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American Demon

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American Demon by Kim Harrison
While I was excited to reunite with Rachel, Trent, Jenks, and Ivy, I was a bit disappointed with this installment. The action was slow in developing and we didn't get to have an adventure with Al at all. I don't know I guess I was just expecting more.

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I’m not going to lie… I squealed just a little bit when I first saw that Kim Harrison was releasing AMERICAN DEMON. After all, we ended The Hollows series on a happy note and were told it was the end. Thankfully it was not, as Rachel Morgan is back, and things are trickier than ever. Rachel walks a careful line in her world of magic as she is both a witch and a demon. Demons, elves witches, weres, and vampires all inhabit The Hollows, but there are some strong prejudices. Elves and demons, in particular, are enemies, and consorting with an elf is an instant death sentence for a demon, and yet Rachel has navigated this world and fought back, loving the elf of her choice. She and Trent saved the world… but the media spin by Trent’s elven opponent has begun. Meanwhile, zombies are popping up, the Order is back in town, and a new threat to Cincinnati threatens everyone Rachel loves. Can Rachel once again walk the line between the various paranormal factions to stop a deadly enemy?

AMERICAN DEMON is the fourteenth book in The Hollows series and picks up shortly after the events of THE WITCH WITH NO NAME. As with almost all continuing urban fantasy series, AMERICAN DEMON is best read in the context of the series as a whole. However, Kim Harrison provides a rather lengthy summary of all the characters and major events of The Hollows series at the beginning in a cleverly written Inderland Security (I.S.) internal document. There are some very emotional scenes in AMERICAN DEMON, most notably towards the conclusion of the book, and I suspect the emotional impact will be greater felt by fans of The Hollows rather than if AMERICAN DEMON is your first time reading the series.

Kim Harrison’s masterful character development and world building shine in AMERICAN DEMON. I’m still crying over certain events even as I celebrate the return of Rachel, Trent, Jenks, and the rest of the gang. One of the things I love about The Hollows is that the characters and the world itself aren’t stagnant. Yes, the characters face supernatural threats in each book, but Kim Harrison puts her characters’ morals and values to the test. Rachel’s heroism and willingness to do the hard things, even when it’s involving folks she personally detests, is admirable and part of what I love about her.

AMERICAN DEMON has it all-phenomenal world building, suspense, strong character development, emotional drama, and even some steamy sex scenes. I’m excited about Kim Harrison’s return to The Hollows and can’t wait to see what adventures she has in store for us next. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy or dark fantasy, don’t hesitate and buy AMERICAN DEMON now- you won’t regret it!

*book featured as Fresh Pick at Fresh Fiction*
*book also featured in article- see links below for review and article*

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Kim Harrison delights fans by returning to her most prolific series, The Hollows. AMERICAN DEMON is the fourteenth book in the series and since it marks the return of everyone’s favorite witch-born demon, I would highly suggest reading the series in order.

The question that many readers probably have about this book is what more could happen if you’ve already saved the world? Harrison has her work cut out for her because readers' expectations will be high after the last rollercoaster ride she put us through. I think that she stayed true to Rachel and her gang of friends. With new murders and new characters, Harrison infuses the world that everyone has enjoyed already and gives it a fresh new kick. Loyal fans will absolutely eat this up.

You can expect a new demon as well as all the familiar faces of the cast. There is also a lot of interesting banter and action in this book. All in all, AMERICAN DEMON by Kim Harrison delivers a fun and exciting new story with the same heart as the previous books. This bright new revival will hopefully keep readers happy and excited for what’s to come next.

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The Hollows series is one of the first series I ever read and introduced me into the urban paranormal genre. American Demon felt like coming home. Its been six years since The Witch With No Name released and I was worried American Demon wouldn’t feel the same as the rest of the series, but no worries. The story continues a few months after the last battle and the world keeps turning, it was great to see some familiar faces, but I think the main reason it does so well is that we get some fresh face characters. We get a nice mystery; the banter is still fun and the moments between Rachel and Trent are superb. Overall American Demon is a good addition to much loved series.

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Back to the Hollows and dealing with the fallout of the previous book. This can start as a starting point for someone that hasn’t read the previous ones since there is a lot of discussion of what happened before due to all the fallout from the ending to The Witch with No Name. Rachel and Trent are the focus of the book which is good as a restart since trying to shoehorn in the vamps and weres as well would be a bit much for one book. There should be more vamps in future books with what was mentioned. There a few hat tips to things that happened in The Turn but a reader will not be lost if they haven’t read that book yet either. Glad there is a new book in this universe and can’t wait for more.

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It was so nice to have rachel back. I loved seeing how she had grown. Somethings a series that had a hea and then a follow up book can feel flat and like a ploy to make money. This was not the case. There was a reason for going back to the hollows. Harrison has not lots her touch for character development and interactions. I hope she writes more

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The Hollows has always had more than its fair share of problems, and Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks are about to find out that saving the world is only the beginning. Harrison's continuation of the series finds the trio pursuing different paths while longing for the good old days in the church. Rachel feels she doesn't fit quite right in Trent's life, Jenks doesn't want to let go of the past, and Ivy is moving away from them both to build her relationship with Nina. Ellasbeth is once again obnoxiously present and Landon has found a new and over-the-top way of sticking it to Trent, Rachel, and the demons in general. It seems like heroes never get a break, and Rachel is gonna need some serious help from some new faces if she's going to be up to the task.

A spate of domestic violence cases gone homicidal are baffling the local authorities that be, forcing them to call in our favorite American demon, Rachel. If she didn't have enough to worry about, there's a soul-eating monster of the body-less variety wafting about, scaring the pants off all the big, bad demons she's used to calling in for help. Rachel has to get creative with her magic if she's going to come out triumphant this time. Luckily, Trent is happy to support her spelling habits and chaotic lifestyle, even if he is juggling Ellasbeth, the girls, and the Dewar, which seems adamantly opposed to learning from past mistakes. Jenks and Ivy are also ready to weigh in (not literally in Jenks' case) with a bit of crude humor and a lot of vamp pheromones.

American Demon was a great continuation to the Hollows series. I thought I was content when it ended, but after reading this installation, all I can think of is I NEED MORE HOLLOWS! Meeting back up with the gang was like coming home, and it was great to see the characters trying to deal with the aftermath of saving the world. I loved seeing the domestic side of Trent's life, now with Rachel as a major part, and Rachel's reluctance to take the leap and move in together. I absolutely loved the "found family" feel of this book; how they accept each other and work together to kick some butt! Rachel makes some new friends and enemies along the way, losing others and leaving room for following installments. I cannot wait for Rachel and the gang's next adventure!

One thing Harrison does really well is portraying her characters with such complex emotions. I really appreciate how unreliable a narrator Rachel is; her self-doubt and frustrations are so vivid and relatable! Seeing Jenks and Ivy dealing with their diverging paths was both sobering and tentatively hopeful. I loved seeing the Vampiric Charms trio work together to solve a case again! With that said, I would recommend that readers have read the Hollows series before starting on American Demon. There's just too much background knowledge that you'd miss out on without following Rachel through her adventures (and its a fab series, go forth and enjoy!). This was a great continuation to Rachel's story. I was worried I wouldn't be satisfied with a return to the Hollows, and have never been happier to be wrong! Reading American Demon felt like reuniting with old friends, and making some new ones at the same time! Harrison has once again wrapped me up in the Hollows, and honestly, there's no place I'd rather be!

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Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of Kim Harrison’s, American Demon. I very much enjoyed being back in this world again! Kim Harrison does urban fantasy so well, and I am thrilled to have another series in the same world as The Hollows. I gave it a 3.5 star, I was highly entertained and can’t wait to see where the series goes.

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The Hollows are back! I am making a confession here that I am going to be totally biased to this installment of the series. It's a bit like a good friend having long since moved away, having dropped out of contact, only to come back even cooler than ever. So, yeah, if you're a Hollows fan then you should pick this up. I have a few minor issues with the book but that's just because I love the characters and seeing them go through a rough patch is hard.

The premise of the Hollows series is that a tomato-based plague has wiped out a large chunk of humanity. This isn't as bad as it sounds because it turns out that supernaturals were immune to the plague. Witches, vampires, demons, weres, and pixies inhabit the city of Cincinnati, Ohio in as great a number as the humans. Despite being the result of an apocalyptic plague, the setting is mostly silly and fun like the Discworld rather than dark or gritty. There's werewolf accountants, vampire Presidents, and witches who worry more about their kitchens than curses. Hell, the former vampire lord of Cincinnati ran a pizzeria.

Rachel Morgan is a witch investigator that teamed up with her living vampire partner Ivy to solve a variety of complicated plots and schemes that imperil their city. This book opens with a recap of the previous thirteen and if you want to avoid spoilers then I suggest you check out DEAD WITCH WALKING first. It's a great series and you won't regret it. From this point out, SPOILERS AHOY.

AMERICAN DEMON really begins with Rachel dealing with the fact her little family is breaking up. Ivy has moved in with her girlfriend Nia, Rachel and Ivy's church is destroyed, plus Rachel's relationship with elf crime lord Trent has gotten serious enough that they're considered married in some circles. Unfortunately, the public blames Rachel for freeing the demon race from their imprisonment in the Ever After and taking Trent from his elven princess bride. Given Rachel is now classified a demon herself, almost everyone thinks ill of her. Well, poor Rachel can't catch a break and someone has set a monster loose in Cincinnati that is causing people to murder their loved ones.

Much of the book is about dealing with change in relationships and how people drift apart. I absolutely hate the fact Ivy and Nina are moving away from Rachel because, well, I've always been a die-hard Rachel/Ivy shipper. I'm not a huge Nina fan, either, but that's related to the fact I was also a Kisten/Ivy/Rachel fan too. I always hoped that Kisten would end up returning but after a dozen books, I don't see that happening.

The relationship between Trent and Rachel is something that I was really impressed by and I've gone from not being a fan to really liking them (if not as much as Rachel/Ivy/Kisten). Trent used to be ruler of the world but he's taken a heavy hit to stick by Rachel. Really, you could sing the Coldplay song about him. Nevertheless, you can tell he's really happier with her than he was as a bad guy and I want to see where this goes.

The series is really like putting on an old pair of shoes (if I may mix metaphors). Everyone is exactly where we left them and the retcon of the flash-forward to just being a dream that Rachel had is something that allows us to have an exciting uncertainty about what's going to happen next. The baku is a decent-enough threat but a bit one-note as a villain. Landon is a much more interesting threat, even though I want to see him get utterly smashed.

Much of the book is the same good-natured humor and charm the previous ones won me over with. This is not a series to read for high stakes plots, though they occasionally happen, but the delightfulness of the characters. I especially liked newcomer Pike and kind of already ship him with both the heroines. Is it wrong I love this series primarily for the relationships? Well, if it is then I don't want to be right.

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Harrison reopens her popular Hollows series in this new installment. Rachel must now deal with the fallout from creating a new demon homeland and the arrival of demons in society, as well as navigate her romantic relationship with former enemy, Trent. When couples start murdering one another for old, forgiven slights in their sleep, demons get the blame. Rachel knows this isn’t the work of demons and tries to reveal the true culprit, only to find that she and Trent are also targets of this dark magic.

I throughly enjoyed this installment. Rachel is a wiser, less impulsive heroine than she was at the start of the series and seeing her in a loving, balanced relationship with Trent is very satisfying. I also enjoyed the introduction of Hodin, a new potential mentor for Rachel. I was very happy to see there was a new Hollows book coming out and a big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read it early!

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I am happy to return to the world of the Hollows, and I was super appreciative of the recap at the beginning. I was a bit surprised at the timing of the story, given that the previous book ended with an epilogue 27 years in the future. Nevertheless, I was glad to pick up with Rachel, Trent, Jenks and Al where they left off, pre-epilogue. I like how things are playing out with the new goddess, elves and demons; and I think there is much more opportunity here for Hollows stories to continue into the foreseeable future. I'm loving the repaired dynamic with Rachel and Al, and the demons integrating into society is a hoot. I also enjoy the budding relationship between Al and Trent's children. As far as the storyline, it's not unfamiliar ad previous installments when Rachel must save the world and those she loves. It's the specific details of each of these scenarios that make these so great. We also get introduced to a new character in this installment who added a bit of interest and intrigue. Overall, this was a solid showing from Kim Harrison, and I look forward to more.

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Rache, Bis, Jenks, and Trent are back in an all-new series that brings are favorite Hollow characters front and center once again.

Something is plaguing people while they sleep, making them attack the ones they love most with tortured nightmares from hurts of the past. Rache will do whatever she can to unravel the plot before the demons are blamed. But then the attacks hit home and Rache, battling with all Trent has given up for her, realizes that together they make a much stronger team...but at what cost.

Along with the evil plaguing dreams, other things have now been realized. Deciding if they are friend or foe can cost everything to the Hollows gang.

I L o v e d American Demon. Harrison has captured everything we loved in the Hollows series but brought as an entirely new series to devour! If you are a fan of the Hollows, you are going to love it.

If you are jumping right into Return to the Hollows, you can read it without the Hollows but I highly recommend reading the Hollows first. Harrison does a good job giving some background but
nothing compared to the connections you will gain reading both series.

I received this ARC copy of American Demon from Berkley Publishing Group - Ace. This is my honest and voluntary review.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Kim Harrison
Series: Hollows (Book 14)
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Ace (June 16, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0593101413
ISBN-13: 978-0593101414
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/American-Demon...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amer...

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 Welcome Back Stars.

Be forewarned: American Demon is the 14th installment in The Hollows series. It is a continuation from book #13 and those before it. I would recommend against reading out of series order. Ordinarily, it's easy to jump around in an Urban Fantasy series, as long as you have a firm grasp of the world building. However, the story is a progression, both with plot and character development, best read in order.

One of the biggest fears I had when I saw that Kim Harrison was releasing another novel in our beloved Hollows series, was whether or not it would feel different. The vibe. After the conclusion six years ago, I felt satisfied with the ending, yet also longed to hear from characters that I'd been on a 13-book journey.

American Demon felt as if Kim Harrison didn't miss a step from one book to the next. The same voices rang in my head, both the author's voice and those of the characters. They sounded the same, as if six years hadn't passed, where if you didn't know better, when reading one book to the next, you wouldn't have even realized the series had been completed. Like friends, who even if you only speak to them every few years, the conversation flows as if you're picking it up from yesterday.

Rachel was her messy self, but filled with more confidence and determination. The ragtag group was all assembled, bringing the camaraderie, hijinks, one-liners, and the feels. Still to this day, I miss Kist as much as Rachel does – that's the only character death out of all the books I've read that impacted me the hardest, mimicking true grief.

Itchy Witch and our Cookie Maker, the children, and baby-momma drama. Rachel is back on her sacred ground at the infamous church. Rachel, Jenks, and Ivy are trying to determine if they should work together or move forward in their lives in a different direction. Elves and Demon politics. There is drama, and something simmering in the background that needs attention ASAP.

There's no need to rehash the plot, because readers just want to know what to expect. Classic Kim Harrison Rachel and Co. at its finest. You can feel confident that you're going to get what the 13 past books delivered and then some.

American Demon was like coming home again to find your favorite people sitting around the living room with smiles of welcome on their faces.


Jordan – ☆☆☆☆☆
I read the previous 13 books in The Hollow series by Kim Harrison and I can’t express how excited I was to see American Demon (book #14) pop up in my newsfeed on Goodreads! The final book in the series was The Witch with No Name and released back in 2014, and I was not expecting another book that just kind of picks up shortly after the last one left off. I did have to go back and reread the last two book in the series to get a refresher because it’s been so long and when I started to read American Demon, I felt a few holes in my memory of what had previously just transpired.

I was completely thrilled to return to The Hollows and Rachel Morgan’s story in the exciting new addition with American Demon. I love that the gang’s all back together and working to solve this new mystery. It turns out that after saving the world, things didn’t turn out quite so perfect for Rachel Morgan. A recent string of mysterious murders and an influx in zombies lead Rachel and her friends to question if something may have been released that was once bound by the old.

I thoroughly enjoyed American Demon by Kim Harrison. I was more than excited to revisit the world of the Hollows and check in with all our favorite demons, elves, pixies, gargoyles, and vampires! The way The Witch with No Name finished and then was explained in American Demon was kind of lame, but I’ll take it if it means we get more adventures of Rachel Morgan! All in all, solid addition to The Hollow series and I’m excited to see what happens next!

5 stars for American Demon by Kim Harrison.

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When I finished reading The Witch With No Name I thought that would be the last time we would see Rachel and the gang. Who would have though Kim Harrison would bring us back to to The Hollows series!

American Demon is set two months after The Witch With No Name but before the epilogue. Due to the last big battle, Rachel was able to remake the Ever After which freed the demons. Now the demons are living out in the open as citizens alongside the other supernaturals. However, Rachel soon finds out things are still not going to be easy. First she has do deal with a zombie attack. Next, Rachel gets pulled in an investigation about supernaturals attacking their loved ones for no reason. This all happens while dealing with the never-ending war between the elves and demons who are also not happy with Rachel’s relationship with Trent. Yes, it’s just another typical day in the life of Rachel Morgan.

Overall, American Demon was a great start for the continuation of The Hollows series! There was so many nostalgic feelings while reading this novel despite it being almost six years since The Witch With No Name was released. I cannot wait to see what Kim Harrison has in store for us. I’m sure many fans who were following the series will not be disappointed.

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Welcome back to The Hollows. Six years after the end of the original series Harrison is back to share a new Rachel Morgan adventure. Well executed with plenty of beloved characters, good action, plot and romance.

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What a treat American Demon is both for those of us who enjoyed the series from the beginning and also those discovering The Hollows for the first time! World building and character development continues to be outstanding—totally satisfying return to the series.

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American Demon takes place where The Witch With No Name leaves off (before the epilogue that takes them into the latter years). Trent and Rachel are outted as an item, the demons are outted into the world, and the elves magic is all screwy. When a zombie gets dropped into Rachel’s back yard it starts a chain of events that finds Rachel at the center of a Baka possession. A Baka who eats away at your soul until that person does what it wants you to do. Rachel has to avoid sleep, navigate her relationship with Trent, and find the culprit and take him down. God, it’s good to be back in the Hollows!

It’s interesting to read a book when you’ve already read the final chapter and the epilogue that foretells the future. American Demon does a great job of amping up the tension between Rachel and Trent, making you think all is not going smoothly in their relationship, even though you know they end up together in the far future. I kind of liked the security of knowing while at the same time biting my nails over whether Rachel’s insecurities about Trent were actually truth, or all in her head. Ellasbeth, Trent’s almost wife who did bear his only child, makes a big appearance and puts all of Rachels’s doubts about herself into play. Despite Trent’s actions staying true to the future storyline.

Because I hadn’t re-read all 13 of the previous novels before reading American Demon, there were some small plot points that I feel I missed. Ivy saved Nina’s soul and they seem to be a couple, but then Glenn seems to have re-entered their lives and did they have a past together? I wish I knew all of the little in’s and out’s of these characters and it hadn’t been 6 years since I read The Witch With No Name. I know I’m going to go back and re-read them now that I’ve gotten re-hooked into the series.

Not to give anything away, but it does seem as if Kim Harrison is going to continue on because she leaves a couple of leads hanging in the wind that need to be tied up. I hope she doesn’t wait 6 years to write the next one! Although by that point I may have read through all of the previous novels and would hopefully be caught up.

American Demon was all that I’d hoped and everything I never knew I wanted. I’m so happy I had this chance to jump back into this series. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed these characters and am ready for another 13 to look forward to! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

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A welcome return to the world of the Hollows.

After what was meant to be the last book in the series came out years ago, I never thought we’d see Rachel, Jenks, and the gang again. But Harrison brings them back and, a few months after the events of that last book, things still are crazy for Rachel and her friends. Rachel and Trent still are working through their relationship and their strong feelings for each other. Ivy has left their business to attend to vampire matters and her own relationship. And despite having saved the day for demons and elves, both Rachel and Trent remain shunned by and the subjects of suspicion from other supernaturals. But when a powerful being is taking over the will of others and targeting Rachel and Trent as well, Rachel does what she always does: throws herself into the fight to save everyone else, even at cost to herself.

There is plenty of action, some of the expected missteps, some satisfying personal interactions, an interesting new character, and some heartache, too. All in all, it’s a wonderful return with some beloved characters and high stakes, and I look forward to reading the next book to see what happens next.

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Kim Harrison is back with the 14th installment to the Hollows series! I don't think anyone ever suspected this book was coming. Harrison's last foray into Rachel Morgan's world was the 2017 release of The Turn, the prequel about the beginnings of the infection that wiped out humans. Before that, it was the "last" installment in the series, The Witch With No Name, which released way back in 2014. So yeah, as a Hollows fan, I was elated to hear that we were going to be returning to the series at long last!

Rachel saved the world. Now what?

Now, she's trying to rebuild the damaged church she and her partners once called home. She's trying to help maintain the peace between the newly released demons and everyone else. And she's trying to move on in general. But zombies are wandering the city, elven politics are complicating everything, and it appears someone is targeting couples in a most bizarre and random seeming series of murders that has the authorities stumped. Which means they've turned their suspicions on the demons. Something Rachel is none too pleased about!

Oh, it's been so long! And I have to say returning to this series is so welcome right now! But it has made me nostalgic for a time that's so far gone for me it's not even funny!

Dead Witch Walking released way back in 2004. I was still living in Louisiana, working at Barnes and Noble, and I believe it was my first real foray into urban fantasy. How I loved it! The premise was that all of the "others" (witches, vampires, pixies, weres, elves...) have been outed thanks to a virus that wiped out much of regular old humanity. A virus that spread thanks to genetically engineered tomatoes—so humans can't even eat pizza anymore without a risk!

So much has changed since then, both for me and for the series. Rachel and her friends grew and evolved with each new installment and I was there every step of the way. So returning to the series has been like visiting old friends I haven't seen for quite some time (and has me nostalgic for actual old friends I haven't seen for quite some time!).

American Demon does pick up in the immediate aftermath of The Witch With No Name. Fortunately, the book begins with a refresher to bring you back up to speed. And it doesn't take long to sink back into the familiar world of the Hollows!

I'll say it again: This book is such a welcome return to the series and I know longtime fans are going to be more than pleased! And it's my understanding that Harrison is working on yet another Hollows book as we speak!

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So glad she is writing this series again! I missed this world and these characters! Rachel Morgan kicks as sin such a delightful way😊

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