The second stop in Henry Adams is just as much fun as the first one. The story picks up nine months after the end of [book:Bring on the Blessings|3733459], but we're still very much at the beginning of the journey.

My favorite storyline this go-around was definitely Amari's. He wants to become a "real" July, but finds himself facing a formidable challenge when the clan matriarch Tamar tells him that he'll have to complete a Spirit Quest and an uplifting town project in order to gain his greatest wish. Amari is absolutely adorable - charming and funny, but also filled with a deep desire to belong. He's a great character, and it was fun to see him grow and stretch his wings in this book.

Meanwhile, his father Trent has finally gotten around to asking his lady love Lily to marry him (yay!). Bernadine has gotten out of her own way to give in to the temptation posed by Malachi, and they inch closer to each other. Jack James has moved to town with his troubled son Eli to take up the teaching post at the newly-built school, and falls head over heels for Rocky Dancer, a recent returnee herself looking to rebuild her life after a failed marriage. The dads in town form a support group, and 8-year-old Devon takes everyone to church.

The kid set has their own storylines: Preston's growing pains as he and his dad attempt to build a relationship; Crystal, the town's big sister, dispensing advice as she navigates her own crazy world. Her long-lost father has heard about her beneficent foster mother and makes his way to Henry Adams looking to score a big payday. Leo Brown decides he wants Bernadine back so he arrives, too, then takes up with another woman. He seems pretty sincere in this book, but he's definitely an A1 villain by Book #10. It will be interesting to see how he morphs from one to the other.

As always, there is a great mix of romance, humor, and the slice-of-life small town community. It's summer in Kansas, which means tornado season, and the weather plays its own part in the drama. I enjoyed this morsel and am looking forward to Book #3! ( )

A Second Helping is the second in a series of books about the town of Henry Adams. If it's been awhile since you've read the first book: Henry Adams was turning into a ghost town before Bernadine (a very rich woman thanks to a divorce) bought the town and brought in five foster kids and placed them with families who agreed to live in Henry Adams. The kids are starting to settle into Henry Adams and with the families they have been placed with. Bernadine is busy continuing her plan to grow Henry Adams. This time around she's finishing the local diner improvements, building a school and hiring a teacher for the school. Amari decides he wants to be a part of the July family so must go on a vision quest and come up with a project - he decides to hold an August 1st parade which turns out way bigger - perhaps bigger than even Bernadine can handle. Crystal's mom is still in prison but her dad is back in the picture - will he take Crystal away from Bernadine?

I really enjoy these stories by Beverly Jenkins. She writes a Christian story without being too preachy - yes, perhaps everything works out better than it might in real life but don't you want, even every now and then, to have a place that everything turns out right? I enjoy getting to know the characters and the lay-out of the town. I've been reading some books that are just casual sex with no connections and characters that have been beaten down by life so this is refreshing. Looking forward to more in the series. ( )

Life in the town of Henry Adams is many things but dull isn’t one of them. For a small town, there is a lot happening: romantic encounters, foster kids wanting to be adopted, a widower trying to connect with his own unhappy son, and a fugitive from the law, on the run with a couple of enormous pigs. And this barely scratches the surface! But if you want the real scoop, you need to hie yourself down to the Dog and Cow diner. It’s the real deal for up-to-date info. This novel, too, is many things: entertaining, thought-provoking, amusing, and well-written, but mostly, it is just a very good story told in a very good fashion. ( )

It took me a while to figure out this book - did not read book 1. Also did not realize it was an African-American town - a bit unrealistic.

Book 2 in the Blessings series continues the lives of the folks who live in Henry Adams, a small African American town in Kansas. It would have been helpful to read Book 1 first (Bring on the Blessings) because it took me awhile to figure out who the characters were.
This is an entertaining, gentle read with a little bit of humor, romance, and mystery. ( )