Second Chances Series by Ann-Katrin Byrde

The first book in the Next Generation of Oceanport stories! Nathan and Raphael were friends first, then lovers, then...nothing, when Raphael left to pursue his dreams of becoming a tattoo artist. But only one year after Raphael makes it out of his small-town home, bad news descends on him. His useless father has gotten their family into debt so deep it would take a thousand years to dig them out... moreThe first book in the Next Generation of Oceanport stories! Nathan and Raphael were friends first, then lovers, then...nothing, when Raphael left to pursue his dreams of becoming a tattoo artist. But only one year after Raphael makes it out of his small-town home, bad news descends on him. His useless father has gotten their family into debt so deep it would take a thousand years to dig them out. With his siblings on the brink of becoming homeless, Raphael turns to his estranged but wealthy grandmother for help, and receives a deal: If he settles down and marries, he'll free his siblings of the debt. When Raphael asks Nathan for a favor--to enter a marriage of convenience--Nathan agrees. After all, he's doing it so he can start his own pet shop, right? Wrong. Nathan just can't say no to the man who used to be his best friend--the man he's still secretly yearning for, even as he's doing his best to hide that fact. After all, he knows better now than to fall for Raphael again. Haunted by the loss of their past relationship, Raphael regrets breaking Nathan's heart. Scars from the past are never easy to heal, though, and the more time he spends with his new husband, the harder it gets for Raphael to deny the sparks that Nathan ignites in him. Except... this is just a pretend relationship, isn't it? less

Everyone has a secret. Laurence has two. The father of his twin boys isn't who everybody thinks it is, but after escaping his abusive ex-husband and spending months in therapy, Laurence is done putting his trust in alphas. He's going to build a new future for himself and his sons, and he's going to do it all by himself. Except that emergency substitute karate teacher instructing his twins? That's the alpha he spent a reckless night with in his youth. His best friend's big brother... moreEveryone has a secret. Laurence has two. The father of his twin boys isn't who everybody thinks it is, but after escaping his abusive ex-husband and spending months in therapy, Laurence is done putting his trust in alphas. He's going to build a new future for himself and his sons, and he's going to do it all by himself. Except that emergency substitute karate teacher instructing his twins? That's the alpha he spent a reckless night with in his youth. His best friend's big brother. His life-long crush... and the twin's actual father. When Laurence returns to Oceanport visibly scarred, Aaron feels guilty. Maybe if he had admitted to his crush, Laurence wouldn’t have gotten together with the bastard who treated him so badly. But Aaron has always had the hardest time facing his feelings for the younger omega. After all, who sleeps with their baby brother’s best friend? Now that they’re both adults, Aaron wants nothing more than to take care of Laurence and give them another shot, but he can’t shake the feeling that there’s something the omega is hiding from him and the secrets Laurence is keeping might just be bigger than anything he ever imagined possible. less

Conner Jake was my best friend. My first crush. The love of my life. Until he screwed up. We both did, really. Now I tell everyone that I’m over him. I tell them that it doesn’t matter, because I’m an independent omega, out to change the world. The truth is that I miss him. The bigger truth is that I want to lose myself in him, but I’m afraid to lose myself in the process. Jake I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life, but breaking up with Conner has got to top the list... moreConner Jake was my best friend. My first crush. The love of my life. Until he screwed up. We both did, really. Now I tell everyone that I’m over him. I tell them that it doesn’t matter, because I’m an independent omega, out to change the world. The truth is that I miss him. The bigger truth is that I want to lose myself in him, but I’m afraid to lose myself in the process. Jake I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life, but breaking up with Conner has got to top the list. I was mad and I was an idiot and now I regret it all. Now I would give up anything to get him back. Even myself. Conner complains that I’m over-protective. Too alpha. Can’t he see that he’s my other half and if anything happened to him, how could I go on with only half a heart? How do I convince him to give me another chance? I’m a paramedic. Every day, I swoop in like a superhero to help mend broken arms, legs, bodies. Why can’t I mend this broken heart? less

I love Christmas, I really do, but it's hard to get into a festive mood when everyone's staring at your belly and wondering who knocked you up. One of the reasons I delayed coming back home to Oceanport. It's just one of those things about living in a small-town. Everybody wants to know everything.  The problem is that even I don't know. I was at a frat party and there was alcohol and things got a little fuzzy... moreI love Christmas, I really do, but it's hard to get into a festive mood when everyone's staring at your belly and wondering who knocked you up. One of the reasons I delayed coming back home to Oceanport. It's just one of those things about living in a small-town. Everybody wants to know everything.  The problem is that even I don't know. I was at a frat party and there was alcohol and things got a little fuzzy. I'm not proud of that, even less so when David sees me with my six-months-pregnant baby bump. David who used to be my best friend--David who I used to have a big crush on. Still do, really, not that it matters. He's all I ever wanted for Christmas, but now I'm carrying another alpha's baby. How could he ever want me like this?  (This is a low-angst, fun holiday story, but there are mentions of assault in one main character's back story, so tread carefully if this is one of your triggers! Other than that, this story includes mpreg, friends who become lovers, way too much eggnog and a touch of mistletoe.) less