The Pretense

Men of Meadowfall #7

by Anna Wineheart

Torn apart by a series of miscarriages, Levi O'Devlin is no longer in the market for a relationship. How can he, when the alpha of his dreams craves a baby so much? Instead, Levi spends his days as a cashier, daydreaming of a better life.

Cole Lancaster had an omega, a long time ago. But a devastating accident happened, injuring Levi's friend and driving Cole and Levi apart. To escape his guilt these days, Cole works as a firefighter, borrowing his nephew just so he has a baby to hold.

It doesn't hurt that Levi's working right where Cole's nephew is... and Levi always smells so good.

When Levi's gran makes an irresistible offer—on the condition that Levi produces a great-grandchild—Levi's faced with a difficult choice: to give up the house of his memories, or to find someone to stand in as the 'boyfriend' he's been telling Gran about.

Cole doesn't mind being a pretend boyfriend, right? Never mind that Levi's heart still yearns for this alpha, and never mind that Cole's giving him another baby he can't carry to term. This is all just a pretense.

The Pretense is a 72k-word standalone non-shifter MPreg romance novel, with family bumblebee outfits, hurt/comfort themes, and an alpha who has secretly never stopped loving his omega.

Genres: Omegaverse, M M Romance, Paranormal, Second Chance, Romance, Gay, LGBT

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2019

About the author

Amazon-safe books: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Wineheart...

Taboo books (banned from Smashwords and Amazon, but available on my website and Payhip):
Website: https://annawineheart.com/shop/
Payhip: https://payhip.com/AnnaWineheartBooks

Reviews

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 4.5 stars for me.

After reading their short story, I was really looking forward to Levi and Cole’s story. How did they go from sweet and perfect to where they were in the last Meadowfall book?

We find out that Levi and Cole split over a couple major reasons - a miscarriage and some misplaced guilt. Both of them suffer from the pain and guilt from events that caused Micah, Levi’s friend and who he used to babysit for, hurt and scarred. But now they are in each others’ lives once again and Cole is determined to make things work this time. And even though Levi might lose the baby, Cole desperately wants him.

Overall, I really loved their romance and reconnecting. This author has a trademark breakup moment in most of her stories, where one character decides that he is no good for the other and forces an end to the relationship. I honestly could do without that for a couple of books and have done sort of other conflict to cause some angst, to be honest.

But I really enjoyed this story....and now I hope Micah gets a story! He needs a hot, young alpha to love him and tell him how amazing he is. Gimme!

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Tristan]

Dmf @ 29%

Not feeling it.

[Emily Seelye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely second chance romance

Levi and Cole were once bonded, but after suffering a miscarriage, Levi couldn’t handle it, and ran away, breaking the bond.

Seven years later, when Levi is in need of a husband, in order to move into his grandma’s house, Cole is there to help him out.

They soon discover that though the bonds were broken, their love never went away.

This is a story of healing and forgiveness, strengthened by love.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and couldn’t put it down. I loved Cole, while he was hurt by Levi’s past actions, he knew he was the only omega for him and did everything he could to show him he deserved love and was more than just a baby maker. When Levi was feeling pressure, he stood up for his omega and wasn’t afraid to tell Levi’s family that their words and expectations were hurting him. He was also his strength when he needed it most.

Levi did also help Cole get past his guilt from an event in the past,

Just a wonderful love story between two soulmates

*ARC provided by author

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “Men of Meadowfall” series continues to Cole Lancaster and Levi’s story; another second chance for true love. It was captivating as the other books by Anna Wineheart.

Two men that had know each other since school and actually had become bonded mates when they were very young. When they were still teenagers, Cole was helping a child set off fireworks when one flew at the house and caught it on fire. Their older good friend, Micah, was in the house at the time and had been severely scarred for life, but his son had been saved with no injuries.

It’s this guilt about what happen and whose fault it was that drove Levi to leave Cole. Levi felt he owned Micah his Alpha, because he was too scarred physical to attract another Alpha. The other guilt for Levi was losing his and Cole’s child in a miscarriage; in all with other Alpha’s he had four more.

Luckily, circumstances had brought Levi and Cole back together to endure their struggle with many mixed emotions and doing their best to deny what they both wanted−to be together again as a family.

I loved the book and as I have said before Anna Wineheart’s writing brings beautiful emotions to the surface. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced read copy of this book.

[Cee Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

*´¨✫)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨)✯ ¸.•*¨)
✮ (¸.•´✶4.5 Second chance at love...

Seven books in and I am still loving this small town and all its eccentric town members. After book six, I expected Levi's and Cole's story. What I didn't expect was the gut wrenching horror that was their past. One miscarriage and a mistake ended their relationship, but now a second chance was at their doorstep and though both men were fighting it, they were fated to be together.

Anna writes detailed and often times harsh realities that one has to be ready for. I love her paranormal take on society and the realism she infuses in her books. I think this book was one of the best written and left an indelible mark on my soul. I could understand Levi's plight as I had several traumatizing episodes myself. Miscarriages are hard and recovering from them are sometimes never ending. I am so happy that both Levi and Cole got their happy ever after. "This feels like home," Levi thought. They'd loved and lost, once upon a time, but they now had the perfect beginning to a whole new chapter of their lives.

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I loved this book. I could empathize with Liam and his miscarriages. And I loved how he made the little gravestones for each of his kids with their names on them. It made me bawl like a little baby but it was a beautiful detail. It broke my heart that Liam has to go through all of that heartache by himself. I'm glad that he finally got his alpha and was finally able to have his family. The book is heartbreakingly beautiful. I recommend reading it with a box of tissues. I can't wait to read the next book in the series when it comes out. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

[G. R. M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

God save us from the ramblings !!!

Frankly, this book itself is a pretense. Most of the chapters of this book are fillers. The storyline is flat and uneventful. It's the daily life of two ordinary non-shifters. There isn't much to say about the intrigue, if not that it's not convincing at all. I don't see how the granny could blackmail her grandchild the way she did, and the cameras in the rooms? Nonsense!

And what about the relationship between Levi and Cole? It's a lot of pointless drama. I have never heard, read or imagined worse break-up excuse.

The bumblebee costumes? No comment!

I have the feeling that the author wanted to play the card of originality but failed miserably. Originality doesn't rhyme with nonsense. Writing something simple and right is way better than bringing something far-fetched that sounds all wrong and unrealistic. Originality means inspiration, devotion and passion for writing. Originality can't be improvised.

2 ** I rate this book two stars because the story isn't horrible, it's readable -- even though the story lacks balance because the last chapters are rushed -- but it's not good enough to satisfy any reader with a little bit of good taste.

[Arianna - อาเรียน่า · Rating 3 out of 5]

A major part of this book revolves around the aftermath of a devastating fireworks accident that took place in Levi’s boss’s backyard—a single moment that changed everything for the characters. Levi’s boyfriend, Cole, had set off the fireworks to entertain a child, but something went terribly wrong, resulting in Levi’s boss, Ollie, being badly burned. The guilt and tension that followed became the breaking point for Levi and Cole’s relationship, leading to their painful separation.

What made it even harder to read was Levi’s strange obsession with trying to push Cole to be Ollie's Alpha, despite the fact that Ollie was much older and clearly didn’t see Cole that way. Even years later, when Levi and Cole reconnected, he continued to try and make Cole be with Ollie out of misplaced guilt. It was obvious Levi felt responsible for Ollie’s loneliness and assumed that his scars made him insecure, but his constant interference only made things even more uncomfortable and emotionally draining to read about.

Both Levi and Cole carried immense guilt over the accident, and it was especially heartbreaking to see how deeply it affected Cole. He even went so far as to become a firefighter, almost as if dedicating his life to saving others could somehow make up for what had happened that night. The emotional weight of their shared guilt hung over every interaction, and at times, it honestly felt like both of them desperately needed therapy rather than another argument. It was frustrating to watch them try to force Ollie to move on or date someone new when it was painfully clear he wasn’t ready.

Not gonna lie, this book was genuinely painful to get through. By the time I reached the ending with the birth scene, I couldn’t help but notice that the author tends to reuse the same dramatic setups across many of her books—it felt repetitive, almost formulaic. The constant back-and-forth drama throughout the story became exhausting after a while, repeating the same emotional cycles until they finally decided to confront their issues head-on.

But I can’t lie—despite all the flaws and frustrating choices in the story, I genuinely like the way this author writes within the Omegaverse. There’s something about her style that really draws you in; she knows how to capture that perfect balance between romance, tension, and raw emotion that makes the dynamics of mpreg stories feel both passionate and deeply personal. She has a way of pulling you into her characters’ inner worlds, making you feel their longing, guilt, and desperation so vividly that even when the story becomes overwhelming, you still want to keep reading just to see how it all unfolds.

That said, while her writing is undeniably addictive, she sometimes falls short when it comes to her storytelling choices—especially when she dives into controversial or uncomfortable tropes, like the strange age gaps or relationships that don’t quite sit right. It’s as if she tries to push boundaries but ends up crossing into territory that feels less emotional and more unsettling. The same goes for the way she handles angst; at first, it’s gripping and full of tension, but after a while, the constant back-and-forth starts to lose its impact.

The repetition of arguments, reconciliations, and dramatic scenes begins to feel more exhausting than emotional, and the story risks losing its direction. She tends to reuse a lot of her own material—plot points, emotional beats, even specific scenes start to feel like copies of what she’s already written before. It doesn’t ruin the story completely, but it does take away from the freshness and originality that made her earlier work so memorable.

[caroline wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha cream😯, that's a new one and made me smirk😀


I received this book by the author and this is my honest opinion.
This was Cole and Levis story and oh my I absolutely loved it. Levi I really loved as a character and I was so looking forward to reading there story from the last book that teased us with there promise. Levi has certainly gone through the emotional ringer but he has got to be the bravest courageous character I've read as though he has suffered his fair share of heartache with his miscarriages he's just dusted himself off and got on with things though he obviously bears the emotional scars that are tattooed onto his heart he doesn't outwardly show his personal heartache and does it alone. He suffers in silence and for all intents and purposes of moving on, he's living a half life as the other piece of his soul is missing. This is a real heart tugger as we see levi deal with past and present fears of miscarriage. It's emotionally charged.

Cole also had a boatload of guilt and shame from an incident that resulted in a man being scarred and the eventual deterioration of his relationship with Levi. This is a second chance love and pretend to be boyfriends story and was done so well. I loved that the pretense of being in a relationship was able to make them realise that their love that hadn't really died was able to be ignited and the scenes that followed where quite the hot under the collar experiences. Though there is quite a lot of emotional upheaval and dealing with past aftermath of miscarriages It wasn't all doom and gloom, it is essentially a lovely tale of reacquainted love

"It was here that they’d spent Levi’s sixteenth birthday, and Cole had waltzed with him in the moonlight. One day, I’m gonna marry you, Cole had promised him, the stars as their witnesses. And now, on a stone bench to the side of the courtyard, Levi sat hunched, his frame small, his arms wrapped around himself."

Previous characters were in here as well, and with a few funny little snippets interspersed with the deep emotional thoughts

"Then he rolled up a pancake, dipped its end into whipped cream, and held it up to Cole’s mouth. Cole gave him a look. “You had to make it long, didn’t you?” Cole asked dryly. Levi frowned, confused. Except Cole closed his mouth around the tip of the pancakeroll, meeting Levi’s eyes. It almost looked like he had a cock in his mouth. Levi stared. And then flushed,"

Loved the characterisation, these are maybe 2 of my favourite characters and thats testament to the writer. Really really good and I'm hoping for micahs story next who we have been given tantalising little bits of😀

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟rounded up: Poor sentence structure, but good storyline

While this is the next installment of The Men of Meadowfall series, it is not necessary to have read the other books in the series. However, that being said, you will be introduced to many side characters who you just KNOW have, or need, a story of their own. When that happens, go back to your retailer of choice, and check out the other books that have come before The Pretense. You may find what you are looking for.

This is a pretend boyfriend, second chance, hurt/comfort romance of Levi and Cole. The trigger warning for this book is miscarriages. It's mentioned in the blurb, but stated more plainly at the beginning of the book.

Levi and Cole were together when they were young, and got pregnant. Levi lost the baby, but that is not what ended the relationship. A tragic accident that affected the lives of others causes guilt in both MCs that neither could deal with, thus causing the breakup.

As far as I can tell, Cole has never moved on from the love he felt for his first omega. However, in a bid to prove to himself that he is not broken, Levi has had several partners with devastating results. When Levi has the opportunity to relive memories from his childhood and it comes at the time he needs it most, he tells his gran that he has a boyfriend and will provide a great-grandchild within a year. But now he's stuck; he only has a few hours to get said boyfriend, and he knows that the baby will never happen.

Cole walks into the music store his brother owns, and at which Levi happens to work. Ollie, ignorant of much information, pushes Levi to accept Cole as his boyfriend. Eventually, the two come to an agreement that they will act out this Pretense.

As they come to know more about each other, their feelings reignite, and the pretend becomes real. But now Levi is carrying Cole's child, and old terror threatens this new budding relationship. Cole is also still dealing with the weight of the guilt from the accident from years ago. The two must find ways to support each other and prove that the past does not rule their future.

Overall, this is a very sweet story. The characters are well developed and easy to like. However, the flow of the writing is interrupted by the misuse of punctuation. It made reading the book feel stuttered and awkward. But, I felt that the story was good enough that I was willing to keep reading, despite the flaws. Oh! The sexy times were hot 🔥🔥! A touch of kink was thrown in, but not too much.

Happy reading!

* I received an ARC of this book. *

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that I liked Levi and Cole’s book the best of all of the books in this series. I understood Levi’s despair over not being able to carry children to term. I understood how that led him to feeling broken and undeserving of any alpha’s love. I also liked how his personality was set, from the beginning, as one that tends toward martyrdom. It made his choices and the sacrifices that he made very firmly within his character.

There were still times that I wish Micah would have gotten Levi and Cole together to knock some sense into their guilt-fest. I also wish that Cole could have been a bit more self-assured rather than always letting Levi railroad him into allowing Levi to abandon him.

I also was very surprised that Cole, at the very least, didn’t insist on Bryce being born in a hospital with a medical doctor in charge. I don’t have an issue with birthing centers, or midwives, but Cole’s personality would suggest to me that he would, out of an abundance of caution, have some pretty strong feelings about giving Bryce and Levi the most medical saftey he could think of. Additionally, even if the doctor felt the risk was less now, I can’t think of any OBGYN that wouldn’t consider Levi to be a high risk pregnancy, and thus want to be present at Bryce’s birth. Needless to say, I didn’t find the birth to be particularly believable for these characters.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Linda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mpreg romance with just a little too much drama for me
Honestly, I liked the other books that I’ve read for Ms. Wineheart more than this one. I especially liked TWO ALPHAS, ONE OMEGA if you like MMF romance, which I do. The premise of THE PRETENSE is good but it just keeps going with the angst and drama. It also bothers me that these characters have such low self-esteem.
Levi works for Ollie (from STEPBROTHER’S SECRET) at his music store. Ollie’s brother Cole was Levi’s love interest years ago and has now returned. Complications broke them apart but they obviously still have feelings for each. But Levi has secrets. On this particular day, Cole happens to be in the right place, right time.
Cole is a buff firefighter and loves his nephew and niece so much. He wishes he had children of his own. Cole volunteers to help Levi who needs a pretend boyfriend/fiancé for his Gran’s proposal. He carries guilt from a previous experience. Can they overcome their secrets and guilt???
It was nice to catch up with the other characters from Meadowfall and there was one very poignant seen at Jay’s graveside. But the constant replaying of past mistakes by both Levi and Cole, dragged the story for me. The writing is good: no grammatical errors, smooth, just long. I give it 3.5 stars. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book.

[Kat reads romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great addition to the Meadowfall non-shifter omegaverse world. Basically, the premise is a fake relationship second chance romance. The main characters are Levi, the omega, and Cole, the alpha. They broke up years ago due to the trauma following a horrendous accident which pushed them apart. In the present day, Levi’s grandmother strikes a deal with him after he’s evicted from his apartment- he can stay in her beautiful mansion IF he gives her a grandchild within a year. Oh no. Levi needs a fake boyfriend ASAP and who should come to the rescue? None other than Cole!

This book was heartbreaking for me. I cried and cried. Levi had suffered multiple miscarriages, and he carried the burden of this alone for years. His pain and sorrow was described so well that I felt as though I was experiencing it with him, even though I myself have never been through that. Anna Wineheart is criticized by some readers for having repetitive plots. Maybe there’s some truth to that, but this one really stood out to me and I loved it, despite the pain. Cole and Levi find their way back together— yes, there’s heat and knotty goodness, but their journey has so much more. I recommend for fans of Meadowfall and mpreg, but if miscarriages or death of a child are triggers for you, I think you should take care with this one.

[Assh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cole et Levi

Alpha et Omega
Pompier et assistant Ollie dans le magasin de musique

Enfant : Bryce

Incendie, cinq fausse couche à répétition

📖
Déchiré par une série de fausses couches, Levi O'Devlin n'est plus sur le marché pour une relation. Comment peut-il le faire, alors que l'alpha de ses rêves a tellement envie d'un bébé ? Au lieu de cela, Levi passe ses journées comme caissier, rêvant d'une vie meilleure.

Cole Lancaster a eu un oméga, il y a longtemps. Mais un accident dévastateur s'est produit, blessant l'ami de Levi et séparant Cole et Levi. Pour échapper à sa culpabilité ces jours-ci, Cole travaille comme pompier, empruntant son neveu juste pour qu'il ait un bébé à tenir.
Ça ne fait pas de mal que Levi travaille là où se trouve le neveu de Cole… et Levi sent toujours si bon.

Lorsque la grand-mère de Levi fait une offre irrésistible - à condition que Levi produise un arrière-petit-enfant - Levi est confronté à un choix difficile : abandonner la maison de ses souvenirs ou trouver quelqu'un pour jouer le rôle du « petit ami » dont il a parlé. Gran environ.

Ça ne dérange pas Cole d'être un faux petit ami, n'est-ce pas ? Peu importe que le cœur de Levi aspire toujours à cet alpha, et peu importe que Cole lui donne un autre bébé qu'il ne peut pas mener à terme. Tout ceci n'est qu'un prétexte.
📕

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not uncommon for a miscarriage to cause a break up with the couple who experienced such a tragedy, however, it can also bring them closer. I do believe that rather than deal with his grief, Levi decided to run away from it. I also believe that Cole allowed his grief to overwhelm him. It is hard to fault this men for their reactions. Tragedies happen and you cannot always control your reaction.

I will say that I did not read the 5 books that came before this one and I think it would have benefited my understanding of this setting a bit more. MPREG books tend to differ in setting and I think had I read the previous books, I would have understood a few things a bit more. I did read #6 , but I did not enjoy that one for various reasons.

The premise of them getting back together again (even if it is just for the pretense of it) did not sit so right with me. Mostly because I felt that they did not fully address their grief, instead they both let it overwhelm their lives. It was quite obvious that they both still loved each other, but I found myself asking if it was enough if they were not willing to openly and fully communicate with each other. It all came together so quickly. I do question the speed of it all.

*ARC provided in an exchange of an honest review*

[Xanthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of my favourites from the series so far. There's a lot of emotion, both highs and lows, for both of our MC's. With such trauma in his past, Levi is easily lovable in his strength and independence . Cole is a wonderful alpha for him, learning from their past relationship as well as their present. Anna allows us to read and learn from moments of their past and share in their current turbulent circumstances. Your heart goes out to Levi and the stress of everything that he has/is experiencing. It's a hard subject to read and I can't even imagine what it is like for those who live through it. Anna has done such a wonderful job writing such a subject, from both men's POV, and I felt like it brought us closer to the characters and felt a lot more along with them.
This book has a strong story with easily lovable characters. I was drawn in right from the start and hooked up until the end.
We meet up with a lot of past characters from this series and it's great to hear from them again. Some shared experiences help friendships and give support to both men.
A recommended story and if you haven't already, read the series.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

👶Fertility issues and guilt for a friend's injuries front and center; can they be surmounted?!😟
March 14, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
👍4 and a bit 🌟stars 🔥😍😵👶
I really enjoyed this latest Mpreg story in the Man of Meadowfall series. It's a 💞 second chance story for young men who grew up together, loved, and abruptly parted after pain, loss, and tragedy touched their lives. The book seemed a bit shorter than previous volumes in the series and I liked that. These stories all feature so much self-questioning and 😵angst that fewer pages of self flagellation worked for me and brought the really upbeat and happy ending all the sooner.😊

I love bringing children and their antics into romances and little niece Jenn is an energetic ball of cute. She was part of this story's overall feeling of close community and supportive family and friends. I just hope Micah, the broken older man both MCs Levi and Cole guilt themselves over through much of the book, eventually gets his story and HEA! For those who've read previous stories in the series, all of the main protagonists put in appearances, some cameo, others like Ollie from the immediately previous book play a major supporting role.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great addition to the Men of Meadowfall series. There was so much pain and angst here, with Levi and Cole both unable to let go of guilt for a fire years ago that injured omega MIcah. Levi also had the added sorrow of five miscarriages in his past, the first of which was a baby he created with Cole. Despite strong feelings for each other, they broke up and had been apart for years when Levi suddenly needed a pretend boyfriend. Cole happily stepped in.
These characters were sweet and sensitive, and I really wanted to send them to counselling for most of the book. They had so much pain inside, and neither was sure he deserved a happy ending. It was an emotional ride watching them try to find their way, and waiting to see if their latest pregnancy would end as Levi's previous ones had or if this baby would survive. The story was strong, and the characters were very well written, and I needed Kleenex several times. There was also a bit of humor, a lot of love, and the couple had a good support system when they needed help. I'm really enjoying this series, and I hope Micah will get his own HEA soon!

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, this book has one of my favourites tropes ever: fake-boyfriend! It's also a second chance romance, and the 7th book in the series, and, although it can be read as a stand-alone story, characters from the previous books will be around.

So, Levi and Cole... They were together since they were very young, but a miscarriage and a later accident ended their relationship. But, right now, Levi has told his gran that he has a boyfriend, and she'll have a great-grandchild in a year. A fortuitous encounter at Ollie's music shop, and some prodding after, Levi and Cole agree to play a game of pretence.

From then on, as their feelings are more and more evident, they will have to summon the courage to face their emotions and let the past go.

Although this story has moments that are real tear-jackers, it's, in essence, a very sweet story, a story of hope and healing.

I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Sarita Chapdelaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to Levi's story as I loved him in the previous book but unfortunately this is only an okay read for me. I like Cole and Levi together but many of their actions are questionable at best and sometimes made zero sense to me. There is a little too much angst between them and I don't know why they would move into the weird house with cameras in every room that Levi's grandma has access to the footage of either. I wish there was more focus on their history together and on the relationships Levi had after he and Cole broke up the first time. I love the secondary characters and it's great to catch up with them and see how well they are doing. The best part of this book for me is how well the author deals with Levi's heartbreakingly sad and emotional past. Micah is a very intriguing and tragic character and I hope we get more of his story in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Alysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Levi had been trying to do everything to avoid his ex Cole, and at every turn Ollie tried pushing them together because he knew nothing of their past. Cole still loved Levi after all those years apart but didn't want to go through the heartbreak again. When Levi needed help, Cole jumped to help him but didn't realize how close they would grow again so fast. It was heartbreaking the amount of pain and suffering Levi endured alone and Cole had to repeatedly tell him he was worthy of love. I loved the firefighter's barbecue in the bumblebee suits and when Levi got to meet Sam and know he wasn't alone in what he went through. It took the possibility of losing Cole forever, for Levi to finally admit to Cole that he loved him and didn't want to be without him and a real conversation with Micah for Cole to finally let go of the past. I can't wait for Micah's story.

'I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.'

[blub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cole and Levi are 26 now and no longer together because of two reasons. 1) Marcus, now 40, was involved in a horrific accident that changed all their lives and not for the better. 2) Levi is unable to have children and Cole does. He thinks Cole could do better with another omega capable of giving him a family. Also he's hoping Cole can be Marcus's alpha. This book mainly focuses on them fixing their relationship issues, forgiveness and miscarriages/pregnancy.

Not what I expected from reading the free short First Times featuring these two characters. Like the short, I was expecting some thing more lighthearted and sweet. This being a novel I did anticipate them having some minor issues but not the heavier problems featured in this book.

I'm not sure if they appeared in cameo in other books in the series since I've opted to read it out of order or well just the books in the series that has blurbs that caught my attention

[Beth Cotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Anna gives you all the feels. She always finds a way to bring her omega from fragile, unsure characters to full loving men. Cole and Levi go back a ways. When a tragic events happens where they both blame themselves for the harm done to another. Not able to deal with it they separate leaving both of them missing the one person that makes them feel whole.
When Levi is offered his grandmothers house to use as long as he has a boyfriend and a child within the year it would become his. Cole is pushed into filling that position. When their love flares up a pregnancy is the result. What Cole didn't know was that Levi had suffered through many miscarriages causing him to be terrified of losing another child.
The love between them makes them stronger choosing to make their pretend relationship real. With this love they are able to become a family of three.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a second chance romance about two men who were torn apart by a tragic accident when they were younger and they drifted apart. Now Levi can have his grandmother's house full of his memories if he has a boyfriend and produces an a child within the year. Cole is in the shop and is pushed to help Levi out by his brother, the owner of the shop Levi works at. Suffering from five miscarriages, Levi can't imagine that any alpha would want him again...but Cole does. Now the two must face this pretense and hope that things work out for the two. There are moments of sadness as they try to fight their way through the emotional ties that the old tragedy has them tied up in. Will a pregnancy pulled them together and will the pregnancy survive? An excellent story of old love, hope, resolving guilt, Mpreg, and a great HEA at the end. I voluntarily read and reviewed this ARC book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an enjoyable read but it can be quite a an emotional subject for some people.

Cole and Levi where best friends from a young age and when they hit puberty their feelings for some another developed into more. They where each other’s first loves. But when a tragic accident happens and when Levi miss carries their first child it’s all too much for them to stay together.

After years of pining for one another but not admitting it they end up back together in a fake relationship that see’s them pregnant again. Is it enough to keep them together and will number 6 be the lucky number.

Enjoyable read with good side characters. It is a part of a series it can be read as a stand alone.

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Gabrielle Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levi and Cole's story pulls hard on your heartstrings. The two love each other so much but the past still stands in their way. When the two agree to pretend to be in a relationship the chaos begins. Emotions come rushing back to the forefront for both men. Can they let the past go and try for a future together or is the pain too much to forget?

I love this series and enjoy being able to see each couple find their way to happiness. Cole and Levi make a good couple and the love that they have for each other shines through everything. The author does a wonderful job of showing the depth of these characters and the pain that they go through to find a happy ever after. This series continues to be fresh and engaging and each book leaves the reader eager for more from this world.

[Rachel H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, have tissues handy
For full disclosure I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review.
Levi and Cole's story is one marred by a tragic accident and miscarriages.
Last we saw of Levi and Cole, Levi was hiding from Cole at Ollie and Eric's wedding. His Grandma is sick and offers Levi a place to stay, with a couple of conditions. He has to move in with his boyfriend (which he doesn't have), fix-up the guesthouse, and have a baby by the end of the year (he's never had a successful pregnancy, which no one knows). He has a hour to find an Alpha to pose as his boyfriend and pick up the keys. Only Cole seems available and willing to help. But then grandma throws a curve ball and things start getting out of hand...

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Men of Meadowfall is one of my favorite series!

The synopsis for the story indicates that this is only about a second chance for love. This story is so much more than that. Cole and Levi have been through so much. Their story is about loss, realizing self worth, acknowledging personal strength and ultimately forgiveness.

The story gives the history of Cole and Levi’s relationship and sets the stage for the possibility of them reconciling. The fact that they are so emotionally and physically attracted to each other leads to some pretty intense intimate encounters.

This book is a part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone. I’ve read the other books and absolutely love them.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried so many times reading this. I love the continuation of this family and town. All the friendships intertwine and you keep getting updates on other couples. It makes you want to reread their stories. This is such an emotional and moving story. I hope a story comes out on Micah because he breaks your heart too. Levi is so strong but his emotional distress made me cry over and over. If you like MM omega/alpha stories then you don't want to miss this.

I read and reviewed a copy of this book.

[Patricia Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Wineheart, you owe me TWO boxes of tissue!! This was such a heartbreaking yet hopeful, powerful, raw, intense, gritty, amazing, grab-you-by-the-feels, bittersweet, made me bawl like a baby, fantastic, beautiful, emotionally charged, and totally awesome story. Both Levi and Cole were so broken by the pain and built in their pasts that I wondered if they would be able to overcome all of the obstacles in their way. The author has skillfully combined the fake boyfriend, hurt/comfort, and second chances tropes and given them a fresh, original, and unexpectedly different twist.