Looking for Leroy

January 1, 2022

No one writes clean, contemporary romance quite like Carlson (The Happy Camper), who delivers another winner with this novel. Shy teacher Brynna Phillips's friends want to help her find Mr. Right online, but she's still beaten down by the betrayal and divorce of her husband of 20 years. Through a series of unlikely circumstances, Brynna winds up camping with one of the most feared teachers at the school. As the unlikely pair journey west, they decide to search for Brynna's summer camp love, Leroy, but all she remembers is that his family owned a vineyard. Meanwhile, Leroy Sorrentino is raising three daughters on his own and has sworn off all romance after the death of his wife, claiming he's too busy with work. VERDICT Hallmark will be salivating over this script. With plenty of humorous encounters, delightful misunderstandings, and realistic characters, this is one to hand to readers looking for a fun read with a hint of faith.--Christine Barth

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2022
Carlson's latest inspirational novel (Christmas in the Alps, 2020) is a sweet toast to second chances. Leroy and Brynna fell in love at camp nearly 30 years ago, only to have the relationship fade during their first year in college; unbeknownst to the other, both experienced major life events that derailed their expectations. Now Brynna, having sworn off men after her husband divorced her and married the other woman, makes an impromptu decision to join her coworker on a summer camping trip through Sonoma wine country. Leroy also married young, was widowed, and raised his three daughters alone while running his family's vineyard. Fond memories, deepening faith, and friends conspire to reunite the pair. Readers accustomed to inspirational romances featuring fresh twentysomethings will appreciate more mature protagonists who have lived life, loved, and lost, and who now have a chance to rekindle their first love. If, that is, they ever run into each other around Leroy's vineyard. Missed opportunities and misunderstandings abound in this heartwarming tale that's sure to appeal to Carlson's many fans.

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January 24, 2022
An unlucky-in-love third grade teacher embarks on an unexpected road trip in this charming romance from Carlson (A Christmas in the Alps). Brynna Philips, dejected after running into her ex-husband and his pregnant wife, accepts her coworker Jan’s invitation to drive down the West Coast with a camper. The trip sparks déjà vu for Brynna when they visit the campground she stayed at in high school, reviving memories of the teenage fling she’d had there with a fellow camper named Leroy. When Jan finds out about Leroy, she turns their road trip into a search for his family’s vineyard. Against the odds, they find it and Brynna stumbles into a job as their office manager, only she panics and gives them a false name, as she’s embarrassed to be pursuing a flame extinguished decades ago. What Jan calls “kismet” unravels when Leroy discovers who Brynna really is and assumes she’s up to no good. Brynna must find the confidence to share her feelings and give their love a second chance. Carlson is laugh-out-loud funny as she blends cringe comedy and heartwarming tenderness in a winning mixture. This sweet romance satisfies. Agent: Sara Fortenberry, Sara Fortenberry Literary Agency.