Happy Camper by Melody Carlson {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

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.

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.

Anytime I pick up a book by Melody Carlson, I know that it is going to be a joy to read. She was actually one of the first authors that really introduced me to the Christian fiction genre when I was a teen with her Diary of a Teenage Girl series, and she is one that I have continued to enjoy even as an adult. While I've not read ALL of her books, I do try to grab them whenever I see them and have therefor read many. Out of those many, I must say that I think this one might just be my favorite.

For some time, I have loved the idea of getting an RV and traveling the country with my little family. More than that though, I would absolutely LOVE to give new life to a vintage model. Needless to say, if the author didn't appeal to me already, the topic of this book certainly did! I so enjoyed reading about this transformation of Dillon's camper and envisioning it all in my head. The author does such a great job of describing those details that I could picture it so clearly. I certainly appreciated that, and I am certain that others who enjoy vintage trailers will also very much appreciate that too. But even those who could care less about the topic will still love the romance aspect too. It was lighthearted and fun, with humor and family drama mixed in to really make things interesting. I loved getting to know this unique cast of characters, and couldn't help but wish I didn't have to say goodbye to them so soon!

Overall, this was a great read... it's fast pace made it quick, easy and oh-so-enjoyable! Whether you love vintage campers or just enjoy a sweet romance, this will certainly be one worth checking out.