blogging – Page 48 – Cindy's Love Of Books

First Book of The Year 2022 Edition

Posted on December 31, 2021 by Cindy

The totally amazing and incredible Sheila from Book Journey is once again organizing the First Book of The Year 2022 edition. This is Sheila’s 9th year of hosting this yearly event.

This is my 9th year taking part in the First Book of the Year.

First Book is the first book you plan on reading in the New Year. It can be a long-coveted read you have not had time for, guilty pleasure read like a re-read of a favorite… really it can be anything – it is, after all, YOUR First Book.

The book I plan on starting the New Year with is:

Title: New Year’s Kiss
Author: Lee Matthews
Pub Date: December 2020
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 256

About the Book:

If your New Year’s resolution was to find the perfect upbeat romance read…this is it! Tess is ready to ring in the new year–will she have a new boy by her side?

Tess and her opinionated older sister Lauren are spending the week after Christmas at the snowy Evergreen Lodge in Vermont–and they aren’t happy about it. Their stern grandmother, who owns the holiday resort, is not known for her warmth and good humor. But when shy, straight-laced Tess meets Christopher in the lobby, things are suddenly looking up.

Then, Tess decides to get out of her comfort zone and create a bucket list of things to accomplish before the New Year-like singing in public and skiing a black-diamond slope. And Christopher is happy to help, even as he keeps a secret that could turn everything upside down. When the ball drops, will Tess and Christopher share a magical kiss-or will Tess start the new year off alone?

Blog Tour & Review: Honest June

Posted on December 27, 2021December 27, 2021 by Cindy

Honest June by Tina Wells
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Publishing Date: December 28, 2021

Synopsis:
For June Jackson, middle school is hard enough–but it’s even harder when a fairy godmother grants her the ability to only tell the truth ALL THE TIME! Is it a blessing… or a major curse? June’s charming story will inspire big laughs and even bigger love for a new heroine for our times.

June Jackson is an expert at exceeding people’s expectations. She can’t help it; she’s a people-pleaser! She’ll do everything she can to be the perfect student, daughter, and friend, even if it means ignoring her own feelings sometimes. Cue Victoria, June’s secret fairy godmother, who blesses June with the ability to never tell a lie in the hopes that June will finally be honest with her loved ones. Instead of telling them the truth to their faces, June turns to a secret online blog–the only place she can write out her true feelings without hurting people.

When all of her responsibilities start to pile on–field hockey, the school paper, family responsibility, her friends–June begins feeling so overwhelmed that sometimes it feels hard to breathe. Not to mention June is desperately trying to figure out how to overthrow the spell at the same time! When the pressures reach new heights, will Honest June finally be able to break free and tell the whole truth and nothing but?

Before I begin my review I quickly want to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be a part of this tour and for graciously providing a eGalley of the book for me to read for this review post.

I know I probably sound like a broken record when I say this but I love being a part of blog tours because not only do you get to discover new books but also new authors. When I first read the synopsis of the book I knew I wanted to read it and since reading this I really want to pick up Tina’s other book series that she has written and they are the MacKenzie Blue (5 books) and The Zee Files (currently 3 books with the 4th coming out soon). I should also mention that the second book in this series is Honest June: The Show Must Go On and this comes out in August 2022. If this is anything like the first book I know I will thoroughly enjoy it.

The main character is June and she is just starting middle school with her two best friends, Nia and Olive. At a young age, she has learned it’s easier to tell little white lies to make everyone happy from her parents to her friends to teachers and so much more than being honest with people. This way no one will be disappointed in her.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for June because right from the beginning of the book it seemed like her dad had her life planned out with what he wanted her to do in the future and that was taking over his law practice. He expected June to get the best grades, to plan field hockey, to be on the debate team so that she could follow in his footsteps of attending Howard University. June was struggling with all that, her grades were slipping, she didn’t really care for field hockey and she has no plans on joining the debate team. To say the least, June was spreading herself out too far. Her school work was suffering. I think it was a lot for an eleven-year-old girl to take on. She just wanted to be a kid who could wear what she wanted and to be with her friends with no pressure.

Then one day at the Featherstone Creek Carnival she goes into the Fun House and meets Victoria who just happens to be a Fairy Godmother who knows all about June and her little white lies. She offers June a chance to earn a secret power through two truths and one lie. Victoria wins and this secret power that is given to June is that she will no longer be able to lie. What will happen if June tries to lie? Victoria is trying to teach June not to lie to the ones she loves.

Trying to deal with this new power June struggles because now she is telling the truth and sometimes it’s not what people want to hear so to combat that she knows she will be punished for lying so she creates a secret blog where she can confess everything that is real. June just wants everyone to be happy and she wants to please people.

How long can June do this? She is struggling and feeling overwhelmed, will there be a breaking point? Can she be honest with her parents and her friends? And if she is will they be accepting of her truth?

This was such an interesting read and one that I highly recommend to tweens. As I was reading this I couldn’t help but wonder if my son felt this way and if he was doing exactly what June was doing? He tells me, no but I wonder. I think as parents sometimes we put too much pressure on our kids and they are afraid to say something that could disappoint us.

About the author:

Tina Wells is the founder of RLVNT Media, a multimedia content venture serving entrepreneurs, tweens, and culturists with authentic representation. Tina has been recognized by Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, Essence’s 40 Under 40, Cosmopolitan’s Fun Fearless Phenom, and more. She is the author of nine books, including the best-selling tween fiction series Mackenzie Blue, its 2020 spinoff series, The Zee Files, and the marketing handbook, Chasing Youth Culture and Getting It Right.

Purchase the Book:

Tour Schedule: to see the Instagram schedule please click HERE:

December 27th
Stuck in Fiction – Promotional Post
Cindy’s Love of Books – Review

December 28th
Mocha Girls Read – Promotional Post
Kait Plus Books – Journal Spread
Rajiv’s Reviews – Review

December 29th
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
PopTheButterfly Reads – Review

December 30th
Whispering Stories – Review & Favorite Quotes
Peruse With Coffee – Review & Top 5 Reasons to Read Honest June

December 31st
The Book Dutchesses – Promotional Post
The Bookish Coven – Review & Favorite Quotes

January 1st
Nine Bookish Lives – Promotional Post
Jill’s Book Blog – Review
Phannie the Ginger Bookworm – Review, Playlist & Favorite Quotes

January 2nd
Fictionologyst – Review
The Nutty Bookworm Reads Alot – Review

Review: A Christmas Gift

Posted on December 26, 2021January 13, 2022 by Cindy

A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft
Published by Avon Goodreads

Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet.

To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organising the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye?

Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends new and old make this a Christmas to remember after all?

Curl up with the gorgeous new book from the Sunday Times bestseller, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.

This was the fourth and final book that was talked about at the Harper Collins Canada Holiday Book Ball and it’s A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft. You can read my reviews for the previous three books by clicking on the titles Meet Me in London, The Christmas Escape, and The Matzah Ball. Just a little disclaimer that I purchased all the books that I am talking about with my own money.

Sue Moorcroft is a new to me author and after reading this I definitely want to read her backlist of books as well as future releases. I love being able to discover new authors and then being able to read their backlist of books. Thanks, Harper Collins Canada for hosting this event.

I love the cover of the book and if this is what Middledip looks like I definitely want to live there.

Since I am new to Sue Moorcroft books I don’t know if this is part of her series and if they can be read as a stand-alone? As I was reading I never felt like I was missing out on something if that makes sense?

Our two main characters are Georgina and Joe. Georgina has come from a life of privilege but it’s taken away from her and her family when she made a huge mistake. This had affected her and her family. Since then she tries to be careful with her money. You can see the panic when debt collectors start showing up and her door looking for her ex. Not being able to take it anymore she tells them where to find her ex who isn’t too happy when they come knocking on his door. Finally thinking she is free from them they start knocking on her door again but this time it’s not for her ex. What will she have to say this time about them?

Growing up Joe was a neglected child. His mother was an alcoholic and his stepfather was abusive. Joe hung out with the wrong crowd because they accepted him for what he was but his one true friend was Georgina and he regretted how he treated her and is hoping he can make things right again. My heart broke for Joe and was happy to see his uncle step in to take care of Joe because he deserved a better life than what he had.

The two finally reunite when Joe appears at the school she is working at. He knows who she is but she doesn’t. I guess with a name change that is to be expected right? Although he is introduced to her as a friend of the principal and he is there to help there is more to Joe than meets the eye. I was intrigued by Joe. It was surprising that being in a school full of kids that no one recognized him as the drummer of a popular band, granted he did change to a more subtle look. It was nice to see that yes he is a rockstar he is still just a regular guy who wants to do the right thing and live a good life.

There is so much to Joe than Georgina knows, what will she do when she finds out the truth?

I really enjoyed this and I couldn’t help but root for them both throughout the book. I hope there will be more of Georgina and Joe in future books.

Review: The Matzah Ball

Posted on December 25, 2021December 27, 2021 by Cindy

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
Published by MIRA on September 28, 2021
Pages: 416
Goodreads

Oy! to the world

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.

This was the third book that was talked about at the Harper Collins Canada Holiday Book Ball and its The Matzah Ball by debut author Jean Meltzer. You can read my reviews for the previous two by clicking on the titles Meet Me in London and The Christmas Escape. Just a little disclaimer that I purchased all the books that I am talking about with my own money.

No word of a lie but I read The Matzah Ball in one sitting. I have to thank my MS body for allowing me to sit and read this in one sitting. My body just wasn’t having it so I listened and curled up on the couch with a hot tea and spent the day reading. It was just what I needed. This was so much fun to read during the holidays. It’s a slow burn, friends to enemies, second/third/fourth chance romance, and a fun holiday book to read. It covers quite a few of my favorite tropes.

Our main character is Rachel, by day she is the famous rabi’s daughter by night she is the best-selling author of Christmas books (Margot Cross), she is Christmas obsessed (she uses her home office to hide all her decorations)and dealing with a chronic illness (CFS/ME). All of which she has managed to keep to herself and the only other person who knows is her best friend, Mickey. What would her Jewish parents think if they knew their daughter was Christmas obsessed? What will the community think? She has to be careful because her father is the Rabi and her mother is a doctor.

Rachel thinks things are good with her books until she is called in to meet with the publisher. It seems like that is not the case and they are pushing her to write about the Jewish holiday. This breaks her heart because the Jewish holiday is nothing like Christmas. Christmas is a magical time of the year. If she can’t produce a Jewish holiday-themed book they are going to let her go. She has no idea what she will do until she hears about The Matzah Ball that will be held in NYC. She thinks this would be the perfect backdrop for the book (and her publisher loves that idea) and she needs to secure a ticket to go but they are all sold out. Will she be able to find a way into the sold-out ball?

She soon discovers that her archnemesis, Jacob, from one year at summer camp is hosting this event. They haven’t seen each other in over twenty years and they didn’t exactly part on the best of terms as we discover as we read their story. I loved reading more of that background story because you know that at 12 years old things can get out of hand and emotions run high. Will they both be able to let the past be the past or will that hinder them from moving forward?

You definitely could feel the sparks between Rachel and Jacob even if they both couldn’t admit it to themselves or each other. There was definitely a lot of broken communication and unresolved issues between them both that clearly needed to be worked out. For Jacob, it’s the fact he felt like Rachel and he had that connection when they were twelve years old and she dropped/abandoned him when he needed her. For Rachel, she thought that Jacob took their pranking too far especially when they went to have their first kiss at twelve and everyone knew it was going to happen (because he told everyone it was going to happen) and hid to witness it. What will happen when they both can finally be honest with each other?

I really loved reading this and if there was to be a second story on these two I would definitely read it. I also loved that Jean had a side character with MS. I would have loved to know more about Jacob’s mom. Its nice to see authors starting to bring illness and disability into books.

Review: The Christmas Escape

Posted on December 24, 2021December 27, 2021 by Cindy

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan
Published by HQN on October 26, 2021
Pages: 384
Goodreads

This Christmas, be whisked away by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan in this uplifting novel of friendship, the festive season, and risking everything for the biggest gift of all...

It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas getaway—a trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband. Her solution? Alix can take Christy’s little daughter to Lapland, and they will reunite there for Christmas Day. It’s a big ask, but what else are friends for?

There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy. But Christy’s request to save Christmas is giving Alix sleepless nights. She knows something is wrong, but for the first time ever, Christy isn’t talking. And even the Arctic temperatures in Lapland aren’t enough to dampen the seriously inconvenient sizzle Alix is developing for Zac, a fellow guest and nemesis from her past.

As secrets unravel and unexpected romance shines under the northern lights, can Christy and Alix’s Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

The Christmas Escape is Sarah Morgan’s latest release and I have to admit I am so behind in reading Sarah’s books, she is even an auto buy author for me so there is no reason I haven’t caught up. Hopefully, in 2022 I will be able to catch up before her newest Beach Summer House comes out in May 2022.

This is the second book that was talked about at the Harper Collins Canada Holiday Book Ball and after hearing Sarah talk about it I knew I had to pick it up. Just a little disclaimer that I purchased this book with my own money.

Not sure what it is but as soon as I pick up Sarah’s books I am instantly drawn into them and have a hard time putting them down. If I am lucky enough I can read them in a day sometimes two. This was the case for The Christmas Escape, I managed to read this in a day and loved every minute of it.

The Christmas Escape is told from three points of view from Christy, Alix (the best friend), and Robyn (the aunt).

Christy and Alix have been best friends since a young age. They have that kind of relationship that just works or at least thats what everyone thinks. Alix is that kind of friend you want in your corner who will be there when you need them, tell it like it is, and have your back. Both girls come from a complicated background, for Christy is was living with a mother who would rather have control of the situation and not have to deal with hard things or problems. It was easier to ignore them than to deal with them which Christy has picked up and lived her life that way. Alix, on the other hand basically has parents that treat their daughter like she is just another person and not their child. Needless to say, her parents were not involved really in her life and they treat her like a friend. She has taken on that mentality of not getting attached to anyone.

Now Robyn is Christy’s estranged aunt and over the years the girls have wondered why she was estranged and have come up with many theories and Christy will soon find out what it was. After Christy’s mother passed away she reached out to Robyn who then invited Christy and her family to Lapland for Christmas. I was curious as to why she was estranged and as she tells Christy it all makes sense.

It’s funny because up until this year I never heard about Lapland but after reading Sarah’s description of the place it sounds absolutely beautiful. Not sure I would want to go as it seems like it’s a very cold place to go and we all know I don’t like the cold.

Anyways back to my review. So Alix, Christy, Seb, and Holly (their young daughter) are gearing up to go to Lapland and things are perfect until Christy reads an email that she probably shouldn’t have off of Seb’s laptop and then Seb announces that Christy and Holly should go ahead and he will meet them there Christy begins to think that Seb is cheating on her, she asks Alix to go on ahead with Holly and they will meet up in a few days in Lapland. Is Seb cheating on Christy? Christy is concerned and stays behind so that they can work on this relationship. Will Seb tell her what is really going on? How will Christy react when he does tell her the truth and how he feels?

Little does Alix know but Seb’s friend Zac is going with them to help look after Holly who can be a handful. This doesn’t please Alix because they both have a history together and as the story progresses you find out exactly what happened the day of Christy and Seb’s wedding. I know I was curious because Alix kept shutting Zac down was it because she really did dislike him or was there something more there? Will they be able to survive each other under the same roof?

I really enjoyed reading this and really hope that there will be a second book because so much happened at the end that I need answers to. This was the perfect feel-good holiday romance filled with second chances for everyone.

Review: Meet Me in London

Posted on December 23, 2021December 27, 2021 by Cindy

Meet Me in London (Meet Me, #1) by Georgia Toffolo
Published by HQN on September 28, 2021
Pages: 336
Goodreads

Fans of Josie Silver's One Day in December and Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze will adore watching Victoria and Oliver's pretend engagement dissolve as their very real chemistry threatens to upend all their carefully laid-out secrets. Set against the most charming London backdrop, Meet Me in London is an irrisistable seasonal treat!

What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real…

Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming.

Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well-meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her over the holidays—a girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion…something to keep his mother from meddling while he focuses on the business.

When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed, will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…?

"An ideal Christmas escape!"—Laura Jane Williams, Bestselling author of Our Stop

Earlier this month I was invited to attend Haper Collins Canada Holiday Book Ball and it was so much fun. I enjoyed listening to the four authors (Georgia Toffolo, Sarah Morgan, Sue Moorcroft, and Jean Meltzer) talk about their books and answer questions.

The first book I am going to talk about is Meet Me in London by debut author Georgia Toffolo. Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo captured the nation’s hearts when she was crowned Queen of the Jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, after starring in the E4 series Made in Chelsea and becoming a firm favorite with the viewers. She has also recently appeared on Celebrity Hunted, The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C, and Channel 5’s My Famous Babysitter. Georgia now regularly features on ITV’s This Morning.

I found out that this is the first book of a four-book series. This makes me really happy because after I finished reading I wanted more of the storyline and I wanted to more about the side characters. From the sounds of it, it seems like each book will be about one of the friends (Malie, Zoe, and Lily). After a search on Amazon, I found out the titles of the other books in the series, Meet Me in Hawaii (Malie), Meet Me in Tahiti (Zoe), and Meet Me at the Wedding (Lily).

Meet Me in London falls right into my love of fake dating/romance/engagement because you almost always know what will happen and yet you can’t help but want it to happen as it’s happening.

Our main characters are Victoria and Oliver. Victoria is an aspiring fashion designer but to make ends meet she works in a bar in Chelsea (London). As the book begins Victoria is worried that the new department store opening up down the street will threaten the lively hoods of all the mom and pop shops on the street. One night Oliver walks into her bar and he is instantly taken back by her. Little does Victoria know but Oliver is the CEO of the said department store. As the bar is closing he asks Victoria to marry him. She does what anyone would probably do and blows him off. Although after this brief moment you can clearly see that each of them has piqued interest.

What will happen when they literally bump into each other again? That’s exactly what happens shortly after that first meeting. Victoria is carrying a huge box of fabric, ribbon, etc and they both literally bump into each other. This is where Oliver proposes the fake engagement once again but this time he explains it all out. Victoria figures she has nothing to lose and decides to go along with the plan. The only thing is as this is progressing you can clearly see that there is much more to this than both are willing to admit.

Will they be able to pull this off without a hitch? Or will something happen to offset it?

This was definitely a cute holiday romance. I loved how you could see the connection between the two of them and yet neither wanted to fully confess their true feelings.

I definitely want to continue to read this series when it comes out because there is so much I want to know, such as her family as they weren’t really mentioned a lot in the book or present like Oliver’s were, I want to know more about her friends since they are an important part of her life and does she finally get her dream to come true of being a fashion designer?

I should mention that I purchased this book with my own money.

Release Day Blitz: Darkest Mate

Posted on December 21, 2021December 20, 2021 by Cindy

I am so excited that DARKEST MATE by Alexis Calder is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Alexis, & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

About The Book:

Title: DARKEST MATE (Rejected Fate Book 1)

Author: Alexis Calder

Pub. Date: December 21, 2021

Publisher: Alexis Calder

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 346

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle

Weakness
means death. Or worse.

After I was abandoned as a child, I was taken in by the Shadow Pack. A group of ruthless, lawless, shifters who have only one rule: never let anyone see your weakness.

In exchange for them keeping me alive, I owe them. The leader of the Shadows is as handsome as he is ruthless. And he’s offered to wipe my debt in exchange for marriage. He’d offer protection, but it would cost me my freedom.

Survival in the Shadows depends on back alley deals and shady alliances. It’s become a way of life that I stopped questioning years ago. When a routine burglary goes wrong, I find myself captured by the one family I never should have crossed.

The Umbra family owns this city. They make us Shadow wolves look like the good guys. They should have killed me for my crimes, but there’s a tiny problem… It turns out Madoc Umbra is my fated mate.

Instead of killing me, I’m a prisoner. The rest of the family doesn’t know of our bond and I intend to keep it that way. Madoc’s brothers want to end my
life; he wants to break the bond. I just want to get the heck out.

As long as I don’t let them see any weakness, I might have a chance of making it out of here alive.

Darkest Mate is a full-length paranormal romance. 17+ for dark content, steamy scenes, and language. This is book one in a trilogy and is not a standalone. Mind the cliff.

Upcoming Release Dates:
Darkest Mate: December 9, 2021
Forbidden Sin: January 20, 2022
Feral Queen: March 3, 2022

EXCERPT:

I glanced over at the ring, hoping to catch a glimpse of the undefeated
Dark Wolf. He had removed his hoodie, revealing a muscular back, strong
shoulders and short dark hair. I couldn’t even see his face, but I was frozen
in place, looking at him wide eyed. There was something about him that pulled
me in, forcing me to stare.

He rolled his shoulders, then tilted his head from side to side slowly.
As I watched the muscles in his back ripple and his arms flex and relax, my
breath hitched. Warmth radiated from my center, and the unmistakable sensation
of longing rushed through me.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

I shook my head, trying to break the spell he had over me. Something was
very wrong with me. I’d seen shirtless men more times than I could count. It
was part of being a shifter. We didn’t get freaked out by nudity. But that man
wasn’t just a normal shirtless male, he was a work of fucking art.

About Alexis:

Alexis
Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She
lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount
of wine.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway Details:

1 Winner
will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.

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