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

After becoming a successful businesswoman, Chad Jennings’ wife wife threw him out and divorced him. Little did she know, that she would not have achieved her success if it were not for him. After the divorce, he made a comeback and shook the world!

My parents made Dana and me settle it with rock-paper-scissors. Loser had to marry the Baillieu heir—the so-called "freak." I won. Then flipped the script. "Cool. I'll take Blake. Dana can have the empire." Last time? I was dumb in love with Michael—Dad's adopted golden boy. Chose the company, stayed behind, and handed Dana off to Blake Baillieu. Big mistake. Six months in, Dana was gone—wrecked by that marriage. Right before she croaked, she texted Michael blaming me. Said I lost the game and ditched the deal, dumping Blake on her. Michael? Snapped. Dude went full psycho. Turns out, he and Dana had been sneaking around for years. He dragged me behind the Baillieu estate and forced a dozen intellectually disabled men to assault me. "If it weren't for your cruelty, Dana would still be alive! You'll pay for everything she suffered!" I was over eight months pregnant—almost due. Begged him to stop. Begged for my baby's life. He didn't care. Kept ordering them to take turns. Even when my water broke, he just watched. Both my baby and I died that night. Now? I'm back. And this time, I rewrote the story. Step one: marry Blake.

THIS BOOK IS A LITTLE DARK, A NOVEL OF REVERSE HAREM, WHERE THERE ARE SCENES OF BETRAYAL, SURPRISE, RAPE, WHOEVER IS WEAK FOR THAT, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU DON'T READ IT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A young woman who was unaware of the power she possessed, without realizing it, ended up gaining space in hearts where no one could enter. It wasn't intentional, because what she didn't know is that it was a two-way street, as she also ended up feeling attracted to them. By five men completely possessive and obsessive about her. He couldn't deny what he felt for them, even though he was just a simple employee in that place. But, that's not what she would be to them. Not just any simple maid. But yes, their woman.

“Congratulations, Catherine. You've just become my fiancée.” A sultry smile curved Hunter Thorne's lips as he watched me with his predatory gaze. He was the future Don Cartelli, the purest embodiment of danger, and I was about to become his wife. How was I supposed to know that the hot stranger I kissed in the club was one of the most fearsome men in New York?! Once I realized my mistake, I chose to stay away from him. My fate, however, had other plans… When my quiet little world began to fall apart, this notorious Mafia boss became my only salvation. I needed money and protection, and he needed a wife. This was supposed to be a simple deal, but nothing is ever simple with Hunter Thorne. He's the devil incarnated, and I've just entered his hell. This devil craves my body, heart, and soul… and I'm seconds away from surrendering every last piece of me.

"What do you want lecturer? Others might see us!" She snapped out consciously, looking around the sport field to check for any intruder. "What do you think Adrian? I'm doing what I've always wanted." He replied her hotly and smashed his lips on hers, cutting her unaware. He pulled ger closer to himself, blocking off all her resistance and all her senses was wiped off with the promising kiss and at that moment, she forgot all her worries..... Adrian had wanted a normal life is the university, but not until her wicked lecturer was changed and so did her dream.

A girl who grows up not knowing anything about mother’s love and tries her best to win the love of her father who is the only family she has. But alas, her father is a man who believes and act like His business is one and only the best thing in the world. Every decision she makes is only to impress him. Now it is going to change when a special person enters her life and decides to save her. Please note that he is not perfect. He is actually one among the people who mistook her actions. The actions which she did to just be able to experience the Father’s love, which she thrives from the time she was just a kid. Is it too much to ask??? Will she goes to deep ends to get that love from her father? OR Will this new person saves her or will she builds a wall making him unable to reach near her?

Sur une scène noyée de lumière pourpre, Sélia, danseuse de cabaret au tempérament incandescent, envoûte le public de ses mouvements sensuels. Mais une chute brutale interrompt le numéro : le noir total. À son réveil, plus de musique, plus de néons… seulement l’odeur entêtante du bois poli, le vacillement des torches, et des hommes en armure qui l’empoignent sans ménagement. Sans comprendre comment, elle a quitté son époque pour se retrouver projetée au XVIIᵉ siècle, au cœur du Royaume de Valcoris, un domaine prospère bordé par les déserts brûlants et les falaises océanes, où toute danse provocante est perçue comme un acte de sorcellerie. Face à elle se tient le Roi Lucian Aurel, jeune souverain redouté, aussi froid qu’implacable. Fasciné malgré lui par cette étrangère aux gestes envoûtants, il la déclare sorcière et ordonne sa mise à mort. Jetée dans une cellule humide, Sélia comprend qu’elle n’a que deux voies : mourir… ou séduire l’homme qui veut sa tête. Mais deux femmes rôdent déjà dans l’ombre du trône. Il y a Calandra, maîtresse officielle du Roi, jalouse et rusée, prête à défendre son privilège par le poison ou le mensonge. Et Lyria, mystérieuse conseillère royale, manipulatrice habile dont les sourires cachent des desseins plus noirs encore. Entre alliances fragiles et trahisons voilées, Sélia se retrouve prise dans un duel de regards, de mots et de désirs interdits. Plus la passion interdite grandit entre elle et le Roi, plus le fil de la lame se rapproche… car dans ce royaume, l’amour peut tuer plus sûrement que la guillotine.

Heloise, the Brook family's adopted daughter, was merely a pitiable tool they used to shield their biological daughter, Coral, from harm. She suffered abuse in the Brook household from a young age and was eventually discarded and left to fend for herself in the harsh and hellish slums of BlueWolf Mountain, teeming with mentally ill, disabled, and sinister individuals. Then one day, Reginald Wordsworth, the enigmatic and domineering CEO of the PHOENIXFELL Empire's first conglomerate, Reginald Wordsworth chose her, and brought her out of the slums. Her fate took a dramatic turn as she embarked on a quest for revenge. She pretended to be a mental patient and engaged in a battle of wits with Reginald, unraveling the mysteries surrounding the enigmatic head of the first financial conglomerate. At the same time, Reginald also discovered that she was not an ordinary person. ******** she had ever been penniless, but Reginald, the big cheese, was irresistibly drawn to her and highly pampered her. ******** " Heloise, an abandoned baby, a dirt poor!" Someone said before he saw Heloise signing dozens of real estate agreements, while dozing off. " Heloise, has no backing. Why is she so arrogant?" Someone said, and then he saw Phoenixfell's first conglomerate's tycoon Reginald Wordsworth publicly announced his marriage to Heloise. "Heloise, I know, she couldn't give birth a long time ago!" Another person said, and then he was beaten by Wordsworth's little young master, "Mommy can't give birth, so where did I come from?"

William Samsons MacRay, a famous architect, seemed to have a problem with getting everything done on time. He is a mature man, 37 years old, who is late in getting married because he is busy creating amazing architectural buildings in various parts of the world. However, this time, the unfortunate incident when his wallet was stolen and he missed his flight at the airport actually brought Will together with Emmy Estelia Setiawan. This cute 22-year-old girl has just returned to Jakarta after completing her architecture education at Harvard University. He bought Will a cup of coffee and also took the mature man home in an airport taxi. Who would have thought that Will was the owner of Fame Palette Artisans Co., a place that received an Emmy for working via email while still in the United States? This was the first time William felt so attracted to a girl that he kept Emmy with him wherever he went to work around the world: Berlin, Dublin, Morocco, Prague, Rotterdam, etc. They became so close that they had a special sugar daddy and sugar baby relationship. When the seeds of love grew, Will's parents even arranged for him to marry Vanessa, the daughter of their colleague, so that he could get married quickly. Will William dare to continue fighting for his love for his beloved cute girl, or will he try to be logical and end the long age gap relationship?

I had to get away from here! From HIM. Before I embarrassed myself further, or worse… accidentally exposed myself. But to my horror… in my flailing, the first three buttons of my shirt popped, spilling my breasts from the revealing bra beneath. “What the hell?” His shocked eyes flew to mine. Mortification hit me like a wave. My eyes widened, burning with shame. And then his eyes turned angry—the surprise vanishing immediately. “Was that an act?” He snapped, dangerously. “Are you here to seduce me?” ~~~~~ Luca was just a client—albeit one who paid the highest to touch her. A man who claimed every Friday night at the casino, and far more of her heart than Maya ever intended to give. Then one night, he vanished. A year passed, and Maya was certain she’d never see him again. But fate is a cruel bitch. Fresh out of the casino and desperate for a new start, she takes a job as a nanny… only to discover that her new employer is the very man who's haunted her dreams. And he doesn’t recognize her! To Luca, she’s simply the caretaker for his son… but little does he know that the woman now tucking his child into bed is the same one he once undressed in the dark. And Maya intends to keep it that way. Because if he ever found out just who she really was... she could kiss her only hope of survival goodbye! ~~~~~ She swore she’d keep her past buried. He swore he’d never fall again. But secrets like theirs never stay hidden. And when the truth finally comes to light, desire might be the least dangerous thing between them.