About the Book:

From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes the final book in Hunter’s Blue Ridge Romance series.

Pastor Jack McReady has secretly carried a torch for Daisy for two long years. She’s a member of his congregation, after all, and she’ll never see him as more than a trusted counselor. Jack’s best friend Noah has taken every opportunity to encourage his lovesick friend, but when Noah catches wind that Daisy has joined an online dating site, he takes matters into his own hands and orchestrates a meet-cute of the most unconventional kind.

Owner of the local flower shop, Daisy Pendleton is content with her small-town life, but she’d sure like someone to share it with. After several disastrous first dates, she’s about to give up—and then she finds a seemingly wonderful man online. Daisy gets to know TJ through a series of messages but finds herself spending more time with Pastor Jack outside of the church at the same time. What she doesn’t know is that her online prospect and Jack are one and the same.

Just as Daisy’s love life starts to look promising, a mysterious woman appears in town. Daisy is faced with a revelation about her family that turns her world upside down, and she looks to both TJ and Jack for help.

Jack must find a way to reveal himself as her online suitor without breaking her heart and losing her trust. As Daisy faces Jack’s betrayal, she’ll have to learn to extend grace to herself, her family, and the man she’s grown to love.

What are you waiting on this week. I would love to hear from you!

Update in a big way!!

Welcome! Welcome! To the new and revamped blog!

Too Read or Not Too Read is officially retired. In its place is The Shelf Life. 

The lovely design was created by Eve at FearneCreativeDesign on Etsy. Eve did a wonderful job and I can't be happier with the way that it turned out! It has a sleeker look and feel. 

What I will be review hasn't changed. I will still be reviewing Christian Fiction from all categories. There may be some movie review thrown in we shall see. 

Keep an eye out. Now that the blog has been resigned, I think a celebration is in order. When opening something new, there is usually a grand opening, so it will be a grand re-opening of sorts....and I think some giveaways will have to happen too!

Changes are coming to the blog!

I'm thrilled to announce that Too Read or Not Too Read is shifting to The Shelf Life.
I started Too Read or Not Too Read years ago...6 1/2 years to be exact, and over time I realized, it was a name that just wasn't me.

After a lot of thought and research, the name is switching to The Shelf Life. I live among the shelves and this just seems to be a perfect fit.

I've been rolling out the changes on social media already. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have been changed. The change has also happened on Bloglovin. I've created an account for the blog on Google+. That should be up and going soon.

I have just one more change to go and I can't wait to unveil it y'all!

Hope y'all are having a great Memorial Weekend!

Title: Together Forever
Author: Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780764218057
Publication Date:May 1st, 2018

About the Book:

Will the Mistakes of Their Past Cost Them a Chance at Love?

Determined to find her lost younger sister, Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York. She not only hopes to offer children a better life, but prays she'll be able to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train so they can finally be reunited.

Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing-out trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children, firm but tender and friendly. Underneath his charm and handsome looks, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden.

As the two team up, placing orphans in the small railroad towns of Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever. 

Thoughts:
Together Forever is the latest installment in the Orphan Train series. The first book of this series, With You Always was a book that hooked me and had me wanting to read the rest of this series as quickly as possible. Following the story of the Neumann family has taken many twists and turns and offered some very interesting mysteries to figure out.

I will say, when I was introduced to Marianne in the first book of this series, she wasn't a favorite. Her decisions set my teeth on edge. However, she did face the consequences of her decisions and she battled that through this book. Jody Hedlund has a way of intertwining historical details, real life aspects, and emotional struggles.

Along with all of that, we are introduced to another fantastic male lead! Andrew Brady is a man who kids love, women seem to adore, but has some secrets in his past that haunt him. Like Marianne, he is trying to make-up for what has happened in the past. Instead of lashing out, he is one who brings joy to children who don't have much and he is a lot of fun to read about.

Andrew and Marianne may have grown up very differently, but they show that no matter how you grow up , the spiritual battles you deal with are the same for all.

This book was fantastic and I loved how even though I started off wondering how I would like Marianne's story, I ended up loving it!

I did buy a copy of this book through Audible. I was so happy that the same narrator from book 1, With You Always returned. Her performance kept me entertained.

Rating:
4 out of 5

About the Author:
Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher's Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children.

She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at www.jodyhedlund.com.




Thank you to Bethany House, they provided a free copy of this book for an honest review.

This week's feature is going back to the era I love reading about. The 1800's. I don't know what it is about this time, but I'm hooked. I know I couldn't survive with out electricity, but the idea is so much fun.

This is a debut novel for a new author and it sounds fantastic! I can't wait to read The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham.

Waiting On:
Title: The Hope of Azure Springs
Author: Rachel Fordham
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date:July 3rd, 2018

About the Book:

Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won't be able to do it alone.

For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He's determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn't expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

Debut author Rachel Fordham invites historical romance readers to the charming town of Azure Springs, Iowa, where the people care deeply for one another and, sometimes, even fall in love.

What are you waiting on this week?

Topic:

I have found so many amazing character names through reading, I know that my list could go so much further then 10....if I would let it, but I will keep myself under control and share only the few at the top. :-)




What are your top names?

The changes are still being planned.
The name of the blog will be changing along with the design. I will give a warning before it happens. :-)

There is so much to all of this! I think I have an idea in order, but then something else pops up or comes along and I'm like...Ooo! So, once I'm fully set, the rest of the changes will be rolled out. The thought process is crazy, but fun.

I'm also looking into an option for email updates. However, I'm new to it. I've worked on Smore before, but I was wondering if there was anything else out there that is better. And what does everyone like from the mailing lists? Weekly, monthly? I would love input!

Title: Enough of Me: Winning the Tug-of-War Between Our Flesh and Our Mission
Author: Priscilla Peters
Publisher:Ambassador International
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781620208199
Publication Date: May 11th, 2018

Book Blurb:

I'm  living  the  dream  in  my  fancy-pants  world,  and  I've  got  the  Instagram  feed  to  prove  it.Who  am  I  kidding?

I'm  literally  holding  it  together  with  one  more  cup  of  coffee,  yesterday's  dry  shampoo,  and  a  prayer.

So  I  finally  said  enough.  Enough  of  me.  I'm  bidding  farewell  to  chasing  emptiness  and  exchanging  it  for  more  of  Jesus.If  we  agree  with  Paul  in  Acts  20:24  that  our  lives  are  worth  nothing  unless  we  use  them  for  finishing  the  work  of  telling  others  the  Good  News  -  where  are  we  in  our  quest  to  get  busy  for  Jesus?  In  our  world  of  hashtags,  hair  color,  and  having  it  all  together,  chances  are  we  aren't  accomplishing  much.  Enough  of  Me  is  an  8-week  Bible  study  for  women  focused  on  what  God's  Word  has  to  say  about  the  tug-of-war  between  our  flesh  and  our  mission.  The  study  explores  the  barriers  that  stand  between  where  we  are  today  and  where  God  wants  to  use  us  to  finish  His  work.  Do  you  have  a  nagging  in  your  heart  for  more  purpose?  Are  you  right  smack  dab  in  the  middle  of  a  tug-of-war  between  your  flesh  and  your  mission?

Often  we  want  to  live  out  the  purpose  and  mission  God  has  for  us,  but  we're  too  distracted,  exhausted,  and  empty.  Maybe  it's  time  to  say  enough  to  the  excuses,  anxiety,  and  interruptions  that  get  in  our  way.  Could  it  be  we're  so  busy  chasing  emptiness  and  playing  the  people-pleasing  game,  that  we  can't  find  time  to  live  on  mission?  It's  time  to  take  a  deep  breath  and  do  some  inventory.  Let's  dig  in  and  see  what  God's  Word  has  to  say  about  this  tug-of-war  between  our  flesh  and  our  mission.

Let's  figure  out  ways  to  quit  chasing  emptiness  and  take  bold  steps  of  obedience.  Let's  discover  how  we  can  glorify  God  and  steer  people  to  Jesus  in  our  cubicles,  at  our  dinner  tables,  in  our  mom-groups,  and  with  people  we  encounter  every  day.

What  would  happen  if  we  said  Enough  of  Me  .  .  .  more  Jesus.  

About the Author:
Priscilla Peters is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a B.A. in Mass Communications and a Minor in Speech Communication. She has been married to her husband Coby for 10 years, and they have a blended family of six children. Priscilla is the Vice President of Marketing for the largest advertising agency in the transportation industry, and she’s been in the marketing and advertising business for 20 years. She serves as the Assistant Leader for the Real Women Ministry at That.Church in Sherwood, Arkansas. She speaks often, both in her professional career at industry conferences and trade shows, and at women s ministry speaking engagements. When Priscilla isn’t at the office working, speaking at Real Women events, or blogging, she is busy cheering on her Arkansas Razorbacks, chaperoning her daughter at her competitive dance events, and laughing way too loud about pretty much anything and everything.
CONNECT WITH AUTHOR: Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

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Ambassador International is giving away:  

Grand Prize: (1) print copy of Enough of Me (US Only)  
PLUS 5 more winners will receive an ebook copy of Enough of Me (open internationally, except where prohibited by law)  

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight May 19, 2018 and last through 11:59pm May 26, 2018. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

2018 is shaping up to be a year with some amazing books coming out! New to me authors, new series, continuation of series, and many others.

This week's feature is one of an author who is able to really capture the historical detail. I've read some of her more historical fiction, but not her WW2 settings. I'm very excited for this book! And can I say, look at that gorgeous cover!

Waiting On:
Title: Hidden Among the Stars
Author: Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Tyndale Publishers
Publication Date: September 2018

Synopsis:

From the award-winning author of Catching the Wind, which Publishers Weekly called “unforgettable” and a “must-read,” comes another gripping time-slip novel about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.

The year is 1938, and as Hitler’s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family’s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker’s daughter, who is eager to help the man she’s loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika’s feelings and puts their entire plan―even their very lives―in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika’s story . . . and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.

What are you waiting on this week?

Hello one and all!

I have been thinking a lot lately, and I've been wanting to redesign my blog and really make this space my own. So, in the coming weeks, there might be some new and exciting changes happening!

The first one I'm happy to announce is that I have changed my domain! My old domain through Blogger was soooooooooooo long! Well, now, I have made it easier and more me.

You can still find me at www.wordsfromabookaholic.blogspot.com, but instead of needing to remember all of that, you can now find me at www.readwithkate.com.

After all of the new has been rolled out, I'm thinking of holding a celebration. So stay tuned!

Title: High as the Heavens
Author:Kate Breslin
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 395
ISBN: 9780764217814
Publication Date: June 6th, 2017

Synopsis:

A British nurse in WWI German-occupied Brussels, Evelyn Marche spends her days at the hospital and her nights working at a café . . . or so it seems. Eve's most carefully guarded secret is that she also spends her nights carrying out dangerous missions as a spy for a Belgian resistance group.

When a plane crashes as she's en route to a rendezvous, Eve is the first to reach the downed plane and is shocked to recognize the badly injured pilot as British RFC Captain Simon Forrester. She risks her life to conceal him from the Germans, but as the secrets between them grow and the danger mounts, can they still hope to make it out of Belgium alive?

Review:
I was introduced to Kate Breslin with her debut book, For Such a Time. Her detail and masterful story telling captured me into the this WW2. Now, with High As the Heavens, she transported me back to Europe during WW1.

We are introduced to Eve, in what is her present day. She is a nurse working in Belgium, living with her mother and aunt and uncle. She assists in the family restaurant when not helping the injured. As we get to know Eve, there is so much more to her. She has lived with immense joy, and suffered exceptional grief. She has had to make hard, life saving decisions. All of these things has shaped her and her way of thinking, and channeled them into helping other anyway she can.

Simon is a daring British pilot. He comes to Belgium on a mission given to him by his country, but also for another reason, a very personal reason. However, things do not go as planned. When he finally is able to process things around him, he sees and hears things that honestly don't add up. Following him through these events is a nail biting journey.

As I read this story, there were a few moments where I was wondering, "How is this going to work out?" And amazingly enough it did, sometimes in a way I wouldn't think it could or a whole other idea then I ever thought. The story kept me guessing. There was also a time, I wondered, would this certain aspect keep going, I hope it wouldn't, and thankfully it didn't. Once all information was revealed with the characters, the story started to pivot to some fantastic story points.

Simon and Eve were so well developed, it was easy to slip into their story. There was a lot of fantastic historical points weaved in and really made me want to research more of this time.

I have been on an audio-book kick lately, and recently downloaded this title. The narrator was superb. She took this fantastic story and then enhanced it with her reading. It was easy to get caught up.

Too Read!
5 out of 5

About the Author:
A Florida girl who migrated to the Pacific Northwest, Kate Breslin was a bookseller for many years. She is the author of For Such a Time and lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. 
Find her online at www.katebreslin.com.








I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting On:
Title: Searching for You
Author: Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: December 4th, 2018

Synopsis:

Despite years on the run, Sophie Neumann is determined to care for two young children. She won't abandon them the way she thinks her older sisters abandoned her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing 1850s New York is her only option.
Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. When the train stops in Illinois for the first placement of orphans, Sophie faces the most difficult choice of her life.
Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that haunt him, he's in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby train pleading for his help?

Why I'm Waiting:
I'm currently reading this second book in this series, and I can't wait to read the third. There is so much happening, that I honestly can't wait to find out what is going on. I love how this story has been following these sisters. They have been living a hard life, but there is so much that they learn and discover along their way.

What are you waiting on this week?