Books like 'Desperate (A Contemporary Romance)'
Readers who enjoyed Desperate (A Contemporary Romance) by Katerina Winters also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary from hate to love cruel hero cold hero
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Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown
New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a tale of corruption and betrayal, revenge and reversal - where friends become foes, and heroes become criminals in the ultimate abuse of power. When newswoman Britt Shelley wakes up to find herself in bed with Jay Burgess, a rising star detective in the Charleston PD, she remembers nothing of how she got there.. -
![Mr. Jerk by Leslie North]()
Mr. Jerk by Leslie North
The first time I met Noah Parker, he asked if I was an escort.Apparently when you’re a billionaire sports agent, finding strange half-naked women in your hotel room is…normal?That didn’t stop me launching a stiletto at him.He’s fine—good reflexes.Still, he walked into my hotel room—claiming it's his—and has no plans on leaving.Neither do I.Which is how I end up sharing a bed with Mr. Jerk... -
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![Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley]()
Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley
He’ll break all her rulesNora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants. Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door. Tattoo artist Dex St... -
![The Plan by Karla Sorensen]()
The Plan by Karla Sorensen
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be...Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero contemporary humor sports age difference forced proximity new adult -
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![Brutal Days by Isla Vaughn]()
Brutal Days by Isla Vaughn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNo sacrifice is too big.No secret too small.I’m out to win, and I don’t even know the game.My opponents? They’re the Academy’s football stars, gods among their peers, and I want nothing to do with them. But I’m stuck on a mission to help out a friend, and keeping my distance shouldn’t be too hard... -
![Collateral Damage by Kaylea Cross]()
Collateral Damage by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPride tore them apart… Warrant Officer Honor Girard made the worst mistake of her life in walking away from the man she promised to marry—and she knows it. An attack on base unexpectedly pushes them together and in the aftermath she realizes she can’t let him go a second time. Only he’s not willing to let her back in...Categorized as:
cruel hero cold hero military suspense contemporary men in uniform m-f length-medium -
![Perilous Lady by Eva Chance, Harlow King]()
Perilous Lady by Eva Chance, Harlow King
Keep your enemies closer...I've proven I can stand with the fiercest gang in Paradise Bend. Now it's time to crush my traitor ex-fiancé and his stooges into smithereens.They've already butchered my family. I can't let them destroy the streets I called home. Wylder Noble and his inner circle are ready to rain down their own brand of justice...Categorized as:
cold hero from hate to love cruel hero contemporary suspense new adult reverse harem poly -
![The Start of Something Good by Jennifer Probst]()
The Start of Something Good by Jennifer Probst
An enriching story of family ties, broken hearts, and second chances from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst. When Ethan Bishop returns to the Hudson Valley, his body and spirit are a little worse for wear. As a former Special Forces paratrooper, he saw his fair share of conflict, and he came home with wounds, inside and out... -
![Unexpected Love Story by Natasha Madison]()
Unexpected Love Story by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen one man’s death exposes a complex web of lies, three couples discover the true meaning of love, loss and redemption.CrystalI was the strong one, they said, until two words brought me to my knees. It was a secret I didn't share with anyone. A secret that made me promise I’d never fall in love. I no longer wanted that white picket fence of every woman’s dreams. Until the unthinkable happened...Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero contemporary pregnancy alpha male angst office length-short -
![Savage Vicious Heir: Part Two by Caitlyn Dare]()
Savage Vicious Heir: Part Two by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBestselling author Caitlyn Dare brings you a new dark high school romance story in the Heirs of All Hallows' series. Savage Vicious Heir is a dark high school bully romance...Categorized as:
cruel hero from hate to love secret-relationship found-family sports contemporary angst new adult -
![Brightly Burning Bridges: Special Edition by Ivy Wild]()
Brightly Burning Bridges: Special Edition by Ivy Wild
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFrom the author of Infamous and The Estate comes a bully romance unlike anything you've ever readSilasHe wasn’t my friend until he became my enemy.His center is freezing cold,and his edges burn me when I get too close.He is everything I want and nothing I am.They say not to burn bridges,but he burned ours to the ground.SkylerShe is the girl who wants to be seen,but hates being noticed... -
![Wicked Games by Isla Vaughn]()
Wicked Games by Isla Vaughn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m back where it all began—and I mean all.Where my dad died.Where my sister was murdered.Where my life changed forever.I’m at Thane University for a reason—to work my way through the memories I can barely grasp in my nightmares. Then he walks in and our souls collide when our eyes meet. He’s a part of this, but I can’t place him...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero suspense vengeance mystery angst new adult contemporary -
![A Risk on Forever by N.S. Perkins]()
A Risk on Forever by N.S. Perkins
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Matthias Phillips imagined the new caretaker for his mother with ALS, the last thing he had in mind was a gorgeous twenty-something who didn’t look like she had a day of experience in the field. However, his mother has always been stubborn, and despite his objections, she’s insistent: it’s Adelaide Samson she wants him to hire... -
![Falling in Reverse by Julia Wolf]()
Falling in Reverse by Julia Wolf
Ronan Walsh.Delicious Irish accent. Built like a slab of marble. Infuriatingly controlling.My new bodyguard...All I want is to rock hard with my band, The Seasons Change, and finally live my life exactly how I please. No one telling me what to do, no constraints, total freedom.Too bad I’ve managed to piss someone off.Crazed fan or bitter ex, it doesn’t really matter, since the result is the same... -
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![Fight Me by Lacey Black]()
Fight Me by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJake Stevens has it made. A local police officer with an open invitation to any number of beds around town, Jake has no desire to settle down with any of the ladies he entertains by night. After watching his best friend fall in love with his little sister, Jake is certain that love and marriage just aren’t in his cards. Heck, he’s not even playing with the same deck...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero contemporary alpha male new adult teacher-heroine length-short -
![Trick or Treat by L.A. Cotton]()
Trick or Treat by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCalliope James would rather live life through a lens than in the spotlight. So when she reluctantly agrees to go with her best friend to a party, she doesn’t expect to find herself on the other side of the camera.Zachary Messiah left Bay View High School without so much as a word.Now he’s back. He’s not the boy she remembers, but she’s exactly the girl he’s tried so hard to forget... -
![Sinners by Cassie James]()
Sinners by Cassie James
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA lost heiress finds her way home. She’s about to wish she hadn’t. The town of Patience is home to the privileged, the elite, and the ruthless. Everything Juliet is not. After spending the first sixteen years of her life in a dead-end town, she’s thrust into the spotlight of a legacy she never knew she had. With it comes a decades long mystery about a hidden family fortune... -
![Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones]()
Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones
When 26 year old Reese accepts a position as a grad assistant, she has no idea an unpleasant encounter with a student will lead to the discovery of what she calls “the trifecta”: fine, intellectual, and a little bit rude – three qualities she finds irresistible in a man. She has no intention of doing anything with that discovery – nothing long term, at least...Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero new adult contemporary grumpy sunshine open-door length-short -
![Lick of Fire by Clara Elroy]()
Lick of Fire by Clara Elroy
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsYou can’t escape fate, no matter how fast you run. That was a lesson hard learned for me.I spent years trying to bury my past, but my future held skeletons bleaker than the ones I'd left behind.Darkness follows me everywhere I go, hanging over my shoulders like a scythe. A byproduct of my bad karma.For so long, I refused to even look at my hometown on a postcard...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero contemporary mystery suspense friends to lovers angst forbidden love -
![Ruthless Queen by Eva Chance, Harlow King]()
Ruthless Queen by Eva Chance, Harlow King
Heavy lies the crown…I thought getting my revenge would give me some kind of peace. Instead it seems to have brought an even worse villain to my doorstep.Or rather, to the Nobles’ doorstep, which the big boss of Paradise Bend’s most powerful gang is not at all happy about. I may have won over Wylder Noble and his men, but his father is another story entirely.A brutally murderous story...Categorized as:
cold hero from hate to love cruel hero contemporary suspense reverse harem poly length-short -
![Hard Place by Emily Goodwin]()
Hard Place by Emily Goodwin
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCold. Callous. Cocky.A total playboy with abs for days, a panty-melting smirk, and a face the gods themselves would be jealous of.And he’s my new boss.None of that matters, because as a single mom, men like Alexander Harding are the last thing I need. What I do need is this job, so I’m going to keep my head down, work hard, and avoid that asshole as much as humanly possible... -
![Warning Track by Carrie Aarons]()
Warning Track by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsColleen Callahan is exactly where she’s always dreamt of being.From a young age, she’s been groomed to take over as general manager of the Packton Pistons, her family’s professional baseball dynasty. Except she never expected her father would have to go to prison for the role to become hers.The public, and even her own family, are counting on the first female to wear the title to fail... -
![The Lying Game: A sweet grumpy/sunshine, small town romcom by Sara Jane Woodley]()
The Lying Game: A sweet grumpy/sunshine, small town romcom by Sara Jane Woodley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGetting trapped in a rundown motel with a grumpy stranger wasn’t how this night was supposed to end, but at least I’ll never have to see him again. Until he becomes my new roommate…When a dating disaster leaves me heartbroken, muddy, and stranded on the side of the road in the pouring rain, the last thing I expect is for an impossibly hot (and impossibly grouchy) man to offer me a ride home... -
![Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas]()
Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI would do anything for my family, including marrying a man who hates me. Not like I had a choice when the person who helped raise me tells me who I must marry in order to save my home.When I came face to face with Alex Wilks again, the man who despises me and wishes I never stepped foot back into Kinder Falls after the day I left, I didn’t know what I was in for...Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero contemporary suspense slut-shaming siblings-bff betrayal length-medium -
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![Pembroke Prep by Becker Gray]()
Pembroke Prep by Becker Gray
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe rich boy with a powerful family…The new girl with her head down…A scorching hot bully romance!PEMBROKE PREP contains 3 full-length novels. Walk the halls of the most exclusive prep school alongside the band of friends called the Hellfire Club...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero contemporary dual-pov virgin heroine new adult length-epic -
![First Touch by Loni Ree]()
First Touch by Loni Ree
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsZander BurtonNever trust a woman and make sure you’re never stupid enough to give your heart to one. I’ve always lived by these words, then Rachel Marsh crashed into my life. It only took one night, one touch for the gorgeous blonde to make me ignore the rule I’d followed my whole life... -
![Guilt At St Joseph's Academy by M.V. Ellis]()
Guilt At St Joseph's Academy by M.V. Ellis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe FallenBeautiful. Broken. Loyal as hell.Five guys with the power of ten.All determined to uncover secrets and expose lies.All laser focused with their eyes on the prize.They’ll go to great lengths to stop me in my tracks.They’ll cross lines that mean we can never go back.Our story is one of betrayal and deceit.Our connection is destined, our bond runs deep... -
![Buy a Boyfriend by Everly Ashton]()
Buy a Boyfriend by Everly Ashton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt wasn’t my expectation to fall into bed with the woman who won me at the bachelor auction.I was only doing my grandma a favor, not looking for more than a shared dinner with the winner. Then again, I wasn’t expecting someone as hot as Isla to be my date.She makes it clear that she’s down for a night in the sheets but bolts, leaving me holding my junk—literally... -
![Finding Lord Landry by Lucy Lennox]()
Finding Lord Landry by Lucy Lennox
When a secret enemies-with-benefits situation turns into the world’s most public fake marriage…The world knows me as Landry Davis, supermodel. A beautiful face and killer abs that have spawned a hundred fantasies. To my friends, I’m simply Landry, the snarkiest (read: most fun) member of our billionaire brotherhood... -
![Beauty & the Quarterback by Ava Woods]()
Beauty & the Quarterback by Ava Woods
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsIt’d take a Hail Mary for love to score between these two …Prescott Reeves. Just his name throws me back to my less fortunate years of high school where “Doughy Zoe” was the only name I was known by.Fast forward fifteen years and people now know me as Zoe Peters, Sports Caster, the take-no-shit on-camera dynamite – a name I’m beyond proud of...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero sports humor alpha male contemporary single-father length-short -
![Anyone But the Boss by Sara L. Hudson]()
Anyone But the Boss by Sara L. Hudson
What happens when a handsome but stuffy, old-money bachelor with no people skills spends a night in Las Vegas with a shy marketing exec in the midst of a quarter-life crisis?A black-eye in the shape of a dildo for starters.Thomas Moore is known for being a grump with a condescending attitude and no sense of humor...Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero contemporary super rich hero age difference office humor found-family -
![Lethal Empress by Eva Chance, Harlow King]()
Lethal Empress by Eva Chance, Harlow King
Bury the hatchet... in your enemy's heart.I've reclaimed my throne, and Wylder Noble has demanded his. But war still rages all through Paradise Bend.It turns out this war involves powers from far beyond our little county. Powers determined to bring the fighting to an end, even if that means painting the streets with blood on both sides... -
![Truly Madly Yours by Rachel Gibson]()
Truly Madly Yours by Rachel Gibson
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsWhere there's a will. . . When pretty hairdresser Delaney Shaw returned home to Truly, Idaho, for the reading of her stepfather's will, she planned on paying her respects and getting out of town. But it seems the will has some unexpected stipulations-like the one that says if Delaney wants her inheritance she needs to stay put and have nothing to do with sexy Nick Allegrezza. .Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero cold hero contemporary bad boys second chances alpha male sports -
![Love You Now by M Robinson]()
Love You Now by M Robinson
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author M. Robinson I should have told her everything. How much I loved her. How much I’ve always loved her. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I just wasn’t made that way. Instead... I claimed her. Teased her. Taunted her. Worshipped her. Until... I broke her. My best friend. My savior. My girl...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero new adult contemporary angst alpha male bad boys sports -
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![Cold and Broken by Nichole Greene]()
Cold and Broken by Nichole Greene
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 15 ratings“No one touches the new girl. No one befriends her. Otherwise they risk the wrath of the Titans.”Moving her senior year of high school was not Lilith’s idea of a great plan. She would have much rather stayed with her best friend Zion for their final year of school. Her dad had different plans though; this new job was too good to pass up, and she knew she needed to go with him... -
![When Rivals Fall by J.L. Beck, Cassandra Hallman]()
When Rivals Fall by J.L. Beck, Cassandra Hallman
Rivals since before birth there’s never been a time when my family hasn’t hated the Lockwoods, and their daughter Harlow. One year ago she set us up, tainted our family image, ruined my brother’s life. She made it personal. It was no longer just a rivalry between our parents. Now she’s here, at Bayshore University, no longer in her families clutches and without their protection...Categorized as:
cruel hero from hate to love new adult poly length-short contemporary college first-person-pov -
![Miss Martha Mary Crawford by Catherine Marchant, Catherine Cookson]()
Miss Martha Mary Crawford by Catherine Marchant, Catherine Cookson
At the Habitation, a large and decaying riverside house in wild country twenty miles from Newcastle, the Crawford family eked out an existence. Miss Martha Mary Crawford, the eldest daughter, acted as unpaid servant to her sisters, snobbish Mildred and giddy Nancy, her schoolboy brother and her charming, unreliable father... -
![Mistress to a Monster by Sam Crescent]()
Mistress to a Monster by Sam Crescent
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFor decades, war has raged between the Russo and De Luca families.When Damon De Luca finally brings the head of Russos to his knees, he demands to have Milah Russo at his beck and call. Not as his wife, but as his mistress.Milah will never go to Damon willingly. Caged up in his home, she fights him, but her days are numbered... -
![Hidden Secrets by Carmen Rosales]()
Hidden Secrets by Carmen Rosales
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHidden Secrets (Hillside Kings Book 3) Colton and Linda's StoryThe death of her boyfriend almost destroyed her, but Linda Ramirez is now determined to move on with her life. Attending the exclusive Hillside University is her first step at taking back her life. Hanging up her dreary khakis and humdrum lifestyle, Linda's ready for something new... -
![Flirting with the Scrooge by Gia Stevens]()
Flirting with the Scrooge by Gia Stevens
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA spicy holiday grumpy sunshine standalone novel by romantic comedy author Gia Stevens… ‘Twas a month before Christmas, and all through the town,Everyone was ready to celebrate, except my hot and grumpy new neighbor.Christmas is my favorite time of year with the festive parties and holiday cheer...Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero christmas contemporary grumpy sunshine new adult humor length-medium -
![Spiteful Lies by Nora Cobb]()
Spiteful Lies by Nora Cobb
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI CAME FROM NOTHING.NOW I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSEThe stakes have never been higher.And backing down now means paying an unthinkable price.I thought I could never be broken.I thought I could handle whatever came my way.The Kings of Stonehaven taught me how wrong I was.They used me. They humiliated me. They broke me.But there was something they couldn’t do... -
![The Blind Date by Lauren Landish]()
The Blind Date by Lauren Landish
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsA Blind Date? It could be a match made in heaven. Or a total disaster.I’m Riley Watson, bringing a dash of sunshine here and a drop of positivity there. That’s how I live my life, focusing on the good that’s all around us if we look for it. There’s just one thing missing—Mr. Right.So I agree to try a new dating app and find my perfect match. The catch? No pictures.Fun times..Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero humor contemporary new adult grumpy sunshine siblings-bff length-long -
![Taste by Sophia Soames]()
Taste by Sophia Soames
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFinn Christensen doesn’t do feelings. He doesn’t do relationships. When he has an itch to scratch, there are always clubs and hook-ups. Quick, dirty encounters in dark places that feed the need that brews in the pit in his stomach. He works every hour of the day as the front office manager for the Clouds Westminster Hotel in central London. He’s a good boss, and he knows his shit...Categorized as:
from hate to love cold hero m-m contemporary mental illness forced proximity queer length-medium -
![Scorned Princess by Eva Chance, Harlow King]()
Scorned Princess by Eva Chance, Harlow King
Hell hath no fury...I thought I was trading one evil for a lesser one. Marry a man I might eventually love, forge an alliance between his gang and my father's, and get out from under Dad's sadistic thumb.Turns out my fiancé has other plans. Like slaughtering me and my entire family the night before the wedding.I make it out alive, left with nothing but a thirst for vengeance...Categorized as:
cold hero from hate to love cruel hero contemporary suspense new adult reverse harem poly -
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![Semper Mine by Lizzy Ford]()
Semper Mine by Lizzy Ford
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“A freak accident landed both of the Khavalov twins under my command, just before a routine mission turned into a nightmare. I brought home one twin in a coffin and the other in a coma missing his leg. I did everything right – and still people died. I can’t forget that night or how many lives it changed, including mine. It’s natural for their sister, Katya, to blame me... -
![A Loser's Revenge by Tammi Lynn]()
A Loser's Revenge by Tammi Lynn
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI watch from the shadows of trees against the cars lining the street. Invisible to the three I keep under my anger filled glare.Dressed in black, I have the hood of my zip-up hoodie pulled over my head and drawn closed as I fade into the afternoon shadows to observe and plan my revenge. They probably wouldn’t recognize me if they did see me standing here... -
![DIGGING A HOLE by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff]()
DIGGING A HOLE by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFrom New York Times Bestseller, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Comes Book Three of the Ohellno Series, DIGGING A HOLE . (Standalone.) HE'S THE MEANEST BOSS EVER.SHE'S THE SWEET SHY INTERN.THEY'RE ABOUT TO WRECK EACH OTHER CRAZY. My name is Sydney Lucas. I am smart, deathly shy, and one-hundred percent determined to make my own way in the world. Which is why I jumped at the chance to intern for Mr...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero humor new adult contemporary office single-father virgin heroine -
![All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins]()
All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
One Happily-Ever-After Rocking Chair... and no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol' Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company's new Miss Perfect... -
![Brazen Bossman (Cocky Hero Club) by Emma Nichole]()
Brazen Bossman (Cocky Hero Club) by Emma Nichole
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsDear Ida, My boss is an egotistical, arrogant, cuff link wearing jerk.I wanted nothing more than to throw my badge at his face and walk out the door. But the heat of the moment took over... We went too far... and I liked it. Maybe I should just leave the city and change my name to spare myself the embarrassment. Stop me now before I do it. Please... -
![Kissing Beck Thomas by M.J. Padgett]()
Kissing Beck Thomas by M.J. Padgett
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat harm can come from a little kiss contest? A lot… apparently.Vivien Mays is in love with her best friend, but she’d rather die than tell him. Enter her sister, Lorelai, with a crazy plan to test the waters with a social media challenge sure to get Ezra Thomas’s attention—a kiss challenge...
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