Book Review: The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee

Title: The Forgotten One
Author: Catherine Bybee
Series: The Heirs #2
Pages: 384
Publication Date: Nov. 12, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:

Sarah McNeilly is a rare find in the tabloid industry. She won’t ignite gossip. She finds the truth. And for once, that’s what her boss wants. With her job on the line, Sarah’s latest assignment is to identify the elusive “Maximillian Smith,” unearth his connection to the billionaire Stone family, and dig up some dirt.

Yesterday Max was an ordinary workingman, concerned with little more than the price of gas. Now he suddenly has a family, jaw-dropping wealth, and an avid (if clumsy) reporter on his trail. With the press threatening to destroy his new life, he needs to release his real story strategically, and Sarah is the key—not to mention an adorable yet invaluable resource for finding his mother.

As Max and Sarah team up to peel back the ugly layers of Max’s past, they stumble heart-first into their fiery attraction. But when their research threatens their newly built trust, it’s their future that is on the line.

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I was so excited to get an ARC of The Forgotten One because I really wanted to learn more about Chase and Alex’s brother Max after reading All Our Tomorrows earlier this year. I definitely wasn’t disappointed! Max and Sarah’s story is fantastic, and their love story made me feel all the feels!

Max has a compelling backstory, and he is totally shocked when he learns who his father was and what he inherited. It was interesting to see Max adjust to this new life while still staying true to himself and his values. He definitely shakes things up a bit in the business world and in the world of his new family.

Something I really love about this series is the strong family vibes, and I wasn’t surprised to see Chase and Alex welcome Max into their fold. They are all such warm and honorable people – very different from many of the people, especially in their business, around them. While Chase and Alex always had each other and a dedicated mother on their side, Max had no one. Raised in foster and group homes, Max is slow to trust, and he doesn’t really let people get too close. Needless to say, these massive changes in his life and the appearance of a newfound family are completely life-changing. Add to that a genuine and kind reporter, and Max is in way over his head.

Sarah and Max have such a wonderful love story. A reporter assigned to learn everything she can about Max and his connection to the Stone family, Sarah is a tabloid journalist with integrity, and she refuses to put her name on anything but the truth, much to her boss’s dismay. She hates her job, which is a stepping stone toward her journalistic goals, but she knows she has to appease her boss. I like that she stays firm in her convictions and doesn’t let people push her around. Sarah works hard to prove her sincerity and honesty to the untrusting Max, and even though Max tries to keep his walls up, he falls hard for Sarah. They have amazing chemistry, and I rooted for them from the start.

This is a great addition to the series, and I’m so looking forward to the next book because I adore Alex and can’t wait to see her fall in love.

The romance!

The siblings/strong family vibes.

rags to riches
themes about family
enemies (kind of) to lovers

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating from high school, she moved to Southern California with hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the International Bestselling Not Quite series, the MacCoinnich Time Travel series as well as the Internationally Bestselling Weekday Brides series.