Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand

Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill

Book Summary

Beloved inspirational romance author Jennifer Beckstrand continues her uplifting Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series featuring Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s, irrepressible eighty-something matchmakers Anna and Felty Helmuth! Will appeal to readers of Amish and inspirational romance and fans of Charlotte Hubbard, Amy Lillard, and Emma Miller.

Martha Sue Helmuth wishes she could just relax and enjoy her extended visit with her beloved grandparents. Instead, she is nursing a broken heart over gentle widower Yost Beiler.  Yost’s thirteen-year-old son, Jonah, refuses to accept Martha Sue, and she refuses to risk coming between them. For now, she is just trying to avoid her Mammi’s choice of yet another eligible suitor. But when Yost moves himself and Jonah to Huckleberry Hill to change Martha Sue’s mind, she can't help dreaming that somehow, some way, she and Yost will have a miraculous second chance to be together . . .

After his wife’s untimely death, Yost did everything he could to help Jonah through his grief.  He hopes that Martha Sue's outgoing family—and her generous ways—will show his son how loving and trustworthy she truly is. But Anna and Felty's matchmaking antics are inspiring Jonah to drive Martha Sue off for good. And when he goes too far, can Yost and Martha Sue find the understanding to forgive him—and the strength to prove they can overcome differences to make one joyous forever family?

My Thoughts

Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand is a delightful Amish tale.  I always look forward to returning to Huckleberry Hill.  Anna and Felty Helmuth are a joy to visit.  Anna always has something up her sleeve and Felty goes along because he loves his wife.  I like Jennifer Beckstrand’s writing style.  It is relaxed and engaging.  It reminds me of chatting with old friends.  The story is told from Martha Sue, Jonah, and Yost’s point of view in alternating chapters.  I like that we get to see what each one is thinking and feeling.  Jonah’s chapters are especially illuminating.  The characters are developed and relatable.  I like that we get to see them learn and grow.  I enjoyed getting to know Martha Sue, Yost, and Jonah.  Jonah is certainly a clever boy who can think up devilish pranks.  Vernon Schmucker cannot take a hint.  I understood why Anna kept inviting him to dinner, but Vernon is full of himself.  I can see why he is not married and lives with his mother.  If I was Martha Sue, I would have had Jonah play a prank or two on Vernon. 

I like that we get to catch up with characters from the previous books in the series.  I laughed, chuckled, and giggled while reading this story.  Anna should be banned from cooking.  Some of her food combinations made me want to gag.  Felty is the perfect mate for her since his tastebuds suffered from a burn (he cannot taste a thing).  Anna is still knitting and always has a potholder ready to hand out to a potential beau for one of her grandchildren (or someone who could use a pick me up).  Anna’s yarn colors are akin to her cooking choices (colorful).  Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill is the eleventh novel in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series.  While it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading this entire series.  You will find yourself laughing frequently and wondering which relative will be Anna’s next victim (she is bound to run out of grandchildren).

Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill is a story of second (and third) chances, forgiveness, grace, Amish faith, family, and love.  I found myself staying up late to finish the story while all the while not wanting the book to end.  Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill is an entertaining Amish tale with a matchmaking Mammi, stomach-churning cooking creations, painful pranks, an irksome suitor, a dutiful Dawdi, a plethora of potholders, and a second chance romance.  

Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other eleven books in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series here (many of them can be read for free through Kindle Unlimited).  The twelfth book in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series is Happily Ever After on Huckleberry Hill and it will be out on October 24 (I cannot wait to read it).  You can find Jennifer Beckstrand's other novels here.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return on Tuesday, May 30 with Breaking McKinley's Curse by Mindy Steele.  It is the second book in The Mountain Protectors series.  I have been taking a walk each evening as my doctor requested (to work off the menopause weight which does not want to go away).  I take my cat, Dickens with me in a cat stroller.  In the beginning, I could tell she was not sure what to think of the walks.  She has really started to enjoy them.  She likes meeting people and seeing what is going on (she laps up the attention).  She sits upright in the stroller looking all around.  I can see some people doing a double take when they see a cat in the stroller instead of a baby.  It is fun to watch their reactions.  I like the fact that most people are accepting. I hope that you have a happy day. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand

 First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill

Book Summary

The endearingly mischievous matchmaking grandparents Anna and Felty Helmuth have helped generations of their Wisconsin community - including many of their own grandchildren - find love over the course of USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Beckstrand's beloved Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series. Now, in this heartwarming prequel set in 1952, Anna and Felty's own love story takes center stage as the young couple spends their first uncertain Christmas together.

Before irrepressible eighty-somethings Anna and Felty Helmuth became Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin's most-beloved matchmakers, they were mismatched young lovers facing seemingly impossible obstacles...

She can't cook, sew, sing, or clean. And no matter how hard young Anna Yoder tries, she'd much rather help people in trouble than be a well-behaved pretty face and properly perfect Amish maidel. So she instantly reaches out to her old schoolmate, Felty Helmuth, when their Amish town ostracizes him for his Korean War army service. He's still the only one who's ever understood Anna--and liked everything from her green Jello carrot salads to her love of books. And this holiday season, she can't help hoping that somehow she and Felty can find a way to be the perfect match...

Felty sensed he was called by Gotte to serve his country, though it went against his community's peaceful ways. Troubled by his wartime experiences, he is resigned to being an outsider avoided by most eligible Amish girls. But lively, intelligent Anna has grown into a warm-hearted generous woman who accepts Felty for who he is. And in the face of family and community opposition, he and Anna will take a leap of faith to prove they are made for each other--and a lifetime of happiness.

My Thoughts

First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand is Anna and Felty’s love story.  It is Christmas Eve and Martha Sue Helmuth is visiting her grandparents.  She is in a mood because Martha Sue just realized that she was sent to Bonduel in the hopes of her matchmaking grandparents finding her a husband.  The last thing she wants is a husband and Martha Sue tells Anna quite loudly startling the rest of the relatives.  The family realizes they have never heard Anna and Felty’s love story.  There is plenty of time before dinner (which is not being cooked by Anna), so Felty begins the tale.  First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill is a delightful story.  It has wonderful characters that we have all come to love from The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series.  Anna and Felty are two people that are meant for each other. They are warm, caring, and genuine.  You can tell how much they love each other and their family.  Anna shows her love with her cooking (believe it or not) and with her knitting.  I thought First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill was well-written with developed characters and a charming setting.  The story is full of humor.  I laughed often while reading this sweet story.  I am so glad that Jennifer Beckstrand gave us Anna and Felty’s tale.  I just loved the ending.  First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill is an engaging story that you will not want to end.  This is my favorite book in the series.  It can be read as a standalone if you have not read the other nine novel sin The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill (you will be missing out if you do not read the whole series).  There are some good life lessons in this story.  My favorite lesson is that someone may be different from other people (dress differently, cook differently, have unusual interests), but we are all the same in God’s eyes.  It is no reason to treat someone differently (make them feel that they are unworthy).  This line stuck with me, “You need to treat everyone kindly whether you agree with their politics or not.”  I hope the author gives us more Anna and Felty tales.  I am glad, though, that I do not have to eat Anna’s cooking.  First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill is a special story that will linger with you long after you finish it.  First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill is an enchanting Amish Christmas tale with Knitted creations, jiggling Jell-O, cinnamon candy cookies, an adamant mother, bothersome brothers, troublesome traps, and a lasting love. 

First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill publishes Tuesday, September 28 and it can be pre-ordered on Amazon*.  You can find the other novels in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill here. I have loved every book in this delightful series.  Anna and Felty never disappoint. The author has a novella in the upcoming More Amish Christmas Miracles:  10 Heartwarming Stories to Brighten Your Winter Nights which publishes November 9 (on Kindle Unlimited). Check out Jennifer Beckstrand's other novels plus follow her to receive updates on her latest releases. I included a photo of the "Welcome to Bonduel, Wisconsin" sign (the town where Anna and Felty live) and of a huckleberry pie (for Huckleberry Hill). I appreciate you reading my review today.  I will be back on Monday with Murder Outside the Lines by Krista Davis.  It is the long anticipated third A Pen & Ink Mystery Novel.  I am going to go put up new solar lights outside.  I am working on my fall decorations for the yard.  My mother and I spent an hour the other day deciding which Halloween inflatables we are going to use in our yard this year.  I seemed to have acquired ten more than we can use.  I wonder if I can convince my neighbors to put up inflatables?  I hope that you have a relaxing weekend.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Home on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand

Welcome!  Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s irrepressible eighty-something matchmakers Anna and Felty Helmuth are at it again. And this time they’re willing to rough it to get the job done.

 

Mary Anne Neuenschwander knows she should be content with what Gotte has given her. She has a comfortable house, a fruitful farm, and a good, steady husband. But after nearly six years of marriage, she still longs for a baby. Yet her husband, Jethro, seems to care more about fishing than about his wife. Unable to bear Jethro’s indifference, Mary Anne moves into a tent in the woods where he won’t have to be bothered. But when her mammi and dawdi find out what she’s done, they’ll stop at nothing—including a little camping trip of their own—to help save their granddaughter’s marriage . . .

 

Jethro’s greatest blessing is his beloved wife, Mary Anne. Nothing else in his life has turned out anywhere near the way he expected. Rather than burden Mary Anne with his disappointment, he shields her by spending less and less time at home and more time on the river. But when he finds that she’s moved out, he’s shocked. What will people think? What is Mary Anne thinking? And what clever plans are her grandparents hatching?. . .

About the Author

Jennifer Beckstrand is the two-time RITA-nominated, #1 Amazon bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sisters series, and The Petersheim Brothers series for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer and Home on Huckleberry Hill were both nominated for the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. 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 Honeybee sisters’ aendi Bitsy, and Alfie and Benji Petersheim. Jennifer has written twenty-two Amish romances, a historical Western, and the nonfiction book, Big Ideas. Jennifer is represented by Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency. She and her husband have been married for thirty-five years, and she has six children and eight adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.

Author Links

Website: http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbeckstrandfans

Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jennifergbeckst/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Beckstrand/e/B0073GHCOG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1488910908&sr=8-2-ent

Instagram: j.beckstrand (instagram.com/j.beckstrand/)

Bookbub: @JenniferBeckstrand https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-beckstrand

My Thoughts

Home on Huckleberry Hill is a delightful tale.   I thought this Amish novel was well-written, and it has a nice, steady pace throughout.  This book is different from the others in the series. Anna and Felty are trying to assist a married couple instead of matching up singles.  Jennifer Beckstrand has created a wonderful pair of characters.  Anna and Felty are darling and their antics had me laughing frequently (their chickens, the RV, the hammock, Anna’s cooking).  At one point, Anna offers to knit a scarf or a Minion beanie if it would help (the potholders were not cutting it) and I continue to chuckle every time I think about that line.  I also enjoyed Mary Anne’s creative outlets.  They were very clever and unique (I will never look at cheese doodles the same way again).  I was quite taken with the butterfly quilt Mary Anne constructed.  I like how Mary Anne’s family supported her decision and aided her.  The campground got quite large and Jethro’s tent will never be the same again (you will have to read the book to find out more). There are good life lessons in Home on Huckleberry Hill.  The importance of communication in a marriage, putting your partner’s happiness ahead of your own, and remembering that there are two sides to every story.  Home on Huckleberry Hill is a book about learning from your mistakes, remembering why you love your spouse and moving forward in harmony.  While Home on Huckleberry Hill is part of a series, it can be read alone. However, I thoroughly recommend every book in the engaging The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series.  Each book is better than the previous and Jennifer Beckstrand did not disappoint with this one.  Home on Huckleberry Hill is a warm-hearted, humorous story that will leave you wanting more.  Home on Huckleberry Hill is a witty Amish novel with creative crochet, imaginative innovations, a fond family, campground chaos, plethora of potholders, and crazy culinary creations.

Home on Huckleberry Hill can be purchased from Amazon* along with the other novels in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series.  Jennifer Beckstrand's next book release is Austin.  It is the third novel in The Petersheim Brothers series and will be out on June 30 (I cannot wait to read it). Thank you for taking the time to read my review today.  I hope you have a safe day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

Home on Huckleberry Hill: The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill

Greetings!  A Souffle of Suspicion by Daryl Wood Gerber publishes on July 10.  It is the second book in A French Bistro Mystery series.  Fire Storm by Laura Hinton also comes out on July 10 along with Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert.  I have a busy month of reading ahead of me!

Home on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand is the ninth tale in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill.  Anna Helmuth is worried about her granddaughter, Mary Anne’s marriage and, as usual, her instincts are spot on.  Mary Anne Neuenschwander is fed up.  She knows that she should be grateful for her home and her husband, but Mary Anne is not happy.  Jethro cares more about his fishing pole than he does about Mary Anne.  When he fails to remember their six-year anniversary, she moves into a tent in the backyard.  Ever since her miscarriage four years prior along with the news regarding future children, Jethro has been a different man.  Now Mary Anne is going to focus on making herself happy instead of satisfying Jethro.  Jethro was devastated when Mary Anne had her miscarriage and he was afraid of letting her see his disappointment.  He threw himself into fishing with his friends and even bought a $400 fishing pole which is keeps on the bed in the spare room.  When he arrives home and finds that Mary Anne has moved out, he is dumbfounded.  He is worried about what people in the district will think (oh dear).  Anna and Felty soon arrive and set up their tent.  They want to support Mary Anne, but they are not quite prepared for roughing it.  Anna has a plan, but she did not count on Jethro being so obtuse.  Anna will need more than pot holders if this project is going to succeed.  Break out your best camping gear, cozy up to the campfire and submerge yourself in Home on Huckleberry Hill. 

Home on Huckleberry Hill is a delight to read.  The story is well-written and it has a nice, steady pace throughout.  This book is different from the others in the series. Anna and Felty are trying to assist a married couple instead of match up to singles.  Jennifer Beckstrand has created a wonderful pair of characters.  Anna and Felty are darling and their antics had me laughing frequently (their chickens, the RV, the hammock, Anna’s cooking).  At one point, Anna offers to knit a scarf or a Minion beanie if it would help (the pot holders were not cutting it) and I continue to chuckle every time I think about that line (and situation).  I also enjoyed Mary Anne’s creative outlets.  They were very clever and unique (I will never look at cheese doodles the same way again).  I was quite taken with the butterfly quilt she constructed.  I like how Mary Anne’s family supported her decision and aided her.  The campground got quite large and Jethro’s tent will never be the same again. There are good life lessons in Home on Huckleberry Hill.  The importance of communication in a marriage, putting your partner’s happiness ahead of your own, and remembering that there are two sides to every story.  This is a book about learning from your mistakes, remembering why you love your spouse (falling in love again) and moving forward in harmony.  While Home on Huckleberry Hill is part of a series, it can be read alone.  I thoroughly recommend every book in this engaging Amish series.  Each book is better than the previous and Jennifer Beckstrand did not disappoint in Home on Huckleberry Hill.  Home on Huckleberry Hill is a warm-hearted, humorous story that will leave you wanting more.  My rating for Home on Huckleberry Hill is 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it).

Thank you for reading my review.  Tomorrow I will be featuring Murder in the Cards by Paige Sleuth.  It is the first book in A Psychic Poker Pro Mystery series.  May you have a joyous day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Fourth of July is almost here!