"Huckleberry Harvest"

(The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill #5)

by Jennifer Beckstrand

Description

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?

Coming May 2015!

Biography

Jennifer Beckstrand is the bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer has been nominated for the RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award, and Huckleberry Hill won the 2014 LIME Award for Inspirational fiction. Both Huckleberry Hill and Huckleberry Christmas appeared in Examiner.com list of top ten inspirational books for 2014. 
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. Jennifer has a degree in mathematics and a background in editing. 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.

http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbeckstrandfans
Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1

My Thoughts

The Huckleberry Hill matchmakers are at it again! Anna and Felty Helmuth's granddaughter is visiting for a month, and Anna is determined to find Mandy a husband during that time. Jennifer Beckstrand adds hilarity to a serious plot! Some serious issues arise in this author's latest novel, but I laughed aloud several times as unique humor is interwoven with a complex series of events. 

The characters throughout Huckleberry Harvest are colorful and varied, the Amish countryside lush and alive! Noah plays a very strong role, and plays it well. Although his stubbornness gets in his way at times, his intentions are solid and godly. Mandy is caught between a rock and a hard place, and appears to teeter between teenager and adulthood and back again with her giggly childhood girlfriend sweeping her into childish capers. 

Significant issues arise throughout this story of giggling girls and a young man who has no time for silly games. Mandy's character is one of charity, a compassionate, generous girl whose intentions are sound, but go beyond the boundaries of propriety. 

Alcoholism and a broken family, as well as misunderstandings add drama to the plot, and with the blending of humor and serious emotional and physical incidents, this is a page-turner from the start. I highly recommend this entertaining book, and feel that the author did a wonderful job of portraying tough struggles realistically with that thread of humor that breaks the tension.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.