Featherlight: A Dad's Best Friend Age Gap Romance

by Mika Rayne

That's One Big Series continues with the first second-generation book...
Adelaide takes the spotlight in this steamy story. Oh, and she’s such a brat.

For years, Adelaide has been head over heels for her dad’s best friend, Nate. An emergency causes him to leave town, and he doesn’t return for years. When he finally ends up back in New Orleans, he’s hired at the carpentry company without realizing he’s now working with none other than Adelaide.

Assigned to the same job site, she enjoys pushing his buttons. Sparks and banter fly, and despite his best efforts, she gets under his skin. He tries to maintain his distance from her, but there comes a point when she pushes him beyond his limits.

How far can their relationship go without him losing his best friend in the process?

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2025

About the author

Mika Rayne was cornfed and raised in Iowa. She lived in Colorado and Louisiana for a bit, and now her home is happily in the Rocky Mountains. She loves cooking, running her cleaning business (she has the best clients ever), taking photos, reading, writing, and being a mom. '80s metal, oldies, grunge, and classical music are her favorites. Inspiration for writing is easy since nature is abundant where she lives. She writes all types of romance tropes. Mika loves her little family more than life.

Reviews

[Lisa Conant · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

🖤Forbidden Love/Angst
❤️Dad's Best Friend
🫦Age Gap (26, 46)
🇲🇽Latino MMC
🔨Both Blue Collar Construction Workers
❤️‍🩹Past Trauma MMC
🌶Saves All Her Firsts for Him

I freaking loved this! This is such a banter filled, yet brilliantly angsty and emotionally filled forbidden love story. Nate and Adelaide are immediately lovable and very richly built humans. Adelaide has been crushing on Nate (20 yr her senior) since she was a teenage. Then he leaves for 10 years following some horrible news.

When he comes back to work at his friend's construction company he begins to see Adelaide as the woman she is, and she is one fiesty redhead! I loved her spirit, honesty, enduring passion for him, and her vulnerability. I was glad to see lots of angst here too! Nate is very cognizant of the age difference but also of betraying his friend , and potentially robbing her of the future she has yet to live.

Lingering in the background is a mysterious trauma of his past and how it's deeply affected him. He's scared to get his heart broken. Their feelings are built through tender moments but also their intimate ones.

I often find very spicy reads to not serve the plot as often, but this one succeeds! It builds with a slow burn but then erupts to fireworks that is so appropriately them! There is incredible heart to this couple along with excellent supporting characters.

This is a favorite age gap for me because the larger age gap was handled with thoughtful believability, rapid fire banter, has an original plot, as well as a vibrant couple and angst. Nate's hidden pain made my heart cry for him. No matter the obstacles, fears, or pain, love will find a way!

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this book🤭

I devoured this book in one day. The dad's best friend trope? Absolute perfection. It's romantic, funny, and the banter between Nate and Adelaide had me grinning and rooting for them nonstop.

Adelaide giving all her firsts to Nate made this extra spicy, I was blushing through so many scenes. The chemistry is undeniable, and the story balances sweetness with heat beautifully.

The ending surprised me in the best way, making the whole book even stronger! didn't realize it was part of a series, but now I'm ready to dive into the rest. Mika Rayne just gained a new fan.💕

[Dee Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩷- Daddy's Best Friend
🖤- Work Place Romance
🩵- Carpenter's( FMC is one to)
🩷- Set In New Orleans
🖤- 20 Year Age Gape(26&46)
🩵- FMC Saved All Her First For Him
🩷 - Trauma
🖤- Banter
🩵- A Loveable Brat
🩷- He Teachers Her A Thing Or 2
🖤- FMC Is A Sassy Lil Thing

I am so excited that this is book 7 of the big series that Mika has out! Featherlight is about Adelaide and Nate and boy is it smoking hot!! ( Adelaide is Forest and Aurora daughter whose book is That's one big Sledgehammer!) Now it starts out with Adeline having a crush all night when she's little and then sadly Nate has to leave for 10 years but when he comes back honey the spice is turnt Up. Now Adelaide ain't no little girl anymore she's all grown up and she's taken after her daddy and become a badass female Carpenter. Well then they start working together and thanks progressed beautifully so beautiful that Nate becomes DADDY Nate!! Nate wants Adelaide so bad but he scared of loosing his best friend Forest Adelaide father. Especially after the whole Forest walking in on him and Adelaide an Forest hit Nate and it was a shit show.The ups and the Downs in this book are so amazing I love how Mika writes books that are real like real life situations. How she address the trauma of nates past and why he left and waited so long to come back. Mika is the best at writing a sexy book that can make you feel it in your soul and I love that. I know I have rambled and I'm sorry but put this on your TBR list and read it it's amazing! If you haven't read the big series I suggest u read it for this to semi make since. Mika you did it again!!!

Quote
Uncle Nate is the sexiest man on the planet. well he's not my real Uncle. He's my dad's best friend and I've had a crush on him since I can remember.
He's a carpenter, so he's always dirty from work, the dirty men are the hottest.
When I'm 18, I'm going to f**k him. I want him to be all my first.

[Jynnifer Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this continuation next gen side story in the One Big Deck book series. Adelaide is one sassy, spicy FMC. She’s been in love with Nate since she was in high school, but he’s her Dad’s best friend and he has no clue how she feels, nor would he ever. She never thought she would see Nate again after he leaves the state due to a family emergency. Little did she know that fate has as dark and twisted a sense of humor as she does. Nate shows back up into her life an entire decade later, when Adelaide is now a fully grown woman of 26 years. I won’t spoil it, but sparks fly, warnings are given, and love prevails. Another absolute banger from Mika Rayne! Nothing but love for this series of books and these characters that are like family to me now.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the TWs please and thank you

This book was soooo good daddy Nate yummy 🤤 Adelaide us a lucky woman 🤭 it's so much that I can't put into words about this just know this book was a 10 outta 10

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adelaide is a great match for Nate in this spicy story.

[Shelly Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its spicy with plot!!! Daddy's bestfriend done right!!!

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would take Adelaide and Nate any way, any day. Hot book!