Melody Carlson
Revell, 2022
304 pages
Amazon Description:
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. Jan insists they look for him, and the search begins.
Beyond the slim chance they’d ever be able to find him are questions that have haunted Brynna for decades, including What is the point of digging up the past? and Can Leroy ever forgive me for losing touch?
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Thanks to the Revell Reads program for sending me a copy of ‘Looking for Leroy’ so that I could be part of the promotional tour for this book!
If you are a fan of sweet, clean romances then Melody Carlson is your girl. I’ve read one or two of her Christmas stories as well as The Happy Camper (which totally made me want to restore a vintage camper) and now I’m here to tell you about Looking for Leroy.
The thing that most makes Looking for Leroy unique is that the love story centers around an older couple. This second chance romance follows Brynna, a divorced elementary school teacher, and Leroy, a widower with grown children, as they reconnect mostly by chance at his family vineyard nearly thirty years after a summer camp romance. They have to navigate their shared and separate pasts as they decide if they can have a future together now, and there is plenty of baggage on both sides.
This is first and foremost a story about family and belonging. Leroy’s adult children, his grandchildren, his mother, and his sister all play roles in his life. Brynna longs for this level of connection and quickly forms a bond with Leroy’s oldest daughter that is very sweet. There are also elements of found family in Looking for Leroy, as Brynna’s friends come alongside her and push her to take a chance on love and reach for the great plans God has for her. This is a very hopeful, uplifting read that I highly recommend!