Charlotte Figg takes over Paradise (book review)

This is a fun little read. I had some issues with it, but I'll get to those in a moment. Charlotte Figg's husband Herman dies and she buys a trailer in Paradise, from an ad in a magazine. She was married for 26 years and Herman made all of the decisions and well, she was in need of some practice - she was the victim of a bait and switch. The trailer is a disaster, but she and her dog Lucky move stay after meeting some of the people of Paradise.  It seems the trailer park is in a rut or scared and it takes a new arrival to shake things up and shake, rattle and stir the pot Charlotte does. She organizes a women's softball team. She befriends everyone and convinces people to stop hiding. There are many many secrets in Paradise.  This is a Christian novel with a lot of "preaching" woven in. So if hearing about Jesus and church isn't your thing, you might not like this book, but the story is good and the message is better.  I had a few problems with the story; the first being the time period. I originally thought it was set in the present, but then realized it wasn't, but I tried to figure out the time period and finally have it narrowed down to the early 70s. I had to doing some figurin' to come to that conclusion. Sometimes, I felt that the Christian references were too structured, almost as if they were put in but then not refined. People just don't speak like pamphlets - at least not in Paradise. It almost made them sound, mentally challenged at time. I think the author was trying to hammer home those points, but she didn't need too. Most people who will read this won't need the message hammered home and those who are non-believers aren't going to want it beaten in.  I enjoyed the book. It was fun and the characters were likable. I hope Magnin writes another Charlotte Figg book.  Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise: A Novel of Bright's Pond (Bright's Pond #2)