Jennifer Beckstrand

After reading this book, Abraham, by Jennifer Beckstrand, I have two big questions. First, how did I miss the first book of this series, (Andrew, #1 The Petersheim Brothers) ? Second, when does the third come out?
“Alfie formed a plan in his head.”
Oh, my! What dangerous things result from such simple words. Alfie and Benji are tired of sharing a basement bedroom with spiders. They’ve plotted and married off one brother. Maybe they can marry off another and take over his room. Who can show more resist two mischievously cute nine-year-old boys?
What a perfectly fun book with twins Alfie and Benji. Those boys are up to so much LOL mischief!! Just the way they think cracks me up! What an enjoyable book. I DID like Abraham and Emma, but the twins just stole the show!
Examples of why the book is a must read, belly laugh:

“He likes animals. He wants to be a vegetarian.”

“‘But, Mamm, it’s an emergency. We need Abraham.’ Mamm didn’t even turn around. ‘It’s only an emergency if someone is dead or bleeding.’” (Seems I may have heard similar lines as a kid.)

“Where did you get this?” “We can’t tell you, Benji said... Alfie seemed more confident. “It’s from a nominous benedictor.”

Quickly run your fingers over to the online store and pick up this gem! You won’t regret it, and you may shake off a few pounds laughing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. This did not influence my opinions for which I am solely responsible. show less

Well, this was different. Whereas most of the books in the series focus on young couples in their very early 20s who fall in love and get married, this romance centers on an already-married couple on the brink of divorce. It was refreshing to see characters who were a little bit older, who had been married for the better part of a decade, and who had seen their share of grief. A dead child can often be the source of bitterness and resentment in marriage, and I was glad for the chance to read show more something that depicts married life as something other than constant sunshine and roses. This book also features something of a family reunion, and many of the couples from previous books put in appearances here. It was nice to see previous characters with families of their own, all interacting with each other. I don’t know if this author plans to write any more books for this series, but even if she does not, this one was a touching close to the series and a sweet farewell to beloved characters. show less

This has been such a wonderful story to read. The author delivers a strong female character named Jessie. I loved everything about her. She is fierce, protective and has a heart of gold. Losing her mother was hard for her, but I think she has become closer to her dad and step mother as she deals with the loss. The way Jessie takes cares of the place is amazing. There is no way I could chop wood, take care of animals, go to the mercantile and never rest till all the chores have been show more completed. What I liked most about her is that she never complains about her chores and is willing to help her father out anyway she can.

The way James is introduced into the story is priceless. He tries to do a gentlemanly thing and it literally almost blows up in his face. Jessie is not keen on men helping her or coming to her aid . James makes a huge mistake in trying to hep her and well you must read how it turns out. I laughed when Jessie finds out that James is staying at the boardinghouse she happens to help run. Oh this is going to be such a journey for these two.

I love how the author describes the way Jessie felt when her father married Alice so quickly after her mother died. She describes it as ," Like someone digging my heart out of my chest with a spoon." It is a perfect way to describe the pain she was feeling. I felt that way when my dad married six months after my mom died. It hurt so much that I couldn't believe he would disrespect my mother like that. Jessie seems to understand that her father remarried because he wanted Jessie to have a mother and he was hurting for companionship.

I loved how the story was about mining for gold and other things that could be found to make people rich. I understand how Jessie feels about mining by how much it affected her father's health. Will James be able to convince Jessie that he really is a good guy? I love the faith James has and how much he keeps his word about things. He is just what Jessie needs to let her guard down and learn to trust someone.

It is evident that the author has does research about mining. The details make you feel like you are mining for gold with others around you. They have expectations in their eyes as they dream of getting rich. It can be a dangerous task as mines can collapse and trap people with little hope of getting out. I was very intrigued as the story progressed. I wanted James to reassure Jessie that what he was doing would be safe and her land would not be disturbed. Mining for gold does bring men from all across the states. They have dollars signs dancing in their eyes. For some, they have no respect for safety and push forward as danger gets close to them.

It was very hard to put the book down and I loved being back in the western days where gold miners were everywhere, men were out to get rich and action takes center stage. Jessie has been deeply hurt in the past and finds it hard to trust James. The action in the story is one you would see in the movies. Men trying to steal money, putting Jessie's life in danger and James ready to do what he needs to rescue Jessie and the money. The author writes a story that not only has a bit of romance, sneaky men who will do anything to stake a claim and a lesson in forgiveness, letting go of the past and most of all learning to depend and trust God.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. show less

A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand is the eighth installment in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series. Anna and Felty Helmuth lives in Bonduel, Wisconsin on Huckleberry Hill. Anna has had great success in finding the perfect mates for her grandchildren. She has found the perfect match for her granddaughter, Elsie Stutzman. Now she just needs to find a way to get them together. Elsie has signed on as the local schoolteacher. Elsie is known for being outspoken (which show more has gotten her into trouble in the recent past) along with being determined and stubborn (feisty). She loves teaching, but Elsie has been having trouble with fourteen-year-old Wally Sensenig. Wally only has one full leg and is missing fingers on one hand (threshing accident), but Elsie will not let Wally use that as an excuse for not working up to his full potential. Wally has been using his disability to manipulate people and to get what he wants. But he has finally met his match in Elsie Stutzman. Elsie is also trying to convince her grandmother to wait on matching her up with an eligible bachelor. Elsie’s last relationship did not end well, and she is not ready to try again.

Sam Sensenig, Wally’s older brother, takes care of the family farm, his ill mother and his siblings. He feels guilty for Wally’s accident and gives into to Wally’s “requests” (had electricity installed in Wally’s bedroom, purchased him an Xbox along with games, and does not require him to do chores). Wally tells Sam that the teacher is picking on him. A riled Sam goes to the school to confront Elsie about picking on his disabled brother. Elsie tries to explain to Sam what she wishes to accomplish with Wally, but she meets with resistance. It will take time for Sam to realize that Elsie only wants what is best for Wally. Sam is also dealing with Anna Felty and her numerous attempts to get him to meet her granddaughter, Elizabeth. She keeps sending him letters with potholders enclosed. If the young lady needs her grandmother to match her up, Sam is not sure he wants to meet her, nor does he have the time. Can Elsie get Sam to see the error of his ways? Will Elsie be able to change Wally and his outlook? Can Anna succeed in bringing these two stubborn individuals together?

I found A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill to be well-written, engaging and it had a good pace (which makes for a book that is enjoyable to read). Anna and Felty Helmuth are such delightful characters. They are in their 80s, and Anna has no qualms meddling in her grandchildren’s lives. Anna is a quirky woman who wears sweaters that are not approved by the Ordung, is a knitting machine, and cooks the worst food (Felty finds it delicious, but his taste buds are not to be trusted). Elsie is a strong, determined, persistent yet compassionate and kind woman. These qualities make her an excellent teacher. She wants what is best for her students. I ended up liking Sam in the end, but he was irksome (I did not think he would ever see reason). I could not believe how oblivious he was to Rose Mast (neighbor who was in love with him). His cluelessness to the situation went on a little too long for my liking. It was cute and humorous how Anna kept trying to match up Sam and Elsie without success. The scenes did have me chuckling. A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill can be read as a standalone. I do, though, recommend the other novels in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series (each one is unique and a pleasure to read). Anna is determined to find matches for all her grandchildren whether they want it or not. In A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill, you will find yourself cheering for Elsie as she sets out to change Wally and Sam. I am eager to read Home on Huckleberry Hill which is the next novel in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series. show less