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Tess of the Road
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
Meet Tess, a brave new heroine from beloved epic fantasy author Rachel Hartman. In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy. Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it's a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl--a subspecies of dragon--who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she's tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one. Returning to the fascinating world she created in the award-winning and New York Times bestselling Seraphina, Rachel Hartman introduces readers to a new character and a new quest, pushing the boundaries of genre once again in this wholly original fantasy.
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review
hissingpotatoes
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Mehso-so

3/5⭐ I appreciate the feminist themes and Tess' coming-of-age trajectory. These elements developed at a consistent and realistic pace. The worldbuilding with the serpents sometimes was confusing and weak.

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Bigfoot
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

This was extraordinary.
The beginning was slow and I got to the point where I asked myself if I wanted to finish.
Im so glad I pushed through the sludge at the beginning.
It was a book that makes you feel honored you got to read it.
Very excited to read book two
5⭐️

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underground_bks
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

Fleabag meets high fantasy, with a messy heroine you‘ll follow anywhere—Tess of the Road! I cherished Seraphina, savored Shadow Scale, but Tess of the Road is the masterpiece of Hartman‘s Goredd books. I was skeptical of how much I‘d be interested in Tess given she‘s not half-dragon like her sister Seraphina, but it was her utter humanity that won me over heart and soul. This is a wise, kind, funny, and heartening book that I felt honored to read.

Kenyazero Sounds like a really fun read. Great picture! 2y
32 likes2 comments
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cleoh
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audiobook + knitting + coffee + sunrise = 🥰

KateReadsYA That sounds amazing. 3y
Bklover Hope your whole day is as wonderful! 3y
GreenGrl87 Sounds like heaven ✨ 3y
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LeahBergen Lovely colours in that yarn! 3y
Cathythoughts Very lovely ✨ 3y
cleoh @LeahBergen thank you! It‘s turning out nicely 3y
cleoh @KateReadsYA @Bklover @GreenGrl87 @Cathythoughts I spent most of the day listening to the book/watching tv and knitting, so it was quite delightful and calm! 3y
53 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Sweetkokoro
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@ErinSueMreads and @Meaw_catlady I hope it‘s okay if I join in on #tarottakeover, it looks fun!

For today‘s card I picked Tess of the Road, the entire story is about Tess‘s self reflection and journey as she learns from her past and discovers who she is as a person and her journey of breaking away from what her family wants her to be. As the story progresses she grows & changes & starts to really understand who she is and who she wants to be.

Sweetkokoro My deck I am using is the Ethereal Visions Deck by Matt Hughes 4y
Meaw_catlady I love that cover!!!!! Looks amazing! I have that tarot deck too! So gorgeous! 🖤 4y
Clare-Dragonfly Ooh, great choice for this card! I loved this book! And… nice tarot deck 😁😁😁 4y
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Sweetkokoro @Meaw_catlady I love the cover too, and the story is so amazing. @Clare-Dragonfly Thanks the entire book really is a great example of the card and I love it dearly, I get excited when I find out someone else loves the book too. haha 😄😄Oh I love this deck so much 💕 4y
Erinsuereads I have been thinking about getting this deck forever!! I loved this book. I loved seeing her growth throughout the book and the cover doesn't hurt either! I always found the title to be striking too. 4y
Erinsuereads And yes please join us! I'll tag you in the upcoming posts 4y
Sweetkokoro @ErinSueMreads Yay, thanks! The deck is absolutely gorgeous and I love the two added cards. Her growth was so well written in this book and it made it so easy to fall in love with it. The title is what honestly caught my eye everything else about it is a major plus! 4y
Erinsuereads I agree! I picked it out because of the title. Have you read the other two? 4y
Sweetkokoro @ErinSueMreads I have read Seraphina but haven‘t gotten to ShadowScale yet, although I do own it (I own all 3) and while I enjoyed Seraphina, I actually liked Tess of the Road way more. It was really easy for me to understand Tess as I felt connected to her and her struggles. 4y
30 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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SiameseCatsRead
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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I am 💯 loving this book so far! The love these twins share and the sacrifices Tess make for her sister are heartbreaking. I cannot wait to see what's to come.

3 likes1 stack add
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faelinwolf
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

Book three for the #BookSpinBonanza done! It was a chunkster, though, but my next couple of books are smaller.

I loved this book! Of course, Seraphina is one of my most favorite books, so no big surprise.

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Great progress!! 4y
17 likes1 comment
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faelinwolf
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman

She still held sorrows, but she was not made of them. Her life was not a tragedy. It was a history, and it was hers.

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JoScho
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GatheringBooks
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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DebinHawaii
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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#QuotsyJan20 #weight

I‘ve not read this book but I like this quote about the meaning and weight of words. 🖊📑

TK-421 Love this! ❤️ 4y
59 likes1 comment
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Nitpickyabouttrains
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Mehso-so

I read this one because it was on the npr best of list for 2018. Middle grade quest book. Some cool stuff, but overall found it a little slow.

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Clare-Dragonfly
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

I loved this! It‘s the story of a girl (the half sister of the main character from Seraphina) who goes on a quest with her best friend from childhood. But it‘s also about gender, sex, motherhood, religion, sisterhood, love, and so many other things. I think it stands well on its own without the need to read Seraphina and Shadow Scale.

27 likes2 stack adds
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Clare-Dragonfly
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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…there were more similarities between nun and whore than she could have guessed.

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Bailedbailed

I loved Seraphina, was disappointed in Shadow Scale, and am just bored to tears by this third book set in the universe. Oh well! #YA #Fantasy

SW-T There are plenty more books to read 📚😊💕 5y
suzisteffen Oh no! I have it on my list of books to read this year sometime, but I think it might‘ve just slipped a few notches. 😭🐲 5y
Clare-Dragonfly Oh, too bad! I‘m really enjoying it. 5y
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @Clare-Dragonfly Glad you're liking it! I can totally see how others would like it, it just really wasn't grabbing me. 5y
40 likes4 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Malcontempt, aflictionado… I am forcibly reminded of Dogberry, and I like it. #unexpectedshakespeare

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Clare-Dragonfly
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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OK—that decision I understand 😂☠️

Weaponxgirl I feel that is a word worth stealing 😆 5y
30 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman

I‘m really enjoying this even though I don‘t understand any of Tess‘s decisions.

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GatheringBooks
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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#QuotsyMar19 Day 21: #Ambitious goo sounds about right. I enjoyed Hartman‘s Seraphina, and I know she excels in epic chunkster fantasy novels. Looking forward to reading this one.

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BooksandStitches
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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This is Stitches! My reader in training. He mostly like fantasy books, because he dreams of becoming a dragon!🐲🐉#TessoftheRoad

Laura317 Welcome to Litsy! Stitches is adorable. 5y
Ericalambbrown Too cute! 💕 Welcome to Litsy! 😊❤️📚 5y
TheLibrarian Welcome to Litsy!! 5y
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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Yes!!! He IS a dragon!! 🐉 5y
BooksandStitches Thank you, for the warm welcome! Stitches the dragon and I appreciate it! 5y
Redwritinghood 👋🏻👋🏻 5y
CrowCAH Welcome to the Litsy family!!! 📚 5y
Megabooks Welcome to Litsy!! 👋🏻📚 5y
CoffeeNBooks Welcome to Litsy! 📚 5y
candority Welcome to Litsy! 📚 5y
RaimeyGallant Hi Stitches! And welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. Or if you prefer how-to videos, @chelleo put some together at the link in her bio. 5y
rather_be_reading welcome to litsy 📚☕📚 5y
sprainedbrain Welcome to both of you! 😃 5y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🌻 5y
zsuzsanna_reads He's amazing! 😍 5y
AlwaysForeverReading Welcome to Litsy!!!💜💙♥️💙💜 5y
the.bookish.valkyrie What a wonderful reading buddy! I too have dreams of one day becoming a dragon! 🐉Welcome to Litsy!📚🎉💕 5y
PurpleyPumpkin Welcome to Litsy! It‘s a great community and I hope you enjoy it here. Looking forward to seeing more pictures of Stitches. 😉 5y
BooksandStitches @ValkyrieAndHerBooks Don't we all!! 😂 5y
BooksandStitches @PurpleyPumpkin Thanks! Right now Stitches is in his own personal library. 5y
rubyslippersreads He's already a very handsome dragon! Welcome to Litsy! 😊 5y
DarcysMom Stitches is a handsome fellow! Welcome to Litsy! 🤩 5y
bookaholic1 Stitches is a very charming fellow. Welcome to the Litsy World 5y
Bookladylinda Welcome to Litsy!!!! 5y
DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚🎉Hope you and Stitches are enjoying it here! 🐲💚 5y
84 likes26 comments
review
Mccartershanon
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
Pickpick

LOVED this and my emotions are A MESS 😭

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chlolovesbooks
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Mehso-so

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

13 likes1 stack add
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kgriffith
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Finished this audio while throwing together experimental rice and beans before getting down to finishing my flash cards to prepare for my anthropology final. Handwriting them helps my info retention so much, but I am so grateful that I‘ll be able to type my exam: my hands and wrists are asking for many breaks as we get through the stack.

Eggbeater Good luck on your exam! 5y
AlaMich I loved anthropology! I entered college as an anthro major because I had delusions of unearthing ancient Egyptian artifacts! 😂😂😂😂 5y
BethFishReads Haha. My PhD is in physical anthropology & genetics. Good luck 5y
46 likes1 stack add3 comments
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kgriffith
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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“Now though? I hate how ungrateful I sound, but I find the idea insulting. As if you were saying, ‘All your pain was a mistake: here, have everything back.‘ Except it wouldn‘t be everything: not the time, not the suffering, not the thousand ways I‘ve changed. . . I wouldn‘t wish for this, Tess... but I‘m not sure I‘d wish it away, either.”
Appreciate the dis/ability rep in this one, and how it can be read to parallel queerness here.

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chlolovesbooks
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Finished my first semester of college! lol 💜🙏 Praise Bless



Currently reading Tess Of The Road

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kgriffith
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Last assignments turned in! Semester is complete but for my self-schedule final, which I‘m going to study for this weekend and travel to campus to take on Monday. Eep! Listening to my book for a bit to decompress before bed.

BethFishReads I really liked this in audio 5y
LauraBeth 🙌🙌🎉🎉 5y
kgriffith @BethFishReads I‘m enjoying it. I sometimes feel like YA titles in particular are overdramatized, but she does a wonderful job of narrating the various characters without tipping over into voice acting. 5y
43 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Sweetkokoro
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

Finally finished this one up and I have to say I absolutely fell in love with it. Tess is such an amazing character, just a normal girl going through life and finding herself. I love that the end was left open for more tales to be told of her journey and I really hope that there will be more, I want to know where the road takes Tess.

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kgriffith
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
This post contains spoilers
show me
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Class attendance concluded for the semester. Now to finish all of the things to turn in before finals.
Testing spoilered post

bookishkai Oh, the Mothership! See you in May for my 20th reunion 5y
kgriffith @bookishkris How exciting! Be sure to look me up :) 5y
7 likes3 comments
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kgriffith
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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#audiocooking Sunday: fish chowder and a title that came highly recommended from one of my local teen librarian friends.

RealLifeReading That looks so good! 5y
52 likes2 comments
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Sweetkokoro
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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I‘m 50% through this book and I actually really love it. Tess is a flawed female character, she isn‘t the last witch, or the greatest sorceress or holds some great forgotten power, like so many stories that revolve around female MCs which is why I don‘t read many female MCs books they bore me with the cliche types. But this, Tess is a screw up, makes wrong choices & now has to deal with them, she is a normal girl learning who she is & I love that!

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mdemanatee
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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thewallflower0707
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman

I stopped reading this one at page 220, not only because it was so boring, but also because I got so annoyed by every single detail. I don‘t like Tess, I don‘t like the world, and the plot is non-existent. Tess runs around, makes one stupid mistakes after the other, misogyny is everywhere, and there are no dragons but other weird creatures 🙄. I have to think of my #goodreadschallenge!
#DNF #stoppedreading

rachelsbrittain I found this one pretty frustrating, too 6y
Gissy Yaik! I have this one! 😱😳 6y
11 likes2 comments
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thewallflower0707
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman

I am stuck with Tess of the Road right now. I knew beforehand that it wasn‘t plot heavy and focuses more on character work, but it didn‘t prepare me for how slow and confusing it will be. #youngadult #fantasy #reading #process

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juliannebenford
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

My favourite book so far this year. Tess is a runaway, a girl walking down a road, seeking a reason to keep going, processing trauma and coming to terms with her patriarchal society and religious upbringing. It's a fantasy novel with very little fast-paced action but I was gripped. It's sad, hopeful, devastating, magical and beautiful. Best enjoyed after Seraphina and Shadow Scale so you understand the context.

98 likes9 stack adds
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Best of the month: the tagged read, The Secret History, The Cabin at the End of the World

emilyhaldi Secret History is one of my all time favs 🙌🏻 6y
BookishTrish @emilyhaldi Me too! Tartt narrates the audiobook. Have you heard it? It‘s wonderful 6y
emilyhaldi No but I‘ve heard she narrates and have been wanting to take a listen!!! Someday!! 6y
72 likes3 comments
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violetmoon
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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I enjoyed this book! Love the character's development and can't wait to see her facing a new adventure!

juliannebenford Just finished this and I loved it! Can't wait for the next one 😊 6y
violetmoon Me too!!! 😍 6y
4 likes1 stack add2 comments
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violetmoon
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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violetmoon
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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violetmoon
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Pickpick

I love love loved this book. Tess was such a human protagonist - so full of passion and conviction and stubbornness. She grew and changed and became even more herself. So sorry to turn the last page.

59 likes1 stack add
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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We have guests arriving for 10 days in a matter time f hours so I should be cleaning, but not before I say a reluctant goodbye to Tess ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Cortg I‘m in the same boat! They come on Sunday. I‘m 80% done with the basement (where the guest room / bath is) and then to tackle the main level. I‘m in major audiobook mode! 😆 6y
60 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Torn between wanting to see what happens and never wanting it to end #negroni

CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian oooo wanna read this one too! 6y
87 likes1 comment
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juliannebenford
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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I loved Seraphina and the sequel Shadow Scale so much that Rachel Hartman is now a #newautobuyauthor. I have put a hold on this from the library though! #AuginBooks18

SMayWrites This looks amazing! 6y
juliannebenford @SMayWrites I'm really enjoying it so far! 6y
45 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Well played, Mother Nature #decklife

sudi What a view 😍😍😍 6y
AmyG Gorgeous 6y
RavenLovelyReads Beautiful! 6y
CouronneDhiver Oh wow! That‘s absolutely beautiful 6y
63 likes4 comments
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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LizzieChantree Brilliant photo! 6y
imabusybee Aww its Meeko 😍 6y
MommyOfTwo 🤫 6y
See All 13 Comments
Meeko93 Absolutely awesome ❤😊 6y
La_Cori aawww 😍😍 6y
JazzFeathers 😍😍😍 6y
Rachbb3 So cool! 6y
LeahBergen Cute! 6y
ns510reads Too cute! 6y
Burghbookaddict 😍😂 I love how he's suspiciously checking you out 6y
Lcsmcat Awww! Such a cutie! 6y
Libby1 ❤️ 6y
CouronneDhiver Awww 🖤 Cutie! 6y
93 likes13 comments
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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BookishTrish
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Quick chapter before work

Tanisha_A 😍 6y
70 likes1 comment
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Weisubei
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
Pickpick

This is an example of a slow book with a very enticing storytelling. It's amazing reading how much Tess grows up from the first chapter until the end. When I imagine the story will stop, it just keeps throwing things at you unexpectedly.
Super love it!

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Weisubei
Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman
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Ddzmini Nice 👍🏼 😋📖 6y
7 likes1 comment