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

She intended to surprise Dave with her pregnancy as a gift for their third anniversary. However, Dave repaid her with betrayal. Upon discovering the truth, Zoe decided to leave Dave and live with her sibling, Zayn, and the baby she was carrying. But Zoe would not let Dave live in peace. With the help of Zayn and his associates, they devised a plan to make Dave pay for everything he had done.

Ryan, a stripper, had spent years dreaming of revenge. The night his mother was gunned down, he swore he’d make Ricardo Covallo… a ruthless mafia boss responsible, pay in blood. When the chance came to heal Ricardo of the impotence Ryan had secretly caused, he disguised himself as a doctor and took it without hesitation. One injection, one quiet death, and justice would finally be his. But Ricardo Covallo is nothing like Ryan expected. Dangerous, yes. But also magnetic, intoxicating, and far too perceptive. A single heated night between them throws Ryan’s plan into chaos. Ricardo, drawn to something he can't quite name, refuses to let Ryan go. Trapped in a deadly game of deception and desire, Ryan finds himself torn. The man he came to kill now holds him in a cage lined with silk sheets and whispered promises. And the worst part? Ryan isn't sure he wants to escape. Because maybe revenge isn’t the only thing worth dying for.

A gasp escapes me as my back hits the wood, and hands grab mine, pinning them high above my head, forcing me to look straight into the face I’ve tried so hard to forget. Kai. His scent filled my senses, spicy and dangerous and so damn soothing. His gaze burned into my skin and the amount of fury in them almost made me shiver. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap. He leans in, voice low and venomous. “You like cuddling up in another man’s arms, Virelle?” “Excuse me?” I hissed. “Ric is my mate. I can do whatever the hell I want.” His jaw clenches as his nostrils flares. “You think he can please you?” I glare at him, ignoring the heat pooling low in my belly. “Yes, I do, because he’s my mate and I can do whatever I want, I don’t owe you anything.” “Bullshit,” he growls and before I could blink, his lips crash against mine…hard. His lips are rough and angry, his teeth grazing mine with his tongue forcing its way in, like he’s trying to claim what he threw away. My mind is screaming at me to shove him off, but my body is traitorous and trembling, and is already responding. I could feel Nyzarelle howling in delight, as I clutched to him for dear life. I'd never felt like this with Ric A moan slips from my mouth but is swallowed by his tongue as his hand grips my thigh, trailing up until I feel them on my folds. He massaged my folds roughly, before stuffing his hands into my panties and pooling a finger into me. My back aches as he finger fucks me angrily, not giving space to catch my breathe.

No one knew Lucy was the only daughter of one of the richest families in town, not even the man who once promised her forever. Greg, her ex-fiancé, dumped her without warning to chase a life-changing business contract. He thought she was just an ordinary girl, unworthy of his ambition. But fate had its own twist. When Austin, the powerful heir of the mayor’s empire, needs a fake wife to clean up his public image, he picks Lucy. She agrees, not for love, but to escape her pain... and maybe, just maybe, to get even. Now, she’s draped in designer gowns, standing beside one of the most powerful men in the city, while Greg watches from the sidelines, stunned and spiraling. But Lucy didn’t come back for applause. She came back for revenge. And nobody, not her ex, his new girl, or even Austin himself , is ready for the truth she’s hiding.

"She is not property. She is my mate and you will not mention 'her' like you're talking about a burnt banana peel."   My breath hitched.   No one had ever defended me like that.   Not once.   Kael glanced over his shoulder at me, his expression softer now, protective. "But it’s her choice. Not mine. Not yours." .......................................................... At just eighteen, Meeva Vale thought that she had found her fairytale ending, an Omega chosen as Luna by the Alpha of the Sinhound Pack. But six years later, her marriage to Alpha Jared has left her silenced, sacrificed, and stranded in a life that no longer feels her own.   When the powerful Alpha Kael Edgar of the Brawnstorm Pack storms into her territory to confront Jared over a broken trading treaty, everything changes. With a single glance, the bond between Kael and Meeva ignites. But Meeva is already claimed, married even.   But Kael doesn’t give two fucks.   He lays siege to the pack and takes Meeva with him, officially staking his claim as her mate. Her wolf betrays her heart, surrendering to him long before she does. What begins as a sinful passion quickly transforms into a deeper whirlpool.   With a dark sorcerer on their tail, their story is about to take a very unnerving turn.  

Minsi is a twenty-five-year-old woman who was blessed with a curvaceous body. She is a calm, loyal, and good herbalist. But then those wonderful things about her aren’t enough for her fated mate, the Alpha of Maplewood pack. The man mistreated her just because she wasn’t his ideal type of woman. Tortured her because of her body. Said she wasn’t perfect to be his Luna and so rejected her and banished her from his pack. Heartbroken, Minsi had no choice but to walk away, not even knowing where she was going. This is until she almost lost her life, but someone miraculously appeared and saved her from being killed by the rogues in a thick forest. Just then, a new bond is formed between her and the handsome stranger. But she didn’t raise her hopes high, knowing about her bad past experiences with mates. “It’s okay. You can reject me. I won’t force you to accept me,” she said in all honesty. “Why should I reject you? I won’t reject you, sweetheart. Because I see you, the real you,” replied the handsome stranger. Minsi is given a chance to start afresh with her life however their is a web of secrets ahead of her that will threaten everything. Who was this man? What would be the fate of Minsi now that she was given a second chance by the Moon Goddess? And what secrets is he keeping?

Lena is an Omega, bullied and humiliated by the entire Pack. Her only hope was the mating ceremony where she will get a mate and finally mean something special to someone. But fate is cruel as her mate Ethan, the future Alpha of her pack, brutally rejects her in favor of another woman. Broken and devastated, she flees in tears to a bar and drinking herself to stupor, she had a one night stand with a stranger.  She returns back to her normal life only to find out she was pregnant. Beaten by her guardians, she was told that her baby will be aborted, she ran away at night only to be chased by rogues. Saved by the guards of a neighboring pack, Lena meets Alpha Adrian and they both recognise each other as mates. She doesn't know that Alpha Adrian was her one night stand but Alpha Adrian recognises her and knew that the baby was his own. Lena was glad that fate has given her a second chance mate but then nothing could prepare her for the wrath of Claire, Alpha Adrian's arranged mate who in her jealousy schemes to tear them apart by spreading lies and doubts about Lena's loyalty. Lena is thrown into prison awaiting judgment.  Lena is down and broken but what will she do when Alpha Ethan comes back to save her and reveal her true identity and heritage to her begging her for a second chance.  Will she be able to move past the pain of the past and give love a second chance by forgiving him or will she allow the pain of the past to hold her back? "Alpha's Betrayal, Omega's Triumph" is a story of love, resilience, Forgiveness in a world where secrets could either destroy or heal.

They ruined her, taking away the only thing she cared most about and now she was going to take revenge, she was going to destroy them all, crumble them from the inside and triumph over their destruction, while she watch them beg for mercy before drawing their last breath. It's payback time and no one will be left untouched, not even her mate.

When rising interior designer Valeria Mendoza took a job as an executive assistant at Herrera & Sons, the last thing she expected was to accidentally marry her cold, infuriatingly handsome boss. After a chaotic mix-up with legal paperwork during a corporate event, Valeria finds herself legally bound to Alejandro Herrera, the guarded CEO who doesn’t believe in love but desperately needs a wife to close a multimillion-dollar deal. What starts as a reluctant agreement to "keep up appearances" quickly turns into a tangled web of stolen glances, sizzling tension, and midnight confessions. As the lines blur between fake and real, Valeria must hide the biggest secret of all — her true identity as the daughter of a billionaire family she left behind. But in a world where business and love don’t mix, what happens when the truth comes out? Will Alejandro see her as a liar... or the woman he’s been designing a future with all along?

Alethea, a young girl from a small village, accepts a tempting job offer to care for a sick employer in the capital city as a way to escape her mother. However, upon arriving at the employer's home, Alethea is shocked to discover that her patient is not the frail, elderly person she imagined, but Sebastian Tarcisio—a wealthy heir who is blind, arrogant, and stubborn. From their very first meeting, Sebastian is rude and constantly insults her, making her regret her decision to take the job. However, her mother has already taken the one-year advance payment, and if Alethea breaks the contract, not only will she face punishment, but her family will also suffer for spending the upfront salary. With no other choice, Alethea is forced to endure. In truth, Sebastian’s insults aren’t because he hates Alethea or doubts her abilities. It’s because he knows that his grandfather, Felix Tarcisio, intentionally placed Alethea in his life in the hopes that they would form a relationship and eventually give Felix a male heir to continue the Tarcisio family line. As time goes on, Alethea begins to realize that Sebastian isn’t as cruel as she initially thought. Beneath his hardened exterior, she sees his vulnerability. And in Alethea’s resilience, Sebastian starts to discover a gentleness within himself that he never knew existed. What will become of their story amidst the shadows of manipulation by Sebastian’s grandfather and the greed of Alethea’s mother? Will Alethea and Sebastian fight for their unexpected love, or will they end up parting ways?