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I Married a Billionaire #3
The Prodigal Son
This book is a standalone followup to the Top 100 Kindle Store bestseller I Married a Billionaire and I Married a Billionaire: Lost & Found.
Writing billionaire tech mogul Daniel Thorne's official biography is no small task. His wife Maddy isn't quite sure how it fell on her shoulders - but she's not exactly complaining. It's given her a rare opportunity to learn about the details of Daniel's life that he's never shared with her before. After a rocky beginning, their relationship has finally settled into something comforting and secure. After a while, Maddy begins to reconsider her once-staunch decision not to have children.
Then, one night, a ghost from Daniel's past appears.
His father, believed to be dead, has come back in hopes of repairing their relationship. Daniel is devastated by the years-long deception, and suspicious of his father's motives in reappearing after so much time. Old Mr. Thorne has his reasons for disappearing, but how can he possibly repair a relationship that's been so badly fractured by distance and lies? Meanwhile, Maddy gets some unexpected news of her own, and she realizes she must find a way to reach her husband and his father, to knit them all together into a family again.
Writing billionaire tech mogul Daniel Thorne's official biography is no small task. His wife Maddy isn't quite sure how it fell on her shoulders - but she's not exactly complaining. It's given her a rare opportunity to learn about the details of Daniel's life that he's never shared with her before. After a rocky beginning, their relationship has finally settled into something comforting and secure. After a while, Maddy begins to reconsider her once-staunch decision not to have children.
Then, one night, a ghost from Daniel's past appears.
His father, believed to be dead, has come back in hopes of repairing their relationship. Daniel is devastated by the years-long deception, and suspicious of his father's motives in reappearing after so much time. Old Mr. Thorne has his reasons for disappearing, but how can he possibly repair a relationship that's been so badly fractured by distance and lies? Meanwhile, Maddy gets some unexpected news of her own, and she realizes she must find a way to reach her husband and his father, to knit them all together into a family again.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2013
28 people are currently reading
720 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Marchande
54 books495 followersMelanie Marchande is the New York Times bestselling author of His Secretary: Undone. She loves sarcastic alpha billionaires, sassy curvy heroines, and pizza. Not necessarily in that order.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 15, 2017
Just finished reading this book .
I enjoyed reading Daniel and Maddy after a rly longtime , I love them I always did . I enjoyed the trilogy only because of them .
BUT WHAT KIND OF ENDING WAS IT ?! WAS THT EVEN ONE ?!
I rechecked many times if the last pages of the book went missing but its nt that , the author perhaps had to give it an abrupt ending for some reasons unknown which obviously irked me -_-
I enjoyed reading Daniel and Maddy after a rly longtime , I love them I always did . I enjoyed the trilogy only because of them .
BUT WHAT KIND OF ENDING WAS IT ?! WAS THT EVEN ONE ?!
I rechecked many times if the last pages of the book went missing but its nt that , the author perhaps had to give it an abrupt ending for some reasons unknown which obviously irked me -_-
September 27, 2017
This was the third and final volume in the I Married A Billionaire series. It was a fun and easy read and I enjoyed the characters. However, I felt it ended too abruptly and in the middle of Maddy's parents' visit. I feel there should have been more told of their reconciliation, as well as Lindsey's with her and Daniel's father. This had nothing to do with it being a shorter story. I've read many short stories where things are adequately resolved within the time frame given. Some things simply felt glossed over. 3 stars for this one.
April 17, 2015
Actual Rating: 3.75, felt like this had such an abrupt ending, in my eyes it should of gone on for a little longer. Quite anti-climatic
July 30, 2020
I really like the first two books in the series. This one just isn’t as good. There is no true ending, no epilogue telling of the baby. I was left wanting more and won’t be getting it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2015
I don’t think that I am a fan of the Billionaire Romance. There is something about this level of wish fulfillment that falls a little flat for me. Mostly because it is being written by people who have never experienced that level of crazy and so it is on the outside looking in, and it just feels false to me.
There is a lot of suspension of realism that comes with fiction. And if you couple that with amazing writing and great story telling I can buy just about anything. But this story, it was mediocre at best. The writing was passable, but more functional than anything. I have read romances with traditional publishers of this quality, so it’s not bad per say, but it’s not amazing either. More and more, I know I want amazing, not passable and functional.
And the sex in this series, was flat. He filled me and moved within me, and I felt to complete, and then I screamed his name. There was zero anticipation, zero having the reader in the moment too. They play at BDSM, but it’s all so closed off. Like he ties me up. How? And besides it makes me feel taken care of, what is your physical response to it?
Ugh and the breathing. I breathed into it and it changed the experience. He told me to breath, and that changed everything. How. Nothing you are writing has my panties in knots. Not at all.
So overall, I mean it’s passable. It’s not horrible. But it also isn’t amazing. And I’m at that point in my life that I want amazing all the time with my reading.
I also really loathed the clichés of language that where used. NEVER EVER EVER in a romance novel should going down be referred to as getting to work. Seriously. That does not entice me what so ever. There where also our week moments in the writing where they fell upon clichés, and all I could think was if they where a better writer they would have caught that and pushed themselves to rework it.
There where also plot things in the last book that left me going what? What? Really, this is what you want to do with this? Throws hands in the air.
I'm just copy and pasting the same review for all three books in this series, because I kind of want the goodreads stats for it, but I can't be bothered to write how I feel individually about all of them.
There is a lot of suspension of realism that comes with fiction. And if you couple that with amazing writing and great story telling I can buy just about anything. But this story, it was mediocre at best. The writing was passable, but more functional than anything. I have read romances with traditional publishers of this quality, so it’s not bad per say, but it’s not amazing either. More and more, I know I want amazing, not passable and functional.
And the sex in this series, was flat. He filled me and moved within me, and I felt to complete, and then I screamed his name. There was zero anticipation, zero having the reader in the moment too. They play at BDSM, but it’s all so closed off. Like he ties me up. How? And besides it makes me feel taken care of, what is your physical response to it?
Ugh and the breathing. I breathed into it and it changed the experience. He told me to breath, and that changed everything. How. Nothing you are writing has my panties in knots. Not at all.
So overall, I mean it’s passable. It’s not horrible. But it also isn’t amazing. And I’m at that point in my life that I want amazing all the time with my reading.
I also really loathed the clichés of language that where used. NEVER EVER EVER in a romance novel should going down be referred to as getting to work. Seriously. That does not entice me what so ever. There where also our week moments in the writing where they fell upon clichés, and all I could think was if they where a better writer they would have caught that and pushed themselves to rework it.
There where also plot things in the last book that left me going what? What? Really, this is what you want to do with this? Throws hands in the air.
I'm just copy and pasting the same review for all three books in this series, because I kind of want the goodreads stats for it, but I can't be bothered to write how I feel individually about all of them.
April 22, 2014
1 star :(
Same as the 2nd book, I just breeze through the whole book coz it kind of focused on the biography, too focused on fixing the father-son relationship. I totally got bored and I really tried to get into the story, I didn't even drop the book so I hang on to it but... :(
Same as the 2nd book, I just breeze through the whole book coz it kind of focused on the biography, too focused on fixing the father-son relationship. I totally got bored and I really tried to get into the story, I didn't even drop the book so I hang on to it but... :(
November 27, 2016
2.5 stars
October 1, 2014
Good but hopefully not the end
Omg.. it cut off..
it can't be the end... there has to be more..
so into this story now, love Mandy and Daniels story
wish it happens in real life.
Omg.. it cut off..
it can't be the end... there has to be more..
so into this story now, love Mandy and Daniels story
wish it happens in real life.
November 15, 2014
This series was a unexpected find and I really enjoyed it. I recommend this book and series to anyone looking for a great love story and it is also on audio! I love Immersed reading.
January 13, 2015
This series was amazing. It does not matter where you come from or how much money you have, you can still not help who you fall in love with. I just love Daniel and all his alpha maleness.
September 7, 2014
Even better than the first two l!!!
January 12, 2020
My biggest issue is the editing of my ebook. It was so all over the place. It made it terribly annoying to read.
I like these characters but I absolutely would’ve loved to see some stronger character development for Maddy. It felt like the tip of the iceberg and not a dive for her. I was expecting something stronger and more comfortable for her and Daniel especially finding out they were pregnant. It’s like it was touched on but not really developed.
I did love the return of their parents and the storyline adding a twinge of mystery to it. Emotionally, I felt like it was on the right track. I really just would’ve loved to see this story fleshed out more.
I’m giving it two stars because the story was going where I wanted it to as a reader but it lacked editing and content development.
I like these characters but I absolutely would’ve loved to see some stronger character development for Maddy. It felt like the tip of the iceberg and not a dive for her. I was expecting something stronger and more comfortable for her and Daniel especially finding out they were pregnant. It’s like it was touched on but not really developed.
I did love the return of their parents and the storyline adding a twinge of mystery to it. Emotionally, I felt like it was on the right track. I really just would’ve loved to see this story fleshed out more.
I’m giving it two stars because the story was going where I wanted it to as a reader but it lacked editing and content development.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2018
I loved it, wish there where more to follow. Would like to know about the baby.
April 9, 2021
Strange ending! I loved the first two in this series but this one was not nearly as good.
April 7, 2023
Good read
Good read, would recommend this book.
Enjoyed it very much kept me hooked from the minute I started reading it
Good read, would recommend this book.
Enjoyed it very much kept me hooked from the minute I started reading it
May 2, 2015
The main trilogy in "Billionaires" series come to an end. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. As much as I liked another book by Marchande - a standalone novel, outside of the Maddy/Daniel universe - the "I Married a Billionaire..." series just wasn't that captivating for me. I liked it, but after the second book - "Lost & found" - I was a little disappointed, but still hoped the series will pick up. And it did, but for far different reasons.
"The Prodigal Son" might be too short (please Ms Marchande write longer books!) and it might have far less steamy scenes, but it was... real. As much as the "Cinderella" sort of story can be real. The author writes about normal life, with a dash of drama of course, but not in overwhelming and cheese way. Daniel and Maddy feel real when they talk with each other and interact. At moments you could really forget that Daniel's suppose to be that filthy rich man, I mean he washes dishes and all :'3 That's where Merchand shines; she writes very well, her dialogs flow and feel natural. Where the book lacks in plot twists and drama, it gains with the language and clearly visible attention to words. What also caught my attention (in a positive way), was how the author handled the difficult topics of anxiety, parent/child dynamics and insecurities. It might not be any in depth analysis, but it was surprisingly well described.
Hovewer, there were some things I didn't like. First of all, the length. The book could be longer, Again, as I was reading I couldn't stop thinking there are some missing scenes. Also, the characters could use a little more room to develop.
I praised Marchande's smooth writing style, but the cursing between the character just felt forced and too harsh. Maybe I'm biased, but the ever present "fuck" coming from Daniel's or Maddy's lips ruined the mood of many scenes.
To sum up, "the Prodigal Son" was a good end to a trilogy. It was a pleasurable read, especially for a non native speaker as myself.
"The Prodigal Son" might be too short (please Ms Marchande write longer books!) and it might have far less steamy scenes, but it was... real. As much as the "Cinderella" sort of story can be real. The author writes about normal life, with a dash of drama of course, but not in overwhelming and cheese way. Daniel and Maddy feel real when they talk with each other and interact. At moments you could really forget that Daniel's suppose to be that filthy rich man, I mean he washes dishes and all :'3 That's where Merchand shines; she writes very well, her dialogs flow and feel natural. Where the book lacks in plot twists and drama, it gains with the language and clearly visible attention to words. What also caught my attention (in a positive way), was how the author handled the difficult topics of anxiety, parent/child dynamics and insecurities. It might not be any in depth analysis, but it was surprisingly well described.
Hovewer, there were some things I didn't like. First of all, the length. The book could be longer, Again, as I was reading I couldn't stop thinking there are some missing scenes. Also, the characters could use a little more room to develop.
I praised Marchande's smooth writing style, but the cursing between the character just felt forced and too harsh. Maybe I'm biased, but the ever present "fuck" coming from Daniel's or Maddy's lips ruined the mood of many scenes.
To sum up, "the Prodigal Son" was a good end to a trilogy. It was a pleasurable read, especially for a non native speaker as myself.
July 25, 2013
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest opinion.
Although this book was classed as a "standalone follow up" to the first two books I felt I couldn't jump in to it without reading the first two. I understand stand why it was marketed this way as this book is by far the best of the three. I enjoyed this one much better than the others. It was just better all round but still I felt the author has a way to go.
The characters need to be developed more; we only ever really scratch the surface of who they are. Maybe even switching POVs would have given us a better understanding of Daniel.
I get the impression that the author is rather young and could possibly benefit from writing more about what she knows and is comfortable with unless a lot more research is put in to what she is writing about; in this case the lives of billionaires, their staff and how they live and even in some instances pregnancy related information. Some of it just didn't ring true.
One last thing, I was a bit confused about the title. Why Prodigal Son? Daniel didn't go anywhere. Possibly Prodigal Father would have suited better?!
That said, this was a sweet, enjoyable light read with a satisfying ending (although the addition of a wee epilogue set in the future would have been even better!!)
Although this book was classed as a "standalone follow up" to the first two books I felt I couldn't jump in to it without reading the first two. I understand stand why it was marketed this way as this book is by far the best of the three. I enjoyed this one much better than the others. It was just better all round but still I felt the author has a way to go.
The characters need to be developed more; we only ever really scratch the surface of who they are. Maybe even switching POVs would have given us a better understanding of Daniel.
I get the impression that the author is rather young and could possibly benefit from writing more about what she knows and is comfortable with unless a lot more research is put in to what she is writing about; in this case the lives of billionaires, their staff and how they live and even in some instances pregnancy related information. Some of it just didn't ring true.
One last thing, I was a bit confused about the title. Why Prodigal Son? Daniel didn't go anywhere. Possibly Prodigal Father would have suited better?!
That said, this was a sweet, enjoyable light read with a satisfying ending (although the addition of a wee epilogue set in the future would have been even better!!)
July 9, 2013
I was given this book for an honest review.
I have read it as a standalone so I think I couldn't fully appreciate all the details concerning previous books and a lot of character development was missing (I'm guessing it was in those books). Therefore now I'm going to buy them and see if maybe this shouldn't have been a standalone. That being said, it's possible to understand what's going on without reading the others.
Maddy: it's not as if I didn't like her, but I didn't feel a connection with her because I didn't really know her. As for her pregnancy, I felt she wasn't very excited or looking forward to it. For example, when Danny talked about names she just ignore him.
Danny: can't say I loved him, can't say I hated him. Again, poor character development; yes, it's explained why he's the way he's and all the dirty laundry but I don't even know HOW he was, so it was lost on me.
Disregarding this, all in all, I liked it, it had a good enough plot and background story but I felt that the things that could have made it more interesting (the pregnancy, the rivalry with that female reporter, difficult relationship between father and son / parents and daughter, etc.) were merely presented and not gone into depth. Again maybe some of them were explained in other books.
I have read it as a standalone so I think I couldn't fully appreciate all the details concerning previous books and a lot of character development was missing (I'm guessing it was in those books). Therefore now I'm going to buy them and see if maybe this shouldn't have been a standalone. That being said, it's possible to understand what's going on without reading the others.
Maddy: it's not as if I didn't like her, but I didn't feel a connection with her because I didn't really know her. As for her pregnancy, I felt she wasn't very excited or looking forward to it. For example, when Danny talked about names she just ignore him.
Danny: can't say I loved him, can't say I hated him. Again, poor character development; yes, it's explained why he's the way he's and all the dirty laundry but I don't even know HOW he was, so it was lost on me.
Disregarding this, all in all, I liked it, it had a good enough plot and background story but I felt that the things that could have made it more interesting (the pregnancy, the rivalry with that female reporter, difficult relationship between father and son / parents and daughter, etc.) were merely presented and not gone into depth. Again maybe some of them were explained in other books.
July 23, 2013
Great Storyline!!
This is third book in the I Married A Billionaire series which is the continuation of Daniel and Maddy Thorne's story. I really enjoyed this book! As much as I love the really hot sexy romances it's nice to read something that has just enough steam to keep it interesting. I also liked that I could concentrate on the story itself which is a nice switch for me. This is perfect for those of you who like the traditional contemporary romance with a bit of heat. I also love when things come full circle and the tortured souls have closure one way or the other.
This is considered a stand alone follow-up but in my opinion you miss too much of their history by not reading the first two books. If you decide to read this book you will definitely want to pick up I Married A Billionaire and Lost and Found prior to reading this one... You won't be disappointed. Great read Ms. Marchande!
**Full update to come on delightedreader.com**
This is third book in the I Married A Billionaire series which is the continuation of Daniel and Maddy Thorne's story. I really enjoyed this book! As much as I love the really hot sexy romances it's nice to read something that has just enough steam to keep it interesting. I also liked that I could concentrate on the story itself which is a nice switch for me. This is perfect for those of you who like the traditional contemporary romance with a bit of heat. I also love when things come full circle and the tortured souls have closure one way or the other.
This is considered a stand alone follow-up but in my opinion you miss too much of their history by not reading the first two books. If you decide to read this book you will definitely want to pick up I Married A Billionaire and Lost and Found prior to reading this one... You won't be disappointed. Great read Ms. Marchande!
**Full update to come on delightedreader.com**
March 19, 2015
Once again I love Daniel and Maddy, they are great together and I was so happy to read about them without so much drama surrounding them. This was an interesting book, it was about writing his autobiography and the things that came out because of this such as things about his father. Daniel's father comes back into the picture, talking about family dynamics, and finally Maddy's parents acting decent. They get news and they don't share it with others at first, it is an adjustment for them and for how they like to play, they figure things out though.The only thing I don't like is the ending, I wanted to read about what happens with the "news", but then when I read one of her next books I Married a Master, they talk about Daniel and Maddy so I get the answer to one of my questions but I still would have liked another book, even a novella about them instead.
September 14, 2014
This is the final installment in the series. Maddy and Daniel have now been married for a while and things look like they're starting to be okay in their life, or so it seems.
When a ghost from Daniel's past appears things get crazy. Daniel's father has been dead for quite some time, or so it seemed. Now that Daniel knows that his father faked his death there are a lot of hurt feelings.
Maddy gets some really surprising news and now Maddy must now find a way to reconcile Daniel and his father so that no shadows from the past hang over their future.
The story is a great conclusion to the series and it's a good way to end things. It has everything a series finale should have, suspense, drama and a whole lot of crazy.
Rating 4 out of 5
Read@Book
When a ghost from Daniel's past appears things get crazy. Daniel's father has been dead for quite some time, or so it seemed. Now that Daniel knows that his father faked his death there are a lot of hurt feelings.
Maddy gets some really surprising news and now Maddy must now find a way to reconcile Daniel and his father so that no shadows from the past hang over their future.
The story is a great conclusion to the series and it's a good way to end things. It has everything a series finale should have, suspense, drama and a whole lot of crazy.
Rating 4 out of 5
Read@Book
July 4, 2013
just a little 3.5 up to a little bigger 4. I felt a little disappointed with this book but in the end I quite like the conclusion, the general life one. about right and wrong, who you become etc... and there was two things I liked with the book. first it was a story about Daniel, how he became who he was and how he was opening up. and lastly maddy she wasn't annoying and it was cool. and how she was embracing her pregnancy she wasn't bitchy but she wasn't in full embracing happiness yes she was happy but not every women havethe same symptoms or taking birth control. hormone could play some game on our mind and body.
June 11, 2015
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book! It was such a sweet story about Daniel and Maddy, and how they try to help each other deal with a little bit of their past they'd rather forget. They were so cute together, I think that was my favorite part with the whole book. I also liked how there were love scenes, but doesn't go into to much details. Don't get me wrong, I like the dirty scenes just as much as the next girl, but it's a nice change of pace.
This is a stand alone book, but it makes me want to go and read the other two to read more about Daniel and Maddy's journey. I will be looking for more books from Melanie Marchande!
I loved this book! It was such a sweet story about Daniel and Maddy, and how they try to help each other deal with a little bit of their past they'd rather forget. They were so cute together, I think that was my favorite part with the whole book. I also liked how there were love scenes, but doesn't go into to much details. Don't get me wrong, I like the dirty scenes just as much as the next girl, but it's a nice change of pace.
This is a stand alone book, but it makes me want to go and read the other two to read more about Daniel and Maddy's journey. I will be looking for more books from Melanie Marchande!
January 16, 2015
When I write a review, clue is either I'm extremely satisfied with a book OR truly upset with a what-the-fuck-just-happened-in-this-book thought. With the stars I am about to give, I think it's pretty obvious. Granted, with a decent epilogue, I could bump this to at least 3.5 stars. However in all seriousness I must ask what's with this author and a repeated tendency to leave a story hanging? I believe having a "satisfying" closure of a story is as important as filling the blanks in a story. Unfortunately, that's not the case with this book. It could honestly have been better. Danny and Maddy's story has a lot of potentials (but sadly too many rough patches in the way it's being presented).
July 4, 2013
I was given the chance to read & review thus book by the author.
Let me say if you don't read the first 2 books its okay.
This story is the conflict between a son and father. A father disapproving of his son all his life. He son is a multi-billionaire CEO.
His wife Madeline is writing his biography. When Daniels estranged father returns Madeline try's to reconcile with Daniel to give his father a second chance to make up for the hard times.
It is a really sweet story.
Daniel and Madeline have their own little conflict in the story. But in the end it's all works out.
Let me say if you don't read the first 2 books its okay.
This story is the conflict between a son and father. A father disapproving of his son all his life. He son is a multi-billionaire CEO.
His wife Madeline is writing his biography. When Daniels estranged father returns Madeline try's to reconcile with Daniel to give his father a second chance to make up for the hard times.
It is a really sweet story.
Daniel and Madeline have their own little conflict in the story. But in the end it's all works out.
May 3, 2015
Good content for the most part! Again I ask what the hell is up with these anti-climatic endings. The writer must have gotten foggy brain since she never resolves the conflict presented.
This might be rude but she should definitely co-write. Good ideas and characters but horrible compilation and execution.
Sigh I feel duped with this ending...you know how I like my steak? WELL DONE....unlike this ending :|
This might be rude but she should definitely co-write. Good ideas and characters but horrible compilation and execution.
Sigh I feel duped with this ending...you know how I like my steak? WELL DONE....unlike this ending :|
July 14, 2013
I thought the book was ok and understand it was more about parent child relationships. I thought it was ok but I wouldn't say great, I felt that it seemed to drag in places and didn't really offer much of a conclusion other than everyone working issues out. I am glad I read it as a conclusion to the other books and not on its own that's for sure as well.
July 8, 2013
This book was a beautiful read. The book deals with issues regarding the Hero, Daniel and his father along with Daniel and the heroine Madeline since they find out that Madeline is . I found the hotness level/steam factor of this book lacking. But none the less, if you are looking for a well written book, this book is it!
July 13, 2013
This is a story about a couple getting use to being married and dealing with a estranged family member. The story is sweet and loving. You get to see how well the couple knows each other, and his their love for each other helps them overcome obstacles. Its a good love story that can be read without reading the first two books about this couple.
July 23, 2013
I like the series, but I wouldn't recommend it as a stand alone. If I read book 3 before the other 2 I'd have LOTS of unanswered questions....
I there going to be a book 4? I only ask because while there was a conclusion to book 3 there didn't seem to be a conclusion to the actual story. There are things (story plot) that are just hanging.....so....book 4?
I there going to be a book 4? I only ask because while there was a conclusion to book 3 there didn't seem to be a conclusion to the actual story. There are things (story plot) that are just hanging.....so....book 4?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews