The Drawback of Single Dads
by Piper Rayne
Self-Published
Book 4 in the Lake Starlight Series
He’s the father of my child and my best friend.
When Hudson and I met, somehow things just clicked between us. We had the same sense of humor and the same carefree attitude about our lives and goals. Neither of us wanted to lay down roots, we wanted to explore the world.
Then one night, too much alcohol and uncontrolled hormones led to the line blurring, and we fell into bed together only to discover a month later that we were more careless than we thought.
Like the upstanding guy he is, Hudson followed me back to my hometown of Lake Starlight, Alaska, where you can’t throw a penny and not hit one of my family members. We gave them the news that yes, we were having a baby but there would be no wedding. We loved each other but we weren’t in love.
Fast forward three years and we live side by side to make co-parenting our daughter easy. I’m a writer, and he’s a ski instructor. We’ve worked out all the rough edges. Life is good.
Until out of nowhere, things start to change. He has a girlfriend, we’re arguing more than ever, and it feels as if someone has come along and popped our perfect bubble. I’m not sure we’re ever going to fit back inside it now because things are developing. Things like feelings.
Genre
Triggers
Unplanned pregnancy
I wanted to love this book so much!
Not just because I love the work the dynamic duo that makes up Piper Rayne, but because I loved Palmer's parents story so much, and I wanted something spectacular for their daughter.
What I got instead - and I say I because this is my personal opinion - was subpar to the rest of the series.
It was boring.
I loved the tropes.
I love a best friends to lovers.
I love that they are both free and rebellious spirits.
I even love that after the one time they have sex, they found themselves with a baby - and I don't normally love that trope.
The time jump helped, and the sassy, independent kid had me laughing at times. Nothing wrong with that.
Back to the story though, it just felt very ... meh.
Palmer is cool.
Hudson is too, but his contradictions have me pulling my hair. While there was many things I didn't like about his girlfriend Theresa, let's be honest - Hudson played her. Even if he didn't know it, subconsciously, he was using her.
You don't call a girl you are "having fun with" a girlfriend.
You don't invite the person you are just sleeping with to meet an old friend - and have her make the dinner!
The mixed signals were insane!
Anyways.
There was chemistry between Palmer and Hudson, but compared to Piper Rayne's past work, not enough.
Not enough to get me past the boring storyline.
The will they, won't they didn't work on me, and I'll be honest, it took me over a week to finish this book.
I just wasn't into it.
While The Drawback of Single Dads disappointed me, I won't throw this series out the window. Just like the other series I've read from Piper Rayne, there is always a dud, and sadly, this one was it for me. Despite my disappointment, I can't wait for the next book in the series.
*by purchasing through one of my amazon links, the amazon gods will bestow upon me a tiny commission
Everyone knows book boyfriends are so much better than the real thing.
Harper: What’s the hang-up?
Palmer: It’s just not coming to me.
Harper: Oh…right about a one-night stand. I always love those stories.
Palmer: Isn’t that your parents’ story? I’ve heard about the Jeep.
Harper: (a girl throwing up GIF) I do not speak about your parents’ extracurriculars, and you do not speak about mine.
Through the mirror, she signs to both of us. Cut it out.
Harper stares at her in the mirror.
Harper: “Why? It’s fun getting him all riled up. What was he like in bed?”
she whispers the last part so Adley won’t hear, but she isn’t paying us any attention anyway.
Palmer rolls her eyes. Missionary only and doesn’t go down.
Harper balks and turns around to stare at me.
Fuck off. I sign at them both.
She sits next to me on the bed, and her perfume smells delicious. I want it all over me after a night with her. I want to smell it the next day on my sheets.
Harper: “I think I hear Theresa calling you,”
Harper says, putting her hand on the outside of her ear.
Harper: “She says she’ll do anal if you hurry.”
Palmer: “Harper!”
Palmer turns to her with wide eyes. At least she’s out of Matt’s arms now. Never thought I’d thank Harper for anything. Harper covers Adley’s ears.
Harper: “She isn’t paying attention, and she doesn’t know what anal means.”
Hudson: “So you say it twice.”
I frown and shake my head.
Harper: “I covered her ears.”
Palmer: “And that solves the problem?”
Hudson: “I don’t want you on a date with Matt. I don’t want you to sleep with him.”
Matt: “Mission accomplished,”
Matt grumbles over his mouthful of food.
Palmer: “I don’t want to sleep with Matt either,”
I confess.
Matt: “Great. What a perfect date,”
Matt says, sarcasm loaded in his words.
Hudson: “Is that what you think?”
He drops my hands.
Hudson: “That I’m saying all this because I want to have sex with you? Jesus, Palmer.”
He turns away from me. I close my eyes, step forward, and place my hands on his back.
Hudson: “It’s never been about sex with you. I fucking love you, Palmer.”
Hudson: “Say you love me.”
Palmer: “Hudson,”
I sigh, and he chuckles, inching back when I rise on my tiptoes to reach him. He’s not going to let this go. I feel as if there’s nowhere left to hide anyway, so I speak the truth.
Palmer: “I love you. I always have.”
His finger moves, and he cradles my face, tilting it up to look at him.
Hudson: “You’re gonna love me so much more now.”
I shake my head.
Palmer: “There’s that ego.”
Palmer: “She comes first,”
I say for what feels like the millionth time since we found out about her. He chuckles, but it’s not hearty like when we’re messing around.
Hudson: “Always. But you need a life too. You need love too. Let me love you, Palmer. That’s all I ask. Just let me in.”
Palmer: “You know they’re going to make this uncomfortable for me,”
I tell him on the way in.
Hudson: “It’s the only reason I agreed to come.”
He grins.
Melvin: “The sex. What’s the inspiration for that?”
Palmer: “Um…”
Hudson laughs, and when I shoot him a look, he turns it into a cough. Jean, Alice’s sidekick, rushes over and fills a water glass for him. I mentally roll my eyes.
Palmer: “It’s not really based on inspiration,”
Melvin: “Come on, it has to come from personal experience?”
the guy in sweats asks.
Melvin: “And let me tell you something, you’re one lucky lady. Not everyone is lucky enough to have sex like that.”
My cheeks get hotter.
Woman: “You’re a pervert, Melvin!”
a woman shouts from the back. He leans forward.
Melvin: “How do I get the ladies to…you know? Your character happily went down on—”
Hudson: “Oh shit,”
Hudson whispers.
A woman two rows from the front raises her hand. She has on red glasses that match her hair, and she appears very grandmotherly. She’ll turn this conversation back where it should be.
I point at her and nod.
Palmer: “Go ahead.”
Woman: “You said the guy was very big. How big? What is the average size? Because I only slept with my late husband, and I always felt he was on the smaller side. You wrote that he”
—she points at Hudson—
Woman: “barely fit in her. My husband used to slide right out.”
I purse my lips.
Palmer: “Fine. You want to see it? Here is it!”
I grab Hudson and drag him over so we’re next to Alice. I bend forward over the table and raise my leg so my knee is resting on the table.
Palmer: “Grind me.”
Hudson: “Um…no,”
Hudson says with a look of horror. I take his hand and place it on my hip.
Palmer: “Just give them what they want so we can get out of here.”
He steps closer to me, and Alice stands to get a closer look, Gilbert joining her.
Hudson: “If I do this, I cannot guarantee my reaction.”
Hudson tilts his head, warning me.
Palmer: “Just do it. I want to get out of here,”
I whisper. He comes in behind me and places his hands on my hips, grinding his pelvis into my ass.
Woman: “In the book, he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back,”
a woman in the audience calls.
Palmer: “Pull my hair.”
Hudson: “Palmer, this is out of control.”
But Hudson winds my long hair around his fist, careful with my cochlear implants.
Palmer: “This is it,”
I say loudly enough for all of them to hear.
Alice: “But our hips…”
Alice complains again. I lower my leg.
Palmer: “Just bending and widening the legs will be practically the same.”
I go into that position.
Hudson: “I tap out,”
Hudson says, stepping back.
Hudson: “Are book club meetings usually sex lessons? You owe me huge for tonight.”
Hudson is the least of my problems because I’ll pay him back with tons of sex, and he’ll be fine. My bigger problem is Melvin is walking toward me, pulling out a piece of paper.
Hudson: “I’m gonna go get a cookie,”
Hudson says, but I grab his shirt and tug him back.
Palmer: “You can eat my cookie later. You’re staying.”
Hudson: “Want to give them a lesson on eating out?”
Hudson asks and laughs.
Melvin: “I saw this online, should I buy it? Do you have one?”
Melvin asks when he reaches us, and he hands Hudson the piece of paper. He unfolds it, and it’s a printout of an ad for a penis enlarger.
Hudson: “Jesus,”
Hudson says and eyes me.
Yeah, I owe him big.
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