Friday, May 22, 2015

The best "Huckleberry Hill" story yet -- Huckleberry Harvest

As I've said in previous reviews -- you can count on a Jennifer Beckstrand "Huckleberry (anything)" book being a great read.

Huckleberry Harvest is the best yet of Anna and Felty Helmuth's adventures in matchmaking for their unsuspecting grandchildren.  Anna's cooking, knitting, and scheming, along with Felty's subtle cunning provide the setting for a touching story that mixes deep feelings with a healthy dose of humor. 

Jennifer has taken a common premise through five books, but has kept the story fresh each time. Her creativity is evident as her continuing matchmaker characters change little from story to story even as their methods of operation vary as needed for the moment.

The strength of this story -- and what I think made it my favorite -- is the deep look into the challenging experiences and feelings of the main characters, Mandy and Noah.  In this book Jennifer tackles a very difficult subject -- but she does it with care and sensitivity, showing her ability to write entertaining fiction while keeping things real.

I highly recommend Huckleberry Harvest to fans of Amish fiction or to anyone looking for a delightful story.  Thanks to Jennifer and her publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Mandy Helmuth doesn’t like Noah Mischler. Not one little bit. First he breaks her best friend’s heart, and then he has the nerve to chastise her for being a busybody. She feels quite justified in her dislike until Noah does something heroic, like save her life, and she’s forced to bestow her grudging respect even as she determines to keep her distance. But when she unwittingly stumbles into his family troubles, she catches a glimpse of the person Noah so successfully hides from others. Will Mandy be able to look past Noah’s rough and unyielding exterior to see the man she is destined to love?

Much to Noah Mischler’s annoyance, uppity Mandy Helmuth thinks she has the right to tell him how to live his life. If he weren’t helping Mandy’s grandfather install a stove and fix his roof, Noah wouldn’t be within a mile of Huckleberry Hill or that nosy girl who gives him a lecture every time she opens her mouth. But when Mandy discovers the horrible truth about his father, Noah is forced to reveal humiliating secrets that he’s never shared with anyone. He trusts her with his secrets, but can he trust her with his heart?

About the Author:
Jennifer Beckstrand is the bestselling author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series set in beautiful northern Wisconsin. The first four books in the series are now available in stores and online: Huckleberry Hill, Huckleberry Summer, Huckleberry Christmas, and Huckleberry Spring. Huckleberry Harvest comes out May 26. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the two scheming Amish grandparents who try to help their grandchildren find suitable mates in Huckleberry Hill. Who would ever suspect two elderly Amish folks of mischief? 
Jennifer has a degree in mathematics, which comes in handy when one of her six children needs help with algebra. After twenty-five years of being a chauffeur, cook, maid, and nurse, she embarked on a writing career. Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers and is represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.

She and her husband have been married for thirty years, and she has four daughters, two sons, and three adorable grandsons, whom she spoils rotten.

Find out more about Jennifer and her books:
Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1

2 comments:

  1. Thank you, Pam. What a great way to start the Memorial Day weekend.

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  2. Jennifer writes wonderful books!

    ReplyDelete