Happy Memorial Day! It is a day to honor the men and women who gave up their lives for our country (for us). Also a day for relaxing on the beach and having a barbecue (for most families).
Return to Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand is the seventh book in The Matchmaker of Huckleberry Hill. It is Christmas Eve in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Reuben Helmuth along with the youth group is
providing some Christmas cheer to the elderly and shut-ins in the
community. Reuben is happy to spend time
with his girlfriend, Linda Sue (Bishop’s daughter). Reuben notices that Linda Sue is no longer
with the group and starts searching for her.
He finds her with his best friend, John King. It turns out that Linda Sue and John have
been seeing each other (behind Reuben’s back) and have fallen in love. Reuben feels humiliated and his pride is
wounded (other people knew about Linda Sue and John’s relationship). He cannot believe that Linda Sue would pick a
pig farmer over him. Reuben departs Sugarcreek
and heads for Bonduel to stay with his grandparents. Anna and Felty are surprised by Reuben’s
appearance, but they are happy to see him (though it changes their current
matchmaking plans). A couple of months
go by and Reuben is still at Huckleberry Hill.
One day Fern King, John’s sister arrives in town. She is there to get Reuben to return to
Sugarcreek and forgive John. Anna and
Fern devise a plan to find Reuben a new girlfriend and get him out of his funk. They set up a knitting group of eligible young
women. When Reuben ends up insulting the
ladies (foot-in-mouth disease), he enlists Fern’s help to make amends. But what happens when a couple of the girls
get the wrong idea. Reuben is in for a
challenging time, but it will not be boring with Fern along for company. Will Anna and Felty succeed in making another
successful match for one of their grandchildren?
Return to Huckleberry Hill is
just delightful. Anna and Felty are amusing
and heartwarming characters. Their
hijinks are guaranteed to make you smile (and laugh). I could not believe that Reuben actually
liked Anna’s cooking (there must be something wrong with his taste buds). Some of the food descriptions will put you
off your next meal (Anna’s food combinations are certainly creative). Fern was a great addition. I appreciated her spunk and outlook on life. I give Return to Huckleberry Hill 5 out of 5
stars. Some of the messages or themes in
Return to Huckleberry Hill are forgiveness, the downfall of pride, trusting in
God and judging others based on occupation, appearance, or social
standing. I thought Return to Huckleberry Hill was well-written and had a good pace. The author’s descriptive writing allowed me
to picture the scenery and characters.
This really brings the book to life for me and allows for a pleasurable
reading experience. The ending left me
giggling and a clue to Anna and Felty’s next victim. While Return to Huckleberry Hill is the seventh novel in the series, it can be read alone. I do, though, recommend reading this entire charming and romantic series of books. I will be on the lookout for the next enchanting
book in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series. Return to Huckleberry Hill will be published on Tuesday, May 30.
The eighth book in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill will be A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill and it will be available on December 26. I hope each of you have a relaxing yet fun day. I will be back tomorrow to review Marriage is Pure Murder by Staci McLaughlin. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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