The Ezra Klein Show Reading List: Books Recommended By Guests On The Podcast (part 1 Of 3)

Rhea Valdez was promised to Nikolai Voss to be his wife, a contract was tied between both of them. Nikolai wanted Rhea and only Rhea. But on the wedding day, to his upmost surprise he got her sister, Kate instead. He hated Kate, and never made any interest to hide his hatred for her. He weds Kate silently, and vows to make her pay for doing what she did. -------------------- After the priest said you may now kiss the bride, Nikolai brought his face forward and whispered to me, "From this day henceforth, you will pay for agreeing to play with my intelligence. This I promise you." He then took my fragile lips into his, and kissed me. The crowds cheering, not knowing I just signed my death's bed by agreeing to help my step-sister flee with her boyfriend from Nikolai.

Arya Astrid Fonacier is a lot of things; she's beautiful, cunningly smart, restless, and outgoing. She just wants nothing but to prove herself to their school that she and her entire volleyball team deserves the support they can get. That's what only matters to her. Life is never difficult for her. Her family loves her, her friends are supportive of her and she has a boyfriend that she can be proud of. What could go wrong? Well.. It all started when she unwittingly called a deal with their school rival's Alpha, Blaise Rafaelo Gandia. Things in her life is never the same again. And it is a game that Arya definitely doesn't want to play.

CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this book contains sensitive themes and includes explicit scenes, making up approximately 20% of its content. It is intended for mature readers only. _ "Teka lang, Sir! A-Ano kasi eh..." Napangiwi si Mahal habang naghahagilap ng mairarason dito sa lalaking ito na binili siya sa Auction. "Are you kidding me? 'Teka lang?' Are you sure that's really 'teka lang?" Napayuko na lang siya dahil sa pagalit na natanong ng lalaki. Halatang napipikon na sa kaniya. Inilapit pa nito ang mukha sa kaniya para iparamdam sa kaniya ang inis nito at nagsalita, "Remember, I paid a hefty 10.5 million at the auction just to purchase you. You wouldn't have even set foot in that auction if you hadn't given your consent. So now that you're under my ownership, don't think you can fool me with your usual 'teka lang, sir' tactics kasi kabisado ko na 'yan." Para siyang tinanggalan ng utak na nakatunganga sa pinagsasabi nito na ang tanging naintindihan lang ay ang salitang, 'kabisado ko na 'yan.' Ano naman ang alam niya sa English kasi tulog naman siya lagi sa subject na iyon noong nag-aaral pa siya. Para naman huminahon ito, nagsalita na lang siya. "Ahm...wag ka na magalit sir, maghuhugas lang naman ako. Ayaw mo naman ng mabaho, diba?"

" sometimes the strongest hearts carry the heaviest scars." Two years after losing her parents, 21-year-old Jane is left raising her two little brothers on her own. Abandoned by her oldee sister and juggling two exhausting jobs, Jane barely has time to breathe_let alone chase her long-forgotten dream of studying law. Every day is a battle to survive: Working long hours, skipping meals, some strange dreams, and hiding her tears behind a fake smile. But even when she breaks down in the middle of the street or collapses from exhaustion, she always gets back up- for Elhoïme and Mathias, the only family she has left. Just when she thinks no one sees her pain, Brian, a kind coworker and a long time friend, start offering small gestures of help- cofee, silence, time, understanding. She pushes him away at first, afraid of needing anyone. But his quiet presence slowly starts to feel like hope. Can Jane allow herself to lean on someone else for once, without losing her strenght- or her heart?

My name is Rayna Giancarlo and I’m many things. I’m an abused daughter, the school ridicule, the abused fiancée, the vengeful daughter, the bitter niece, the runaway wife. But not for much longer. I won’t always be a victim. Soon I’ll rise up from the flames like a Phoenix and then I’ll burn everyone who had ever wronged me to ashes.

The betrayal of her lover left Stella destitute. She thought it was the end of her life as a widow. But Mr. Marvin comes like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, making her strong so she can take revenge on the parasitic lover who drained her of all her wealth. Who is Mr. Marvin? Stella thought he was just an angel who came down from heaven to help. As she finds out the reason behind it, she's stunned.

I ran away with my new husband, Keith, chasing something—adventure, maybe, or just a way out of my dead-end town. He promised Vegas, bright lights, and fortune. Said he’d win big at the Moon Crescent Casino. I went along for the ride, naively thinking this was the start of something new. Instead, Keith lost everything. And I mean everything. And his genius solution? He sold me. To pay off his gambling debt, he handed me over like property—to a pack. Not just one man, but three. Wolves, apparently. Dangerous, intense... and off-the-charts gorgeous. Husk is tall, dark, and terrifyingly silent. When he does smile, it looks like it hurts him—and frankly, it gives me nightmares. Winter, with his pale hair and soft eyes, is gentle… on the surface. But there’s something immense in him, some power pulsing under his skin, like he could take control of my very soul. Then there’s Sky—moody, brooding, unreadable. He shifts between warm and cold so fast I get whiplash. They tell me I have to stay with them at the casino for thirty days. Just thirty days, and the debt is paid. Sounds simple, right? Except nothing about this is simple. And I know there’s a catch. So, I run. Only to find out—they need me. Not for money. Not just for fun. For something deeper. Something... ancient. Suddenly, I’m not the girl people overlook. I’m not the small-town girl with a too-big heart and nowhere to put it. I’m the key to something much bigger, something magical. And maybe, just maybe, these wolves aren’t my captors… they’re my future. I left to escape. But it turns out, what I needed most was exactly what I tried to leave behind.

"Now tell me, young lady, who wants you dead?" Nicholas asked as he stared intently at me. His words froze me in place. My eyes widened, and my heart raced uncontrollably in my chest. I looked at him, my eyes diverting to the blood trickling from his shoulder where he was hit by a bullet while trying to save me. "I... I don't know," I stammered, still bewildered by the events that had unfolded. Laura Dickson had endured an abusive relationship at the hands of her boyfriend Santos, to whom she felt indebted for assisting her in settling some debts. Eventually, she reaches the conclusion that she can no longer tolerate the relationship and flees, disregarding Santos' threats of ending her life should she ever leave him. At a charity ball event, she encounters Nicholas, a strikingly handsome and powerful billionaire, the head of Brandson mafia family, who saves her from a serial killer intent on shooting her. Nicholas takes it upon himself to provide her with protection at his covert hideout until the serial killer is captured. What will unfold when they discover that the serial killer was actually closer to them than they had presumed and was in fact not who they thought it was? How will Laura react when she uncovers a grave secret that will profoundly shake her foundations? And what will occur as Laura falls In love with Nicholas, a billionaire mafioso who only sees women as objects of sexual desires? Discover the answers within the gripping pages of the thrilling novel, "Bound by Passion."

By day, he’s just another broke guy with worn-out shoes and a charming smile. But behind the façade, Alec Blackwell is a billionaire tycoon—owner of a global empire and a ruthless legal mastermind. Tired of gold diggers and fake affections, Alec disguises himself as an average man, swiping through dating apps in search of something real. No private jets. No designer suits. Just raw chemistry and brutal honesty. Then he meets Zara Lane—a fiercely independent hustler juggling three jobs, a sharp tongue, and zero patience for games. She doesn’t care for his sob stories or smooth talk. She wants respect, not romance. But Alec’s world is built on secrets. And Zara’s life is about to crash straight into a truth more shocking than either of them expected. Because in a game of lies, power, and attraction… Who really holds the upper hand?

warning: 🔞 This novel is rated 18+ , and it revolves around adult contents, erotic, smutty and explicit scenes🔞. _____________________________ The heat of the stall was nothing compared to the fire Elias Thorne had ignited—and immediately regretted. He knew Vera was poison; the spoiled, reckless heiress to his biggest client and a crucial business partner. What he didn't know was that a single, desperate encounter on a business trip would threaten to dismantle his entire professional life. Elias is a man who deals in control and rigid ethical boundaries, but Vera doesn't play by the rules. She's used to getting everything she wants, and her desire for him is a clear declaration of war. That war escalates the moment Elias accepts a lucrative new patient assignment only to discover Vera, the daughter of the richest man in the country, sitting across from him. She calls it fate. He calls it an unethical disaster. She's his patient, baiting him with whispered demands and dangerous requests. Vera wasn't going to stop until she had him, and Elias knew the terrible truth: he wasn't sure he wanted her to.