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The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan

15 Apr
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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan was a fantastic book. When I opened the package that the book came in, I had to smile because there was a note that the author wrote tucked in the book, and it made me laugh. I also loved that some of the words had an asterisk by them and then at the bottom of the page it explains what it means or why she is using it. I loved that because it makes it easier to read because she explains parts of it, so you don’t have to stop reading to figure out what she meant. As I was reading this book, I had a constant smile on my face because the book just put me in a good mood. I love how well this book was written, and I loved that the main characters were doing things that women wouldn’t have been able to do during that time. I have read tons of historical fiction books, and this one is by far my favorite as of late, and I can’t wait for another book by this author to be released. It is an easy read, and it went by super quick. I love when I read books that are easy to read and go by fast because I don’t have to wait too long to find out how the story ends. I am sure most people would enjoy this book, and I recommend it everyone who is looking for a new book to read.

The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan

About The Book

In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.

Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.

While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever-if they can stay alive long enough to do so.

Rachel McMillan

About The Author

Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.

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The Secret Life of Charlotte Dodd by Holly Kerr

28 Mar
Written By

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from CLP in exchange for my honest review.  I received no other compensation for this review.  All opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent my own thoughts and opinions.

The Secret Life of Charlotte Dodd by Holly Kerr was and interesting book.  When I first started it I was super confused and wondered if this was part of a series.  After I looked into it I couldn’t see that it was so I just stuck with it and once I got to chapter 7 I had figured out enough that I wanted to keep reading the book.  Once I was into the book I didn’t want to stop reading it because it was a fast moving book and I loved the whole concept of the book.  This was a super easy book to read and it went super fast for me as well.  I found the concept of this book pretty unique which I also enjoyed because books tend to be pretty similar and I love when I find a book that isn’t like other books.  If you love mystery books I would recommend this book to you.  I also say give it a little bit of time to get into it and for it to start to make sense before you give up on it because I am glad that I gave it the time.

CharlotteDodd2

About The Book

List Price: $14.99
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on White paper
398 pages
Three Birds Press
ISBN-13: 978-0994993434
ISBN-10: 0994993439
BISAC: Fiction / Action & Adventure

Charlotte Dodd is having a very bad day.

After taking an experimental drug to erase her memories of saving the world (or at least the country - several times) Charlotte is given a new life - a quiet, unassuming job, a second chance at love with Luke, and no one trying to kill her.

Two years later and with no recollection of saving the world, she steps in to help a random stranger and is amazed at the ease in which she dispatches her opponents using a rolled-up magazine. But how is that possible? She has Buffy-like fight moves, fires a gun with deadly accuracy and can use the air from car tires to keep breathing underwater.

When she meets Ham - why is he so familiar? The flashes, the déjà vu, the dreams - they’re not really dreams? Blowing up a building in Mexico, being buried alive - those things really happened to her? And what is her brother doing flying a plane? Turns out those two years of quiet with Luke was really an undercover mission to help bring down a secret organization targeting her family.

Charlotte needs to remember her secret life if she wants to save the world again and the only man she’s ever loved.

Holly Kerr

About The Author

Holly Kerr writes chick-lit with the sole purpose of showing the world there is more to the genre than pretty shoes and brooding heroes.
Except for J.B in Unexpecting. He can be kind of broody.
When she’s not writing, Holly spends time with her kids, watching Star Wars and super hero movies and training for this marathon she signed up for.
Find out more at www.hollykerr.ca

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Breaking The Story by Ashley Farley

25 Mar
Written By

BreakingtheStoryBlogTour

FTC: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Breaking The Story by Ashley Farley was an excellent book.  I reviewed the first book, and if you missed that review, you could click here to read it and find out more about it.  You don’t have to read the first book if you don’t want to understand this book, but if you want to read them both, I would suggest reading them in order.  You can read this book alone and be able to understand everything that is going on.  I love this author writing and how she can make me completely understand why the characters do what they do and why they make the choices that they do.  This book was an easy read and I loved that because there are times where I love reading books that you don’t really have to pay close attention to the details and not get lost or confused.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books that combine both romance and mystery in the same book.

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About The Book

Release Date: March 17, 2016

Genre: Suspense

Passion, peril, and a scandal that will rock American politics.

Scottie Darden’s life is a disaster. Her marriage has become toxic, and her career as a photojournalist has stalled out. To attract the attention of the main players in the news industry, she needs a standout story with a unique perspective. What she finds is a scandal that could turn the 2016 presidential election upside down. But before she can release her damaging images to the media, Scottie must uncover the truth behind the photographs. She turns to handsome mystery man Guy Jordan for help. When they join the campaign trail in search of answers, their investigation quickly becomes deadly.

Hop on board for a wild ride of adventure where desire ignites, lives are threatened, and secrets are revealed.

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About The Author

Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

HER SISTER’S SHOES—June 24, 2015—is a women’s novel that proves the healing power of family.

MERRY MARY a heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need released October 15, 2015.

 

 

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The Hearts We Mend by Kathryn Springer

10 Mar
Written By

Book Review Graphic

FTC: I received a free copy of this  book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.  I received no other compensation.  All the opinons in this review are 100% my honest thoughts and feelings.

The Hearts We Mend by Kathryn Springer was an excellent book.  I have to admit that I didn’t realize that this was part of a series until I was a few chapters in and the for some reason it clicked in my head.  I then went back and read my review of the first book because I wondered how I felt about it and I had to laugh because in the book I didn’t like Evie at all.  But in this book I loved her right from the start.  It is funny how you can like someone that you hated in the first book, but once the story is told through their eyes, you love them.  I can’t say enough good things about this book and the author.  I loved just about everything about this book and it was one that I read super quick because I had to know it all worked out.  This book is one that I will be adding to my personal collection of books.  If you love romance novels than I know, you will love this one just as much as I did.

The Hearts We Mend by Kathryn Springer

About The Book

For young widow Evie Bennett, moving forward will mean deciding what to leave behind . . . and what to keep.

Widowed at the age of twenty-five when her firefighter husband was killed in the line of duty, Evie Bennett has spent the last thirteen years raising their son, Cody, in the close-knit community of Banister Falls. As the women’s ministry director of her church, Evie encourages women to boldly pursue God’s plan for their future . . . while she is content with her memories of the past. But Evie’s well-ordered life begins to change when she meets Jack Vale.

As Evie gets drawn into Jack’s world—a world that isn’t as safe and predictable as the one she’s worked so hard to create—he challenges her to open her eyes to the problems in the community . . . but will Evie open her heart to love again?

Because even though Jack isn’t anything like her late husband, he just might be everything she needs.

Kathryn Springer

About The Author

Kathryn Springer, winner of the 2007 Write Touch Reader’s Award (long contemporary), grew up in a small town in northern Wisconsin, where her parents published a weekly newspaper. As a child, she spent many hours sitting at her mother’s typewriter, plunking out stories, and credits her parents for instilling in her a love of books – which eventually turned into a desire to tell stories of her own.

After a number of busy years, when she married her college sweetheart and became a stay-at-home mom, Kathryn rediscovered her love for writing. An unexpected snow day from school became the inspiration for a short story, which she submitted to Brio magazine. She went on to publish over a dozen more short stories for Brio, but it wasn’t until her youngest child started school that she decided to pursue her dream to write a novel. In August 2004, her Love Inspired® debut novel, Tested by Fire, was published.

Encouraging women in their faith journey is the reason Kathryn loves to write inspirational fiction. She hosts a women’s Bible study in her home and volunteers in a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) ministry. When she isn’t at the computer, you’ll find her curled up with a good book, spending time with family and friends or walking on the trails near her country home.

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Find Her by Lisa Gardner

23 Feb
Written By

Book Review Graphic

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way.

Find Her by Lisa Gardner was one of the better books that I have read in past few months.  I read a ton of books as most of you know but this book took me back to the types of books that I loved to read before I started to review books here.  I love books like this because they keep me on the edge of my seat, and I don’t want to stop reading them until I know how it all ends.  I know that these books can be overwhelming to some people but for the most part, I love them.  Right from the start I loved how the author was able to make me understand what it would feel like to be somewhat buried alive or, at least, be in a box that all you can do is lay down.  I also loved that Flora is a survivor and you get to see how she survived and how is able to help others in the small ways that she does.   I can’t say enough good things about this book and this author.  If you love reading thriller/suspense books then I know you don’t want to miss this one.  I can’t wait to check out other books by this author and see how they are compared to this one.

Find Her by Lisa Gardner

About The Book

Flora Dane is a victim.

Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure.

Flora Dane is a survivor.

Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home.

Flora Dane is reckless.

. . . or is she? When Boston detective D. D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime—a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him—she learns that Flora has tangled with three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who’s determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape. And now it is all up to D. D. Warren to find her.

Lisa Gardner

About The Author


New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of eleven bestselling suspense novels.
Readers are invited to get in on the fun by entering the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Mate” Sweepstakes, where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa’s latest novel. Every year, one lucky stiff is selected for literary immortality. It’s cheaper than therapy, and you get a great book besides. For more details, simply visit Lisa’s website.
Lisa lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat. Lisa graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations.

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Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr

19 Feb
Written By

Tur FTC

Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr was an interesting book, to say the least.  This is one of those books that nothing goes right from the start and at times I had to laugh because I couldn’t see some of the things happening but other parts I could totally see happening.  Like when Gnarly ate the wedding rings I could totally see that happening but then you find out the David is already married when he goes to get his marriage license, but he claims that he had no idea that he got married years before.  I enjoyed this story but at times, I wish I had others books in this series before so that I would know more of the backstory but you can just pick this book up and understand what is happening and who the characters all are.  I really enjoyed this book even though at times all I could think about is how there is no way that anything like this could happen.  This is the first book I have read by this author and I am for sure going to be adding more books by this author to my pile of books I want to read.  I think pretty much everyone would love this book and have a good time reading it.

Cancelled Vows

About The Book

Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can tie the knot—divorce his first wife!

Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail-biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend—and he’s got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!

Lauren Carr

About The Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret

A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson

17 Feb
Written By

Book Review GraphicA Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson was a cute book.  I have read several other books by her and I really enjoy her style of writing.  I really enjoyed the characters in this book and the setting of this one.  I did find parts of this book predictable but that is pretty common for me considering that I read so many books and these types of books tend to be my favorite types of reading.  I really liked Megan from the start.  I love books have strong female characters because I always feel like I am able to relate to them more than other types.  I loved trying to figure out who killed Simon and why they did it.  I also loved following along as Megan tried to clear her name and get her businesses up and running.  If you love mystery books that aren’t super gross than I know you will love this one and you need to add it to your list of books to read.

Tur FTC

http-::www.amazon.com:Muddied-Murder-Greenhouse-Mystery-Book-ebook:dp:B01A1I8J6W

About The Book

When Megan Sawyer gives up her big-city law career to care for her grandmother and run the family’s organic farm and café, she expects to find peace and tranquility in her scenic hometown of Winsome, Pennsylvania. Instead, her goat goes missing, rain muddies her fields, the town denies her business permits, and her family’s Colonial-era farm sucks up the remains of her savings.

Just when she thinks she’s reached the bottom of the rain barrel, Megan and the town’s hunky veterinarian discover the local zoning commissioner’s battered body in her barn. Now Megan is thrust into the middle of a murder investigation—and she’s the chief suspect. Can Megan dig through small-town secrets, local politics, and old grievances in time to find a killer before that killer strikes again?

wendy tyson

About The Author

Wendy Tyson is a corporate lawyer and former therapist whose background has inspired her mysteries and thrillers.  She’s the author of three crime novels.  Her latest, DEADLY ASSETS, the second Allison Campbell mystery, was released on July 22.  The first Campbell novel, KILLER IMAGE, was named by Examiner.com as one of the ten best mysteries for book clubs in 2014.  She’s also written THE SEDUCTION OF MIRIAM CROSS.  Wendy lives near Philadelphia with her husband, three sons and two muses, dogs Molly and Driggs.

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If I Run by Terri Blackstock

23 Jan
Written By

Book Review 1-2016

If I Run by  Terri Blackstock was another great suspense/thriller novel.   This is the 4th book I have read by this author, and I am starting to think that she can’t write a bad book.  I always get sucked into the books from the first chapter right up through the end of the book.  Once the book ends I find that I am usually sad because I have fallen in love with the characters and hate that the book has ended, and this book was no different.  I wasn’t sure if I liked Casey throughout most of the book but in the end, I did enjoy her.  I had a soft spot for Dylan because of the things he went through and for being a veteran.  I love this book because I wasn’t able to figure it out super early on which means that I love it.  If you love suspense/thriller books, I know you will love this book as much as I do.

If I Run by Terri Blackstock

About The Book

Casey knows the truth.

But it won’t set her free.

Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.

But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up. Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why did she run?

Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.

Terri Blackstock

About The Author

Terri Blackstock has sold over six million books worldwide and is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of “Intervention,” “Vicious Cycle,” and “Downfall,” as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, Restoration, and Moonlighters.

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The Body In The Landscape by Larissa Reinhart

20 Jan
Written By

Book Review 1-2016

The Body In The Landscape by Larissa Reinhart was an okay book.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the story but it was well written and I am sure that most people would enjoy this story.  I want to check out other books by this author because I loved the authors writing style and I try not to  write an author off if I don’t like the first book I read by them.  This is the 5th book in the series and it is the first one I have read.  I was able to understand what was going on in this book but it would have been nice to read the other books first because then I would have known the back story but you can just read this one and understand what is going on.  If you love chick lit books than I am sure you will like this one.  I think one of the things that turned me off of this book is the fact that part of it has to do with hunting and I am not a fan of that.  That being said there isn’t to much of that in the book but it just turned me off right from the start.

The Body In The Landscape by Larissa Reinhart

About The Book

“Anyone who likes humorous mysteries will also enjoy local author Larissa Reinhart, who captures small town Georgia in the laugh-out-loud escapades of struggling artist Cherry Tucker.” – Fayette Woman Magazine

“Cherry is a quirky spitfire who lights the match that sets her little town on fire.” – Dru’s Book Musings

When Cherry Tucker’s invited to paint the winning portrait for Big Rack Lodge’s Hogzilla hunt, it seems like a paid vacation. Back home in Halo, a Hatfield-McCoy-style standoff builds between Luke and Cherry’s families. She’s ready for a weekend away, hobnobbing with rich and famous hunters, where she can forget her troubles and nobody knows her name.

As Georgia sunshine turns to bleak December rain, Cherry’s R&R goes MIA when she finds a body in the woods. While the police believe the local drunk took an accidental spill, Cherry has her doubts, particularly when a series of malicious pranks are targeted at the rifle toting contestants. With loyal companions at her side—sort-of-ex-husband Todd and a championship bayer named Buckshot—Cherry tracks suspects through a forest full of pitfalls and perils. And all the while, a killer’s stalking the hunt party with a bead on Cherry.

Larissa Reinhart

About The Author

The 2015 Georgia Author of the Year finalist for best mystery, Larissa writes with a particular focus on sassy female characters with a penchant for trouble. The Cherry Tucker Mystery series is published by Henery Press. The first in the series, PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY (2012), is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, 2012 The Emily finalist, and 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW, HIJACK IN ABSTRACT, and DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE follow, with the Cherry Tucker novella, QUICK SKETCH, in the anthology, HEARTACHE MOTEL, as a prequel to PORTRAIT. The fifth Cherry Tucker Mystery, THE BODY IN THE LANDSCAPE, releases December 15,, 2015.

Although Larissa calls Georgia home, she has moved back and forth from Japan over the years and is now living in Nagoya, Japan, with her family and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website or find her chatting at her Facebook page, Twitter, Tumblr, and Goodreads.

A personal note: I love interacting with readers, but I don’t comment on individual reviews to respect the privacy of reviewers. I really appreciate you taking the time to give feedback and I do encourage readers to contact me through private messaging if you want to ask a question or chat!

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Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble

12 Jan
Written By

Book Review 1-2016

Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble is the second book in the Sunset Cove series.   I haven’t read the first book in the series so I am not sure what it was about but I do wish now that I would have read the other book because I did wonder about some of the back stories.  With that being said you will be fine and able to get through the book without reading them in order but is plan on reading the series then I would start with the first book.

Anyway, let’s get on to the review for this book.  I really like this book from the first chapter through the end of the book.  Even though I was able to understand what was happening I do wish that I was able to know parts of the back story but that is mainly because I  am super nosy and just wonder what happened to Mallory’s mom and that back story but that didn’t make the book hard to understand.  I don’t know that I have ever read a book by Colleen Coble that I haven’t liked and this another amazing book by her.  She was a way of making you sit on the edge of your seat and her writing also makes me love her characters.  If you are looking for amazing books than I would for sure check out any books by her.  If you love mystery/suspense novels then you will love this book as much as I do.

Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble

About The Book

Mallory’s mother died fifteen years ago. But her father’s last words on the phone were unmistakable: “Find . . . mother.” Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn’t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point. Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O’Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart—and left—without a word, years ago. When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life—and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie—their search intensifies. There’s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye. As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.

CCoble-110

About The Author

Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide.Seagrass Pier, the third installment in her acclaimed Hope Beach series, marks a new highpoint for emotion and complexity in Coble’s addictive brand of romantic suspense.

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