Jeneva Rose Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Jeneva Rose has become known for books that thrive on one particularly addictive question:
Who is lying?
Her stories often begin with situations that seem relatively straightforward—a troubled marriage, a family returning home, a woman arriving at a secluded destination, a group of people with secrets—and then slowly pull the reader into something much darker.
She is best known for psychological thrillers and domestic suspense, particularly The Perfect Marriage, but her bibliography has become considerably more varied since that 2020 breakout.
She has written domestic thrillers, family mysteries, romance, speculative fiction, an audio-original mystery with her husband Drew Pyne, and, in 2026, an upcoming collection of horror stories. Her official publisher pages also confirm that her work has been translated internationally and that several of her books have been optioned for film and television.
That makes a Jeneva Rose books in order guide slightly more complicated than it first appears.
There is only one clearly numbered Jeneva Rose series under her own name—the Perfect series—but there is also a separate two-book Detective Kimberley King series written as J.R. Adler.
So here’s the cleanest way to read everything.
Jeneva Rose Books in Publication Order
If you want to read Jeneva Rose’s books in the order they were originally published, start here:
- The Perfect Marriage (2020)
- The Girl I Was (2021)
- One of Us Is Dead (2022)
- You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (2023)
- It’s a Date / It’s a Date (Again) (2023)
- Home Is Where the Bodies Are (2024)
- The Perfect Divorce (2025)
- Dating After the End of the World (2025)
- Sometimes I Scare Myself: A Collection of Horror (2026, upcoming)
There is also #CrimeTime (2023), an audio original co-written with Drew Pyne, which is worth including if you want a broader bibliography rather than only her solo print novels.
The publication order is useful for seeing how Rose’s career developed, but it isn’t necessarily the best reading order.
Why?
Because most of her books are standalone stories.
You don’t have to read The Girl I Was before One of Us Is Dead, for example.
The major exception is The Perfect series.
The Perfect Series in Order
This is the Jeneva Rose series most readers are likely looking for when they search for her books in order.
There are currently two books.
1. The Perfect Marriage (2020)
This is the book that launched Jeneva Rose into the thriller spotlight.
Sarah Morgan is a successful Washington, D.C., defense attorney.
Her husband, Adam, has been accused of murdering his mistress.
That creates an impossible situation.
Sarah knows how the legal system works. She knows how to defend someone accused of murder.
But this time, the defendant is her own husband.
As she begins building his defense, Sarah also starts confronting uncomfortable questions about her marriage.
How well does she really know Adam?
What happened between him and his mistress?
And, most importantly:
Did he actually do it?
The Perfect Marriage is a domestic thriller built around marriage, infidelity, murder, courtroom strategy, and competing versions of the truth.
It’s also the book that established the twist-heavy style many readers now associate with Rose.
If you’ve never read Jeneva Rose before, this is the most obvious starting point.
2. The Perfect Divorce (2025)
The Perfect Divorce is the direct sequel to The Perfect Marriage, so this is one Jeneva Rose book you should not read out of order.
The story jumps forward eleven years.
Sarah has moved on.
She’s remarried, has a family, and has built a new life.
Then everything starts falling apart.
Her new husband, Bob, has had an affair.
The woman involved in that affair disappears.
At the same time, new DNA evidence causes Adam’s old murder case to be reopened.
Suddenly Sarah is dragged back into the story she thought she had left behind.
The official announcement for the sequel confirms that it picks up eleven years after the events of The Perfect Marriage and brings Sarah back into the investigation surrounding Adam.
The Perfect Series Reading Order
- The Perfect Marriage
- The Perfect Divorce
Do not reverse the order.
The second book builds directly on the first novel’s characters, history, and revelations.
Jeneva Rose Standalone Books
The majority of Jeneva Rose’s bibliography consists of standalone novels.
That means you can choose whichever premise sounds most appealing without worrying about missing previous books.
The Girl I Was (2021)
If you’re expecting another psychological thriller after The Perfect Marriage, The Girl I Was may surprise you.
It’s much more of a contemporary romance/fantasy story with humor and heart.
Alexis Spencer is unhappy with where her life has ended up.
She loses both her job and her relationship on the same day.
After drinking from a bottle of vodka from her college days, Alexis blacks out.
When she wakes up, she discovers something impossible:
She’s back in her college town in 2002.
And she comes face-to-face with her eighteen-year-old self.
The younger version of Alexis—Lexi—isn’t exactly thrilled about meeting her future self.
The result is a story about second chances, regret, growing up, and wondering whether we would really make different choices if we had the opportunity.
Rose’s official description emphasizes the time-travel premise and the relationship between Alexis and her younger self.
Why read it?
Choose The Girl I Was if you want:
- time travel
- early-2000s nostalgia
- romance
- humor
- personal growth
- second chances
It’s a very different side of Jeneva Rose.
One of Us Is Dead (2022)
With One of Us Is Dead, Rose returned firmly to thriller territory.
The story centers on a group of wealthy women whose apparently glamorous lives are hiding secrets.
As relationships become increasingly complicated, the question isn’t simply who has something to hide.
It’s who will be exposed first.
And, naturally, the title gives readers a very important clue about where things are heading.
This is a good choice if what attracted you to Rose was the combination of:
- wealthy characters
- social competition
- secrets
- betrayal
- murder
- shifting loyalties
It is a standalone thriller, so you don’t need to read The Perfect Marriage first.
You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (2023)
This is one of Rose’s most recognizable standalone psychological thrillers.
Grace Evans wants a break from her ordinary life.
She heads to Wyoming to stay at a remote vacation property owned by Calvin Wells.
At first, the trip appears to offer exactly what Grace needs.
But something feels wrong.
The isolation becomes increasingly unsettling, and the relationship between Grace and Calvin becomes more complicated as secrets begin to surface.
The title itself eventually becomes more than a warning.
If you enjoy:
- isolated settings
- suspicious strangers
- vacation-house thrillers
- romance mixed with danger
- unreliable characters
- psychological twists
this is one of the Jeneva Rose books to put near the top of your list.
And because it is standalone, you can read it without knowing anything about her earlier books.
It’s a Date / It’s a Date (Again) (2023)
This is another example of Rose moving outside the traditional psychological-thriller box.
It’s a Date (Again) is a romantic comedy, according to Rose’s official site.
The protagonist is Peyton Sanders.
She has finally decided who she wants to be with.
Then she gets hit by a car and wakes up with amnesia.
The problem?
Three different men show up at her hospital bed, and each one claims to be her boyfriend.
Peyton can’t remember which one is telling the truth.
Her friends come up with an unusual solution:
She should date all three men again and see which one her heart recognizes.
The premise makes this one of the more unusual entries in Rose’s bibliography.
Why read it?
Try this one if you want:
- romantic comedy
- amnesia
- dating
- multiple love interests
- humor
- a lighter Jeneva Rose story
It isn’t part of the Perfect series.
Home Is Where the Bodies Are (2024)
This is one of Rose’s strongest examples of family-centered psychological suspense.
Three estranged siblings return to their childhood home after their mother dies.
Beth stayed behind and cared for their mother.
Nicole has struggled with addiction.
Michael moved away years ago and hasn’t returned to the small Wisconsin town since his father disappeared from their lives.
While sorting through their parents’ belongings, the siblings find old home videos.
At first, the tapes seem like nostalgic memories.
Then they discover something they can’t explain.
One video from 1999 appears to show their father covered in blood.
And then they see a dead body.
Their parents had apparently made a pact to dispose of it.
But the tape ends before they learn what happened next.
The official publisher description confirms this central mystery and the three siblings’ decision about whether to leave the past alone or uncover the secret their mother took to her grave.
Why read it?
This is a particularly good choice if you enjoy:
- family secrets
- sibling relationships
- old home videos
- small-town mysteries
- buried crimes
- 1990s nostalgia
- domestic suspense
And, importantly, you don’t need to read anything before it.
Dating After the End of the World (2025)
This is where Jeneva Rose takes a dramatic genre turn.
Instead of a conventional domestic thriller, Dating After the End of the World combines romance, horror, comedy, and a zombie-like apocalypse.
Casey Pearson grew up with a doomsday-prepping father.
At eighteen, she couldn’t wait to leave.
More than a decade later, a mysterious viral outbreak changes the world.
People become zombielike creatures.
Society collapses.
And Casey has no choice but to return to her father’s survival compound.
There’s just one problem.
Her father’s group includes Blake Morrison, the high-school bully Casey never wanted to see again.
Now she has to survive the apocalypse with him.
Rose’s official description confirms the viral outbreak, Casey’s return home, her father’s preparedness, and the enemies-to-lovers setup with Blake.
This book is particularly interesting because it shows that Rose isn’t interested in staying locked into one genre.
Read this if you like:
- post-apocalyptic fiction
- zombie stories
- enemies-to-lovers
- romance
- survival fiction
- dark humor
- genre mashups
Sometimes I Scare Myself: A Collection of Horror (2026)
Release date: September 22, 2026
As of August 2026, this book is upcoming, rather than already released.
It marks another major genre shift for Rose: horror.
The collection contains three stories:
- “Never Kill the Medium”
- “The Nightmare House”
- “All Curses Are Final”
The official publisher description confirms the three-story structure and September 22, 2026 release date.
“Never Kill the Medium”
A birthday dinner turns into a nightmare after guests hold a séance.
When the medium dies, the group attempts to cover it up.
But the ritual wasn’t properly finished.
And something dark has crossed over.
“The Nightmare House”
A family moves into what appears to be their dream home.
But the house has secrets.
The neighbors are watching.
And every family that previously lived there has either died or disappeared.
“All Curses Are Final”
A group of friends stop at a roadside store with a strange warning:
All items are cursed.
They laugh it off.
Then someone discovers an unpaid item in her bag.
The friends become snowed in at a remote cabin—and soon discover that the curse is much more serious than they thought.
The official publisher and author pages confirm these three stories.
Should you include it in a Jeneva Rose reading order?
Yes—but mark it as upcoming.
Since the current date is August 2026 and the book is scheduled for September 22, it shouldn’t be described as an already published 2026 novel.
Detective Kimberley King Books by J.R. Adler
Here’s the part of Jeneva Rose’s bibliography that can easily confuse readers.
Jeneva Rose has also written books under the pseudonym J.R. Adler.
Those books form the Detective Kimberley King series.
If you’re specifically looking for “Jeneva Rose books in order,” you may see these books listed on some bibliography sites, while others keep them separate because they were published under J.R. Adler.
For a complete author guide, it’s worth including them—but clearly labeling the pseudonym.
1. Dead Woman Crossing
Detective Kimberley King leaves New York and moves to the small Oklahoma community of Dead Woman Crossing with her daughter.
She’s hoping for a safer, quieter life.
Instead, she becomes involved in a murder investigation.
The small town has its own secrets, and the deeper Kimberley digs, the more complicated the case becomes.
This is Detective Kimberley King Book 1.
2. Last Day Alive
The Kimberley King story continues in the second book.
Another murder brings Kimberley into a new investigation, while the personal complications surrounding her life continue.
Detective Kimberley King Reading Order
- Dead Woman Crossing
- Last Day Alive
Several bibliography sources identify these as the two books in the Detective Kimberley King series and attribute them to J.R. Adler.
Important note
If you are building a comprehensive author page, I would not put these directly into the main Jeneva Rose publication-order list without explanation.
A better structure is:
Jeneva Rose books
Books written as J.R. Adler
Collaborations
That makes the author’s bibliography much easier for readers and search engines to understand.
#CrimeTime (2023)
#CrimeTime is another unusual entry in Rose’s bibliography.
It is an audio original co-written by Jeneva Rose and her husband, Drew Pyne.
It follows Nadiya, a crime novelist who writes under a pen name and prefers to keep her private life private.
Then her half-brother Chase arrives.
Chase is an aspiring TikTok creator who has no problem sharing almost everything online.
When a burglary happens in the apartment upstairs, Chase films it.
Unfortunately, the burglary wasn’t random.
His video goes viral—and suddenly the siblings are pulled into a much bigger criminal situation.
The official publisher describes #CrimeTime as Rose’s first audio original and confirms that it was written with Drew Pyne.
It’s a fun departure from Rose’s more serious psychological thrillers.
Read it if you like:
- crime comedy
- sibling relationships
- social media
- TikTok culture
- mystery
- fast-paced banter
- audio dramas
Because it is a collaboration and an audio original, I’d list it separately from her solo novels.
Jeneva Rose Books by Series
For quick reference:
| Series / Collection | Books | Reading Order |
| The Perfect | 2 | The Perfect Marriage → The Perfect Divorce |
| Detective Kimberley King — as J.R. Adler | 2 | Dead Woman Crossing → Last Day Alive |
| Standalone novels | Several | Any order |
| #CrimeTime | 1 audio original | Standalone |
| Sometimes I Scare Myself | 1 horror collection | Standalone collection |
The Perfect series is the only clearly numbered series under Jeneva Rose’s primary name in current bibliography databases.
Jeneva Rose Standalone Books in Order
If you want only her solo standalone books, a simple publication sequence is:
1. The Girl I Was (2021)
A woman gets a chance to confront her eighteen-year-old self after unexpectedly traveling back to 2002.
2. One of Us Is Dead (2022)
A standalone thriller involving secrets, relationships, wealth, and murder.
3. You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (2023)
A remote Wyoming getaway becomes increasingly dangerous as Grace Evans discovers that her host may not be what he seems.
4. It’s a Date (Again) (2023)
A romantic comedy about a woman with amnesia who discovers three men claiming to be her boyfriend.
5. Home Is Where the Bodies Are (2024)
Three siblings uncover a horrifying secret hidden inside their family’s old home videos.
6. Dating After the End of the World (2025)
A zombie-like outbreak forces a woman back to her father’s survival compound—and into close quarters with her former high-school nemesis.
This list deliberately excludes The Perfect Marriage and The Perfect Divorce because they belong to their own series.
Jeneva Rose Books in Chronological Order
If you want the broadest possible reading order—including the major books and special projects—the timeline looks like this:
2020
The Perfect Marriage
2021
The Girl I Was
2022
One of Us Is Dead
Dead Woman Crossing — as J.R. Adler
Last Day Alive — as J.R. Adler
2023
You Shouldn’t Have Come Here
It’s a Date / It’s a Date (Again)
#CrimeTime — with Drew Pyne
2024
Home Is Where the Bodies Are
2025
The Perfect Divorce
Dating After the End of the World
2026
Sometimes I Scare Myself: A Collection of Horror — scheduled for September 22, 2026
The exact handling of Dead Woman Crossing and Last Day Alive varies between bibliographic databases because of the J.R. Adler pseudonym and different edition/publication listings, so keeping them under a separate pseudonym section is the clearest approach.
Which Jeneva Rose Book Should You Read First?
This really depends on what you’re looking for.
Best overall starting point: The Perfect Marriage
If you want to understand why Jeneva Rose became so well known, this is the obvious choice.
It’s the book that introduced Sarah Morgan and launched the Perfect series.
And because The Perfect Divorce is a direct sequel, you get an immediate two-book reading journey.
Best family thriller: Home Is Where the Bodies Are
If you prefer family secrets over courtroom drama, choose this one.
The old VHS tapes are an especially effective storytelling device because the characters—and the reader—discover the past together.
Best isolated-setting thriller: You Shouldn’t Have Come Here
Choose this if you like the feeling that something is wrong but can’t quite figure out what.
The Wyoming setting gives the story the isolation that psychological thrillers do so well.
Best standalone thriller: One of Us Is Dead
This is a good option if you don’t want to commit to a series.
You can simply pick it up and start.
Best lighter read: It’s a Date (Again)
If you’re not in the mood for murder and psychological manipulation, this is the Jeneva Rose book to choose.
It is a romantic comedy with an unusual amnesia premise.
Best genre-bending read: Dating After the End of the World
This is probably the most unexpected Jeneva Rose premise.
Zombie-like creatures + apocalypse + romance + enemies-to-lovers isn’t exactly the formula readers might expect from the author of The Perfect Marriage.
But that’s precisely what makes it interesting.
Best for horror fans: Sometimes I Scare Myself
If you want Rose’s darkest direction yet, watch for this one.
It’s her upcoming three-story horror collection, scheduled for September 22, 2026.
Do You Need to Read Jeneva Rose Books in Order?
Usually, no.
Most Jeneva Rose novels are standalone stories.
You can read:
- One of Us Is Dead
- You Shouldn’t Have Come Here
- Home Is Where the Bodies Are
- The Girl I Was
in any order.
The important exception is:
The Perfect series
Read:
The Perfect Marriage → The Perfect Divorce
The second book follows Sarah years after the first story and brings back unresolved elements from the earlier novel.
For the Detective Kimberley King books, use:
Dead Woman Crossing → Last Day Alive
if you want to follow that series chronologically.
Are The Perfect Marriage and The Perfect Divorce Connected?
Yes. Very closely.
The Perfect Divorce is a direct sequel to The Perfect Marriage.
The first book introduces Sarah Morgan as a defense attorney whose husband is accused of murdering his mistress.
The sequel jumps forward eleven years and brings Sarah back into the orbit of that old case when new DNA evidence emerges. At the same time, her new marriage begins to unravel.
So this isn’t a situation where the books merely share a similar title.
They are genuinely connected.
Read The Perfect Marriage first.
Is The Girl I Was a Thriller?
Not really.
This is one of the easiest mistakes to make when looking at Jeneva Rose’s bibliography.
Because Rose is strongly associated with psychological thrillers, readers sometimes expect every book she writes to be a thriller.
The Girl I Was is different.
It combines romance, contemporary fiction, humor, fantasy, and time travel.
The official description focuses on Alexis traveling back to 2002 and meeting her younger self.
So don’t pick it up expecting another The Perfect Marriage.
Pick it up if you want to see Rose explore a much warmer and more playful story.
Is Dating After the End of the World a Thriller?
It’s better described as a genre-blending post-apocalyptic romance with horror elements.
The premise involves a mysterious viral outbreak that turns people into zombielike creatures, but the story also centers heavily on Casey and Blake’s relationship.
It’s therefore a very different reading experience from her domestic thrillers.
Is Home Is Where the Bodies Are Part of a Series?
No.
It is a standalone family thriller.
The story revolves around three siblings who discover disturbing evidence about their parents while going through their childhood home after their mother’s death.
You can read it without any previous Jeneva Rose books.
Is You Shouldn’t Have Come Here Part of a Series?
No.
It is a standalone psychological thriller.
That means you can read it before or after The Perfect Marriage without worrying about continuity.
Is One of Us Is Dead Part of a Series?
No.
It is a standalone thriller.
Is The Perfect Divorce a Standalone?
No.
It is Book 2 of the Perfect series and should be read after The Perfect Marriage. Current bibliography sources list the two books as the complete series to date.
What Is the J.R. Adler Connection?
J.R. Adler is a pseudonym associated with Jeneva Rose’s Detective Kimberley King books.
Those books are:
- Dead Woman Crossing
- Last Day Alive
Because the books were published under a different author name, some databases separate them from Rose’s primary bibliography.
For a reader searching specifically for Jeneva Rose books in order, it’s useful to know about them—but it’s equally important not to pretend they’re part of the Perfect series or the same continuity.
What Is Jeneva Rose’s Newest Book?
That depends on whether you’re talking about the latest released book or the next upcoming book.
Latest released book
Dating After the End of the World was published in 2025. Rose’s official site describes it as her apocalyptic romantic story involving a viral outbreak and zombie-like creatures.
Next book
Sometimes I Scare Myself: A Collection of Horror is scheduled for September 22, 2026.
It contains three horror stories and represents a significant expansion into the horror genre for Rose.
Jeneva Rose Books by Genre
One reason Rose’s bibliography is so interesting is how much her genres have expanded.
Psychological / Domestic Thriller
- The Perfect Marriage
- The Perfect Divorce
- One of Us Is Dead
- You Shouldn’t Have Come Here
- Home Is Where the Bodies Are
Romance / Contemporary Fiction
- The Girl I Was
- It’s a Date (Again)
Post-Apocalyptic Romance / Horror
- Dating After the End of the World
Horror
- Sometimes I Scare Myself
Crime Comedy / Audio Mystery
- #CrimeTime
Detective Mystery
- Dead Woman Crossing
- Last Day Alive — as J.R. Adler
This variety is important because a reader who dislikes one Rose book shouldn’t necessarily assume they’ll dislike all of her work.
Her books can be dramatically different from one another.
The Best Jeneva Rose Reading Order for New Readers
If you don’t want to read everything, here’s the route I’d recommend.
Start here
1. The Perfect Marriage
This is the essential Jeneva Rose experience.
Then
2. The Perfect Divorce
You’ll get the full Sarah Morgan story.
Next
3. Home Is Where the Bodies Are
This shows Rose’s family-centered suspense at its best.
Then
4. One of Us Is Dead
A standalone thriller with a different cast and setup.
Then
5. You Shouldn’t Have Come Here
Choose this if you enjoy isolated locations and psychological tension.
After that, explore the genre changes
6. The Girl I Was — time travel and romance
7. It’s a Date (Again) — romantic comedy
8. Dating After the End of the World — apocalypse and romance
And then, when released:
9. Sometimes I Scare Myself — horror
This route gives you a much better sense of Jeneva Rose as an author, rather than simply reading her most famous thrillers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jeneva Rose Books
How many books has Jeneva Rose written?
The answer depends on what you count. Current bibliography databases list 11 books under the Jeneva Rose name, including the upcoming Sometimes I Scare Myself, while collaborations and books written under the J.R. Adler pseudonym are commonly cataloged separately.
What was Jeneva Rose’s first book?
The Perfect Marriage, published in 2020, was her breakout thriller and the first book in the Perfect series.
What is Jeneva Rose’s most popular book?
The Perfect Marriage is her best-known breakout novel and has become a multimillion-copy bestseller. Her publisher describes it as a multimillion-copy bestseller, and the book launched the Sarah Morgan storyline continued in The Perfect Divorce.
What should I read after The Perfect Marriage?
Read The Perfect Divorce.
It is the direct sequel and continues Sarah Morgan’s story eleven years later.
Are all Jeneva Rose books thrillers?
No.
She has written romance, contemporary fiction, fantasy/time travel, romantic comedy, post-apocalyptic fiction, and horror in addition to psychological and domestic thrillers.
Is The Girl I Was connected to The Perfect Marriage?
No.
It is a standalone story with a completely different premise involving time travel and Alexis meeting her younger self.
Is Home Is Where the Bodies Are connected to The Perfect Marriage?
No.
It is a standalone family thriller.
Is You Shouldn’t Have Come Here part of a series?
No. It is a standalone psychological thriller.
Is One of Us Is Dead part of a series?
No. It is a standalone thriller.
Is Dating After the End of the World a zombie book?
It features a mysterious viral outbreak that turns infected people into zombielike creatures, while also incorporating romance and survival elements.
Who is J.R. Adler?
J.R. Adler is the author name associated with the Detective Kimberley King books, including Dead Woman Crossing and Last Day Alive. Bibliographic sources list these separately from Rose’s primary-name books.
What is the Detective Kimberley King reading order?
- Dead Woman Crossing
- Last Day Alive
Who co-wrote #CrimeTime with Jeneva Rose?
Her husband, Drew Pyne.
It is a full-cast audio original and Rose’s first co-written project with him.
What is Sometimes I Scare Myself?
It is Jeneva Rose’s upcoming three-story horror collection, scheduled for September 22, 2026. The stories are Never Kill the Medium, The Nightmare House, and All Curses Are Final.
Final Verdict
If you’re searching for Jeneva Rose books in order, the good news is that you don’t need to navigate a huge interconnected universe.
Her bibliography is mostly made up of standalone stories.
The one major series under her name is the Perfect series:
The Perfect Marriage → The Perfect Divorce
That’s the sequence to follow if you want Sarah Morgan’s complete story.
After that, you can jump around.
Read Home Is Where the Bodies Are for a dark family mystery. Try You Shouldn’t Have Come Here for an isolated psychological thriller. Pick One of Us Is Dead when you want another standalone suspense story.
And don’t overlook the books that show Rose’s willingness to experiment.
The Girl I Was takes her into time travel and romance.
It’s a Date (Again) moves into romantic comedy.
Dating After the End of the World combines apocalypse, horror, and romance.
And Sometimes I Scare Myself, arriving in September 2026, pushes her further into outright horror.
For readers who want to explore her crime fiction beyond the Jeneva Rose name, the J.R. Adler Detective Kimberley King books provide another two-book mystery sequence.
So, if you want the simplest possible answer:
Start with The Perfect Marriage.
Then read The Perfect Divorce.
After that, choose your next Jeneva Rose book based on the kind of story you want—not because you have to follow a particular order.
That’s one of the best things about Rose’s growing bibliography: there’s a different doorway into her writing for almost every kind of thriller reader.
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