The Happy Camper

by Melody Carlson

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.

• ISBN13: 9780800737238
• Publish Date: 3 April 2020 (first published 3 March 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Imprint: Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[readingwithwrin]

My rating 2.5 stars
Thank you to Revell and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Like others have said Carlson's books seem to be hit or miss for me, and this one was a big mix of the two.
Dillion makes a quick decision one day after being left to wait at a restaurant by her longtime boyfriend to break up with him, and quit her job and move home.
Once at home though things don't exactly go as she was hoping they would. Her mom is now also living her grandpa again meaning that Dillion doesn't currently have a room and has to sleep on the couch.
Which brings us to the trailer that her grandpa remembers he has, and while it does need to be fixed up, he knows Dillion can do it.
So that's exactly what Dillion does and along the way, she meets several people in town and reconnects with old friends.

Overall I liked parts of this book. Dillion's grandpa was so nice, as well as her childhood friend. I loved the two girls that she helped teach how to swim and their uncle. Reading about how Dillion took the initiative and fixed up the trailer mostly on her own was interesting. It did surprise/annoy me that she didn't think about making sure the trailer itself was safe and just immediately started caring about the interior only. Caring about the structure itself seemed a little bit more important to me than interior designing but that's just me. Dillion herself though and her mom got on my nerves. They both acted like only there way was the right way and that got old.

Having said all that the vast majority of this book was sweet and I know a lot of people will enjoy it this one just wasn't for me.