020
What can I say about this book. I only read the first book as it is not the type of books I kind of read but this author put so much into this story. There were tears and also had a HEA. If you like male relationships, this book is for you.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Brianne McCallum.
1,136 reviews5 followers
February 10, 2022
I don't understand the low ranking on this one. I loved it.

I give the narration just a 3 though. It was more a reading than a performance. Even though his voice was ok sounding and he expressed the emotions well, he didn't change voices so I couldn't tell at times who was speaking and had to relisten to some parts. Also, I think he was a bit old for either characters voice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews

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