Books like 'Second Down Darling'
Readers who enjoyed Second Down Darling by Lex Martin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town sports university drama slow-burn forced-proximity friends-to-lovers angst
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First and Forever by Jay McLean
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFirst and Forever is the second book in the Heartache Duet, and must be read after Heartache and Hope. Duet Synopsis: Ava Diaz needs saving. She just doesn’t know it yet. Just like she doesn’t know a thing about the boy she sits next to on the first day of senior year. He thinks she’s a brat. She thinks he’s entitled... -
![Broken Harbor by Catherine Cowles]()
Broken Harbor by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSince the moment our lives fell apart, the only thing that mattered was making a good life for my son. A life where he was happy and safe. I just never expected to find that safety with a hockey player known for his brutal dominance on the ice and his recklessness off it.But Cope Colson is so much more.The gentle way he makes sure we’re okay. The playful care he shows my son...Categorized as:
sports forced-proximity slow-burn friends-to-lovers athlete multi-pov romance suspense -
![Return to Us by Corinne Michaels]()
Return to Us by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels comes a new second chance standalone love story.At eighteen, I walked away from Willow Creek Valley for good.I was young, scared, and stupid, and it cost me the love of my life—Grayson Parkerson.Fourteen years later, a crash sends me back home to recover.Back to where we met, fell in love, and planned a future... -
![Frayed: A Small Town Sports Romance by Laura Pavlov]()
Frayed: A Small Town Sports Romance by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBad boy football star. Innocent girl next door. Two different worlds. One small town. A million reasons why they should have stayed away from one another.My life was mapped out for me before I even entered the world.Who I'd date, where I’d attend college, what I'd be when I grew up.But there was a time in everyone's life when they'd face a fork in the road... -
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![Keep This Promise by Corinne Michaels]()
Keep This Promise by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI am about to lose everything.My home. My name. My future.My husband was involved in something that could cost us our lives, and on his deathbed, he demands my daughter and I flee Britain. I had no idea he found her biological father, Holden James, in Rose Canyon, and that’s where we’d start over.The moment we see each other, feelings I’d long forgotten rush over me...Categorized as:
forced-proximity second-chances friends-to-lovers slow-burn angst drama multi-pov romance -
![The One for Me (The Arrowood Brothers) by Corinne Michaels]()
The One for Me (The Arrowood Brothers) by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNew York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels brings a new endearing friends-to-lovers story to life in the third STANDALONE in the Arrowood Brothers series.Devney Maxwell has been my best friend since we were six years old, but she has no idea I’m in love with her.Even when I’m on the road playing professional baseball, she’s my home—the only one I’ve ever known... -
![Honest Mistake by Lisa Suzanne]()
Honest Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s not the boy next door anymore, and I’m not the girl I used to be, either.His life is in the spotlight as one of the most popular professional football players on the Vegas Aces, while I can’t afford to have my secrets exposed. But as we work together on a project benefitting our small Midwestern town, we easily slip back into the friendship we once shared...Categorized as:
angst athlete drama forbidden-love forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn -
![Hidden Mistake by Lisa Suzanne]()
Hidden Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe boy next door is back, and so am I.He’s spending his NFL off-season in our small Midwestern town after seven long years away, and I’m in town for different reasons.Memories shift to reality as we find ourselves in the place where we first fell in love. We’re different people now, but I’m falling fast and hard for the man he is now.But he’s married... -
![Sterling Streak by L.B. Dunbar]()
Sterling Streak by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLove was a losing battle for this country music darling and a single dad, baseball star until one night brings them together and one small town sets the playing field for a possible winning streak.They call me Lady Boss. Maneater. Queen. But beneath the makeup, blond wig, and glitzy costumes, I’m just a country girl who likes to sing. I don’t hate men, I’m just struggling to find a good one...Categorized as:
sports forced-proximity multi-pov slow-burn friends-to-lovers athlete forbidden-love romance -
![Bases Loaded by Lisa Suzanne]()
Bases Loaded by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAlexis is backed into a corner as she looks between two doors. Behind door number one is the man her father is pushing her to marry, the man who’s good for her brand and her future. Behind door number two is me: the bad boy of baseball who happens to be the man she has fallen in love with.I wish we could just run away together. I promised I’d wait for her no matter how long it took... -
![The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann]()
The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe's a single dad starting over in a new town. She's a relentless flirt with a penchant for trouble, ten years younger than him, and the babysitter. What could go wrong?Eve has just graduated from high school, but she doesn’t know what’s next aside from working at the local motel, spying on Kyle, her neighbor, and stealing apples from his orchard...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers angst forbidden-love slow-burn multi-pov forced-proximity romance contemporary -
![June First by Jennifer Hartmann]()
June First by Jennifer Hartmann
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWant to know what happens to a man who barely claws his way out of a tragedy, only to fall right into the arms of the one girl in the world he can never have?Another tragedy, that’s what.When I was six years old, my father made a choice that altered the course of my entire life. Because of what he did, the only girl I ever loved became the only girl I couldn’t have...Categorized as:
angst drama forbidden-love forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances slow-burn -
![The Varsity Dad Dilemma by Lex Martin]()
The Varsity Dad Dilemma by Lex Martin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratings★ A new sexy, small town sports romance from USA Today bestselling author Lex Martin! ★What’s worse than having Rider Kingston, the star quarterback, give you the big brushoff because he doesn’t want to get serious? You’d probably think living across the street from him where you get a first-hand view of his hookups, right? That’s what I thought... -
![Worth the Risk by K. Bromberg]()
Worth the Risk by K. Bromberg
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg comes a new, sexy standalone about taking chances and finding love when it’s least expected. Or wanted.This whole contest was supposed to be easy. I know, I know. Famous last words.It’s a long story, but I messed up at work. Big time. To earn back the trust of my boss, I promised to save one of our magazines. Yep...Categorized as:
angst drama forbidden-love friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances slow-burn adult -
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![Forcing You Away by Kennedy Fox]()
Forcing You Away by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs I search for a fresh start, a friend convinces me to move to his small town. Considering I don’t have a place to live, his little sister offers me her spare room.She’s every man’s dream—witty, down to earth, and gorgeous as hell—too bad she’s off-limits. Unspoken words and stolen glances have me eager to please her in all the forbidden ways...Categorized as:
angst forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn adult age-gap audiobook -
![Wild and Wicked by Mari Carr]()
Wild and Wicked by Mari Carr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere are worse things than getting trapped in a cabin during a blizzard with her best friend’s big brother, hockey star, Elio!Gianna, queen of to-do lists, clean freak, organizer extraordinaire, has her future all figured out. Dream job at twenty-four, engaged at twenty-six, married at twenty-eight, first baby at thirty. And she’s on her way to achieving that…sort of...Categorized as:
sports forced-proximity friends-to-lovers poc-mc romance contemporary steamy audiobook -
![Simply Mine by Laura Pavlov]()
Simply Mine by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsShe’s looking for Mr. Right. I can offer her Mr. Right Now.That’s my specialty.He’s my best friend’s older brother.He was also my teenage crush and completely out of reach.But we had our secrets—moments that nobody knew about.I’d tucked them away in a safe place, and that’s where I’d planned to keep them.He’d moved to the city, and I’d moved on...Categorized as:
angst forbidden-love forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov adult book coming-of-age -
![Ever Mine by Laura Pavlov]()
Ever Mine by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe’s hockey’s golden boy, my new client, and the man I’ve avoided for the last nine years. I was hired to fix him—but he’s not the only one who’s broken.Hawk Madden was my first love.I thought he would be my forever.But life wasn’t always fair.And grief could be a cruel beast.Fight or flight?I’d always run.But now he’s back in my life after all these years.With one look.One touch.One kiss...Categorized as:
athlete forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances sports adult book -
![No Mistake by Lisa Suzanne]()
No Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll I want is my happy ending with the boy next door.Every time we get close, something threatens to break us. Half-sisters, town gossips, and jealous exes throw punch after punch, but we hold on tight to each other as we attempt to navigate the chaos.With his life in the spotlight as a professional football player, I start to feel like it might always be like this... -
![The Problem with Players by Brittainy C. Cherry]()
The Problem with Players by Brittainy C. Cherry
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs a female coach, I’ve always lived by a simple mantra: throw hard, swing for the fences, and never, ever look back--especially when it comes to past flames.So when my ex-boyfriend somehow manages to land the job as my new assistant coach, my life is flipped upside down. The game I thought I'd mastered is now being played with a whole new set of rules.My ex is baseball's all-star Nathan Pierce...Categorized as:
sports forced-proximity friends-to-lovers slow-burn poc-mc romance contemporary small-town -
![Forgiven by Carrie Aarons]()
Forgiven by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn a split-second, a car crash killed almost everything between them. Ten years later, can one accidental ride fix tattered spirits, uncertain futures, and broken hearts? Lily Grantham has always done what she’s been told. The daughter of a senator, she grew up as the good girl of Fawn Hill, and carried that torch right on through to adulthood. Her only wild streak? Bowen Nash... -
![Not My Match by Ilsa Madden-Mills]()
Not My Match by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a smart and sexy romance about a professional football hottie and the girl he’s sworn to never touch.Homeless and heartbreakingly innocent, Giselle Riley walks into my penthouse and chaos follows...Categorized as:
angst athlete forbidden-love forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn sports -
![Beneath His Stars by Amie Knight]()
Beneath His Stars by Amie Knight
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI met Adam Nova under the twinkling lights of a nighttime sky. He was hiding, but that gorgeous boy didn’t belong in the dark. Nevertheless it was where he lived; a different world than mine. I was Livingston Montgomery, Southern debutante. With the world at my fingertips, I was well on my way to being another spoiled socialite. But I didn’t want money. I didn’t want social status... -
![Reckless Love by Willow Aster]()
Reckless Love by Willow Aster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA sexy small-town, single dad, friends-to-lovers romance by USA Today bestselling author, Willow AsterI fell in love with Rhodes Archer the night we met thirteen years ago.We made a pact that night to never cross the just-friends zone.However, Rhodes crossed that line by kissing me recently, and I can’t get over it...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers forced-proximity forbidden-love multi-pov slow-burn romance audiobook -
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![Off the Market at Christmas by Chelle Sloan]()
Off the Market at Christmas by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe saying goes that nice guys finish last. The more accurate statement is that nice guys and nerds finish last. We don’t get the girl. We don’t get the happily ever after. Even if it is the one thing we’ve asked for from Santa Claus this Christmas. So when Presley Dawson comes back into my life after twenty years, I don’t even try... -
![Kiss Me First: A Coming Of Age Sports Romance by Anna B. Doe]()
Kiss Me First: A Coming Of Age Sports Romance by Anna B. Doe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBefore Blairwood, there was Bluebonnet.Katherine Adams never thought she’d end up in a small town in Texas, but when things start to go south, it’s the perfect place to escape to.Emmett Santiago, Bluebonnet’s golden boy, never imagined he’d fall so quickly, but one glance at Kate and he’s a goner...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn sports university book coming-of-age contemporary -
![Heartbreaker Handoff by Lex Martin]()
Heartbreaker Handoff by Lex Martin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBilly’s not my baby daddy, but he doesn’t mind pretending to be…I’m a Division 1 cheerleader with hopes of becoming a sports broadcaster. None of my plans for college include getting knocked up by a cheating ex who just got engaged to another girl. When my father finds out I’m pregnant, he goes ballistic...Categorized as:
sports university drama friends-to-lovers forced-proximity forbidden-love multi-pov athlete -
![Vicious Tycoon by M. Robinson]()
Vicious Tycoon by M. Robinson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author M. Robinson comes a contemporary standalone romance... -
![All The Little Things by Rachel Leigh]()
All The Little Things by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Rachel Leigh comes an angsty brother's best friend, standalone romance. Four years ago my life was forever changed.One kiss.One moment.Five words."Enjoy all the little things."That's what Ryker said the night before he vanished from our lives for good.So that's what I did. I lived each day like it was the last-embracing all life had to offer...Categorized as:
angst drama forbidden-love forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances slow-burn -
![Keeping You Away by Kennedy Fox]()
Keeping You Away by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe last time I saw my first love was twelve years ago. We fell hard and fast, but it didn’t stop me from leaving. I never expected to see her again, but when I move back to my small hometown, there’s no avoiding it—especially since her dad’s my new boss.The more time we spend together, the more I want a second chance to be the man she deserves. As old sparks resurface, we grow closer...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances slow-burn adult book contemporary fiction -
![Rookie Mistake by Lisa Suzanne]()
Rookie Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI fell for the boy next door, and then my father ripped it all away from us.The first person to catch my eye in a long time is a colleague who tells me what we just did over his desk will never happen again.And then my mother calls with news from back home.I have to head back to the small town my father forced me to leave seven years ago knowing the boy I still love will show up, too... -
![Tragic Lies by L.A. Cotton]()
Tragic Lies by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders comes a new spin-off next generation series. More angst...More drama...More Raiders... -
![Till Next Time by Cora Brent]()
Till Next Time by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRelease Date: December 15NEW! Second chance romance stand alone from NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Cora Brent. I met Colt Malene when I was fourteen years old. And it seems I’ve never recovered.He became the headstrong star quarterback in a town that idolized high school football titles. Meanwhile, I was the coach’s dutiful perfectionist daughter, never daring to step out of line... -
![Seductress by Jessica Prince]()
Seductress by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHardin and Ford's story is coming VERY...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers slow-burn forbidden-love angst romance in-uniform contemporary small-town -
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![Playing Dirty: A Bad Boy Sports Romance by Mickey Miller]()
Playing Dirty: A Bad Boy Sports Romance by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI'm going to teach Andrea to play dirty...she just doesn't know it yet. Jake Pulling in eight figures a year as star pitcher for the Chicago Jaguars, there's no shortage of parties, booze, and women. I'm a beast on the mound and between the sheets but when my social media presence becomes a major problem, the team’s owner brings in a PR expert to clean up my image... -
![Coming Full Circle (the Pembrooke series) by Jessica Prince]()
Coming Full Circle (the Pembrooke series) by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe knew what it was like to feel unwanted. At an early age Eliza Anderson learned a very hard lesson. Sometimes the people who are supposed to love you the most are the ones that cause you the most pain. She learned to guard herself, hesitating to let anyone close for fear of feeling that rejection all over again... -
![The Hail Mary by Ginger Scott]()
The Hail Mary by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSixteen years is a long time. In a marriage, it’s a milestone. On the gridiron, it’s a miracle. Reed Johnson wants more time for everything, but time is funny that way. It can be cruel. With a body that can’t quite take the hits it used to and a heart tired of being torn in two different directions, Reed is faced with a reality he’s not quite ready for—life without the game... -
![Tristan by Karla Sorensen]()
Tristan by Karla Sorensen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere's one thing you should know about Tristan Whitfield: he’s been in love with Anna for years. There are two problems with that: she has no idea, and she's married. Or at least, she was. Anna Callahan knows three things about her brother’s friend, Tristan: he's quiet, incredibly handsome, and has a smolder that could set the room on fire... -
![Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson]()
Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMeet me… in the place where the sun kisses the horizon and sinks into blue shades of you and me.Meet me there… where everything was always perfect. You and me and the damp grass at dawn and the gray dirt in the late evening rain.Meet me where we were ourselves and not these two people who can’t even say I love you... -
![Fumbled Love by Lila Rose]()
Fumbled Love by Lila Rose
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRomantic Comedy The one day English teacher Reagan Wild is late for work—and looks like she dressed herself in the dark—she remembers Carter Anthony, a well-known football star, is coming to the school to deliver a talk to her overexcited students. While Reagan knows Carter from her high school days, since he was her past crush, she wasn’t ready to see him again... -
![Team Player by Adriana Locke, Charleigh Rose]()
Team Player by Adriana Locke, Charleigh Rose
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHot jocks. We love them all. Sexy baseball players. Intense footballers. Sweaty MMA fighters, and sizzling hockey hotties. Score!The good news? Eleven bestselling authors have gathered to give you a set of stories focused on the men we love most—sports heroes. We bet you’ll love this thick … book. The bad news? The men in these novellas don’t actually exist... -
![Off-Limits by L.A. Cotton]()
Off-Limits by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders comes a new spin-off next generation series.Lily Ford has always been a wallflower.But it’s senior year, and she wants nothing more than to try and push her boundaries and embrace the last year of high school.Kaiden Thatcher has always been the star on the football field... -
![Tight Ends & Tiaras by Lex Martin]()
Tight Ends & Tiaras by Lex Martin
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFootball is one hundred percent the focus of my life—until a squawking toddler, with a temper to rival my own, lands in my lap and flips my life upside down.I’ll never be Dad of the Year. Anyone will tell you that. Except maybe Sienna, my sister’s former roommate, who somehow manages to make my broody ass laugh and sees something in me no one else does...Categorized as:
angst athlete drama forbidden-love forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances -
![Just Not Mine by Rosalind James]()
Just Not Mine by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDestiny can sneak up on you. Or it can smack you in the face. Hugh Latimer's coping with a few problems just now. A broken hand, missing the European rugby tour ... and a half-brother and sister who are playing havoc with his love life. Instead of packing down in the scrum, he's driving the carpool to ballet--or forgetting it's his turn... -
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![I Could Never by Penelope Ward]()
I Could Never by Penelope Ward
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new forbidden, enemies-to-lovers story… It all started with an unexpected phone call.Two years after my fiancé passed away in an accident, his father died suddenly, leaving Brad’s adult, special-needs brother with no one to care for him...Categorized as:
drama forced-proximity slow-burn friends-to-lovers forbidden-love multi-pov second-chances angst -
![The Seduction of Pretty Lies by Holly Renee]()
The Seduction of Pretty Lies by Holly Renee
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDevoted. Loyal. Shameless. The Boys of Clermont Bay had been my protectors for as long as I could remember.And Olly Warner took the job to heart.He was intense and all-consuming, and I had been in love with him for years.Alarmingly handsome and recklessly charming, he attempted to deny there was ever anything between us...Categorized as:
university friends-to-lovers forbidden-love multi-pov angst romance high-school new-adult -
![My Best Friend's Ex by Meghan Quinn]()
My Best Friend's Ex by Meghan Quinn
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen I found an eviction notice taped on my apartment door, I had two options: find a comfortable cardboard box to call home, or move in with Tucker Jameson. Seeing that cardboard makes me feel itchy, I chose the latter. Which shouldn't be that big of a deal since Tucker is one of my good friends...Categorized as:
angst drama forbidden-love forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances slow-burn -
![I Promise You by Ilsa Madden-Mills]()
I Promise You by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom #1 Amazon Charts and WSJ Bestselling Author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes an all-new swoony romance between the football hottie and the mystery girl he kissed years before…Dillon McQueen: Babe. I promise. You want me.Serena Jensen: Um, who are you?There’s a legend at Waylon University: the first girl you kiss freshman year at the bonfire party is the one you’ll never forget... -
![On the DL by Laramie Briscoe]()
On the DL by Laramie Briscoe
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA second-chance romance as scorching hot as a baseball diamond in August. Slater "Savage" Harlow Winning the MVP award for the Birmingham Bandits last year was the highlight of my baseball career. It was the culmination of childhood dreams, calculated adult decisions, sacrifice, and a hell of a lot of focus. Tearing my ACL in spring training? Not what I expected at all... -
![disgraceful by Autumn Grey]()
disgraceful by Autumn Grey
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI knew falling for him was wrong. I did it anyway, his half smiles and blue eyes pulling me deeper. Blue eyes that made me soar. He wasn’t mine to keep, though. And like all good and rare things, it came to an end. Then he strolls into my life, armed with dimples and gray eyes. Gray eyes that ground me. He smashes through my defenses, stealing what is left of my heart...
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