Tag: Honeybee Sisters series

REVIEW: Austin//His Amish Sweetheart by Jennifer Beckstrand

REVIEW: Austin//His Amish Sweetheart by Jennifer Beckstrand

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Zebra in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Alfie and Benji Petersheim have been working to get their three older brothers married and out of the house. They helped Andrew (♥♥♥♥♥) and Abraham find true love and now they just need Austin in love so all of the older boys will move out of the house and the twins can move out of the cellar and back into a room.  But Austin could be their hardest project yet.

Benji is convinced Austin is in love with his best friend, Hannah Yutzy. Alfie thinks they should get Austin interested in Priscilla Lambright who works at the library. With the twins at odds, they decide to work their own agendas – alone. May the best man win.

Review

This was a lovely wrap up to the Petersheim Brothers trilogy!

I’ve been a fan of this series from the start. This book, originally titled Austin, was supposed to release in the summer of 2020. And then Covid. And while the publisher waited for the right time to release it, they also determined that the book might sell better with an Amish woman on the cover. So this is the new cover and the new title. While I had no issues with the other titles and covers, I’m just happy to finally see how the series ended. It was a satisfying resolution.

I have to be honest, though. Austin is a hot mess in this book. I can’t say for sure who I grumbled about more – Austin or “Scilla.” She was obnoxious, and he was an idiot a lot of the time. It never got to the point where I thought about giving up on the book, but they were truly a mess. The twins and Hannah and some of the other events of the book helped balance out Austin’s moments.

I think my annoyance is part of what made things so awesome in the end, though. I loved the resolution here. Alfie and Benji really stole the show in this book. And the extra help they recruit for their quest was an added delight!

Newcomers can start here without too much trouble. There are pieces of the story with the larger community – and the twins’ quest to get out of the cellar – that play out in Andrew, Abraham, and the Honeybee Sisters books. And reading those will fill in around this story, but I think new readers can get along without those details to start. But I highly recommend the books in both series, so you should be sure to check them all out in the end.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Sweet as Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand

REVIEW: Sweet as Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lily, Poppy, and Rose Christner have been raised by their Aunt Bitsy since their mother and father died. Bitsy’s a little unusual for an Amish woman, but she has done well by her nieces. They have built a honey bee farm on their property, and their honey and other bee products take care of their family.

Dan Kanagy is back in town after two years in Pennsylvania. He went to learn more about raising cattle to help on his family farm. His parents hoped he might find a wife there, but no luck. He has always been in love with Lily Christner.

Lily can’t believe that mean Dan Kanagy is back in town. He made fun of her braces and thick glasses when they were in school together. His nicknames for her always hurt so much. Thankfully, Paul Glick has always pulled her away from the teasing and been her one true friend. He seems to be talking a lot about their “future.” But Dan’s arrival leaves Lily’s feelings very confused.

Review

The author has launched a new series – the Petersheim Brothers – and I ADORED the first book, Andrew (Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥). While I was waiting for book 2 (Abraham, out now), I decided to try one of her other books to see if I enjoyed more of the author’s work than just that one title. I read this in a day, and I loved it. In fact, when I finished it, I gave it back to the library and bought the whole three-book series for myself.

The characters are my favorite part of this series, although the story is terrific. I fell in love with all three of the Christner girls – responsible Lily, spunky Poppy, and wary yet sweet Rose. And their Aunt Bitsy is delightful. Dan is terrific – although his cluelessness is cringe-worthy. I kept watching him screw up this relationship with Lily because he has NO idea his nicknames and teasing tear her apart.

Lily’s boyfriend shows a lot of examples of gaslighting. The more strict parts of the Amish life and community reinforced the awful things he said to her. My heart broke for Lily as she accepted his manipulation as her due, and I was quite vocal about my dislike of that man as I read. But I especially loved that Lily worked out her own issues. No one rescued her. In fact, when someone tried, it caused even more trouble. This was something she had to do for herself.

I enjoyed the second book in the series, A Bee in Her Bonnet (Rating: ♥♥♥♥½), and I read book three, Like a Bee to Honey, in a day (Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥). I highly recommend this series as well as the Petersheim Brothers series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥