Category Archives: YA

#Audio #Rereading – Rock and a Hard Place (Jamieson Brothers Book 1) by Angie Stanton

Rock and a Hard Place

Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Susane Colasanti, Angie Stanton’s swoon-worthy romance–about an ordinary girl and a young rock star–will keep readers on the edge of their seats . . . and leave them wanting more.

In an instant, Libby’s life went from picture-perfect to a nightmare. After surviving a terrible car accident, Libby is abandoned by her father and left with her controlling aunt. A new town, a new school, no friends–Libby is utterly alone. But then she meets Peter.

The lead singer in a rock band with his brothers, Peter hates that his parents overly manage his life. Constantly surrounded by family, Peter just wants to get away. And when he meets Libby, he’s finally found the one person who just wants to be with him, not the rock star.

But while Peter battles his family’s growing interference in both his music and personal life, Libby struggles with her aunt, who turns nastier each day. And even though Libby and Peter desperately want to be together, their drastically different lives threaten to keep them apart forever.

Goodreads

ebook

Audio – HERE

Rock and a Hard Place  By  cover art

Review by Twinsie Angie

Original Review HERE from December 2012 (Be kind. I had just started blogging and reviewing…LOL)

New Review

I was given this audio book from the author for an honest review.

I read this book when I first started blogging and 6 years later when the author offered an audio I jumped.

I enjoyed the narration of the story and the narrators voice was enjoyable to listen too.  Sometimes a bad narrator can make a book not so enjoyable.

I still enjoyed this story like I did 6 years ago.  I loved the theme of family and dreams plus wants and desires.

I am still not a huge YA reader, but the story of Libby and Peter did pull at me.  I will say the entire time I am reading of Peter and his brother being rock stars I kept seeing the Jonas Brothers in my mind.  LOL  The story has deep themes and Libby will just slay you with her sweet and innocent persona.

I don’t get much time to “reread” but I am so glad I grabbed this audio when offered.  I remembered loving this story and it hasn’t changed for me at all.

Angie Stanton is a life-long daydreamer who grew up with her hands on a book and her head in the clouds. As an adult, she’s put her talent to good use writing award winning contemporary fiction about life, love, and the adventures that follow.

Angie has a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin and is the best selling author of Waking in Time, If Ever, Rock and a Hard Place, Snapshot, Royally Lost, Under the Spotlight, Snowed Over, and Love ‘em or Leave ‘em.

Angie is a proud winner of a Midwest Book Award for Waking in Time.
Waking in Time is also a finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards as is her book If Ever and Love ’em or Leave ’em.

In her spare time, Angie sneaks off to New York City to enjoy the best entertainment experience on earth, Broadway. She is currently working on a series of Broadway-themed books, and is a contributing writer to BroadwayWorld.com.

Angie’s latest release is If Ever, a sexy, playful love story spanning from LA to New York and London.

For more information on Angie and her books, please visit:
www.angiestanton.com
Facebook.com/AngieStantonAuthor
Twitter: @angie_stanton
Instagram angiestanton_author.

#WOTR21 #BookSpotlight #MM #YA #BestFriends #OppositesAttract #FriendsToLovers – Forever Better Together by AD Ellis

Forever Better Together

Can best friends find true love? What if your best friend is your adopted brother?

Griffin can’t fathom his life without Quincy, but he also can’t ignore the crazy sexual attraction buzzing between them.
When Quincy offers up a contract to determine if the sexual tension brewing between them is worth jeopardizing their nearly decade-long friendship, Griffin finds himself helpless to say no.
Will they lose everything they’ve found in each other, or will they seize the opportunity to turn their friendship into something even better?

Forever Better Together is a male/male opposites attract, friends-to-lovers story with delicious sexual tension, a sizzling hot striptease, and emotions guaranteed to punch you in the gut.

Goodreads

A.D. Ellis is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana as an instructional coach/teacher in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing school-aged children, and wondering how she and her husband of nearly two decades haven’t driven each other insane yet. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.
She loves chocolate, wine, pizza, and naps along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework, much to the chagrin of her husband. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.
A.D. uses she/her pronouns.

#Review #YAThriller #Standalone The Twin by Natasha Preston


After their parents divorced, 10-year-old twins Ivy and Iris were split up–Ivy lived with Dad, Iris with Mom. Now, after a tragic accident takes their mom’s life, the twins are reunited and Iris moves in with Ivy and their dad. Devastated over Mom’s death, Iris spends the first few weeks in almost total silence–the only person she will speak to is Ivy. Iris feels her life is over and she doesn’t know what to do. Ivy promises her twin that she can share her life now. After all, they’re sisters. Twins.

It’s a promise that Iris takes seriously. And before long, Ivy’s friends, her life at school, and her boyfriend, Tyler, fall under Iris’s spell. Slowly, Ivy realizes she’s being pushed out of her own life. But she’s just being paranoid, right? And Mom’s accident was . . . just an accident. Right? It’s not like she–or Dad–or Tyler–are in any danger

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46224742-the-twin

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Natasha-Preston/dp/0593124960/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Natasha+Preston&qid=1584404736&sr=8-1

I bought this book and this is my honest opinion


Ivy and Iris had their world turned upside down after their mom was found dead at the bottom of a hill during her run. Iris had to pack up her life in the city with their mom and move in with Ivy and their dad in the country with a new school, town and no friends. Ivy is willing to help her adjust but Iris just isn’t letting her in and Ivy is the type of person that needs to fix everything if her can. Ivy has it all the perfect boyfriend, a great group of friends, the fastest swimmer on the swim team and straight A’s shes worked her ass off for all of that. But she does notice that something is really off with Iris she hasn’t mourned the loss of their mom not a single tear, and Ivy just isn’t sure that something isn’t or has been off with her sister just just isn’t sure what it is, well until everyone starts to turn against her and they all think shes losing her mind, and that’s exactly where Iris wants her, but Ivy isn’t giving up her life without a fight so Check and mate Bitch.

Review by Twinsie Dee

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, Tom Hardy enthusiast, and always buried in a book.

#Review #YARomance #SeriesStarter #Standalone Waking Up in Vegas (The One Series, #1) by Natasha Preston


 

There are bad hangovers, then there’s waking up married to your brother’s idiot friend.

On the trip of a lifetime, a drunken Wren and intoxicated Brody stumble upon a wedding ceremony and decide to tag along for the ride. But being spectators isn’t quite wild enough when you’ve got tequila in your toes, and before either of them can stop what they’re about to do, “We now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Once sober and home, the incompatible newlyweds try everything within their power to end their pantomime marriage. Unfortunately for them, the promise and vows they made to spend their life together now aren’t as easy to break as they’d once hoped.

Especially not when Brody starts to have a change of heart.

Book one in a new standalone series.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46259036-waking-up-in-vegas

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Waking-up-Vegas-Natasha-Preston-ebook/dp/B07YB1PPQQ/ref=sr_1_22?keywords=Natasha+Preston&qid=1575059409&sr=8-22

When your siblings and best friends are all going to Vegas to celebrate a 21st and our dying to go but there’s only on thing your only 18 yep that’s exactly were Wren is. So she’s force to play nice and ask the birthday boy Brody if she can to along so that she’s not left out , after torturing her he finally gave in and agreed that she could come. This was going to be the best holiday that the 6 of them were gong to go on. Drink we’re flowing, gambling and all the fun things were going on for everyone else but Wren but she was finding tons to do wit being underage.  Brody had seen Wren with not her guy and not liking that at all the next night sneaks away from the guys and go to make sure she isn’t going to me the guy and get into i any trouble well one thing leads to another and when they say what happens in Vega stays in Vegas isnt always true for these two, especially when you get drunk and tie the knot. Now back at home they must try to figure out how to end their marriage as quickly and quietly as pointe with any of their family member finding out. Easier said then done. This book was absolutely amazing, hilarious, heart wrenching and all of the feelings definitely a must read.

Review by Twinsie Dee

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, Tom Hardy enthusiast, and always buried in a book.

#WOTR2020 – #Review – Storybook Academy: The Keeper by Kylie Marcus

Storybook Academy: The Keeper

One Chance. Five Stubborn Prince Charmings. How’s a Girl Supposed to Save the World?

After my grandfather died, he left me one thing: a magical book. Now I’m enrolling at an Academy for fairy tale characters and it’s up to me to put their stories back together.

There are just a couple problems:

1. Last time I read a bedtime story, I was six.
2. It’s not like people are walking around introducing themselves as Prince Charming.
3. And speaking of princes – the princes I do meet aren’t interested in their princesses – but they’re only interested in kissing me!

My grandfather’s letter said the fate of both this world and my own rests on my rewriting the fairy tales. That’s a lot for a seventeen-year-old to deal with let alone throwing in some villains who only want to see me fail.

Happily ever after as we know it, will never be the same.

Disclaimer: This is a Why Choose?/Reverse Harem story where the heroine falls for many heroes and does not pick just one.


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This is a fun YA, twisted fairytale, reverse harem story. The world as we know it is slowly forgetting about fairytales and we find out that they are fading away. Serina is in a world where using her imagination is forbidden. Her grandfather passes away and leaves her a storybook. Not just a storybook but THE storybook. She finds out that after his passing she has been deemed the next keeper of the Storybook Realm. When she is whisked away to the Storybook Realm she finds herself at the academy. Since all the stories are fading away she has to rewrite them. But in the Storybook Realm she has to rewrite them by getting the fairytales to play out. Unfortunately she has all the princes falling for her. She ends up in the middle of a story and has to find a way to rewrite the character she replaced into another story. Serina is just a teenage girl and has been given a huge job of keeping the fairytales alive and well. Part of the problem is she is loving being at the Academy instead of at home. At the Academy she is treated like she mattered and would be missed if she ever disappeared. She’s having an issue with “not mixing business with pleasure”, haha! Reader beware, this ends with a cliffhanger but by the end of the book I was more aware of the bad guys but trying to figure out who we can trust. I look forward to continuing this series and seeing if the Storybook Realm can be saved.

Kylie Marcus

Kylie Marcus still believes in magic and fantasy. She has always cultivated the magic inside of her, using her words to bring it to life on the pages of her stories for readers. After meeting the love of her life while ghost hunting in England, she believes in happily ever afters and hopes to convince readers of them too.

Now happily married, they live in Canada with their little man and two weenie dogs. Her fairy tale has only just started and she can’t wait to see how it ends.

To find out more about Kylie and her books, go to http://bit.ly/kmfindoutmore

#Review – The Unknown: A Dystopian Mystery Thriller with Twists and Turns by J.W. Lynne

The Unknown: A Dystopian Mystery Thriller with Twists and Turns by [Lynne, J.W.]

Fans of Divergent, The Hunger Games, and Stranger Things are raving about this 2019 dystopian thriller!

EIGHT CHILDREN WERE KIDNAPPED.
BUT WHY?

Eight kids, ages nine to seventeen, awaken to find that almost everything they have ever known has been stolen from them. They were ripped from their beds in the middle of the night and transported to an unfamiliar and unforgiving new world where there are strict rules, and they are punished if they refuse to obey.

As the kids grapple with their mysterious new reality, they struggle with disconcerting questions. Where in the world are they? Why were they taken away from their families? Will they ever get to go back home? And the most frightening question of all: Will this be the place where they die?


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Unique twist on the dystopian genre! This is insanely thrilling! First, I need to say that I was a little worried about starting the story as it is told from most of the children’s POVs and there is a manifest at the beginning. I thought I would have to go back and forth to remember who exactly I was reading, but after the first few rounds through the characters I knew exactly whose POV I was reading without double checking. The characters formed in my head as if I were right there in the mix. These children are kidnapped one night and all thrown together in an unknown place. What is even weirder is that there are no adults. Nobody to tell them what to do or why they are there. The world building is great. As the children get to learn more about themselves and each other they are all learning about their new “prison”. There are so many unknowns with the story that will keep you turning the pages. Some aspects of the story definitely have the creep factor but absolutely gripping. I believe this story is the start of a really amazing series. There were so many things that you learn about the children and this new world that when you reach the cliffhanger you will be completely invested in the story. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS NEXT! This is the first book I have read by JW Lynne but I am now a fan!

J.W. Lynne

J.W. Lynne has been an avid reader practically since birth and now writes inventive young adult novels with shocking twists, turns, and surprises. In the science fiction quartet THE SKY SERIES (ABOVE THE SKY, RETURN TO THE SKY, PART OF THE SKY, and BEYOND THE SKY), an eighteen-year-old fights to survive in a dystopian future society founded on lies. In THE UNKNOWN, eight children are kidnapped in the middle of the night and wake up in a frightening and mysterious world full of secrets. The romantic contemporary novels LOST IN LOS ANGELES and LOST IN TOKYO follow a young woman’s remarkable journey after an unthinkable betrayal. KID DOCS dives into the behind-the-scenes action at a hospital where gifted young children are trained to become pint-sized doctors. In WILD ANIMAL SCHOOL, a teen spends an unforgettable summer working with elephants, tigers, bears, leopards, and lions at an exotic animal ranch.

Check out Lynne’s adventures on the bucket list website mydreamcametrue.com.

#TwiniseDeeFavorite #YAThriller The Lost- by Natasha Preston

In the small town of Aurora, teens go missing all the time. But when one of Piper and Hazel’s classmates disappears, they become determined to find out the truth of what happened to her.

While investigating, they meet three handsome and rich grad students…who kidnap them. The girls are taken to a building in the middle of a privately-owned forest. The building isn’t just designed to keep them locked away—every room is a test in survival. And Piper and Hazel won’t give up without a fight.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42366189-the-lost

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Natasha-Preston/dp/1492652261/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PQ0RL6MYFI71&keywords=natasha+preston+books&qid=1555599932&s=gateway&sprefix=Natasha+%2Caps%2C895&sr=8-1

Five stars are just not enough to rate this book. When teenagers are going missing in this little town and not many people have much to say about it just that they are runaways, teenagers Piper and Hazel take matters into their own hands to see if all the criminal shows they watch can actually help them local these missing teens. Well one thing they never thought of was what they would do if something happened to them. This wild ride with twist and turns will keep you on your toes. Natasha is a wonderful mastermind who does a wonderful job at never letting know what’s going to happen next.

Review by Twinsie Dee

UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She enjoys writing contemporary romance, gritty Young Adult thrillers and, of course, the occasional serial killer.

#Review – The Rebellious Sister (Unstoppable Liv Beaufont #1) by Sarah Noffke & Michael Anderle

The Rebellious Sister (Unstoppable Liv Beaufont, #1)

 

Olivia Beaufont likes fixing things and keeping to herself. She’s simple like that—but her life is about to drastically change.

Liv is a rebel with royal blood who abdicated her birthright. A string of murders changes everything and the House of Seven asks her to take on a role as a Warrior, one of seven positions revered for protecting magic.

Although Liv would rather stay out of the politics and conspiracies that she ran away from years ago, her family needs her. It’s only a twelve-year stint until her sister, the next in line, can take over.

So, what’s the harm in activating her magic and accepting her place as a warrior?

Everything.

Justice hasn’t been properly served by the House of Seven in a long time.

Not until now.

 

Goodreads

 

An intriguing and magical start to a new series!

 

“The truth that binds all things is the ultimate way to protect magic, but first it must be discovered.”

 

Liv, a character that I see a lot of myself in, has basically isolated herself from her family and the House of Seven. Her parents death did not rest well with her and when she felt enough wasn’t being done to investigate it further she abdicated her birthright and is living among the mortals. When her brother and sister are murdered she is brought back into the House of Seven to take back her birthright and be a Warrior. She does so but under her conditions (you go girl!). Her magic is reinstated but she is out of practice. She decides to get her own training as something just isn’t right at the House. During her training she still has to go on her missions, she has a crazy talking cat that knows just a little too much about everything, and a giant that sees the good in her and helps her through her magic and missions.

 

The world building is great and the story line is fun and a bit chaotic! A perfect mixture for an urban fantasy thrill ride! Funny punch lines and goofy characters bring it all together. As she completes her mission even more questions arise. And she now questions other people’s loyalties as well. The question now is who is protecting who?

Amazon

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Sarah Noffke

Sarah Noffke, an Amazon Best Seller, writes YA and NA science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and urban fantasy. In addition to being an author, she is a mother, podcaster and professor. Noffke holds a Masters of Management and teaches college business/writing courses. Most of her students have no idea that she toils away her hours crafting fictional characters. Noffke’s books are top rated and best-sellers on Amazon. Currently, she has forty-two novels published. Her books are available in paperback, audio and in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

To stay up to date with Sarah please visit her website and subscribe to her newsletter: www.sarahnoffke.com

Listen to Sarah’s podcast, LA Chicks, available on iTunes and Spotify: http://lachicks.libsyn.com/

Michael Anderle
Michael Anderle (ok, weird talking about myself in the 3rd person) (1967-Hopefully a long time from NOW) was born in Houston, Tx. A very curious child, he got into trouble – a lot. What to do with an inquisitive mind when he was grounded? Read!

Ok, done with all of that 3rd person stuff.

In the first 20 years, I mostly read Science Fiction and Fantasy. In the last 10 years I have enjoyed Urban Fantasy and Military Fiction. With this background, I’ve been blessed with creating The Kurtherian Gambit series, a well-selling, and fan loved, collection of stories.

The fans have propelled these stories beyond my wildest imagination and they should get all of the credit for sharing with friends, family and occasionally the random person on the street. They are fantastic!

#WOTR19 – #Review – Portal Through the Veil by Miranda Lynn

 

Portal Through the Veil

 

An heir, set to rule over all of Faery, on one condition- that she marry and take a King to rule at her side. Her father is determined to see her wed to a prince of his choosing, however, Tatianna has other plans. Plans that don’t involve tying the knot. What this princess didn’t anticipate, was the unexpected guest to what was, essentially, her engagement festival.

Kallan, prince of the dark court- was not only unexpected, but uninvited. He knew it would be a risk to show up. Not only was he a dark fae, but a human as well. It would all be worth it though to see her again. When light meets dark- and two worlds collide- secrets, lies and betrayals are exposed.

Luckily, fate, magic and a bit of divine intervention will help to bring balance back to the land of Faery. No matter the cost.

 

Goodreads

 

 

“A desire to live in the light instead of simply surviving in the shadow of darkness.”

 

Beautifully written but a fast read! You are immediately drawn into the the world of Faery. Quickly learning about the Fae and their customs and then you are thrown right into the mix of Tatianna having to find a prince to rule beside her as her King. Nope, she is not having none of that! She believes in change and believes she is strong enough to rule her people without a man. But we quickly find out that this is not going to be the case. Her father has a plan to make her choose….or rather he will choose for her through a series of tests for chosen suitors. What the king is not expecting is Kallan to make an appearance as he is a dark fae but is also half human. Tatiana cannot help but be drawn to Kallan and his mysterious vibe but she finds that she only has eyes for him…… and he for her. When this starts to heat up and secrets are unraveled these two have to band together to save Faery. The trials these two face and the secrets that come out will put true love to the test.

 

This is a YA story but has none of the feels of teenage hormones and drama. This is an evolved type of YA story that is beautiful and warm. A must read! I hope to read more of these two!

 

Amazon

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Miranda Lynn

Escaping reality one book at a time has been Miranda’s motto since she learned to read. As an only child raised on a dairy farm her creative imagination brought words to life. She devoured more books growing up than her little town bookmobile could handle. It was inevitable that she would turn from reading them to writing them. This is her way to help not only herself but others escape the day to day drudge. Her books may take you on a journey through time, give you a look inside a fantasy realm, or delve into the magic of almost anything paranormal. Threading in heart stopping romance and dropping an occasional super sexy scene just to keep you on your toes.
Miranda’s stories are focused around strong female leads and sexy males who appreciate them. She strives to encourage her readers that they can have it all in real life too.
You can find her most days either subbing at the local high school or tucked away in her office working on the next story with a cup of java in her hand. She loves connecting with her readers online as well as in real life so make sure to find her on Facebook and check out where she will be signing throughout the year on her website.

Website:https://www.mirandalynn.com
Twitter:@MirandaLynnBks
Email:mirandalynnbooks@gmail.com

 

 

 

#NewRelease #Review #YA #NewSeries From Breath And Ruin (Elements of Five Book 1) Carrie Ann Ryan

In her YA debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan dives into a world with magic and sacrifice with the Elements of Five.

Five hundred years ago, the Maison Realm was shattered, divided into warring kingdoms of elemental Wielders with fate and truth shadowed and uncertain. Now, factions of both the light and dark venture into the human realm in search of the prophesied Spirit Priestess who is said to Wield the Elements of Five and bring the two fractured kingdoms together.

Lyric has no idea that there’s a realm outside the human one she lives in. When fate and circumstances are pulled from her hands after an accident, and she finds out that nothing is as it seems.

There is a war surrounding her and when Lyric realizes that they are searching for her, she must rely on those she once trusted: a boy who isn’t who she thought, and a new realm of warriors who have come to protect her as she trains.

For the darkness is coming, and the Queen of Obscurite wants to ensure that the King of Lumiere can’t get his hands on Lyric. And the only way to ensure that is if Lyric herself is no more … no matter the cost to prophecy.

 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book

From one of my favorite contemporary and paranormal authors comes a new series and it’s YA.  Carrie Ann Ryan leads us into a world of elemental magic, a world looking for it’s savior in the form of the Spirit Priestess.

Lyric, love that name btw, is a recent high school graduate trying to figure out her path in the world.  She knows she’s going to college, but for what?  Her friends  Braelynn and Emory know what they want to do in life, but not her she is just a ordinary bisexual girl from Colorado.  Well ordinary but the dreams she’s been having since she was a kid.

Rhodes is the hot dude from down the road, along with his sister Rosamond they show Lyric that the world is not what it seems.

Ok if you have seen the cartoon or read the Manga The Last Air Bender you can kinda get the feel of the realm of Maison.  There are people that can use the four elements or more than one of them.  There is also a caste system with Queens, Kings, Lords, Ladies, and the lower class.

Ryan has done a excellent job bringing this new world of hers to life, it’s totally different for her but not really if that makes any sense at all.  The characters, other than having magic, are real as well as the Maison Realm.

It’s exciting to see Lyric, who thinks she’s nothing special just a average girl, find new things about herself and how strong she really is.

Couple things though, Emory is also Lyric’s ex as well as her friend, however, she seems like a real witch to me.  She’s not nice at all and seems to cause trouble and fights with everyone.  Two, I don’t think that Rhodes is what he seems to be besides a hot dude that show Lyric that humans are not alone and magic is real.  Oh, Oh, Oh and there is another guy Easton.  He’s suppose to be one of the bad guys but I get the feeling that there is more than just the attractiveness of a bad boy about him.

I can not wait until book 2, to find out more about this world and to see what kind of path that Lyric takes to become the person that she is meant to be. 

Goodreads

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Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.

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