good drama novels Audiobooks

Part memoir, part cultural exploration, this book covers the author’s journey as she grows up in an evangelical Christian home, leaves religion behind as a young adult, and goes on to raise children in a family outside of religious belief. Maria Polonchek weaves a personal story with up-to-date studies and philosophic exploration of what it means to raise secular children in an otherwise religious world. Offering careful and respectful advice for other parents who are raising their children outside of a particular religious belief system, she explores the many other ways of instilling identity, belonging, and meaning into our lives and the lives of children. Honest and irreverent, the author admits to her religious “baggage” and searches for better understanding of such topics as religious education, morality, awe, death, purpose, and meaning, and tradition from secular perspectives. She interviews experts, looks at various studies, and turns to a variety of sources for answers, while maintaining a casual and personal tone. While she ultimately argues for parents to let their children shape their own beliefs, she encourages families to tend to existential and social needs that sometimes go unnoticed or unconsidered in life outside religion.

After being secretly married for three years, Holly Sinclair's husband suddenly asks for a divorce. She hides the pain and leaves after taking the money he gives her. From that day on, her life goes uphill. She restores precious masterpieces and determines their authenticity. The world of vintage pieces is her oyster.After the divorce, a certain ex-husband is filled with regret when he sees Holly on TV, showing off her skills. He turns into her loyal fan and chases her around the world. "I'll give you my heart and soul, babe. Please, come back to me."Holly says, "Sorry, but I'm busy. I have too much to do!"Later, she meets the man who saved her when she was younger. On the day of her wedding, she receives some horrible news. She leaves her groom at the altar and mourns her ex-husband's supposed death. Pain is all she feels.Then, her ex-husband suddenly shows up, wounded but alive, and gets on one knee before her while holding out a diamond ring. "Let's remarry, babe!"

Evie Bell is the white sheep in a family of black ones. Bookish and quiet where her sisters are showy and brash, she doesn’t understand her darker needs that resulted in the catastrophic end to her last relationship. Frederic d’Estang, a stage performer with Byronic dark good looks, is famous for playing villains that women adore – the Phantom, Claude Frollo, Mr Hyde. Facing a distressing premature end to his career due to developing Reinke’s edema, a chronic voice disorder, he recalls how someone took a chance on him when he was just starting out which launched him into stardom, and desires to do the same before his power and influence wane. His agent wants him to write his memoirs, and when he meets Evie Bell, an autobiographical writer with a penchant for gothic anti-heroes, he sees his chance: she has talent, but lacks the confidence and experience to make something of herself. She also has interesting, unexplored tastes, which Frederic discovers when her sister gives him a link to her anonymous fan-fiction archive – much to Evie’s mortification.

Silvia Pond thought that she could make Neil Remus fall in love with her three years into their marriage. Yet, all she got were photos of him having sex with her twin sister!Silvia eventually gave up on him and decided to free herself from their marriage. However, when Silvia passed Neil the divorce agreement, he tore it up right in front and threatened her. “You want a divorce? Over my dead body!”Silvia only felt indifferent when she saw his enraged expression. “You can only choose one. It’s either me or Ada.”In the end, Neil chose Ada. But when he lost Silvia for good, he finally realized that he had fallen in love with her a long time ago.

Leila Lane, born out of wedlock, was a head-turner, but in Petalberg, she was considered the last woman any man would want to marry. Everything spun out of control when an intimate photo of her and Asher Quandt, the city's most eligible bachelor, went viral. "Is Asher blind? Choosing her over a proper lady?" "That girl's got more schemes than we know!" Facing public accusations, Leila promptly issued a statement: [I've always held Dr. Quandt in high regard. There's absolutely nothing between us—no attachments, no history, no ties.] The crowd went nuts. However, in less than twenty minutes, Asher's social media dropped a bomb—an intimate video of him and Leila with a caption dripping in sarcasm, [Let's take a moment to understand what "nothing between us" truly means.]

During her short-lived marriage, she has to endure her mother-in-law's bullying and her husband's disgust.After being treated like trash, she finally shakes off her scumbag of an ex-husband and becomes the lady of the Thaxton family. She's the envy of everyone in Amberton.Anything she wants, Elias Thaxton will serve her on a silver platter. His only condition is that she can't leave him.Adora Sterling looks at the gentle, doting man before her. She never would've expected to become the only exception to his rules and the apple of his eye.Still, she wants to tell him that she's not interested.

Stephanie Drew's life is a mess. I. Her stepmother and stepsister have been trying to sabotage her life for years. II. Navigating her university life, she also has to sell adult products to support herself financially. III. Out of nowhere, she finds out she has a fiancé, the icy-cold Daniel. IV. Oh wait, there’s more - Daniel has an uncle, Denver - the polar opposite of his nephew, an even bigger pain in the ass. "What's wrong with you, Denver, she's my fiancée." "Oh dear nephew, remember, things that I marked are off-limits to others!" "'Remember' my ass!" Stephanie sneers at the two of them. "I’m a person, not an object."

Married for three years, Alicia consistently played the role of a devoted Mrs. Turner. She showed him the utmost respect in public and showered him with affection at home. She believed she could thaw even the iciest of hearts. However, as she tirelessly worked to warm him, his beloved first love returned to their homeland. He accompanied his first love on shopping sprees, and Alicia endured it. He danced with his first love, and Alicia remained silent. Even when she saw them in matching outfits, Alicia forced a smile. Nevertheless, when his first love became pregnant, Alicia's patience reached its limit. She slammed a divorce agreement on the table and left without a second thought. He believed Alicia belonged to him, convinced she would eventually come back to him. Yet, after the divorce, not only did her career flourish, but she also attracted a long line of suitors. He had been quite confident, believing, "Can these men really compare to me?" That confidence waned when his assistant rushed in, announcing, "Mr. Turner, Mrs. Turner's first love has returned to the country!" The man who had always carried himself with pride was finally feeling the heat.

Four years ago, my sister passed away, leaving my family in deep sorrow. Misfortunes never come singly - around the same time, I got knocked up and became a single mother. I got back on my feet and became a somewhat famous gossip reporter, working part-time at a bar, but never stopped investigating the truth behind my sister's death. One day, a man I accidentally slept with, proposed a deal with me. He wanted to borrow my son to protect his inheritance!"I think our version of story should be like this: four years ago, you fell in love with me at first sight, climbed into my bed, and secretly gave birth to my child.""I have a different version that is much more romantic than yours."“Care to tell?” 

Betrayed by her childhood sweetheart and best friend, Lila Anderson found herself stripped of everything, her life hanging by a thread. On the verge of death, she encountered her rescuer—Ryder Kingsley.With a single sentence, the man prompted her to change her name and identity. The woman thought to be dead was now the CEO's fiancée.She declared, "We'll each take what we need. We owe nothing to the other!""Oh, really? Then let's find a way for you to owe me for good," said the man.As Lila sought her revenge, he drowned her with affection and care. Soon enough, she held the spotlight in high society as the CEO's soon-to-be wife. However, on their wedding day, his childhood sweetheart reappeared…