Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I laughed out loud, and I even might have shed a tear or two!

Brynne and Leroy met at a camp when they were in high school. After camp was over, they wrote letters back and forth to each other, but then life got in the way.

Decades later, their paths crossed again, and they picked up where they left off.....sort of.

I really enjoyed this story and would highly recommend, if you're looking for a hug from a book!

Interesting premise by an excellent writer. I recommend for those interested in romantic fiction and stories that keep you guessing!

Looking for Leroy, by Melody Carlson, tells the tale of what happens when Brynna Phillips decides to spend her summer break camping with Jan, her school’s vice-principal. It Is not as simple a trip as you would
have imagined!

As a friendship begins to grow between these co-workers, they come upon a campground that Bryanna attended as a high schooler. She has so many memories about a boy named Leroy Sorrentino. This duo sets out on a mission to find this piece of Bryanna’s past!

When Bryanna finally locates Leroy, you wonder if they will be able to recreate what they have left behind!

I have read many books by Melody Carlson. She’s an author I really enjoy, especially her Christmas stories. Recently, I read The Happy Camper and loved it. Couldn’t put it down. I opened the pages of Looking for Leroy with the same excitement and expectation. Unfortunately, this book did not rise to the level of her past stories.

I enjoyed the beauty of the Sorrentino vineyard, Leroy’s interactions with his girls, and a family pulling together to make their business survive. I’d love to go on a camping adventure like these gals, and the story’s concept really appealed to me. I could empathize with a young and dumb Brynna who never intended for her life to become so derailed. I felt her pain of looking at her 40+-year-old self and wondering if this was it. Was this the life she would eke out for the rest of her days? However, there were several inconsistencies throughout the story. I tracked each one down because I wondered if I was wrong. I’m including a brief description of the plot holes I found.

Brynna seems confused about Jan, her coworker, and her adventure guide. At the beginning of the book, Brynna knows that Jan’s husband has died. She offers that Jan is a widow. A few pages later, Brynna is shocked that Jan and her husband weren’t divorced and that he had passed away. Then there’s Leroy, the guy they are looking for. He states early in the book that he wanted to be a lawyer and was inspired by LA Law. When we meet the two main characters at camp, there’s no mention of law. He plans to be a photographer, while Brynna wants to be a journalist. We find out later why she strays from that path, but there’s no reason for the change in Leroy’s career aspirations. The final inconsistency involves the timeline of Brynna’s breakup with Leroy and the surrounding events (which I will leave vague so that I don’t spoil anything). According to the description, she should be in her senior year of high school when we meet young Brynna at camp. However, later when she reveals the details around breaking up with Leroy, Brynna mentions it was during her first year of college.

In addition to these plot holes, I found the storyline hard to believe. Brynna and Jan were out for an adventure, but I couldn’t buy the way their story unfolded. It felt forced and a bit high school romance level. That feeling continued for me when Brynna arrived at Leroy’s vineyard. I was cheering for her and Leroy, but I didn’t feel like they could have gotten from point A to point B with what we know of their interactions. It was just too easily resolved with all the angst we lived through with them.

Despite this book not hitting the mark for me, I love Melody Carlson’s books. I will happily pick up her other titles and heartily recommend them.

I was given an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from Revell through Interviews & Reviews.

I have enjoyed every book I've read by Melody Carlson, and Looking for Leroy did not disappoint. Brynna and Leroy are good, likable characters who have navigated tough times in their lives and find themselves with a second chance at love. I really appreciate the maturity and depth of the main characters, and, though they do seems to have some boundary issues with friends and family members, they are both able to figure out how to be true to themselves as the story progresses. While I did not find most of the supporting characters very likable, the detailed descriptions of the scenery were absolutely amazing. From the broader details of the Sonoma County setting and Leroy's family vineyard, to the smaller details of flowers and even food, this book made really made me want to travel to wine county.

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing the opportunity to review this book.

I’m a fan of Melody Carlson and when I saw this title, well, I must admit, I knew I would love it. Looking for Leroy was a delightful romance with depth and bittersweet lessons about forgiveness, fear, and second chances.
And the setting of Sonoma County vineyards? Even more reason I was going to love this book as we once lived a few miles away.

Brynna and Leroy met years ago, had a sweet summer romance at a Christian camp, then went their separate ways hopeful they could make their long-distance relationship work. Unfortunately, Brynna went back to her cad-of-a boyfriend and subsequently “Dear John’d” Leroy while he was at college.

Years later Brynna, a teacher, now divorced and forced to watch her dreams stolen by her ex’s younger wife, is talked into a road trip by a no-nonsense kind-of-sort-of friend. When she learns the plan is to visit Sonoma County wineries, Brynna can’t get Leroy out of her mind. Pestered by her friend until Brynna gives in, Brynna allows a bit of fantasy inside her broken heart. What if they could find Leroy?

Leroy, a widower, pressured into dropping out of college to take over the family winery has settled into a comfortable routine—albeit noisy with three opinionated daughters, his mother, and sister. One of his daughters runs across an envelope of photos—photos lovingly photographed by her father—of a strange woman. The moment Leroy opens that envelope he opens the old wounds of lost love and can’t stop thinking of the woman he loved and lost.

When the intrepid travelers find Leroy’s vineyard—after visiting nearly every winery in the county—a series of crazy misunderstandings lands Brynna a job as the vineyard’s general manager.
Carlson takes us on a joy ride filled with a plausible plot, woven with whimsical moments. And I WANT that little cottage!

I highly recommend to anyone who wants a page-turning romance that is poignant and as sweet as the ripened grapes on the vine. [Note: those who are uncomfortable with the drinking of wine should know there is little reference to the imbibing.]

I received a copy of this book from #NETGALLEY and Revell for my honest review.

Brynna Phillips, a teacher from Oregon, is on summer vacation and a friend convinces her to go on a camping road trip with her. As they head into the Sonoma Wine Country, Brynna tells her friend about a teenage crush in this area at a summer camp Brynna attended. Leroy was a local youth that also attended the camp and there was an instant attraction.. She discovers that the RV park they are stopping at is the old camp and more memories are stirred. Her friend comes up with the idea of looking up Leroy and catching up.

This is a fun story and well written. I also learned a little bit about the area there.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Looking for Leroy follows Brynna, who is feeling down on her luck after a recent breakup. To help pick herself up, Brynna joins her friend, Jan, on a Wine Country camping trip. In addition to the escape and break from her circumstances, Brynna also hopes to reunite with her first love, Leroy, along the way.

Looking for Leroy is the kind of book that I am generally drawn to. Give me a road trip/camping trip with a potential love story thrown in the mix and I am all in. I liked Brynna as a main character and found it easy to get engaged in her story. The Wine Country was a great setting for the book, and I loved reading about her search for Leroy. The book had a great writing style, with a dual POV that intertwined as time went on. Looking for Leroy is well-rounded romance novel and one that I would recommend to readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

The story of Brynna and Leroy is heart-touching and realistic. The two met at a camp when Brynna was in high school but haven’t been in touch for years, since Brynna married the man she calls Dirk the Jerk. Dirk left her for a younger woman and now Brynna is feeling like life has passed her by. When her friend from school Jan asks her to go on a summer camping adventure with her, Bryanna reluctantly agrees, so the two set off from Oregon together. Brynna shares with Jan about her long ago love named Leroy whose family owned a vineyard, so Jan makes it her mission to find Leroy and see that he and Brynna are reunited. I enjoyed all of the characters and especially liked the descriptions of California wine country. The author made the places come alive, especially Leroy’s vineyard with its lovely sunrises, sunsets and rolling hills with vineyards. My favorite character was Leroy’s daughter Sophie who loved and accepted people as they were, without expecting perfection. She was also quick to forgive and an example to her sisters Gina and Luna. I was impressed with the realistic way the relationship between Leroy and Brynna was rolled out, slowly and with a lot of obstacles in the way, just like in real life. The plot was well-paced, telling the story of a second chance at love for both the protagonists as well as for the Leroy’s family. Told with vivid details and a knowledge of vineyards and camping, this is a story that was a real pleasure to read and to recommend to others.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Looking for Leroy is a fun story of second chances. Brynna and Leroy met years ago, had a sweet summer love, then went their seperate ways. Brynna went back to old boyfriend and Leroy off to college. Life went on and years later Brynna, now divorced has a chance to reconnect with Leroy, a widower. That's when a set of mishaps throws them together. I enjoyed this story so much. The vineyard setting is described as beautiful, I'm not a fan of drinking alcohol, but Carlson sets limits within the story. As usual Carlson writes an entertaining story, but this time about an older couple trying to figure out if love is worth the risk. I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.

Looking for Leroy was a sentimental book written by Melody Carlson. This book brought back memories of camps I attended in high school and the letters I wrote to people that I met. I had a tough time putting it down.
Brynna Philips was a third-grade teacher that was looking to start a balcony garden at her condo over the summer. Her ex-husband had not allowed them to purchase a house with a yard when they were married. She wanted to grow something over the summer. Jan, a fellow teacher had just purchased a small RV trailer and a new vehicle to pull it and she was going camping over the summer. Brynna was stepping out of her comfort zone to start the garden. When she sees her ex with his new, very pregnant wife at the garden center, she loses it. Jan comes to the center that day and sees Brynna. She rescues her and suggests that Brynna accompany her on the camping adventure to the coast of Oregon and then down into Sonoma wine country and ending at Yosemite. Brynna reluctantly agreed to the trip.
The first campground on the trip was at the Surfside RV resort which had been the exact location of the camp Brynna attended when she was in high school. That brought back memories of her time there and the boy that she had made a connection with, Leroy. She could not remember his full name but Jan suggested that since they are going to Sonoma wine country, perhaps they could find Leroy whose family had owned a winery.
I highly recommend this Melody Carlson book. She once again delivers on a wonderful read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #LookingForLeroy #MelodyCarlson

Melody Carlson's Looking for Leroy was a good read. It is not my favorite I have read by her but definitely worth reading. Three and a half stars.

I have to say, I am genuinely quite ashamed of myself that I haven't previously read any books by Melody Carlson, and I can't even recall reading any books in the second-chance romance trope. And then Looking for Leroy came along and changed all of that at once.

I wouldn't just categorise Looking for Leroy as simply a romance, because I do think there was a lot of depth within the novel, and a lot of avenues developed. It was so much more in that there was a lot more depth to the characters and their lives, and although the romance was definitely a massive part of the story, it wasn't like that was the ONLY thing driving this book. I loved the second-chance romance, and I found it truly heartwarming. It was beyond sweet reading about the characters, and almost getting giddy with excitement as we were left wondering whether their second chance at love would actually work out.

Overall, I have to say I genuinely enjoyed reading this book. It was a sweet, light-hearted romance, and a quick read. And most of all, this is literally the stuff of a Hallmark movie, and I would LOVE watching it. Carlson knows how to write in a way that beautifully captivates her readers, leaving us excited with anticipation for what's to come in the chapters ahead. Looking for Leroy is the perfect read to not only get you out of a reading slump, but also a comforting read that will fill you with love and hope.

Looking for Leroy is the first book I’ve read by author Melody Carlson, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this second-chance love story. We meet Brynna on her last day of teaching during the current school year. She’s newly divorced and trying to start over with her life after heartbreak. After hearing everything about a co-worker’s summer RV trip, she decides to tag along and enjoy camping and the open road. This trip quickly brings up memories of Leroy and the summer they spent together when they were teenagers. Brynna can’t help but wonder what Leroy is doing now.

Leroy has lived a very fulfilling life owning his family winery and growing a family of his own with kids and grandkids. He’s busy with the winery and his daughters, but one of his daughters finds old letter and photos he can’t help but wonder what ever happened to Brynna. Little does he know his summer camp romance will be coming back around in the most unexpected way.

Looking for Leroy is an absolute gem. I found myself excited and anxious for what would happen next with every new chapter. Leroy and Brynna shared a sweet romance all those years ago and we wonder if they may get a second chance at love. Author Melody Carlson knows how to write a captivating story that can be read by all ages and cherished for a lifetime. I found myself really enjoying every character and wanting to know more about each of their lives. I was so happy to find out that there will be more books in this series. I will be waiting patiently for her next book, Happy Camper. If you’re looking for a clean, sweet romance full of love and faith, Looking for Leroy is the book you’re looking for.

Looking for Leroy features Brynna, a divorced school teacher with no plans for the summer, and Leroy, a widowed vintner with three grown daughters. Brynna and Leroy met at a summer camp as teenagers, had a two week romance, wrote a few letters, and never saw each other again. Now, with summer before her and a very pushy friend, Brynna is looking for Leroy.

The concept is solid, but the execution is lacking. Brynna has no backbone at all. Friends and strangers alike can talk her into doing anything they think she should do and she goes along with it. Leroy has a similar problem. His daughters and their friends take over his house and he sneaks around to avoid them. The dialog is occasionally clunky and even juvenile at times. As someone the age of these characters, I found myself rolling my eyes at some of their antics and conversations.

This is a clean romance with no profanity or violence. Suitable for any age. These are people of generic faith, and prayer is mentioned throughout, but this is not Christian fiction.

Overall, this is an average book that could have been better.

Looking for Leroy is my favourite book of the year. As soon as I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down and read this book continuously for 3 days between eating, sleeping and cooking meals. I love all the characters in the book and didn’t want the book to end. This 📕 book would make a great Hallmark movie and I predict it has a very good chance of seeing it on your tv screen in the next few years. This book let me escape from the real pandemic world and my anxious self and thank goodness for 📚 books. Thank you Melody for this wonderful book and readers will not be disappointed when they read this book. Bravo Melody and I look forward to reading your next great read.👏❤️🇨🇦🥰📚🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

A delightful second chance romance. Many engaging and enjoyable characters. Sweet story. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Over the years Melody Carlson has become one of my very favorite authors, and I know I can always count on her to deliver a sweet and clean contemporary story with heartfelt characters and a plot that will leave me not wanting to put it down. Her newest story is a heartwarming second chance romance with a beautiful vineyard setting, and an animated cast of secondary characters.

I've long appreciated how Melody often includes older characters as her main protagonists, as it's not something too common in Christian fiction. Looking for Leroy tells the story of Brynna and Leroy who met thirty years ago as teenagers at a church camp, and quickly fell for one another. Soon after, life got in the way and they went their separate ways. It's only been recently that they've started thinking of one another again, and when Brynna's co worker Jan invites her along on a camping trip that ends up being in the same area as Leroy's winery, things quickly get out of control. Brynna ends up accepting a job at his winery, and he has no idea. With everything working against them, it'll take a big leap of faith to give romance a second try, and the reader will enjoy every moment of Brynna and Leroy's heartfelt journey to finding love once again.

Melody Carlson is a brilliant storyteller, and I love how her stories truly come to life on the page for her readers. While this one is definitely predictable, I still wholeheartedly enjoyed it, and I loved the vineyard setting and the emphasis on family and friendship that's illustrated throughout. I also loved how effortlessly the faith element is blended in with the rest of the story, and it made a great story even better.

My only small complaint was I thought the back and forth between the main characters was a little annoying and definitely went on longer than it needed to. However, overall I really enjoyed this one, and will be highly recommending it. It definitely reminded me of The Happy Camper which is one of my all time favorite Melody Carlson stories.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow I really loved this book and highly recommend it but I don't know where to start without spoilers so this is A VERY GOOD READ. It starts out with some teachers talking about summer break plans. This story is Brianna a teacher and Jan the principal. Jan buys camper and on a whim she asks Brianna to go with her and off they go . Telling you anything else will given it all away. So if you like this author , you should definitely read it as it is one of her best.

This was a sweet book. I did feel like it was a bit unbelievable but sometimes that’s the best thing about fiction. I liked leroys character but I didn’t love everyone else. I did love the winery/vineyard setting