Author Jennifer Beckstrand has written a compelling romance peopled with some very interesting characters. The main protagonists as well as the secondary characters really come alive on the page. Issues such as self-esteem and self-worth are explored in this tale, as well as parenting skills. Lia is made to feel unworthy of love, due to the way she is treated by her parents who much favor her younger sister. It will take the kindness shown to Lia by another family before she really realizes her own worth. This first book in the series is well written and recommended to readers of Amish fiction. ( )

Jennifer's Beckstrand's Huckleberry Hill is a witty, sweet and heartwarming romance. In this delightful first installment of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, Moses Zimmerman's matchmaking grandparents scheme to set him up with Lia Shetler but this bachelor is determined to stay single. Although he has successfully evaded their efforts in the past, Moses finds Lia pretty difficult to resist. When Lia's dat decides her sister Rachel is the woman for Moses, which, if any, of the Shetler sisters will win his heart?

Felty and Anna Helmuth are positively adorable and I absolutely loved them. Convinced their grandson needs help getting over his broken heart, Anna has been playing matchmaker for him. The latest woman in her sights? Lia Shetler. She convinces Lia's dat to let her work for them for the summer and Lia has barely settled in when Anna's finding ingenious ways to throw them together.

Moses is successful, hardworking and one of the most eligible bachelors in his small Amish district. He has remained dedicated to his ex-fiancée although she broke his heart when she left him and their Amish community. Moses is devoted to his grandparents and frequently helps them maintain their farm. Kind, caring and compassionate, he gently but firmly dissuades the women Anna keeps sending his way. So Moses is more than a little surprised by how much he enjoys spending time with Lia and he is shocked by his growing feelings for her.

Lia struggles with her self-worth as she lives in the shadow of her spoiled and selfish younger sister Rachel. She is an obedient daughter but she is excited about the opportunity to help the Zimmermans out for the summer. She is at first stunned by Moses abrupt pronouncement he is not going to marry her but she takes a humorous approach to his "rejection" and they end up sharing an light-hearted but meaningful friendship. When Rachel sets her sights on Moses, will Lia overcome the habits of a lifetime or will she let the man she is falling in love with go without a fight?

Rachel is self-centered and manipulative and even though her overly indulgent parents are to blame, it is impossible to like her! She is deliberately hurtful to Lia and when she does not get her way, she is mean and vindictive. Anna and Felty have her number right from the start and even though they try to guide her into changing her ways, Rachel manages to outmaneuver them on quite a few occasions. Rachel's comeuppance is long overdue and I hate to admit it, but I really enjoyed watching it happen!

Lia and Moses are a delightful couple and it is so enjoyable watching them fall in love. They have such a wonderful friendship and they share a true affinity for one another. Theirs is the type of love that slips in when neither is looking and it actually takes a while for them to realize their feelings go deeper than friendship. Moses shows just how honorable he is with his treatment of his ex and his strong need to keep his word to her. Lia has to overcome a lifetime of acceding to her father's wishes and it is wonderful to see her stretch her wings and find not only love, but her niche in life.

Huckleberry Hill is a charming love story but it is the personal growth of the characters that makes it such a fabulous read. Of course, Moses' impish grandparents are an absolute delight and I am very much looking forward to their matchmaking shenanigans in Jennifer's Beckstrand's next story in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series. ( )

Rare rating for an Amish romance, but I really like the combination of sly humor & intelligence of this title. It's my first experience with Jennifer Beckstrand, & I am already disappointed that she's only written a dozen or so books. -- This is the first of 9 in a series about an elderly (80+) woman, mother of 13, grandmother & great-grandmother who wants, I think, everyone to be as happily married as she is. In this one, it's her 6'5" grandson to a 6' lady. Smart, pretty, etc. with a beautiful & spoiled sister who also wants him. Not laughing out loud funny, but smile, I-recognize-that-kind funny that appeals to an intelligent mind. -- I will very likely not put all her books I read here, & definitely wiill not review them all, but just this one, the first to me, deserves to be recorded. ( )

Oh my goodness, how absolutely delightful. ( )

Nice light read. ( )