The Forgotten One is the second story in Catherine Bybee's The Heirs series. It focuses on Max, the half-brother of Alex and Chase Stone.

Max, who had no idea his father was recently deceased billionaire hotel magnate Aaron Stone until he returned home from work one night to find three strangers waiting on his driveway. Three strangers who introduce themselves as his half-sister Alex, half-brother Chase and Chase's fiancée Piper.

Which leaves Max stunned and in disbelief. Especially when they provide Max with all the details.

Details that send Max reeling, and so enraged he finds himself chasing his new-found family out of the door with a baseball bat.

However, Chase doesn't give up and soon, Max has proof that he is the illegitimate son of Aaron Stone. So, he is entitled to a third of his estate.

Yet, Max is still left with lots of questions, especially about his mum. Who he believed had abandoned him and then died. This left Max to suffer in numerous group homes.

And he starts to get answers when he meets Sarah. A journalist who has received instructions to dig for a story on Max and the Stone family or lose her job.

But Sarah has integrity and finds Max's story heartbreaking. She also finds him attractive and vice versa. And the more time she spends with him the more determined she is to tell his story, his way.

Yet, her boss will do anything for a scoop, and doesn't care who he has to destroy to get it.

And with great character growth, sweetness, and spice. Not to mention situations that are all too real. The Forgotten One was a very engaging and thoughtful story. And I loved how Max always stayed true to himself and those who always had his back.

Max Doesn’t believe the people that turn up on his doorstep claiming to be his long lost siblings. His defences were high after a life in the care system moving from care home to foster home and back. After a lot of persuasion he finally comes to terms with his new reality. Sarah McNeilly Is tasked by her editor to find the connection between Max and the powerful Stone family. She hates working for a tabloid but needs the experience to progress to a decent paper. She makes sure to keep her integrity and fact check all her stories. She is intrigued by Max as she can’t dig up anything about him on line. We follow Max and Sarah as they find out the reality of his past and the effect on his future. Interesting addition to the series

5 Star Review The Forgotten One (The Heirs #2) by Catherine Bybee Having read and loved the first book in the latest series from Catherine Bybee, I could not wait to dive in to The Forgotten One which It was everything I was hoping for and more. I quickly became invested in Sarah McNeilly and Maximillian Smith’s story as it ticked all the boxes for me. Well written, you cannot help but be drawn into the story that Ms. Bybee wove. I fell hard and fast for these characters and was totally invested as the story developed. The Forgotten One was a good balance of romance, drama and suspense and I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

I never wanted this book to be over!! It was simply fantastic! I was excited for Max’s story. Max is in for a wild ride. His life has changed in so many ways and along the way he meets Sarah. And there’s just something about her. He knows she’s not nefarious. This is just one of those stories that I loved from the first page to the last. I couldn’t put it down. This story felt believable and I was cheering Max and Sarah on. I enjoyed their budding romance as well as the journey Max was on with his siblings. I highly recommend reading All Our Tomorrows first. But be sure not to let this series pass you by!

The Forgotten One is book 2 in the Heirs series by Catherine Bybee 4.5 stars

What happens when you discover you are the half brother and missing heir to the Stone family fortune and your world gets turned upside down…then a tabloid reporter shows up but not is all that it seems…read on for Max and Sarah’s emotional read!

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What we have is a Romance with a side of corporate intrigue and the homecoming of a man who didn't know he had a family. The problems with the foster care system in this country are highlighted in this story. It tugs at your heart and the author was up front in the forward as to why this issue is important to her. The romance between Sarah and Max is wonderful. The Stone family is fantastic. With a touch of mystery/suspense, the plot came together and worked really well. Next up is Alex's book and I look forward to seeing some corporate nasties get want they deserve.

Sarah McNeilly is working for a tabloid style magazine, but her values prevent her from writing anything that isn't true. Her boss hands her a tip and tells her he wants the dirt or don't bother coming back. What Sarah finds is a regular guy who is thrown into a life altering situation. As Sarah gets to know Max, she finds she can't do anything that will bring more grief to his life.

Maximillian Smith was abandoned by his mother at the age of two. The older woman she left him with loved him but couldn't care for an active toddler, so she surrendered him to the state where he grew up in the system never spending long in any one group or foster home. The man he became is hardworking, fair and generous, if more than a little reluctant to revel his true self.

When the Stone siblings discover him, they have a hard time convincing him that he is their half-brother. One day he is working construction and the next he is a multi-billionaire. Cue to mind blown. The news will be explosive and with a cute little reporter already sniffing around the story will be out sooner than later. For some reason Max trusts Sarah and they work with her to release his story and control the narrative. Not exactly what her boss had in mind, but Sarah can work with that.

Sarah never expected to fall for billionaire Max and really didn't want the red-hot attraction that flares between them. But the vultures are circling and there are things in Max's past that no one wants reveled, things that could harm Stone Enterprises. When Sarah's research falls into the wrong hands, all bets are off and maybe her new relationship too.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

4.5/5 stars

This is the second book in The Heirs series. This is Max’s book.

I loved book one in this series (All Our Tomorrows). This one continues right where that book left off. Even though this book has different narrators I would highly recommend reading in order as it’s a continuing story.

In the first book siblings Chase and Alex’s billionaire father died and left them everything. They were also shocked to find out that they had a brother, Max.

The Forgotten One is Max’s story. It has both romance and mystery. I loved it even more than the first book. These characters are addictive. And I just love this family so much.

The book alternates between the male and female POVs. The hero is Max. I am absolutely loving getting to know him. And I am really invested in this relationship with his family.

Sarah is the heroine. She writes for a tabloid magazine. But she only writes the truth. She is asked to find Maximillian Smith. I adored Sarah and I really liked how the author wrote Sarah and Max’s beginning.

This is a billionaire series that is very different from what I was expecting. There is romance. But that’s not the only focus and I absolutely love that about this series. Also even though this is Max’s story Chase, Alex and Piper are in this book a lot. I was really hoping that this would be the case. This story flowed seamlessly from the first book. And hopefully the next book will be the same.

Overall the romance was phenomenal, the mystery was so great and the family ties were incredible. I absolutely cannot wait to read book 3. This series is epic and I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed reading The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee is the second romance novel in the Heirs series. This time we get the lost brother, Maximillian Smith and tabloid journalist, Sarah McNeilly story. Filled with family, a delightful series arc, and plenty of swoons. I devoured their story.

I will be the first to tell you, I do not like billionaire romances, but The Heirs series has proven that wrong. Why? Because Chase, Alex and now Max have proven me wrong. I love these down-to-earth men and women and the story of how they became billionaires when their father died.

The overall story arc regarding the stipulations in their father’s will and the ruthless people surrounding them demands that the stories be read in the order of their release. However, each book features one couple’s romance, so if spoilers don’t bother you, have it. I am confident you’ll go back for the others…lol

Max was abandoned by his mother and grew up in the system, but that hasn’t stopped him from carving a life out for himself. When Chase and Alex show up at his door he doesn’t want what they are selling, but an odd gift and the chance to find his birth mother have him consenting to a DNA test.

In the meantime, Sarah McNeilly, a journalist known for her truthful posts at the tabloid who employs her, demands she find the dirt on Chase, Max and Alex. Who is Max and why is he spending time with the Stones? The tale hooked me from the start and enjoyed the chemistry between Max and Sarah. I was also delighted to spend more time with Alex, Chase and Piper, along with their friends.

A little suspense, a little drama, and family made this tale heartwarming. The characters feel genuine and I became caught up in their stories.

Fans of romance, siblings, and feel good romances will want to grab The Forgotten One and the first book, All Our Tomorrows; Stone’s story. The third book, No More Yesterdays is Alex’s story and will release in June 2025.

The Forgotten One, the sequel to The Heirs series, picks up where the first book left off. While it can possibly be read as a standalone, I believe having the background from the first book enhances the understanding of the events and characters. I was eagerly awaiting this book after finishing the first one. This story follows Max, the secret child of a hotel mogul who passed away in the first book. Max had a tough life, with his mother abandoning him and never knowing his father. His half-siblings found him and informed him that he was set to inherit money, real estate, and businesses from his late father. In this story, Max meets Sarah, a writer for a tabloid magazine, whose boss tasked her with investigating a vague tip about Max's connection to the hotel mogul, potentially a big story. I really enjoyed the book, even though I had to suspend my disbelief a bit about Max choosing Sarah, whom he'd just met, as the sole person to write his stories. That being said, it was a well-written and enjoyable read. I can't wait to dive into the next one!

As much as I liked the first book in the series, I can't say the same for this one. It just fell flat for me.
The author was so hell bent in writing characters that were so perfect in one way or the other.
It made the characters muted and over polished. The only exception were some instances in Max's past when he made some wrong decisions.
And even with those times mentioned, it was always stressed on that his past and childhood were the whole reason.
He wasn't allowed to be human in my opinion. And neither were Sarah.
Both were supportive and perfect to a fault.
The plot wasn't that nuanced and complicated like the last book, but it wasn't entirely hopeless. The romance scenes and chemistry between the couple saved the day.
All in all, I was expecting more from Max's story.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I’m a huge fan of Catherine Bybee’s romances, forever addicted to the timeless romanticism of her love stories, the superb writing, and the incredible character development, so any new book of hers automatically jumps to the top of my reading list. This series centres around the Stone siblings whose estranged father suddenly dies, leaving his multibillion-dollar business to them. But the father’s will also reveals a half brother they didn’t know existed, and in order to fully come into possession of their inheritance, they must find him. This book is the lost brother’s story—the tale of a blue-collar worker who becomes a billionaire overnight. But before his existence is even made public, a tabloid reporter starts snooping around him, looking for a connection between him and the Stone family, only to end up helping him navigate his newly found reality. A comfort read.

thank you net galley for this copy, max and sarah story was good i feel like i should have read the first book to begin with,but i got it because it is a billionaire romance.so the story overall was just a feel good happy end story,

I am loving this series! Max is the long lost heir to part of the Stone fortune! He finds it hard to believe, but finds his life turned upside down with his new fortune. Sarah is a tabloid reporter sent to figure out Max’s connection to Aaron Stone, but she finds herself connected to him and his family instead.

Max’s story is emotional and poignant and points out the flaws in our foster system. While I love the romance of Max and Sarah, I love this series for all the characters and the continuing tale of all the Stone siblings.

I can’t wait for Alex’s book!

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Captivating and heartwarming.

Max Smith is a surprise sibling to the Stone billionaires and although he comes across as stable, there is a lot of baggage in his past. Although Sarah McNeilly is a journalist who works for a tabloid, she dreams of writing for a top-tier news company. Because of this lifelong dream, she refuses to fall into line at work and print untruths. She and Max meet accidentally and as trust grows between the two, the secrets they still hide hang over their heads.

Catherine Bybee never fails to captivate me from the beginning of her stories. I fall in love with her characters and celebrate in the happily ever afters. I love watching her characters grow and overcome the roadblocks in their way. They are always well-developed with a depth that separates her from other authors. The story is filled with love, steam, suspense, and family. I enjoyed seeing the relationship with his siblings grow and always love to have a surprise visit from Jack Morrison. I’m really looking forward to Alex’s story next.

Absorbing, spicy, and heartfelt!

The Forgotten One is a sweet, uplifting tale that takes us into the lives of Maximillian Smith, a down-to-earth guy with a rough past who is still coming to grips with his newly inherited wealth, and Sarah McNeilly, a tabloid reporter who is determined to uncover the truth and write pieces that are meaningful and honest regardless of what her boss would prefer.

The writing is smooth and sincere. The characters are hardworking, passionate, and stubborn. And the plot is an engaging, hopeful tale full of family, drama, disappointments, tender moments, palpable chemistry, expectations, revelations, friendship, and love.

Overall, The Forgotten One is a warm, charming, addictive read by Bybee that can definitely be picked up as a standalone novel, but as someone who absolutely adores this Heirs series, I highly recommend you read them all.

This book is the second in The Heirs series and follows Max's foray into familial bonds as well as white collar work. As Max's involvement with the Stone enterprise develops, he meets a tabloid reporter, Sarah, who is tasked with delivering all of the details of Max's life.
While I'm not always a fan of billionaire stories, this one was an entertaining and uplifting read. The relationships with unknown family are discovered and nurtured in a positive way. I also loved that the book addresses a sad reality that is children in state care. Overall, it was a story full of positive interpersonal relationships and character growth for both Max and Sarah.

I'm loving this series so much! I loved that we got to know more about Max in this book. His pairing with Sarah was a bit of a surprise knowing what her job was. But they were so great together. They had an immediate chemistry and they really just fit. Max was such a surprising character and I loved how he shows he cares for people. It was an amazing trait knowing how difficult his childhood had been. I had been anxiously looking forward to this one and was not disappointed in the slightest. I really want to get to the next book in the series and find out more about Alex. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Wow just wow. I read this immediately after All Our Tomorrows and i wish I could erase the last 4 days and start this journey all over again.
Catherine has an incredible way with words, the flow and pace of the books are just perfect. I loved the storylines in both books and totally invested in all the characters.
This book picks straight up from Book 1 after Chase and Alex finding Max. One minute his life is running from one pay check to another, living in the undesirable Palmdale and the next he’s being told his father who he had no knowledge of has died leaving him and his newly found siblings as heirs to his multi billion dollar empire.
Max doesn’t trust easily, he believed his parents died when he was a baby fording him to grow up in foster homes but mostly group homes including a stint in a Juvenile detention facility.
Sarah McNeilly writes for a gossip magazine but doesn’t sensationalise her stories which is why she’s tasked to unearth the truth behind the connection between Maximillian Smith and the Stone family empire. Max soon realises Sarah could be key to help write the story the right way to not damage the Stone name and manage the fall out it could cause the business.
I won’t give any spoilers but the development of their characters and the story is 😘
The icing on the cake is still following Chase, Piper and Alex’s story. I cannot wait for June 25 for Book 3 (Maybe Alex’s book 🙏)
Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Bybee and Montlake for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

When Maximillian Smith is thrust into the world of the billionaire Stone family, he is not prepared for what lies ahead. Having gone from wondering how to pay for gas to untold wealth, he struggles with finding his feet. Yet when he meets Sarah McNeilly, he finds the person who might help him with his new life by finding his biological mother. Sarah’s latest job is to discover as much dirt as she can on Max, but she doesn’t go looking for gossip and only wants to tell the truth. Yet pressure from her boss puts pressure on her attraction to Max.
Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I was looking forward to more about the Stone family. Once I got beyond Max’s hard exterior and his attempt to push everyone away, I found him to be a complex character. I did enjoy the character of Sarah, who has such great strength of character, which is exactly what Max needed in his search for his mother. Another great addition to the series and I look forward to reading about Alex’s story next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When Maximillian Smith is thrust into the world of the billionaire Stone family, he is not prepared for what lies ahead. Having gone from wondering how to pay for gas, to untold wealth, he struggles with finding his feet. Yet when he meets Sarah McNeilly, he finds the person who might help him with his new life by finding his biological mother. Sarah’s latest job is to discover as much dirt as she can on Max, but she doesn’t go looking for gossip, and only wants to tell the truth. Yet pressure from her boss puts pressure on her attraction to Max.
Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I was looking forward to more about the Stone family. Once I got beyond Max’s hard exterior and trying to push everyone away, I found him to be a complex character. I did enjoy the character of Sarah who has such great strength of character, which is exactly what Max needed in his search for his mother. Another great addition to the series and I look forward to reading about Alex’s story next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.