Down-on-her-luck heiress Piper Mills will do anything to help her baby--even strike a deal with the devil who impregnated her! Due to a car accident, Jaeger Ballantyne has no memory of the passionate night he and Piper shared...or that he's Ty's father. Purchasing Piper's heirloom sapphires is the only thing on his agenda...until seducing the green-eyed temptress takes over.
Piper's falling for the stubborn tycoon, even as she continues to guard her secret. Can a man with no memory of their past find a way to forgive her so they can create a future?
His Ex's Well-Kept Secret is part of The Ballantyne Billionaires series.
Joss Wood loves books and travelling— especially to the wild places of Southern Africa and, well, anywhere.
She’s a wife, a mom to two teenagers, and is bossed around by two cats and a Great Dane X the size of a baby cow. After a career in local economic development, she now writes full time.
1) She DID REALLY try to tell him about the pregnancy but got put on the crazies list 2) he slept with "couple of selective" women since the accident, she dated no others. 3) he has told ANYONE with a microphone he doesn't want a wife OR a kid 4) so why would she go out of her way and tell him that they have a baby when she was stonewalled to begin with? 5) yet HE felt cheated out of his sons life and of her love when he, apart from the time in hospital was having the time of his life. He had brain surgery vs she went through labour. Then he had a normal life vs she was a single mum. I'm sorry if anyone was cheated here, it was her.
I really like this one and can't wait for the rest of the Ballantyne stories to come out.
Piper and Jaeger meet in Milan to discuss rare gems she wants to sell. They have a very short fling but promise to contact one another when they both head back to New York. The day Jaeger heads back to NY he gets in a horrific car accident and loses a month of his memory. So he loses his time with Piper.
Piper returns home and realizes she pregnant, she tries to do the right thing and contact Jaeger but is unable to get a hold of him and told to stop calling. She's even put on some list to keep crazies away. She knows nothing of the accident and the only thing she finds online about Jaeger is his strong opinions of NOT wanting children or a wife. Ever.
Piper grew up with a Father who was a bastard. Only wanting her mom as a mistress for the rare jewels she had inherited. He made it very clear he wanted nothing to do Piper and that she was nothing to him. So because of her experience and what she read about Jaeger she decides it best not to try and find or tell him anymore.
However, the house that she has lived in for 30 years, the only thing she has left of her mother is being put up for auction because her father was a criminal and owed so many debtors. She finds out the house was never her mom's so now she's in a bind to find money to keep her house that she loves for her and her son. She has no choice but to go back to Jaeger and sell the gems.
Anyway, she finds out what happened to Jaeger and decides it best not to tell him of their fling resulting in their son. Jaeger and Piper were cute, they built a friendship and start a steamy love affair and the whole time Piper is at odds with herself because now she's falling in love with Jaeger and she's keeping a huge secret.
Jaeger's story was so sad, his reason for not wanting a wife and child were understanding. Once everything comes out and Piper can now see Jaeger is not her father she realizes the huge mistake she made in keeping her secret. And knows he'll hate her once it all comes to light.
My only grip is there is no epilogue! I hate no epilogues but once all the books come out I know everything will show their HEA. Still even a few moths later would have been nice. Lol
This book was really cute and I totally needed it because lately I've been in a funk and everything has been falling short for me. I'm glad I walked into Barnes and Noble's and decided to give this a try. I'm no longer frustrated with everything I've been reading lol
His Ex’s Well Kept Secret by Joss Wood takes an unusual twist on the amnesia trope to deliver a sexy and unique second chance romance. Jaeger Ballantyne, a wealthy businessman whose family deals in precious stones has a chance to acquire a set of beautiful Kashmir sapphires worth millions when art appraiser Piper Mills shows up at his office with the desire for a quick sale. She’s a single mom with a 9 month old baby – someone he’d normally stay far away from having lost a child to sudden infant death syndrome and then having his marriage fail too. 18 months earlier, Jaeger had been in a serious car accident in Milan, and lost 2 months worth of memories but had used receipts and meeting notes to painstakingly try to track those lost days. The data tells him that he and Piper have met before, but he doesn’t remember anything about their encounter.
Piper’s fling with Jaeger in Milan, a night of passion she’s never forgotten (even if he apparently has!), resulted in her pregnancy and the birth of her beloved son Ty. Attempts to reach Jaeger when she’d become pregnant had failed, and she’d resigned herself to him not being part of their son’s life. The death of her father and a sudden turn of events in her financial fortune has made her desperate to sell the sapphires left to her by her mother in hopes of saving her childhood home. So desperate in fact, that she’s willing to approach Jaeger about purchasing them, a topic they’d discussed during their tryst in Milan. Jaeger’s lack of memory is startling, and he clearly has no inkling that her child is his too. The attraction between them flares again, but Piper’s secret stands between them. When Jaeger finds out, will it cost them this second chance?
After a few fantastic nights with Jaeger Ballantyne, and showing him the beautiful sapphires that are in her possession, Piper Mills finds out she is pregnant. She knows that Jaeger told her that he did not deal in forevers or love but she felt he had a right to know he was going to be a father. Problem one is she for some reason could not get in touch with him all areas of communication were closed to her. So she does what she must and goes on until she finds that the dead father who never claimed her has swindled fortunes from people and the house and beautiful antiques her mother bequeathed her are going to be taken. To save her home she approaches the Ballantynes as they purchase antiques and collections, to sell her sapphires which will pay for the house. This opens a Pandora's box as she meets Jaeger again and he doesn't appear to know her. Being involved in a serious car accident with head injuries, has wiped out a lot of her memory from the year before but something about Piper reaches out to him. Will he remember the past with her? Will she tell him about their son? Read this lovely book by Joss Wood and find out. Meet Jaeger's family also and follow them in her next books. Loved the story and Ms. Wood is on my follow list.
"His Ex's Well-Kept Secret" by Joss Wood what happens when Piper Mills meets Jaeger Ballantyne again he doesn't remember their time together due to an accident. She must get together with him to take care of her dead beat father's estate. They find themselves attracted to each other, she remembers everything, and he remembers nothing. I didn't want to put this book down, because you'll want to find out what happens next.
Joss Wood, YOU. had me from the first word printed till the very last.. Jaeger , Pipers, and Tyler.
Three people in desperate need, Jaeger who has no memory from his accident, Piper who is a loosing heiress, and Tyler in desperate need of his father. Piper many months ago had a memorable night with a man who now has NO MEMORY of their one sensational night together. Will Jaeger EVER BE able to remember his own son and the love that he once felt .OR ARE they creating a new bond together that will not only last a lifetime. , but will NEVER be broken.
Joss Wood "HIS EX'S WELL-KEPT SECRET" WAS NOT ONLY A WELL DELIVERED READ. IT HAD ME GLUED TO MY SPOT . I read it from dawn to dusk , I just COULDN'T put it down. I would personally recommend this to everyone who is a true Romantic.
His Ex’s Well-Kept Secret by Josh Wood is the first in the Ballantyne Billionaires series and it’s Jaeger Ballantyne and Piper Mills’ story. Jaeger is the gem hunter of the family and Piper Mills has something that Jaeger wants…her sapphire collection! Due to a car accident Jaeger lost two months’ memory, including is memory of the passionate night he and Piper spent together in Milan. They meet again 18 months later when Piper tries to raise money by selling her sapphires, what she didn’t tell Jaeger is that he is the father of her 9 month old son…
I loved this book from start to finish! The story grabbed me from the first paragraph, both Jaeger and Piper are amazing characters with tons of love to give, Ty is the cutest baby and together they all make a wonderful family. I hope to hear more about them in the next books in the Ballantyne Billionaire series.
I definitely recommend this book to anybody wanting to read a heart-warming, sensual and romantic story.
Unputdownable, unforgettable and quite possibly a perfectly written story which I am incredibly sorry to finish.
A perfect mix of plot, incredible characters blended with humour and a gorgeous little boy, I thought this story was so wonderfully detailed I was right there giggling with Tyler, crying with Piper and hugging Jaeger for his loss.
an incredible start to a series of four siblings, which I can't wait to read but have a heavy heart because I don't want to let Piper, Ty and Jaeger go.
Piper meets Jaeger in Milan while both are there..they spend a passionate night together before parting to both head to New York...She has some sapphires to sale and Jaeger tells her to call when she gets to NY so she does but she hears nothing from him and is threatened if she doesn't quit calling..Finally she goes to Ballantyne and Company to sell the stones.while there Jaeger acts like he doesn't know Piper...She doesn't know he lost his memory and doesn't remember her...As they become close and fall back into bed she knows she needs to tell him about his son Ty...he loves Ty and her but he has sworn off women and babies due to his past...Can they get past her lying to him and his not wanting anyone....It was a really good story that made me smile, laugh and cry.
I really loved this story. Joss has a way of taking readers on an adventure with her characters. You feel every emotion they feel, and feel like you are actually part of their life. Jaeger and Piper show us how perfect they are together.. This story is the start of the Ballantyne series and it perfectly introduced us to the characters we will read about in upcoming books. Can't wait to read more of this series.
It was a fast easy read... not really fan of insta love... i didn't like the fact that she expected something from a guy who she had 3 dates and 1 wild night of sex... she was lucky he didn't remember her because of a head injury and not because... really who remembers someone who dated a couple times 2 years ago... anyway... 3 starts.
They had met in Milan and were lovers. They had planned to get together in London. But fate had other ideas. He was in an automobile accident, lost his memory. She ended up with a child. Now she is back and wants to sell the jewelry that brought them together in the first place. But what will he think when he finds out that he is a father to her child?
The Ballantynes are smart, sexy, rich and a little slow about recognizing a good love match when they meet one. Not to worry, though, because the men and women who love the Ballantynes are up to the task of proving their love. Enjoy Piper and Jaeger's entertaining story.
A fling in Milan, memory loss and a baby. Falling in love in a matter of days, maybe? The rest was predictable. For once, though, no marriage because of an unwanted pregnancy. Misunderstandings because of lack of communication and fear. All in all not as bad as most of HQ stories.
Angsty, spicy, engaging. Quick back and forth on the emotional scale, mostly good on communication scale( except when it wasn't). Felt like the ending wrapped up too quickly.
what kind of a story is this ? the Hero lives the best life in spite of memory loss of 2-3 months but he has the gall to get angry with h but the heroine who is leadig a moms life while being celibate has to appologise for wanting him ? why would she?
A great Harlequin book per usual, except it's two times longer than the average and exceptionally funny. I don't know why but it's just hilarious at a few parts...
How do you tell someone they are a father, when the father has no memory of ever meeting you? How can the father deny his baby, when he looks just like him? Will the baby's father help keep mom and baby in their house? Will he ever remember the past. I loved this book by Joss Wood. I was drawn in on the first couple pages, and kept reading until I was done. And I wanted more of the family, and am looking forward for the next family member to have their story told.
A shared night ... but no memory of it ... how is she supposed to tell him about their son? We are hooked from the beginning as the secrets begin to unravel and continue the more and more you read. Great characters including a super sweet and adorable baby ... and a solid story line. Looking forward to more to come in this series of siblings!
Piper Mills approached Jaeger Ballantyne about a business deal, but they wound up having a fling abroad in Milan. When she tried to inform him she was pregnant afterwards, she was given a major run-around and assumed the info she heard in the press was true and he wanted nothing to do with children.
Jaeger Ballantyne can't figure out why Piper is angry at him when he thinks he's meeting her for the first time, then he realizes it must have something to do with the time-frame he can't remember just prior to a serious car accident. Once she finds out what happens she forgives him and they agree to do business together ... but she still hasn't found a way to tell him that the adorable baby he's seen her with is his son!
The last time Piper Mills saw Jaeger Ballantyne, she'd been naked, in his arms and brokering a deal to sell some expensive stones to him. Fast forward, Piper has a son, Ty—Jaeger's son. She is also on the brink of losing her home and still in possession of the expensive stones which she must sell soon or else she’ll risk being thrown out of her home. Now only Jaeger can help her but at what cost?
I enjoyed His Ex’s Well-Kept Secret by Joss Wood. The family interactions between Jaeger and his siblings added a nice realistic touch to the story, however, it was the steamy chemistry between Jaeger and Piper which amped things up. And even though the pacing might be a bit slow at times, in the end I think Joss Wood did a good job making this novel as entertaining as possible.
His Ex's Well-Kept Secret (The Ballantyne Billionaires #1) by Joss Wood Piper Mills will do anything to keep her baby safe, sound and even strike a deal with the devil himself. Jaeger Ballantyne had an automobile accident on his way to the airport after meeting Piper Mills and spending a few days with her. However, his accident made him lose his memory of that time and so he has no idea he is Ty’s father. Piper had tried contacting him after she found out she was pregnant and such but due to his accident he was not to be reached and his company put her on the stalking like list as she never revealed why she needed to talk to him. Piper never revealed her parents and especially who her father was to anyone since he did not want anything to do with her. Pipers mother was kept in a nice home where she raised Piper and since her death Piper had been living there as her mother has left it for her. However, it was not to be that way since she did not know that her father, the scoundrel that he was still owned it and now it needed to be sold to recover his debts. Piper did have sapphires and knew there was more to the collection and she wanted to sell them. She guarded her secret and just wanted her family home to stay her so she could raise Ty there. Joss Wood is a brand-new author to me however I look forward to more books from her. Very well written and wonderful story. Enjoy and be prepared to love it as much as I did.
WOW what a story the chemistry between billionaire gem dealer Jaeger Ballantyne and art accessor Pipe Mills could set the pages on fire, this one is beautifully written pulls the reader in from page one and is just not put down- able loved this one from start to finish.
Piper Mills spends sometime in Milan they turn out to be some of the best days of her life she meets the gorgeous Jaeger and the spark sends delicious tingles through her and a night of passion ensues but neither want anything permanent but when there are consequences Piper does her best to contact Jaeger with no success. Piper gets on with her life but things are about to change for her and she desperately needs to sell some valuable gems and Jaeger is the man to see and that spark is still there but Jaeger sticks to his parting words from Milan.
Jaeger Ballantyne comes from a close family but has sworn never to want to marry or have children, there is a good reason for this but when the beautiful Piper comes to see him desperate to sell her sapphires she seems angry with him but she does not know what has happened to him oh but the pull and spark between them is just not going away and she has a child a beautiful little boy Ty and he means everything to her. A sizzling affair is inevitable but he gets closer things are changing.
Do yourself a favour and get this one sit down and read it you will not want to be disturbed a fabulous story so many emotions so much love yes there were tears, smiles and lots of sighs, this is a book that left me in a very happy place oh and there is sure (please) to be more after all there are more Ballantynes and I can’t wait for their stories. Thank you MS Wood for and awesome story woohoo.