May 30, 2017
This is an absolutely delightful story. I think this is one of the best in the series. Fern King is a wonderful character. It's as if she is a special example of what a Christian woman should be although as a human she is made to feel that she is an "underling." This makes for emotional reading at times.
Anna and Felty Helmuth's grandson, Reuban, is a little too full of himself. He is not what a reader expects of an Amish man. I like these kinds of surprises in an Amish story. It makes them 'feel' more realistic. The author, Jennifer Beckstrand has a wonderful talent for adding great sparks of humor in this series. I certainly had laugh out loud moments while reading it.
This story made me think. We really need to think about how we treat other people and how we make them feel about themselves.

I really appreciate receiving this from the publisher and NetGalley.

I just love the determination and creativity of Anna in matching up her grandkids! I loved Fern, but Reuben was a bit difficult to have compassion for. He really took feeling sorry for yourself to a whole other level. Just leave it to Anna to shake up his life for a much-needed wake-up call! The poor knitting club... As always, I was chuckling at the antics while enjoying the character growth as Reuben and Fern shift from pesky friends and unrequited love to deeper feelings that lead to true romance. This series is a must-read for fans of Amish romance!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Every time I come back to The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series I remember exactly why I love it. RETURN TO HUCKLEBERRY HILL had me sitting right at Felty and Anna’s kitchen table scheming with them as they try to help their grandson Reuben Helmuth. Felty and Anna are one of my all time favorite couples in Amish fiction. No one can crack me up like these two can. The situations they create is quite hysterical and I always find myself laughing out loud. Not to mention the things that Anna cooks that everyone thinks is just horrible but they never say so as they would hurt her feelings. One that I can’t seem to get out of my head is potato raisin asparagus casserole. I mean, can you even imagine? Haha

Reuben just found out that his girlfriend and his best friend are in love. He is devastated and runs away to Huckleberry Hill so that hopefully, people will stop talking about him and laughing at him. John’s little sister, Fern follows him to the hill to try and get him to come back home. She has always had a crush on Reuben and he has never thought more about her but like a little sister. Anna never gives up on these two but not in a mean way. She just keeps trying to push these two together and your heart will swell with love for her. She is such a dedicated grandmother. RETURN TO HUCKLEBERRY HILL is filled with twists and turns, some I never saw coming, but I loved every one of them.

In RETURN TO HUCKLEBERRY HILL I loved Fern and sometimes Reuben, the primary characters but also fell in love with all of the secondary characters as well. Every one of them has an important part to play in this heart warming story and even though I wanted to reach in and smack one or two of them every now and then, they all weaseled their way into my heart. RETURN TO HUCKLEBERRY HILL teaches the reader about the power of words. Words spoken in anger can wound. Once the words leave our mouths we cannot take them back. Words can be used to tear down or build up. We need to make sure the words coming from our mouths are positive and life affirming. I truly hope Anna and Felty don’t run out of grandchildren to play matchmaker for. I would love to see this series continue for at least twenty more books. That’s how much I enjoy Jennifer Beckstrand’s writing!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zebra Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jennifer Beckstrand has written another sweet story in "The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hills". This is the seventh in the series and I have thoroughly enjoyed every one!

As I opened this new novel, I was excited to be back with my old friends Felty and Anna. They are just the most comical, quirky, loving old couple, who want everyone to have as wonderful a marriage as they do. Anna is a true matchmake and will do anything in her power to find a true love for those she loves! Even in very strange ways!! Yes, that is Anna! She had me in stitches as she continued her matchmaking skills with her grandson, Reuben. All of the characters in the story seem to have special little quirks and are described in such a realistic way that you have to smile at their constant antics.f

The plot is rather slow moving, however, I found that it allowed me to relax and enjoy the humor in some rather serious situations. It is certainly not a cliff hanger but I did enjoy every moment of my read.

If you love Amish fiction , don't miss this book. It uses a style of writing unique to Jennifer and is delightful. If you have never read Amish fiction, try this one.You will find yourself falling in love with Felty and Anna.

This book was received as a gift. The opinions and thoughts expressed are honest and my own.

Anna and Felty Helmuth have a mission in life.....get their grandchildren married off.....and they will stop at nothing to accomplish their mission. These two elderly grandparents are just the cutest two people. I would personally love to meet them. I think I would want to take my own meal to share with Anna and Felty though. I am sure they would appreciate the help with dinner and all our tastebuds would be happy.

Readers will enjoy returning to Huckleberry Hill for yet another visit. Meeting Fern and Reuben will prove to be quite a treat too. Even if Reuben is a challenge for Fern, it will be worth getting to know the young couple.
I am rating this novel 5 stars and highly recommend it to readers.
I received a digital version of this book from netgalley and Zebra Publishing in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Return to Huckleberry Hill is a tale about pride and love and unlike most Amish romances, this book is not sugar-coated and I'm not ashamed to say this book made me cry.

Return to Huckleberry Hill is the story of Ruben, a prideful Amish man who finds out his best friend and girlfriend have fallen in love, not trying to deceive him on purpose. But Ruben is more concerned about being made a laughing-stock, and being betrayed by his best friend, that he hightailed it to his grandparents' house in Bonduel.

But when Fern, the sister of his best friend turns up and tries to help him get past his pride, Ruben fires back with hurtful words, but Fern persists in trying to help him! All the while hiding her love from him, but will Ruben realize before it's too late?

Return to Huckleberry Hill truly is a beautiful story and by the end, I was in tears for poor Fern. The characters in this book are well-developed and the story is unique and truly heartwarming.

Return to Huckleberry Hill is a part of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, but author Jennifer Beckstrand has written them that you can read them as a stand-alone, but why would you want to? This series is truly marvelous!

I give Return to Huckleberry Hill 5 stars

Reuben had a sinking feeling the minute Delores Johnson answered her door. Delores was one of the Englishes who lived in the mostly Amish community. She had never possessed a pleasant disposition but tonight she looked downright hostile. She scowled directly at Reuben as if she blamed him for being alone on Christmas Eve. Or maybe she didn’t like the way he sang or the fact she had to look up at him. Delores’s bad mood wasn’t the reason Reuben felt unsettled. As it was reuben felt vulnerable and exposed as if everyone behind him was laughing at a joke he wasn’t in on. But when Reuben turned around everyone was smiling and singing as if they weren’t paying much attention at all. But where was LInda Sue, he could have sworn she had been right beside him not five minutes ago but she wasn’t there now, yet right before they made the trek to Mrs. Johnson’s driveway Linda Sue had been by his side. Their youth group was traveling from door to door on foot, singing carols and delivering goodies to the shut ins. Tomorrow was Christmas and Reuben was going to propose to Linda Sue . They would be married in September. Reuben and Linda Sue were perfect for each other, she was the daughter of their bishop and reuben was a minister's son. Both families were respected and loved in the community.Reuben asked about Linda Sue and ruth said her and John had fallen behind at the bridge that crosses the creek. Then Benji said if they aren’t with you they are with each other. That was what had been nagging Reuben in his gut. Something had been different between Linda Sue and John- who was Reuben’s best friend- for weeks. John would never do anything to hurt the friendship so reuben believed. Then John told Linda Sue they had to tell Reuben. Linda Sue told Reuben it had just happened and she said reuben wouldn’t listen and she also said she didn’t know how many times she had tried to tell Reuben about her growing feelings for John. Then John said They loved each other and had for several weeks.y planned on getting married God willing. Anna was thinking about her single grandchildren. If Anna and her husband Felty didn’t help them their prosperity would very likely wither and die. The thought of unwed grandchildren put Anna in a dither, something had to be done. Then reuben went to his grandmother Anna’s house and asked if he could stay for a couple of days. Reuben had been at his grandmother's for three months now doing back breaking work and his aching muscles distracted him from his dark thoughts. They had weighed heavy on Reuben for three months, he had only intended to stay at his grandmother’s for a week but but it had already turned into three months. His parents had written him ten letters urging to come home but Reuben couldn’t do it. It felt an anvil around his his neck and Reuben couldn’t turn to God. He had been humiliated when Linda Sue picked a poor pig farmer over him and and he had also been betrayed by his best friend. He couldn’t go back to Sugar Creek knowing the people would be laughing at him behind his back. Then his grandfather told him it was time he went back to church and Reuben agreed. More than anything else Reuben wanted to be liked again. He wanted people to admire and respect him not laugh at him. Then John’s sister fern showed up at the church his grandparents went to, she even winked at Reuben. Fern has come to get Reuben to forgive John and then bring him home. Reuben decided to start socializing and he did nice things for several of the girls and they think he is thinking of courting them because of his help. Then he finds he is in a mess with all those girls. Reuben also finds he is attracted to fern the last girl he thought would be on his mind for courting. Fern has loved Reuben since childhood but Reuben has known Fern all his life and thinks of her like a little sister. Fern always called Reuben out on all his faults and could make him feel humble. Fern plans on finding Reuben a new girlfriend so he will be in a better mood. Reuben ends up insulting a group of single women and goes to Fern for help to make amends to the women. Reuben finds he wants more than friendship from Fern.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the pace and the plot. This was a very good Amish read. I really liked Fern and Reuben together. Somebody needed to tell him about himself and that somebody was Fern. I didn’t think Reuben acted like a devout Amish man especially being a minister’s son as he was prideful, egotistical, had vanity, had an attitude, was judgemental and conceited for a starter. This choked me up at times and others made me chuckle. I suggest you read the books in this series in order I didn’t really care for how reuben treated Fern for the most part. I loved how the author described things in this book. I felt this was good Amish fiction and showed the Amish are far from perfect and are very human. I loved Felty and Anna's matchmaking. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.

Jennifer Beckstrand is one of those authors where I see she has a new book and I have to read it. I just know I'm going to like it! "Return to Huckleberry Hill" is a delightful book and full of all the things I expected. I love Anna and Felty and their (or rather, Anna's) matchmaking schemes. And her cooking! You just have to smile about them. Fern was sweet and self depreciating and I could feel her pain and longing. Sometimes I wanted to shake Reuben and make him wake up to how he was acting and what he was missing out on. There is character growth from the beginning of the book to the end and I was happy to see the change. I can't wait for more "The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill" books. Anna and Felty had 13 kids, so they've got to have lots of grandkids to match.

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received.

When it comes to matchmaking, Anna and Felty Helmuth are unstoppable in Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin. They never seem to run out of opportunities nor grandchildren.

Return to Huckleberry Hill is another hilarious adventure for sure and certain. You do not want to miss out.

I received this book through Net Galley and I was not required to give a positive review.

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=63856>

Pride goes before Reuben's fall, but he's not
bad at heart

What a great Amish romance! This is the first book I have read by Jennifer Beckstrand and I loved it. What a heartwarming story. Reuben is jilted when his best friend John "steals" his girlfriend, so he runs away to his grandparents home. John's sister Fern follows him and tries to facilitate a reconciliation between the two friends. Reuben's grandparents get involved playing matchmakers, and inviting all the eligible girls over for various gatherings. In the end, Fern makes great personal sacrifices, and finally returns home defeated. Until John realizes what has been in front of him the entire time. Great book, great story.

I have read and enjoyed several novels by Jennifer Beckstrand and fully expected “Return to Huckleberry Hill” to be as entertaining. Although the story was a bit different from the others, it was definitely entertaining. I couldn’t help laughing each time one of Anna’s new recipe creations was mentioned. Who would ever think of actually combining some of those ingredients?! On the other hand the romance was a bit frustrating. Then there were those “mean girls”. I never imagined that you would find their type among the Amish. Goes to show how much I know.

Reuben had to be one of the most annoying romantic interests of any book I have ever read. He was so full of himself that he often neglected to think of others. It was a bit difficult to understand why Fern was willing to sacrifice so much to help him when he seemed to look down on her and her family so much. But as can be expected from most good books, circumstances eventually forced Reuben to examine himself and realize how much his actions had hurt others.

“Return to Huckleberry Hill” is an excellent story of forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. Reuben turned his life around and as we all know, found his happy ending with the girl he really loved.

So glad to see the characters of Huckleberry hill back. Lots of humor and great story line. One of the most talented authors. I find myself unable to put Jennifer's books down.

"You can only neglect the tree so long before it starts to wither."

Return to Huckleberry Hill was the first of The Matchmaker of Huckleberry Hill series by Jennifer Beckstrand that I've read, and I wasn't lost at all. The characters are definitely the highlight of this book. Anne and Felty are hilarious to boot! Their matchmaking efforts along with their unconventional ways was so fun! You can't help but smile when these two are on the page! Fern was such a sweety. I felt such love and protectiveness for this girl that I want to "head-slap" Reuben many many times! And of course, she's right about the pride in Reuben and what a message that was, for him and for us.

"The measure of a man isn't how popular he is with his friends, but how he treats those who have nothing to give him."

I'm a little surprised to see that this is the first time I didn't find think the community aspect was strong as I've come to expect in an Amish novel. It's even more surprising is the fact that there are many characters and personalities in this book, yet the strong element of community support was somewhat lacking, or at least how it came across for me. The plot was great, but I think the writing felt more like narration than story telling. Despite that, I enjoyed Return to Huckleberry Hill and would love to check out the other Huckleberry Hill stories so I can meet these great characters again!


This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

This book is a sweet read showing the love of grandparents, as Reuben's grandmother is convinced that she can cure Reuben's broken heart by fixing him up with a young lady. Fern has his best interest at heart, as well. What follows is a classic unexpected love story. The characters are well-developed, and there are some aren't as likeable as others, which is always good. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Amish fiction and sweet romance.

Jennifer Beckstrand will never be able to write enough Felty & Anna stories to quench my hunger for them, so I am thrilled with Return to Huckleberry Hill. Fans of this couple in their eighties will find that Anna’s cooking is still extremely creative, Felty is still making up his own song lyrics and playing the license game, they continue to successfully play matchmaker with their grandchildren – and they reflect a lifetime of love for God and for each other that sets an example for all of us. On the surface, this is a sweet romance with Beckstrand’s signature humor, but there’s much spiritual depth to this story with its nod to the Prodigal Son parable.

Reuben, Anna and Felty’s grandson, isn’t very likeable for most of the book. This rich and handsome minister’s son seems like a good catch, except for the fact that he’s prideful, concerned with popularity, acceptance, and reputation. Betrayed by his best friend and the girl he planned on marrying, Reuben visits Anna and Felty for an extended time, and he “wore his self-pity like a badge.” I loved Fern, sister of Reuben’s best friend, who has loved him since childhood. She’s goodhearted and caring; she recognizes his flaws and calls him out on his attitude, yet offers unconditional love. There’s some funny scenes, such as Reuben’s visits the ladies of Anna’s knitting club in an effort to apologize for his loss of temper.

Social structure plays a prominent part and Beckstrand does a great job at humanizing the Amish through the concept of underlings, something I’ve never come across in Amish fiction before … “Underling families were never completely accepted by the rest of the community. Their opinions didn’t count for much in the church – no matter how upstanding they were – and their children had a difficult time finding someone to marry.”

Spiritual journey and growth are key elements in this story, and Reuben’s transformation is so very satisfying. I loved Felty’s words to Reuben, which reflect the essence of Return to Huckleberry Hill … “The measure of a man isn’t how popular he is with his friends, but how he treats those who have nothing to give him.”

While I thoroughly enjoyed the romance and humor, it’s the spiritual gems that made this book special – because it made me examine how I perceive other people, consciously or subconsciously.

I believe Return to Huckleberry Hill is a book that all would enjoy, even if Amish fiction isn’t your thing. Highly recommended.

I can't even express my delight at finding out there was a new installment to this hilarious series! My daughters and I enjoy reading these books so much, and the characters have become like family - they get mentioned at mealtimes and in the car and even inspire some of my daughters' antics. This book was no disappointment! We loved it and can't wait for more!

I downloaded this title, along with two others, on 15 May 2017. For some reason, only one actually downloaded to my Kindle - the other two did not and I was unable to review them..and now they are archived. I contacted both Amazon and NetGalley about the situation. This looks like my type of novel, and I look forward to reading it soon.
Thanks so much for understanding!

This installment of The Matchmakers series is just as good as the rest were – and fine to read as a standalone. What sets this one apart is the angst! Most of Beckstrand’s other books are fun and flip, adventuresome and whimsical. In Return to Huckleberry Hill, Reuben deals with the demon of pride, and though I didn’t feel bad for him in the least, I did sympathize with those around him.

Fern King, too, deals with demons. Oh how I wanted to cry for her — trying to be strong, always showing a cheerful face, never complaining, yet truly dying inside. Fern endures so much, and I really almost couldn’t take it! (I’ll never forgive you, Ms. Beckstrand, if Barbara Schmucker doesn’t get her due.) But Fern also gets to see Reuben and her brother John in a new environment – and witness their growth (or lack of it).

Anna and Felty remain the cute elderly couple that gets in everyone’s business trying to make love connections. I haven’t tired of them yet, and I’m almost endeared to Anna’s creative cooking.

This is a non-traditional Amish novel in that it doesn’t center around faith and obedience as much as some might; yet Beckstrand gives the main characters the gift of self-reflection… something that made me want to be best friends with Fern, and let me forgive Reuben for almost all of his trespasses.

https://randombookmuses.com/2017/06/17/review-return-to-huckleberry-hill-by-jennifer-beckstrand/

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2032548918

I love Annie and Felty. Anne continues to play matchmaker for her grandchildren and others. She loves bringing love to her family members.

Reuben is plenty angry at his best friend John. He feels John stole the girl he was to marry. With his pride hurting, Reuben flees to his grandparents house. Vowing to never love again, he settles into a routine of helping them. However his grandma and John's sister Fern have other ideas.

I received a copy through Netgalley. The review and thoughts are my own.