Return to Huckleberry Hill

Jennifer Beckstrand

May 2017 · The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill Book 7 · Zebra Books

About this ebook

An elderly Amish couple play matchmaker for their brokenhearted grandson and his best friend’s sister in this romance by the author of Huckleberry Hearts.

When it comes to matchmaking, Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s unstoppable octogenarians Anna and Felty Helmuth never seem to run out of opportunities—or grandchildren . . .

Reuben Helmuth is plenty bitter. John King, his best friend—or so he thought—is engaged to the girl Reuben loved. Humiliated, Reuben flees from Ohio to his grandparents’ home on Huckleberry Hill, where he knows he’ll find comfort. He’s enjoying wallowing in his misery—until John’s sister, Fern, shows up. She won’t stop pestering Reuben about forgiveness—or trying to help him find love again. Yet Fern’s efforts only reawaken Reuben’s long-buried feelings—for her . . .

With her brother too ashamed to face Reuben, it’s fallen to Fern to help mend fences. But as she and the Helmuths do all they can—even organizing a knitting club event filled with eligible girls—it may take one more challenge to inspire Reuben to forget his heartache, recognize his own blunders, and embrace the true love that’s right in front of him . . .

Praise for Return to Huckleberry Hill

“One of my favorite installments yet in this series . . . ! I invite fellow readers to read Return to Huckleberry Hill as it is a story you will not want to put down!” —Harlequin Junkie

Ratings and reviews

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.

Rather strange book in that Rueben really was a snob and The Amish really are gossips..and not very nice people sometimes

About the author

Jennifer Beckstrand is the RITA-nominated and award-winning author of the Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill and The Honeybee Sisters series, as well as a number of novellas. Novels in her Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series have been RITA® Award and RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award finalists. Huckleberry Hill won the 2014 LIME Award for inspirational fiction and Huckleberry Hearts was named a Booklist Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Book of the Year. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people. She and her husband have been married for thirty-three years, and she has four daughters, two sons, and seven adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten. Please visit her online at www.JenniferBeckstrand.com.