The Lonely Dad's Guide to Love

Sex and the Single Dad #1

by Reanna Pryce

Alex has been a single father to his son Dexter since his ex-girlfriend walked out and left him, quite literally, holding the baby. Just twenty-two and struggling to make ends meet, nothing means more to Alex than his son. Not even falling in love with Daniel, the handsome preschool teacher at Dexter’s daycare.

Danny seems to adore Dexter just as much as he adores Alex, but the threats from Alex's past make it impossible for them to be together. Luckily, Danny specializes in impossible situations. He'll do whatever it takes to give the three of them a chance to finally be a family... But will that be enough?

A Gay Single Dad Romance

Genres: M M Romance, LGBT, Childrens, New Adult

225 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2019

About the author

When she’s not reading or writing steamy romantic fiction, you can find Reanna bouncing between swimming, boy scouts and book club. She’s living her very own happily ever after in the north-east of England with her husband, two (mostly) adorable boys and a collection of pets she did not ask for.

A writer of romantic fiction for fifteen years, Reanna writes strong, compelling characters who stay with you long after you turn the last page. From the glamour of the music industry to stay-at-home single dads, no plot goes unexplored once her muse takes hold.

Reviews

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars
I didn't hate it. Honestly. I just didn't really enjoy it, either. Look, I'm sure other people will think it's the best thing since sliced bread. It was just so...predictable. And wordy. And all the annoying alliteration. And the hyphens, when it wasn't words smashed together, like wethotmessy or deepwetslow or...you know, there was a LOT of wet, sticky-wet and messy-wet and spit-wet and wet-slippery. And I really sincerely would like to NEVER read the words "wound-raw cock" again, ok? Not used once, but three separate times. No matter the variation, that description's a hard pass for me. Hunh. I seem to be liking this book less as I write more review. Probably means I should leave it here. Yeah, good idea.

[Fernanda Granzotto · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
*Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*
This book was not what I expected so I admit I was a little disappointed.
The book itself is very good, its a story that will make you cry and laugh at the same time, has just as much drama, sex, and cuteness.
I'm giving a rating that can be considered low because I found the writing a little confusing sometimes.
it wasn't a quick book as I thought it would be it also made my reading experience less enjoyable.
Its a book that I recommend if you want a gay romance with a cute story full of drama and sex.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this story is nothing new but the writing really places this story above the norm. A surprise pregnancy with his college girlfriend makes bisexual Alex decide to drop out of school and care for his son. Alex falls in love with his son Dexter from the very first moment and he was willing to make drastic changes to his life in order to take care of his son, but it is hard hard work. He is struggling to support his son with absolutely NO help from his baby mommy Becca, who reads like a budding psychopath.

When Alex meets Dexter's new pre-school teacher Danny, life gets complicated. Their budding romance is all kinds of sweet, but it slowly, very slowly, VERY VERY SLOWLY, unfolds over the course of the book. The author really explores the nuances of their emotions and the chemistry between the two is very hot, but honestly, the pace of the book in the middle is way too slow IMHO and diminishes the impact of the story by dragging out the eventual dramatic plot development involving a custody case.

I liked the characters - and Dexter is a sweet kid - and the relationship between Alex and Danny, but the pace of the book is way too elegiac and Becca is a horrid caricature. 3.5 stars and I would definitely read another book by this author.

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Visit my new blog Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews!

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was a bit slow read, my initial thoughts on it being an enjoyable read, being totally changed by half way through.

The basis of the story was OK, but the execution was poor - the writing style was unfortunately not to my liking.

Not much more to say, other than I really didn't enjoy this book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute read. I did enjoy it.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

I have to say that this book really didn’t work for me. It’s way too cute, way too domestic and the central conflict didn’t make any sense at all to me.

As a disclaimer, I usually avoid romances involving babies but I liked the idea of Alex as a struggling musician. But we don't get much of musician Alex in this book and quite honestly, I probably shouldn’t have requested this one. Readers who love babies and sexy, child centred men will probably swoon over the gorgeous daycare worker and the very young single father.

Regardless of my reading preferences, the cute dad and the sexy daycare worker are the highlight of the story. I couldn’t engage with the fantastical storyline around Alex’ ex girlfriend. I still don’t understand why Danny was babysitting for free. And the baby scenes were pretty tedious. The writing is choppy enough that I found myself distracted a few times. This wasn’t a great fit for me - I hope other readers enjoy it more.

[Shelba · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

So, I thought this was going to be a light, quick read between less vapid reads, but this was lovely. The writing gave dimension to a plot that’s been done many times before.

I typically avoid books where children are prominent characters, be cause they are either written too young or to old or the baby talk drives me nuts.... and that wasn’t at all the awe here. Dexter seemed appropriately written as a almost 2 year old.

I liked where the book left off.... I hate epilogues and they seem more and more common, so this not having one was great.

I which Danny’s age had been mentioned before the last chapter and that “dude” wast used a whopping 52 times.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


SPOILERS AHEAD

I really, really liked The lonely dad's guide to love, this book is very sweet and the story is interesting and cute. As gathered from the title the main protagonist, Alex, is a single dad. He's bisexual and his ex, discovering his sexuality, blackmailed him, threatening him to take their son away if he decided to be with a man. So Alex decided to dedicate himself to Dexter, his son, struggling with his job, giving up his studies, to raise him, while his ex, Becca (I rarely hate so much a character) studied and basically decided to be a mother only for two days every two weeks.
Alex's life, lonely and struggled life, changes when he meets Danny, funny, awkard and handsome Dexter's daycare teacher and they both fell in love with each other. Hard. But Alex for most of the book keeps him at distance, afraid to lose his son if his ex get to know the truth. When the woman knows everything and took Dexter away, Alex is destroyed, but Danny helped him getting his son back. Giving each other a chance to be happy. Together, the three of them.
This story is really cute and, in some parts, frustrating. I loved Alex's love and dedication to his son, it was unbelievably cute reading them and Danny playing together, being together and I loved the sexy scene and Alex's struggles, because he thought he couldn't have both Dexter and Danny. I really loved the ending, how Danny's lawyer father managed to help Alex getting his son back and the petty and frustrating situation with Becca coming to an end. I really loved reading about Danny, Dexter and Alex deciding to live and be together.
They are so awkward and cute together. Alex and Danny are really amazing.

[光彩 · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review -- thank you!)

3.5 stars

So -- I certainly enjoyed this book. Finished it in an hour.
Poor Alex was two seconds away from the breakdown to end all breakdowns throughout the entire book, until the climax (of the book). The writing reflected that. Also, Alexander dearest, no one uses Pig Latin in 2019. You're my age, a Millennial-Gen-Z hybrid. Come on.

The book did a great job of making me hate Becca, though I was left unsatisfied by her comeuppance :/ Maybe I've just been reading too much r/prorevenge.

Honestly, if Alex had just opened up to Danny earlier, and been willing to listen to Danny, this book would've been a fair bit shorter. Also, Alex is REALLY lucky to know Danny, for spoiler reasons, holy crap. From the minute Danny('s mother?) said the words "knows a great lawyer" I recognised the Chekhov's gun. And I, like the judge, was definitely gleeful when I read the final judgement. But still. Dissatisfied because it should have been nuclear revenge argh. Maybe I'm just not a mature person.

I liked Danny so much, though! But my absolute favourite character in the book was beloved Dexter. God I love that little baby.

I definitely recommend this book for someone who wants to read something with humour, second-hand embarrassment, drama, angst, and all the love in the world for an innocent child in it.

[S.M. Harshell · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.**

Alex is a single dad. His son, Dexter, lives with him most of the time only seeing his mom every other weekend. Alex has done everything he can to raise his son. He's given up school, works two jobs and he's barely making ends meet but he doesn't care it's what he has to do for Dexter. He's also given up part of who he is. He's bisexual and Dexter's mother is holding that against him saying she will take Dexter away if he is with a man. He's a good dad and he deserves to be happy too, right?

When he enrolls Dexter in a daycare so he can work during the day he meets a few other dads and Danny one of the instructors. Danny isn't anything like he expects him to be but there is an attraction there he can't deny. Is he willing to lose his son to be happy? Can he make it all work or will it blow up in his face?

I really like the premise of this story. It did at times have me laughing and brought tears to my eyes at others. The reason for my 3 star rating is the confusing writing that would completely pull me out of the story to re-read sentences or paragraphs. It did become very distracting at times.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Reanna Pryce has nailed it, fun, love, heartbreak, parenthood, relationships, everything is packed into this terrific book. The story and the characters are so well written that I had to go grab a tissue. I didn’t want to be distracted until I was finished this book and then I just sat and had to digest it. This is not normal for me. I read a lot of books and like most of them, but for me to just sit after reading one and not just getting on with something else is unusual. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy to read and review for Wicked Reads

This book was really hard for me to get through. I found myself bored at times and just wanting the story to be done with. Alex should have just been upfront with Danny from day one and half the drama wouldn't have happened that did happen. Alex's ex, Becca, is a huge shrew and she lives up to that too, definitely not a character that will get any love. Dexter is such a great addition to the story, what a little cutie. I am sure some will love this book but for me I was just frustrated at all the drama and whatnot. Plus Alex sometimes came off as an idiot and I know he wasn't.

[Ilse Marijke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet romance

The Lonely Dad’s Guide To Love is a sweet and fun story between a single nerdy dad, Alex, who falls in love with the hip and hot prescho teacher of his son. The book is written in a not usual style; what Alex feels when he goes through the strained relationship with the mother of his son is exceptional. And the feelings Danny evokes in him are transported to the reader by the author’s unique craft. I didn’t feel like reading anything else until I finished this book. Great read.

[PortlandAvidReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just because you had 2 sucky lovers, doesn't mean you can't find love.

Alex is a loving father to toddler Dexter. His girlfriend, Becca, walks out when she discovered he is bi. No child or other support, just emotional blackmail that Alex never take a lover. Alex crumples after a couple years of emotional abuse. Alex catches the eye of Danny, a daycare worker, who sees the sweetness under the surface. But he has to work through the damage and lies to try to win Alex.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by Reanna Pryce, and it definitely won't be the last. I love everything about this book. It's a beautiful love story, where a friendship develops in a place that would be love if the characters would just let it happen.

This story had a believable plot that was thoroughly enjoyable, gorgeous characters that made you want to hug them through their sorrows, and a tonne of emotion. I couldn't put it down, sat up way too late trying to finish it.

[Shauna Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lonely Dad’s Guide to Love was a very heartwarming read! Alex and Danny’s journey to HEA made me feel all different kinds of emotions. I laughed, cried, and screamed a few times, but I like books to be that way!!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Becky Smyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book from a talented writer and highly recommend. I would have loved to see more of their continuing lives as I was so in to it. The supporting characters were great too. I thoroughly enjoyed

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read I enjoyed the well developed and engaging characters and the storyline flowed smoothly from the beginning to the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[YonnoMaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad as a story. The writing style—which I don't have a name for but is like chock full of similes and metaphors and sentences that verge on being either run-ons or fragments (is this what purple prose is?)—takes some getting used to. It forced my brain to stay on the entire time just to keep track of how a paragraph started and how it ended and what was said in the middle. Basically, it's not exactly an effortless read.

Also, I found it... unique... how Alex came across as both loving and not really liking Danny all at the same time. I didn't know if I should find it distasteful or funny how he would talk about Danny's "ugly laugh" or how he disdainfully just doesn't want to hear Danny talk! a surprisingly large number of times throughout. And speaking of talking, he really should've told Danny everything about what went down with Becca, especially after they said they love each other. Would've saved everyone a lot of heartache. I guess the glass half-full view is that all this didn't make me hate Alex. I actually begrudgingly kinda quite liked him.

The story itself wasn't anything unique or new; it was quite formulaic and predictable. But it shone with how it really made me care about those three and about their happily ever after. I wasn't a super fan of the trademark evil mother and ex-partner, but I was surprisingly able to accept it as part of the story and look past all the clichés and stereotypes because it just didn't come across as a malicious portrayal of a female character. Don't know if I'm wrong, I probably am, but that's how it came across for me.

I will definitely be reading the second book. It's actually the one I'm looking forward to more out of the two in the series. But maybe not just yet. It won't be related so there's no issue of forgetting important info. And like I said, the prose needs a certain mood to be enjoyed and right now all I want is something easy and fluffy.

Edit to add: I agree with what Jenn (not Lily) said in this review about the wording (esp that expression behind the spoiler tag—it was weird).

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

underwhelming.

It took me a while to get into this book, due to the author’s writing style, once I did the story was okay, but a bit underwhelming.

The custody battle was quite emotional, once Dexter is taken away from Alex, it’s heartbreaking, you can feel the raw emotion from Alex. I really hated Alex’s ex, you could see where the story was going with her from the start.

The relationship is where this story didn’t quite hit the mark for me, the way Alex treats Danny with his on again off again feelings, was a bit much for me. I understand Alex’s reservations to having a relationship, with the threat of custody of his son hanging over his head, but I think it’s taken a bit too far. It also ended a bit too abruptly for me, an epilogue would have been nice, just to show the relationship a bit further down the road.

[Siobhan Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute babies and a controlling ex do not make a happy situation for shy yet sweet Alex. Danny is hot and headstrong which helps Alex come out his shell a bit even if he forces him to do it. So much angst but a lovely and cute ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well Written but Not a True Romance

This was definitely a contemporary fiction marketed as a romance. Fantastic writing but the romance was a subplot to the actual story of a father and his relationship with himself and his son.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series because the characters were all beautiful messy humans. A lot of the time, even with angst, romance characters and their actions are quite polished and precise (and this is still enjoyable to read) but I love how the author made these characters seem so human. I adored how sweet Danny is with both Alex and Dexter and I was quite ready to strangle the ex-girlfriend.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A++

Such a sweet story, both characters were likable and Dexter was adorable! My only complaint is that it isn't longer!!

[SJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this one very much. The MC was long suffering. I couldn’t connect with the writing style. DNF

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and quirky with realistic, flawed characters

[WycEd Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out our THE LONELY DAD'S GUIDE TO LOVE post on Wicked Reads.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆
Alex is a single dad. His son, Dexter, lives with him most of the time, only seeing his mom every other weekend. Alex has done everything he can to raise his son. He's given up school, works two jobs, and he's barely making ends meet, but he doesn't care, it's what he has to do for Dexter. He's also given up part of who he is. He's bisexual and Dexter's mother is holding that against him, saying she will take Dexter away if he is with a man. He's a good dad and he deserves to be happy too, right?

When he enrolls Dexter in a daycare so he can work during the day, he meets a few other dads and Danny, one of the instructors. Danny isn't anything like he expects him to be but there is an attraction there he can't deny. Is he willing to lose his son to be happy? Can he make it all work, or will it blow up in his face?

I really like the premise of this story. It did at times have me laughing and brought tears to my eyes at others. The reason for my three-star rating is the confusing writing that would completely pull me out of the story to re-read sentences or paragraphs. It did become very distracting at times.


Angie – ☆☆☆
This book was really hard for me to get through. I found myself bored at times and just wanting the story to be done with. Alex should have just been upfront with Danny from day one and half the drama wouldn't have happened that did happen. Alex's ex, Becca, is a huge shrew and she lives up to that too, definitely not a character that will get any love. Dexter is such a great addition to the story, what a little cutie. I am sure some will love this book but for me, I was just frustrated at all the drama and whatnot. Plus, Alex sometimes came off as an idiot and I know he wasn't.


Sarah – ☆☆☆
I have to say that this book really didn’t work for me. It’s way too cute, way too domestic, and the central conflict didn’t make any sense at all to me.

As a disclaimer, I usually avoid romances involving babies, but I liked the idea of Alex as a struggling musician. But we don't get much of musician Alex in this book and quite honestly, I probably shouldn’t have requested this one. Readers who love babies and sexy, child-centred men will probably swoon over the gorgeous daycare worker and the very young single father.

Regardless of my reading preferences, the cute dad and the sexy daycare worker are the highlight of the story. I couldn’t engage with the fantastical storyline around Alex’s ex-girlfriend. I still don’t understand why Danny was babysitting for free. And the baby scenes were pretty tedious. The writing is choppy enough that I found myself distracted a few times. This wasn’t a great fit for me – I hope other readers enjoy it more.

Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

[Dani (ダニ ¦ 다니) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for free in an exchange for an honest review so here it goes.

I really loved the overall story and the plot. It made me emotionally invested and was so angry at one certain character. It's fun to see yourself get invested with characters and feel for them. That's always a good thing in my book. I'm a character driven person so I want to connect and feel for characters and this happened. This book is about Alex, who is a 22 year old single father with an adorable 2 year old son, which he loves dearly and tries his hardest to provide for the little boy. Then there is Danny, who is the daycare teacher and the story takes off from there. The main plot twist about this story is that Alex's ex-girlfriend and mother of the child holds his bisexuality against him which drives Alex to be overly sensitive about him getting closer to Danny and just the overall situation. I felt really bad for Alex and his ex-girlfriend is honestly terrible for what she's doing to him throughout this book but I won't say more about this.

I really enjoyed this read. It was short and sweet and dramatic and a guy with a child is honestly the cutest thing.

The reason I only gave this 4 starts (which really isn't a bad rating at all) is the fact that sometimes I didn't know who we were talking about for a second or who was talking. Compared to the other male/male books I've read recently, this doesn't have dual pov's where every chapter has a pov of one of the characters. I was never sure why people had to do that but now I know. It just makes it more clear to what POV we are with right now. It's easier to follow when there's an "I" and a "he" in the chapter than just "he's" so that's the only reason I'm giving this a 4 stars.

I definitely hope there will be more books coming with those two characters because I would definitely pick it up again. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for giving me this book to read :)

[Jean Malherbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! What a lovely book this is!!
Although I didn't find this author's writing style to be smooth or comfy, (making this, for me, a bit of a slow read), once I got momentum, I couldn't put it down.

This is a heart-rending, story, dripping with throat-clutching angst.
The tale of a (very) young dad who has landed the role of virtually sole custodian to his two year old baby boy. However, his ex girlfriend (the mom) is literally holding the proverbial gun to his head, preventing him from living a happy and fulfilling life.
Once again, 🙄 a severe lack of trust and communication within a new relationship is creating far more drama in his life than necessary and almost tearing him apart.

I felt tremendous sympathy (and empathy) for his character as I have had similar, personal experience with the scenario outlined in this story.
The author has nailed it. She has expertly succeeded in capturing every nuance of the trauma unfolding in the life of this poor man/kid. It broke my heart! (and she accurately "gets" the maturity level of the baby too, which is so important because he is a major role-player here).
I really do highly recommend this book.

There are steamy times... Moderately explicit, but by no means do these scenes overwhelm what this story really is about...
No really! Do yourself a favor, and read this book. It was lovely. And beautiful. And so, so well executed.

Standalone.
Heat & Profanity about 3 🔥.
High angst.
Very romantic.
HEA.

I received an advance reader copy of the book via Booksprout and have voluntarily read and reviewed this title.

[Janom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary MM Romance
Steamy?: Yes
Cliffhanger?: No
Can be read as Standalone?: Yes
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

***THANK YOU TO NetGalley FOR MY ADVANCED REVIEW COPY. ALL OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN.***

This was an enjoyable read. The writing style was done in such a way that it made it a little hard to follow at times (I had to re-read portions many, many times in order to understand what was being said or who was saying what). But beneath the minor confusion was a heartfelt story with very endearing characters. This was an over-all well done book. I only dropped my rating by half a star because of the aforementioned writing issues.