The Billionaire Drifter

Family Secrets #7

by Beverly Bird

SUBJECT: Maxwell Strong, real-estate developer
FAMILY HISTORY: Self-made billionaire with blue-collar roots
DEEPEST SECRET: Keeping his identity hidden from the world

Billionaire Max Strong was enjoying living under the radar on the remote island of Brunhia, far away from the glitz and glamour. His beloved father had died, his divorce was final and he needed to do some soul-searching. But strange things were happening at this "safe" haven . . . the most disturbing was his unexpected run-in with a beautiful stranger.

Sheltered Honey Evans hadn't a clue who he was, yet Max would never forget her irresistible seduction or her abrupt departure. Fate would put them in each other's arms again, though Max was determined to keep his identity a secret and teach his naïve temptress a lesson. But would his deceptive charade destroy them both?

Five extraordinary siblings,
One dangerous past.
Unlimited potential.

Genres: Romance

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

About the author

Beverly confesses to having been the prototype of the rebellious teenager. By the age of five — when she tried to rewrite the ending to The Wizard of Oz because it scared her — she knew she would be a writer.

Therefore, the high school regimen was obviously not for her, and childhood was just something to get through before she could make her mark on the world. On one memorable occasion, she stood up in chemistry class to inform her teacher that she did not need to understand the subject because in a few years she would be writing for a living anyway. She failed the class, of course. Then, some 20 years later, she had to face the teacher at a reunion and admit that when she had to research DNA for a recent book she still had no clue what it was about!

Since words are meant to be read and not eaten, Beverly turned seriously to writing when she was 22. The stars aligned for a time — she was single and her rent was astronomically low because she looked after the elderly lady who owned the building. She’d just gotten laid off from an advertising job with a newspaper due to budget cuts and therefore had an unemployment check coming in weekly. She decided that it was now or never — and Emeralds in the Dark was born, published by Silhouette to launch the Intimate Moments line in 1983.

Since then, Beverly has published 20 books with Silhouette as well as several romantic suspense and historical novels. She prefers strong heroines with hidden soft spots and a penchant for getting themselves into trouble, figuring that she has had some experience herself in that area.

Though she has lived in several places in the United States, Beverly returned to her roots to live on a barrier island off the coast of New Jersey with her son and a Chihuahua named Taco, where periodically she risks running into that chemistry teacher. But these days, she is much less rebellious and tends to tuck tail and run when she encounters someone she probably ticked off 25 years ago!

Beverly loves to hear from readers but admits that she is seriously negligent about actually traveling to the post office and snail-mailing her replies. She asks that anyone who would like to contact her please do so via email at Bvrlye@aol.com.

Reviews

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honey Evans is a woman with a plan to get laid, and she figures her brother’s wedding on Brunhia is the perfect opportunity. She’ll find some hot, Portuguese lover and finally lose her virginity. When she arrives, she discovers that Brunhia is a backwater place, but she does find Maxwell Strong and makes her plan to include him. Max just wants to be left alone. He’s hiding from life and avoiding rich women and it’s working for him. But Honey just won’t leave him alone and he soon loses the ability to resist her. But neither of them is telling the truth about who they are, and those secrets have to come out eventually.

Not a whole lot here to advance the overarching plot of the series, except for all of the major characters coming together to celebrate Marcus’s wedding to Samantha. All of them of course try to keep secrets from Honey, mostly to protect her, though she thinks it’s because they don’t trust her (and no matter what they say, I agree with her). And with good reason on their part. Honey is a sunny, loyal and caring kind of person, but she’s also flighty, irreverent and a little self-interested. In sum, she got on my ever last nerve. Maybe I was in a grouchy mood, so I might be wrong, but I could not stand the woman. First of all her plan to just find a guy so she can lose her virginity...I haven’t liked a single heroine with this on her agenda. She lives a purposeless life and whines and complains about it and instead of DOING something about it she just wants to run away. She blames everybody else for her not being able to be “herself,” but SHE is the only one with the power to change it. And all she does is whine and complain about it. I found myself totally unsympathetic to her perceived problems when what she really needed was some serious self-reflection. She is very clearly spoiled, so much so that when Max initially dislikes her, she cannot fathom it and cannot accept it. She throws herself at him and when he rejects her (not cruelly) she throws herself a little tantrum about it, getting all butthurt about someone rejecting the real her. But despite his rejections and apparent dislike, she continues to throw herself at him..gotta lose that virginity after all. After rejecting her, Max says he didn’t want what she was doing. She argues back that of course he did! I actually wanted him to leave or do something that might teach her about her own insignificance. I just found it very hard to enjoy this story because of my strong aversion to the heroine.

I’m also not quite sure I like the ultimate message in the ending, that you basically solve your problems by running away from them. Then you’re free from expectations, just so long as you have enough money to keep running. But it’s nice to dream that I could do something like that, so it’s kind of an ending I personally would like to experience.

This honestly was a well-written story and Max himself seemed pretty intriguing, but I couldn’t get past how much I disliked Honey Evans. I’m sure some may find her more likeable than I did - she honestly did have some good traits, but I just couldn’t connect to her, couldn’t feel sorry for her and would have much rather she found a way to love herself rather than to find someone else to love her. Mostly, I think I wanted Honey to grow up and end up with more depth, to realize that she could focus on being the person she wanted to be and find a purpose in her life and with her family, but all she really does is find a partner for her problem avoidance.

[ElaineY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very reminiscent of Jilly Cooper and despite the heroine's antics, I found her likeable. I loved Bird's writing style and this will not be my last Beverly Bird book though it is my first. I much prefer these category titles to her single title/series as J R Ward.

TBD's pace is light, fun and just the book to de-stress with but I do have some quibbles about. The poor-little-rich-girl routine can get a little grating as did Max's paranoia regarding the invasion of his privacy. If he's that obsessed about being left alone he should go buy his own private island! After all, he's a billionaire. As for Honey, she has a zest for life and adventure but is in need a of a good spanking and some maturing. Nevertheless, the zaniness of the entire situation is an enjoyable diversion and Max is your typical gorgeous hunk. I don't blame Honey for pursuing him with such energy!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best in the series so far. I loved the characters. Excellent story!