nytimes best books 2020 fiction

Amelia Lockhart has one mission: make the top idol Ethan Quinn fall in love with her, then break his heart, so that Ethan Quinn can successfully pass his tribulation and return to his position as a High God. There's just one problem: as the most hated woman on the internet, Amelia is the last person anyone would pair with the nation's golden boy. But when she lands a spot on a dating show alongside Ethan, she sees her chance. She does all the heavy lifting and is dependable enough to make him see her differently. As a result, Ethan starts pretending to be weak. The fans are confused. Their untouchable idol is... blushing? Getting clingy? Calling her "jiejie" in that voice? "Sis, I surrender." "Sis, you can only spoil me like this." Amelia is losing control of the plan. She was supposed to seduce him and walk away. So why is he the one coaxing her to stay, and why is it getting harder to say no?

Sophie Wexler transmigrated into a novel about The Galaxy, becoming the vicious, F-rank Healer-class cannon fodder. The original owner constantly caused trouble and made things difficult for the female lead, earning her the hatred of the entire internet. Upon transmigrating and seeing that everything had been ruined by the original owner, Sophie's only thought was: "What kind of nightmare start is this?!" To escape the original owner's fate, Sophie Wexler worked diligently, conducted herself conscientiously, stayed away from the male and female leads, compensated the soldiers harmed by the original owner, and strove to be a model citizen of The Galaxy, absolutely refusing to be the cannon fodder 'offed' by the Imperial Marshal! Broke and powerless, Sophie also had to support a man who'd been innocently dragged into the original owner's mess. She had no choice but to hustle. She started live streaming, became a masked singer, and held concerts. At first, netizens were scornful: 【Tsk, how good can she possibly sound?】 Later, the netizens were forced to eat their words. 【Damn, that's so good I'm on my knees!】 【What the hell, the violent episode of my Disorder Period has actually been soothed?!】 【The toxins in my Spiritual Sea have actually been eliminated!】 Her live streams went viral, the masked singer became a huge sensation, and tickets for her concerts were snapped up across The Galaxy. Sophie was content, thinking, "This time, I must have finally escaped the original owner's fate, right?" But what do you know, the man I've been doting on and supporting is actually the Imperial Marshal?! --- One day, Yancey Forrest came home to find that the boisterous person who was always claiming to be good to him was gone. His eyes darkened. Provoke me and then think you can leave? After catching her, Yancey traced his fingertips along Sophie's neck, smiling gently. "Why run?" Sophie trembled. "You... you're the Imperial Marshal?" His identity exposed, Yancey Forrest took her hand and slowly placed it on his own neck ring. "You know I won't kill you, don't you?"

A mission gone wrong sends military doctor Han Lei tumbling through time, straight into the arms of a fallen Prince in a war-torn era. With a bizarre excuse to keep a doctor by his side, the battle-scarred general finds himself completely undone by her soft words and gentle hands. Han Lei's wish is to earn silver and marry a strong man. The Prince’s wish is to seek development and marry a gentle wife. Two people, four desires, who will bend first? --- She's a dignified modern woman who crossed through time. How could she stand by and let these ancient fools bully her husband? He's a national hero, yet nearly got himself killed over that damn loyalty of his. She asks him: "What are you thinking?" He answers: "My heart is dead, you know what I am thinking." She curls her lips, turns to leave a sentence: "Then what are you waiting for? Go do him now!"

In her past life, Su Yaoguang bought Xiao Yanci, supported his education, and helped him rise to great heights. She became his wife. Everyone praised him for never abandoning the farm girl who funded his rise. Su Yaoguang also believed she had found a good man. Unexpectedly, when she was seriously ill, she saw Xiao Yanci bring his first love and a child who resembled them both to her bedside. "Dad, mom, when will this person die?" the child asked, holding Xiao Yanci's hand. Xiao Yanci responded, "Soon, just wait a bit longer." That was the moment she realized: she had wasted her entire life on the wrong man. Returning to the age of fifteen, Su Yaoguang pointed at the bloody young boy: "I want him." In her past life, no matter what she gave Xiao Yanci, she only received a cold expression. This time, the young boy, like a wolf cub, dropped his guard; everything Sister gifted was the best. Sweet as milk. Devoted beyond reason. He melted her completely. Until one day, the young boy took a high position. Not wanting history to repeat itself, Su Yaoguang packed her things and slipped away at night, only to run into a man as noble and unattainable as a deity. "I've heard you call us siblings everywhere. Good sister, shouldn't we change what we call each other?"

Bai Zhi transmigrated into a novel. The good news? She’s bound to a Godly Rich System. The bad news? She’s the story’s wicked, unforgivable villainess. Right in front of her lies her incomparably handsome Beast Husband—covered in scars from her abuse, just choked unconscious by her own hands. And the system’s mission? Spend money on her five Beast Husbands. Bai Zhi can only smile bitterly. Every one of them wants her dead—and honestly, who could blame them? The original owner committed far too many atrocities. With no other choice, Bai Zhi relies on the Godly Rich System, throwing money at them in hopes of soothing their anger. The charming Fox Clan Beast Husband likes rare gems? Buy, buy, buy! The dependable Wolf Clan Beast Husband, the beauty-obsessed Winged Beast Husband, the Tiger Clan Beast Husband, and the cunning Snake Clan Beast Husband—whatever they want… buy it all! Only when their long-stagnant Superpower Levels begin to skyrocket does Bai Zhi finally get a moment of peace. …Or so she thought. Bai Zhi: “Hey, hey—stop crowding in! My bed is small; it can’t fit all of you!” Lang Qiu: “Hu Yan has already reached SSS-level. You can’t play favorites.” Yan Yichen: “You said you liked my feathers the most. I’ll let you touch them~” Sang Mo says nothing—only silently parading in front of her in sheer clothing.

Gu Shengsheng transmigrates into a parallel world and wakes up as the long-lost “real daughter” of the Gu family—brought back solely to bring good fortune to the powerful Lu family through a ceremonial marriage. Just when she thinks she’s been dealt the worst possible hand, she unexpectedly binds to an [Appraisal System] and unlocks an attribute panel. From that moment on, her life turns legendary. Day One. At a livestreamed stone-gambling event, she casually picks out a top-grade jadeite that even seasoned experts overlooked—earning three hundred thousand in a single day. Day Two. Digging through scrap metal at a junk market, she uncovers a rusted teapot artifact. After restoring it, she sells it for three million. Day Three. At a flea market, she buys an old Nokia phone on a whim. The memory card contains footage of a crime. She helps solve the case and receives a ten million reward. Day Four. Dragged into the lawless borderlands, she appraises treasures and rakes in three hundred million. Along the way, she uses the System to rescue hundreds of trafficked victims—and wipes out the criminal syndicate behind it all. Day Five. She travels across foreign lands, retrieving stolen cultural relics and sending them back home. Day Six. She establishes her own private museum. — Just as her life reaches new heights, she’s asked during an interview: “As a successful woman, what do you think makes a good husband?” Gu Shengsheng replies calmly, “Rich, never comes home, and dies young. Just like my late husband.” At that exact moment, her “late” billionaire husband, Lu Shijing, walks in. Lu Shijing pulls out a health report. “Dear, my body is perfectly healthy—and my physical fitness is excellent.”