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Heartbeats #4

The Billionaire's Secret

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An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

Can a bad boy turn good?
Billionaire Maxwell Banks enjoyed his single life. He was free to do what he wanted, until a blast from his past showed up on his doorstep with a daughter he didn’t know he had. Now he is forced to become a father overnight and he has no idea what he’s doing. Can he change to become the role model she needs?


Alyssa Miller hasn’t had the best luck with past relationships and she’s heard nothing but negative comments about Maxwell, but when she is tasked with helping him care for Peyton, she begins to see a different side of him. Will she fall for the one man she is sure will break her heart or can he be redeemed?

Find out in this stand alone romance in the Sweet Billionaires collection - Originally titled A Father's Love. Just click the buy button above.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2019

392 people are currently reading
306 people want to read

About the author

Lorana Hoopes

148 books294 followers
Lorana Hoopes is an inspirational romance and children’s author originally from Texas. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three children. When not writing, she can be found singing or acting on stage or kickboxing at her gym. You can also find her hosting her show Write the World where she interviews authors and writers.

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5 stars
183 (54%)
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86 (25%)
3 stars
46 (13%)
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10 (3%)
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8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
Profile Image for Heather.
57 reviews1 follower
December 14, 2018
This was my first book/audible from Lorana Hoopes. I was pleasantly surprised okay more than that I could put it down. I listened to it on audible and it went everywhere with me. This story is about Max he goes through woman like candy. He has a new flavor for every week or month. He is very selfish. He wants both to do with having Christ apart of his life.

When Sara shows up with a daughter he didn’t know he had. She also is sick and dying. She left 3 years earlier when she found she was pregnant with out telling him. She was afraid of how he would react to the news. Let just say He is not very thrilled that he is going to have to change his ways. Payton is such a cute 3 year old that softens and melts Max heart.

This story is very heart warming. It show how things in our life change and mold us to make us better people. Even when it’s not what we are not expecting. It also reminds us how important a Christ centered life is.


*This review is my honest opinion*
Profile Image for Gale.
1,964 reviews22 followers
January 29, 2019
Well written

The story was good I just think that I just don’t enjoy the devotional slant to these stories. Alyssa was a bit too closed-minded for me. I adored Peyton, though, especially how close she. Exams to her dad. If clean romances with a heavy devotional slant is your taste, then I recommend this story.
Profile Image for Vikki Vaught.
Author 12 books160 followers
September 6, 2019
What a delightful change from the typical Billionaire troupe. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The characters are engaging and the plot is unique. The author does The narration and she’s awesome. Happy reading/listening!
Profile Image for Elaina Michelle.
Author 1 book3 followers
December 18, 2018
Wouldn’t It Be Nice...

Well, I’m new to this author but my intrigue for billionaire stories led me here specifically because this one was “clean” and I really dislike how raunchy some of the others can get.

Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by this book because it turned out to be like an inspirational billionaire story which I think is super cute and nothing I’d come across yet.

I thought the storyline was well thought out. And the characters were well rounded too. All that to be said, I felt like it was a little unrealistic but then again most of the billionaire stories tend to lean that way.

I appreciated how thoughtful she was in intertwining faith into the story - it was authentic, not pushy. But it was drawn out. She left no stone unturned and it made for a long sometimes boring read at points. I noticed there were some words and phrases that she overused. Also sentences that could’ve been tightened up a bit and that did take away from the experience for me.

Overall, I like that it’s clean and faith-based. I applaud her for being bold in standing out in this genre with this type of twist. I will read more of her books to get a better feel for her writing style. I’d say anyone looking to venture away from the raunchy typical style of most billionaire stories will find this refreshing and possibly even inspiring.
Profile Image for Teri.
3,918 reviews37 followers
September 14, 2017
I love this clean romance about the redemptive love of Christ. As a believer with a colorful background it is nice to see stories about God's forgiveness and the way it can change people. Sometimes we forget that the message to come to Him is that we do it with a child's heart, keeping it simple. I love the simple way this author gives us a simple truth and in turn can touch the heart that can't be touched with the heavy hand. We have to remember God's hand is not cutting and vicious as we tend to be and I thank God for that. I love and highly recommend this book.

This author is new to my world and I look forward to reading her work. This is a refreshing standalone read made clear and simple and down to earth to touch those that are hungry.
Profile Image for Kame.
802 reviews38 followers
February 27, 2019
I didnt get far

Categorized as Region and Spirituality by Amazon KU and Identified as a Sweet Romance by the author - so the first few chapters were not what I expected.

Hero has a few one night stands (behind closed doors) in the first chapters.

Hero meets a daughter he never knew he had, her Mom dropping her off so she can receive cancer treatment - a true drop and dash - but please call my BFF for questions. BFF comes to save the day, helps buy necessities and takes the little girl to church.

Yup not for me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tracey Cramer-Kelly.
Author 49 books342 followers
September 26, 2020
There is a good story in this book, the inner journey/transformation of Max in particular. However, the way it was done was a little stark; in chapter 1, Max is very conniving and almost crude (not even remembering the woman’s name). Then Sarah shows up with Peyton, and the parting of mother and daughter is exceedingly brief; even though this is Max’s story, I found that to be too unemotional for me (yes, I’m a mother!). What if he hadn’t loved Sarah? Would he have taken in Peyton? The way he was portrayed up to that point, I’d have to wonder. Then Alyssa enters the picture, and she gives him a piece of her mind (which she should have done more often, frankly), and he’s instantly smitten. Between Peyton and Alyssa (and the nanny Helen), Max discovers a different kind of life.

I enjoyed the Christian/faith aspects of the book, but I thought Max’s “conversion” was a little fast (although I’m not sure it could have been done any other way; there were no climactic events, just predictable obstacles, it was all inner struggle, so it moved a little slow as it was). Everything got tied up nicely in the end, but I found myself wanting it to be a little less tidy. Like, maybe Sarah doesn’t die… maybe all their friends don’t so easily convert to faith, either. I guess I wanted to see some future “imperfection” to hint at them continuing to grow in their faith together.
Profile Image for J.E. Grace.
Author 23 books141 followers
September 3, 2017
Maxwell's loose lifestyle of being a playboy comes back to haunt him. How can a man go from playboy to father overnight? His daughter's mother, Sara, is dying from cancer. How can he change and put his old lifestyle in the past and put his daughter's needs before his? Then there is Alyssa, Sara's best friend, a Christian who is carrying hurt from a past relationship. Can she stick it out and keep the promise to help look after Payton.

The story line shows how someone so far gone from God's path can be led back with the help from a couple of Christian women. Through their insight, love of God, faith, and God's intervention anything can happen.

The characters are well fleshed out and I felt myself immersed in their world almost immediately. The character of four year old Payton, was precious. Her innocent childlike qualities were spot on. Alyssa, was continually struggling with trust issues, but with God's help, she began to see the change she wanted to see in Maxwell.

The story is about great love, deep faith, and possibilities. It's an inspiring and emotional read. Keep the tissues handy.
Profile Image for Izzybear.
755 reviews
September 20, 2017
Max is a single rich playboy. He's the love them and leave them type, leaving a trail of heartbreak everywhere he goes. That is until one night the one girl he ever though about settling down with shows up at his door. She leaves Max with their 3 year old daughter Peyton. With no idea on how to raise a kid or how to be a good father he calls upon Alyssa for help.
Alyssa is there for Max. She helps him to learn the ropes and fills him in on all the things he needs to know.
At first it seems overwhelming and more than Max can handle but Peyton quickly steals his heart and has him wanting to be the best father he can possibly be.
Max also finds himself wanting to become a one woman kind of guy. Now he only has to find a way to prove that to Alyssa. It may not be easy but he's not willing to give up.
I liked seeing how Max's love for his daughter helped him grow and inspired him to be a better man.
This was another beautiful story by Mrs. Hoopes and I can not wait to read what she writes next.
Profile Image for Patty.
5,118 reviews55 followers
July 16, 2019
Maxwell and Alyssa bring out all the feels in this sweet and inspirational story. Maxwell starts us off with finding out he has a daughter,Peyton and is going to have to take care of her. When things get to overwhelming, he calls Alyssa, Peyton's mother's best friend. With his reputation proceeding him, Alyssa helps him out looking out for Peyton. But what these two don't realize is how life changes and how circumstances draw people together. Loranna Hoopes weaves a story using faith and love, showing Maxwell and Alyssa a path to happiness. It's sweet and easy to get lost in! I found myself caught up in the story, loving Helen the nanny and Peyton as well as rooting for Maxwell and Alyssa. Though it carries some sadness and grief, the story gives us a wonderful message and a happy ending!

The narration of the story is wonderful. I hesitate sometimes if I see an author doing their own narration, but I love Hoopes's performance. She has a talent for voices and gives the story the portrayal she wants to emanate. Her voice is pleasing and I look forward to more from her.
Profile Image for Deanna.
1,081 reviews19 followers
January 1, 2020
A playboy billionaire, clean Christian romance

A story of a billionaire playboy who discovers one night that he is the father of a 3 year old little girl, who needs him as her mother is dying.

He discovers not only the love of an am amazing woman named Alyssa, who is his daughters stand in aunt, it also comes to understand Gods purpose in his life and with his help and guidance he starts to change his playboy ways, to be the father his daughter needs but to also gain the love and approval of the woman he has fallen in love with.

All is not plain sailing, as you would hope not. Life is not that easy, as he soon discovers.

This book was written well, not to make light of his situation and gloss over it, but to also show that we can’t run away from our mistakes forever, that they will come back and bite us in the butt. But in so saying this, the authors also gives the reader hope that we are not all lost souls, that there is redemption for all of us, if we turn to God for help.

I received this as a complimentary copy and I am giving my honest review voluntarily
841 reviews1 follower
February 5, 2019
So this book definitely starts off such that you are wondering how much worse could Max get. He is totally a player and so annoying at that. To leave a "babysitter" home with his little girl that he literally had just found out about the day before and go to a bar to find a woman is just low. I began to wonder if the book could redeem Max in any way. Thank goodness it finally did. If it hadn't been for Helen, I have to wonder if I would have been able to continue at times just because of the way he was. Thankfully he started to change and had redeeming qualities and then finally realized he wasn't satisifed with his life. I definitely enjoyed the last 1/3 of the book - not that the rest was a bad book - but it's hard to enjoy someone like Max at that point. When he changed, you couldn't help but like him and it turns out to be so great in the end and redeeming just like Jesus is to us. I highly recommend the book.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,374 reviews25 followers
February 15, 2019
Angry

I was only able to get a quarter of the way through this and I wanted to smack the guy! He is so selfish. I get that this is supposed to be setting him up for a big change in his life but regardless of his womanizing ways he didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities and yet the women just fall at his beautiful feet! Arrr!
Spoiler alert: he doesn’t even know the bimbos name that he is trying to seduce. He thinks abortion is the answer to inconvenience. He claims to have loved the mother of his child and was contemplating marriage yet she comes to his door with this surprise kid because she is dying and he just lets her leave. What, no sympathy. No offer to spend a tiny portion of his billions to get her the best care available. He is a #*%!
In conclusion, it is probably an okay book but not my cup of tea.
3,632 reviews16 followers
August 19, 2019
It was hard to get past how Max treated women in the beginning of the book. He saw them as objects there to satisfy his sexual desires. He was upset if he had to put much effort into winning them over or pay for a hotel room and as soon as he got want he wanted he wanted nothing to do with them. He didn’t care about their feelings. He also considered putting his own daughter in foster care because he didn’t want to deal with her. Yes, he discovered the error of his ways and changed in the book. Alyssa was quick to judgement about him, but he had used her to babysit while he hooked up with a woman for the night, so I don’t blame her for still being wary about trusting her heart to him. Max’s three year old daughter Peyton was adorable and so sweet while dealing with a dying mother and a father she had never met before.
Profile Image for Rosalind Hardy.
59 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2023
good?

Billionaire Maxwell Banks enjoyed his single life. He was free to do what he wanted, until a blast from his past showed up on his doorstep with a daughter he didn't know he had. Now, he is forced to become a father overnight, and he has no idea what he's doing. Can he change to become the role model she needs?

Alyssa Miller hasn't had the best luck with past relationships, and she's heard nothing but negative comments about Maxwell, but when she is tasked with helping him care for Peyton, she begins to see a different side of him. Will she fall for the one man she is sure will break her heart, or can he be redeemed?

Find out in this stand-alone romance in the Sweet Billionaires collection - originally titled A Father's Love. Just click the "Buy Now" button above
Profile Image for Mel.
34 reviews1 follower
September 6, 2017
A Father's Love is an enjoyable book with an inspirational story with Christian themes. I love how Maxwell grows from being a man who only wants one night stands to someone who realised how empty his life was without relationships that have meaning. His desire to change came from finding out he had a little girl he didn't know existed - it gave him a different perspective. This is the 4th book in the Heartbeats series, but each book is a standalone.
Lorana has an interesting writing style that took me a bit to adjust to but once I was immersed in the story, I found the book hard to put down.
I received an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Lynnette E Karnes trahan.
152 reviews2 followers
January 17, 2018
I very good story although sad in that Maxwell didn't even get to know his daughter before he gets her left in his lap while her mother races off for a last chance effort at being cured using cancer treatment. In the end Maxwell accepts god into his life regains his relationship with his parents and begins building a loving relationship with his daughter and starts a new relationship and gets married making the ending a bit more happy. All in all a very good lesson to be learned and the fact that in the ens love can make a difference in life. for all who cares to allow it and make changes for the better ..
Profile Image for Peni.
4,822 reviews1 follower
February 9, 2019
This story starts out a lot like other billionaire romance stories. It isn't long before the christian aspect is introduced and expanded as the story went on. The characterization was spot on and the pacing kept me waiting to see what would happen next.

Lorana Hoopes (author), the narrator, did a great job with the portrayal and voices of the characters. I did feel that the rate of speech could have been a little slower, at times it felt like she was reading the story quickly instead of telling the story naturally. Overall a great job.

I recieved a Audible copy of this story, at my request, in exchange for a honest review.
Profile Image for Misty Goan.
2,809 reviews13 followers
August 13, 2019
An amazing billionaire romance with a refreshing Christian twist. This engaging storyline shows the flaws of the characters whether their good or bad. It shows how their are consequences from choices made can still have redemption and forgiveness. This enjoyable journey includes interesting characters through vivid descriptions and sincere dialogue as this sweet story show how anyone who lets God into their lives can be transformed adding in a fantastic romance and a surprise beautiful little girl. There are struggles but also so much personal growth, faith and hope. A truly must read from a fantastic author.
Profile Image for Vibliophile.
1,591 reviews130 followers
April 11, 2020
A sweet conversion story

At the beginning of the story, Max is a disgusting excuse for a human being who uses women for his own pleasure and then throws them away. He changes in the story, thankfully, and it happens a bit too fast to be believed, but I didn't mind as I was much more interested in his conversion than his sordid past. His change from being a self absorbed jerk to learning to care about & love his daughter and Alyssa is what makes the story

*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic
Profile Image for Dotty.
763 reviews
April 6, 2022
Sweet read

I purchased the book and had honestly forgotten I had it. Today I found out the audio version was on YouTube so I had to read it.
Max is a care free bachelor with a different woman often that he never learns their name. One night Sarah comes knocking on his door she tells him she is dieing and he has a 3 year old daughter. She leaves Peyton with this clueless man for him to take care of her. She gives him her friend Alyssa phone number if he needs help.
Can he become the father and man he needs to be? Grab this sweet delightful well written book to find out.
635 reviews5 followers
May 3, 2022
Ms. Hoopes never fails to deliver a sweet, inspirational book, and this is no exception. I have read the book and listened to the audiobook and I'll probably read or listen to it again. This story is such a good illustration of God working in the life of a worldly man to draw him to Himself. This is a sweet romance with wonderful characters and a page-turning story.

Ms. Hoopes always give such a good performance making the characters real and believable. I love her narration more every time I listen to one of her books.
Author 6 books
August 15, 2017
A Father's Love is an enjoyable book with a good story. The growth of the main character is heartwarming, though a bit more resistance in the beginning would have helped. Well developed characters and scenes. Though the present tense writing did take a bit to adjust to, it was an interesting style. Despite the book's predictability, I would recommend it.
Disclosure - I received an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Janet Graham.
2,506 reviews11 followers
September 11, 2017
Lovely Christian Romance
This is a sweet Christian romance. The story moves along at a rapid clip. The characters are quite believable and the emotions seem realistic. The only complaint that I have is that this story is told in present tense which makes me a bit crazy. I really enjoyed this story on all other fronts. I will be reading more of this author’s work. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to share my honest review.
Profile Image for Ashley Hedden.
5,259 reviews43 followers
May 23, 2020
The Billionaire’s Secret (Heartbeats #4) was a great read by Lorana Hoopes. Maxwell is a billionaire who has enjoyed his single life. That was until his ex showed up with a daughter he didn’t know about. He is lost at being a father or role model. He calls his exes best friend for some help with his daughter. While they work with each other to take care of Peyton, she begins to see him with new eyes. I enjoyed reading Maxwell and Alyssa’s story and can’t wait to read more by Lorana Hoopes.
Profile Image for Roger.
5,598 reviews28 followers
August 17, 2017
A Father’s Love was my second read from author Lorana Hoopes. The author’s Texas roots show as both books are set in The Lonestar State. Bringing Callie, from The Power of Prayer, was a nice touch, tying the series together. I've read 300 books so far this year and this book is among the very best of them. A must read. No spoilers from me.
130 reviews5 followers
November 30, 2018
WOW

What a beautiful beautiful story! Inspiring, Challenging, Life changing, sweet sweet story. Thank you for this book, it was funny,interesting, laugh out loud kind of interesting. Loved it right from the start. What a change God does in a sinful life. Loved the romance too! Great job Lorana!
Profile Image for Gina.
2,382 reviews31 followers
December 14, 2018
A very real story that does not sugarcoat the reality of trying to fulfill an emptiness in ones life with partying and one night stands. Until your life turns drastically and you start to do the right thing with the right people and letting God be the ruler of your life not yourself will you truly be happy. I received a complimentary audio and I am voluntarily reviewing.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
3,201 reviews99 followers
January 31, 2019
New Starts

Max would Chase the ladies and couldn't always remember their names. He has lived Sarah but she left. Then he came home one night with a date and Sarah showed up with his little girl Payton, she needed to go to New York for cancer treatments. Alyssa was Sarah's friend and was willing to help. But she also helped Max find his way to church and love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews

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