Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Year of the Billionaire #1

Knowing His Secret: Year of the Billionaire Part 1

Rate this book
He looked like the kind of man even my mother would call smokin' hot. Eventually, she did. He felt like the kind of man who didn't just break the rules, but made new ones. He led and it was follow or get out of the way. Why did a billionaire with a voice like liquid silk and a face like a bad angel take a second look at a girl in no-name jeans, with a fifteen-dollar haircut and a beat up car she calls her "Eep" because the 'J' fell off long ago?

I didn't want to know why and when I thought I knew I didn't want to admit it. By the time I found his secret, it was already too late. His passion had me hooked like a drug. It didn't hurt that he pulled the people I love the most out of harm's way. A girl can get used to a knight in shining armor even when the armor has some very large dents in it.

Audible Audio

First published December 23, 2012

918 people are currently reading
3464 people want to read

About the author

K.C. Falls

44 books178 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
736 (20%)
4 stars
970 (27%)
3 stars
1,142 (32%)
2 stars
470 (13%)
1 star
198 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews15.4k followers
Want to read
April 13, 2015
 photo FreeOrxBbysb_zps0163628c.gif

FREE on Amazon US today (4/12/2015)

Stand-alone (part 1).

BLURB:
He looked like the kind of man even my mother would call smokin' hot. Eventually, she did.

He felt like the kind of man who didn't just break the rules, but made new ones. He led and it was follow or get out of the way.

Why did a billionaire with a voice like liquid silk and a face like a bad angel take a second look at a girl in no-name jeans, with a fifteen-dollar haircut and a beat up car she calls her "Eep" because the 'J' fell off long ago?

I didn't want to know why and when I thought I knew I didn't want to admit it. By the time I found his secret, it was already too late. His passion had me hooked like a drug. It didn't hurt that he pulled the people I love the most out of harm's way. A girl can get used to a knight in shining armor even when the armor has some very large dents in it.


This 33,000 word novella is part of a series, although this book can be enjoyed as stand alone work.

http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Secret-...


FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 400 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,670 reviews3,282 followers
Read
June 5, 2014
Well, let's see....

It was free :D
I wanted a little smutty read... not too long :D
I knew it was part of a series with more to come :D
Did I mention it was not a long read?
It used New York City as an overall backdrop; I love New York City :D

What didn't work were the main characters- didn't like Raina or Tristan.
For Raina... all her intellect left her the minute she meets Tristan. She suffers from the same disease men do when the little head makes all the decisions instead of the big head. She lets her girly parts direct her actions...even when her instincts tell her not too.

So to sum up... didn't work for me... but it was free :D
There is a storyline.... and there is intrigue... so many be it might work for you. :D
Profile Image for Jamie.
1,048 reviews934 followers
March 7, 2013
Pleasently surprised! This is a 3 part series and each one is a novella I think.. so not long. I liked this first installment.. easy read, hot sex, I like the main characters Tristian and Raina. Tristan is a bit complex.. he's a wallstreet billionair, part time actor in a summer play, very sexy.. controlling but not crazy controlling.. sweet but with mild temper.. I'd like to see him be a little more bossy but he does show good amounts of possessiveness that is definitly above average.. He has secrets of course..They fell for each other pretty quickly but no talks of love or anything crazy serious yet. Well.. he is protecting her and her mom and dad from some bad dudes. I'm interested to find out what's beneath Tristian's shell so I'm going to go on to the next book in the series now. It was good!
Profile Image for Warpedmind.
579 reviews
May 11, 2013
Not worth reading! I didn't. feel any real connections between the two characters. Tristan is an arrogant ass that gets what he wants. Raina is a naive romantic dreamer that is willing to give up on her on pride to sleep with this man. Raina is a very weak individual in my opinion and just takes whatever Tristan dishes out. It is a short story to get you involved to buy the other books to continue the story. I didn't like it., no new book for me.
Profile Image for ~Nichole~  Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews.
1,716 reviews626 followers
March 18, 2013
Another alpha billionaire..the only negative I have about this series so far is the heroine is a little on the immature irritating side. She expected way to much from one encounter. Maybe she'll grow as the series progresses. I like Tristan....he's yummy and got all kinds of brokeness that just needs to be fixed. On to book 2.
Profile Image for Daniela.
184 reviews8 followers
May 30, 2014
This is exactly why the whole "50 Shades of Grey" franchise has ruined these type of books and stories for me...Because then everyone starts writing them, or what not. This book, was totally unbelievable and horrible. There was NO substance to either character and neither of them, are that likeable or even remotely worth remembering.

Tristian, the sexy billionaire who works on wall street, has secrets, a past and he shadows as an actor in theater. Does anyone else see something wrong with that?? I don't know about you guys, but how many of us know billionaires who would shadow as actors in the theater, for little productions that are NOT known? He's crass, rude and down right an ass. He's your typical, "I think I'm too good for you, because I'm good looking, good in bed and have billions" character.

Then you have Raina. The plain-Jane girl next door who has nothing to her. She has no sense of humor. She has no sarcasm. She doesn't know how to dress, etc. She's just that boring. She meets Tristian at this theater, because her and her roommate decided to swap jobs, so that they could experience different things. Not sure how that even works. Is that even possible? Anyways, she's right away "In love" with this man. She finds him alluring, sexy and wants to sleep him with him. Tristian never even glances her way, that's why I'm not sure how this "connection" even got started. One night, he just asks her to dinner. Umm. Okay. I guess.

But they go from that to Tristian protecting Raina and her family, yes HER family from thugs. He pays for her parents to be moved to a secluded place for protection. Flies out without her knowing to her parents house. I mean it's just WAY TOO much, WAY TOO fast. I don't care if he's a billionaire, who does that? To me, I thought that was CREEPY, not romantic. He's just too much for my tastes. And this all happens, in a couple of days. Yeah, Okay.

We're left with a cliff hanger, of course, but I won't be reading the rest. I don't care what his secret is. Nothing about this was likeable.
Profile Image for Nícky.
931 reviews26 followers
February 10, 2014
No está mal pero es que no pasa nada!!! No hay gran trama de fondo, por no decir que, quitando las amenazas a los padres de Raina, no hay nada más!! Un poco flojo como libro individual la verdad, aunque Tristan el bipolar, tiene su punto.
Profile Image for Michelle.
2,164 reviews87 followers
August 13, 2016
Knowing His Secret is a quick little romance novella centered around Raina, a young stage manager at theater in a well to-do area. She then meets Tristan a billionaire who enjoys acting in his free time, and has set his eyes on her.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I had some issues with the set up towards the beginning though, I mean…who trades jobs? I imagine that’s a lot of paperwork that the bosses have to go through just because two best friends are bored in their respected fields. At any rate, this one turned out to be a quick, fun and easy read. The main character is pretty likable and has her head on straight when it comes to a lot of things, no ditsy poor girl here. She’s comfortable with her lifestyle, comfortable with the money she makes, and does immediately warm to the idea of having expensive gifts bestowed upon her. Tristan takes longer to like, simply because his mood is capable of taking a turn when he’s stressed out…and you don’t find out why until about half way through the book…even then it’s only second hand knowledge so there is no detail. The whole ‘lover to confidant’ thing is sort of sweet, and I can definitely see some confrontations happening in the future because of it so I think it’ll be interesting to see how Tristan reacts to Raina knowing part of his past that he keeps closed away.

The chemistry between these two was pretty good too, not the best…but it definitely there. The sex is a bit on the vanilla side and does make this one a softer, though not necessarily sweeter read.

This one does end a on a bit of a cliffhanger as they fly off to vacation, but it’s not too bad. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the second one because I’d really like to know how it goes.
Profile Image for Jen Mcnamara.
285 reviews
August 8, 2013
Oh man! LOVED this book. Love, love, love.

Raina - love her insecurities which in my eyes, makes her more 'human' and less 'fictional character'. It's very easy to understand why shes so curious about Elsa. Any woman who has come before you that a man could love enough to marry seems to be a "threat". In Elsa's case she's not a physical threat, but a mental and emotional threat in that she still has a hold on Tristan's heart. She may be dead but shes definitely not forgotten.

Now Tristan is more 'fictional character' and less 'human' but that's okay because he keeps the story interesting and mysterious.

Also, wanted to point out that Raina's mother is awesome. She doesn't discourage the relationship with Tristan (which, unfortunately I've read a billion times) she just allows her GROWN daughter to make her own decisions and sees that from the outside, Tristan is a clear catch. Any man who is willing to go to such trouble to keep his girlfriend and her family safe isn't a complete douche. Raina's mom obviously doesn't know the Tristan that Raina and the readers do, but from what she sees, he's a great guy and because he has given no reason for anyone to think otherwise...she supports her daughters decisions.

Seriously LOVE this book. Very relatable feelings, very down to earth. Onto the next!
Profile Image for Anita Powers.
1,461 reviews40 followers
March 2, 2014
I liked this book, it was a quick read about the typical millionaire and middle class girl that is swept off her feet and is hoping for more then he is willing to give...at first. I like Raina, she is just like any girl off the street, she is kind, smart, and pretty but needs some excitement in her life. Then there is Tristan, handsome, rich, smart, and oh so sexy and he wants a relationship with her that holds no expectations. I will say what I did not like was how he treated her at first, how strange to have sex with her for the first time at a friends house in the loft while there is a party going on downstairs, not very classy. I do like how he jumped in to help her parents, the whole union thing with her parents was unexpected, I guess we will see what comes out of that. I will say I worried that he was going to get with one of those fake rich girls that kept hanging around, I was glad that the author did not go the expected way. I am curious to find out what happened to his first love. Tristan got better and better as the book went on, less of a entitled jerk and actually seemed to be getting closer to Raina and treated her much better. I am looking forward to the next book to see if some of these mysteries are uncovered. This book was worth the time reading, liked it more as it progressed.
Profile Image for Lisa.
138 reviews
July 15, 2013
This book has a great story line and plot. I loved the characters, Tristan and Raina. The female character had a strong presence and went after what she believed she deserved out of the relationship. Tristan is the Christian type and trying to protect his damaged heart. The best part is that there are two more books for those of us that can not seem to get enough.
Profile Image for Kathy Buhler.
18 reviews
March 14, 2013
I couldn't put this book done. Once I started reading it I had to c what happens next. Tristan and Raina relationship is a modern one. The book defitinely had a lot of steamy sex scenes and it was a quick and easy book to read. Can't wait to read the second book.
Profile Image for Leslie Reed.
143 reviews1 follower
April 15, 2015
mysterious

Tristan is very mysterious. I look forward to finding out more about him. Raina is discovering more about Tristan and more about herself. I can't wait to see what secrets are revealed.
Profile Image for Teri.
1,501 reviews2 followers
April 16, 2013
I was very surprised by this book. Honestly I didn't expect much but I was pleasantly surprised!!! I'm buying book two now as I can't wait for the continuation of their story!!
Profile Image for Rene Rogers.
Author 28 books5 followers
March 16, 2013
I wanted something to escape with and this fit the bill nicely. Steamy, sexy with a nice story line. Enjoyed it for what it is. Well written and edited, too.
Profile Image for Kim D’Arcy.
363 reviews8 followers
May 11, 2013
2.5 stars

This book was just okay for me. In fact I just finished it yesterday and cannot remember too much about the story. I doubt I will continue with the series.
Profile Image for Lu.
139 reviews28 followers
October 18, 2016
No me pude conectar con los personajes, es como si estuviera leyendo una copia barata de 50 Shades.
Profile Image for Lynxie.
706 reviews78 followers
December 18, 2022
So, this really isn’t a whole story, it concludes with a cliffhanger and really should be combined with the other short works in the series (641 pages in total). This is part of a boxed set now, I would recommend buying that rather than buying separately.

The characters were okay, though Tristan was far too perfect and Raina too basic. It follows the 50SoG tropes of basic girl meets billionaire, he surprisingly falls for her. Kinda boring, didn’t add much to the tropes.

Perhaps the second instalment answers some questions, but things were far too perfect and Raina far too trusting.

Also had a pet peeve of adult children calling their father ‘daddy’ which immediately turned me off the family dynamic.

The sex scenes were average and contained flowery language like ‘pearl’, ‘sex’, ‘petals’ and ‘folds’ so not for everyone.

If you want a mediocre story, mediocre sex scenes, and tired tropes, this might be your cup of tea.


Things I noticed:

7% - …we all rose noisily rose from the table (delete one rose)

21% - …and heat from the alcohol were about (to) make the idea…

74% - “Rub you(r) clit,” he ordered.

Spoiler alert for the next books in the series in the book previews at the end.
5 reviews
November 9, 2017
I do not know where to begin with this review.

So... we know that the billionaire theme has been done and overdone, however one may come across a read that does not disappoint based on the writer's imaginative ability and writing skills. This was certainly not one of them. I really hoped that this book would go somewhere but there were so many grammatical errors, poor character development (other than Raina having "brown chain salon hair" I have no idea what she looked like) and instances where the writer completely forgot she just told us that Rains took off her expensive red bottomed shoes and placed them under the night stand out of respect for them to telling us that she pointed the said red bottomed shoe at Tristan. There are many more unforgivable blunders but I will stop here. I am an avid reader and rarely give undesirable reviews, however please edit your work properly before sharing your talent to be judged by readers. There was so much potential to make this a good read however I will not be continuing with the series for I am afraid that the same mistakes would be found in the others.
Profile Image for Beyond The Covers Blog.
2,518 reviews91 followers
July 17, 2017
Raina is a beautiful college graduate with a Literature Degree. She is working at a theatre to gain some experience. It's an all man play that consist of rich men. Raina starts to lust after one of the actors.
Dominant Tristan is a wealthy billionaire who spends a few months each year, with his friends, acting in a play at the theatre. He shows interest in Raina and sparks begin to fly. It's hard for Tristan to open up about his feelings since the death of Elsa. How did Elsa die?
When Raina's father is beaten up by thugs and put into the hospital, Tristan steps up to protect Raina and her family.
This is a beautifully written love story of a lost soul afraid to commit and a woman who stands by him. I would recommend this book. I'm volunteering an honest review for an advance reader's copy.
Profile Image for Amy Haas.
143 reviews
July 9, 2018
So, in all fairness I have read a lot of these types of books and this doesn't even hit the mark of being anywhere near as good. I think it has a lot of potential. I think the author could have made it so much more with added details and a better plot. The story line felt rushed and in a way a bit juvenile, which for a story such as this, juvenile shouldn't be anywhere a part of it. Anyway, I do plan on reading the next book in the series in hopes that it gets better. I hate leaving off on just not know what happens to characters. If the book was horrible I wouldn't at all even consider the next book but I think it has potential. I'm curious if the author builds up the characters self worth in the next book and gives all her characters a ground to stand on.
Profile Image for Ann.
210 reviews7 followers
April 24, 2018
I was so annoyed with this. Raina is this middle class girl who meet Tristan a billionaire with secrets apparently, or that's what the title says anyway. He's lost his wife/fiancé but the details of what happened is never revealed (I thought maybe he had murdered her, but that's just me 😅) . All way through the story Raina dos everything she is told and never ask questions, Tristan keeps her at an arms length all the time but still takes over her life and apparently Raina just goes along with it because she doesn't want to upset him and we'll she doesn't think she deserves his attention.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.