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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Thanks to Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for sending me this book to read and review. I first “met” this author in her book The Happy Camper. I like her writing style… Hallmark movie in a book. Sometimes I need a break from the heavier reads and her books are easy to jump into, go by quick, and leave me feeling satisfied in the end.
Looking for Leroy did not disappoint. I enjoyed the story line: girl meets boy at summer camp, they fall in love, she returns home and ends up back with jerky boyfriend from high school who ends up being jerky husband, now ex-husband present day. The boy returns home from summer camp and writes to the girl, but then his life up-ends when his father dies suddenly. He has to leave college to come home and run his family’s vineyard. He ends up marrying a local girl, has three daughters, and then loses his wife and is a widow present day. Leroy is the guy and Brynna is the girl.
Brynna and Leroy are brought back together by fate.I appreciated the ups and downs of the story. An enjoyable, light hearted read.
Looking for Leroy did not disappoint. I enjoyed the story line: girl meets boy at summer camp, they fall in love, she returns home and ends up back with jerky boyfriend from high school who ends up being jerky husband, now ex-husband present day. The boy returns home from summer camp and writes to the girl, but then his life up-ends when his father dies suddenly. He has to leave college to come home and run his family’s vineyard. He ends up marrying a local girl, has three daughters, and then loses his wife and is a widow present day. Leroy is the guy and Brynna is the girl.
Brynna and Leroy are brought back together by fate.I appreciated the ups and downs of the story. An enjoyable, light hearted read.
Melody Carlson writes great stories with interesting characters. I enjoy her writing. I wasn't in love with the Brynna character she was extremely flaky and I honestly do not know anyone who is so wishy washy but I enjoyed reading the novel.
Looking for Leroy by Melody Carlson is one of the most relatable and real-life pieces of fiction I have read to date.
From the back of the book:
It’s official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country. As they wind their way toward their destination, spanking-new mini camper in tow, Brynna recalls her teenage camp romance with a boy named Leroy. How can it have been nearly 30 years ago? All she remembers is that Leroy was a genuinely good guy and that his family owned a vineyard–in Sonoma. She doesn’t even remember his last name. Undaunted, Jan insists they look for him, and the search for a second chance at love begins.
The story is written so realistically – the circumstances, the relationships, even the dialogues felt authentic, true to life. I thought I saw how the storyline was going to go but the author consistently proved me wrong and left me guessing.
I related to Brynna in many ways and I feel that most readers will, as well: her indecisiveness, her struggle to decide what she really wanted to do in life, especially after her dreams were halted by unforeseen circumstances, and more. I also remember my camp experiences from childhood vividly and fondly, so while I’m happily married, I could relate to the friendships and relationships built during camp and feeling drawn to reconnect with those people. I loved the emphasis on a strong family (with realistic struggles), too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story!
From the back of the book:
It’s official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country. As they wind their way toward their destination, spanking-new mini camper in tow, Brynna recalls her teenage camp romance with a boy named Leroy. How can it have been nearly 30 years ago? All she remembers is that Leroy was a genuinely good guy and that his family owned a vineyard–in Sonoma. She doesn’t even remember his last name. Undaunted, Jan insists they look for him, and the search for a second chance at love begins.
The story is written so realistically – the circumstances, the relationships, even the dialogues felt authentic, true to life. I thought I saw how the storyline was going to go but the author consistently proved me wrong and left me guessing.
I related to Brynna in many ways and I feel that most readers will, as well: her indecisiveness, her struggle to decide what she really wanted to do in life, especially after her dreams were halted by unforeseen circumstances, and more. I also remember my camp experiences from childhood vividly and fondly, so while I’m happily married, I could relate to the friendships and relationships built during camp and feeling drawn to reconnect with those people. I loved the emphasis on a strong family (with realistic struggles), too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story!
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4 stars! ⭐️ The end was sort of rushed (that’s why I’m giving it 4 stars.) A well written and fun story about a girl who has a second chance with her first love.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Looking for Leroy by Melody Carlson is a sweet story. I count always count on Melody Carlson to provide a story that will engage me and distract me from reality. Brynna Phillips goes on a camping trip with co-worker, Jan Barton who has a new red travel trailer. When they stop at a campground that was formally a Christian camp that Brynna went to as a teen, she tells Jan about Leroy. Since they will be traveling through Sonoma Valley, Jan suggests they locate Leroy and their new camping companion, Mike agrees with her. Reluctantly, Brynna goes along with them. When they find the vineyard, Brynna is ready to run. She regrets how she ended things with Leroy thirty years ago and is not sure how he will react to her presence. Brynna is wandering around the property when she encounters Sophie, Leroy’s pregnant daughter. She mistakes Brynna for the woman coming to interview for the office manager position. Brynna gets the job, and her friends convince her to take it. Brynna wonders what Leroy will think when they encounter each other? I thoroughly enjoyed Looking for Leroy. It is a charming Christian romance. I started reading and did not want to put it down. I found Looking for Leroy to be well-written with developed, realistic characters. This is a character driven story. I liked getting to know Brynna, Leroy, and Leroy’s large family especially Sophie and Gina (two of Leroy’s daughters). I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of Sonoma Valley. It sounds like a lovely place to live. The Christian element was seamlessly woven into the story. There is humor as well. I found myself chuckling several times while reading Looking for Leroy. This was a delightful second chance romance. Looking for Leroy reminds me of Melody Carlson’s The Happy Camper (another fun story). Looking for Leroy is a delightful book to read on a lazy Saturday afternoon. I was sorry to see it end. Looking for Leroy is a captivating tale with a red travel trailer, a Christian Camp recollection, Motorcycle Mike, a vineyard vista, a massive misunderstanding, a wily woman, and a magic moment.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
Good lighthearted fiction read. Inviting. Good story line, kept you wanting to read
Looking for Leroy is a bit different from most books in the romance genre in that the romantic leads didn't meet each other (or re-meet, as the case may be) until probably over halfway through the story. As such, we didn't really get to see them together as a couple as much as I would typically like... and I admit I did find myself wishing there was a bit more of that... Still, there was something about that anticipation of when they would bump into one another that certainly kept me turning the pages to see how it would all play out. Second chance romances are some that I have always really enjoyed, and this was certainly no exception. Beyond that, I adored the beautiful picture Melody Carlson pained of this setting... As a non-drinker, I can't say that visiting a vineyard has ever been high on my list of things I wanted to experience, but this book certainly might have changed that with its beautiful descriptions of the landscape and the serenity of it all. While I cannot say this has been my favorite from this author, it certainly was a quick and enjoyable read that I would highly recommend to fans of clean romance!
** I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
** I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
Looking for Leroy by Melody Carlson is such a sweet read. I especially loved the location since it takes place in Sonoma County, where I grew up. It is the story of Brynna Philips, a recently divorced teacher that ends up taking a summer RV trip with a coworker after a disturbing encounter with her ex-husband and his new wife. As they are passing through Northern California and stop to camp for the evening, Brynna begins reminiscing about her time spent at this very summer camp as a teenager. This was the location where she met her first love, a fling that did not last much longer than the summer. As it turns out, Leroy, her first love, owns a winery in Sonoma County and Brynna's friends think it would be really amazing for them to reconnect. Thus begins the search for the winery (they do not know the name of it or his last name) and Leroy. The story flowed nicely, the characters were believable, and plenty of backstories was given to understand where they were all coming from in their actions. I was hooked throughout the book and kept going back to it every chance I had, but wish I had read a bit slower so I was able to enjoy it longer. Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my own reading experience.