Review and Giveaway: Imaginary Lines by Allison Parr Blog Tour

Imaginary Lines Synopsis:
Tamar Rosenfeld has been in love with New York Leopards linebacker Abraham Krasner since they were twelve years old. She'd always considered it destiny that they'd end up together…until Abe was drafted and she professed her feelings in a moment of blind excitement. The sting of his rejection was like nothing she'd ever felt before, and it's nothing she'll ever forget.

Older and wiser, Tamar has landed a dream job as a reporter for one of New York's premier athletic websites. Determined to stop being the safe, boring girl she's felt like for most of her life, Tamar makes a list of all the things she wants to do and see in her new city, and Getting Over Abraham is priority number one.

But destiny has finally chosen to interfere. Just as Tamar's decided to move on, Abe's realized she's the only woman for him. When he confides the truth, Tamar has to decide if she can put her crush behind her, or take a chance on the very man who's been holding her back all these years.

What I thought about Imaginary Lines

When Tamar is young, she gets up the guts to tell Abe that she's in love with him, only to find out he didn't return the feelings.  Years of silence later, she runs into him in NYC, where he's a member of the pro football team there and she's a reporter covering the team.  Not only does she have a work conflict of interest, she comes to NYC convinced that she is going to stay away from Abe.  It isn't long before they are having drinks. *wink*

It takes Tamar some time to realize that Abe's feelings are true and things get very cute when they go home to visit their families. But when Abe gets injured on the field, and Tamar's boss wants her to do an expose on the safety aspects of the equipment, things could go badly for Tamar and Abe.

I did like Abe's character.  Even though he wasn't always sure about things, he knew what he wanted when it came to Tamar, and his actions made a big difference in what happens with Tamar's career and their future together.

Sweet second chance love story set in the sports world.  A nice read without a huge amount of angst or a complicated plot.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Imaginary-Lines-Allison-Parr-ebook/dp/B00GKBHIQM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396555527&sr=8-1&keywords=Imaginary+Lines

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imaginary-lines-allison-parr/1117366825?ean=9781426897757

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Allison Parr Bio:

Allison Parr is the author of Rush Me, Running Back, and Imaginary Lines. She grew up in small town New England, where she developed an incurable case of wanderlust. After graduating with degrees in archaeology and creative writing, she spent the next several years living in San Francisco, Paris, Boston, and New York. When she’s not traveling or writing, she’s making a mean chocolate cake or bad historical jokes. She’s also amassing enough books to rival the library in Beauty and the Beast.

To learn more about Allison’s books and travels, visit her at www.allisonparr.com

Links:
Blog: www.allisonparr.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Allison_Parr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonparrwrites

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876947.Allison_Parr

Imaginary Lines Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20645592-imaginary-lines?from_search=true

Five Stars for Roman Holiday:The Complete Adventure by Ruthie Knox

The wait is over with this eBook bundle that includes all ten episodes of Ruthie Knox’s steamy, irresistible serial, Roman Holiday. Like all the greatest road trips, Ashley and Roman’s journey is full of unforgettable twists and turns. But what’s their final destination?

Ashley Bowman has always been impetuous, but even she is a little shocked when she chains herself to a palm tree in the Florida Keys hours before a hurricane is due to blow in. It’s all with the hope of saving her childhood home from a heartless Miami developer. But the moment she meets Roman Díaz she realizes he does have a heart—it’s just encased in ice. Ashley’s determined to get Roman to crack . . . even if she has to drag him all over the eastern seaboard to do it.

Roman can hardly believe he’s been talked into driving across the country with this brazen wild child in a skimpy bikini. He tells himself he had no choice—Ashley insists he meets the elderly snowbirds whose community will be displaced by his career-making development deal. But in truth he knows that there’s something about Ashley that makes him want to get a little wild himself . . . and the closer they get, the more tempted he becomes.

ROMAN HOLIDAY is a contemporary romance published by LoveSwept, an imprint of Random House.

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * iTunes * Random House * Audiobook

What I thought about Roman Holiday

When I think about this story, I just get a big smile on my face.  There was just so much for me to like about it.  Let's start with Ashley and Roman. Roman is a cold-hearted business man ready to knock down the place Ashley knows as home. Or is he really as insensitive as he seems? Ashley seems to be immature and pushy, unsure of herself and her place in the world. Or does she really have a sense of self that she just can't deny?

That's one of the main reasons I loved this story.  I was just as unsure about these characters as they were themselves.  It made their journey all the more wonderful to experience in this story, and they do make many personal discoveries over the course of the book.

What starts out as a road trip becomes a personal journey for a whole bunch of characters in this. It's not just Roman and Ashley that end up taking a deep look at themselves.  There's Carmen, Roman's girlfriend and daughter of his mentor, and Noah, Roman's contractor. Ashley sets out to make a difference in Roman's life and ends up making an impact on them all.  In the end, she teaches them all something about being true to yourself. Every character goes through some sort of transformation, or maybe it was just finding themselves.  This is one of those books you want to read with a friend and then just talk and talk about it.

The story ends with one of the most awesome feel-good scenes I've read in a long time. I'd rather not spoil it for you, but it is really lovely.  Ruthie Knox is absolutely one of my favorite contemporary romance authors and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. 

I think this story also deserves a nod for the historical content via Roman's background in this story, and I gotta love story that has scenes that take place in my backyard, so to speak. The locales give this a very authentic feel.  Ruthie does a great job with the travel aspect of the story. 

If you like contemporary romance with perfectly imperfect characters, you might like Roman Holiday. 

Giveaway & Review: Man Of My Dreams by Faith Andrews

MAN OF MY DREAMS Synopsis:

Mia Murphy may be married to the man of her dreams. But the man in her dreams is the one that got away—her high school crush.

Mia’s stuck in a rut, just like every other stay-at-home mom, and the only thing saving her from her monotonous routine is her perfect husband, Declan. He’s gorgeous, he adores her, and the man stole her heart with his sexy singing voice. Mia feels like the luckiest girl in the world, until she discovers that Mr. Perfect is not Mr. Faithful. Mia is devastated. Everything she once believed about Declan and their marriage is now covered in a big cloud of doubt and regret. On impulse, she kicks the cheating bastard out, pushing them into a separation that could mean the end of the picture-perfect couple.

But when Mia receives an invitation to her high school reunion, she finds herself abandoning the present for the oh-so alluring pull of the past. Although her heart still belongs to her husband, inescapable thoughts of her crush, Noah, resurface. And ten years later, Noah isn’t afraid to make his move. When the build-up of fantasies and ‘what ifs' comes to a head, sparks fly and it’s Mia’s turn to question if her marriage is everything she wants out of life. Searching for answers, Mia dives head first into dating Noah, falling further away from her husband and closer to her old flame.

But Declan’s not giving up so easily. Mia is his one and only and he’s not about to let another man win her heart.


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What I thought about Man of My Dreams

What would you do if your husband just admitted staying away on a business trip to fool around with some woman he met in a bar... and your high school crush, that one guy that you always wanted suddenly became available and interested in you? 

That's Mia. She's got some choices to make. They both married young. Maybe it was a mistake. Or maybe it was over.

Mia, her husband Declan, and too-good-to-be-true Noah's life is told in a series of alternating flashback chapters and what is happening now.  Some of the flashback chapters worked for me, but mostly I liked the current chapters. I wanted to know what Mia was going to do. Would she forgive her husband, or take up with that high school guy she always wanted?  I thought the book captured well the feelings of betrayal in infidelity and all the other doubts and fears that went along with it.

Man of My Dreams was a quick read for me.  I did want to keep turning the page to find out what would happen. It was a good depiction of a pivotal moment in a marriage, although I did think that things wrapped up very quickly at the end.


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Also...

KEEP ME Synopsis:

Sexy, tatted up, underwear model Marcus Grayson is every girl’s dream—or more likely worst nightmare. He’s a player, a self-proclaimed bachelor for life, and he’s got no problem living up to his man-whore status. But when his older sister’s friend comes back from the past, he may just have the chance to turn some of his adolescent fantasies into reality.

Tessa Bradley is a self-sufficient, take-no-bull, single mother—well, now she is. Finally rid of her abusive, alcoholic ex, she’s making a new life for herself and catching up with old friends; the ones she was forced to break ties with because of her controlling husband. When she runs into Marcus, her friend Riley’s once-adorable turned smoking-hot little brother, she has no idea how he’s about to rock her world.

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 About Faith Andrews: 

Faith Andrews lives in New York where she is happily married to her high school sweetheart. They have two beautiful daughters and a furry Yorkie son, Rocco. If she isn't listening to Mumford & Sons or busy being a Dance Mom, her nose is in a book or the laptop. She's a sucker for a happily ever after and believes her characters are out there living one somewhere.

Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Faith Andrews Goodreads

Release Day Giveaway: How to Say Goodbye By Amber Lin

How to Say Goodbye Synopsis:

Amy has a secret: no one’s ever held her hand. She doesn’t even know how to hug. Everyone thinks she’s smart, but straight As are way easier than making friends. Then she meets Dane, a golden-haired surfer whose easy charm and hot touch teach her what she longs to know.

Dane lives for the salty breeze and a sweet wave, because that’s all he has. He’s been on the streets since he was fourteen. A drifter. Homeless. Then he meets Amy. Smart and accomplished, she’s everything he’s not. He wants to be the sort of man who deserves her.

Except that means facing down his past—and that past might very well swallow them both.

Excerpt:

He smiled with the barest hint of irony. “Guess you have better things to do than build a sand castle.”

She hated how his words echoed her thoughts, how they put him down. Didn’t he know how much she would give to be like him? Relaxed. Confident. God, she didn’t want to be afraid anymore.

“I’ve got time.”

He pointed behind the castle. “There’s an enchanted forest right there.”

She knelt down. “Here?”

“No, over. A few inches to the left. Don’t you see it?”

He was…teasing her. It took her a second to understand just because it had never happened before. Not that she could remember.

She looked down to hide her smile. “I think I’ve got it now.”

He grinned. “Then get building, Cornell.”

Her first attempt was more like a molehill with a pointed top. By her second she’d learned to pack the sand more tightly, earning a brief nod from him. After that she worked steadily, forming the little conical pine trees in varying sizes. A vision sketched in her mind, of lush trees and woodland creatures, of fancy and imagination.

Kneeling in her oh-so-practical shoes was impossible, so she took them off. Her skirt hiked up her thighs as she scooted around the forest. Sand squeezed between the mesh of her stockings.

She hoped it would never come out.

When he finished carving arched windows, he stood back and dusted the sand from his palms. She trailed a finger down the last tree—this was how he’d feel, gritty and soft—before standing up to join him.

He was tall. His height shouldn’t have been a surprise; she was often the shortest one in the room. But she’d been equal to him on the ground, both of them dirty and eager in the sand. Now he was the tall, handsome stranger, and she the shy girl who hardly spoke.

She’d aced fluid mechanics, for God’s sake, so why should this matter? It didn’t, it didn’t. But her heart double-timed when she asked, “What do you think of the forest?”

With mock solemnity he studied the trees. They lined up neatly in rows like a Christmas tree farm she’d passed once in rural New York.

“It’s pretty,” he said, repeating her words. Then he smiled, almost shy. “Very pretty. Do you want to grab some dinner?”

Her breath caught. Had he just asked her out? It had sounded like that. Exactly like that. Her heart beat a rapid pace.

Daylight traced tiny lines radiating from his eyes, from the corners of his mouth. A smattering of blond hair covered the tanned skin of his chest, highlighting lean muscles beneath. Even the tips of his eyelashes were bleached, every part of him touched by the sun. A golden boy, a rippling-surface stereotype, while hidden depths lurked beneath. What would it take to dive under? In that moment she wanted to find out. Right then she wanted to drown.

But she’d had a lifetime of treading water, of survival. Only one answer made sense.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice sounded hoarse with disuse, as if she hadn’t spoken in years instead of seconds. “I’m not going to be here long. In Florida.”

She kicked herself. He hadn’t asked her to marry him, for God’s sake. He’d only wanted a date, and she should be able to do that. If she were more normal, she could have.

Fleeting emotions flickered across his face. Disappointment first, followed by others she couldn’t understand. But resignation—that one she recognized like an old friend.

“All right. Take care then.” His voice rang with finality. They would part now. She wouldn’t see him again, because she didn’t know how to be close to another human being. No textbook had ever taught her. No monthly phone call had told her how to feel.

Her face heated.             

“You too,” she murmured. “I’ll see you around.”

But even that presumed too much. A slight shake of his head said no, she wouldn’t. His lips curved in a cold shadow of his former smile.

“Bye, Cornell.” He crossed the beach, heading for the water.

He walked right past the frothy edge and dived underneath, leaving only ripples in his wake. His head came up once for air, and again, and again, growing smaller, farther away.

She waited for hours. Or seconds, really. She stood with sand caked to her hands and her knees, feeling abraded and raw. Every other time in her life, she’d pretended not to want this. Friends and laughter. Easy camaraderie. Touch. Standing on the cooling sand, her stomach grumbling with hunger, she could no longer pretend.

 Buy Links:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JHOFRYY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JHOFRYY&linkCode=as2&tag=amberlin-20


Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-say-goodbye-amber-lin/1119120374?ean=2940149486168
 

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Amber Lin Bio:

Amber Lin writes edgy romance with damaged hearts, redemptive love, and a steamy ever after. Her debut novel, Giving It Up, received The Romance Review’s Top Pick, Night Owl Top Pick, and 5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies. RT Book Reviews gave it 4.5 stars, calling it “truly extraordinary.” Since then, she has gone on to write erotic, contemporary, and historical romances. She has been published by Loose Id, Carina Press, and Entangled.

Amber’s Newsletter: http://www.authoramberlin.com/newsletter/

Blog: http://www.authoramberlin.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authoramberlin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramberlin

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5827158.Amber_Lin

How to Say Goodbye Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20657293-how-to-say-goodbye?from_search=true

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/TQnmcc_dNqE

Giveaway and Review: The Devil's Salvation by Gemma James

It's been a year since Kayla Sutton walked away from Gage Channing, the man who blackmailed her into sexual slavery. Now he's back, and so is Ian Kaplan, Kayla's one-time lover from her college days. Both men want her, but only one holds the power to make her submit—to her own dark desires and to the truth she still denies, even to herself.

But Gage's jealousy is his worst enemy, and when he thinks Kayla has chosen Ian, he sets in motion a drastic plan to claim what's his. Only Kayla never expects him to infiltrate her heart so effortlessly; and she never dreamed there would come a day when he wouldn't want her—when the mere sight of her turns him away in disgust.

He believes she’s committed the ultimate sin, but will she use his mistake to finally escape the cage of his obsession? Or will she do whatever it takes to make him see he can entrust his heart to her...just as she's already lost the core of her being to him?

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My breath grew shallow, from arousal, from fear. Gage was good at that—eliciting strong emotions that contrasted so sharply, they knocked a person on their ass in total confusion. I shouldn’t want him. I should scream at him to get the hell out of my house and never come back. I should get a freaking restraining order. 

As if the turmoil inside me didn’t exist, I set our omelets on the table and calmly took a seat across from him. “What did you mean by boundaries?” I stabbed a bite and shoved it in my mouth. Raising my eyes to his turned out to be a mistake. His hypnotic stare paralyzed me; I couldn’t look away if my life depended on it. I fell into the ocean of his gaze and almost missed the satisfied quirk of his lips. Almost.

“You know by now that a relationship with me won’t be your standard variety. You’ll have rules that govern your behavior.”

“My behavior?” 

“Yes. I expect you to obey me.” He set his fork down and winced. “But last year I was cruel to you and that’s not how I normally treat a woman. Not even when they beg me to hurt them beyond what I’m comfortable with.”

“Then why?” I choked out. Everything he’d done hit me square in the chest, and his admission that he’d been exceptionally cruel hurt more than it should.

“I wanted to destroy what was his.” He lowered his head with a frown. At least he had the grace to look ashamed.

“Congratulations.” I let my fork drop, satisfied with the clatter it made. “You succeeded.”

“No, I didn’t. Your strength is both my frustration and my undoing. There’s nothing more irritating or sexier on a woman.” He took a bite, and his gaze veered up to mine. “And to clarify on what I mean by boundaries, we’ll set limits this time. You’ll have a safe word.”

“You’re talking as if we’re going to be together.”

“I’m not leaving here without you, Kayla.”

The Devil's Kiss Trilogy (The first book) 

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What I thought About The Devil's Salvation

Kayla is finally free.  Living away from Gage and Ian, trying to make a life with her daughter.  It's just that her friends see that deep down she's not happy. When Gage shows up on her doorstep after being "away" for a while, she decides to give him a another chance.  That was a bit hard to believe after everything that happened between them in the trilogy. It isn't long before Ian follows, and Kayla is forced to make a choice between them. Kayla recognizes her serious need for what Gage can give her. 

So they make a tenuous go of it together.  After reading the previous novellas in this series, it's not a surprise that Gage is pretty much the same, and when things go bad, they go really bad. And still Kayla can't let Gage go.  

I can't say this was one of my favorite BDSM reads, but there was something about it that kept me turning the page.  Maybe part of it was curiosity over whether Kayla would come to her senses. Or not.  I was never quite convinced that Kayla really needed Gage and his sadistic activities.  So, overall, an okay read and a conclusion to the story. It moves along quickly and kept my interest long enough to finish it. 

ARC provided by author. 

Gemma James (a pseudonym for Christina Jean Michaels) loves to explore the darker side of sex in her fiction. She's morbidly curious about anything dark and edgy and enjoys exploring the deviant side of human nature. Her stories have been described as being "not for the faint of heart." 

She lives with her husband and their four children--three rambunctious UFC/wrestling-loving boys and one girl who steals everyone's attention. 

 Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Author Page |  Amazon Page

2 winners will win an ebook copy of The Devil's Salvation 

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5 Stars for Beyond Solitude by Kit Rocha

When a motorcycle accident leaves Derek Ford riding a desk at the O’Kane compound, the last thing he needs is a sexy new assistant upending his office and his life. But Mia isn’t scared of her domineering boss. The friction between them generates an undeniable heat—but Mia will not be kept, and Ford will do anything to protect what’s his.

A few notes:

Unlike Beyond Temptation, this story stands separate from the main series plotline, with a tight focus on the hero and heroine as they travel through some parts of the Sectors we don't usually get to show.

From http://kitrocha.com/book/beyond-solitude/

Beyond Solitude will release in ebook and print on May 1st. ($2.99 digital, print price TBA.) But we've joined together with eight other authors to create the ALPHAS AFTER DARK anthology. All nine novellas in this collection are never-before-published entries into some of our favorite series, and we're offering the entire set for $0.99 during the month of April.  It's a great chance for readers to meet some new authors--and for us authors to meet each others' readers. :)

What I thought about Beyond Solitude

Just when I thought I couldn't love this world created by Donna and Bree, the ladies of Kit Rocha, they write this little novella that give us a sweet love story and some new locations in Sector 4. I really loved this story. It had romance, it had action, it had a hot couple, and Dallas and Lex, too!
 
Mia is trying to make her own way, and with Lex's guidance, she does a good job of it. I loved that she was not totally confident about everything too. She struggled a little bit with her new found freedom, but she had resolve.
 
Derek Ford is a gruff guy, recovering from a serious accident. Even though he's smitten with Mia, he doesn't quite know how to handle her. He gets it right, especially when he's got her on his bike, but he ends up messing up. The question is whether he can find a way to make it right by Mia.
 
Dallas and Lex make a few appearances, and they made me want to go back and read Beyond Control all over again. I loved Dallas talking to Ford and "explaining" things to him. That was probably one of my favorite scenes.

A must for fans of the series!

Review and Giveaway: Copper King by Vivian Arend

Copper King  by  Vivian Arend

About Copper King from Vivian Arend

When I started writing, it was all about sharing the things I loved. Venturing into the great outdoors with shifters seemed a natural thing to do. Something fun happened along the way—an entire world of friendly, interesting and involved people showed up. It’s been five years now since I discovered the Granite Lake Wolves, and from there I’ve traveled to meet their friends in Whitehorse, and beyond. I’m not ready to leave, only those particular series weren’t meant to go on any longer.

Thus I’m opening the door to the North in a new way. The Takhini Shifters are novellas set in the Granite Lake and Takhini Wolves world. Some of the heroes and heroines you’ll meet will be new, some vaguely familiar from their appearances in previous books, but you don’t have to have read the earlier books to enjoy these stand-alone stories.

In this first book, I bring you two characters who are also in DIAMOND DUST. There they are already a couple—COPPER KING explains how they got together. Writing Jim and Lillie was so much fun. I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

ALSO—this is the even more exciting part—I’m releasing COPPER KING as a part of a box set with 8 other novellas! ALPHAS AFTER DARK gives you a chance to catch up on my shifter world AND try some other fabulous paranormal and contemporary books. Something for everyone for .99!! (I’ve read a few of the other stories already and OH BOY, you want this!!)

Want to hear a little more? Read on for an excerpt from COPPER KING!

~~**~~

Three things make billionaire Jim Halcyon’s to-do list: women, work…and more women. It’s a perfect agenda for a rich shifter who has no problem letting his inner grizzly out to play. From the bright lights of Vegas, to the sophisticated action of New York—he’s got the money and the power to do anything he wants.

Anything, except resist the lure of Lady Luck, an ancient copper coin he gambles yearly to possess. Jim is determined to regain control of the pretty penny, and damn if he’ll let any bit of eye candy distract him from his goal. Not even the mesmerizing woman in the middle of the casino floor with the shimmering hair and enormous green eyes.

With a life-changing move ahead of her, Lillie’s finagled a temporary layover en route to her future. She’s got five days to soak in new experiences, and while Vegas is too big and shiny and loud for her shy bear self, she’s eager to do this up right. It’s the last chance she’s got to let her hair down.

Until his challenge begins, Jim is more than willing to oblige Lillie’s wish for a final fling. Only Lady Luck has some twists of fate planned for them both…

~~**~~

Exclusive Excerpt:

“My friend, I forgive you for every sin you’ve ever committed against me.” Jim ran his hands over the handlebars, shaking his head slightly as he admired the bike. “Well, except for the incident when we were seven. That one I will hate you for until my dying day.”

Damon pulled a helmet off his bike, pointing to the back of Jim’s. “I don’t know why you insist that was my fault. Bears swim, wolves swim. How was I supposed to know not all honey badgers like to swim?”

“You weren’t the one she climbed on top of,” Jim growled.

~~**~~

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | All Romance eBooks

What I thought about Copper King

I like paranormal romance, but I've not read many shifter stories, so Copper King was something new for me, and I loved it!  I want to read more in this series, for sure.

Copper King tells the story of Jim and Lillie and how they get together.  She takes a vacation in Las Vegas, working through a bucket list of items, one of those including a "fling".  She meets the exactly right shifter for that when she meets Jim in the casino.  I really loved how Vivian Arend folded the shifters into the general population in Las Vegas.

Copper King is really a sweet story about finding true love. I finished with a smile on my face, and I really loved that about the story. I'm ready for more from this author!

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