Spring is upon us and I don’t know about you, but I am already dreaming of lazy days at the campground. I’ve got campfires and hammock reading on the mind. Melody Carlson spoke right to me with her latest novel, Looking for Leroy, where elementary teacher Brynna Phillips finds herself on a camping road trip with the not so warm and cuddly vice principal Sergeant Bart. Add that to the list of things in Brynna’s life that did not go as planned, along with a jerk of an ex-husband and a condo that doesn’t allow much space for the garden of her dreams. She’s not quite sure why she agreed to this road trip or the stranger they seemed to have picked up, Motorcycle Mike, but as the motley crew makes their way into California memories begin to pick at the edges of Brynna’s mind. Pulling into a campground that had been converted from the summer camp Brynna attended in high school, she begins to wonder what ever happened to the boy with the camera who made her smile so brightly.
Sparks are flying all around the campfire, but an idea begins to burn when Jan Barton and Motorcycle Mike hear about the boy from Brynna’s past. Before she knows what is really happening, they have picked up the game of Looking for Leroy, with little information except that his family owned a vineyard in California. As their own flame begins to burn, they are inspired to help Brynna reconnect with the one who got away. Upon finding their mark, a series of mishaps and mistruths lead to misunderstandings that pave the way to restoration for both the damaged vineyard and the relationship that just needed to be pruned and cared for in order to bear beautiful fruit.
Looking for Leroy by Melody Carlson is currently available from your favorite local bookseller or online:
Baker Bookhouse Christian Book Barnes & Noble Amazon
Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.
