Light Me Up

by Rebecca Rathe

A sweet and spicy short story by Rebecca Rathe

He's his son's best friend, and he can't stand him.
So why does he want him so bad?

Multi-POV, 1st person
Forbidden Romance
Age Gap
Best Friend's Father
Bi-Awakening
Opposites Attract
Grumpy/Sunshine

Genres: M M Romance, Novella, Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, LGBT, Short Stories

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2025

About the author

Deliciously dirty, delightfully neurotic, ratchet mess of a daydreamer.

See www.rebeccarathe.com for a full list of books, social media, and trigger warnings.

Reviews

[Salma [HIATUS] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, we listen and we don't judge. I loved this.

[Megan [Cottage Vibes] · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF-Already Published In 2024

This is a DNF because it’s not a new release and I’ve read it before!! This was in the Bad for Me: An Anthology of Dark and Forbidden Romances from last year and I think it’s kind of shitty that nowhere on Amazon or Goodreads does it say this was a previously published work. Luckily I have kindle unlimited so it didn’t cost me anything to try and read it but had I bought this then realized I read it already??? I would not have been happy. Another reason authors should definitely declare that it’s previously published work is because once I was about halfway through, I was having major dejavu especially when I knew what was going to happen!!! And even though I like this author, I was thinking the worst like “omg is this plagiarized??” But NO, NO it’s not. It’s just, I read so many books a year that I can’t remember them all especially if they are in multi-author anthologies so I hope this author updates this book blurb so others like me aren’t thinking the worst.

As for this story, it’s best friend’s dad with a 32 year age gap. I liked it in the anthology but it’s obviously forgettable if it took me almost 50% to realize why it felt so familiar 😂 That said, for some hot erotica it’s probably worth checking out.

[Emna · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @65
I DON’T GIVE A FUCK.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light Me Up by Rebecca Rathe is a short and spicy contemporary LGBTQ+ romance novella centered on forbidden desire between a father and his son’s best friend, with heat and conflict sparking from the first interaction. The story toggles between the perspectives of Henry, a man significantly older and instantly irritated by the younger Ian, and Ian, who quietly carries a crush that surfaces in bold, surprising ways as they clash and connect in an age gap, opposites attract setup. It’s brisk, witty and leans into steam while giving both men a chance to voice their inner tension and connection.

I liked the chemistry that burns swiftly without sacrificing character voice; Ian’s playful confidence and Henry’s growling resistance combine into something unexpectedly tender even amid the taboo. The writing moves quickly but manages lighter emotional beats alongside its spicy premise, making the novella feel fun rather than frivolous.

I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because the dynamic felt fresh and the characters’ sparks kept me turning pages.

[Peppa · Rating 5 out of 5]

„I have a problem. A big, burly, muscular, secret teddy bear of a problem.“

This novella was insanely good!!
It had everything I adored, an age gap, the friend’s father trope, delicious daddy vibes, and the younger top/older bottom dynamic!! It was hot, emotional, and just the perfect mix of tension and tenderness.

„You can taste if you want.” His hand tightens around the base of my cock, and he looks like he might run away. "Go ahead, Henry. Give it a little kiss."

The sex scenes were incredible intense, passionate, hot and had just the right amount of filthy. But beyond the heat, I loved the dynamic between them.
Ian might be younger, but he knows exactly what he wants, while Henry struggles with his attraction and what it means for him. And The way Ian pushes Henry to let go and feel was so satisfying to watch🤭👀.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet and spicy. I loved it. Son’s best friend, age gap, grumpy/sunshine and daddy vibes, what’s not to love? I absolutely love everything Rebecca Rathe writes so I’m not surprised at all that I fell in love with Henry and Ian.

[Zainab · Rating 2 out of 5]

"He tastes like chlorine and sin" umm like what and what?? And that's a great combo how?

[kaye taz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook

Short and steamy.

As usual, I love how Rebecca Rathe likes to mix things up and not follow usual stereotypes. This is a best friend’s dad romance with reverse age gap, which I love.

I adored Ian. He was unapologetically himself and in the end, that’s what won him Henry. I also really enjoyed Henry as a character. Their chemistry and draw to each other was palpable. I really loved the almost codependency they established with each other.

As usual with novellas and short stories, the characters weren’t super fleshed out because of the length of the story. Things started up and progressed very quickly and the “I love you”s came a little too soon for me.

I so wish we had a lot more of them because they were just so cute.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed my a$$ off at that last line...

KU Read
99 Pages
Forbidden MM Romance
Age Gap
Bi-Awakening
Best Friends Dad
Grumpy x Sunshine

Such an easy, happy read with all the feels that come with a romance story that you can feel. I can't call it an Insta love story because Ian had been crushing in Henry for years and Henry could barely tolerate the bloke for the longest time but once the pair crossed the line feelings didn't grow, they erupted fast and hard.
The story was short and sweet, making a great single day read that kept you invested and wanting to finish asap. *starts googling other books by this author to add to tbr*

[Milica · Rating 4 out of 5]

shut up, this is actually so cute?
i stumbled upon this suggestion through instagram and oh well, had to read it in one sitting, there was just no other option bc i was hooked from ch1🤷🏼‍♀️ age gap, forbidden romance? and mm? and also funny? sign me tf up immediately👏🏼
the chemistry was instantly there, and the tension was just perfect *chef’s kiss* 🤌🏼
for such a short story, this surprisingly didn’t feel so rushed like they usually do. that said, if there was ever a sequel, i really wouldn’t mind it👀
omw to bully all my book besties to read this too👹

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry + Ian 🖤

Gay awakening
Age gap
Best friends dad
Smaller, younger top
First times
Needy bottom
Hot tub sex

"I have a problem. A big, burly, muscular, secret teddy bear of a problem."

"You better watch your mouth, young man, or I'll wash it out with my cock."

"He lights me up... I am irrevocably in love with his idiotic, sarcastic, insanely hot best friend."

[BelleLovesRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in a bad mood and needed something short, fun, spicy, and sweet. This book is perfectly those things.

One paragraph in and I was already cackling. But maybe it's just me who's easily amused. 😀


It's only been two days, and I already regret letting him stay here. I'm not sure I'm going to last the summer without punching his face in.

I've met Ian enough times to be used to his cocky, sarcastic persona. He's been Michael's best friend since they met freshman year. He's always given me a weird vibe and gets on my nerves. I don't like how relaxed he always is. Case in point, the fact that he's apparently allergic to shirts. –Henry


Tropes:
💙 Age gap
💙 Younger top, older bottom
💙 Best friend's dad
💙 Grumpy sunshine
💙 Gay/Bi-awakening or GFY

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

- best friends’s dad
- age gap
- queer awakening

Stumbled across this thanks to a recommendation on IG, and absolutely loved this 🤣

[haletostilinski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh...

I think I was completely turned off of this when a little before halfway through it made Ian, the younger guy the top and dominant while he still called Henry, his best friend's father "Daddy." Like if he's gonna be the top, just have him be the younger "Daddy" at least. Because to me the Daddy of a Daddy/boy kink relationship is the dominant one, not the submissive one. It doesn't work to me.

I'm also a bit tired of this subversion of tropes right now. It just feels so forced.

Also outside of the sexual dynamic - that I mostly just skipped tbh - they get caught in a way I'd usually like, but I was so checked out and was only finishing this because it's so short that I didn't care. Plus, the son/best friend's - Michael - reaction could have been better. But in the parameter of a short, it was just a bit underwhelming.

And of course he's good with it really quickly.

I don't have much to say about this. It gets an extra star for the beginning being intriguing and some good stirrings of chemistry before it was ruined for me.

Honestly the only reason I didn't DNF at around 45% is because this was so short and easy to finish. But mentally, I was pretty checked out and skimmed/skipped several sexual parts. It rushed their connection as well and I didn't feel the love at all.

This could have just been better all around and it didn't work for me. I hope future shorts are better than this one, because it wasn't for me.

[Jess.bookrecs · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I was like “a 32 year age gap is crazy” but then I was like awwn😭🙏 they’re so cute!

There isn’t really a lot of character depth for Ian’s character like there is for Henry’s but because it’s a novella, the information that we did get worked with the story well so I cannot be mad about it.

I don’t really care for a lot of full length books by this author so the fact that I actually enjoyed reading this suprised me.

3.5🌟|| SLAY.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was all smut but so so good.

MM, age gap (23 & 50-ish (I don’t remember, sorry)), no OP drama, short novella

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Aleja · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM romance | Son's best friend | Age gap (20+) | Novella/Short story | Forced proximity

Tengo que admitir que la primera mitad no me estaba atrapando para nada, pero después todo se puso más que bueno! 🤭🔥

Henry e Ian me gustaron bastante. Sinceramente, no me esperaba ese pequeño plot twist de Henry; fue genial no verlo venir.🤭🫣. Es una historia corta y sin demasiado drama, lo cual se agradece muchísimo de vez en cuando.

Lo único es que me hubiese gustado ver un poquito más de la relación de ambos protagonistas con Michael (el hijo de Henry), pero fuera de eso, estuvo muy bien! ✨

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

I have to admit, the first half wasn’t grabbing me at all, but then everything got so much better! 🤭🔥

I really liked Henry and Ian. Honestly, I didn't see that little plot twist with Henry coming at all—it was so good to be genuinely surprised! 🤭🫣 It’s a short story without too much drama, which is always a nice change of pace.

I would have loved to see a bit more of how both leads interacted with Michael (Henry’s son), but other than that, it was a great read! ✨

[Jess Shades · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the exact spicy, forbidden, fun short story I was hoping for! Loved it - delicious!

- novella
- best friend’s dad
- 32 year age gap
- forced proximity
- forbidden
- awakening
- Daddy kink
- low angst
- 3.5/5 chili peppers

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry + Ian

-mm forbidden romance
-best friends dad
-age gap (THIRTY TWO YEARS)
-short & spicy

this was flirty, thirty (...two year age gap 👀😳😏), & THRIVINGGGG!! i loved it!

[Danielle Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I knew you would be perfect,"

Ian doesn’t do subtle. Loud, charming, chaotic in the best way, he’s the kind of guy you notice. But growing up as the overlooked middle child in a conservative family, he learned to dial himself down when it counted. He boxed up the brightest parts of himself just to survive. Until college. Until freedom. Until Mike, the painfully shy, soft spoken boy who became his best friend. Ian might’ve scared off everyone else, but not Mike. But his dad, that was a whole other nut to crack. Older. Off limits. Clearly annoyed by his presence, but polite for Mike’s sake. Still, Ian couldn’t help it. The crush hit hard, deep, and permanent. Years later, nothing’s changed, except now Ian’s in Henry’s space, and he’s going to take full advantage of it.

Henry runs on routine. For the past 23 years, he’s done his morning runs, raised his son, and bought a restaurant that became his second best pride and joy. He hasn’t dated seriously since his ex walked out, no desire, no time. Now Mike’s back from college, dragging Ian along to help with the restaurant’s rebrand, and Henry can’t escape him. Ian is a loud-mouthed, too familiar best friend of his son who talks too much, flirts too easily, and who doesn’t seem to own a shirt. Henry’s tolerated him for years. But with Ian constantly around the more time they spend together, the more lines blur. And the one person Henry’s never been able to stand? Is suddenly the only one he can’t stop thinking about.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Rebecca. WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?! This novella is everything! Age gap, tension so thick you could cut it with a butter knife, The enemies to “what the hell is happening to me?” The chemistry is explosive, the emotional payoff chef’s kiss, and that twist on the bedroom dynamic? I need a moment. Actually, I need a fan. And maybe a priest. Run don’t walk I devoured this book. No crumbs left.

[Cath · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 ⭐️ Yeah, no. This really did NOT do it for me.

Let’s not beat around the bush - this is mostly pure filth with very little else going on. If this book were on AO3, it would definitely be tagged “Plot What Plot / Porn Without Plot.” That alone isn’t necessarily an issue for me, though.

What really turned me off was the dynamic between Henry and Ian. Henry is the bottom (the older man) and Ian (his son’s best friend) the top. In what universe this makes any sense? He’s in his fifties (or however old he is) and Ian is in his twenties.

"I'm a big boy, I can take it," I begged.

Get out of here, old man.

Which brings me to another point. Ian calls Henry “Daddy” as a joke at first, but then sticks to it throughout the book. He also calls him that WHILE THE DADDY IN QUESTION IS BOTTOMING!!! Sorry WHAT?!

"I hate to break it to you, Daddy. But you're a born bottom."

Yeah, no, thank you.

Ian is also feminized in several scenes. For example:

"Pretty like a girl," I mumble. "With your soft hair and long eyelashes and puffy lips. You're even hairless like a girl."

What the fuck? Ian is the top and he’s being told how feminine he looks? That his body is hairless and that he has soft features like a girl, and so on and so forth? Or is this Henry’s coping mechanism for his newly discovered sexuality? I have no idea. Either way, it really didn’t sit well with me. Feminization in MM books is generally a no-no for me.

If the book hadn’t been so short, I would have DNFed it as soon as I found out that Henry is bottoming. Dropping a book that’s barely 100 pages always feels like a shame, so I unfortunately pushed through and finished it.

[Laura (lady_h_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
He might think he’s straight, but his cock clearly likes me.

I love Rebecca Rathe’s treatment of MM bi-awakening. This short story is filled with steam, untapped desire, and love. While the romance is forbidden (father with his son’s best friend and a large age gap), it is sweet. And oooooh so spicy. This story ends in a very satisfying HEA.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes/Features: Large Age Gap (>20yrs), forbidden relationship father and son's best friend, MM bi-awakening, Daddy
POV: Dual 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: MM, fast burn, spicy
Ending: HEA

[Shannai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a reel on instagram and I’ve read a fair share of MM within MMF romances, but this is my first time reading one. Don’t expect a plot going into this, because there isn’t one, asides from Henry discovering at the age of 55 he’s a bottom 😂

This is exactly what it says it is; a short and spicy story of a man and his son’s best friend.

Best friends’s dad, age gap (32 years, lol) and a sprinkling of a daddy kink; the ending threw me, as did the epilogue 😂

[★ Reshika · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️/5⭐️

This was so much fun I just randomly added this in my TBR few months ago and now I finally read it
Super hot cute and fun I had so much good time reading this really
Ian was this golden retriever top and had a crush on his friend’s father
Henry the grumpy one
I loved their banter in the beginning
The smut was literally so good and hawt
Also such a cute ending “that’s how I’m gonna propose to your father” had me laughing so hard

[Lauri MissDysfunktion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light me up was a great short spicy read.

It’s exactly the forbidden vibe I love from Rebecca, but in a short smutty way. Great read.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short and weak.

[~BookNeeds~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fast read.

[Bookish Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Rebecca Rathe can see through my brain🫣

[malia ݁⋆⭒˚.⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚



hot & cute novella to pass the time🤌🏻


“Yeah, man. The rooftop idea was a joke. You can't use that⁠—" 

"Because that's how I'm going to propose to your dad."

🤭🤭🤭