With one of their grandchildren happily married, Anna and
Felty Helmuth are ready for their next matchmaking success. Because there's
nothing more rewarding than sparking unexpected love--and putting Huckleberry
Hill, Wisconsin, on the map for romance. . .
Cautious to a fault, Lily Eicher strives to live up to
her dat's high standards. She's certainly not the kind of proper Amish girl who
would make time for someone as impetuous as the Helmuths' grandson, Aden--even
if his lively spirit and caring ways are showing her just how wonderful
following her heart can be. . .
Recklessly doing the right thing got Aden into big
trouble. A fresh start at his grandparents' is just what he needs. And shy,
pretty Lily is turning his world upside down and making him want to prove he
can do good within the rules. But now both must find enough faith and
understanding to risk pursuing their dreams--together. . .
Good book. Aden is something nearly unheard of in the Amish
community - an environmentalist and an activist. He cares deeply about the
environment and animal welfare, and his actions frequently get him into trouble
- including three arrests. Then a life-threatening accident sends him to his
grandparents' home, looking for a fresh start. His grandmother Anna is thrilled
to have him there and has just the woman in mind to settle him down.
Lily is the youngest of two daughters and a complete
daddy's girl. She lives in fear of disappointing him, constantly worries about
everything, and is dating the man her father recommends. When Anna asks Lily to
work for her during the summer, Lily is hesitant to step outside her comfort
zone. She has no idea how far out of that comfort zone she will be.
The first meeting between Aden and Lily did not go as
Anna had hoped. Upon her arrival at Anna's home, Lily, afraid of dogs, was
knocked down and thoroughly licked by Aden's undisciplined Goldendoodle, Pilot.
After she makes her displeasure known, Aden, who is aware of his grandmother's
plan, decides that he's not interested in a woman who clearly hates his dog.
Undeterred, Anna takes every opportunity to throw Aden and Lily together. On
the other hand, once Lily's dad hears of Aden's reputation, he's adamant that
Lily avoid being around him.
Anna's tactics work very well, and I enjoyed seeing Lily
and Aden get to know one another. It's a slow process because, quite frankly,
Lily is a wimp. She's afraid of the water, getting dirty, children, and living
outside her father's narrow view of being a "good girl." There are
some sweet scenes of them together as Aden starts to break through Lily's
fears. It's not long before Aden is thoroughly smitten and doing his best to
live the kind of life Lily's dad would approve of.
Complicating matters, Lily's father pushes the bishop's
son, Tyler Yoder, at her every chance he gets. Tyler is a nice guy, and Lily
likes him. She understands his appeal as a good, steady man who doesn't make
waves. Tyler and Aden become friends as well as rivals for Lily's hand.
When Aden hears about a puppy mill from his friend Jamal
and is asked to help get the proof needed to take to the police, he is
initially reluctant to risk his improving reputation. However, Jamal convinces
him it should be safe, so he agrees. Unfortunately, Lily chooses this time to
find her courage and insists on going along. Aden tries to dissuade her, but
she won't be denied. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and all three end up
arrested. Lily is terrified, furious, and stuck facing her father's anger and
disappointment when he picks her up. He blames everything on Aden, convinces
Lily she was led astray, and pushes her harder toward Tyler.
I ached for Aden. He is swamped with guilt over what
happened to Lily and believes he deserves all of the disapproval heaped on him.
I loved how he accepted responsibility and embraced the meted-out discipline. He
hoped that when his shunning time was over that he would be able to fix things
with Lily. My heart broke for him when he found out she had agreed to marry
Tyler.
I was furious at Lily. She took no responsibility for her
decision to go with Aden. Instead, she accepted her father's pronouncement that
it was due to Aden's bad influence on her. Then agreeing to marry Tyler, who
she didn't love, was terribly unfair to Tyler, who loves her. I was also angry
at her father. He claims her troubles were caused by Aden manipulating her, but
he's a fine one to talk. He keeps her under his thumb by bringing up the two
traumatic events from her childhood whenever he feels her slipping away.
I cheered when Lily's sister, Estee, called Lily out on
her hypocrisy. She pointed out that Lily was just as guilty, and blaming others
doesn't change the truth. Lily was horrified when she realized what she had
done and was determined to fix things. I loved seeing her grow a backbone and tell
her father the truth about that night and her feelings and intentions. Her dad reacted
exactly as she feared, and she had some big decisions to make. I loved watching
the events of that evening unfold, from her trip to see Tyler to their visit to
Aden. I loved their plan for the next day and couldn't wait to see the
reactions - which were everything I could have hoped for. The ending was
terrific.
This was my first book by this author, but it won't be
the last. I look forward to reading more about Anna's matchmaking attempts.
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