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King of Lies
KaiOne year ago, I made a stupid decision because I thought it was the right thing to do. I’ll never find someone to live up to Ivy Montgomery. All I do is push her away, and I can’t stop breaking her heart. With a last name like Kingston, I’m not meant to settle down with one girl. IvyOne year ago, I let a man break me apart. No matter what I do I can’t escape him. He’s everywhere. Can you ever really move on from a love that consumes you? Kai Kingston is known all over campus for breaking hearts, it’s no surprise he broke mine too. Can two people find a way to stay together when one of them will do anything to try and keep them apart? Intended for readers 18 years and older due to visceral mental health issue situations that some readers can find triggering.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
nope-nope-nope
June 22, 2021So dumb and full of the most awful cliches that exist in college romance. Multiple descriptive scenes of hero having sex with OW and talking about how hot they are, while claiming he only loves heroine, of course she cant move on with anyone. 🙄
I got to about 30% and he had had sex with two women already and got the number of another. Also tried to kiss the heroine after he had been fingering one of them.
DNF
I got to about 30% and he had had sex with two women already and got the number of another. Also tried to kiss the heroine after he had been fingering one of them.
DNF
June 21, 2021
To avoid hurting his girlfriend Ivy, Kai the hero drops her suddenly, not wanting to become the manwhore that his father is. So during a year long separation were he is lovesick and single he becomes the ultimate fuckboy.One and done. Hit and run, only blondes please. About half of the book has the hero still hooking up with random girls the moment he arrives at any party. Drink first, a blonde up against the wall second. All while slowly re-entering the orbit of the heroine whom he loves more than life itself.
The book has zero cheating.
The book has zero cheating.
June 10, 2021
Oh My, this book had all the angst you could ask for. The writing was engaging and grabbed my attention from the first page. The plot was fully developed and kept my attention throughout the whole story. I could not put this book down!
The characters were well-developed, from the main characters to the supporting cast. Both main characters were relatable and intriguing. At times, I was frustrated with how Kai treated Ivy and how she so easily forgave him. However, as I continued to read, I could not help but root for them to settle their differences and come together. The supporting cast added a great deal of insight to both main characters as well as helping to add complexity to the story. I am hoping that several of these characters get their own books.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good angsty new adult college romance. The angst was not over-the-top the way it can be in some books and it had just the right amount of steam! The tension between Kai and Ivy was undeniable. This book was a joy to read, and I look forward to seeing what Ms. Pennington comes up with as the series progresses. I will be checking out her other titles.
The characters were well-developed, from the main characters to the supporting cast. Both main characters were relatable and intriguing. At times, I was frustrated with how Kai treated Ivy and how she so easily forgave him. However, as I continued to read, I could not help but root for them to settle their differences and come together. The supporting cast added a great deal of insight to both main characters as well as helping to add complexity to the story. I am hoping that several of these characters get their own books.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good angsty new adult college romance. The angst was not over-the-top the way it can be in some books and it had just the right amount of steam! The tension between Kai and Ivy was undeniable. This book was a joy to read, and I look forward to seeing what Ms. Pennington comes up with as the series progresses. I will be checking out her other titles.
June 13, 2021
King Of Lies is the start to a new adult series that kicks off with playboy Kai Kingston. Kai is a player that holds many secrets close to the chest. One of those secrets compelled him to purposefully hurt the love of his life, Ivy. Ivy spends the next year trying to move forward only to keep crossing paths with Kai on campus at the worst times. Her defenses keep breaking down, but Kai still has secrets as does the rest of the Kingston family. I really enjoyed this book, I was looking for a new adult book to cleanse the palate and this one did the trick. I know not everyone will love Ivy and Kai because they tend to make the same mistakes multiple times, but I found that to be quite realistic. I've had friends in relationships that seem to be an up and down cycle which Nikki portrayed really well here. I did love the tension and chemistry these two had. Not only that but, she sets up books for the rest of the Kingston siblings with just enough information to hook your interest. So I will definitely be continuing the series to see how the siblings' books play out.
July 30, 2021
Oh damn, Nikki starts off this college romance with a bang!
Steamy, angsty, dramatic, and a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the pages.
The push and pull, the back and forth had me reading every spare minute!
Loved it, and I can’t wait to read more from the Kingston brothers!
Five stars!
Steamy, angsty, dramatic, and a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the pages.
The push and pull, the back and forth had me reading every spare minute!
Loved it, and I can’t wait to read more from the Kingston brothers!
Five stars!
June 22, 2021
It was okay. The H didn’t cheat but was going to. Because he felt he didn’t deserve love because he was keeping secrets from his siblings. The secret was that their dad was banging anything that walked and was always cheating on their mother. 🙄🙄 So he was pushing h away. OW helped him look like they cheated. But once the h found out the truth she was upset for like 5 minutes then slept with him. There was No grovel!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2021
Kai and Ivy dated for a while, and they were truly in love until on night out of the blue Kai ruined it all. Ivy is left heartbroken wanting to move on but not knowing how when Kai owns her heart. It’s been a year since that fateful night and Ivy is doing her best to keep her head down and work hard at school, but it seems like everywhere she turns Kai is thrown in her face. She tries to feel things for others, but Kai is the one that holds her heart, and I hated the way he felt he needed to keep pushing her away so she could find someone worthy. Kai doesn’t think he is worthy of love, he also carries the weight of secrets on his shoulders (which is what was the main reason for his hurt he put on Ivy), but he goes about this the wrong way with the playboy persona. The back and forth between them was at times was frustrating because they loved each other and you want them to pull through this, but they can’t seem to stop hurting each other. The constant partying, fighting, then trying to forget it all happened a lot and made me a little irritated with their behaviors but they are college kids trying to figure out life, so it happens. Kai had a lot to learn about letting others in, leaning on those who care about him, and that he too deserved to be loved. I was proud when Ivy would stand up for herself but too many times, she let herself get swept away with Kai and/or let him get away with something he shouldn’t just to tuck tail, run, cry, repeat instead of just taking a second to try to listen to him. These two had a lot they had to work/talk out and I did enjoy their story, the side characters, and what is to come next.
"Why does it feel like heaven when I'm with her, but hurt like hell when she's gone."
"We have all the chemistry two people need to make a love story work, but we never have the timing."
"Why does it feel like heaven when I'm with her, but hurt like hell when she's gone."
"We have all the chemistry two people need to make a love story work, but we never have the timing."
June 20, 2021
From the moment I started reading I knew I was hooked by Nikki Pennington’s writing, her characters and her world development. A week ago that’s when I received the Advanced Reader Copy of King of Lies and I read it in one sitting, and I honestly wasn’t sure how I was going to keep this amazing book all to myself June 21st could not come around fast enough. Although I already had the ARC I still went straight to Amazon and Pre-Ordered the book to support this amazing author.
A lovers to enemies to lovers story that allows you to see that there is always more to the story than first meets the eye. This story goes to show that sometimes if you take things at first glance you are making a huge mistake and sometimes causing yourself extra pain and heartache down the road.
The characters are flawed and realistic and you can see aspects of yourself and people you know throughout the story and that is part of what makes the story so enthralling and engaging.
I adore the fact that Nikki Pennington allows her characters to grow and develop over the course of the story, allowing them to learn from their mistakes, open lines of communication, learn how to ask for help and eventually discover that they do not have to do everything on their own.
This story is a prime example of how there is more to family than just blood and there is more to relationships that just romance and spice.
Sometimes we find that we create out own family and it grows stronger through hard times and even during times of distance we remain connected.
I highly suggest you do yourself a favour and give this amazing book a read, I know for a fact I will be reading it over and over again. I also know for a fact I have a new instant buy author who will be making their way from my eBook bookshelf to my paperback bookshelf as soon as possible.
A lovers to enemies to lovers story that allows you to see that there is always more to the story than first meets the eye. This story goes to show that sometimes if you take things at first glance you are making a huge mistake and sometimes causing yourself extra pain and heartache down the road.
The characters are flawed and realistic and you can see aspects of yourself and people you know throughout the story and that is part of what makes the story so enthralling and engaging.
I adore the fact that Nikki Pennington allows her characters to grow and develop over the course of the story, allowing them to learn from their mistakes, open lines of communication, learn how to ask for help and eventually discover that they do not have to do everything on their own.
This story is a prime example of how there is more to family than just blood and there is more to relationships that just romance and spice.
Sometimes we find that we create out own family and it grows stronger through hard times and even during times of distance we remain connected.
I highly suggest you do yourself a favour and give this amazing book a read, I know for a fact I will be reading it over and over again. I also know for a fact I have a new instant buy author who will be making their way from my eBook bookshelf to my paperback bookshelf as soon as possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2021
King of Lies is unlike any other book Nikki Pennington has written. While all of her books have been amazing she just upped her game with this book. It was the perfect start to the King University series. From start to finish Pennington had me hooked. This angsty, second chance romance doesn't give you time to lose interest. The heartbreak these characters feel Pennington made me feel.
When your father owns the college it's just a given you will be the king among men. For Kai Kingston and his brothers this is very much the case. So when you cheat on your girlfriend at a party everyone is going to know. Ivy Montgomery was in love with Kai Kingston and he just tossed her aside like she meant nothing. But here's the thing, we don't always know the truth. We don't know what someone else is thinking unless they tell us. For Kai and Ivy there was definitely so many things going on below the surface.
What do you do when you're drowning in pain and hurt? What do you do when you feel like you aren't good enough for someone? While did Kai always make the best decisions? No. But did he do it from a good place?
King of Lies is full of heartache and angst. Pennington sets up this series perfectly without taking anything away from Kai and Ivy's story. In one book she hooks us.
King of Lies is an amazing, second chance, college romance that left me needing more. There's so much happening in the walls of the Kingston house and I want to know it all. This is a must read for anyone!
When your father owns the college it's just a given you will be the king among men. For Kai Kingston and his brothers this is very much the case. So when you cheat on your girlfriend at a party everyone is going to know. Ivy Montgomery was in love with Kai Kingston and he just tossed her aside like she meant nothing. But here's the thing, we don't always know the truth. We don't know what someone else is thinking unless they tell us. For Kai and Ivy there was definitely so many things going on below the surface.
What do you do when you're drowning in pain and hurt? What do you do when you feel like you aren't good enough for someone? While did Kai always make the best decisions? No. But did he do it from a good place?
King of Lies is full of heartache and angst. Pennington sets up this series perfectly without taking anything away from Kai and Ivy's story. In one book she hooks us.
King of Lies is an amazing, second chance, college romance that left me needing more. There's so much happening in the walls of the Kingston house and I want to know it all. This is a must read for anyone!
June 21, 2021
Oh this King of Lies has a lot to answer for. King of Lies is the first book of the King University series and let me tell you. I cannot wait to see what this series has in store for us. An elite group of siblings and their crazy lives? Yes please. Sign me right up. King of Lies is up first though and let me tell you. The angst is top notch.
This book has me on the edge of my seat needing to know what was going to happen next. So many secrets and pain lead to some very explosive fireworks. Kai made me want to smack him at times, but it was right in line with his character. If I didn't wanna smack him, I'd be worried. Ivy is such a great character. Her reactions and comments are so realistic. The internal battle with her feelings and mind was perfect.
The heat in this book is sweltering. I mean these two have chemistry that flies from the pages. The history mixed with the feelings and the reluctance to fall back into old patterns ramps up the heat making you need more. The way this author writes this book, let me tell you, will make you want to devour it in one sitting then beg to the gods for the next book. If you love angst and drama, then this is the book for you!
This book has me on the edge of my seat needing to know what was going to happen next. So many secrets and pain lead to some very explosive fireworks. Kai made me want to smack him at times, but it was right in line with his character. If I didn't wanna smack him, I'd be worried. Ivy is such a great character. Her reactions and comments are so realistic. The internal battle with her feelings and mind was perfect.
The heat in this book is sweltering. I mean these two have chemistry that flies from the pages. The history mixed with the feelings and the reluctance to fall back into old patterns ramps up the heat making you need more. The way this author writes this book, let me tell you, will make you want to devour it in one sitting then beg to the gods for the next book. If you love angst and drama, then this is the book for you!
June 21, 2021
King of lies is the first book in the King university series by Nikki Pennington but it can be read as a standalone. For me this is the first book I read by this author and it definitely won't be the last. I really loved her writing style, which pulled me into the story and kept me hooked from the first page to the last.
Kai and Ivy are the perfect couple until one day he makes a mistake that puts their lives upside down. I loved Ivy's strength and determination but I wasn't so happy about how easily she forgave him everything. On the other hand I hated how Kai acted towards the girl who is supposed to be the love of his life. But he had his reasons and I was hoping for a happy ending through the story.
I loved how the author perfectly developed the plot, which was accompanied with even better developed main characters. It also surprised me how the side characters were developed in perfect harmony with the story.
If you love new adult romance then this story is a must read. It has it all: love, hate, fights, apologies,tension, secrets and a lot of steamy moments. I can't wait for the second book in this series.
Kai and Ivy are the perfect couple until one day he makes a mistake that puts their lives upside down. I loved Ivy's strength and determination but I wasn't so happy about how easily she forgave him everything. On the other hand I hated how Kai acted towards the girl who is supposed to be the love of his life. But he had his reasons and I was hoping for a happy ending through the story.
I loved how the author perfectly developed the plot, which was accompanied with even better developed main characters. It also surprised me how the side characters were developed in perfect harmony with the story.
If you love new adult romance then this story is a must read. It has it all: love, hate, fights, apologies,tension, secrets and a lot of steamy moments. I can't wait for the second book in this series.
June 22, 2021
I'm going to start out by saying that Nikki Pennington's writing style was impossible to put down, even when I wanted to put it down more than once because of Kai's actions but I could not. He's one of those boys who thinks they should make the decisions for his girlfriend even if it means it breaks her completely so that was already a strike against him. Then, he kept making the same mistake over & over again and we actually got to experience it so I wasn't a fan of his at all to be honest. Ivy was a big hearted girl who would have done anything for him, and while I did love her, I just couldn't quite get over the fact that she didn't put his feet to the fire more so after all of his despicable actions. I mean they were bad enough that his twin wanted to throw down with him so you know, that's pretty bad. Please remember this is only my opinion at the end of the day, and I didn't put it down once to be honest. I do love how Ms. Pennington set us up for Kai's siblings to get their stories, and I'll be honest, I'm excited to read them, so now it's your turn to decide for yourselves! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
June 21, 2021
This is the 1st in a new series as well as the first time I have read any of this authors’ work, but I will certainly be looking out for her work in the future. This is Kai and Ivy’s story. These two dated for a little while until Kai broke Ivy’s heart. Ivy just wants to keep her head down and move on with her life, while Kai is carrying a heavy burden of secrets on his shoulders, which has left him feeling unworthy of being loved. These two continually cross paths on campus, and the chemistry between them is intense and undeniable. This is a well written emotionally charged story which is raw, gritty, intriguing, and with angst, secrets, drama, family, friendships, and love, which all leads to an entertaining and all-consuming addictive page turner. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I recommend.
June 21, 2021
I found new to me author to add to my TBR!
I loved Kai and Ivy’s book. Angst to the max! I did not like Kai at first for hurting Ivy the way he did however just a few chapters into the book made me start to realize something was wrong with Kai. I couldn’t figure it out but I felt like an outside influence is what broke them up.
Once we got down to the truth of it all I couldn’t have imagined how deep it went. How deep Kai’s self loathing was for something he was innocent in. Knowing that Ivy had such a hard time letting Kai go should have let me know he truly was a good man at the heart of it all.
There is so much going on with Kai and his sibling. This book barley scraps the surface. I have no doubt the books to come in this series will be just as amazing if not more!
I loved Kai and Ivy’s book. Angst to the max! I did not like Kai at first for hurting Ivy the way he did however just a few chapters into the book made me start to realize something was wrong with Kai. I couldn’t figure it out but I felt like an outside influence is what broke them up.
Once we got down to the truth of it all I couldn’t have imagined how deep it went. How deep Kai’s self loathing was for something he was innocent in. Knowing that Ivy had such a hard time letting Kai go should have let me know he truly was a good man at the heart of it all.
There is so much going on with Kai and his sibling. This book barley scraps the surface. I have no doubt the books to come in this series will be just as amazing if not more!
June 22, 2021
💋 Book Blitz💋💋
TITLE: King Of Lies
Author:Nikki Pennington
Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a pretty fantastic read! I don't normally read plain Romance I usually stick with Paranormal Romance and Fantasy but this book did not disappoint and was a real quick read, took me about 3 hours!!
Ivy is an amazingly head strong and independent woman who despite her troubled past has pushed herself to be the best version of herself, even if she got a little lost along the way!
Kai was a little but of a douche at first but once you get the backstory it all falls into place and he's pretty alright 😉.
I don't want to give away to much, so this is a mini review!!! I am excited that it appears each of the prominent characters will each have their own books, I am excited to see what comes next!!
TITLE: King Of Lies
Author:Nikki Pennington
Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a pretty fantastic read! I don't normally read plain Romance I usually stick with Paranormal Romance and Fantasy but this book did not disappoint and was a real quick read, took me about 3 hours!!
Ivy is an amazingly head strong and independent woman who despite her troubled past has pushed herself to be the best version of herself, even if she got a little lost along the way!
Kai was a little but of a douche at first but once you get the backstory it all falls into place and he's pretty alright 😉.
I don't want to give away to much, so this is a mini review!!! I am excited that it appears each of the prominent characters will each have their own books, I am excited to see what comes next!!
June 16, 2021
This is the first book I've read by Nikki.
A college romance book that kept me hooked from the start.
The angst between Kai and Ivy was raw and heartbreaking at times.
A year ago Kai pushed Ivy away and broke up their relationship.
Ivy still is deeply in love with him and can't get over him.
Kai tries to keep away from her but they draw to each other like moths to the flame.
Their attraction to each other is unmissable.
Kais trying his hardest to keep away from ivy she just needs to find out why?
Can she find out?
Will they stay away from each other?
Will someone else distract either of them?
Read this hot angsty college romance to find out.
Kai is gorgeous!!
I'm looking forward to more of the series.
A college romance book that kept me hooked from the start.
The angst between Kai and Ivy was raw and heartbreaking at times.
A year ago Kai pushed Ivy away and broke up their relationship.
Ivy still is deeply in love with him and can't get over him.
Kai tries to keep away from her but they draw to each other like moths to the flame.
Their attraction to each other is unmissable.
Kais trying his hardest to keep away from ivy she just needs to find out why?
Can she find out?
Will they stay away from each other?
Will someone else distract either of them?
Read this hot angsty college romance to find out.
Kai is gorgeous!!
I'm looking forward to more of the series.
June 21, 2021
Kai and Ivy will hook you from the start! I was not able to stop reading. Oh my the chemistry! The angst! These two are fire!! Still healing from a broken heart Ivy decides it’s time to try to move on but can she really move on from the one guy she has always loved? Kai will surely having you want to throw your kindle but by the end you just wait and see how much you’ll love him!!!
June 21, 2021
My Review - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed reading this book - both characters are trying to find their way. Some parts are a little long winded but still a great story. This was a first book in the series and sets up a lot of the siblings for there on stories which I can’t wait to see what they have to tell.
Great read an I’ll definitely be reading the others to come.
I enjoyed reading this book - both characters are trying to find their way. Some parts are a little long winded but still a great story. This was a first book in the series and sets up a lot of the siblings for there on stories which I can’t wait to see what they have to tell.
Great read an I’ll definitely be reading the others to come.
June 23, 2021
This was a good college romance story. It was actually very realistic with the playboy theme. Kai does hook up with a few girls through the book avoiding a commitment. Ivy broken-hearted by Kai, tries to have a normal life but keeps running into him. Seems to be always bad timing too. This was a great start to this series. I definitely recommend if you like a good college playboy theme.
June 23, 2021
Really enjoyed this book and read it in less than a day. Not quite as steamy as I expected based on the cover and everything, but it was still really good. Had me emotional at times and goes so much deeper than just romance. Drama, family problems, etc.
June 23, 2021
I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t. H pushes h away becomes he doesn’t want to become like his father, which resulted in him turning into his father. h was too weak of a doormat, the H (intentional or not) literally makes her a laughing stock at their college - she catches him doing stuff on multiple occasions and she just sleeps with him. No grovel at all and though I do believe the H did love her, I think he was just horrible. However, I think the overall series does seem interesting and will read the rest. Here’s hoping that other books are much better.
January 25, 2022
Its a wattpad novel. Straight up shitty wattpad novel that probably not even a teenager would like. The author trigger warning for mental health issues, umm, bruh the way all that is portrayed here.. mhmm issa joke. Anyway wont recommend it what so ever the H’s reason for pushing away the h was baseless. The h was very shitty no character dev from her side, no spine or backbone. h had wore bad story but she was fine but H with not that big of an inconvenience was falling apart. H’s sister idek whatsup with her I wasn’t interested at all.
July 19, 2023
H thinks he's being all noble and stuff but is really a coward and afraid to be honest. All this angst could have been resolved with a conversation between siblings, but no H wants to be a martyr. Then because he feels like he will be like his POS dad, he pushes away h in a way that is brutal and cruel. h should have made him grovel more as should his family.
January 14, 2022
Such a bland, boring couple. You won’t even want to root for them. Guy walks all over her and it’s so weird how everyone’s name starts with K.
DNF at chapter 17 but should’ve stopped earlier.
Came from tiktok and left cause of false advertisement.
DNF at chapter 17 but should’ve stopped earlier.
Came from tiktok and left cause of false advertisement.
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March 11, 2023No stars. DNF.
Because there's only so much of a chance you can give a book until you simply can't take it anymore and you delete without apology (and that is the best you can do because ... just because).
I don't remember H and h's name. They are the main people and yet they didn't leave enough of an impression to remember so little as their first names.
As for the plot, it's only safe to say that there is no plot because what this book has been built upon is simply not ... solid. He decides to cheat and it's for such a stupid reason but he claims it's to protect her from himself, and as you read along, it starts to feel like his sole reason for cheating was to sleep with any girl who comes his way and then feel sorry for it. Also, if I'm turning over to a new chapter and the first thing is one person or the other declaring that there is a party they simply must attend (because that's where all the shit goes down), then why am I still here ... just to suffer?
And please, to hell with this obnoxious boy (H) who keeps treating these girls that 'cannot get enough of him' and 'simply must have a piece of him' like dirt. Nope, it's not justified because all he truly wants is h.
Because there's only so much of a chance you can give a book until you simply can't take it anymore and you delete without apology (and that is the best you can do because ... just because).
I don't remember H and h's name. They are the main people and yet they didn't leave enough of an impression to remember so little as their first names.
As for the plot, it's only safe to say that there is no plot because what this book has been built upon is simply not ... solid. He decides to cheat and it's for such a stupid reason but he claims it's to protect her from himself, and as you read along, it starts to feel like his sole reason for cheating was to sleep with any girl who comes his way and then feel sorry for it. Also, if I'm turning over to a new chapter and the first thing is one person or the other declaring that there is a party they simply must attend (because that's where all the shit goes down), then why am I still here ... just to suffer?
And please, to hell with this obnoxious boy (H) who keeps treating these girls that 'cannot get enough of him' and 'simply must have a piece of him' like dirt. Nope, it's not justified because all he truly wants is h.
January 24, 2022
I'll start like this. I hate pathetic heroines. How she had a broken heart and still loved Kai is one thing but reading her looks was sometimes a punishment. Damn girl where are you proud Many times I had the urge that if it were possible to slap Ivy to take over. He cheated on her, drove her away, humiliated her, and when she finally goes on a date after a year, does she have remorse? Someone should have apparently reminded the author that Kai had sucked a girl into a party, and she knew it. And honestly, I'm sick of Ivy and Kai. I have mastered 25% of the book and I am sick. In fact, I am not even surprised that so many women are deceived in real life, tortured when the authors give us such heroines. Because no, it's not normal and it doesn't justify any fucking childhood trauma
May 30, 2022
Nope.. sorry!
December 12, 2023
Ты молодец
December 19, 2023
Kai annoyed the shit out of me.
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