The Happy Camper

by Melody Carlson

Overview

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 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.

Full of quirky characters, family drama, and sweet romance, The Happy Camper will have you scouring Craigslist for your own diamond-in-the-rough camper to restore and haunting your local hardware store for a handy guy to help your dreams come true.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780800737238
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	560,747
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over 200 books with sales of more than 7 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com.

Editorial Reviews

12/23/2019

Carlson (Christmas in Winter Hill) delivers a light romance in this cute inspirational. Inconsiderate and unpunctual Brandon Kranze has made Dillon Michaels wait one too many times. After she ends their relationship, she asks God for help and leaves her job in Colorado Springs to head home to Oregon to care for her grandfather. There she finds her newly single mother has moved into Dillon’s old room, leaving Dillon to sleep on the couch. When Dillon’s grandfather gives her an old trailer on his property, she loves it and quickly gets to work fixing it up. It doesn’t hurt that doing so gives her a reason to see Jordan Atwood, the handsome owner of the local hardware store who also happens to own a vintage trailer. She’s eager to get to know him better, but someone else is competing for Jordan’s affections. Brandon also shows up, determined to win back Dillon’s heart. Dillon, through it all, relies on God’s strength to see her through. Memorable characters and a satisfying inspirational core make this one a winner. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2020

Dillon Michaels slaves away at an office job that she doesn't care much about while she dates a guy she's trying a little too hard to love. In the space of a few days, she walks away from both the man and the job to live on her grandfather's farm in Oregon. There, she finds that her grandpa is depressed, her mother is as dysfunctional as ever, and the house is a mess. Rediscovering the joy of manual labor, Dillon tries her hand at refurbishing a vintage camping trailer, with help from a handsome hardware store owner, and discovers that, with a little diligence, just about anything can be restored. At times a lovable cliché, this story is a satisfying, light spring break read. VERDICT Packed with a lot of small-town charm and a little bit of faith, Carlson's latest (Christmas in Winter Hill) delivers a fun romance with crossover appeal. The author is prolific, but she hasn't lost her touch for modern romantic fiction. Recommended as a stand-alone for new Carlson readers and fans of Courtney Walsh and Sandra D. Bricker.—Christine Barth, Scott Cty. Lib. Syst., IA

Library Journal