Ann Patchett's "52 All-time Favorite Books From The Year I Turned 52"

"Do you want to lose your job to be my lover who will give you anything you want, or do you want to be just jobless for rejecting me?" Daisy just wants peace in her normal life, until she meets River, the owner of the hotel where she works. A rich and powerful man who, in just one night, could turn Daisy into Cinderella. But instead of being River's lover, Daisy became the big boss's personal maid. The maid who takes care of her handsome master's "most personal" parts. So, what's it like for Daisy to work as River's maid? Was it still as lovely as River had promised when life violently shook him from the highest peak to the lowest bottom?

"Keep this ring as a promise that I will marry you when all of this is over." Isla Rae de Catalina is living the life. Good career, loving and supportive family and friends. She was everyone's favorite until she met Kade Edward Doyle, the man who has been unknown to her until he sang at one of her runway shows. How would the two live their love?

Nathan Cain, a wealthy, enigmatic businessman, and a feared man, captures the attention of Mel, a hardworking college student desperate to make ends meet. Though drawn to Nathan, Mel finds herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions and secrets when she discovers his family is entangled in a dangerous web of internal strife and external threats. In the midst of it all if Mel wants Nathan she has a lot of sacrifices to make, which includes her drunk father, her boyfriend, and her best friend as she finds herself in a complicated relationship. Meanwhile, Nathan’s internal strife with his family does not make it an easier choice.

Si Catherine Imperial ay ipinanganak sa isang kilalang pamilya. Lahat ng gusto niya ay meron siya. Kapatid na mapagmahal at ma-arugang ama. Wala mang nakalakihang ina ay hindi iyon naging hadlang para kay Catherine. But what if the Imperial Princess will get kidnapped? Ano na lamang ang magiging ganti at reaksyon ng kanyang mga kapatid? Will they avenge their sister if Catherine will fall for the wrong person? And why is it wrong? Anu-ano kaya ang matutuklasan ni Catherine sa lalaking mahal niya? Mabago kaya nun ang paniniwala niya?

“Who am I supposed to be this time — the boy they love, or the man they lost?” Eli, a 25-year-old orphan who’s fought his whole life to survive, finally lands his dream job. But before he can take his first real breath of happiness, a freak accident claims his life. When he wakes up, he’s in the body of a 19-year-old boy with his same name, a rich family, and everything Eli never had. But behind the family’s perfect smiles lurk whispers of betrayal, greed, and death. Then, the memories come. Not just his own — but those of another man: a brilliant young CEO, poisoned by his own stepmother and stepsister. Two souls. Two deaths. One body. And one haunting question: Why him? As Eli’s worlds collide, so do the people who once loved them. — The CEO’s secret crush who swore revenge. — The orphan’s loyal boyfriend who refuses to move on. — The young heir’s fiancée who senses a stranger behind familiar eyes. Now burdened with three lives’ worth of pain, love, and unfinished stories, Eli must uncover the truth behind his rebirth… and decide whether this second life is a chance for redemption — or the cruelest punishment of all.

“Hey, Stranger… You look dangerously delicious tonight. Want to get wild?” That's what Brinda says to a handsome stranger in a club— just hours after discovering her fiancé in bed with her sister on their wedding day. The betrayal cuts deep, but nothing numbs the pain like a wild night with Las Vegas’ most notorious billionaire playboy, Jason Adam. But when a pregnancy test changes everything, Jason makes her an offer: leave behind her life as a sex worker and live under the roof. No strings… or so she thought. As Brinda struggles with secrets from her past, Jason is hiding demons of his own. When dangerous enemies resurfaces and a shocking truth about her parent's death is unconvered, Brinda must decide if the man who broke her walls down is also the one who can save her. Will love be enough to heal two broken souls? Or will lust, lies, and betrayal tear them apart forever?

When my husband Joshua dragged his student Linda Moore into our apartment, I didn't even blink—I gave up the bed. Last time, it'd been pouring when he showed up with her in the middle of the night. Told me to crash on the floor with my daughter Mia and gave Linda the bed like it was nothing. I lost it. Fought with him, snapped at her. She bolted, slipped into a ditch, and supposedly drowned. Joshua said nothing. Then, one night, with the storm going wild outside, he pried open a manhole and dumped me and Mia in like trash. "Linda's my mentor's daughter. She's dead—how am I supposed to face him? You two can apologize yourselves." We didn't even get to scream before that freezing, disgusting water swallowed us whole. Turns out, Linda faked the whole thing. Just a twisted joke to punish me. Joshua moved her in right after, like nothing happened. Now, thunder cracked again as the door opened—and there he was, Linda right behind him.

“Are you crying?" She shook her head and wiped at her face as more tears were falling. “I’m so stupid.” she groaned. "Now I am truly and utterly alone. If I had just said yes to marrying him, none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t have dragged you into this mess.” Without warning, I turned sharp to the side, putting the car to a sudden stop close to the curb. “Don’t ever say that again. You think marrying a man you don’t love, a man who doesn’t care if he hurts you, just to please your family is the right thing to do?” I turned to her slowly. “That would’ve ruined you.” “But I would’ve had a home to go to, I would’ve been taken care of. Now I have nothing,” she looked away. I reached over and gently took her bruised hand in mine. “You did the hardest thing anyone in your position could have done. You saved yourself. That takes more guts than standing there and pretending to be happy.” I tucked a hair behind her ear. “You think you are alone? You’re not… you have me.” ___ Alina Etienne has always lived a life dictated by her parents. She is groomed to be an obedient daughter, a perfect public image, and now, a bride to a man she doesn’t know or love. On her wedding day, crushed by the weight of expectations, Alina does the unthinkable... she says “I don’t” and flees the altar. On the run and scared with nowhere to go, she crosses paths with Mikhail Antonov. A cold, guarded man with a past he doesn’t talk about. What began as a reluctant act of kindness turned into something neither of them expected.

Three days before our engagement, Zach Jefferson called me. “We’ll need to postpone the engagement party by a month. That day is Sienna’s first concert since she returned, and I need to be there. “It’s just a postponement. It’s no big deal.” He had postponed our engagement three times that year. The first time was because Sienna Lynch had been hospitalized with appendicitis. He said he had to take care of her and rushed over. The second time, Sienna said she was feeling down. He was worried she might get depressed and immediately booked a flight to see her. It was the third time. I simply said, “Okay.” After hanging up, I turned to the good-looking and refined man beside me. “Are you interested in marrying me?” Later, during Sienna’s concert, Zach left her without hesitation. With red, teary eyes, he rushed to my engagement ceremony. “Yulia, are you really getting engaged to this man?”

Kesempurnaan yang membalut diri Adam Jonhsam benar-benar bisa menutup rapat luka batinnya dengan segala macam terjangan sejak usianya masih muda. Luka-luka itu membentuknya menjadi pribadi yang terlihat kuat diluar, namun ringkih dalamnya. Hingga masuknya Alicya Anatasya Gerald memberi warna baru dalam hidup Adam, membuat pria itu merasakan sebuah perasaan yang sangat asing bagi dirinya. Tapi itu semua tidak berlangsung lama. Dimana saat ia baru memulai hidupnya bersama wanita yang memberi warna dihidupnya itu diterjang masalah yang menyentuh titik lemah Alicya. Belum selesai sampai di situ, Adam harus lagi merasakan dunianya yang seakan runtuh saat mendapati istri yang sangat ia cintai menghilang bersama dengan buah cintanya.