Showing posts with label 4 Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4 Stars. Show all posts

Sunday, November 17, 2013

REVIEW: The Arrangement (The Arrangement #1) by H.M Ward



My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Surviving justifies anything."


REACTION AFTER READING THE BOOK


4 happy sweet and sexy hearts!




That was a pretty good read!



I would have to say that for a short 118 pages, I was drawn and captivated!!

HERE'S THE GIST

If you would ask Avery how she would describe her life right now... She'll probably say..



Nothing is going right in her life. She's struggling with her rent, with school fees, her grades, and also with her shit of a car that stalls on her whenever it gets the chance. She got no one to catch her back if she loses her scholarship or if she loses her job. So basically, she was screwed.

Just when her car decided to give her hell and an opportunistic carjacker stole her car, she meets hot, blue-eyed, motorcycle-riding Sean Ferro.

She thought she'd never see him again. But then, fate has a different plan for them.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I'm a sucker for good covers and honestly, this book has a good, simple and sexy cover and add to that, a very intriguing blurb! What more can you ask for right?

Sooo.. Oh and I was a bit worried that since its short book, it might not be as good or it might lack substance or be forced to fit into a short novella. Good thing is, it has 11 more books on this series! I'm kind of worried about that too because it would cost you to spend more than what it will cost to just buy one complete book but what the heck right? If the book is good... JUMP RIGHT AHEAD AND SPLURGE!

MEET THE MAIN CHARACTERS

Avery


"My life is slipping away. I can feel it shifting beneath my feet like sand. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of everything."

Things were just really bad for Avery but she doesn't give up. I mean not every girl would ran after her car after its been carjacked right? LOL. She's strong and a very likeable character. She work decent jobs to make a living and support herself. It is very admirable really. She works extremely hard for her money. She wasn't the slutty type of girl also which is why I loved her. She was a bit flirty with Sean but it was all cool. It didn't sound slutty or desperate at all. *high five girl!*

Also I like her morals. She protects herself from stuff that might harm her. She thinks. She wasn't stupid at all. She thinks about stuff before jumping into any life changing decision like when she accepts that job from Ms. Black. She thought about it throughly. She didn't grab the opportunity immediately even though she knew she would make instant cash with it. She thought it through. Weighed the pros and cons before saying yes to something that might change her life forever.

Oh and did I fail to mention how this girl ran after her car that got carjacked? How crazy is that? Good thing Mr. Hot-and-Steamy Motorcycle Man was there to let her ride the motorcycle instead.

Sean


“Nothing, it’s just that I don’t even know your name, and then I try to kiss you after you had the worst day of your life. That’s kind of scummy of me.”

Meet Mr. Motorcycle/Biker guy. Who wouldn't want a steamy-smoking-hot biker guy to save/help us when our car gets stolen right? Not that I have any car but seriously, if that happens to me (hopefully though I get a decent car and not like Avery's) I'd want a knight-in-shining-motorcyle to help me!! Oh God please!! I want one!

Anyhow.. What is it about Sean? Well he's unpredictable. Don't get me wrong. He isn't moody or inconsistent or bipolar or anything. He was just mysterious in a way. He was outgoing and have a good chemistry with Avery but.. There was something else about him that isn't easily seen. He shows a different side of himself towards the end of the book.

Aside from being extremely hot and goodlooking.. LOL.. He is also quite rich. But of course you wouldn't know that on their first meeting. He was very laid back that if you look at him you'll probably won't know that he is extremely rich. You wouldn't think he was someone who will be able to buy a companion. That is one thing that confused me about him. Why the hell will be buy a companion when A LOT (not exaggerating) would want to do that for free? That is what I am itching to know really!!

Sean + Avery = Flirty and Cute... My Mistake.. Flirty and Sexy!



I love this couple. I mean you don't get to see much though as this is just the first part of the series and its a little too short to say. But from as far as I can tell.. Everything is innocent.. At least for now I think. Hehe.

So there was kissing..



You'd feel the electricity. So much chemistry!


I smile, saying, “Sean Jones, chivalrous motorcycle man with only one pair of pants.”
He laughs and I smile in response. I step closer to him and look up into his crystal blue eyes. I take his jacket in my hands and pull him to me. Sean doesn’t hesitate this time. When I press my lips to his, he kisses me back. It’s so sweet and gentle that I want to die. That kiss makes every part of me feel light, like I’ll float away. When his hands find my face, he holds me gently, trailing his finger along my jaw and back into my hair. It’s a sweet kiss, a chaste kiss, but it leaves me breathless and wanting more.
Sean steps away from me and reaches for his helmet. “Your kiss is addictive, Avery Smith.”



I just loved that. And aside from that... There was flirting and cute exchanges of words. It was just so cute but at the same time it was sexy!


“Thanks.”
“No problem. Glad I was here.”
I glance up at him. “Me too. I mean, I’m glad I didn’t have to push the car out of traffic by myself.”
He’s smiling at me. I let me eyes slip over his body and try not to drool. My God, he’s beautiful. “Like what you see?”
My face flames red as my eyes widen. “Wow, you’re blunt.”
“Sometimes it pays off, and other times…” he shrugs.
“Other times what?”
“Other times it gets me smacked.”



Oh geez! I really love them together. I wonder how they will be like though on the next book.

FINAL VERDICT

Okay so based on what I have been saying earlier, I could safely say that this book took me unexpectedly! It was cute and short and funny and sweet and interesting. I guess it helps that it was short because sometimes I get bored easily. Sometimes, I start a book and is quite interested until about half of the book when it becomes too slow and dragging that I'd have to stop the book. Glad I wouldn't have to suffer that with this series!

I couldn't really comment much on the writing because I couldn't find any faults on it nor can I find any annoying use of punctuations and all that. So basically, the writing was all good! Let me correct myself, the writing was addictive!

The story itself was simple. I guess it was a little clicheish with the fact that Sean was a rich guy and Avery was a poor girl. I don't want to think that Avery would be like another Cinderella story. I hope not. That type of story is so overused it will make me puke if I read another one. Not sure if the second book would be like that but.. Let's just hope its not because I'll be really disappointed.

Sean.



Need I say more?! :)

Well okay.. I have a few more things to say actually. I wish.. This book was just a standalone. Just one and everything in it so that you won't have to buy the next one but then I guess in time it will be annoying because you have to keep on buying and buying until you finish the book. It was like a telenovela that will keep you on your toes until the end.

This is really an interesting book and I can't help but feel really excited about the rest of the books. I haven't gotten to reading them yet because I still think whole books are better. I just wish the author would just opt to have it on one book. It would be so much cost effective and more readers would be happy!! :)

Also, I would just like to make a comment that I don't think there is anything wrong with what Avery's friend is doing and also what she just started doing. It is way better than stealing or carnapping or whichever illegal stuff out there to get money. This seems legit. Hopefully it is really though. I don't want Avery to get into trouble as I really liked her.

If you guys are looking for full blown smutty sex here then you're in for a big disappointment. You won't find it here. At least not yet though. It might be in the next books.. It would be up to us to find out though isn't it? :)

RECOMMENDATION: I recommend!! :)



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Monday, November 11, 2013

REVIEW: Resilient by Patricia Vanasse




My rating: 4 of 5 stars

DISCLAIMER This copy has been provided by the author for an honest review.


  4 sweet hearts for Resilient!





resilient

adjective
(of a substance or object) able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed.
(of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions:


Livia was special and she knows it.


She can empathize with people. She could feel their emotions. She could feel their pain, happiness, anger and most of the times, it makes her unhappy knowing what other people are feeling. As time passes by, she began to develop more abilities that she was forced to hide from her adoptive parents.  She thinks her biological parents have the answers to her questions. But will finding them really answer her questions or will it lead her to more questions?

Adam was your normal highschool golden boy. At least, that is what everyone around him thinks. But there was more to him than meets the eye. He only allow people to see what he wants them to.


When Livia and her family moved to Whidbey Island, she meets Adam and unfortunately, sparks didn't fly (at least at first). For the first time, Livia couldn't feel an emotion. She couldn't read Adam's emotion at all. It made her curious as to why he was the only one immune to her ability.

The closer they got to each other, the more they learn about the secrets that lurk behind their true identity.

THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS

First of all, I would like to thank Patricia Vanasse for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. It was absolutely amazing and am very honored to read and review it!

Alright so my thoughts on this book is that it was very unique. That is actually what first caught me about this book. There was no cliche-ish pathetic heroine who needs to be saved by a swoonworthy and strong hero. That was not the case here.

I liked Livia. She was very persistent in searching for answers. She was strong and not whimpy. She was not a damsel in distress that needs saving all the time. I guess sometimes she was impulsive like her decision to go back to New York just because she wanted to know about something. A very bold and dangerous decision but she made it.

Adam. Hmmm. I wasn't really extremely blown away by him at first because I thought he was a jerk but as the story goes, boy he made up for it.  I guess that's the only thing that I found wrong with Adam but other than that he was a pure sweetheart! Oh and did I mention he was goodlooking? LOL.

I would have to say that it was a slow read for me though, hence why I have not given it a perfect 5 stars. The real bulk of the story for me started when I was I think about half or probaly 60-70% on the book. That was where things started making sense and when the story really got more intense.

Oh and I did like the chemistry between Adam and Livia. They were attracted to each other yes but it wasn't i-want-to-be-with-you-forever-at-first-sight kind of love. I really liked that! That earned this book tons of points for me.

I really really hate cliche in books. It is very rare that a book will not have that type of pattern: girl is pretty but doesn't know it then goodlooking guy makes pretty girl feels she's beautiful, saves her from herself and then they live happily ever after! I just noticed that it has been a very common and overused type of plot in most of the YA books right now and its getting kind of old. Resilient, fortunately, is not one of them.

Oh did I say that I'm also a bit angry and upset?!
Why?
It's because of that freakin' cliffhanger!!


Oh geez you are so cruel!!
I'm just kidding. I'm not exactly angry. LOL.
Actually...


Looking forward to the next one!
Great debut novel!! :)


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Saturday, November 2, 2013

REVIEW: Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2) by Katie McGarry




My rating: 4 of 5 stars


  Screw what Mom and Dad think. Screw the rest of the town. Screw perfection. This girl is mine.

~Ryan


REACTION AFTER READING THE BOOK

Totally happy and a little bit teary-eyed.



*clap. clap. clap*



Oh and I have a playlist for this book:

Ryan to Beth: Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute
Isaiah to Beth: What I know by Parachute
For Beth: Broken Angel by Boyce Avenue
Beth to Ryan: Who Knew by Pink or Terrified by Katharine McPhee


This book wasn't perfect. There were stuff here and there that made me want to throw the book out the window but I stuck with it and is totally happy that I did.

THE GIST

Beth Risk lives a life not everyone would be able to handle.



At 17, she's been through a lot and those things made her tough. It made her strong. She knew she had to be strong to protect her mother. But something happened and she got sent off to live with her uncle who used to be her favorite person in the world that is until he left her when he promised not to.

Everyone thinks Ryan Stone was perfect. He was good-looking and hot. He was a great pitcher. He had the perfect family. He was popular. He wasn't on the top of the class but he was smart.

But if you ask him.. He'll say...



Everyone thinks his life was perfect but what they didn't know was what was happening behind closed doors. Ryan was tired of pretending.

Because of a dare, Beth and Ryan's paths crossed. Because of a dare, their lives took a 360 degree turn. But was it for the good or the bad?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This would have to be my first book by Katie McGarry and I am totally hooked. Honestly, I had no intention of reading this series at all even though I've read a lot of good reviews about it. I wasn't really sure why but Allen Grace's(thanks girl!! *high five*) review made me change my mind. I was so intrigued by the guy she called Taco Bell boy.

THE CHARACTERS

I think the characters are all awesome. I liked the main ones and the secondary ones. Let me start with.

Beth



Beth was one of those characters you'll hate but love at the same time. She was b*tchy most of the time. She had a dirty mouth. She drinks. She parties too much. She smokes weed. Eventhough she was pretty, she wasn't the type of girl you'd want to take home to meet your parents.

<

As you read through the book though, you'll understand why she has to be that way. You'll eventually see what her struggles are and why she has trust issues. She was the type of girl who looks tough on the outside but a real softie in the inside. What she went through in life is definitely not easy. She had to experience the harsh reality of life at a young age. She felt being unwanted by the people who should be taking care of her and not the other way around.

I kind of didn't like her at first but then who could blame her for all her insecurities and uncertainty with herself. No one was there to tell her that she was beautiful and buy her pretty dresses and give her ribbons (that she loves so much) when she was younger. Her good for nothing mother was useless. Her father was a good for nothing sperm donor who doesn't give a f*ck which was why he ran away. She has good friends though and I think they are the ones that kept her sane. That kept her moving forward. And then.. Ryan came. ^__^

Ryan aka Taco Bell boy



*note: i didn't intentionally picked this guy because he was shirtless. LOL*

Taco Bell boy was the reason I read this book and I was so not disappointed. I absolutely love him. He was far from the cliche-ish bad-boy-turned-good-boy male lead in most YA books. Actually, he was the good boy and he really owned up to it.

At first, I really thought he was perfect but he wasn't. He was far from perfect. He was dependent with his brother but he went away and left him which actually broke him. He felt alone with his parents who were too busy pretending that everything was perfect when it was not. He felt dependent on them too as to what he thinks he wants to do with his life. His father controlled him and he didn't even notice it.

What I loved most about Ryan was how serious he was when it comes to relationship. He was a real sweetheart.

(view spoiler)    "Because I love you. Beth - you're everything I want to be. You're alive and live without apology. I never would have made love to you if I thought you didn't trust me... or love me. And I never would have done it if I didn't trust and love you.
 
 (hide spoiler)]


Everything with Beth started as a dare but he then called it off when he started falling for her and he wasn't scared to admit that to his friends, his schoolmates and his family *at least towards the end*.

Oh did I forget to mention that Ryan is one hell of a writer?! That even makes him more sexier. A writer with a sexy six pack abs. *I absolutely love it!*

Isaiah



*note: sorry about that. another shirtless guy here. LOL*

Isaiah. Well, I liked him really. He did nothing but do what is best for Beth but... I really think there was not enough chemistry with them as it is with Beth and Ryan. I haven't read the first book so I had no idea if they looked sweeter there or if Beth was different with Isaiah there but I really just thought of him as Beth's friend.. nothing more.

Sorry guys. I know a lot of you would have and have loved Isaiah but I don't like him for Beth. He doesn't bring out the best in her like Ryan can. But I do agree that he is a good friend. What I wouldn't give to have a friend like him. Sexy. Dependent. HOT. Cool. And a lot more. :)

I'm just so happy to hear that the next book will be about him. He does deserve a happy ending too!

Secondary Characters

I liked Noah and Echo. Although I haven't really read their story, I kind of like how supportive they are of Beth. Especially Noah.

Gwen. I hated her. She thinks she could make everything go how she wants to because she's pretty and popular. Unfortunately, that is so not true.

Uncle Scott. I liked him. He admitted he was wrong when he left and wanted to make it up to Beth. He was very admirable.

Ryan's parents. Meeh. They are crazy perfectionist it's absolutely insane.

Mark. I liked him. He wasn't afraid to go after who he really is. He didn't let his parents tell him what he is


RYAN + BETH = SWEET AND SEXY

This was the type of book that doesn't need to be smutty to be sexy.



Ryan and Beth's relationship was not insta-love. Thank goodness. They were attracted to each other physically yes but that doesn't mean they liked each other. In fact, they hated each other's guts and that is what makes their relationship work for me I guess. They got to know each other more before they fell for each other.

Makes me all dreamy about it really. LOL



I wish I had my own Ryan that would sweep me off my feet and write me poems or stories or whatever. :D

Anyways, there were scenes where they showed how much they liked and wanted to be close to each other but nothing more than that and that's kind of refreshing. I liked that.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I liked this one and will remember Ryan and Beth for a long time. It's one of those stories that will stick to your brain and will remember and smile because it was good.

I liked Beth and Ryan's love story but what I really liked the most was the way it shows how life is never as it seems. Some things you can just see above the surface. Not everything is what it seems. Like with the case of Ryan's family. You think they have everything but they don't. Inside their house, someone was gay, someone was angry, someone was disappointed and someone felt completely alone. But if you look at their perfect family facade, you never would know, unless of course, they tell you or you are a nosy next door neighbor who likes to snoop on other people's lives. Haha.

Beth's case was different. Everyone knows what she is going through but not a lot of people were willing to help. The person she was trying to save doesn't really want to be saved and that is sh*tty. She was endangering her life for someone who doesn't give a f*ck.

Books are really a good thing. It takes you to the mind of another person and see things the way they see. It's an eye opener. And Dare You To is not just a typical YA contemporary romance with a feisty heroine and a swoon-worthy hero but it was also about life and its troubles and how they overcame it.

FINAL RATING

 
 
 
 
 


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Thursday, October 31, 2013

REVIEW: Arsen by Mia Asher




My rating: 4 of 5 stars


  “Love is infinite. There is no beginning and no end. There's no starting point and no finishing line. Love just is. Love is born, grows, matures, and sometimes it dies. But the memory will remain with you for the rest of your breathing hours. You will fall in love, you will fall out of love. But you will love again. You always do.”


Awwwww.
Crap.
Crap.
Crap.



This f*cking broke my heart.

I feel so broken.
I feel so betrayed.
I feel the pain. I feel the sorrow. I feel the heartache.

Arsen is the cause of all this emotional babble that I am currently sharing with you guys. It made me happy, it made me cry, it broke my heart, it ripped it apart, it smashed it to pieces and then mended it all back together.

Here's a short GIST on what this book is about.

Is love really enough to save a marriage?

Ben and Cathy have been together for 11 years. And 6 years of those years, they were married
Everything was perfect.
Cathy was perfect.
Ben was perfect.
Their love and passion for each other was just crazy.
They were the perfect example of

But then everything started to crumble when... Cathy had a miscarriage. Then another one... Then another... Cathy was going out of her mind and she feels that Ben was not feeling the same way she is. She feels alone. She feels betrayed. She feels suffocated with how much love Ben is still showering her even if she couldn't carry their child long enough for them to hold their baby in their arms.



Just when everything was turning upside down, Cathy meets Arsen.
Arsen.
He was your typical bad-boy womanizer. He has the face of an angel but a mouth of a devil. He will flirt with you. He will f*ck you. And then tomorrow, you are yesterday's news. He will do it again with someone else.
Even though Arsen was bad news, Cathy can't help but be drawn to him. She was like a moth that's drawn to fire, the fire that was Arsen.
She denied herself the fact that she was attracted to Arsen and that she liked the attention she was giving him.
To her, he was air. An air that she needed to continue breathing.

Cathy loses control after she loses her 4th baby.
She needed to forget.
She needed to let herself forget this pain.
She reached out.
She reached out not to her husband but to Arsen.
And things happened... Things that weren't supposed to.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I've read tons of good reviews about it so I decided why not? I've never really been a fan of love-triangles, especially ones that involves cheating or adultery. I am not a big fan of cheating and lies and all that so I was so sure I was going to hate this book. Imagine my surprise when I liked it despite the topic. Despite the hatred that I had for Cathy.

I had to problems on the first few chapters. I actually kind of liked Cathy. I feel for her. But then when I got further through the story... I disliked her... A lot.

MEET THE CHARACTERS

Cathy



Cathy was a lucky, ungrateful b*tch. Seriously. What I wouldn't give to have a husband like hers and (view spoiler) I am very disappointed with her. She doesn't deserve Ben.

I understand where she was coming from. I really do. I am not that heartless not to understand her pain and suffering of not being able to keep a child in her womb but that doesn't really justify what she did.
Unfaithfulness.
Cheating.
Lying,
Those things are avoidable. There is never going to be an excuse good enough to rationalize what she has done. Even she knows that. She knew what she was doing but she just chose to ignore. She chose to ignore the one person who has been loyal, who has been faithful and who has loved her without hesitation. Her husband.

First few chapters, I just felt sad for her. I felt all of her pain. Then the next few chapters after that, I am starting to get annoyed. Pissed. Upset. Her train of thoughts were becoming disturbing. Her thoughts about Arsen was just disgusting. All the time I was like...



"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING CATHERINE!! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT TO BEN?!" I wanted to b*tchslap her ass to the next dimension!

Ben



Oh Ben!
My poor Ben!!
This guy is the best husband ever. If every guy was like him, the whole world will be a damn perfect place.
My heart just felt for this man.
He didn't deserve all those hurt and pain that Cathy caused him.



What kind of person are you to cheat on a guy who worships you like a goddess and loves and accepts everything about you? Obviously, Cathy was one of those people who don't realize a good thing until its gone.

I loved Ben from start to finish. There was nothing to hate about this guy. Well except maybe that he fell for a no-good woman like Catherine.



Ben has been tempted. He was. He admitted it. But he never, not once, gave to it unlike Cathy. He loved Cathy too much. And she doesn't deserve that love or any part of Ben. Even on the backflashes, I already knew Cathy wasn't right for Ben. At first I thought she was, but then during that thing at Julian's place, I absolutely changed my mind. There are all sorts of wrong with Cathy. I want to count everything but it will take my whole review to enumerate all of them so lets just forget it.

Anyhow, back to Ben! He got hurt before by someone else. Then Cathy hurt him too. I guess nice people really get taken advantaged of. Maybe because they are so nice, other people think they could get away with it by saying sorry. (view spoiler)

Arsen

This is the guy who caused all this trouble.



Arsen, like Cathy, was not easy to love. But unlike Cathy, he had some redeeming qualities mid part of the book but then it all sort of fell down the drain again towards the end.

For me, he was just your typical bad-boy with family and previous love issues. (view spoiler)

What else can I say about this guy? Well he was good looking, no freakin doubt about that? He was every woman's fantasy: rich, tall, popular, good looking, and last but not the least a monster in bed. All though he was all these things, all I can say is...



Ben + Cathy + Arsen = A complicated love triange

I think one line each applies to all three of them. I am not going to say who its for though, you guys better read it. LOL.



Ben and Cathy. I really liked it when I read how they first met and how absolutely attracted they were to each other. It was really good. I think the flashbacks to the past was a pretty good touch to this story, it made me understand better what happened before and what was happening in the present.

Ben was a good husband and Cathy was a good wife too. They had great chemistry but everything changed when Cathy started losing their babies. It took a toll on her but that is no excuse to cheat. Crap. I'm going on and on again about the cheating part.

It was hard but why did she have to push Ben away? That is the confusing part for me. Why push the guy who wants to be with you and take care of you when you are experiencing hardship? What the hell was that Cathy?



Arsen and Cathy's relationship for me was all sex from the start. I got that feeling. (view spoiler)



I don't think there is any excuse for cheating. You'll see here how Cathy knew exactly what she was doing with Arsen. Her thoughts were clear as a crystal. She knew that she was hurting Ben. She knew and she doesn't care. And guess what? (view spoiler)

FINAL THOUGHTS

This book is one of those books you won't forget. Not only was the story different but also the characters were something you'll also remember. They were amazing characters. I loved Ben and I despised Cathy and Arsen. Well, I hated Cathy most of all because I think everything was her fault. LOL.

I think (view spoiler)

Nothing Last Forever by Maroon 5 kept on playing in my head while I was reading this. I mean it is a song I think Cathy will dedicate to Ben.

Everyday with every word whispered
We get more far away
The distance between us makes it so hard to stay
But nothing last forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way


I fell in love with this book when I was expecting not to. It  was just so real and raw and genuine. The story wasn't perfect. Everything didn't fall in to place quickly. The pace was slow at first which made me pull my hair a lot. I am not a fan of slow paced books but I'll have to make another exception for this one.

I liked the message of the book. Value the people who value you. Don't settle for someone who doesn't know what you're worth. Cathy learned that lesson the hard way but at least she learned. Everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is to admit you were wrong and learn from it and also don't do it again. If you did it the second time, you are really screwed in the head. LOL.

Arsen? What about him? Well I just wish guys like him disappear from the surface of the earth.

My final, final words...



In the end, it is still Ben who took my heart away.


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