A Christmas Date

by Camilla Isley

Amazon US  /   UK  /  Amazon Geo-linked  

iBooks  /  B&N  / Kobo / Google Play 

 

No one wants to be single at the holidays.

Even Little Miss Grinch, Nikki, a successful and independent woman, must face her bachelorette status at the most horrible time of the year.

December is her personal version of holly-jolly hell: a merry torture made of couples kissing at every corner, forced vacation days, and an inescapable family reunion.

And when her baby sister announces she’s engaged—to Paul, the man Nikki is secretly in love with—and that he’s spending the holidays with them, Christmas starts looking bluer than ever.

Nikki can’t possibly survive an entire week trapped home as the family’s spinster. But she has no time to meet men or to try the newest dating app, she’s too busy working as a video producer for an advertising agency.

So what’s a girl to do?

Nikki has the perfect solution: to hire a fake boyfriend.

Luckily, her job gives her access to an endless catalog of gorgeous actors to choose from.

But Nikki will soon discover that keeping business and pleasure from mixing isn’t so easy and that she might not be immune to a little mistletoe magic. Especially not when she picked out the perfect man as her Christmas date…

A fun, festive romantic comedy with lots of bad behavior and Christmas spirit. Like a creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows, you won’t want to put this deliciously hilarious novel down. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sally Thorne, and Jo Watson.

First Comes Love is a series of interconnected romantic novels. However, each book in the series can be read as a standalone.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Oh, come on… You sleep in the candy shop every night, and you want me to believe you’ve never thought of tasting the candies?

 

If Diego was a real boyfriend, and not one paid to endure my family, I’d be dying of shame at their ill-concealed eagerness. Mom and Julia look like wolfhounds with the scent of a bone fresh in their nostrils.

 

“Your mom and your old crone of an aunt always complain you’re never going to find a man. But I told them how wrong they were, and bet Dora a pie you’d be married before forty, which is the new thirty.”… I’m not sure what makes me angrier: the fact that my mom openly discusses my dating life with the whole town; or that, apparently, the prize of my happiness is a pumpkin pie.

 

 “…that doesn’t justify her calling me fat and old. She’s so petty.” “I don’t remember Julia calling you fat or old.” “But she did, in female code language.” “You girls have a secret language?” “All gals do; it’s Bitchenglish.”

 

My Review:

 

My first exposure to the witty comedic style of Camilla Isley and I am an instant fangirl. I smirked my way through this lively and clever tale that sure, it has been done before, but this version was much more fun. While they may have been adults, sleeping in their childhood beds seemed to harken them back to their surly teen and childish whining behaviors. The characters were competitive, stressed to a toxic level, and nearing the obnoxious register on the pettiness scale with life-long sibling rivalries reaching a scalding level. But what family holiday gathering isn’t complete without several meltdowns and a messy food skirmish? It’s not even Halloween yet and I’m already in the Christmas spirit and dreaming of the heavily laden table – bring on the pie.

 

 

Author Bio –

Camilla is an engineer turned writer after she quit her job to follow her husband on an adventure abroad.

She’s a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Social Media Links –

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/camillaisley/

Twitter https://twitter.com/camillaisley

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14135080.Camilla_Isley

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/camilla-isley

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/camillaisley/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/camillaisley/

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I’m a noble kinda guy… My sisters used to joke that I have a lousy sense of direction because my brain’s entire navigational system is made up of moral compass.

 

One second I’m standing there talking with him about the finer points of sunset dining, and the next second I’m polishing his tonsils with my tongue. I don’t know what happened.

 

I laugh at the idea of my mother having a job. “She marries rich men with commitment issues, then takes them to the cleaners when they cheat.”

 

I hold my breath like a teenager watching his first skin flick, praying someone doesn’t show up and change the channel.

 

My Review:

 

Going by the title and cover shot you would expect this book to be corny erotica – wrong. It was actually a cleverly amusing and sweet romance with thoughtful and sensitive storylines and some extra fun and spicy bits as a bonus. I adored these endearing and smirk-worthy characters.   Written in my favorite dual POV, I was enamored and fully engaged from start to finish. I dove into the series at book three with no difficulties following the plot, although I covet more time with the other characters and am scheming to find a time machine or just possibly revamp my calendar to include extra days so I can read the earlier installments, as well as every other book this crafty wordsmith has cranked out. But I’m greedy like that when I stumble upon treasure. I wants them all!

 

Goodreads

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.

Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners

by Gretchen Anthony

Amazon | Books-A-Million | B & N

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Park Row; Original edition (October 16, 2018)

A formidable matriarch learns the hard way that no family is perfect in this witty, sparkling debut novel

Dearest loved ones, far and near—evergreen tidings from the Baumgartners!

Violet Baumgartner has opened her annual holiday letter the same way for the past three decades. And this year she’s going to throw her husband, Ed, a truly perfect retirement party, one worthy of memorializing in her upcoming letter. But the event becomes a disaster when, in front of two hundred guests, Violet learns her daughter Cerise has been keeping a shocking secret from her, shattering Violet’s carefully constructed world.

In an epic battle of wills, Violet goes to increasing lengths to wrest back control of her family, infuriating Cerise and snaring their family and friends in a very un-Midwestern, un-Baumgartner gyre of dramatics. And there will be no explaining away the consequences in this year’s Baumgartner holiday letter…

Full of humor, emotion and surprises at every turn, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners brings to life a remarkable cast of quirky, deeply human characters who must learn to adapt to the unconventional, or else risk losing one another. This is the story of a family falling to pieces—and the unexpected way they put it all back together.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Barb was steeped in the classics, but the only literary references Cerise knew came from the mandatory hours spent next to her mother watching Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. All that time invested and the only things she had to show for it were a decent British accent and a canny ability to let her thoughts wander behind open eyes.

 

If the Hesse family were birds, we’d be California condors… No, members of the vulture family and nearly extinct.

 

He watched as his soon-to-be-former boss, a toad of a guy who kept his dermatologist busy with retinol treatments and mole removal, straightened the pin tethering his Dolce & Gabbana tie to his Burberry shirt… I hope you croak, Richard wanted to say. I hear that’s what toads do.

 

My Review:

 

I loved this book from the start and was soon smirking as I relished the smartly written and clever humor, which quickly led to giggle-snorting and then on to full-on laughing aloud, which occurred several times before I finished. I adored the full slate of fascinatingly quirky and odd characters, but the winner, by far, of the most expertly crafted and deftly depicted character sweepstakes was the petty, shallow, and highly manipulative Violet. Violet was a meddlesome helicopter parent who was ridiculously intrusive, arrogant, judgmental, and an exacting perfectionist with everything she did, whether it was controlling the various committees she spearheaded or in keeping her home surgically clean. Violet’s to-do list was never-ending as she was constantly scheming and often had several going at once, although in her rationalizations it was always for the betterment of her family; her inner musings were comedic gold and highly entertaining. The storylines were ingenious and highly eventful while the writing was laced with insightful observations and packed with lip twitching levity. I couldn’t put my Kindle down, as I couldn’t wait to see what outrageous situation would pop-up next. I was stunned and awed to realize this was the author’s debut; it was a delight to read and a treasure to have discovered. Gretchen Anthony is definitely one to watch and has a new fangirl.

This was chosen for my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info

 

About Gretchen Anthony

Gretchen Anthony is a Minnesota-based writer and humorist whose work has been featured on scarymommy.com, medium.com and thewritelife.com. She’s also spent decades as a ghostwriter and has written for some of the best personal brands in the United States, from CEOs to doctors and start-up superstars to BBQ pros. Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is her first novel.

Connect with Gretchen

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Love Blooms When You Least Expect It…

Juliet Shakespeare is done with love. With a growing floristry business and an adorable daughter to raise, life after separating from her husband is complicated enough.

But when handsome single father, Ryan Sutherland, arrives in town, everything changes. As much as she tries to distract herself, Juliet can’t help but be drawn to the easy-going Romeo next door and the way he makes her feel.

Photographer Ryan is only back in his hometown for a few months so there’s no point falling for someone he’ll just have to say goodbye to. But he didn’t account for Juliet – the intriguing and beautiful, red-haired woman next door. And in her, he might just have found everything he ever wanted . . .

A gorgeous Shakespeare Sisters romance from the bestselling author of Fix You.

 

UK Buy Links

Amazon UK | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | WHSmith

US Buy Links

Amazon US | iBooks | Kobo | Nook  

Advance Praise for By Virtue Fall

This story is amazing, beautiful, intense, sweet & loving. So need more of this series..’ – Teresa, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘Carrie Elks is an excellent story-teller.’ – Steph N, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘Oh wow Elks has written another book that has blown me away.’ – Donna, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘What a blissful read.’ – Shelley, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘An outstanding read.’ – Evonne, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘Carrie Elks has a way with her words that takes me into another world and leaves me breathless.’ – Melanie Moreland, New York Times Bestselling Author

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Miss Mason had been a Kindergarten teacher for more than twenty years. Everything in her classroom was ruled by bathroom breaks.

 

The denim clung to him like it couldn’t bear to let go.

 

Funny how she’d bristled at that nickname when he’d first used it. Now she loved it. It was like a little secret only the two of them knew. She wanted to cover it in bubble wrap and keep it safe, protect it from the harsh winds of the outside world. Because right then everything felt fragile. Like a wisp of smoke blowing on the wind.

 

…there’s nothing worse than running away, only to find your troubles bought a ticket and decided to travel right along with you.

 

My Review:

 

This was my first exposure to Carrie Elks and I am greatly disappointed in myself, how have I not noticed this deftly gifted wordsmith before now? Snap! Reading her entertaining arrangements of words was a total pleasure. Her storylines were relatable, insightful, amusing, vibrantly detailed, and populated with lovable and clever characters. By Virtue Fall was book four of a series featuring a family known as the Shakespeare Sisters, yet it was quite capable of standing on its own as it possessed strong tango dancing legs. However, there is nothing else in this world I would rather read right now than the previous three installments as well as every other book, novella, and short story on her backlist. Carrie Elks has a new fangirl.

This was chosen as a  Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info

About the Author

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

Twitter – CarrieElks

Facebook – CarrieElksAuthor

Goodreads – 7266211.Carrie_Elks

Website

 

Magic O’Clock

by Lynne Fellows

Goodreads

Amazon  (universal)

Other eretailers (Kobo, B&N, Apple) :https://www.books2read.com/MOC

 

Archie Royle is a kind, funny, gentle man.

He’s also my dad. My storyteller. My hero.

Except he doesn’t remember my face anymore.

His world, these days, doesn’t include me or his family.

Life may have changed for him, but he hasn’t given up on life.

Not at all.

It’s just different.

Dad still tells his stories, albeit for a new audience.

He makes people smile and chuckle. As he always did.

He’s a fighter, a survivor and maybe sometimes too clever for his own good! He’ll surprise you. I can assure you of that.

Welcome to Magic O’Clock, where time is irrelevant and hope is unlimited.

Magical Memories

Goodreads / Amazon

 

As Archie Royle takes his final breath, three sisters race to say their goodbyes.

Two don’t make it in time.

I do.

And now, it’s all my fault they’re too late.

Despite him having dementia.

Despite them not visiting in over a month.

 

But I won’t let anger win.

After all, we’re all grieving, aren’t we?

Surely, as a family, we can let bygones be bygones.

 

It’s what Dad would want. Expect.

It’s what he deserves.

We have so much to be grateful for.

So many fond and magical memories to share.

 

Magical Memories is a fictional tale of loss, grief and moving on.

 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Magic O’Clock

Every day, without fail, shortly before three o’clock, he stops everything and heads off to his command post ready to enthrall his eager listeners. No watch is needed to tell him when it’s time. It’s purely instinctive and part of the daily marvel I have come to cherish.

 The grandfather clock in the main vestibule strikes once, then again and finally the third chime rings out. Dad is back. Complete with his confident mannerisms and easy charm. The lost soul that inhabits his body and mind for most of the day is vanquished for now and the man in his place is my father of old. My heart skips a beat as the transformation takes effect and the wonderful, self-assured storyteller prepares to weave his tale.

 He is a true word-smith, a man for whom eloquence and diction make pillow talk while he sleeps.

 Audience participation is his specialty. He loves teasing them into a frenzy. The nurses are constantly telling him not to, after all, some of these people have serious conditions, and too much excitement can be dangerous. But Archie’s response is always the same, ‘at least they’ll die with a smile on their face.’

Magical Memories

 

Where his tales came from, we’ll never know. Like a seasoned bowler, he’d put his own spin on it, launching it at full speed towards his unsuspecting audience.

 

When he surrendered the battle of the comb-over some years ago, it marked a turning point. It was at that moment I accepted defeat to his dementia. My hopes to avoid admitting him to a private care home waned, and I finally conceded that all the stored memory in my father’s brain was leaking out like a burst water pipe I could not fix.

 To say she blanched would be an understatement, but her complexion made Frosty the Snowman look like he was having a hot flush.

 Diplomacy is the act of thinking twice before saying nothing – not a skill I had ever learnt.

My Review:

 

While her father may have lost his memories and no longer recognize his family, mercifully, he had not lost his words or the ability to spin a good yarn and entertain his fellow residents at the retirement village.   These were delightfully vivid, tender, and heart-squeezing tales of bittersweet observations and inner musings.  The writing was poignant and emotive and so dear it stung my eyes and put a hot rock in my throat.  L.S. Fellows conjures sharp visuals with her excellent word skills.  She is a master storyteller with immediate engagement and keenly crafted storylines.

 

Author Bio – Despite being born in England, my heart now lies in Spain. Many moons ago, I was a student in Granada, Spain. I loved it so much and swore I would return one day on a more permanent basis. In 2003, I did just that.

Now, as a fur-mum to two adorable but mischievous mutts, in my free time, I can usually be spotted with my nose in a book, armed with just the teeniest chunk of chocolate and a zillion pomegranates!

Social Media Links –

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LFWrites

Twitter: @lfwrites – https://twitter.com/lfwrites

Website/Blog: https://just4mybooks.wordpress.com

Subscribe:

https://tinyletter.com/lfwrites

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lsfellows

 

Title: Pretty Daring

Author: Jenn Hype

 

★★★Buy Links★★★

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2QU7swd

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2IftLZA

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2pzaOZ6

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2zt1vQp

Other Retailers: https://bit.ly/2QOkifD

 

★★★Synopsis★★★

If you ask me, foolishness is like beauty – all about the eye of the beholder.

For instance – I’ve been told the amount of caffeine I consume on a daily basis will eventually kill me, which makes no sense because that caffeine is essential to living. Then I have doctors telling me that I need to get more sleep if I want to live a happy, healthy life. I can easily refute those claims because my life is neither happy nor healthy if I don’t utilize every possible second of each day to ensure my life’s goals are met.

Now I’ve got people claiming that hooking up with the sexy bodyguard I hired after someone tried to kill me in broad daylight is a mistake. And, okay, they might be right about that one. Even I can’t argue that it’s not healthy to sleep with someone you can barely stand to be around outside the bedroom.

But you know what? Life is already short enough. If there’s a chance I might die young, then I’m going to go out with a bang – preferably the kind that comes with an orgasm or twelve.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

That voice. Hot damn, his voice did things to parts of my body that had no business being involved in this conversation.

 

My eyes rolled so far back into my head I swear I saw my brain.

 

“I used to think it was hot when guys went all alpha male, but now I just think it’s seriously annoying.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Blake deadpanned. “CJ hasn’t had the upper hand since I met him.” “How do you do it? Show me, master. Teach me the ways of the Jedi.”

 

I’ll admit, New York is a challenge when it comes to my personality. People get more offended by kind gestures than they do if you were to spit in their face. It makes no sense. But I enjoy torturing them with my niceness all the same.

 

Yeah, well, what about that time you made me wait two hours after a Jason Mraz concert so you could get a picture with him, and then I had to force you to do it because the second he tried to talk to you, you turned into a bitch and told him his moles creeped you out.

 

I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he looked even angrier than he had minutes ago. I half expected his clothes to tear at the seams and his skin to start turning green.

 

My Review:

 

I am thoroughly enjoying this giggle-snort and smirk-worthy series. The storylines of each were brimming with sassy and feisty characters that bicker and banter like it was an Olympic sport and they were hopeful medal contenders. The main character of Paige was a deeply flawed over-the-top drama queen as well as a hot mess; yet she had a soft heart, clever wit, and compelling history.   Sebastian’s storyline was more poignant for family loyalty and social awkwardness, although his relatives provided considerable levity as well. Penned in my favorite dual POV, the premise was interesting while the writing was entertaining, engaging and well balanced. I’m hoping the third in the series is dished up soon as I am more than eager to spend more time with this lively group.

 

★★★Excerpt★★★

“After two minutes of awkward silence that felt more like hours, I leaned forward and switched on the radio.

Sebastian immediately switched it back off. We did this four more times before I got fed up. “Quit that!”

“No music.”

“Why!?”

He shrugged one shoulder. That’s it. Just a little shrug. Like that were an acceptable answer.

“Okay, fine. You don’t want to listen to music? Let’s talk, then. Your mom a fan of The Little Mermaid?”

He rolled his eyes. “Good one.”

“So Clara told me CJ only hires vets. What branch did you serve?”

“Marines.”

“Hoo-raha.”

“It’s Oorah.”

I knew that. I’d been trying to get a reaction out of him. It did not work. The less he responded to my poking, the more irritated I became. “You ever kill someone?”

That question earned me a quick side glance. “You always start off by asking extremely personal, inappropriate questions?”

“Oh, my apologies. What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“Movie?”

“Die Hard.”

“Book?” He paused and I snickered. “Guns and Ammo doesn’t count.”

“Oh, then I don’t have one.”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. I rather enjoyed his dry sense of humor. Like hell would I ever admit it to him, though. “So. Killed someone? Yay or Nay?”

He sighed but I caught him trying to hide a smirk.”

★★★Other Books In the Jaded Series★★★

Book 1: Simply Crazy

Available Now:

Forget apps, websites and singles events – clearly the best way to meet a guy is to move in next door, accidentally assault him and then demand a job at his company.

If that kind of charm doesn’t totally knock him off his feet, the next step is to build an army. If possible, try to recruit those closest to the target, such as his mom, sisters and closest friends. Sure, it sounds extreme and maybe a little bit crazy, but I’ve always subscribed to the old adage “No one worth having comes willingly.” Okay, I switched out some words there, but you get the point.

Caution: Even the most foolproof plans can have hiccups along the way. I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of things you should watch out for: Crazy ex-boyfriends who pop up out of nowhere like an evil jack-in-the-box; Women who think a strategic nip slip is effective at landing a boyfriend; Co-workers who think it’s hilarious to prank you at work and then upload the videos to social media.

Still have doubts? No worries. I’ll show you how it’s done.

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2NA6BTo
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2QVcqsy
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2OPG8xN
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2Dvo9eS
ibooks: https://apple.co/2xRjwWe
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2N1P9lN

Book 3: Stupid Smart

Coming November 20th

Ever since I was a little girl, all I ever wanted was to get married. To meet the perfect man who’d love me more than life itself and be a wonderful father to all our beautiful children.

I loaded up on chapstick and prepared myself for all the frogs I’d have to kiss to find my prince. But I hadn’t been prepared for just how slimy and gross those metaphorical amphibians could be. And as I got older, the toads got hornier and hornier. (No pun intended, but we’re talking men here, so… yeah.)

Still, I refuse to give up, no matter how many obstacles are thrown my way.

Liam, however, has other plans for my future.

Every inch the bad boy with his leather jacket, dark eyes and tattoos, you’d never expect his personality to be more along the lines of class clown. The combination is oddly sexy. Just ask any woman of legal age in the city of New York, since he’s likely slept with all of them by now.

A simple misunderstanding made us enemies. Now I can’t get rid of him. He’s like a bad case of herpes that just keeps flaring up at the worst of times. And if he sabotages one more of my dates, I’m going to kill him. Or kiss him.

Most days I can’t decide which I’d rather do more.

Add to your Goodreads TBR List: http://bit.ly/2zQqwoz

★★★Author Bio★★★

What’s up world – I’m Jenn Hype.

Author, mother, wife, singer/songwriter, aspiring comedian – I wear many hats. Some of them fit, some of them look ridiculous, and all of them are fun. Life’s too short to take anything too seriously, so I don’t.

Sarcasm is my go-to, especially when it’s most inappropriate. Need someone to make an uncomfortable situation even more awkward? I’m the girl for the job.

I’m ridiculously A.D.D. and I own it. I have a serious addiction to ecards and the majority of my Pinterest account is dedicated to them. The key to my heart is glitter and caffeine – my needs are basic.

I’m a bookaholic and I crush hard on my book boyfriends and their authors. Some might call me obsessive, but I disagree. That word really doesn’t do justice to how crazy I get when it comes to something I’m passionate about. I’m not afraid to go fangirl on you, so don’t test me.

★★★Social Media Links★★★

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennhype/

Goodreads –  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14254207.Jenn_Hype

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Hype/e/B01D8UQIIQ

Jenn’s Hypsters (STREET TEAM)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/236465496731730/

Asylum for Hypermaniacs ( Reader Group)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/EmbraceTheCrazy/

Nameless (Reader Group with Jenn and Mary Frame)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/213252492446817/

Newsletter http://eepurl.com/bPeZa9

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jenn-hype

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/authorjennhype/

#JennHype #AllAboardTheCrazyTrain #PrettyDaring

#JadedSeries #RomanticComedy #BlogTour

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