He’s my dad’s best friend.
I should’ve looked away when he stared at me.
I should’ve pulled away when he came closer.
Charles is the only man I want.
The only one I can’t have.
He’s not just my dad’s best friend.
He’s also the father of my child.
I left without saying a word years ago when I found out.
But fate has brought me back to New York City.
Charles lives across the street from … without saying a word years ago when I found out.
But fate has brought me back to New York City.
Charles lives across the street from me.
He’s still single.
Still makes my heart skip a beat, and is hotter than ever before.
My little girl and I ran into him on the street.
She looks a lot like him.
I bet he noticed that too.
There are going to be questions.
Lots of them.
Am I ready to answer each one?
more
This is a new author to me. I only gave this book 4 stars, instead of 5, because I really did not enjoy the first part of the book so much, but the last part of the book, I did. I say this so you will know, that if this happens to you, keep reading. It does get much better the further you read, so I ended up enjoying it very much. I loved little Minnie, and the dog, Mickey. They really added in the light to the story. I ended up really enjoying this book, and am looking forward to reading more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and also purchased it, and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a first time author for me and even though I would normally enjoy a story line like this one, I found it hard to get into. I persevered but just couldn’t get with it at all. I think it was more my frame of mind, rather than the book itself, but I couldn’t finish and that is the reasoning behind my rating. I’m sure other readers will give it a higher rating.
She does not want to trap him but now he knows all these years later…..
Billionaire’s Baby Secret is the first book in the A Billion Scandals series. It is an older man/younger woman, secret baby, daddy’s best friend/best friend’s daughter story between April Hamilton and Charles Beaumont. He has known her since she was born but now she is all grown up in all the right places and he definitely has his eye on her. He is the handsome older man who is still sexy and commanding, but also gentle and loving. It was supposed to be just one night but it turns into a lot more nights of lost sleep. But when April finds herself pregnant she does not tell Beau as she does not want to trap him, since his first marriage was not for love but because she was pregnant. So instead she takes off and stays away. But seven years later and she is back home with a daughter, Minnie.
So while I liked a lot of the story I had a hard time getting through some of the book because of April. I am all for the secret baby story-line but I found that April’s inability to fess up to things was annoying, and also childlike. Overall I thought the story was okay as the writing was good and the story had a nice flow.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
5 STARS for Billionaire’s Baby Secret : A Second Chance Romance ( A Billion Scandals Book 1 )
ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
L.A. Pepper is a new author for me and I was fortunate to be selected to read an ARC of this book. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT !!!
Wow is there a lot packed into this amazing read ….
Age Difference / unexpected attraction / second chance romance
Unexpected pregnancy – sweet ,adorable Minnie !!
Family issues for both the main characters
Great secondary characters
Angst
HEA
This book can be read as a stand-alone-but there are several books coming as well in the Billion Scandals Series )
April and Charles (Beau) have an attraction that both know they shouldn’t act on. After one night together following April’s Mom’s wedding they see each other briefly until April discovers she is pregnant and escapes to the Adirondacks with her best friend Mona to raise her child on her own. Several years later she comes back ( reluctantly ) with her daughter Minnie to open a business. Running into Charles by chance has her needing to face the truth that she somehow needs to tell him he has a 7 yr old daughter.
This book had some really unexpected plot twists and was jam packed with angst and sizzling chemistry. This was a great story with a HEA not only for April and Charles but for Minnie as well !!
I highly recommend this book and author !!
Great read !!
Another binge reading worthy book!! This was a bit scandalous with the secret crushes along with the secret baby!! April and Charles…was she too young or was he too old??! I say neither when the love is real and theirs certainly was since the over seven years apart did nothing to diminish it. They have an array of cooky family and friends to help them along…some more than others!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Exciting, interesting, entertaining, superb, all the feels to make this book on you cannot live without. Jack is from wealth and Mona is from, well the opposite. He is a womanizer and she dislikes him. He is determined to make her change her mind about him. Read Billion Dollar Enemy by L. A. Pepper to find out if Jack and Mona find their forever love.
This is the fourth book in the series, A Billion Scandals. Jack and Mona were polar opposites and were constantly at odds. The story shows that there is a fine line between love and hate. They met at the wedding of her good friend’s parents and didn’t see each other for seven years. He was arrogant, wealthy, and grieving the death of his fiance and his father’s betrayal. The book has lots of twists, plenty of angst, some drama, and explosive chemistry. There are a HEA and no cliffhanger. I read a free book via Booksprout and voluntarily chose to write a review.
Damn that was hard. Mona is so stubborn, I just wanted to shake her and make her see some sense…but i understand her reservations. I loved her spirit and and her convictions and love for the world and nature. I also loved Jack and how he fought for her, never giving up. It was a beautiful love story, one I definitely recommend
I really enjoyed reading Best Friend’s Baby: A Friend to Lovers Romance by L.A. Pepper because it was such a great book about Maya and Matthew. They were best friends but there was a scandal with Maya’s dad and it had caused her to feel like she was a terrible secret that needed to be hidden. Maya was in love with Matthew but he saw her only as a friend. It was only after she decided to move on that Matthew saw her in a different light. Maya was insecure and Matthew really loved her. I highly recommend reading this sweet book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May have spoilers
I have read this story 10 times now. I loved April and beau. At first with him being so much older I didn’t know how to feel about them. They just work and when Minnie comes along you wanna love them more. I did hate Mona for most of this book but she makes up for it. A Great book worth the read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great book, download my ARC copy, and couldn’t stop reading. The plot allows the reader to meet the characters, and immerse themselves into Maya and Matthew daily challenges and celebrations. The past doesn’t have to define the future and the story leads the characters to that conclusion.
Thank you for sharing your talent of writing, and weaving us, the reader into your plots. Love the book title!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sometimes a toxic family can keep us from developing strong relationships, built on trust and true love. Such is the case with April Hamilton. It’s her mother’s wedding day, and she’s somewhat resentful that her mother remarried so soon after her father’s death, even though he was the source of a scandal that rocked the family. Her father’s best friend, Charles Beaumont, has known April since she was a little girl, but she’s not a little girl anymore , and he’s had his eye on her all night. April’s best friends, Lissie and Mona, noticed and are encouraging her to flirt a little. Charles, Beau to his friends, watches the wife of his dead best friend marry a man who in completely in love with her, unlike Beau’s marriage. He married his college girlfriend because she was pregnant, not because they were in love and he’s given up on finding love again. But life has its own way of doing things and it brought them together that night. What was supposed to be a one night stand, didn’t stop at one. Not using protection just one night, resulted in a pregnancy that April couldn’t face. She refused to trap Beau into another marriage without love, just because he felt responsible for them. But she doesn’t have enough trust or clear thinking and she runs. At this point, I’m not liking April even one little bit. She’s selfish, short-sighted and doesn’t even consider telling Beau that he’s going to be a father. When she finally comes back home, after more than seven years, she can’t bring herself to tell Beau that her daughter, Minnie, is his child. She has no backbone and firmly believes he would only want her out of that same sense of responsibility as before. The petty self-talk and April’s refusal to come clean of all her lies is enough to
There aren’t many books where I don’t care for the heroine. I liked April and the chemistry she had with Beau, but once she just disappeared from his life after finding out she was pregnant, I lost all respect for her. I’m not a huge fan of the the secret baby angle because it’s very selfish. The women are only thinking about themselves and not the innocent baby. I can MAYBE see hiding it for a month or a couple at the most, but years is completely unacceptable. Every man has the right to know about a child he fathered. Be honest and let him make the choice. Don’t choose for him (unless it’s a dangerous situation). So this wasn’t my favorite story but L.A. Pepper. Beau was its saving grace. He was so sweet, loving, caring, and patient. Even after finding out about Minnie (she’s so adorable and cute), he kept his composure and continued to be amazing to April, although she didn’t deserve it. He really was the main character for me and kept me reading. I loved the secondary characters Mona and Lizzie as well.
Billion Dollar Secret is so beautifully written that it take you on an emotionally ride that will break you heart and the next turn will have you falling in love all over again.
Charles and April have know each other for almost their entire live, the difference is about 20 years. Charles is an older gentleman with a great since of duty. April is just out of college and wanting to get out from her mother scrutiny. Taking a chance and a couple of weeks of passion leads to April running away from her family and Charles.
7 years and 9 months later, April comes back with her daughter and runs into Charles. April is scared of how Charles will react to Minnie being his daughter and she hid the information for years. She is also scared how her family will react to her being with Charles as she has never received the approval from her mom. As her past is weaved in secrets and lies, as the truth is uncovered so is the pain, it also comes out that those who truly love and care for her has help her find her happiness.
This great story will have frantically flipping the pages to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book features April Hamilton who has a short sexual relationship with Charles/Beau, an older man and best friend of her deceased father. Charles became attracted to April following his divorce from a wife he never loved and only married because of a pregnancy. When April finds out she is pregnant she decides she does not want to trap Charles in another loveless marriage and thereby leaves town. Will Charles find out about his child? I recommend this well written book with its great characters and an emotional plot.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was fantastic. This was the first book I’ve read by author L A Pepper but I will be reading more in the future. Charles Beaumont and April Hamilton were great characters. Charles and April had sex the day of her mother’s wedding. April’s father had died six months before. Charles had been her father’s best friend for years. At first, it was supposed to be one night…a secret. But they continued to see each other for a couple of weeks having sex. Then April finds out she is pregnant and runs. Seven years nine months later, they see each other again. This book is a must read and I highly recommend.
Love Knows No Age
April Hamilton faces trust issues and challenges with her family. She discovered at an early age that her beloved father had a mistress and a second family, so it’s not surprising that April has issues of trust and feelings of betrayal. Now, with her dad’s death, her mother Barbara, a difficult personality who tries to live life by hard rules, is beginning to soften up in the loving embrace of a new husband, Joe. Her older brother Jack is the “perfect” child following the dictates of mom, even her directions of going to law school—a path that mom is now trying to force on April. But luckily and happily, April has a strong, and loving support group—college friends—Mona, who is bisexual, and according to mom, unacceptable and dangerous, and Elisabeth or Lissie, who with the marriage of Barbara and Joe, also now a sister. With the matchmaking of her dad’s friend Charles “Beau” Beaumont bringing her mom and Lissie’s dad together, April is emotionally pulled—pleased to see her mom happy and loved, but torn by love for her dead dad who has been so easily replaced. And, she turns to Beau or as she calls him Charles for comfort—her dad’s best friend—but a man whom she has long looked at as handsome and sexy.
Charles/Beau and his son Matthew are friends who are family. A billionaire who got his college girl friend pregnant, Beau’s recent divorce has relieved him of a loveless marriage now that Matt is old enough to see that his parents’ marriage was an act of duty, not love or even affection. And, attending the wedding of his dead friend’s wife, Barbara to Joe, the man to whom Beau introduced her, he is seeing April with different eyes. She is no longer a child, but rather, a beautiful, engaging woman to whom he is drawn. And, in an act of love and comfort and sexual pull, April and Charles begin an affair—not long, but intense and loving and fun. Until April realizes that she is pregnant, and fearing Charles/Beau becoming once more entrapped by his honor into marrying a woman for whom he has affection but not love, she leaves. Mona helps her flee NYC to find a home where she can live and give birth in a loving situation—Mona’s parent’s home in the Adirondacks. There April lives and gives birth and nurtures her sweet daughter Minerva—Minnie—for 7 years and 9 months until she is lured back to the city, to Brooklyn, by Mona and Lissie’s plan to establish a Bohemian Emporium. Lissie has bought a brownstone that will serve as home and business site for the enterprises of the three friends.
Many authors utilize the second chance romance or older man younger woman trope, but few do so with such inventiveness and flair. The twists and turns of the plot in L.A. Pepper’s romance are both engaging and entertaining, keeping the reader turning pages.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review ARCS, but I enjoyed the reading experience so much that I bought a copy for my “read-again” titles with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
* SPOILERS*
April and Charles met at her mums wedding. April knew Charles aka Beau because he had been her Dads best friend. They ended up having a hot and heavy two weeks which resulted in April finding out she was pregnant with Charles baby. She didnt tell him because she thought he would feel trapped and she knew without any doubt that she loved him so she ran for the hills or rather the Adirondacks with her friend Mona to stay with Monas family where she had her baby, a girl. Several years later, 7 years and 9 months actually, April was back in New York with her daughter and her friend, and who did she run into but Charles, and it was perfectly obvious that Charles was absolutely in love with April! However, April couldnt bring herself to tell Charles he had a daughter. April really started to annoy me at this point actually, I was almost shouting at my kindle, tell him!!!! But she had her own reasons and I respect that. Of course Charles found out! The love between the two of them was beautiful and I forgave her for annoying me! L.A.Pepper wrote a wonderful book which I will definitely read again!
There are family secrets and none of them are good. April has serious trust issues and although Charles is her father’s best friend, the attraction is fierce. When April finds she is pregnant though she runs. Her history hasn’t prepared her to deal with relationships. Seven years later she and her daughter run into Charles. They still have a spark and they also share a daughter.
I found the first part of this story unhappy. It seemed that nothing was positive. April’s father was a cheat and her mother let pride stand in the way of being a good mother to her daughter. I wasn’t sure there was any redemption for April or even a chance for a future. When she becomes pregnant and runs, the story hit a bump for me. After that it picked up and the story about Beau and April was the story of growth and the development of a family and a relationship. I found that the characters were realistic, which I really liked and their actions and reactions were right on target considering their backgrounds. I liked that the characters managed to grow and develop. While I found the first part rather depressing, the author managed to pull the story out of the dumps and into the HEA the characters deserved. I liked the story a lot but you’ll have to keep reading to find their redemption.
I hate to leave a less then 4 star review but this just wasn’t a good read for me. I’m all for a younger woman/older man but this was beyond that and the story didn’t have much else going for it. In this case, Charles’s is her dad’s friend but she is barely older then his son and they used to,play together as small children – Yikes. I don’t think it helped that the story is told from the time she is a young toddler either. It just left a bad taste and the story basically revolves around that. I think the story needed more and it felt a little immature like this author is quite young.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.