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Aces High MC - Charleston #8
The Broken Beginning - Part One
For the readers who asked, and then asked again, and again!
You guys are gluttons for punishment, and this is the book you wanted, so you got it! Welcome to Merc and Tiger Lily’s story. It starts where all stories should, in the beginning. This is the very broken beginning that won’t feel much at all like a romance, because it isn’t. Their road is bumpy, the ride is rough, and your heart might get a little bruised along the way. I hope you’re ready. You asked for this!
xo,
Christine Michelle
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Tiger Lily
When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of my wedding. I dreamed of my husband, my children, my future.
When I developed a crush on the gorgeous boy who was my neighbor, he became the man in those dreams.
When he took my virginity, those dreams were at the forefront of my mind, turning just another hook up - for him - into something more in my heart.
Unrequited love feels like hell when you realize it’s unrequited.
It feels worse when you see those two pink lines on the stick telling you that your one fantasy night turned into so much more.
It’s unbearable when your love is forced to marry you, but never honors the vows he took.
My heartbreak lasted for years.
Eventually, things changed but our path to get there was never easy.
Merc
She was the girl I always overlooked until one stupid night, and the worst decision of my life, cost me my freedom.
She was the girl who trapped me with a kid I never wanted.
Slowly, as time moved on and another kid was brought about by another dumb decision on my part, I began to realize what I had been overlooking all along.
She was fiercely loyal in the face of my betrayals.
She loved harder than any person I knew.
She was always there for me, even when I never gave her the same courtesy in return.
Then, she decided enough was enough and I learned to fight for what’s important instead of taking what was easy.
WARNINGS: This is book 8 in the series, but this book can be read as a standalone! It is a two-part book, however, you want to end on a happy for now, you won't need to get part two of this duo.
THIS BOOK CONTAINS CHEATING BY MAIN CHARACTERS!
If that bothers you, then DO NOT READ IT!
ACES HIGH MC - CHARLESTON SERIES:
Available Now:
1 - The Other Princess
2 - A Love So Hard
3 - The Princess and the Prospect
4 - The Killing Ride
5 - A Twist of Fate
6 - Everlasting
7 - A Year and a Day
8 - The Broken Beginning Part One
Coming Soon:
9 - The Broken Beginning Part Two
You guys are gluttons for punishment, and this is the book you wanted, so you got it! Welcome to Merc and Tiger Lily’s story. It starts where all stories should, in the beginning. This is the very broken beginning that won’t feel much at all like a romance, because it isn’t. Their road is bumpy, the ride is rough, and your heart might get a little bruised along the way. I hope you’re ready. You asked for this!
xo,
Christine Michelle
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Tiger Lily
When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of my wedding. I dreamed of my husband, my children, my future.
When I developed a crush on the gorgeous boy who was my neighbor, he became the man in those dreams.
When he took my virginity, those dreams were at the forefront of my mind, turning just another hook up - for him - into something more in my heart.
Unrequited love feels like hell when you realize it’s unrequited.
It feels worse when you see those two pink lines on the stick telling you that your one fantasy night turned into so much more.
It’s unbearable when your love is forced to marry you, but never honors the vows he took.
My heartbreak lasted for years.
Eventually, things changed but our path to get there was never easy.
Merc
She was the girl I always overlooked until one stupid night, and the worst decision of my life, cost me my freedom.
She was the girl who trapped me with a kid I never wanted.
Slowly, as time moved on and another kid was brought about by another dumb decision on my part, I began to realize what I had been overlooking all along.
She was fiercely loyal in the face of my betrayals.
She loved harder than any person I knew.
She was always there for me, even when I never gave her the same courtesy in return.
Then, she decided enough was enough and I learned to fight for what’s important instead of taking what was easy.
WARNINGS: This is book 8 in the series, but this book can be read as a standalone! It is a two-part book, however, you want to end on a happy for now, you won't need to get part two of this duo.
THIS BOOK CONTAINS CHEATING BY MAIN CHARACTERS!
If that bothers you, then DO NOT READ IT!
ACES HIGH MC - CHARLESTON SERIES:
Available Now:
1 - The Other Princess
2 - A Love So Hard
3 - The Princess and the Prospect
4 - The Killing Ride
5 - A Twist of Fate
6 - Everlasting
7 - A Year and a Day
8 - The Broken Beginning Part One
Coming Soon:
9 - The Broken Beginning Part Two
422 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2021
246 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
About the author
Christine Michelle
68 books728 followersChristine Michelle runs on coffee and giggles as she writes her angst-fueled romance stories (motorcycle club, rockstar, paranormal, college, & other contemporary as well as women's fiction and marriage in trouble novels).
She is a mom to four humans (2 girls, 2 boys – all grown now).
When she's not writing books, she enjoys reading, drawing, hiking, or feeding her soul with live music at concerts.
Christine is a traveler and has lived all over the USA (and other parts of the world). She currently lives in Rapid City, South Dakota with her two fur babies.
Universal links to everything
(website, social media, book links, and more)
https://linktr.ee/christinemichelle
She is a mom to four humans (2 girls, 2 boys – all grown now).
When she's not writing books, she enjoys reading, drawing, hiking, or feeding her soul with live music at concerts.
Christine is a traveler and has lived all over the USA (and other parts of the world). She currently lives in Rapid City, South Dakota with her two fur babies.
Universal links to everything
(website, social media, book links, and more)
https://linktr.ee/christinemichelle
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
March 31, 2024
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Liked it!
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♥♥♥♥Rereading in 2024♥♥♥♥♥
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3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads.
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R
A
N
T
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The story is a shit show of disrespect, cheating, sex with other women, psychological abuse and so on...
Our poor Zeroine is a teenager left to her own devices and Zero an irresponsible asshole who thinks the world revolves around his dick.
I was very sorry for her because even the sex between them was not good. And the nail in the coffin was that he was faithful to another woman and after having sex with Zeroine again (3 times in almost 5 years while he fucks every bitch he comes across) , he called the other woman's name.
I was so disgusted and pissed off.
Zeroine was not supposed to touch him even with sterile gloves, let alone admit a source of STDs into her home with her children. A thorough examination and a well-scrubbed bleach bath with a sponge should be required prior to any contact.
Yuck!
I sincerely hope that in the next book she cheats on him and has good sex with other men and he takes a good dose of his own poison. Or else he gets a sexually transmitted disease and becomes impotent. It would be an acceptable punishment. And we haven't even started talking about all the bitches he fucked while she was pregnant and then raising their child all by herself.... They're going to keep looking down on our Zeroine for being weak and spineless. Aff!
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♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
♥♥♥♥Rereading in 2024♥♥♥♥♥
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3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads.
======================
R
A
N
T
.
.
.
The story is a shit show of disrespect, cheating, sex with other women, psychological abuse and so on...
Our poor Zeroine is a teenager left to her own devices and Zero an irresponsible asshole who thinks the world revolves around his dick.
I was very sorry for her because even the sex between them was not good. And the nail in the coffin was that he was faithful to another woman and after having sex with Zeroine again (3 times in almost 5 years while he fucks every bitch he comes across) , he called the other woman's name.
I was so disgusted and pissed off.
Zeroine was not supposed to touch him even with sterile gloves, let alone admit a source of STDs into her home with her children. A thorough examination and a well-scrubbed bleach bath with a sponge should be required prior to any contact.
Yuck!
I sincerely hope that in the next book she cheats on him and has good sex with other men and he takes a good dose of his own poison. Or else he gets a sexually transmitted disease and becomes impotent. It would be an acceptable punishment. And we haven't even started talking about all the bitches he fucked while she was pregnant and then raising their child all by herself.... They're going to keep looking down on our Zeroine for being weak and spineless. Aff!
“‘Oh God’ is right,” he told me as our eyes locked. “You can yell that out all you want, sugar.” And then, before I could take my next breath, Damon Donovan took my virginity in one harsh thrust.
“You were a virgin?” He asked hesitantly. My answer was a simple nod of my head because I was honestly too stunned by everything that happened to make coherent conversation.
Tonight, I learned a lot of cold hard truths. People couldn’t be trusted. Love didn’t matter. A heart could break and still function. My mom walked out without even asking to say goodbye to me.
The door creaked noisily when I pushed it open, and there was no holding back the loud gasp that left me at the sight. Brinley, the cheerleader from hell and bane of my existence at school, was in Damon’s bed with him.
“He already did, and now I’m pregnant with his baby, honey!”
“How the fuck does that stick equate to it being my kid?” I gasped, tears brimming behind my eyes at his accusation. “You know I was a virgin,” I offered quietly in my own defense.
“I was pissed at Brinley. We broke up at the field party before school because someone told her family we were together, and they didn’t like it. I found her trying to walk home from the party by herself.”
“It just happened. I was pissed at Brinley,” he stated again, as if that made everything better instead of worse.
“I’ll pay for it to be taken care of,” Damon sputtered quickly. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“Look, if you’re gonna have it, I’ll sign whatever and you can keep it, but I don’t want a kid.”
“You think you’re going to organize an abortion for me?” I screamed in her face. “You think you’re going to threaten my baby and have no consequences for it?” I felt one of her teeth give way under that punch. “I will fucking kill you!”
That was all I needed to hear to understand that my marriage to Damon would be on paper only. He would be one of those MC men who used the whores at the clubhouse, who fucked the women who came to party, and who rarely – if ever – made it home to his wife and kid.
“Of course, I didn’t want to marry a man who wants nothing to do with me,”
“Why on earth would I ever want to marry some asshole who only saw me as a burden, and one time as a convenient fuck, after he temporarily broke up with his bitchy girlfriend who was only using him to piss her daddy off in the first place?”
“Five years, and then I’m done. No matter what!”
What I wanted sure as fuck was not a baby or a stage-five clinger who got to ride my dick once when I was feeling out of sorts. I knew, the minute I went there, that it had been a mistake.
It didn’t take long to track down Brinley. She was, as usual, wherever she could grab the most attention for herself.
I had planned on going nomad as soon as my prospect period was up with the club. Brinley and I had plans to go build our own life together.
“Brinley! I don’t know what you want me to do here.” “I want you to choose me over that whore.”
“She’s not a whore or a slut, stop saying that. Jesus, she had sex one damn time and had the bad fucking luck to get knocked up.”
“Damn, Brin! Tell me how you really feel about the baby.” “I want it dead!” She shrieked. “That’s how I truly feel. I want her to take a terrible fall and kill the thing inside her that is tying you to her.
I want for it not to exist and if you were smart, that’s exactly what you would make happen!”
“You can though,” she sobbed. If you wanted to, you could change it all. Make her get an abortion. Just leave. None of you even know if that brat she’s carrying is really yours. What if it’s not? What if you stuck around and married that bitch, and the kid that she’s carrying isn’t yours, and you lose me as a result?”
I hated that idea and spent as much time as I could avoiding Lily as a result. It was actually that act of rebellion that led me straight into Brinley’s arms. I noticed how she tormented Lily in the halls at school and figured that the enemy of my enemy should be my friend.
“Brin, you know I love you, right?” “I know you do, but is it really enough when you chose your club over me and married another woman?”
“We’ll get you a ring,” he offered.
“Why? I didn’t marry you.” I told him bluntly.
“The man I married didn’t want me to have one, so I won’t have one.”
“Easy enough for you to say when it’s my kid sitting alone in a new house, heartbroken, while yours is probably out fucking the woman who wanted to hurt their baby.”
“Nope. You got what you wanted. We’re married. He’s out fucking the same girlfriend who threatened my baby. I’m here alone and pregnant, or at least I would be if you two would ever leave.”
I didn’t see Merc again until about a month after that, when he was picking up Brinley on the back of his Harley after school. Her smirk said she won the man.
Why shouldn’t she continue to do so since she was riding bitch on my husband’s Harley while I was pregnant with his child and taking the school bus home?
The pointed look he had given Callie, along with the way she avoided me afterward, clued me into who she probably was to my husband.
I was trying. I went to school during the day, worked at a local pizza chain making pizzas after school, and when the orders came in, I still did reports for college students on the weekends. Considering I had to feed myself and pay for the doctor visits and prenatal vitamins, it was never enough.
Pathetically, all I had in the house was some stale bread, three packages of ramen soup, and one box of macaroni and cheese when my father stopped by to check on me. The only reason there was even any mac-n-cheese was because I was out of the milk and butter that I needed to make it. I had been so busy staring into my empty fridge, at the absence of those things, that I hadn’t heard him come in.
He never left money for me, brought groceries into the house, or anything else. I was beginning to wonder how this was going to work if I wasn’t able to get a real job sometimes soon.
“Well, you know her skanky ass is on a school bus right now, so obviously she can’t blow your cover.” Brinley spat out.
Lucky for me, I still had her Christmas present in the truck. I had planned on proposing to her, hoping it would let her know how fucking serious I was since she kept shoving it in my face that I chose the club over her. I shook my head when I thought about the ring that I spent three grand on. That ring was the reason I hadn’t given her more cash for a car.
“Sell that fucking ring you bought and do something nice for your wife with the money instead. I hear she might need a few things!”
Two weeks later, just before Christmas, I packed my stuff up and headed out to California to find Brinley. I found her shacked up with some dude who reminded me of the quintessential Hollywood pimps.
There was one consolation prize waiting for me there though, and her name was Amber.
Amber was on the back of my bike coming along for the ride. She was just what I needed to get over the sting of rejection from Brinley walking away with everything.
To my surprise, it was almost a month later before anyone said anything to me about Amber.
“Heard Amber telling the other girls this morning that she was your old lady.”
He told her that a man in the club could have both, plus mistresses, and all the while end up banging club whores on the side too if they wanted.”
Hell, I couldn’t even remember the last time I paid bills on the house. Before Christmas, maybe?
“Remember when you had that whore of yours set up in my hunting shack?” Boone started.
“You remember kitting my shack out for that cunt?”
“You spent money on that bitch. Bought furniture, all kinds of food, a heater, and then, you stupid son of a bitch, you even gave her money for a fucking car.”
“You and my girl have been married since early October, and you haven’t once seen to her needs?”
“Why in the fuck were you putting groceries in my shack for some whore who was fully capable of getting a job, when you couldn’t fill your own house for the woman carrying your baby?”
“I bought her groceries and took them back to her place. Do you know where the money she had on her came from?”
“She was working at a pizza joint after school most nights until they closed. My daughter. The pregnant one. The one without a car.”
“They felt she was a liability after she burned the shit out of her belly while making pizzas. Has a nasty scar across the top of it now.”
Thanks to Brinley, the whole school knew about our situation long before I started to show. Most didn’t believe her until there was no way to hide my baby bump any longer.
Stacey had kept me informed about what Merc was up to, and according to her, he was living with some whore at the clubhouse who claimed she was his old lady.
I saw the truck he bought for Brinley before she skipped town. Brinley herself made sure I knew exactly who bought it for her as she told me to enjoy riding the school bus. To say I had zero faith in Merc doing the right thing was an understatement.
“Mads, spread those legs wide baby. It’s our last day before I have to go back to the ball and fucking chain.” I was a little buzzed, otherwise I wouldn’t have said that shit out loud in the middle of the clubhouse.
Madeline released my lips long enough to scream, “Harder!” as I continued to pump my fingers into her wanton pussy.
Lily stood there, no longer looking pregnant, and that blue bundle… Shit! Oh, fucking shit! I was going to die.
Madeline. There was something about that girl that I’d been trying to remember, and it just now hit me. She used to be Lily’s best friend.
He looked even guiltier, if that was possible. “I was angry with Brinley,” he admitted.
“Don’t. Please, don’t sit here and tell me how my son was the result of an angry, convenience fuck. What kind of piece of shit person are you?”
“A selfish, self-indulgent, womanizing, uncaring, frustrating, egotistical-”
I turned to find Abbi Spencer standing there looking like sex on a fucking stick in her crop top, jeans and boots. Her blond hair hung long in spiral curls, which were new for her, but didn’t detract from her beauty one bit.
I had most definitely hooked up with Abbi, quite a few times, and some of those since I’d married Lil.
“Your porn star ex-girlfriend talked so much shit about me that the rest of the school did too even after she left. Every single girl you’ve slept with before and since I got pregnant has been in my face about how they get to ride your dick and I’m just your dirty little secret that wasn’t well kept. Then there’s Madeline, who sent me this card in the mail. It was in the mailbox today.”
Two of the club girls joined me to pick some things up for a patch party the club was having for one of CJ.
“If you want to go say hello to your whores, feel free.” “They’re not whores,” I insisted, thinking she thought they were club girls. Lily turned to me. “Are they women who sleep with taken men? Did they know you were married with a child waiting for you at home when you fucked them?”
“That’s what I thought. Any woman who would sleep with a man, knowing he’s married, is a whore. She’s taking something that doesn’t belong to her.”
“Garbage! It makes him a garbage human being.”
“Yeah, okay,” he laughed it off. “I just saw you fucking Sabrina at a party last week.”
“Weren’t you and Tina fucking Merc at that party last weekend?”
“Are you serious right now? You brought your wife to a party where you’ve fucked at least half the women here?”
I’d almost missed that because I was busy fucking one of the whores at the clubhouse.
He continued to fuck whoever he wanted, and I was left at home to take care of our son.
“How many women have spent the night in your bed?” He didn’t answer, just stared at me. “How many women have you moved in with you at the clubhouse for more than a weekend?” Again, no answer. “How many women have you purchased gifts for? Cars? Bought their groceries? How many have you gone to dinner with? Lunch? Breakfast because you were still together in the morning?”
“I had to take Declan out of the IHOP last month because you showed up looking wrecked with some whore who couldn’t be bothered to put actual clothes on before leaving your fuck-fest. We couldn’t even finish our pancake breakfast because I didn’t want my son to see you with your whore like that.
“I’m not wearing the helmet that you put all your whores in when they ride with you.”
“You have that fine ass ball of fun sitting at home, taking good care of your boy, and you still fuck around with nasty club whores?”
“Shaina, slide that ass over babe, you’re hot as fuck.”
Shaina, was it? She gets your faithfulness while your wife gets another woman’s name whispered to her in bed! Fuck you, Merc!”
I had only been exclusive with Shaina for the past four months, before that I’d been casual with her and still fucking some of the club women for a few months.
Shaina would lose her shit over this, especially since I never told her I would be gone last night.
Shaina was a good woman. She was one I could have seen a life with if Lily hadn’t been in it. She would have even made a good stepmom to Deck, if things had been different.
“And? You fucked your wife?” “Yeah, we had sex.” “What are you even doing, Damon?”
“And you told me that you never slept with your wife. Obviously, that’s not true.”
Still, those pictures hurt me on a soul deep level that I didn’t even realize existed up to that point. She had more of him than I ever had. Even if it was over between them and this was her angry attempt at trying to make me push him back to her. If she only knew. I didn’t have him either. Never had. What I also never had of Merc was a single picture of the two of us together.
He mistook me for her when he was first waking up, which meant he had built habits of waking up with her over time.
“You tried this when we were in Savannah and come to find out you had a girlfriend who you were serious enough about to not cheat on her.” “I did though.” “Did what?” “Cheated on her.” “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
Some of the pictures that Shaina had used to torment Lily had been of us hanging out at the beach together, and remembering that was just another kick in the pants to the type of absolutely selfish prick I had been.
“You lied to me about her. You made me stay married to a man who didn’t have a single loyal bone in his body. You were never supposed to be the one I couldn’t trust. You were always supposed to be there for me. It was all a lie though. Who is disloyal now, Dad? By your standards, I should kick you out of my life and never allow you to come back.”
January 29, 2022
Blehhhh, I'm about to vomit all my insides out, this is the most disgusting book I have read in a very long time.
Lily has ZERo backbone and takes back a fucking cheater that has been fucking other women while she was pregnant with his son. Merc/ Demon whatever had the AUDACITY to be upset when Lily didn't hand over HER child ,like he so often referred to it as, to him after his father, father-in-law and lily walked in on him being busy with Madeline aka Lily's ex-bestfriend. and there is So much more bullshit in this book that I can't even begin to explain about how terrible this book is.
Also what kind of a bullshit father forces his daughter he loves so very much (his words, not mine) marry a jerky dirtbag just because she got pregnant by him. Like fr her father and Merc's father both know that he was fucking around with other women and he even has the subtle and indirect PERMISSION from both their fathers to do so, as long as they stay married for 5 years so they can MAYBE develop some feelings, if that doesn't happen they'll just divorce, because that obviously won't leave Lily with so much emotional trauma. And then Lily forgives this JERK, they have sex like the second time with each other in 3 years or whatever and what a surprise she gets pregnant AGAIN. Like bitch learn from your mistakes, grow a backbone and use you fucking brain! Oh yeah and Lily's father hides the fact that her mother died, whoopsiee..
The only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is because of Lily's bestfriend Stacey and her mother Shannon, they were true heroes for how they helped Lily when she was giving birth. WE STAN.
Secretly I'm hoping that Lily isn't this dumb and is just playing tricks on Merc. Like she'll act lovey dovey, have that second mistake baby, "cheats" on Merc in their last year of marriage, finds THE perfect guy, eventually divorces Merc at the five years mark, shares custody or whatever and spend the rest of her life with The perfect guy/her True love.
LET ME DREAM!
Lily has ZERo backbone and takes back a fucking cheater that has been fucking other women while she was pregnant with his son. Merc/ Demon whatever had the AUDACITY to be upset when Lily didn't hand over HER child ,like he so often referred to it as, to him after his father, father-in-law and lily walked in on him being busy with Madeline aka Lily's ex-bestfriend. and there is So much more bullshit in this book that I can't even begin to explain about how terrible this book is.
Also what kind of a bullshit father forces his daughter he loves so very much (his words, not mine) marry a jerky dirtbag just because she got pregnant by him. Like fr her father and Merc's father both know that he was fucking around with other women and he even has the subtle and indirect PERMISSION from both their fathers to do so, as long as they stay married for 5 years so they can MAYBE develop some feelings, if that doesn't happen they'll just divorce, because that obviously won't leave Lily with so much emotional trauma. And then Lily forgives this JERK, they have sex like the second time with each other in 3 years or whatever and what a surprise she gets pregnant AGAIN. Like bitch learn from your mistakes, grow a backbone and use you fucking brain! Oh yeah and Lily's father hides the fact that her mother died, whoopsiee..
The only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is because of Lily's bestfriend Stacey and her mother Shannon, they were true heroes for how they helped Lily when she was giving birth. WE STAN.
Secretly I'm hoping that Lily isn't this dumb and is just playing tricks on Merc. Like she'll act lovey dovey, have that second mistake baby, "cheats" on Merc in their last year of marriage, finds THE perfect guy, eventually divorces Merc at the five years mark, shares custody or whatever and spend the rest of her life with The perfect guy/her True love.
LET ME DREAM!
November 3, 2021
Soooo much cheating. A lot of angst. A teenage old well beyond her years.
Well written. Difficult content but great writing
Well written. Difficult content but great writing
Read
May 24, 2024The ‘hero’ is too much of a weak twat for me to like or even find interesting. I wanted to like the heroine - especially since I found her annoyingly weak in The Princess and the Prospect - so I was hoping the author would put a new spin on things.
Alas, no.
Of course she’s faithful while he's not. I was hoping she’d at least give him a taste of his own medicine and hook up with other men. If she did, I could have liked this. But nope. Same old typical, double-standard bullshit.
I’m convinced The Other Princess was written by a different author…
Alas, no.
Of course she’s faithful while he's not. I was hoping she’d at least give him a taste of his own medicine and hook up with other men. If she did, I could have liked this. But nope. Same old typical, double-standard bullshit.
I’m convinced The Other Princess was written by a different author…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2022
"This is the very broken beginning that won’t feel much at all like a romance, because it isn’t. Their road is bumpy, the ride is rough, and your heart might get a little bruised along the way. I hope you’re ready. You asked for this!"
My thoughts: 🤔
Why didn't I heed all of the author's warnings?
Why did I decide to read this duet instead of running for the hills?
And why did I think I could do it without vodka?
I think my problem is that I have really fantastic bad ideas.
The Broken Beginning Part 1 - 4 Broken Stars 😱
The Broken Beginning Part 2 - 3 WHHHYYY Stars 💀 (I wish there was a memory eraser)
I'm emotionally drained; better review to come. Maybe.
**Read on Scribd**
My thoughts: 🤔
Why didn't I heed all of the author's warnings?
Why did I decide to read this duet instead of running for the hills?
And why did I think I could do it without vodka?
I think my problem is that I have really fantastic bad ideas.
The Broken Beginning Part 1 - 4 Broken Stars 😱
The Broken Beginning Part 2 - 3 WHHHYYY Stars 💀 (I wish there was a memory eraser)
I'm emotionally drained; better review to come. Maybe.
**Read on Scribd**
December 8, 2023
Absolutely no hope for either one of these characters. CM is a good writer, but I doubt any writer could redeem the hero or this as a romance.
February 3, 2023
Hated everything about this book. I get liking angst romance I do too but this one was shitty as hell. The constant cheating from the H is not it and will never be it. Not sure how people enjoyed this book but sure you do you I guess.
June 26, 2022
What a rotten, childish, cowardly excuse for a man! Even after he realized and admitted to himself how badly he had treated Lily and his son, he still tried to blame it on everyone else. He told Lily that he had never done anything for her because she had never demanded anything of him. He blamed both of their fathers for forcing him and Lily together and said that they had "LET" him "completely ruin her".
Lily was a doormat, allowing Merc back in her life as soon as he showed some minor interest in being a husband and father.
The book ends in a HFN and from the reviews, I can see that there is more cheating in the next book by both Merc and Lily so I have no interest in reading it.
Lily was a doormat, allowing Merc back in her life as soon as he showed some minor interest in being a husband and father.
The book ends in a HFN and from the reviews, I can see that there is more cheating in the next book by both Merc and Lily so I have no interest in reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2025
So Good
I'm so happy this Author listened to her fans and wrote their story. It is a rough road that is for sure. However I won't stop until I read Part 2. I have to know what happens, does Merc screw up again? I truly think this is one of the best in this series I couldn't put this train wreck down. I loved it even though I was cursing.
I'm so happy this Author listened to her fans and wrote their story. It is a rough road that is for sure. However I won't stop until I read Part 2. I have to know what happens, does Merc screw up again? I truly think this is one of the best in this series I couldn't put this train wreck down. I loved it even though I was cursing.
November 1, 2021
Christine Michelle did it again. This book dealt with characters from her Aces High MC - Charleston series. It’s not necessary to read the previous books before this one. This is a HFN ending and the author warns about part two book being a hard read. This is the story of Merc and Tiger Lily. The author warns this book and the next has cheating. I love a good angsty read. So looking forward to part two of their story.
February 25, 2023
I’d she didn’t end up with him it would have been 4 stars! Definitely not a romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2021
We asked and she listened!
Oh what a book.
Merc and Tiger Lily; the original unlikely couple.
This is full of hurt, anger, cheating revelations. Will you like Merc, probably not. Will you think he deserves another chance, again probably not.
While the book ends with them in a better place, you can bet its not over yet.
Great read
Oh what a book.
Merc and Tiger Lily; the original unlikely couple.
This is full of hurt, anger, cheating revelations. Will you like Merc, probably not. Will you think he deserves another chance, again probably not.
While the book ends with them in a better place, you can bet its not over yet.
Great read
August 8, 2022
2🍭🍭
All I can think about is “way too much”.
Too much cheating, in very random scenarios. Too much drama (that one I get). Lily’s father was an a$$ for allowing everything that happened with her…
The mysterious relationship with the best friend felt forced and random.
And the guy didn’t grovel enough.
All I can think about is “way too much”.
Too much cheating, in very random scenarios. Too much drama (that one I get). Lily’s father was an a$$ for allowing everything that happened with her…
The mysterious relationship with the best friend felt forced and random.
And the guy didn’t grovel enough.
May 29, 2023
Their story had me sucked in. It's not a HEA. It's the story of Damon, who screwed up every single chance he had gotten. BIG-TIME. Lily, who had to grow up so fast. She came into her own self. Damon, I wanted to wring his neck most of the book. Sorry doesn't mean anything without the actions behind it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2023
read this bc of a rec I saw on tik tok.
while I didn’t hate it, I also didn’t love it.
I wanted angst & it gave me this. did I know there would be cheating here before I read it? yes I did.
I’m not one that hates cheating tropes (don’t ask me why but I just don’t) but this one was pissing me off.
I’ve seen some reviews that said the fmc was a pushover and let the guys get away with it…I agree but I felt as if she started as a crush and once she saw his true colors, her main focus was on her and her child. I do feel like she forgave him easily.
now..merc ends up falling in love but what I needed was the build up on how that happened. It felt like I was missing that big GAP. I felt like I got more details on how those whores we’re sucking him off than him falling for his wife.
it was a quick read for me & as I said I didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. Idk if I’ll continue to part 2 honestly.
while I didn’t hate it, I also didn’t love it.
I wanted angst & it gave me this. did I know there would be cheating here before I read it? yes I did.
I’m not one that hates cheating tropes (don’t ask me why but I just don’t) but this one was pissing me off.
I’ve seen some reviews that said the fmc was a pushover and let the guys get away with it…I agree but I felt as if she started as a crush and once she saw his true colors, her main focus was on her and her child. I do feel like she forgave him easily.
now..merc ends up falling in love but what I needed was the build up on how that happened. It felt like I was missing that big GAP. I felt like I got more details on how those whores we’re sucking him off than him falling for his wife.
it was a quick read for me & as I said I didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. Idk if I’ll continue to part 2 honestly.
November 14, 2024
The broken beginning
Oh my gosh, i think Merc is the worst hero i have ever read! I loved every minute of it! The pain, the heart break, the devastation and the happy for now ending.
Oh my gosh, i think Merc is the worst hero i have ever read! I loved every minute of it! The pain, the heart break, the devastation and the happy for now ending.
September 8, 2024
Hate this book with my whole heart. The FMC has no backbone. The MMC cheats on her 90% of the book with hundreds of females, while she stays and raising her kid and then gets pregnant by him again. Bffr?
I honestly do not know how I had the energy to finish the entire book. Uh. It was exhausting.
I honestly do not know how I had the energy to finish the entire book. Uh. It was exhausting.
May 11, 2024
The thing that bothered me tremendously about this book is it is the h’s father who forces her to marry the dirtbag H for five years, which in turn subjects her to extreme humiliation. The fact the father admits he did this for his own selfish reasons to keep his daughter around makes that decision even more horrendous. What sort of father would want his daughter to be subjected to that? The h would never have stayed with the H, and likely would have moved on. She had a crush on the H because they grew up together, but it was a childish teenage crush. The h’s father essentially trapped her in a loveless marriage where she was continually disrespected by her husband. Unfortunately, that tainted this whole story for me.
February 16, 2022
BEAUTIFUL DISASTER Part 1:
I have been anxious to read Merc & Lily’s story.
Lily broke my heart; such a strong woman that definitely deserves better. Merc made it hard to like him, with his love of club women. Forgetting he is a married man was horrible but not showing up for his son - just a shame.
Why was I still hoping he would get his act together?
Yea, I know how this story ends (after reading the series), but I have a deep need to want to like him; want to like the way he eventually loved his woman.
Honestly, I felt bad for her after seeing how some of the other club men loved their women fiercely.
This was my favorite of the series, so I’m off to read part two.
I have been anxious to read Merc & Lily’s story.
Lily broke my heart; such a strong woman that definitely deserves better. Merc made it hard to like him, with his love of club women. Forgetting he is a married man was horrible but not showing up for his son - just a shame.
Why was I still hoping he would get his act together?
Yea, I know how this story ends (after reading the series), but I have a deep need to want to like him; want to like the way he eventually loved his woman.
Honestly, I felt bad for her after seeing how some of the other club men loved their women fiercely.
This was my favorite of the series, so I’m off to read part two.
Read
February 27, 202329% in and i know I won’t be able to finish this book .. maybe someday in future ( i don’t think so ). I’m curious about the story but i can’t handle cheating nd all other stuff going in this book.
I respect the author for giving warnings before any reader could start reading the book. I thought i could handle it but nope. Teenage romance stories are not my thing and Cheating trope is definitely not my cup of tea!! So i hope they get their happy ending but i won’t be able to go further with this book !
I respect the author for giving warnings before any reader could start reading the book. I thought i could handle it but nope. Teenage romance stories are not my thing and Cheating trope is definitely not my cup of tea!! So i hope they get their happy ending but i won’t be able to go further with this book !
July 22, 2023
He cheats. Leaves her pregnant and alone. Neglecting her financially and her having to work while pregnant to get a enough money while his side chick lives a lavish lifestyle provided by him. Cheating until the very last 40 pages. And then just accepting that he “changed”
April 28, 2023
This book is the first to pop up on my mind why people need to use protection while having sex.
April 29, 2023
Well, I wanted a rage read, and I found it.
Merc is one of the worst MMCs I've ever read. I know they get some sort of HEA, but I wanted him to get the boot. I WANT him to get the boot. I plan on reading part two, but I need a break. 😅
It's not so much the cheating. One could argue that because he never promised to remain faithful and no one expected him to. Merc and Lily make a mistake one night when they are (almost) 18 and 16, respectively. She gets pregnant. Their dads make the mistake of forcing them into a shotgun wedding, and they are really at fault for starting the chain of events here. No one had to get married. Neither Merc nor Lily wanted to get married, though he didn't believe her when she said so and became super bitter. Lily's dad did nothing to protect his daughter and only set her up for a very miserable few years.
For me, the main problem here was all the neglect and disrespect Lily suffers at the hands of her husband (mainly) but also their dads. They force them to marry and then the poor girl is just dumped into a house while everyone splits for months. No one calls on her or checks in. She is left to fend for herself, 16 and pregnant. Eventually, her dad checks on her months later and she is close to starving and had no idea she had to pay utilities and was about to lose power. She'd been walking home late at night, seven miles, by herself. No one bought her a car. Oh, but Merc made sure his girlfriend had a place to stay after her dad kicked her out. Made sure she had plenty of food and anything else she needed. Gave her money for a car and spent $3k on a ring he never got a chance to give her. All while ignoring his pregnant wife. Joke's on him because that girlfriend ended up packing all that stuff up and moving to California. Good riddance. He shouldn't have even been with her, considering she had threatened to kill Lily's baby.
The bad stuff just keeps coming. I honestly don't know why she agrees to make a go of their relationship. His turning point is finding out she went on one dinner date with another guy and Merc lost his mind. Nevermind the fact that he was in a four-month long relationship with a woman whom he had offered exclusivity to, something he never offered Lily. Oh, and when finding out Lily had gone on a date spurned Merc into taking her out, they end up sleeping together, and he calls her by the OW's name in the morning. He has all this guilt throughout the book, but it's worthless, to be honest. Those guilty feelings never stop him from continuing to be a jackass. He deserves nothing.
I will say, I don't agree with people calling her a doormat. She was 16 when she got pregnant and was forced to marry someone who hated her and wanted nothing to do with her. Then, she was essentially abandoned for months and then again anytime their dads left town. What was she supposed to do here? She couldn't get a job being a pregnant teenager. She tried. She had no car for a long time. She was still trying to finish school. Even the encounter that got her pregnant happened so quickly that I don't think she fully understood what was happening. He certainly didn't ask for consent. She was a virgin, but he'd been sexually active for years and should have known to use a condom. He didn't. I think people are being a bit hard on her from this book. She was in a really bad situation, and she did the best she could to keep a roof over her son's head even though she was a kid herself. She deserved some respect for that, in my opinion.
Merc is one of the worst MMCs I've ever read. I know they get some sort of HEA, but I wanted him to get the boot. I WANT him to get the boot. I plan on reading part two, but I need a break. 😅
It's not so much the cheating. One could argue that because he never promised to remain faithful and no one expected him to. Merc and Lily make a mistake one night when they are (almost) 18 and 16, respectively. She gets pregnant. Their dads make the mistake of forcing them into a shotgun wedding, and they are really at fault for starting the chain of events here. No one had to get married. Neither Merc nor Lily wanted to get married, though he didn't believe her when she said so and became super bitter. Lily's dad did nothing to protect his daughter and only set her up for a very miserable few years.
For me, the main problem here was all the neglect and disrespect Lily suffers at the hands of her husband (mainly) but also their dads. They force them to marry and then the poor girl is just dumped into a house while everyone splits for months. No one calls on her or checks in. She is left to fend for herself, 16 and pregnant. Eventually, her dad checks on her months later and she is close to starving and had no idea she had to pay utilities and was about to lose power. She'd been walking home late at night, seven miles, by herself. No one bought her a car. Oh, but Merc made sure his girlfriend had a place to stay after her dad kicked her out. Made sure she had plenty of food and anything else she needed. Gave her money for a car and spent $3k on a ring he never got a chance to give her. All while ignoring his pregnant wife. Joke's on him because that girlfriend ended up packing all that stuff up and moving to California. Good riddance. He shouldn't have even been with her, considering she had threatened to kill Lily's baby.
The bad stuff just keeps coming. I honestly don't know why she agrees to make a go of their relationship. His turning point is finding out she went on one dinner date with another guy and Merc lost his mind. Nevermind the fact that he was in a four-month long relationship with a woman whom he had offered exclusivity to, something he never offered Lily. Oh, and when finding out Lily had gone on a date spurned Merc into taking her out, they end up sleeping together, and he calls her by the OW's name in the morning. He has all this guilt throughout the book, but it's worthless, to be honest. Those guilty feelings never stop him from continuing to be a jackass. He deserves nothing.
I will say, I don't agree with people calling her a doormat. She was 16 when she got pregnant and was forced to marry someone who hated her and wanted nothing to do with her. Then, she was essentially abandoned for months and then again anytime their dads left town. What was she supposed to do here? She couldn't get a job being a pregnant teenager. She tried. She had no car for a long time. She was still trying to finish school. Even the encounter that got her pregnant happened so quickly that I don't think she fully understood what was happening. He certainly didn't ask for consent. She was a virgin, but he'd been sexually active for years and should have known to use a condom. He didn't. I think people are being a bit hard on her from this book. She was in a really bad situation, and she did the best she could to keep a roof over her son's head even though she was a kid herself. She deserved some respect for that, in my opinion.
October 14, 2024
RAGE read
RAGE READ!!
I read this after seeing this post and have to say this book makes me so angry and not in a good way. In saying that the writing was great (only reason ill read book 2) but I wish the FMC made him actually grovel after everything he and their fathers did to her, he deserved to grovel on his hands and knees over miles of over broken glass.
SPOILERS below:
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He cheats on her with multiple women for 4 years!. He takes her V card and then ditches her. Their parents force them to marry. She is then abandoned, 16 and pregnant in winter with barely any food and walking in 7 miles in the dark to get home from work. While he is out with his vile gf.
You think he is going to turn a corner, but nope, he just shacks up with another girl and blames her for his misfortunes. He even misses the birth of his child because he is fking her ex best friend.
This guy doesn't deserve her at all, and the grovel does not equate to what he had done. Oh, and she just forgives him because for a few months, he's just show up more often and says he wont fk anyone else even thought he had to dump his gf AFTER sleeping with FMC and knocking her up again 🙄
On top of that, her father and his father allow him to do it and don't do a damn thing. other then force her to marry him after he takes her V and knocks her up, then gets back with his vile ex. They watch him cheat on her and have multiple relationships behind her back and just know he will finally get it one day and be the man he should be for 4 YEARS. These men are trash!!!!!!!
Seriously, I hate this guy, and at first, I thought she would be a strong FMC, but nope, just weak. She just waits around for him to finally get his act together and be a family 🙄🙄🙄
I hope the second book he gets is coming to him. It's the main reason I'm reading it
RAGE READ!!
I read this after seeing this post and have to say this book makes me so angry and not in a good way. In saying that the writing was great (only reason ill read book 2) but I wish the FMC made him actually grovel after everything he and their fathers did to her, he deserved to grovel on his hands and knees over miles of over broken glass.
SPOILERS below:
.
.
.
.
.
.
He cheats on her with multiple women for 4 years!. He takes her V card and then ditches her. Their parents force them to marry. She is then abandoned, 16 and pregnant in winter with barely any food and walking in 7 miles in the dark to get home from work. While he is out with his vile gf.
You think he is going to turn a corner, but nope, he just shacks up with another girl and blames her for his misfortunes. He even misses the birth of his child because he is fking her ex best friend.
This guy doesn't deserve her at all, and the grovel does not equate to what he had done. Oh, and she just forgives him because for a few months, he's just show up more often and says he wont fk anyone else even thought he had to dump his gf AFTER sleeping with FMC and knocking her up again 🙄
On top of that, her father and his father allow him to do it and don't do a damn thing. other then force her to marry him after he takes her V and knocks her up, then gets back with his vile ex. They watch him cheat on her and have multiple relationships behind her back and just know he will finally get it one day and be the man he should be for 4 YEARS. These men are trash!!!!!!!
Seriously, I hate this guy, and at first, I thought she would be a strong FMC, but nope, just weak. She just waits around for him to finally get his act together and be a family 🙄🙄🙄
I hope the second book he gets is coming to him. It's the main reason I'm reading it
November 1, 2021
Just WOW!!.....
I didn't think anything could top "The Other Princess" but dang Christine did just that!!
The rollercoaster ride this book took myself on was just heart wrenching. Lily is such a strong person to put up with so much in her young life. And the crap that Damon "Merc" put her through he should be castrated. He has to be the most selfish individual I've ever read about. I wanted to put my hands through my kindle and strangle him myself. "IF ONLY"!! right....
My heart was broken through most of this book. It's put back together again for the time being but whispers about the next book might just break me altogether. I'm gong to read it though. I've got to know the whole story and journey these two take.
Just know again that I never though it possible to top "The Other Princess" for myself but Christine sure did just that.
If I could give this more STARS I definitely would. I couldn't put my kindle down. If I wouldn't have had to go to work I would of finished it quicker. Reader's if you love angst and don't mind reading about cheating then this book is definitely for you. Have a box of kleenex sitting beside you and grab a coffee you are going to need it.
Thanks for another wonderful heart stopping read.
Thanks jamie nibarger ellis
I didn't think anything could top "The Other Princess" but dang Christine did just that!!
The rollercoaster ride this book took myself on was just heart wrenching. Lily is such a strong person to put up with so much in her young life. And the crap that Damon "Merc" put her through he should be castrated. He has to be the most selfish individual I've ever read about. I wanted to put my hands through my kindle and strangle him myself. "IF ONLY"!! right....
My heart was broken through most of this book. It's put back together again for the time being but whispers about the next book might just break me altogether. I'm gong to read it though. I've got to know the whole story and journey these two take.
Just know again that I never though it possible to top "The Other Princess" for myself but Christine sure did just that.
If I could give this more STARS I definitely would. I couldn't put my kindle down. If I wouldn't have had to go to work I would of finished it quicker. Reader's if you love angst and don't mind reading about cheating then this book is definitely for you. Have a box of kleenex sitting beside you and grab a coffee you are going to need it.
Thanks for another wonderful heart stopping read.
Thanks jamie nibarger ellis
November 7, 2021
Thank you Christine Michelle for giving us the story we all wanted!! We knew that the beginning of Lily and Merc's life was not easy, but, Wow, this blew my mind away!! This book is filled with so much heartbreak and gut wrenching pain. How much is one person supposed to take from someone? How much emotional pain can you go through and still keep your head high and keep fighting back?
How much can your heart truly take from another person's dishonesty and outright hurtful demeaning actions toward vows that were pushed on you? Lily did not want this marriage or arrangement that she was forced into, but she is stuck in it now. Her strength comes out in tenfold, but all she ever wanted was love and loyalty from the men in her life and none of them can give it to her. She realizes she needs to be stronger and smarter for herself and her child and stronger she is. She proves to the men in her life that she allows them to be 'Present', but does not need their 'Presence' to survive. Tiger Lily is truly the fiercest of them all!!
How much can your heart truly take from another person's dishonesty and outright hurtful demeaning actions toward vows that were pushed on you? Lily did not want this marriage or arrangement that she was forced into, but she is stuck in it now. Her strength comes out in tenfold, but all she ever wanted was love and loyalty from the men in her life and none of them can give it to her. She realizes she needs to be stronger and smarter for herself and her child and stronger she is. She proves to the men in her life that she allows them to be 'Present', but does not need their 'Presence' to survive. Tiger Lily is truly the fiercest of them all!!
February 19, 2025
Sure they were married but they were forced into the agreement. I wouldn’t necessarily say he cheated on her when in fact they both didn’t want to be married. They were young and understandably were given advice to WED OR ELSE. If anything, when he got into that months long relationship where he stayed faithful and then cheated on the girl with his “wife” was what I would identify as cheating because he actually cared about someone, and maybe if the “wife” wasn’t in the picture than he could have pursued something more with the girl, but their lives did not pan out the way they both wanted. So that was the only cheating part that I thought held weight. But everything else, they weren’t even friends to begin with. She only liked him in the beginning because of his physical traits but really, she had no idea the type of person he was and he was just going through the motion as a young adult. He didn’t ask for it. It happened, but then he matured. End of story.
September 1, 2025
Merc (Damon) was the definition of a walking red flag. I’ve never been so ANGRY at an MMC as I was with him. Cheating constantly, treating Lily like she was disposable, and acting like loyalty was optional. Honestly, I don’t know how she put up with half of it. Christine Michelle had me yelling at my Kindle more than once. I couldn’t look away from the train wreck that was Merc. He deserves his own warning label. Serial cheater, professional gaslighter, and Olympic-level jerk. The way he treated Lily made me want to climb inside the book and throat-punch him myself. Author you really tested my blood pressure with this one, but that’s what made it so damn addictive, you can’t stop reading, even when you want to throw Merc straight into traffic.
I’m nervous about what book two holds. The author says if you want an HFN situation to stop at book one, but knowing who I am, I’m about to go ahead and dive into another book full of chaos.
I’m nervous about what book two holds. The author says if you want an HFN situation to stop at book one, but knowing who I am, I’m about to go ahead and dive into another book full of chaos.
April 10, 2025
This book is part of an MC series; so far, it is the only MC-related series of books I found I could get into. The main characters take you on an adventure, and some of it is not always a happy or pleasant one.
Part One of the duet within this series is the history about Lily and Merc. Part One ends on a Happily for Now, but the author has noted that there may not be a HEA for this couple, so we need to find out what is in store. I can say that you will find Lily (the main female heroine) is a fierce woman who deserves respect and love.
Quotes gained from this book are:
"Sometimes, the blessings we bear come with challenges that must be met."
"I think your strength shows even as you feel weak. Others aren't yet wise enough to understand these things."
Part One of the duet within this series is the history about Lily and Merc. Part One ends on a Happily for Now, but the author has noted that there may not be a HEA for this couple, so we need to find out what is in store. I can say that you will find Lily (the main female heroine) is a fierce woman who deserves respect and love.
Quotes gained from this book are:
"Sometimes, the blessings we bear come with challenges that must be met."
"I think your strength shows even as you feel weak. Others aren't yet wise enough to understand these things."
November 2, 2021
Needs Lots of Tissues!
Tons of emotions are pouring out of me! I really want to ring Merc's neck! It's hard to right this review. It's seriously one of the best books I've read this year. That's saying a lot, because it's the 265th of the year for me. I need to take a book break, and let these emotions calm down. I have read all the books from this series. This gut wrenching book comes with some very sweet times. I'm just warning you, you need lots of tissues. I had tears rolling down my face as I was reading. It can be a stand alone, but why would you want to only read this book? When you have a whole series of fabulosness to read. From a True Fan... Pam James.
Tons of emotions are pouring out of me! I really want to ring Merc's neck! It's hard to right this review. It's seriously one of the best books I've read this year. That's saying a lot, because it's the 265th of the year for me. I need to take a book break, and let these emotions calm down. I have read all the books from this series. This gut wrenching book comes with some very sweet times. I'm just warning you, you need lots of tissues. I had tears rolling down my face as I was reading. It can be a stand alone, but why would you want to only read this book? When you have a whole series of fabulosness to read. From a True Fan... Pam James.
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