My Best Friend's Dad

by Courtney Roberts

To love him would betray her best friend. Not to love him would betray herself.

Callie Jo Harper never expects to fall in love again after discovering her fiance is nothing more than a lying cheat. To celebrate the breakup of a lifetime, she escapes with her best friend to the snowy mountains of Montana on what would have been her wedding weekend, totally unprepared for the romantic connection she develops with Alex Harrington, her best friend's father.

A forbidden love, age gap romance

T/ References to substance abuse, fatal car accidents, suicide, and miscarriage.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Ebooks

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2024

Reviews

[Sara Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Both MCs cried so much. LITERALLY TEARS STREAMING DOWN THEIR FACES!
They cried when they each went home, they cried when they broke up.... they cried when they saw each other... cried about the baby...cried about Jade finding out...cried when they told FMCs mom... they cried when he talked about his past and hers..

The lack of confidence , backbone, or personality from either MC was disappointing. They talked about their exs just about every sexual encounter. For example, at 56%, they have "amazing" sex and during the after bliss she asks how he met his ex-wife. WHY?!?! Who lays naked with their partner and talks about their sex loves with an ex? Gross

The daughter makes a nasty FB post about the MCs, and she also leaves reviews on his company page, calling him a pervert and womanizer.
The problem is that they forgive her after 3 months because she comes crawling back. Bitch just didnt want to loose her inheritance.

Like I said up top, they cried way too much and had no freaking backbone.

[jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don't know how to feel

[Mar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The MMC was supposed to be older but somehow talked like he was a teenager or in his early twenties. Weird.

[Amy Duffety · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5.

I read this book after a dark romance as a palette cleanser. It was a quick light read but I felt the author was trying too hard when it came to a more adult style of writing. Often times the writing felt juvenile.

[Eman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was... rough. The writing felt straight off Wattpad, but not in a good way. The insta-love was absolutely ridiculous — they went from knowing basically nothing about each other (aside from the whole best friend/daughter connection) to saying "I love you," crying, and sleeping together — all within the first 100 pages. And when I say crying — I mean constantly. They cried all. the. time.

Both main characters lacked any real confidence, backbone, or actual personality. The steamy scenes were constantly interrupted with random, awkward conversations about their exes — in the middle of the scene. Why? Just why?

The MMC, who’s supposedly 50 years old, read like a teenage boy — emotionally immature and honestly annoying. And as for the daughter/best friend? Completely unhinged. She acted nasty throughout the book and was somehow forgiven without any real consequences.

The conversations felt unrealistic and cringey, and overall, the writing was painfully juvenile. Not for me.

[Robyn Keller · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
I enjoy a good forbidden romance and age gap. This one did not disappoint.
Although I found parts cringy for me, personally I enjoyed Alex and Callie’s story.
Alex showed Callie how she deserved to be treated and there’s something about a man who willingly punches an ex who deserved it that just turns me on 🥵
I found Jade to be childish when reacting to finding out about Callie and Alex. Although, I honestly may have felt the same way.
Sometimes we cannot help who we fall in love with, even if it is your best friend’s dad❤️
Overall, I enjoyed this book and enjoyed watching Alex and Callie fall in love with each other.

[Trish Wohlford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had intriguing subject matter but ultimately really let me down with the odd AI written feel to some of the writing. I would be reading along and would be halted in my tracks at the oddest use of certain words that felt out of place and didn’t fit. The overly literal and nonsensical descriptions of some things and situations just felt very AI. I’ve honestly never encountered this but it didn’t flow in places the way a real person speaks or thinks. Also the character development was nonexistent and sections where there were as loads of room for storyline were just skimmed over giving no depth to the relationships.

But truly the real reason for the 2 star rating was the most important part of the story…the WHY and HOW of these two people finding a connection that was real and strong simply didn’t exist. Like were really supposed to climb on board with the only reason they saw soul mate in each others eyes stemmed from a burger in a pub one night and some friendly kindness for a few minutes? We were given no moments of building passion or budding feelings. It’s just developed from thin air. This is supposed to be a forbidden romance full of pining and wanting but not giving in but that was nonexistent.

[Kristen Bauerle]

DNF @30%

I was liking it a lot at first. Read very quickly. I understand it’s a best friend’s dad troupe. That’s totally not the issue for me. The smut uses the most cringy words to describe things it made me want to barf 🤢 It felt so insta lovey. Wasn’t for me.

[Olyvia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thankful it was a free book.. but also what a waste of time.
MMC cried soooooo much it was so unnecessary!!!
He was also suppose to be old but was so immature.
The insta-love was the worst I’ve read they’re in love and over the moon after talking once? And how creepy of him to leave her that note. I can think of 1,000 other ways that could have been written.
Not sure how I made it through but it did.
I’m sorry to the author but the writing was not good 🥴

[Memphisgirlreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was super cute and cozy, I love the age gap troupe, Jade got on my nerves the majority of the book, definitely redeemed herself in the end! If you're looking for a cute little romance this, is it!

[J.M. Hepburn · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the actual fu*k is this…? I can’t even mark this as having spoilers cause I DNF’d after the first chapter.

Firstly WHY IN GODS NAME IS THE WRITTING LIKE THIS?!? I couldn’t handle the MAJOR grammar issue - the fact that the MC thought and spoke in PAST TENSE but it was considered present during that moment in the book…

All my corrections are in brackets…

“The smile on my face was (is) as frozen as the icicles drooping from the windows of Polar Pub, Jade's retelling of our catastrophic skiing adventure (is) just as hilarious as the event itself. I cradled (cradle) my steamy mug of hot chocolate and sipped (sip) as she cackled (cackles… also who tf uses cackle anyway?), snuggling in the warmth of my kelly green turtleneck sweater, praying no one in the restaurant saw.”

This is only one paragraph… I have to DNF after the first chapter. It reads like AI and I hate it.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one but soooo much crying. Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% okay with male and female characters showing their emotions but this was way too over the top. But EVERY time Alex(MMC) was in the slightest bit emotional (or not even emotional tbh), he was crying. His thought/comments were very “immature” for someone who was supposed to be in his 50s…things he said were almost more high school character-like than grown man. The “spicy” scenes were painful to read at times due to how they would talk to each other…like second hand embarrassment situation. 😳 Story line concept was good but not a great execution. Some scenes were overly drawn out and others that wouldn’t have built upon the story were completely rushed over.

[Taylor Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a cute rom com with a sad part. I would have loved to see the relationship start more than just “oh hey there” over the phone but otherwise it was pretty good.

Lots of time skips.

[Fiction Victim]

Kindle Chronicles 📚✨
I don’t recall when I hit “download” 🤔,
Maybe my brain took a little road 🧠🛣️.
This book could be gold 🏆 or total trash 🗑️,
So grab your popcorn 🍿—let’s see if it’ll crash! 💥

DNF at page 55

This was supposed to be a cozy Montana story full of healing and romance, but instead, I found myself stuck somewhere that felt a lot less charming—and a lot more confusing. The synopsis promised one thing, but the story wandered off in a totally different direction, leaving me wondering if someone forgot to update the GPS. The main character, 29 and living rent-free, treats her mom asking where to put her suitcase like it’s a hostage situation, which gave me serious “can you chill?” vibes. Meanwhile, the family drama seemed to come with a side of plot holes so big, you could drive Jade’s dad’s truck through them—and then some. The “romance” felt like the literary equivalent of awkwardly bumping into someone and then sending a generic thank-you note with a phone number they somehow already have. And just when you think it can’t get more sitcom-level weird, the mom scenes reminded me of “She’s the Man” — except this time, the mom might actually be eyeing a date with Jade’s dad. I was all in for a warm, fuzzy blanket of a book, but this was more like being wrapped in a wet towel someone swore was weighted. Nope. Moving on.

[Lola Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This marks the second book by Courtney Roberts that I have delved into, and I must say, it has not let me down in the slightest! I found myself completely engrossed in this story, finishing it in a single day. The narrative draws you in effortlessly, and the themes are incredibly relatable. I find myself connecting with Callie on numerous levels, particularly when it comes to her experiences with her awful ex-boyfriend, Travis, who constantly undermined her self-worth. On the other hand, I absolutely adore Alex! He embodies a protective nature while also being thoughtful, considerate, and caring, traits that I believe Callie truly deserves. Jade, as Callie's best friend, comes across as fantastic, and Courtney has done a remarkable job portraying Jade's emotional turmoil upon discovering Callie's relationship. The story is not only cute but also filled with steamy moments and captivating romantic scenes that enhance the overall experience!

[Nikole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The smut was good, I love taboo reads.
Taboo reads are the best and it was more realistic with the daughter being involved.
It did make cringe though with those misplaced 'lol' in the texts. The text thread with him and he was trying to be serious but throwing in the LOL was just a little ... yeah... it was off.

The falling in love thing went way too fast. He saw her for one night, had a conversation with her, and then they were in love. The good thing though was how he helped her through that rough time.
I think Travis deserved more than what he got though. A little ass beating yet he was still talking trash ... ugh. I hated that guy haha.

It was still a good read, I came for the taboo smut and it was there.

Spice 2/5
Humor 0/5
Emotional 0/5
World Building 3/5
Overall 4/5

[letsreadash · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot at the beginning was fantastic. Girl recently broken up with cheating fiancé.. at a lodge with her best friend and her best friends dad.. he comforts her when she is struggling with the breakup.. then they share an intimate moment in the car mirror. I could feeeeel the tension.

Then it fell flat.

They immediately went from basically strangers to head over heels. I literally had whiplash. The way they talked gave me secondhand embarrassment. I thought I used to love pet names (aka baby) between lovers, but this made me think otherwise. So much back and forth about the guilt of being together and how dramatic it was really gave me an ick.

The plot was there, but the conversations between the characters fell short.

Most liked quote:

"For so long, I was just a shadow in his world, something that always followed him around but never shined."

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an engaging plot that really hooked me, especially with its dual POVs - I'm a total sucker for that! However, I was a bit let down by the main characters' lack of confidence, backbone, and distinct personalities. It felt like their exes were a constant topic during almost every intimate moment, which took away from their connection. The whirlwind romance also seemed a bit rushed; after just one night and a single conversation they were suddenly in love.

On the bright side, I appreciate how the MMC supported the FMC through her tough break up. I do think Travis deserved a bit more than what he got. (;

Overall, the drama in this book kept me thoroughly entertained and turning pages!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Callie and Alex’s story is cute and heartwarming. They have a cute “meet cute” and a great relationship despite the obstacles of their age gap and him being her best friend’s dad.

I would have given this story 4 stars, but the insta-love isn’t really my thing. I understand falling fast, but this just seemed to be too fast or my liking. There wasn’t a lot of lead up to them falling in love, or much of their relationship before they really became a couple. There could have been a little more details of them getting to know each other.

This is a cute and sweet story, though. And there is no third act breakup, but there is some sadness with family and friends once their relationship is revealed.

[lovely · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry no hate to the author but this book made me want to throw my kindle out the window. It was sooooo annoying how much the characters would say each other name after every single sentence. The guy was not written well her character wasn’t bad. But constantly reading Alex and Callie after every word spoken to each other was sooo annoying. The guy instantly falling for her even tho he didn’t know her and it just wasn’t smooth. A lot of the scenes were not smoothly written it didn’t feel like she went back and re wrote some sentences. I’m sure the writer is a lovely person I just personally hated this book.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forbidden love. Age Gap. Surprise Pregnancy. All the things I love and desire from a book in one the only problem, it was too jumpy for me.

This felt like a book that had to hit certain markers but forgot to connect the dots. There were times I felt extremely lost and it made it hard to continue reading. In the end with about five chapters or so remaining, I did finally give up on it. The ending felt like it was begin drug out to some climatic finish but not in the best way. I think this could have been a cute story of two introverts who had horrible pasts with relationships but it just fell flat for me.

[Christina Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually feel that this story is more of a 3.5 star, but I rounded it up to 4 because it is such a sweet story. Themes include second chance at love, secrets, surprise pregnancy, angst, and age gap. Callie Jo's recent break up with her cheating fiancé find comfort and friendship with her best friend's father, Alex. He's also had a bad marriage that ended in divorce. There is no real yuckiness to their relationship - there was no attraction to each other prior to their re-meet when Callie Jo is almost 30. Their common regrets that their past relationships didn't work out leads to them falling for each other. Alex wants to take care of Callie. To make her feel the love she deserves. There is some great angst for this story when Alex's daughter finds out. But everything works out in the end and Callie and Alex find the love they were always meant to have.

There are some spicy scene and oh how the author describes Alex *bites lip*. So hot (spicy scenes and Alex lol)!

[Racquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I felt this was a 3.5 but decided to round up because I like the concept. I also felt the love story was a little too rushed in the beginning and that was what made me almost not finish. Decided to stick it out and it got better. All in all I just would have preferred the love story not being so fast paced. It’s supposed to be a taboo relationship and I ended up not appreciating the spicy scenes because the “love” aspect felt so rushed so I just ended up viewing the relationship as weird instead of appreciating the nature of it.

[Alysia Broussard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story line, and I enjoyed the taboo part of the book, but I felt like there were parts that were redundant. Or circling the airport without landing, as the saying goes. I felt there were pieces that could have been cut out. Overall the book was good. It had plenty of spicy scenes. It was dual POV between the main characters, it switched mainly at chapters.

I think that the book was good, but only for the taboo, the story line was lacking, the ending was good though. Everything was tied up in a nice little bow.

[cris.i.punto · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,75⭐ 2🌶️

Para mi gusto es demasiado empalagoso y largo.

La historia no empieza mal, Callie se enamora del padre de su mejor amiga y él se enamora de ella. Es un romance bonito, con sus obstáculos y tabús por la diferencia de edad.

Pero también se hace pesado la cantidad de veces que se nombran los nombres o apelativos cariñosos, se hace muy repetitivo.

Las escenas spicy están bien, hay bastante spice.

En general es un libro que ni me va ni me viene, está bien, pero no lo leería de nuevo.

[Brittany Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, could have been better. It was super cheesy to me, like they fell in love so fast there was like absolutly no fight to been them apart. Idk I was hoping for more then what this gave me. I wasn't a fan of both main characters. Jade was okay but wouldn't read this again. I thought I was really going to like it but it was cheesy. lol Didnt hate it but didnt love it. Kind of wish this wasn't the book that I chose to start 2025 with but its finally over now. Thats why it took me forever lol.

[xmanicpixiebookgirlx · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not the book I was expecting to read. I really thought I was walking into a crazy, smutty, age gap love trope, but It was actually quite sweet. The story line was easy to follow. The sexy scenes were not explicit and they added substance to the plot line. I loved the characters and how they interacted. It was very believable and didn’t come off as creepy in any way. Very nice easy read. I would definitely recommend the book as a cute, kinda steamy, romance novel for anyone interested in a quick read.

[Sabrina Baldwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m gonna finish the book but it’s a hard read. The concept of the book is good but the writing isn’t for me. She’s 30 and he’s old enough to be her dad but yet they act like teenagers. Also WHYYYYY do they say each other’s name every single time they talk to each-other. “Oh Callie I miss you” “oh Alex” “Callie baby. Let’s go get pizza” “okay Alex. Let’s get a salad to” “Callie that sounds so good” “yes Alex it does”. Like bro we get it. His name is Alex and hers is Callie. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get past that part alone. But I’m too intrigued to quit reading.

[inmyreadingera2020 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*blushes uncontrollably throughout the whole book*
My goodness talk about a spicy book. This was my first book for this author so I am excited to read others. This was such a great book. It was a very quick instalove situation. Callie is so sweet and after what happened to her you feel bad. The connection she made with Alex and knowing it wasn’t all just physical. The emotional connection they made was beautiful. His daughter/her best friend made me upset but I’m glad with the outcome of the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Jazzy.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. easy fun read. I felt the characters moved super quick in this book. wasn't much pining or tension which could be a good thing or bad thing depending how fast paced of a book you want. was it bit cringe to me that there relationship happened quickly yes but was it still fun and entertaining to read also yes. if youre in a slump pick this up. I read it in a day. it was nonetheless cute and like any other best friends dad trope romance . but it was still a fun time reading.