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The Billionaire Hart #0.5

The Good Billionaire

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With a family wedding tapping the brakes on their divorce, will faking it bring their love back to life?

Sebastian Hart is a liar.

And he has to keep lying. His family is coming into town for his sister’s wedding and they don’t know he and the Mrs. have split up. Seb could say Kennedy wasn’t feeling well or had to work, but she’s the maid of honor and kind of, sort of has to show up.

Now they’re forced to pretend. Forced to stay in the same hotel suite for an entire weekend.

When Kennedy left Seb, his pride took over and his walls went up. But it takes one touch and they easily give themselves over to the kind of scorching temptation he’s not sure the bed they have to share can take.

Being alone with his wife again brings back the man he used to be before his career got in the way.

She’s his.

And he intends to do whatever it takes to keep her long after everyone’s had their wedding cake.

No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA guaranteed!
*Significantly re-edited with a brand new beginning*

101 pages, ebook

Published September 24, 2021

473 people are currently reading
1016 people want to read

About the author

Deborah Garland

58 books745 followers
Deborah Garland is a top 45 Amazon Bestselling and a 4x Award-Winning author of emotional, funny, and steamy romances!

She loves pugs, Friday night Cosmos, and that feeling when she publishes a new romance novel.

She lives on the beautiful North Shore of Long Island and in the summer, she escapes to Maine with her very patient husband.

She eats cheap mac and cheese with expensive red wine, her heroes are ALWAYS over six feet tall, and they fall hard, HARD for the girl.

Visit her website --> https://www.deborahgarlandauthor.com/... to join her newsletter and browse her little love stories.

New Releases are always featured, but all books can be read as standalones. Don’t be afraid to jump in. The water’s fine 😊

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5 stars
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292 (26%)
3 stars
303 (27%)
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120 (10%)
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43 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews128 followers
added-it
April 3, 2021
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/3/2021)! 🎁
Profile Image for Reader_for_LifeTLG.
2,753 reviews17 followers
June 23, 2021
Liked it

The Good Doctor, Sebastian Hart, manipulates his way back into his wife's good graces. After all, Kennedy loves his family enough to fake it for a wedding. A good story but the editing could have been better.
Profile Image for Kiley.
1,874 reviews45 followers
March 1, 2023
The Good Billionaire, Book 0.5 of The Billionaire Hart series (formerly known as the Lords of Gotham series), was about Dr. Sebastian "Seb" Hart, a celebrity surgeon who "forgot he had a wife", and his estranged wife, Dr. Kennedy "Kenna" (Chance) Hart, an anesthesiologist.
Sebastian and Kennedy met at Johns Hopkins University during med school. They got married shortly before graduation and had been married for eight years when Sebastian's career skyrocketed into celebrity status when he performed successful surgery on a young tennis player. Once word got out, it seemed every celebrity who ever got injured wanted "the miracle worker" surgeon to operate on them...and he did so many surgeries that he ended up spending more time away from his wife than he spent with her. So much so that two years into his celebrity status, Kennedy moved out while he was performing another late-night surgery and filed for divorce after they had been separated for six months. Sebastian's only attempt at reconciliation was done through text messages. He didn't try to visit her. He didn't call her. He sent text messages...that went unanswered.
Six months into their separation, Sebastian's sister got engaged and Kennedy was to be her matron of honor, so she was knee-deep in the planning of the wedding and reception. Sebastian took advantage of that and used every opportunity to spend time with his wife in hopes of saving their marriage.
With this story being only sixteen chapters long, there wasn't much opportunity for a more in-depth plot or storyline. Everything happened and was resolved in just a few short days, which was a bit disappointing for the reader. There was hardly any background information on their relationship other than where they met and that they had attended university together. There were some great characters that will be getting their own story in this series, but it would have been nice if there had been more time spent on the relationships between them and the main characters, as well as more time spent on the relationship and the fallout of Sebastian and Kennedy's relationship.
The emotions were plentiful. Angst and drama were high for such a short novella, but they weren't given free rein. There was no room for them to grow. Everything was boxed in and stifled. Even the push/pull between the MMC and the FMC was limited. The ending was quite abrupt as well. It felt like the story was unfinished and unresolved issues hung in the air like a bad odor. Hell, there wasn't even any room for the usual overplay of fluff n stuff. The whole thing was just...LACKING and dull. Even sexy scenes were flat and hurried. The hero didn't even truly grovel...and he NEEDED to grovel! He had neglected his wife for his career to the point that even their sex life had gone cold and almost non-existent. Hell, I would have left him long before Kennedy had. She put up with his crap more than most women would. He thought so much about his own career that he forgot about HER career, and he expected her to just fall in line with whatever and wherever HIS job would take him.
This book had such potential, and the author dropped the ball by not stretching it out with more chapters and more background info...or hell, even adding to the plot line, giving it a twist here, or a turn there. It didn't even have that.
I will give this story a 3.5-star rating, and that's only because I could see this being given a second chance...if the author is willing to go the extra mile and put in some more effort to make it better. If not, then it's dead in the water.
715 reviews5 followers
April 1, 2021
Kennedy and Sebastian had met 10 years ago at medical school and married but now they had been separated for 6 months. Sebastian was an orthopedic surgeon who worked long hours with celebrity athletes and Kennedy was an anesthesiologist who worked more regular hours. They lived in New York City near Sebastian’s cousins but his parents and sister were coming into town for his sister’s wedding. Sebastian has never told his parents that they were separated because and Kennedy wanted a divorce because he was never there for her, so they were pretending to be together even though they hadn’t seen each other in months. They were both still attracted and were intimate over the weekend but Sebastian planned to move to San Francisco. After spending time together again would they decide to give their marriage another try?

I enjoyed this story about 2 doctors who married but then he got too busy to spend much time with his wife. Kennedy wanted more than money from her husband, she wanted his time and love. He had become busy and neglected her feelings so she felt that she had to leave. They both still had feelings for each other but changes had to be made for them to be happy together.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Aelicia Greene.
271 reviews5 followers
October 22, 2022
Novella✅
Second Chance✅
Marriage on the rocks✅

Plot 4✨
Spice 3🌶️

Six months ago, Kennedy made the hardest decision of her life, to leave her husband. She was tired of being alone in their marriage. Ever since he became the surgeon to the stars she had been forgotten about.

Had Sebastian really let fame go to his head? He didn't think so but according to the note left six months ago and the divorce papers Kennedy wanted him to sign she thought so. He doesn't want their marriage to end, and he needs to remind her of how good they are together.

When he gets his second chance at his sister's wedding can Sebastian prove to Kennedy that she is still his and how much he wants her, or will he fail to change what needs to be changed to save his marriage?

This was a cute, steamy, and somewhat emotional novella that is perfect to get you out of a reading funk. I don't know what it says about me that I loved the fact that Sebastian was not willing to let Kennedy go and was still very possessive over her. I did feel like I was missing information while reading through. That might be because this is part of a series, and I haven't read the other books. However, I did really enjoy this novella and am very interested in the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Juli.
1,584 reviews24 followers
April 4, 2021
This a quick and steamy second chance romance read.

Sebastian and Kennedy are going through a very rough patch in their marriage yet they have to pretend to be a happy couple for a family wedding. I like that Kennedy did what she felt was necessary to get out of an unhappy situation, but I’m not sure she executed it correctly. Sebastian, her husband, is portrayed as a great doctor, but a complete idiot when it comes to his marriage and why his wife left him.

I loved that Sebastian’s cousins are there to help them find a way back to the couple they used be and the love they cherished. My issue was mostly the lack of actual love between Kennedy and Sebastian, you definitely can see the passion. Instead of actually talking about their issues in their marriage, all they do is play tickle the pickle then wonder why nothing is getting fixed. Sebastian couldn’t understand why Kennedy left him even though he made no time for her, but was willing to take a vacation for a pleasure cruise.

Also when Sebastian finally sees the errors of his ways, I find the timing in which he tells Kennedy, is not the best considering his dad sounded like he was on death’s door.
972 reviews11 followers
April 2, 2021
Short easy-to-read family saga prequel. This was a light-hearted, yet emotional novel about two people and their impending divorce looming over them, amidst a family wedding. Yet, they love each other and have explosive weekend sex, while still pretending to be together ensuring the wedding is a happy affair. Most people who file for divorce don't do so because they still adore each other. Nevertheless, Kennedy and Sebastian do and are the perfect example of a couple that have been split apart by work pressures. Good character descriptions, intelligent dialogue and use of vocabulary with good attention to editing make this an easy to read novel. Some well-handled family drama and soul searching ensures the HEA for our couple. This short novel is a good example of how the "rat race" and badly handled priorities can nearly destroy family life and marriage. I recommend this novel, which is a prequel to a new series with likeable characters that readers may wish to follow.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Katie.
1,276 reviews22 followers
October 22, 2022
Adorably Romantic Second Chance Romance

Dr. Sebastian Hart is at the top of his career and he gets to work on celebrities, top athletes, and everyone in between. However, the one thing he can’t seem to get right is giving his wife Dr. Kennedy Hart what she wants and needs more than anything is her husband!! Sebastian can’t lose her she is everything to him and her leaving him was just what he needed to make sure that once he wins her back she never leaves again. His sister is getting married and Kennedy has promised to act like everything is normal when around their family and friends because she won’t ruin or upset anyone around his sisters big day.

This book is beyond adorable and very sexy watching these two amazing people find their way back to each other. Tristan’s story is next and he has definitely going to find something way more than he bargained for on his singles cruise. Happy Reading!!!
Profile Image for DeDe Starkweather.
140 reviews
March 31, 2021
This was a nice short story about two doctors, who fell in love and married, but then life and careers got in the way. Our hero, Sebastian, is so focused on career success that he leaves his wife Kennedy alone, night after night. While both still love each other, love can’t make a relationship survive neglect. When Kennedy leaves, Seb feels like he just can’t repair what’s broken. But then, a family wedding gives him a chance. Kennedy still loves him, and regrets leaving, but she feels like the only way forward is a divorce. She also loves his family and agrees to pretend that they are together for the wedding festivities and plans to convince him to sign those papers!
They get their sweet HEA, but you will have to read for yourself to see how they overcame their problems!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Frances Hernandez.
744 reviews5 followers
July 24, 2021
Doctors in love

This is the story about Sebastian, and his wife, Kennedy, both of them are very talented doctors. They have been married for sometime, but their jobs have taken over their lives. Work has become a priority in stead of their relationship, especially to Sebastian. Kennedy files for a divorce, even though she loves Sebastian, because she is tired of being ignored.
Sebastian loves his wife, and is now realizing how he has treated his wife. He works on trying to mend their relationship, hoping that it’s not too late. After an incident at his siblings wedding, he realizes all his mistakes, and begs Kennedy to cancel the divorce. Eventually they do obtain their HEA, with a great closure.
This author is a New-to-me author, but I enjoyed this story, the characters, and the writing. I do plan to read more by Deborah Garland.
Profile Image for Korkoi.
7,076 reviews31 followers
March 24, 2021
Rekindling Their Existing Love -
Sebastian and Kennedy may have been in the process of getting a divorce, but their love for each was still evident to every and they just couldn’t keep their hands off each other. If you want to read a book about a gorgeous billionaire, whose love for his wife will set your heart on fire, then this book is for you. Deborah Garland’s talent for ensuring the characters are well-developed and likeable, shines through the book with each page turn. It won't take you long to get emotionally involved the story and start wishing for them to get their happily ever after. This book will leave you thirsting for the rest of the books in the series.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.7k reviews362 followers
April 2, 2021
Making Things Right . . .

Two doctors with busy workloads fell in love and married. But Dr. Sebastian Hart focused entirely on his career, neglecting his wife, Dr. Kennedy Hart. He loved her, but he ignored her need to share some of his time. Their marriage was falling apart. He hadn’t even noticed when she left him!

So when the two of them have obligations to attend a family wedding, and neither has told the family that they have separated, Sebastian asks her to pretend that they are still together just for the wedding, and he will finally sign the divorce papers that he has been refusing to sign. Does their time together again help? Has he learned to keep his priorities straight? Will Kennedy give him a second chance to make things right this time?
Profile Image for Gina.
271 reviews
August 16, 2022
2.5/5 Stars

This was a very cute and steamy quick read, I do not think the authors intentions were clearly illustrated during this book.

It is very ambitious to have a second chance romance plotline in an under 100 page novella and they missed the mark.

The reasons Kennedy and Sebastian divorced are very clear, but it doesn't seem like Sebastian changed and it seemed like it was 100% Sebastian's fault which doesn't really fit a divorce plotline.

This story would have been better served with another 100 pages that deals with how Sebastian will change and that doesntr require a near death experience or a random epiphany, this story also suffered from showing not telling. Not my favorite but it wasn't all bad.
Profile Image for Opasan Ouprie.
1,198 reviews
April 2, 2021
This is a bit of a different type of story. Two doctors that are separated, but not for the reasons we would think. They both love each other but he is more devoted to his being a doctor than showing his wife his love. So they separate but do not inform his family. She doesn't want his money, she just wanted his time and love. They have to spend the weekend together so his family does not find out they are separated. While they spend time together, is he able to realize that he needs to devote more time to his wife? Can they move past things of the past and move forward together?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,411 reviews19 followers
April 5, 2021
This book is a second chance romance between two married physicians, Dr. Sebastian Hart and Dr. Kennedy Hart. Sebastian is a busy surgeon providing orthopedic surgery to celebrity athletes who has been ignoring Kennedy. Kennedy decides to leave her husband with regret and has been separated for months when she is asked to be the maid of honor for her sister-in-law. Since the family does not know of their separation, Sebastian and Kennedy have to spend the weekend together as a happy couple. This quick read has realistic characters and a great second chance at love with sizzling passion.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,543 reviews14 followers
August 20, 2021
The Good Billionaire is a fantastic contemporary romance by Deborah Garland. This is a fairly quick read, perfect for those with limited reading time. Ms. Garland has given readers a well-written book stocked with outstanding characters. Sebastion and his wife Kennedy have been apart for months 6 months and she's filed for divorce. Sebastion and Kennedy's story is loaded with drama, humor and sexy bits. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more from Deborah Garland in the future. The Good Billionaire is part of the Lords of Gotham Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Profile Image for gusthygirl.
11 reviews1 follower
March 27, 2023
the bad billionaire

Seb and kennedy are weird. This was a hard read for me because sometimes the way the author would use words sounded so weird and having dyslexia really made it difficult to read this book. The sex scenes were mediocre at best and kennedy describing how good her cousin in laws look will forever be weird. What is up with napkin americans liking their cousins? Like enough already! The resolution came so quick i almost missed it. I wanted to stop reading midway but i just wanted to finish it because i have a quota im trying to hit this year but i def would not recommend.
Profile Image for Nonna 2K.
1,338 reviews11 followers
May 9, 2022
Quick Read

Sebastian and Kennedy are a married couple, but have been separated for the past 6 months. They haven’t seen each other in that time. His sister is getting married and Kennedy is in the wedding party. They have a meet up in the operating room. They agree to not let the family know they are separated at the wedding festivities. Long story short, they get together with each other, things get said/done, and they get their HEA. Simply written. No great angst beside what the story starts with.
1,639 reviews15 followers
March 28, 2021
As someone that has read the Lords of Gotham books, I really liked this prequel. This one was about Sebastian and his wife who were separated, but he refused to sign the divorce papers. It wasn't the money that he didn't want to lose, it was his wife. He loved her but had not been paying enough attention to her. It was fun to revisit the brothers and see how they were before the series started.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,553 reviews10 followers
March 31, 2021
Great story.
Really liked Seb & Kennedy's story it's clear ftom the start that although they are pretending to still be married at his sisters wedding as his family do not know, that they are still in love with each other. I couldn't put it down dedperate for Seb to understand why their marriage had broke & hoped they could save it & be together again.
I can't wait to read Tristan's story & hus sex cruise.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4,627 reviews
April 1, 2021
Can close quarters and a wedding save their marriage?
Sebastian and Kennedy fell in love, got married, and are practicing doctors but Seb has been more focused on his career and has been M.I.A. at his home so Kennedy says enough is enough.
This was a well-written short story, the feels and you just could tell it wasn't because they feel out of love and that they belong together.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,221 reviews4 followers
April 4, 2021
Kennedy wants a divorce. Sebastian hasn't told his family that they're separated, so they play along as if nothing is wrong at his sister's wedding. This is a nice prequel to the Lords of Gotham series. It's short and easy to read, an amusing story with likable characters, and it's a terrific introduction to this family.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Barbara.
19.2k reviews8 followers
April 5, 2021
The first book and also the prequel to the Lords of Gotham series a well written story that kept me turning pages. Dr. Sebastian Hart is a workaholic and does not even see what he is doing to his and his wife Dr. Kennedy Hart's marriage. Kennedy left but now they must pretend to be together for his sister's wedding. I enjoyed seeing this story come together. I want to read the rest of this series.
230 reviews
April 5, 2021
Another great book by this author.
The story worked so well for me. It just seemed to flow
from the start to the finish.
The characters worked so well together and I had a great
connection with them all as well.
I didn`t find any spelling mistakes or any holes in the plot of the story.
I do recommend this book for others over the age of 18+

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
284 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2021
Tristian/Tris is on his annual cruise where he looks forward to letting loose and indulging in meaningless hookups. That was his plan until he see Laney. Laney was awarded the cruise and she was planning on seducing her soon to be ex-boss Jonathan. It was hilarious when Laney finally figures out what type of cruise this was. Tris wants Laney, will she choose Tris or Jonathan? Loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Mel.
61 reviews
September 19, 2022
A sweet second chance romance between Sebastian and Savannah. I loved the groveling male lead that actually had to change his ways and backup his words with actions in order to get the strong Female Lead to believe him and get her back. I will say there were some parts that were a bit overdone and cheesy, but isn't that what makes a good romance novel? Overall, 10/10 if you like a groveling male lead and strong female lead.
Profile Image for Debbie Benson.
9,699 reviews35 followers
April 1, 2021
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Sebastian and Kennedy are in love but Kennedy is asking for a divorce. One wedding weekend reminds them of what they have and when his uncle has a heart attack, Sebastian changes his plans and wins back his wife.
Profile Image for Helena Mendes.
1,370 reviews16 followers
April 1, 2021
This story delves the cost of demanding careers takes on personal and family life. Kennedy and Sebastian's marriage suffers not for lack of love but lack of time to strengthen their love and relationship. This was a good prequel for the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Marichus Real.
3,518 reviews27 followers
April 2, 2021
Kennedy wanted the divorce just because she felt neglected.
Sebastian didn’t understand what the problem was for his wife to abandon him.
I liked how Seb’s cousins help them to fix their differences.
I enjoyed the book, but I think there is too much sex for such a short book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews

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