On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner
Release Date: June 13, 2019
On the Rocks, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by Kandi Steiner.
Noah Becker is nothing but trouble.
That’s what Mama told me when I was a kid, kicking his pew in church and giggling at the games we’d play. It’s what the town said when his father died and the Becker brothers went wild.
And it’s on repeat in my mind the day I walk into the whiskey distillery where he works to buy a wedding gift for my fiancé.
He’s trouble.
Dirty, sweaty, rude trouble.
No matter how many times I repeat it, I can’t escape Noah in our small Tennessee town. And the more I run into him, the more he infuriates me. Because he sees what no one else does.
He sees me—the real me.
The me I’m not sure I’m allowed to be.
I’m Ruby Grace Barnett, the mayor’s daughter. Soon to be a politician’s wife, just like Mama and Daddy always wanted. Soon to fulfill my family’s legacy, just like I always knew I would.
Until the boy everyone warned me about makes me question everything, like whether the wedding I’m planning is one I even want.
Everyone said Noah Becker was nothing but trouble.
If only I had listened.
A stand-alone, contemporary romance.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2KfzmD4
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/OnTheRocks
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"Anyone can lead an ordinary life. . But the best adventures are reserved for the ones brave enough to be extraordinary”.
There is something about small town romance that gives us all of the feels. Whether it’s the knowledge that some of these characters have known each other since they were kids, or the fact that there’s this unexplainable type of connection with the most of the residents in the small town or the love you feel when these characters stand up for you. Either way, there’s something to be said about small town romance: They’re freakin good!!
From a young age Ruby Grace Barnett has been taught to be the perfect daughter. From her mannerisms, to having a hair out of place and all the way down to her every day wardrobe attire, she was groomed to be the perfect daughter. When you have parents in the political circle, perfection is a must and if you want the perfect future husband, then you give them nothing less.
Noah Becker is a down to earth good ol fashioned family man at heart. Growing up with his three other siblings, he’s had the perfect example of what true love looks like and he wants nothing more than to have that one day. For now, he’s perfectly content with a no strings attached relationship every now and then and he doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. That is until a red headed beauty throws his world off kilter and makes him want the impossible: Her.
What happens when you find the love of your life and the timing couldn’t be more wrong? You fight like hell to make it right. This story not only showed how these characters fell in love, but we saw the most important thing that was the strong foundation for that love and it was friendship. I really enjoyed seeing Noah and Ruby Grace’s bond and I loved their banter that they had with each other from time to time. It was really refreshing to see that coming from both of the characters and I admired that they took their time in a sense.
I have always been a fan of this author’s writing and this story is no different. Her words felt effortless and even though it wasn’t the type of emotional read that I thought I was going to be getting, I still enjoyed the heck out of it and highly recommend that you read this one!
Excerpt:
I watched from the sidelines as Betty schooled Noah on the final dance scene from the classic movie — and one of her favorites. Noah, bless his heart, took it in stride. He held her hands, spun her gently, even went under water completely to give Betty some sort of “lift” that made her feel like Jennifer Grey.
That was when her smile was the largest — her eyes closed, face cast upward, arms out in the same iconic flight stance that the actress had done.
If I wasn’t laughing so hard, I might have cried at the sentiment.
After a dozen more run throughs, Betty called for a break, and the two of them swam up to the side of the pool where I sat. Betty took the lemonade I offered her, sipping and hollering across the pool at Mr. Buchanan — who was seated under the umbrellas. Noah rested his arms on the concrete edge, crossing them and resting his head on his forearm before he peered up at me through lashes still dripping with water.
His eyes were an endless blue, the light from the pool reflecting off them like a tropical dream.
“Enjoying your entertainment this afternoon, Miss. Barnett?”
I bit my lip against a smile. “Very much so, Mr. Becker. I never knew you were such a great dancer.”
“Oh, you should see me on the actual dance floor. I can two step and waltz and cha cha with the best of them. And don’t even get me started on what happens when ‘Watermelon Crawl’ comes on.”
“I’m sure it’s quite entertaining,” I mused, still dangling my feet in the cool water.
“When do I get to see your dance moves?”
I barked out a laugh at that. “Um, that would be approximately… never.”
“Never?” he asked, popping his head up off his arms with a look of injustice. “But you’ve seen all my moves, now. I show you mine, you show me yours. Isn’t that the deal?”
“I never agreed to that.”
He narrowed his eyes, running his forefinger and thumb over the stubble on his chin before he nodded. “I see…” Then, a wicked gleam came over those blue steel eyes, and before I could so much as scream, his hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging forward until I was off the ledge and under water.
I popped up instantly, not even able to open my eyes against the chlorine yet before I was swinging at him. “Noah!”
He laughed, catching my advances easily and pulling me into him. I blinked several times, shaking the drops from my eyes before I glared up at him.
“You jerk. Mama’s going to kill me for ruining my hair.”
“Mama will live,” he said, and then one arm wrapped around my waist, the other taking my hand in a leading position. “Now, let’s dance, little lady.”
With one pull of my hand and push of my hip, I spun away from him, reeling back in like a yo-yo and falling in line with his steps before I realized what was happening. Surprise ripped through me, brows shooting up to my hairline as he somehow managed to smoothly twirl me around that metaphorical dance floor even with water hitting us waist deep. My feet felt sluggish, the moves slower than if we were in boots on a hardwood floor, but somehow, that made it even more fun.
I laughed and laughed as he danced me around — until he had the bright idea to flip me like a swing dancer. I emerged from the water beating on his chest again, which just made him laugh harder. And when we were breathless, Noah tugged me to the side of the pool again.
“Thank you for the dance,” he said, both of us still breathing heavily as he wrapped his strong, rugged hands around my waist. For a moment, he just held them there, the rough pad of his thumbs smoothing over my exposed hip bones. My smile fell, chest still heaving as my eyes slipped to his lips.
I didn’t know why I looked at them.
I didn’t know why I couldn’t look away.
Noah swallowed, tightening his grip on my hips before he lowered in the water a little and helped push me back up onto the edge of the pool where I’d been seated before. Once I was steady, he released his hold on me, backing away with a distant look in his eyes that I couldn’t decipher before he tore them from me and looked at Betty, instead.
About Kandi:
Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a diehard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer, and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.
Connect with Kandi:
Mailing List: bit.ly/NewsletterKS
Facebook: facebook.com/kandisteiner
Facebook Reader Group: (Kandiland): facebook.com/groups/kandischasers
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kandisteiner
Twitter: twitter.com/kandisteiner
Pinterest: pinterest.com/kandicoffman
Website: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
The Man I Need (Ward Duet, 2) by Shanora Williams
Release Date: June 13, 2019
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LEFzcZ
Blurb:
There are things that women want, and things that women need.
I know deep down, with every fiber in my body, that I need Mr. Ward.
He started out as my landscape designer, but became so much more.
Now, my life is on the line while living with the devil himself. I have been torn down and broken, and I don’t think I can take anymore.
The man I need was never the one I married.
No, the man I need is the one I was never supposed to have. He’s the one who showed me gentleness, kindness, and true love.
Ward would put up a fight for me at any cost.
I know for a fact, I could be so much happier with him…
But when I come face-to-face with reality, I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to risk it all for someone I’ve just met, even if it seems like Mr. Ward and I are a match made in heaven.
*This is the second, and final book in the Ward Duet. You must read The Man I Can't Have before reading The Man I Need.
PURCHASE THE MAN I CAN'T HAVE HERE!
Amazon Universal → http://mybook.to/TMICH
Shanora Williams gave us the one thing that we were craving. Answers and retribution to what we wanted and we knew that was going to feel right because after the ending in the Man I Can’t have, we needed it more than anything!!!
If you’ve read the first book, then you know about the shocking cliffhanger and that was something that we didn’t see coming. It was unexpected and quite frankly brutal in a lot of ways. I had so many questions swirling in my mind but the one thing that I can honestly say that I felt in that moment, was fear and anger. The Man I Need picks up right where we left off and with our hearts in our throats, we desperately needed to breathe a sigh of relief. But if you’ve read this authors work before, you know that she’s not afraid to write about certain things and she will keep your emotions as hostage for the time being.
So with that being said, I entered into the unknown and prayed like heck that everything was going to be ok. I needed it, my heart needed it and most importantly, my sanity needed it. These characters went through a lot in the beginning and I wanted nothing more than to see them have a big piece of happiness but you know what they say: to the road of happiness, there’s going to be pain and heartbreak and let me tell you, there was no exception for Marcel and Gabby.
This book is much heavier than the previous one to the point where the author has included a Warning note! I would advise everyone to read it and proceed with caution because some subject matter might be a trigger. Now as for the rest of the story, I’m happy with the way that things turned out and even though I had an issue with a certain plot twist, I still enjoyed this story and I loved the characters.
If you’re looking for a sexy emotional forbidden duet, then this one is for you.
About the Author:
She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the mother of two amazing boys, has a fiercely devoted and supportive fiancé, and is a sister to eleven.
When she isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her family, binge reading, or running marathons on Netflix while scarfing down chocolate chip cookies.
Satisfaction Guaranteed, the all-new sexy, second chance romance from Lauren Blakely is NOW LIVE on ALL RETAILERS!!!
Grab this swoony, red-HOT, male POV romantic comedy TODAY!
✦ Kindle ➜ https://blkly.pub/KindleSG
✦Apple ➜ https://blkly.pub/sgap
✦Kobo ➜ https://blkly.pub/sgkob
✦BN ➜ https://blkly.pub/sgnb
✦Google ➜ https://blkly.pub/sggoogl
✦Goodreads ➜ http://bit.ly/2Dd3yJE
✦Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/AudibleSatisfied
Performed by Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke, with Jason performing an album of fully produced classic love songs at the end of the story!
Lauren is donating 10% of the proceeds for SATISFACTION GUARANTEED for the first month to animal rescues! (In honor of the hero being a veterinarian and the heroine working in animal rescue). This donation applies both to ALL preorders and to all sales in the first month across all formats!
Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42106421-satisfaction-guaranteed
Giveaway
A Night on the Town Giveaway, including an adorable Coach Handbag ($300 value), $50 gift card to the restaurant of your choice, and a $50 gift card to the beauty retailer of your choice to go shopping for that perfect make-up or hair care so you can look extra fabulous!
https://laurenblakely.com/a-night-on-the-town-giveaway/
Blurb:
Look, she started it.
She issued me a challenge I couldn’t back down from. Make her purr like no man has done before.
Fine, she’s my business partner’s daughter. All right, I’m also working in the same damn practice with her. Yes, she happens to be my ex-fling. But that was seven years ago, and it was barely a week-long thing.
Except, Sloane is still the one I can’t stop thinking of -- brilliant, sexy, captivating Sloane. Maybe a week of taking her to new heights will get her out of my head.
So what if we spend a few nights on the town too? So what if I romance her across Manhattan? It’s all in the name of scientific pursuit of more magnificent Os.
Until the rules change…
Excerpt
I meet Sloane’s gaze then go for it. Because this night has only one destination. “We should go to Tahiti.”
“Tonight?”
“Too long a flight?”
She lets go of my hand and holds up her thumb and forefinger. “Maybe a little. Not that I’m turning down a trip to Tahiti. Wait? Are you saying you want to take me to Tahiti? Because I can pack like that.”
Smiling, I slide my hand to her ass, squeezing. I whisper roughly in her ear, “I’m saying I’d like to escape with you. Like we’re getting away for the night. Let’s fuck away all this hot, wild desire.”
She exhales then goes quiet, perhaps lost in thought. “But I thought we were going to resist kissing.”
I brush the backs of my fingers along her jaw. “We already failed that test.”
She pouts. “I was supposed to be an un-vixen.”
“Didn’t work. You’re the opposite, and I want you so fucking much.” I press against her. “You have me so wound up. I’m pretty sure you’re wound up too.”
She pushes back. “You know I am. You know I want you too. That was never the issue.”
I have to get closer to her. I need to have her. “Let’s give in. Just once.” I slide my fingers into her hair, she leans her head against my palm, and I continue making my case. “I can take you places. I can make you feel extraordinary, like I’ve always wanted to.”
She hums. “You’re making it hard to say no.”
“True. I’m very hard to resist.”
A smile spreads across her face. “You are, Malone. You’re terribly, impossibly hard to resist.” She nibbles on her bottom lip. “One night. Our secret. What happens in Tahiti stays in Tahiti.”
“Absolutely,” I say as my dick high-fives me.
“And where is this alternate universe?”
I curl my fingers around her hip bone. “My place isn’t far. There’s also a hotel down the block. Either way, I intend to strip you naked, get my lips all over you, and make you feel as fucking good as you looked when you were watching me sing.”
She shudders. “I looked good when I was watching you? How so?”
I run my thumb over her hip, rubbing in slow, sensual circles. “You’re so seductive. You looked so incredibly alluring. You looked exactly as you are—the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.” My fingers stray to her belly, gliding down the fabric of her dress toward my final destination. “And you and I have unfinished business.”
She leans her head back, and the most delicious moan ever recorded escapes her lips. When she raises her face, she tap-dances her fingers down my chest then runs them over the silk of my tie. “Are you saying we’re going to finish the business tonight?”
“Yes, and then tomorrow . . . we can be friends again.” The thought pains me, but I know this is the only way to deal with our reality.
“Exactly,” she says, nodding her agreement. “We take a trip tonight. We get away to a remote island. And tomorrow we go back to the real world?” She’s seriously considering this. Hell, I’ve already considered it six ways to Sunday in the span of ten seconds, and I say it’s a brilliant plan.
“Let me take care of you tonight. Let me spend the night worshipping your body and driving you wild with pleasure.”
“You say these things . . .”
I grin. “And?”
“And you make it impossible to walk away.” She grabs my tie and tugs my face inches from hers. “But what do you think my voice says?”
I want her to say it. The permission must come from her, and I’m dying for it. “You tell me.”
She brings her mouth to my ear and whispers, hot and sexy, “It says take me to Tahiti. Fuck me hard. Fuck me good. Fuck me senseless.”
That’s the only voice I’m listening to tonight.
About the Author:
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that'ssweet, sexy and witty. Her heroines are strong and smart and her heroes have hearts of gold and fantastic funny bones. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, and she's sold more than 3 million books.
In June she'll release SATISFACTION GUARANTEED and in September INSTANT GRATIFICATION.
She'd love to give you a free book today! Check out her web site to grab your free read: laurenblakely.com/one-free-book/
Connect w/Lauren:
Website: http://www.laurenblakely.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenBlakely3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lauren-blakely
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YzfGNv
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6860216.Lauren_Blakely
Title: Wicked Games
Authors: Vivian Wood & Amelia Wilde
Genre: New Adult Romantic Suspense
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Blurb
A secret
society.
A
forbidden crush.
And an
unsolved murder...
Emily Danes
expected the tough classes at Campbell College, one of the most exclusive and
prestigious universities in the world. She expected the ivy-covered halls. She
expected the money.
She didn’t
see Wolf Astor coming.
Obscenely
wealthy, socially connected, and heart-stoppingly gorgeous, he’s everything she
ever dreamed of in a man.
He’s also a
total prick.
But at a
place like Campbell College, there’s no escape. Not from Wolf, and not from the
secrets hidden behind the graceful facades of the campus.
With every
day that passes, she’s drawn deeper into the underbelly of the wealthy and
privileged at Campbell: a secret society known as the Skulls & Thorns.
And with a
murderer loose on campus, she’s running out of time to escape.
Title: The Truth About Heartbreak
Author: B. Celeste
Genre: Forbidden Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2019
Blurb
I fell in love with him when I was thirteen years old.
He was older, mysterious, and unattainable. The guy I could never touch.
Then one night changed everything for us. But there was one huge problem.
He belonged to her.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
“River James will always be mine. Even if she doesn’t want to be. Even is she can’t be.”
The Truth about Heartbreak tells the tumultuous love story about two people who had a lot stacked against them. This was about broken characters that gave us heartbreak and during their darkest moments, they found strength within each other and not only learned how to heal, but they found the greatest gift of all: Unconditional Love.
There’s this Universal saying that someone has been through hell and back and those words have never been more true for River James. Growing up in the foster care system, this girl has seen it all and been through it all. Now given a chance at a new life with her own forever home, River finally has the one thing that she’s always wanted. A loving family. Despite her new surroundings, there’s one thing in the back of her mind: some scars, don’t always heal but new friendships can help.
Everett Tucker has been through his fair of tragedy in his lifetime but if there’s one thing that he’s not lacking is love and support from his best friend’s family who’ve become like second parents to him. With the new addition to the James household, Everett immediately feels a bond with the shy and timid girl. As the years go by, their friendship starts to turn into something more with unspoken words and forbidden wants. Will they cross the line and burn everything in their wake or will this be the road to their very complicated love story?
The truth about Heartbreak is that there is no such thing. It’s your soul that shatters, along with every fiber of your being that screams for another person”.
From the moment I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that I had to have it. Forbidden romance is my weakness and even though I was expecting a little bit more on the forbidden side, I still liked the premise of the story and I loved the past scenes. Those were my absolute favorite and the author did an amazing job with capturing their youth and showing their ultimate growth.
Now I’ll admit that I had to really restrain myself from not throwing my tablet because a certain character had me plotting out A lot of alibis and I wanted to shake them!! I kept asking myself, how are you not in fictional jail yet?!! They tested me on another level but I will say that they redeemed themselves a bit and I was thankful for that because I was out of bail money.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed this one and knowing that this is the author’s debut book, I really cannot wait to see what she’s going to come up with next. Her characters are complex, witty, passionate and down right entertaining. If your looking for a friends to lovers romance with a forbidden feel, then you should really give this one a try.
Excerpt
PROLOGUE
River /
Present / 23
The velvet
caress of silk sheets against my bare skin leaves me hyperaware of what I’ve
done. Early morning sunlight slips through the cracked blinds and kisses my exposed
back, coating the room in soft pinks and yellows.
Steady,
rhythmic breathing sounds from behind me. In, out. In, out. It’s a melody that
makes my muscles lock, too afraid to reacquaint my eyes with every dip and
curve of chiseled muscle displayed inches away.
His natural
musky scent wraps around me, overwhelming my senses until my heart thumps
wildly in my chest. It doesn’t take away the memories of lingering touches,
gentle kisses, and an overpowering sense of belonging. And less than twelve
hours ago, I belonged to Everett Tucker in ways I never thought possible in the
ten years of knowing him.
His touches
scorched me.
His kisses
burned me.
And his
body…
The
mattress dips with the shift of his weight. I hold my breath, waiting to see if
he’s awake. When his soft snores echo in the half-empty room, I release the
breath and white knuckle the sheets against my breasts. Carefully, I sit up and
squeeze my eyes closed like it’ll soften the blow of reality.
I wait for
the pounding headache or quake of unavoidable nausea to punish me, but my
conscience reminds me of what I already know. I wasn’t drunk last night. What
I’ve done can’t be blamed on alcohol.
My hand
drags across my bare neck until my heart thunders in pure panic over my missing
possession. I swallow my anxiety when I catch the silver chain resting on the
night stand and remember the very moment he took it off me.
Nothing but
skin. That’s what he said he wanted between us. I’ve only taken this necklace
off to shower and sleep. It goes everywhere with me, the silver paint palette
and brush charms sweeping over my heartbeat as a reminder that he cares. But in
the moment I had him as more than a wish, a hope, a dream, he didn’t want it
lingering.
Nothing but
skin.
My
fingertips touch the newest charm, a cracked heart, and I suck in a short
breath when the contact shocks me. Clenching the sheets tighter to me, I turn
slightly to peek through my peripheral and see a tussle of dirty blond hair
against my starch white pillow case.
Look, my
conscience taunts. Look at him.
Slivers of
tan skin make their way into my sight as I shift, my gaze drifting up the
mountain of hard muscles that form his toned biceps as they wrap around a
pillow. Worrying my bottom lip, my heart summersaults in my chest when the curve
of his square jaw comes into view. The sharp line of it is coated with early
morning shadow that he’ll shave despite preferring a thin layer of stubble.
He looks
peaceful when he’s sleeping; the hard edge he normally radiates eased to a
laxed slumber. From this angle, I can see the faded white scar that stretches
from the bottom of his left ear along the curve of his throat, landing just
above his pulse. You wouldn’t know it’s there unless you know the story, and he
doesn’t tell just anybody.
But I’m not
just anybody.
Especially
not now.
My throat
tightens from the emotions lodging in the back of it as I scope out his
sculpted body. He works hard for every muscle, spends countless hours in the
gym or training at the fire department, and it shows. The man sleeping beside
me has been a figment of my imagination that I’ve conjured thousands of times,
but his body is a masterpiece I never could have perfected unless I saw it in
person.
I absorb
the memory of his body spread on my mattress, bare to me. Every vulnerability
laying in a mess of sheets, open to pull apart and dissect and regret when the
sun fully rises.
Less than
twelve hours ago I belonged to the minty eyed boy I’ve loved since I was
thirteen. But Everett Tucker isn’t mine to love.
He stirs when
I rise from bed.
“Everett,”
I whisper brokenly, my heart shattering inside my chest. I can feel the pieces
splintering apart as I choke out my final words. “We made a mistake.”
Author Bio
B. Celeste
is the alter ego of Barbara C. Doyle.
Her obsession
with forbidden romance enabled her to pave a path into a new world of love,
sex, sin, and angst.
Her debut
novel is The Truth about Heartbreak.
Author Links
Title: Boys That Tease
Series: Lords of Wildwood #1
Author: Betti Rosewood
Genre: New Adult/Steamy Romance
Release Date: June 3, 2019
Blurb
We’re young. Privileged. Dirty. And we ruin lives for fun.
She knew being the new girl at Wildwood would never be easy,
considering who she is. But nobody warned Tinsley Sullivan we'd be doing
everything in our power to make her high school experience one of the most
horrible times of her life.
They say my name like I'm their king. Crispin Dalton. Teachers and students worship the ground I walk on.
They all follow my lead... Except for her.
I didn't think she'd have it in her to fight back. It's kind
of adorable that she won't budge, refusing to break for me, to submit to my
cruel desires. Except I'll never stop pushing for more. I'm ready to make her
life so miserable, she'll be begging me to stop hurting her.
There's just one thing that's messing it all up.
Tinsley is off-f*cking-limits.
And I need to keep that in mind when I kiss my girlfriend...
her best friend.
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