Tag Archive for: lyssa kay adams

Reviews: KISS HER ONCE FOR ME & A VERY MERRY BROMANCE

November 14, 2022/22 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I worked through most of mine, which was a bummer, but at the same time, we’re only two weeks away from our last big deadline of the year so the end is in sight! Anyway, today I’m back to share my thoughts on two more holiday romances that have just hit bookshelves this month.

Reviews: KISS HER ONCE FOR ME & A VERY MERRY BROMANCE

Kiss Her Once for Me Goodreads

Author: Alison Cochrun

Publication Date: November 1, 2022

Publisher: Atria Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I was looking for a fun holiday rom-com and when I read the synopsis for Alison Cochrun’s new novel, Kiss Her Once for Me, I immediately knew it was exactly what I was looking for. The story follows Ellie Oliver, a young woman who, a year ago, was on top of the world. She had just moved to Portland, Oregon for her dream job and on Christmas Eve, she has the most magical meet-cute in a bookstore with a woman named Jack. Ellie is convinced she’s in love, but things abruptly change the next morning, and Ellie and Jack part ways.

Things start to spiral and by the following Christmas, Ellie has lost her dream job and, desperate to make ends meet, is now working as a barista at a local coffee shop, hating her mean boss and just trying to get through each day. When Andrew, the landlord of the coffee shop, proposes a wild plan – pose as his wife for a year in order to help him secure his recent inheritance in exchange for 10% of the inheritance — Ellie thinks he’s crazy but is just desperate enough to go along with it. Imagine Ellie’s shock when Andrew takes her to spend the holidays with his family and introduces her to his sister, Jack. Yep, the same Jack from the magical meet-cute the previous year. And guess what? Those sparks are still there!

I’m such a sucker for a good second chance romance and for a great fake dating story, so this book felt tailor made for me. All the characters are so well drawn, complex and have these messy and very relatable issues that they’re dealing with. I adored Ellie, Andrew, and Jack and found myself rooting for all three of them to somehow end up with happy endings. I also loved that even though there were three parties involved, it wasn’t really a love triangle. This story was more about Ellie having to make the hard choice between sticking it out in a fake relationship with Andrew for some much needed financial security, or following her heart’s desire and trying to make things work with Jack.

I also very much enjoyed the balance between hilarious and cute moments such as Jack trying to teach a terrified Ellie how to ski and other more intense moments such as when Ellie has to contend with her horrible, unsupportive mother and again when Ellie and Jack have to have some serious discussions about what happened between them a year ago.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun and festive holiday romance that also has a side of drama to spice things up a bit. 4 STARS

A Very Merry Bromance (Bromance Book Club, #5) Goodreads

Author: Lyssa Kay Adams

Publication Date: November 1, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The guys from the Bromance Book Club are back to add some holiday cheer to your romance reading in Lyssa Kay Adam’s latest installment of this fun series, A Very Merry Bromance!

I honestly don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of this series. It always delivers so much heart and humor, and I adore every character. The book club guys are of course the heart and soul of the series. They are in love with love and not only do they want to secure happily ever after for themselves, but they make it their mission to help their friends find love too. And this holiday season, they have their sights set on their pal, Colton.

Colton is a country music star and a hottie who could have women lined up to date him if he was interested. Colton, however, is only interested in one woman, an immigration attorney named Gretchen he thought he had a connection with but who ghosted him. With the help of his book club buddies, Colton is hoping he can convince Gretchen that they are perfect for each other.

This was such a fun read for me! It was exciting to finally have Colton in the spotlight. I also loved that he’s a Christmas loving ray of sunshine and that one of his obstacles with Gretchen, in addition to figuring out why she pushes him away, is finding out why she dislikes the holidays. I was a little lukewarm on Gretchen at first because she just seemed so stiff about everything but once we get her backstory and see what’s driving her, I fell in love with her and wanted to kick some people’s butts on her behalf.

I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m just going to say if you’re in the mood for a grumpy-sunshine (or should I say Grinchy-sunshine) romance that is filled with book club bros and their shenanigans, as well as Lyssa Kay Adams’ signature wit and humor, you can’t go wrong with A Very Merry Bromance! 4.5 STARS

Romance Reviews: Isn’t It Bromantic? & It Happened One Summer

July 19, 2021/17 Comments/by Suzanne

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It was a quiet one here, filled with lots of quality reading time. Today I’m sharing my thoughts one two fun romance novels, one of which, Isn’t It Bromantic? was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Check out my reviews and let me know if you’re planning to read either of these. 🙂

Romance Reviews: Isn’t It Bromantic? & It Happened One Summer

Isn't It Bromantic? (Bromance Book Club, #4) Goodreads

Author: Lyssa Kay Adams

Publication Date: July 20, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know I’m pretty obsessed with Lyssa Kay Adams contemporary romance series, Bromance Book Club, and that the latest installment Isn’t It Bromantic? is one of my most anticipated reads of 2021.

Isn’t It Bromantic? finally gives us a story featuring Vlad, aka “The Russian,” the adorable but gaseous Russian professional hockey player. Vlad is a fan favorite, and he’s definitely my favorite character so expectations were high. I didn’t think it was possible to love Vlad more than I already did, but this book proved me wrong. For a beast of a hockey player, Vlad is actually the softest of soft boys and quite possibly the biggest romantic on the planet. Women love him, animals love him, and his Bromance Book Club brothers love him. The man even writes his own romance novels!

Vlad being such a romantic makes it all the more sad that he has spent the last 6 years in a marriage of convenience with Elena, a fellow Russian and his childhood best friend. My heart truly broke for Vlad in the opening scenes of the novel when he confesses to Elena that he’s in love with her and wants a real relationship with her, and she snubs him and tells him she’s moving back to Russia. I have to admit that this at first made me feel pretty hostile toward Elena, but once it’s revealed why she’s acting the way she does, I felt more sympathetic toward her and really wanted her and Vlad to work things out since it was pretty clear her feelings for Vlad run way deeper than she’s letting on.

I don’t want to say much else since it’s best to watch the drama of Vlad and Elena’s relationship unfold for yourself, but suffice it to say that if you’ve enjoyed the hilarious shenanigans of the Bromance Cook Club boys in the past, you’re sure to enjoy yourself this time around too. There’s also a fun new cast of secondary characters, including a sassy group of widows who call themselves the Loners and who are very protective of Vlad and the mysterious Cheese Man, who feeds Vlad’s cheese addiction.

Four books in and I’m still loving the Bromance Book Club series so much. They’re fun, sexy, and quick reads, perfect for devouring over a weekend or a day at the beach. Here’s hoping that there will be a fifth book in the series! 4.5 STARS

It Happened One Summer Goodreads

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: July 13, 2021

Publisher: Avon

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

When I saw Tessa Bailey’s latest novel, It Happened One Summer, described as a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com, it immediately landed on my must-read list. Schitt’s Creek is one of my favorite television series so I’ll admit that I was a little nervous about the comparison since it creates high expectations in the humor department for me, but I’m thrilled to report that It Happened One Summer really delivers. The Schitt’s Creek-inspired part of the story involves Piper Bellinger, a Hollywood party girl and influencer, who takes her partying one step too far and lands herself in jail. Piper’s mother and stepfather are beyond furious at her behavior and decide to cut her off from their money and send her to live in a fishing town in the Pacific Northwest. She’ll be living in an apartment above a bar that her father used to own and will have to fend for herself for three months. The hope is that Piper will learn there’s more to life than parties, fashion, money, and getting likes on Instagram.

The characters in It Happened One Summer are what really made me fall in love with this story. I honestly really wanted to dislike Piper when we first meet her, just because she comes off as such a flake, but she wormed her way into my heart almost immediately. There’s so much more to her than first meets the eye. She’s got a huge heart, she’s a lot stronger than she thinks she is but at the same time, she has a vulnerable side as well, particularly when it comes to her own sense of self worth. I felt so much sympathy for her when she talked about how alone she feels in Hollywood, even when she’s in the middle of a crowd. The more I got to know Piper, the more I wanted her to find happiness in this little fishing town so that she wouldn’t return to the toxic Hollywood environment.

As much as I adored Piper’s character, I loved Brendan, the sea captain, even more. He’s big, burly, and gruff, but like with Piper, there’s so much more to him than first meets the eye. He might be a grizzly bear on the outside, but he’s soft like a teddy bear on the inside. Brendan’s wife Desiree died seven years ago and he now devotes most of his time to helping his father-in-law keeping Desiree’s memory alive. In essence, Brendan himself has stopped living. That is, until he meets Piper and the sparks fly. From the moment the two of them meet, it’s clear they are each exactly what the other needs and I was hardcore rooting for them to get together. I don’t want to give anything away about how their relationship progresses, but I was fully invested in every page, every scene of it, even the inevitable angsty, dramatic moments of their journey.

It Happened One Summer is a sexy, flirty, romance that will leave you feeling swoony, but at the same time, it’s a hilarious read that will have you laughing out loud page after page. It’s truly just a delightful read! 4.5 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – ISN’T IT BROMANTIC? by Lyssa Kay Adams

March 17, 2021/24 Comments/by Suzanne

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is ISN’T IT BROMANTIC? by Lyssa Kay Adams. It’s no secret how much I have adored this entire series and it’s also no secret how much I’ve loved Vlad the Russian as a secondary character in each of the first three books. I’m ecstatic that he’s finally going to get his own book and that the synopsis sounds so amazing. I can’t wait to see Vlad and his book club bros in action in his quest for romance and true love. I also can’t wait to meet The Loners since they sound like they’re potentially going to be a hilarious new addition to this beloved cast of characters.

ISN’T IT BROMANTIC? by Lyssa Kay Adams

Publication Date: July 20, 2021 by Berkley Books

From Goodreads:

With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad took up the pen to write a novel the Bromance Book Club would swoon over.

Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared after speaking out against government corruption, she escaped danger the only way she knew how. She agreed to marry her childhood friend, Vladimir, and move to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville.

Vlad, aka The Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But after four years, it’s become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he’s learned is that he deserves more. He’s ready to create his own sweeping romance–both on and off the page.

The Bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love–and this time they’re not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad’s senior citizen neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves The Loners. Just when things finally look promising, the danger from Elena’s past life intrudes, and the book club will face their first-ever life-or-death grand gesture as they race to a happy ever after.

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

October Reviews: CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE, LOVE YOUR LIFE, & SNAPPED

October 26, 2020/22 Comments/by Suzanne

So my birthday was last week and I celebrated by reading three of my most anticipated romance reads of the year. I had saved them all for last week in hopes that I would be in for a real treat, and I’m happy to say I was not disappointed. 🙂

October Reviews: CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE, LOVE YOUR LIFE, & SNAPPED

Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club, #3) Goodreads

Author: Lyssa Kay Adams

Publication Date: October 27, 2020

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Crazy Stupid Bromance is the third installment in Lyssa Kay Adams’ Bromance Book Club series and what a delightful installment it is! This time we follow Alexis and Noah, who are both friends with the members of the book club.

We met Alexis Carlisle in an earlier book when she came forward as a victim of sexual harassment at the hands of a famous celebrity chef. Since she came forward, Alexis and her cat café “Toe Beans” have become a magnet for other victims who want to share their stories in a safe place. Crazy Stupid Bromance opens with Alexis being approached by a young woman. Alexis assumes she is another victim wanting to share her story and is thus shocked when the woman tells her that they are actually sisters and that their father is dying and needs a kidney. Stunned and uncertain about how to proceed, Alexis turns to her friend and confidante Noah for guidance.

Noah Logan has a checkered past as a hacker. He’s now on the up-and-up and works in cybersecurity. He does still have one big secret though – he’s completely head over heels for Alexis. There’s just one problem…Alexis is also the best friend he has ever had. If he tries to take the next step and it backfires, he loses both his best friend and the love of his life. Cue Mack and the rest of the guys from The Bromance Book Club. Can they help Noah figure out how to move his relationship with Alexis from friends to lovers?

You guys! I am loving this series so much. Crazy Stupid Bromance is every bit as entertaining as the first two books in the series are. I breezed through it in a day and was just so drawn in by both the dramatic story of Alexis and her newfound family as I was by the heartfelt and sometimes comical journey to coupledom of Noah and Alexis. They have so much chemistry and I just loved their shared nerdiness as they worked Doctor Who Lego sets together, etc. And of course, I can’t leave out Mack and Company either. They are hilarious as always, especially the Russian, who is always such a scene stealer. (The fourth book is going to be about the Russian and I seriously cannot wait!). The Russian had a little competition this time though when it came to stealing scenes as Alexis’ cat, Beefcake, gave him a run for his money in that department.

If quirky and hilarious with a side of family drama sounds like your thing, you really need to check this series out! 4.5 STARS

Love Your Life Goodreads

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publication Date: October 27, 2020

Publisher: The Dial Press

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Sophie Kinsella’s new rom-com Love Your Life follows Ava, a young woman who has very strong opinions when it comes to love and romance. Ava is not a fan of dating apps and the power of the almighty algorithms. A romantic at heart, she believes that the path to love can only be found out in the real world, not behind a computer screen. She is therefore beyond thrilled when she meets the man of her dreams while she’s in Italy at a writing retreat. The philosophy behind the retreat is that nothing should get in the way of writing, especially nothing personal. Therefore, the participants go by fake names and reveal nothing personal about themselves to the rest of the group. Ava and Mr. Perfect can’t resist each other and end up spending nearly the entire retreat together, skipping classes, cliff diving, and yes, having passionate sex. The romance is everything Ava could want it to be, and when, at the end of the retreat, she learns that Mr. Perfect’s name is Matt and he lives in London not far from where she lives, life couldn’t be better. Or could it?

Once the real world encroaches on her fantasy, things with Matt aren’t nearly as perfect as Ava thought they were. What appeared to be perfect compatibility in Italy suddenly appears to be the exact opposite. Ava and Matt don’t have the same taste in food, art, music, décor, and even in mattresses. She meets his parents and they’re awful to her and constantly throw the name of Matt’s ex in her face. Ava puts on a brave face and tries to pretend that everything is still picture perfect, but deep down, she starts to wonder if she and Matt have anything at all in common. Ava wants her Italian fantasy romance back, but since that’s not possible, she knows she and Matt need to figure out if they have a path forward.

Love Your Life has a lot of things going for it. It was of course very entertaining to watch Ava and Matt try to navigate the awkwardness of their relationship and I was also a huge fan of Ava’s crazy rescue beagle, Harold who was an adorable scene stealer, and of each of their quirky friend groups. Their hilarious banter and comical antics had me chuckling to myself every time they appeared in scenes. I also found both Ava and Matt quite likeable, although I do have to admit that Ava could be a little frustrating. I loved her big heart and especially her need to rescue things, be it animals, old furniture, discarded houseplants, etc. She was such a lovely and colorful character, but at the same time, that huge heart and her desire to always look on the bright side of things made her seem almost ridiculous at times when she was trying to pretend to everyone (and to herself) that her relationship with Matt was perfect. Thankfully Ava finally does open her eyes and eventually shows some growth as the story progresses. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the story nearly as much.

Even with my initial frustration with Ava, I still found Love Your Life to be a charming and fun romance, sure to please all you romantics out there. 3.5 STARS

Snapped (Playbook, #4) Goodreads

Author: Alexa Martin

Publication Date: October 20, 2020

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Snapped is the fourth book in Alexa Martin’s Playbook series. I actually haven’t read the first three books in the series, but I’m thrilled to say I was able to jump right in without any issues. The series follows the Denver Mustangs football team and their significant others and the focus in Snapped is starting quarterback Quinton Howard, Jr., and Mustangs PR rep Elliott (Elle) Reid.

Snapped opens with a bang. It’s the season opener and as Quinton takes the field, he covers the league logo on his jersey with black tape and then proceeds to take a knee as the national anthem is played. The owner of the Mustangs is outraged by Quinton’s actions and sends Elliott Reid to get to the bottom of it and find a way to make Quinton stop what he’s doing. Quinton explains his reasons for protesting to Elliott. It’s all about racial injustice with two specific focuses: 1) He wants to lend his support to Black Lives Matter, and 2) He wants to call out the football league for mistreating and neglecting retired players of color. He then tells her he wants to start a charitable foundation and Elle decides that’s her ‘in’ and vows to help Quinton get that up and running.

I absolutely adored Quinton’s character. He’s intelligent and sensitive and just so passionate about this cause. It’s impossible not to root for him and I just loved listening to him speak his truth. I really liked Elle too, although I did find her to be somewhat naïve at times. Elle is bi-racial but was raised almost entirely by her white parent. She says that she was raised in an environment that taught her not to see color. What this has led to is Elle tending to explain away actions that are clearly racist as not racist. As she and Quinton start to work together, he calls her out on this and starts to open her eyes to the truth about racial injustice and, in particular, how pervasive it really is.

I thought Snapped was a fantastic read overall and that the author struck a perfect balance between the romance and social justice storylines. I loved watching Quinton and Elle grow closer as they worked together and I especially loved how Quinton helped Elle grow as a person. I also adored the whole Mustangs family, especially the significant others. Such a fun group!

If you’re into romance, and especially if you’re into football, be sure to check out the Playbook series. I’m really looking forward to going back and reading the earlier books in the series. 4 STARS

Review: UNDERCOVER BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams

March 9, 2020/27 Comments/by Suzanne

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Also by this author: The Bromance Book Club

Series: Bromance Book Club #2
Published by BERKLEY on March 10, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Pages: 320
Also in this series: The Bromance Book Club
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Lyssa Kay Adams’ hilarious and heartwarming novel The Bromance Book Club was one of my favorite reads of 2019. I was beyond excited to hear she was actually writing an entire series of Bromance books and that the second book in the series, Undercover Bromance, was to focus on one of my favorite characters from the first book, Braden Mack, the sexy and charming nightclub owner who also happens to be the founder of the Bromance Book Club. Needless to say, my anticipation for Undercover Bromance was high. I’m thrilled to share with you that not only did Undercover Bromance live up to my expectations, I actually loved this book even more than the first book in the series.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about Mack and seeing what makes him tick. Mack was the charming ringleader in the first book so I was very interested in getting a deeper look into his life and especially his reasons for deciding to create this book club. I was especially curious to learn about this since he is the only one who isn’t married and his fellow book club members love to place bets on how quickly he will dump his current girlfriend. (For anyone unfamiliar with the first book, the Bromance Book Club is a book club for men where they read romance novels in hopes of better understanding women, thereby hopefully improving their relationships with their wives). I don’t want to give anything away about what I learned so I’ll just say that it made me love Mack even more than I already did.

In addition to Mack, the story also focuses on another character who appeared in the first novel, Liv Papandreas, a talented pastry chef who, as this novel opens, gets fired from her dream job at an elite restaurant when she witnesses her boss sexually harassing another female employee. I was a little nervous going into the story because of Liv; she wasn’t my favorite character in the first book and I worried that a story that focuses on her would put me off. Thankfully I was dead wrong about that and the author made me fall in love with Liv as well as I got to know her better. Liv is fierce, feisty, and she’s determined to take down this sexual predator. She knows she can’t do it alone and reluctantly turns to Mack, who knows her boss, for assistance.

Mack and Liv teaming up to bring down this jerk is epic. Liv doesn’t like Mack, which drives Mack insane because everyone likes Mack. I loved watching their relationship develop from trading witty insults back and forth to finally starting to open up to one another. Their chemistry is off the charts and it was just so much fun watching them interact as they got to know each other better and honestly as they realized some truths about themselves as well.

Where Lyssa Kay Adams truly excels in this book though is the wonderful balance she strikes between the very serious topic of sexual harassment and the trademark humor we have come to expect with the members of the Bromance Book Club. Those guys are always there to keep things from getting too heavy and I lost track of how many times I laughed so hard I cried as they traded middle fingers, cashed in bets about Mack’s love life, and pummeled the Russian with fart jokes. I swear this series needs to be made into a rom-com film or a sitcom because it is truly hilarious! Adams has also gifted us with two more fabulous secondary characters in this book that I hope we haven’t seen the last of – Rosie, who is Liv’s landlord and a long-time, outspoken feminist, and Hop, a grumpy old fellow who clearly has it bad for Rosie but could really use some assistance from the Bromance Book Club. I don’t want to give away anything about them, but they truly stole every scene they were in and I adored them both.

I guess it’s pretty obvious that I highly recommend Undercover Bromance to anyone who enjoyed the first book in this series. It’s charming, heartwarming, and hilarious, with a lovable cast of characters. And if you haven’t started this series yet, what are you waiting for?

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction.

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assists Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart… even though she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.

About Lyssa Kay Adams

Lyssa Kay Adams is the pen name of an award-winning journalist who gave up the world of telling true stories to pen emotional romances. She’s also a diehard Detroit Tigers fan who will occasionally cheer for the Red Sox because her husband is from Boston.

Lyssa lives in Michigan with her family and an anxiety-ridden Maltese who steals food and buries it around the house and who will undoubtedly be a character in a future book.

Things Lyssa loves: Baseball pants, mashed potatoes, and that little clicking sound that scissors make on the cutting table at fabric stores.

Things she doesn’t love: Mean people, melting ice cream cones, and finding food in her underwear drawer.

Keep up with Lyssa on Twitter at @LyssaKayAdams. Please note: She mostly tweets about baseball pants and mashed potatoes.

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