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 … 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.
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Solid 3.5–This is a fun story that had me wanting to restore a vintage trailer ASAP!
This story is my first Melody Carlson and I enjoyed it. From the very first page I was quickly captured by Dillon Michaels (it took me a hot minute to get used to her name) plight as she makes a quick decision so start over and move home. I loved Dillon’s grandpa as he reminded me very much of my own. I had a hard time with the other secondary characters, like Vivian who at first I thought was much older given her job and interests but then find out she’s younger and interested in Jordan, the handsome hardware store owner who’s sparked Dillon’s interest too.
This story was an easy read and I really enjoyed the renovation of the camper and had hoped to see more of that in Dillon’s story arc but it got a bit muddled with the wishy-washy issues between her, her ex-boyfriend, and new romance interest. In regards to the romance, there wasn’t much of it, which makes me think this story is mostly about Dillon’s personal growth but there’s still a lot of emotional back and forth by the final chapter and then a sudden declaration of love and I wish I could’ve seen more or experience more of that “love” between the two characters.
Overall, Melody Carlson has a great writing style and I would definitely look into more of her stories. I just felt like this story ended before it really began, leaving me wanting more of Dillon and Jordan.
***I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.***
Do you love stories that make you just want to jump into the book for awhile? Or do you love books where you get so into it that you almost feel like you are the main character? Then you’ll absolutely love this book. I am a big fan of Melody Carlson. She has written so many good books over the years and I can’t think of one I haven’t enjoyed. However, I think that this is one of my favorites especially one of my favorite non-Christmas ones. I am finding myself rooting for Dillon and wanting to scream at her mom whenever she’s clearly aggravating her daughter by dumping things on her or implying that her daughter doesn’t know what she wants in life. I love Dillon’s grandpa! And the interactions between Dillion and Jordan are just so funny that I can’t help but almost laugh out loud. If you buy this book, you won’t be disappointed. I fell for it as soon as I saw the cover but I still love it even after reading it. This is definitely a book where the inside matches the outside in terms of appeal.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson is an entertaining story. Dillon Michaels dumps her commitment phobic boyfriend and then loses her job within twenty-four hours. She has been unhappy with her life for a while and decides it is time to make a change. Dillon packs all her belonging into her car and heads for her grandfather’s farm in Silverdale, Oregon. She arrives to find her mother ensconced in her bedroom and finds her grandfather depressed (understandably) as well as lonely after the loss of his wife. Dillon cleans the house and then begins working on her grandmother’s garden. Sleeping on the couch, though, is taking a toll on her back. Her grandfather then gifts her a 1964 Aloha Oasis which Dillon is excited to fix up. She gets assistance from hardware store owner, Jordan. Their friendship has the potential to blossom into a romantic relationship until her ex-boyfriend, Brandon arrives in town intent on wooing her back. The Happy Camper is a fun story with some aggravating moments. Melody Carlson has an engaging writing style that draws the reader right into the story. Dillon Michaels is a likeable and realistic character. Alex, the grandfather, was a sweet man. He was kind and generous. Dillon and Jordan have a bumpy journey, but that is normal. All relationships have issues mostly from miscommunication and wrong perceptions. My favorite part of The Happy Camper is Dillon restoring the vintage trailer. It makes me want to go out and get one. I like how this tale shows realistic situations. Our journey in life can change at any moment as we see in The Happy Camper. As we grow older, we develop and grow as individuals. The Happy Camper is a feel-good Christian story with humor, family drama, and romance.
The Happy Camper was one of those books that you don’t want to see the end coming. I was swept up from the beginning and it only got better as I read along in the book. The writer, Melody Carlson is hoping for a movie to come from this book. I agree that it would make a great movie. But many times, or at least to this reader, movie versions seem different from the book and I’m quite often left disappointed because I preferred the book to the movie.
Have you ever had one of those days when everything goes against you and you wished you’d stayed in bed. Well Dillon Michaels, main character in The Happy Camper, had a very bad Friday. Now Friday’s are supposed to be a favorite day of the week but not this one. First of all on Friday evening her boyfriend shows up an hour and a half late for their dinner date. Giving up on him ever showing up she leaves the restaurant and here comes the late boyfriend, Brandon Kranze, wondering where she’s off to in such a hurry. The conversation doesn’t go well and she ends the two year relationship. Things definitely go from bad to worse when Dillon goes home to find her friend is entertaining a boyfriend in their apartment and all her food she just bought is gone. Next morning it gets worse when she loses her job, so she packs up and heads out of state to be with her elderly grandpa who is grief stricken by the loss of his wife just five months ago. Well when she gets there she finds her mother, Margot, is also there with grandpa and has claimed the spare bedroom. So it’s the couch for Dillon and sleepless nights. Has she made a terrible mistake in ditching Brandon? What kind of employment will Dillon find and where will she start over again?
Fans of Melody Carlson and readers of contemporary Christian Fiction will love this book. I highly recommend it and I’m sure you’ll be as delighted with it as I am .
I downloaded a Kindle ebook version of The Happy Camper to my Hoopla App. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
A fun, lighthearted story! Filled with quirky and lovable characters (except the mom), this book will have you laughing until you cry. I really want to restore a little camper of my own after reading this! It was almost like watching a renovation show with a comedic twist, loved it!
I really enjoyed this story. It seemed to move along so nice and easy, like a really good movie. The setting of the story was perfect, a small close-knit town near a lake (& a campground).
I liked the little old vintage trailers and how Dillon was able to ‘remodel’ her trailer to make it her own and still reflect her Grandmother’s gifts and memory.
I loved the close relationship between Dillon and her grandfather. I knew right away that Dillon and Jordan were meant to be together. All of the characters were relatable.
This is a feel-good, quick weekend read and it has just enough Christian elements included in the story.
Dillon is ditching her job and her non-committal boyfriend to spend time with her lonely grandfather in another state. She stops the night and stays in a camper trailer park and falls in love with the idea of a vintage trailer. When she gets to her grandfather’s farm she finds her mom already there and occupying Dillon’s old bedroom. A lumpy couch is all that’s left for her to sleep on.
The fun begins when her grandfather gives her an old vintage trailer to restore. Wow, Dillon’s mom is a piece of work. I loved the grandfather and Jordan, her new love interest. Jordan offers to help her restore the trailer. And when the old boyfriend shows up….
My interest piqued when I read the title of the book. My husband and I have an RV and we go camping every chance we get. So I naturally enjoy any book with even a hint of camping in it. A very enjoyable read!
This book was a personal purchase and I was not required to write a review.
I listened to this in audio and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an easy listen, and the story was well developed.
This was a quick light romance read. I liked the idea of the vintage camper playing a role in the story. Dillon was somewhat adrift after she arrived at her grandfather’s farm and it was fun to watch her fall in love with her little home on wheels. Full review is at my website.
Woman gets tried of boyfriend treating her like a doormat and breaks it off. The her boss tries to force her to work on her day off with no notice again. So now that she is unemployed she goes on a long delayed trip to visit Grandpa. Along the way she exposed to the dark side of vintage campers. She finds a new love interest. The Ex. stalks her. She fixes up a 56 year old camper in about five minutes.
It is a really great story. My wife is reading it now.
The Happy Camper was a fun, quick read. Not much depth or romance and a little too much of a Christian vibe for me but still…cute. I think I enjoyed the vintage camp trailer aspect of the story the most. I live in a vintage camper but mine is a long way from being finished out like Dillon’s and it offered me hope. 🙂
The trailer needs help…but, so does her life…
So, I picked this book for 3 main reasons. #1. It’s a Melody Carlson book, need I say more? #2. Because the quirky title caught my attention. #3. Because isn’t it just the cutest cover? And trust me when I say that The Happy Camper was everything I thought it would be, and maybe just a little bit more.
This story is by turns sweet, poignant, charming, convicting, and just plain adorable. It reminded me of only the best Hallmark movies that I’ve enjoyed. A little comedy, a little drama, a little romance, and a whole lotta fun. I laughed out loud. I wanted to shake some sense into the characters. I sympathized with Dillon’s grandfather’s desire for real food and not seaweed or kale chips. Basically, I just flat out enjoyed myself immensely.
If you like Melody Carlson’s quirky romances you are going to love The Happy Camper. It has all of her trademark wonderfulness in its surprisingly quick to read 350+ pages. You really can’t go wrong picking this story and if it’s in your TBR stack it should go right to the top.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
I picked this book up because of the cute vintage travel trailer on the cover. It was so inviting and made me want to see what this book was about. I have never read any books by Melody Carlson before and found that she had an easy writing style. The story was engaging and easy to read. I liked the characters especially Dillon and her grandfather. I liked the setting of the book, a farm just outside a small town where everyone knows each other. Dillon hasn’t lived there for many years, but returns after a call from her mother and some things that happen in her own life. I liked the descriptions of all of the travel trailers and Dillon’s journey to restore one herself. I enjoyed the story but felt that the ending was a little rushed. I will definitely pick up another book by this author.
“There’s no place like home.” The Happy Camper is an uplifting story about a young woman trying to sort out her life after losing her job and boyfriend in the same afternoon. Dillon leaves Colorado and goes back to her hometown in Oregon. I enjoyed the closeness and sweet bond between Dillon and her Grandfather. And Margot, Dillon’s mom, shows how family can be different and still be loving and respectful to one another. And such a fun, sweet
romance. And let’s not forget the cute, vintage trailers. Dillon made rehabbing the trailers sound like an enjoyable experience, and for her life-changing! I can’t wait to try this kind of camping!
The cover? A plus. It is so adorable!
The plot/story line idea? A plus.
The carrying out of the plot/story line? ::Resists the urge to rant.:: I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I felt that it was cliche, and not for me. (WHY is there not another word for “cliche”?! My use of it is getting cliche!) But, I am one hundred percent sure that others will love it! Part of my dislike for The Happy Camper came from the high dislike I had for Dillon’s ex, he was not all that smart and really didn’t get the hint that she was not going to get back together with him. I understand that there are people that don’t get a hint but he was so, so, so, so, so super dense and I found the three of them to be awkward.
The characters? Not my favorite, I just didn’t relate to them. I am not saying they weren’t developed, I’m saying they weren’t characters I understood.
The whole part of fixing up the camper was so stinkin’ cool, I loved, loved, loved the descriptions, and I loved the way the author just pulled that part all together.
The potential, though? There was a lot of potential. I just didn’t see it as a good or redemptive read and I don’t even remember if there was spiritual content.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Melody Carlson’s The Happy Camper follows Dillon Michaels on a journey of self discovery. Always responsible, she worked hard in her career and was loyal to a relationship she thought would lead to a loving marriage. As the pieces of her plans fall one by one like a juggler’s balls, it dawns on her that her that she needs a big change. Her last straw moment became the catalyst she needed to let Mr. not-so-right-after all and that empty job behind to help her lonely grandfather on his farm.
I enjoyed this book, first because it was written by Melody Carlson. She has the gift of developing characters who may need a nudge to see just how good life can be if they are if pointed in the right direction. Dillon Michaels is a good example of a young woman who gives all to her job and boyfriend, but forgets to live the life she was designed to live. Starting over is scary but sometimes, looking back one can’t help but wonder why they didn’t do it sooner.
Secondly, this book is entertaining. Restoring the vintage Oasis trailer is a metaphor of Dillon’s life. She was tired and feeling a bit neglected. Underneath all of the dust and old paint was a beauty ready to show how much life was underneath. Dillon found a gift she didn’t expect to find in the middle of this restoration. She had to leave her Colorado life behind to see that her life was right where she left it behind on her family’s farm.
I will admit that I did not look at Craigslist for a camper, I am a lake girl at heart. I did, however, scour the net on the subject and the first picture I found showed the exact colors of Dillon’s little Oasis, complete with burnt orange appliances. From now on, when I see the vintage trailers on the road, taking the glampers to congregate, I will have a new appreciation for their journey. I recommend this book without hesitation to anyone who enjoys entertaining, Christian fiction. Thank you to NetGalley.com for this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a fun story to read. In one short weekend, Dillon breaks up with her long-time boyfriend and unexpectedly gets fired from her job. She packs everything up and leaves to visit her beloved grandfather. While visiting there, her grandfather gives her a vintage camper to restore. The handsome and single hardware owner, Jordan, becomes interested in Dillon’s project and decides to help her along with the restoration. It isn’t long before they realize they have much more in common besides the camper. But their road to romance has many bumps along the way, and that makes their story an entertaining one to follow. It’s also interesting following Dillon’s progress on restoring the camper. I loved the details that went into it.
Dillon is a likable character. Although she’s very responsible and dedicated to helping her grandfather, when it comes to romance she’s
as insecure as a junior high girl. I liked both Dillon and Jordan, and I think you will, too. There’s a nice emphasis throughout the story on trusting God to show your path in life.
My only complaint about this book is that I thought there needed to be an epilogue to the story. This is a full length novel, but it seemed to come to an abrupt end. If this is the first book of a series, this ending would be fine, but if not, I would have liked a little more closure with some of the other characters.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
When I first saw the cover for The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson I knew I had to read this book. I mean, it’s got to be one of the cutest covers ever! I’m torn though on how to adequately review this story. On the one hand, the storyline and pacing make The Happy Camper an easy and enjoyable read. But on the other hand, there are a few things that just didn’t sit well with me, and that left me a little disappointed. To make this review simple, I’m just going to quickly bullet-point my likes and struggles.
LIKES
Dillon’s Grandpa is an excellent character. I loved everything about him. Grandpa alone is worth reading this unique story. His love for his granddaughter is obvious right from the start, but what I love the most about his character is his ability to see Dillon. He gets her! He sees all her hard work, her pain, frustrations, and anger. He also sees her spunk, creativity, and passion. Plus, he is always there for Dillon in a way no one else really is. Grandpa is an endearing character I won’t soon forget!
I absolutely love the campers in this story and want one right now! Watching Dillon undertake the job of cleaning out, rebuilding, and remodeling her little camper is the BEST part of this story. I enjoyed the attention to detail that Carlson put into these parts of the story. It felt like I was with Dillon the first time she saw — and smelled — her camper. When she went to the Silver Slipper to make her cute purchases, I was right there with Dillon. And, when it was all said and done, I could easily visualize The Desert Rose in all her camper glory! Who knew reading about campers could be so much fun?!
STRUGGLES
I absolutely hated Dillon’s ex-boyfriend. He is a creepy stalker. He made me so uncomfortable I wanted to stop reading the novel. When someone says, “NO!” they mean “NO!” I understand that the idea is for him to be a conflict that gets between Dillon and Jordan, but it did NOT work for me. I didn’t see him as a character that moved the plot forward. He just mega-creeped me out.
Dillon is a frustrating heroine. I had to keep reminding myself that she was in her 30s because she very rarely came off as an adult. Often, she felt like she was a 19-year old. Randomly, and without any real cause, Dillon would fly into these odd jealous moments, which made her seem incredibly immature. And, they didn’t make sense. If she just would have communicated with others, half of these weird jealous fits would never have been. Because of these jealous fits and her immaturity, I struggled really hard to relate to Dillon, and that was disappointing.
In my book, The Happy Camper is a solid 3-STAR story. The plot is engaging and fast-paced. There are some really quirky and sweet characters throughout. And, the campers are fabulous. I want to go camping ASAP! But I did have enough struggles with some parts of this novel to keep me from rating it higher than 3-STARS.
I purchased a review copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on April 6, 2020, in order to review. I also received a paperback copy of this book from the publisher, Revell, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
After losing her job and her boyfriend, Dillon Michaels heads back to the place she’s always known as home, her grandparents’ farm in Oregon where she grew up. Her grandpa lives there alone since her grandma passed away about a year earlier. Deciding that her grandpa could use some help and cheering up, she says goodbye to her roommates and heads to Oregon where she plans to spend quality time with her grandfather while figuring out what she should do with her life. But when she gets there she discovers that her elusive mother has beaten her to it. Dillon’s comfy little room has been taken over by her mom who’s experiencing relationship troubles of her own, and Dillon is relegated to the lumpy couch. This, she decides, will not work. As she contemplates leaving the farm, her grandfather surprises her with an old, rundown camper that Dillon sees as a diamond in the rough that she can fix up and live in while staying on the farm. She’s beginning to feel super excited about fixing up her camper, the handsome hardware store owner, and the progress she’s making on the strained relationship she has with her mother. Things are looking up. But when her ex-boyfriend shows up unexpectedly, proclaiming his undying love at a very inopportune time, could his crazy antics cause Dillon to lose out on the prospect of a new love?
I truly enjoyed The Happy Camper. It didn’t hurt that I love everything associated with RVing and cute little vintage campers. So when I saw this book I knew I had to read it, and I was not disappointed. It contained so much that made my little heart happy—sweet romance, camp trailers, a farm, an adoring grandfather, a contrite mother, a cute set of young twin girls and so much more. I read intently and envisioned one old, neglected camp trailer carefully restored, inside and out, and then meticulously decorated to appease the new owner, who made it into a cozy, cute living space for herself. I could picture the interior with its turquoise and orange accessories and original appliances. It was a vintage camper-lover’s dream book! The pace of the book was even with many sweet scenes that brought a smile to my face. And although it ended a bit abruptly, it contained all the makings for a lovely story that was fun and uplifting.
Thank you, Revell Reads, for an ARC of The Happy Camper. All opinions expressed about it are my own.
This story starts out in Colorado, and then takes us to Silverdale Oregon. Dillon leave Colorado behind after breaking up with her boyfriend of 2 years, Brandon and losing her job. She’s looking forward to being back with her Grandpa on the farm and immediately takes to cleaning and straightening up the place. Her mother, Margot, Vivian, Chelsea, Janelle and Grandpa are what I’d call minor main characters. Jordan is the local feed and hardware store owner and is the other main character. Getting a trailer to fix up is something Dillon dives right into with excitement. Fun story, with some tension within the farm dynamics. Another easy to get into, lighthearted read from this author. Thoroughly enjoyed the story.
A complimentary copy was provided by Revell. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.