Sweet as Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand

“Sweet as Honey is a warm, wonderful book filled with delightful characters, humor and tenderness. Jennifer Beckstrand writes lovely stories, sure to touch your heart.”--RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author

Smart, kind, and good-hearted, the three Christner girls are affectionately known as The Honeybee Sisters in the beloved Wisconsin Amish community where, under the care of their aunt, they've grown into skilled beekeepers--and lovely, sought-after young women. . .

Though she has blossomed into a beauty, Lily Christner doesn't really believe it. Deep down, she still feels like a lonely, gawky teenager. Maybe that's why she's all but promised herself to Paul Glick, the one boy who never teased her in her awkward girlhood--unlike Dan Kanagy, whose creative name-calling left her in tears many a time. Now he's back in town after two years away--and being surprisingly sweet, suspiciously attentive--and making Lily unsettlingly yet deliciously nervous. It seems Dan wants Lily's forgiveness--and her heart. But can he convince her--not to mention her protective schwesters and aendi--that despite the past, her future lies with him?... 

This is an interesting take on Amish romance/fiction and that may be because the Aunt that raise these sister's had been out in the world for about 20 years.

This is the story of Lily. She grew up homely and naturally became lovely. As she was growing up, the boy that she was most interested in teased her the most...actually he never really understood that what he was doing was teasing and hurting Lily. So Lily formed a friendship with another young man -Paul - this turned into an engagement of sorts. 

The boy who teased her -Dan -has never forgotten her and is now back in town. Now things are going to get VERY interesting indeed.

I have to say that I found Lily somewhat spineless and I'm not sure if that is the Amish coming out in this character or if she really was spineless. Paul is the über creep of the story and you most likely will come to hate him (or at least dislike him) as much as I did.

I learned a ton about bee keeping, and while that can be good, in my opinion, it did not add that much to the story and I hope that the next two sisters books have more story and less 'lessons'.

I am looking forward to the next two books.

ARC supplied by publisher.