Their Pretend Amish Courtship

The Amish Bachelors #4

by Patricia Davids

"Tender and gentle, with two delightful characters who truly belong together. A lovely read." --RaeAnne Thayne. Make-Believe Beau Fannie Erb isn't looking for a husband--especially if she has to leave her beloved horses to go find one. What she needs is a way to assure her parents she's not hopeless when it comes to love. Family friend Noah Bowman might just be her solution. A fake relationship will free them both from unwanted matchmaking plans. How could Fannie predict that pretending to date the handsome, teasing boy next door would awaken genuine emotions? By summer's end they'll be free to part, but Fannie's growing feelings are transforming her neighbor into the only man who might ever rein in her adventurous heart. this is part of "The Amish Bachelors" series."--

Genres: Amish, Love Inspired, Christian Fiction, Romance, Amish Fiction, Fiction, Christian

293 pages, Library Binding

Published December 12, 2018

About the author

I was born and raised in Northcentral Kansas. I'm a farmer's daughter, but I now make my home in the city of Wichita. I'm an RN. Neonatal nursing has been the main focus of my career. What can I say? I love babies. I was invited to the highschool graduation of a baby I took care of. Talk about making me feel old!

In June of 2011 I became a widow after my husband of 36 years and 11 months died from multiple brain tumors. It was a very sad time, but thanks to the three f's, my faith, my family and my friends, life is moving forward. I have four brothers, one daughter and two grandchildren who all work at making me feel loved.

I'm the author of more than 30 books and I'm currently writing a series called The Brides of Amish Country for Love Inspired.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Is he a good kisser? I've always suspected he would be."

"That's none of your business."

"Not good, then. Too bad. Maybe he'll get better with practice. Hiram has improved with my coaching."

I didn't enjoy this book at all, it had some major problems.

Noah and Fannie, 22, are STILL in rumspringa. For some reason. That kind of sounds crazy to me, I don't know, I'm not Amish, but does rumspringa last YEARS? Like six years?!

Noah wants to play baseball professionally. He can't do that and remain Amish because the Amish don't allow their men to play professional baseball.

Fannie loves horses and has a real gift with them. She works part-time at Connie's horse farm/ranch/thing training horses and taming abused horses. She can't do that and remain Amish because Amish women aren't allowed to work outside the home unless her husband allows her to work in a business HE owns.

So both of them are in a hard place.

They make a deal to pretend to court each other so that they can get their parents off their backs and keep doing what they love to do.

MY PROBLEMS WITH THE BOOK

ONE: It's a book about teenagers.

The leads are 22, Carmen.

I know, but they are in the teenage part of life. They haven't decided if they want to leave the Amish or stay with the Amish. They do teenager things like whine to mom and try to avoid their chores, cook up a harebrained scheme of making a pretend courtship, still believe they can be whoever they want to be.

I like teenagers IRL, but I don't want to read a romance book about them. I try to avoid YA. I know this isn't technically YA, but these people act like they are 16-17.

It's not romantic to me to read about teenagers falling in love. IDGAF. I want to read about adults falling in love. Teenage problems are not my problems. Teenage drama is boring and tiring to me.

So that was a fail.


TWO: God and Christianity.

This book just CANNOT shut up about God. It's GOD GOD GOD on every page. God this and God that. It's SO annoying and boring. I understand that this is Christian fiction but it is possible - I have read it! - to write Christian novels without doing this shit. If you are writing a Christian romance novel, it should contain ROMANCE. Mentioning God when appropriate is fine, but don't overdo it.

These character discuss God NON-STOP. I was really, really bored. And I find it hard to believe two teenagers 22-year-olds would have NOTHING ELSE to discuss but the Lord. Even if they are Amish. Seems ridiculous. Of course, the Amish aren't writing these books, born-again Christians are, so...

See my status updates. I eventually stopped typing all the references to God and started just writing GOD GOD GOD on every status update where God was mentioned. Sometimes 4 or 5 times on one page!!!! Unbelievable. How could Davids think this was a good idea?


THREE: The leads squabble and bicker all the time. It's really annoying and not romantic. Noah acts sanctimonious like only a 16-year-old who thinks he's figured everything out can act.

Also, Davids has Noah come in and brilliantly help Fannie with her horse-work. She doesn't try to brilliantly butt in on his baseball! So fucking annoying. He shows up and improves her horsemanship ALL THE TIME, like he's better than her, even though this is her thing. And we're supposed to think he's clever and smart and her savior. It's disgusting. I know why Davids was doing this - not because she doesn't think a female should be allowed to own and dominate in her own special field - but because she wants a happy ending where Noah and Fannie can own and work a horse farm together, thus sidestepping the 'women can't work outside the home unless it's for their husband's business' thing. But it grates on me because it comes off that way.

As for Fannie, she's equally frustrating and annoying. She flies of the handle regularly, overreacts to stuff, and has a bad temper. Not a 'bad temper' as in: when people do you wrong you snap. No, it's more blow up over any little thing and throw tantrums temper. Not attractive. Not attractive in the least bit. I think Davis was attempting some sort of Anne Shirley redhead dynamic, but she failed at this IMO, despite Noah calling Fannie carrot-top at every opportunity. Even worse, Davids severely punishes Fannie for having a temper by making her run off on her horse in a rage, get thrown, and burst two vertebrae. Davids shatters not only Fannie's spine but her dreams. Fuck that shit. I'm not on board with physically punishing and damaging her like this. Yeah, I wasn't happy with her temper and don't think it's a good trait, but this is uncalled for.


How's the sex, Carmen?

No sex. A few chaste kisses. A hand-hold.

And let me just tell you that I can't really get excited about this teenage romance. I found the characters annoying and childish. Annoying and childish characters don't make me sexually excited or interested in any way. So even if Davids did put some sexual content in here, I doubt I could bring myself to care.


Tl;dr - Not good. The leads are childish. The constant, non-stop talk about God is annoying. The book is not a pleasant read.


CATEGORIES:
Amish Romance
Contemporary Romance
Friends To Lovers
Inspirational Romance
Virgin Hero - I'm assuming
Virgin Heroine - I'm assuming

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and playful -- I'm still grinning. Fannie and Noah have a knack for slinging barbs that's a delight to read. Their banter, that hails back to childhood, is delivered with cutting precision. It's like they never left the schoolroom which complicates a pretend courtship no end. Both driven by their personal goals, they nearly miss the plan God has laid out before them.

Noah has his eye on a professional baseball opportunity; Fanny has every intention of a career in horse training. Their deception is a means to an end but then they get the surprise of their lives. They actually like each other! A sweet romantic comedy with the cutest haflinger ponies you'll ever want to meet. It doesn't get any better than this!

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great romance for horse lovers, with an unusual and engaging hero and heroine. Fannie Erb is a horse-mad young woman living in an Amish farming community. Her family raises Standardbreds for buggy transport, but she adores the bright chestnut Haflingers a neighbour raises. Fannie wants to get some girls together and hold a riding display team. However, the rules of her community would not support this and anyway, her mother wants to send her to Florida to relatives for summer.

Fannie asks local apprentice blacksmith Noah Bowman to pretend he is courting her so she won't be sent away from her horses. Noah says he won't lie if asked does he hope to marry her - not in the least - but walking her home from church would not do any harm, and it would stop his mother setting him up with other girls, which interferes with his baseball playing. He wants to support his team so this would help both of them. The young people have a few years to experience life before settling down but girls especially have less freedom and the Amish don't usually attend college.

Can the pair achieve their aims and convince others they are courting? Will this turn into a romance for real? Read it to find out and enjoy all the wide variety of characters, each well developed and with their own motivations. This is an excellently written book which is suitable for teens to adults.

I read an e-ARC through Net Galley and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.

[Barb Eck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads contest. Fanny Erb doesn't want to leave her horses in order to find a husband. Noah Bowman, the next door neighbor. doesn't want to be bothered to look for a wife. He is hoping to get into pro baseball. They decide to pretend to be in a courtship until the end of summer. They have great comic conversations that keep me laughing.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not since Anne with an ‘e’ and Gilbert Blythe have I more enjoyed a carrot top’s bickering with the boy who pesters her! Still smiling at the way Noah ruffled Fannie’s temper and the way she parried with well-timed barbs in return. They also reminded me of Willie and Missy from the Love Comes Softly series. With reminders like that, of course I was rooting for Noah and Fannie from word one.

Balancing the romance and the Anne-Gilbertesque banter is a sweet story of finding your way, your purpose, your heart. Despite their ages, neither Noah or Fannie have fully committed to their Amish faith yet. Noah is torn between his family, his faith, his friendship with Fannie (that’s a lot of F’s!) and his dream of playing professional baseball. Fannie rebels against her mother’s attempts to get her to settle down because she has a dream of training horses. Both have more than enough talent to achieve their dreams… but what does God have in mind for their lives? Could they leave the Amish if that path was made clear? Could they abandon their heart-held dreams if that’s what God required? Neither option is easy… and what about their pretend courtship that suddenly doesn’t feel so pretend anymore? What if one stays Amish and the other leaves? I loved that Patricia Davids examined these tough issues in a way that spotlighted an authentic struggle and questions without easy answers.

Bottom Line: I have been a fan of Davids’ books since I first discovered her Amish Brides series, and my favorites are her books that have me laughing even as I swoon. Their Pretend Amish Courtship is one such book. Her characters – main and secondary – are genuine, flawed, and relatable. And I may have mentioned (lol) that the banter between Fannie and Noah is top-notch! A light read with depth and lots of heart.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

see my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Their Pretend Amish Courtship was a fast read that gave plenty of moments to laughter. Faking their courtship Fannie Erb and Noah Bowman might just of bargain for more than they had thought with their deceit. Fannie wanted to be involved with horses while Noah wanted to play baseball. They discovered ways to support one another, until an accident almost destroyed the goal for one. Will they find their place in the Amish community or move to another world? Amish fan readers will want to read this book, which is number four in The Amish Bachelors series by Patricia Davids.

This was a book purchased at our library local used book sale, thus a review was not required. However, I have expressed my own thoughts.

[Teri Pre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the first three. It seemed like the author was trying to make the situation work, but it just didn't. I'm hoping the next one will be better.

[Linda Fast · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story about Amish youth and young adults, their activities and aspirations. They overcame barriers and still kept their faith. An interesting romance for all ages. I received "Their Pretend Amish Courtship" through Goodreads for my review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

THEIR PRETEND AMISH COURTSHIP is the fourth book in Ms. Davids' Amish Bachelors series but it stands alone. I did not read any of the prior books in this series and I wasn't lost. Fans might want to read An Amish Harvest, An Amish Noel, and His Amish Teacher.
I enjoyed getting to know Fannie and Noah. They were a fun couple. A bit immature acting, but fun. This was probably one of the better Love Inspired Romances I've read in a long time (with the exception of Vannetta Chapman's) and I laughed along with this couple.
It was fun reading about a breed of horses I wasn't familiar with, and the unlikely activity of an Amish Girls riding team - how unique.
This was a good book and if you like Amish fiction, grab a copy now.
I was given a copy by a friend ---Not the author. All opinions are my own.

[Gaylina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book the first time in 2018. I wasn’t impressed with the main character, Fannie. Since I’m reading the entire Amish Bachelors series, I re-read this in 2021. Even though this is a stand-alone book, reading them in order made a difference and I now give this a five star. Reading this book with more knowledge of the characters helped me understand Fannie better. I liked the author’s note in the back of the book where she explains the characters.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read, a good story - I like that while Fanny and Noah are Amish, it was more realistic - she has a temper, he teases her...and they share a kiss or two! Real life, real people. Looking forward to others in the Amish Bachelor series.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fanny Erb wasn't looking for a husband. She was pretty set on what her future looked like and as long as it let her continue to work with horses, she was fine staying single. But as any Amish woman knows, marriage is something to all women should look forward to as well as beginning a family. But Fanny is different from all the other Amish women. Without a potential husband in the near future, her Mamm believes she could go to Florida to help out her ailing grandparents. Without any ties to her community aside from working with the English woman and her horses, Fanny has no excuse.

Noah Bowman dreams that one day his passion for baseball will be his future. Unfortunately as the last single men living in his parents home, they have made small concessions since he hasn't joined the church to allow him to participate in the local communities games as a pitcher. He believes his God-given talent shouldn't be wasted especially if he is offered a position on a professional team. When Fanny shows up at his door with a crazy proposal to pretend to court her, he refuses immediately. He knows it is dishonest and despite how well they both have things in common, he views Fanny as more of a friend than ever entertaining the notion she would one day be his wife.

When Noah learns that his mother and sisters have begun making plans for him to attend singings and picnics to meet new Amish girls, he wonders how far-fetched Fanny's plan really is. Yet when his mother demands he give up his baseball games, he knows he will do whatever it takes to continue in his passion of playing baseball. Who knows this way perhaps Fanny gets to stay home from Florida and continue working with the horses and he can continue to play baseball. Sounds like a perfect plan and they believe they have everything figured out, or have they?

I received Their Pretend Amish Courtship by Patricia Davids compliments of Harlequin Love Inspired and TLC Book Tours. From the beginning you could see where this would go, but the humor that accompanies trying to live out a life that begins as pretends soon forces them to see the things that they believe separate them are the very things that weave them together. It is entertaining from the reader's perspective to see just how this year will go and what kind of hoops these two will have to jump through. Will they keep their passions or will they be forced to give up the Amish lifestyle they have been raised with? You'll just have to read this one to find out. I'd give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and is a quick read at 220 pages.

[Anna Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 16 pages. SIXTEEN.
That has to be a new record r'something.

Fanny is a brat. She wears jeans and cowboy boots under her plain dress, carries a cellphone and charges all the other kids' phones for them (um... AMISH!!!!), loses all of her prayer caps, and has insanely curly hair always falling out of its bun. That chick on the cover? NOT accurate.

Fanny's mom wants her to go to Florida to help Granny, who sprained an ankle. Fanny wants to stay and be with horses, because apparently the Amish in Florida don't HAVE horses, they ride 3-wheeled bicycles everywhere. (!?!?!?! ... AMISH!!!!!)

So her plan is to make Noah, the neighbor guy who (like her) somehow is twenty-two and STILL unmarried and STILL in rumspringa, although that's a seventeen year old thing, hello... I can't even. Anyhow, she goes next door, and...

Noah prefers jeans to Amish pants, because there's a pocket for his cellphone. (((!!... AMISH!!!))) He says she'd knock him on the head with a skillet if he considered marrying him. He said she has a sharp tongue - Ow! Ouch! She calls him a dumbhead and assures him the just have to fake out their parents to get their ways... which is SUCH amazingly good behavior of a people supposedly living kinder, slower, BETTER lives than we are.

NOT!

This was awful. Sixteen pages, and I hate them both, hate the Amish for their hypocrisy, and am wondering if there's a single redeeming quality to be had, here. SIXTEEN pages of snapping parents, jerk0ff Amish 'kids', and selfish agendas with acerbic barbs and snide comments.

Forget it.
Moving on from this, now.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fannie and Noah have a strange relationship when it comes to Amish romance. They have a fake engagement. That's not what you usually expect from anything about the Amish. I was really surprised at this premise, which is one of the reasons I wanted to read this book.

Fannie is very headstrong and has ideas that don't fit the Amish way of life, Noah does too. Both are enjoying a very long rumspringa, they are nearing 22 and neither have been baptized into the Amish faith, much to the chagrin of their parents. Throughout the book, I really couldn't see either of these two becoming members of the Amish faith. The things that they wanted out of life seemed to "English" to me.

I had a lot of issues with the characters, because they did act much younger than their years and they didn't seem to know what they really wanted. It got frustrating. Fannie was the character that bugged me the most, because I couldn't understand her not trying to explain so many things to her parents and then to Noah, when their relationship really seemed to be developing beyond the lines of friendship and more into a real courtship.

I did enjoy watching the two of them grow into more mature individuals as the story progressed. There was a bit of a surprise at the end that really left me gobsmacked.

Its a good clean romance, but for me, a longtime reader of Patricia's Amish romances, it wasn't quite up to her usual high standards.

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their Pretend Amish Courtship is the 4th book written by Patricia Davids in her The Amish Bachelors series. This story continues with Noah Bowman. He is the youngest of the brothers and his parents want to see him settle down. There is a lot of drama in this story but it keeps the story interesting so the readers will keep turning pages. I absolutely loved this story. As the saying goes "When we practice to deceive. "

The characters are fantastic and really tell this story wonderfully. Fannie Erb is a red headed Amish girl who loves horses with all her heart. Noah Bowman is a single Amish man with no room for anything but baseball. He is an amazing pitcher and sees the pro life in his future. At least until Fannie approaches him with an interesting offer. This is where the story takes the reader on a very bumpy journey. I laughed and cried but really got upset with both of these characters so I applaud the author for a book well written.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached by anyone to post a favorable review. I have rated this book with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to anyone who loves the Amish genre.

Congratulations to Patricia Davids for writing this fantastic story for her readers to enjoy and I will be reading the next book in this amazing series.

[Just Commonly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Their Pretend Amish Courtship was quite an interesting and fun read. Author Patricia Davids explored the minds of Amish young adults as they go through their rumspringa period, which at times can last years. The pull of Englischers' (Non-Amish) lifestyles can be strong especially when their interests coincide.

Our main characters, Fannie and Noah pretend a courtship in order to continue pursuing their dreams of equine performance and baseball respectively. This bickering pair brings smiles to readers, though I do find Fannie's somewhat childish temper off putting at times. Yet, I think there's a lesson to be learned for this "carrot top" girl, and possibly for readers as well.

In all, a quick read for Amish fans.

This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

[Leslie McKee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reviewed this for RT Bookreviews Magazine: https://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-re...

It is a bit difficult to stay engaged and feel invested in this Amish Bachelors installment at times, but this is a sweet tale with well-drawn characters and a few unexpected turns.

Fannie Erb cares about one thing: horses. Her mamm disagrees. She wants to send Fannie to Florida to care for her grandparents, especially since she’s not courting anyone. Fannie believes a fake courtship would allow her to stay home and participate in the upcoming Horse Expo, so she approaches Noah Bowman with her proposal. He reluctantly agrees, as his mamm is urging him to settle down, too. His true focus is on his dream of playing baseball. Will Fannie’s plan be the solution for both of them to follow their own desires, or does Gott have something else in mind? (LOVE INSPIRED, Jun., 224 pp., $5.22)

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean romance story about young love. Two young people raised Amish must decide what they each want to do for their future lives. A plan to announce their engagement seems to help them as they sort thru their own plains for their lives, take stress off their families expectations. As the young engaged couple talks together about their futures, what each wants to do, may take them away from their former Amish upbringing, to start new lives in "English World." A sudden surprise decision by her relative forces change in her plans. Both seem to be coming together, sorting thru their true feelings for each other. Its interesting to read how this young couple finds trust, honesty, love for each other.

[June Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I - LOVED - THIS - BOOK!

The main characters in this story are one of my all-time favorite Amish couples. The author did an excellent job of keeping a great pace throughout the story. She filled the book with humor and balanced it with some tragedy.

The female lead loves horses; the male lead loves baseball. They both love being Amish and living in their community with their families and friends.

I hope to read many more books by this author -- soon!

Highly-recommended for fans of Amish fiction, inspirational romance, small-town romance, horse fiction, and baseball fiction.

**This book is completely clean in language and content.

I borrowed this book from the local public library.

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[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Red-headed Amish woman Fannie Erb is 21 and still in her rumspringa, a fact that her mother decries. Fannie loves horses and works in an English woman’s stable, but her mother wants her to go to Florida and take care of her grandmother, hoping she will meet a nice Amish boy there. To get out of the trip, Fannie convinces her childhood friend and neighbor Noah Bowman, who is also being pressured to end his rumspringa, to pretend they are courting. Noah loves to play baseball and has dreams of playing in the big leagues, so he agrees to the plan. But after a while, Fannie finds herself falling for Noah. Not sure if he feels the same, she decides to support him in his choice of Amish or English, even if it breaks her heart. But an accident may be the deciding factor.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new-to-me author and I loved this heart-warming story. Can what begins as a pretend courtship turn into something more? Family friends Fannie Erb and Noah Bowman each have talents and passions they believe are given to them by God but their families want them to settle down, be baptized and join the church. So maybe the answer is to pretend they have started courting. Then the sparks fly! Soon the lines between real and pretend blur and feelings start to change. Can they work through their differences and realize the plans God has for their lives? I enjoyed this inspirational story and will definitely be checking out more of Author Patricia Davids’ books!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fannie and Noah’s story is entertaining and I enjoyed watching them spar with each other while learning about Halflinger horses and Fannie’s passion for horseback riding. Both characters are struggling with their place in the Amish community as Noah’s passion for baseball lures him to the Major Leagues and Fannie has little desire to give up her horses to become a wife and mother. These are themes universal to Englisch and Amish alike and I’m drawn to Amish romance because of the strong elements of faith in the stories and the way God reveals his master plan for these characters in His own way and time.

[C Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light read but good story

Fannie Erb is feisty. She also has a passion for horses. Her mom wants her to settle down and find a beau and get married. Her mother wants her to go to Sarasota Florida to help a relative and find a beau. Noah, a boy she grew up with is Fannie’s solution to get out of this forced trip. She has a horse competition she wants to put on there at home. She asks Noah to pretend a courtship. He agrees because his mom is pushing a distant cousin on him to settle down with. Time will tell how this will play out.

[Chanover55 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fannie loves working with horses but her mother thinks it's high time she starts to settle down and look for a husband. Noah loves baseball and wonders if God's plan is foe him to play professionally. When Fannie's parents want her to go to Florida to help her grandparents and Noah's wants him to get settled, they agree to a fake courtship. What ensues teaches each of them to love God first and see where he leads.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book mixed with humor and anger. Fannie and Noah are two memorable characters. When their pretend courtship backfires and realization that they love each other will change their views. I loved reading the story and I know we have all dealt with anger issues like Fannie and wanting more like Noah. Will they be able to deal with their issues and get together.

[Brenda Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story, two opposites attrack, even though Noah and Fanny were friends, when they
started to court for real, Noah really wanted it be real and loved Fanny, even though Fanny was determined not to believe him. Also Fanny was not the typical humble Amish girl, but Noah didn't care when they both decided to trust God for their future.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talents

When God gives you talents you should use them. That's not just an Amish thing, its biblical. Fannie's talent lies in her work with horses and Noah is an awesome pitcher. But their families have plans for them. How can they get around the plans? What will it entail? Will their deception run true?

[Margaret Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The relationship between the main male and female characters is so fun to read - the jumps between teasing and offense are pretty hilarious at times. The fake courtship adds to all that, plus the growing attachment between them that they keep fighting. I enjoyed reading about their interests that don't fit in the Amish boundaries. Another great book by Patricia Davids.

[Carolyn Lockwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute young adult type sweet romance novel. It took me awhile to get into it, but about midway through I really enjoyed it. I received this book through a giveaway on goodreads, but was not required to give a favourable review.

[Joy Melville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story overall - Patricia Davids usually gives a good solid portrayal of the Amish way of life along with a great romance. This one fell a little flat for me from t he heroine's side of the story. The hero was unique. A good afternoon read.