Saturday 9 January 2021

Happy Camper by Melody Carlson



Back Cover: Home is the place to heal . . . right?


At least, that's what Dillon Michaels is hoping as she leaves her disappointing career and nonstarter love life behind to help her grieving and aging grandfather on his small Oregon farm. The only problem? Her eccentric mother beat her there and has taken over Dillon's old room. After a few nights of sleeping on a sagging sofa, Dillon is ready to give up, until she receives an unlikely gift--her grandfather's run-down vintage camp trailer, which she quickly resolves to restore with the help of Jordan Atwood, the handsome owner of the local hardware store.

But just when things are finally beginning to run smoothly, Dillon's noncommittal ex-boyfriend shows up with roses . . . and a ring.

Review: As far as setting goes, this novel takes top prize for unique. I've never read a book literally set in a vintage camper trailer. As funky as it sounds, I loved this book. It was light-hearted, fun and original. I found the characters relatable in a normal-kind-of-quirky-way.

Dillon Michaels' life literally gets turned upside down the night she breaks up with her long time, non-committing boyfriend - who also happens to be one of the partners at her work. One thing leads to another, and by the end of the weekend she has no boyfriend, no job, and is on the road to Oregon to stay with her grandfather. Typically, she is the epitome of logical and careful decisions, but a lifetime of careful planning hasn't stopped things from unravelling. Hoping to figure out her next steps, Dillon pulls into her grandfather's yard only to find her irresponsible, immature mother already staying in her old room with a hairbrained scheme to turn her grandfather's farm into a lavender field. 

Without preamble, Dillon finds herself sleeping on a ratty old couch, attempting to parent her mother, and trying to keep her grandfather from starving on her mouther's health-food shakes. Respite comes in the form of a rundown old vintage camp trailer at the back of her grandfather's property. As Dillon throws herself into her new project and struggles to figure out what to do with her future, her run ins with the local hardware store owner become more and more charger - only to reach a crescendo who her ex-boyfriend shows up....

This was a fun read and I really enjoyed all the vintage camper stuff. It was light, fun and entertaining. 

Thank-you to Baker Publishing House and to Graf Martin Communications for a complimentary copy of this book. 

Read an excerpt  Here

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