Loved this dynamic book. The words wrapped around my heart like angel wings. 

It was a book I could not put down ... but sleep overtook me and choice was taken away !!! Riddled ... there is more than one emotional romance storyline happening here ... stirring from the past ... and unfolding in the present ... and moving forward .... a roller coast ride at times kept me gripping on to what might happen next. 

When this book is released I am definitely getting this book for my Mom to read ... she will love it too. !!!

A positive plus, each chapter heading was assigned with a character name. ...  helped organize my thoughts moving forward into each chapter ! 

I enjoyed meeting and getting to know Beth and Sam. 
Sunshine made me smile. 
Imagined the magnificent artwork ! 

I enjoyed the music... loved the music.... Happiness ! 
Sharing gifts of ones talents.
Friendships ... heartfelt meddling matchmaking ... yes a wonderful thing , but not all snag free.
Bumps in the roads. 
Family rifts are complicated .
Family and friendship ... and a child mindful with a powerful heart. 
Faithful folks. 
Forgiveness and healing.
I am looking forward to visiting with Beth and Sam again during the next stopover in the series.

This is a  book with heart from cover to cover. 
Much gratitude on receiving this e-arc in exchange for an honest review... with no strings attached. ... except my heart is attached to this storyline forever. !

Sam and Beth.  Two simple, old-fashioned names.  Thatbis how this book felt, too... old-fashioned, but in a good way.

Sam and Beth are set up on a blind date that does not end on a positive note.  Then, on the way home, Bethnis in a terrible car accident and Sam witnesses it all.  He begins to visit the hospital to see Beth, then one thing leads to another and Bam! They seem to be in a relationship.

The beginning of the book is weird.  It starts with the accident, then the reader realizes it sort of is a flashback.  This is a perfect example of pot editing.  Except for that, the book doesn't miss a step.

If Not for You, the third entry in Debbie Macomber’s New Beginnings series, is a sweet tale of romance which interweaves several different characters, their lives and relationships. 
Ms. Macomber never seems to disappoint me.  Her ability to pull the reader directly into a story to really get to know her characters is nothing short of amazing.  At the end of one of her novels, I always feel like I've been given a huge hug.  A pretty nice reward for an outstanding story.
Many thanks to Random House - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this delightful story in exchange for my honest opinion.

Okay, so this in this sort-of sequel to A Girl's Guide to Moving On, we get the story of Beth and Sam, two people who couldn't be more different. Beth is the prim and proper teacher, and Sam is a foul-mouthed mechanic. The two couldn't be more different and are set up by Nichole and *not* Rocco (according to him). No sparks fly until after Beth's accident, which turns their lives both upside down. Sam's life is transformed and Beth finally feels like she has something worth fighting for. This story was uplifting and cute, and the quirks within the characters make the story seem more real. My favorite parts of this story are the fact that we get to see not only Sam and Beth's points of view, but we also get to see Sunshine's perspective and how she going through life with her own lost love. I got through this story quickly, it's hard to put down once you start. The characters are all people that we've encountered in our own lives, or perhaps may be in their shoes currently. The story Macomber writes is one that tugs at the heartstrings and has so much love written into it, it's a perfect read for a girl right before Valentine's Day. Although this won't get published until next month,  I really appreciate the opportunity to have a chance to read it before it comes out.

What a sweet story! I love it being a spin off of "A girls guide to moving on" but with its own complete story line. Sam and Beth are destined to be together....or are they?  Read this incredible story of courage, love and second chances to find out!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30408332-if-not-for-you

I typically enjoy Debbie Macomber books and If Not For You did not disappoint. The characters are likeable and believable. I did have trouble understanding how a 25 year old could be so innocent about the world and so controlled by her mother. Then I read about her mother. Yikes! As with most of Macomber's books there is a main conflict but then there are several subplots that draw you in. Plus you never know which character will provide the next new book for Macomber! I can highly recommend this book for true Macomber fans. If you aren't familiar with her work then this is a good book to start with. You won't be sorry!

What is it about bad boys.  Beth finds herself drawn to Sam after initially thinking they have nothing in common.  Sam is not quite the bad boy he appears; don't draw conclusions by someone's looks alone!  I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two as they try to figure out how they really feel about each other.  Then you add the dynamics of the remainder of Beth's family, her Aunt Sunshine and her mother, and you have a very satisfying couple of hours curled up on the sofa with a cup of hot chocolate!

Sweet story with a happy ending. No vulgar language or inappropriate content.

Beth and Sam was set up on a blind date by a friend but nothing happened that was good at the dinner but a few minutes later when a accident happened things changed almost instantly and they became close each and every day. Beth has the need to heal broken hearts so she did it a few times without knowing the hurt, and even though she may have done it the wrong way it was the only way.

This was such a cute, good book. I enjoyed the characters, their story, the interesting way they met and how their story unfolds. Lots of emotions with each and every page. Grab coffee and kleenex!

Such a great read.  I enjoyed the story & getting to know the characters, in this book.  Definitely kept my interest; I finished it in only a few days' time.   I feel like there might be a follow up to this one, and if there were, I'd be looking for it!   What a great book -  Lighthearted, feel good... and some things I feel like many of us experienced in life.

I have read one other book by Debbie Macomber, "The Twelve Days of Christmas", which I quite enjoyed. So I decided to check out "If Not For You".

On the positive side, I love hurt/comfort stories, so the premise of this one, about a heroine (Beth) who is in a bad car accident, and the man who helps save her, appealed to me. I really liked the start of the novel, with these two mismatched characters (she's a genteel music teacher and he's a blue collar mechanic) coming together in the aftermath of her car accident.  I also liked the subplot of Beth's aunt and the love she lost long ago. Beth's parents were interesting, and the mother made a good, and not entirely unsympathetic villain. The writing was also good and easy to read.

On the not so great side, the story dragged for me. There were three different times when the H (Sam) broke up with Beth for very immature reasons. And she just persevered, never really getting angry or seeming that heartbroken about it. It was a bit confusing--neither of their reactions rang true to me.  And the typical romance arc of the angst point and make-up was repeated three times. It felt like it was dragging on with continuing mini drama points that weren't all that dramatic or interesting. It made the story feel long, like it could have been a hundred pages shorter.

I am interested in reading more Debbie MaComber though. I'd like to read some of her other Christmas stories, since I really enjoyed the one I read, and perhaps I'll try her Cedar Cove series.

I can relate to the heroine.   I was under my mums thumb for years, was a music major and she actually few several thousand miles to come stay with me in college because she said I was not "doing right".  She also maneuvered a break-up between the love of my life, citing supposed "unfaithfulness" on his part.  So it was with great delight that I read about the heroine standing up yo her mother. And of course.. I dearly love the authors storytelling ability!

What a great story.  Love conquers all.  Fight for yourself no one can tell you how to live.

It was nice to read about A Girl's Guide to Moving On's Nichole and Rocco again and see how they have grown.  Sam and Beth's story is interesting and a good addition to the New Beginning Series.  The ending did seem to be a bit rushed and their conflict too easily pushed aside.   Would like to see a story with Aunt Sunshine, a totally unique character.


Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

3 stars 
this had all the potential of a really strong read...I happen to be a fan of Malcomber and she always delivers. This however had many positive moments ... but also had situations which were just not as strong as she usually does. 
Most, however will like this book and it has merit.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Debbie Macomber has been one of my favorite authors for many years and I always enjoy her books.  This is the third book in the New Beginnings series.  I did not read the first book but I did read the second one, A Girl's Guide to Moving On.  This book is very similar in story line and feel as the second one in that two unlikely and opposite types meet and fall in love.  

Beth Prudhomme is a twenty five year old still living at home and being smothered by her controlling mother. Beth's family is wealthy and her mom Ellie feels that she should marry someone from their circle of friends and has tried to set her up with different men.  In a move to get away from her mother's control, Beth decides to move to Portland, Oregon to be near her special and  famous artist aunt, Sunshine, and have a chance of a life of her choosing.  And with her father's help, her mom agrees to leave her alone for six months. Beth lands a job as a music teacher at a high school and gets her own apartment.  Life is good for Beth.  At least until her friend Nichole fixes her up with a blind date with her husband's best friend, Sam Carney.

Sam is head mechanic of the local GM dealership.  Sam isn't interested in meeting anyone but when his best friend, Rocco, pleads with him to just eat dinner with them and meet Nichole's friend, Beth, he finally agrees.  As expected, Sam is not interested in Beth even though she is attractive.  She is just not his type.  Beth thinks that Sam is handsome but rough around the edges. Her mom definitely wouldn't approve. Neither can wait to escape and both leave the dinner at the same time.  Beth is sitting in a left turn lane and Sam is next to her in the lane waiting for the light to turn.  Beth gets a light but as she turns, she is hit broadside by a girl on her phone.  Sam sits with Beth holding her hand waiting for emergency help.  A bond develops from that moment.  Sam is drawn to helping Beth in her recovery and they gradually begun friends.  Sunshine likes Sam but Beth's mother is not pleased with their relationship.  Their relationship takes many up and down turns.  As soon as things seem to get better, something else causes a rift.  On another level, there are problems between Sunshine and Beth's mom that have always been there.  Beth wants to figure out why and finally figured out that it was something that her mom did that involved a man.  This involved an art student Peter Hamlin that Sunshine fell in love with when the two were in art school back in Chicago.  Ellie always wanted what Sunshine had.  So in addition to the story of Beth and Sam's relationship, there are the side stories of what has caused a rift between Sunshine and Ellie, Sunshine's former lover Peter Hamlin, and how Beth's father deals with her mom's overbearing nature toward Beth.  Events from Sam's past have made him protective of relationships.  

This is a sweet story of seeing inside another person's heart to see them instead of their outside appearance.  It is also about forgiveness and moving on past hurts and mistakes.  Another great Debbie Macomber read.

Debbie Macomber writes such sweet contemporary novels..  I really enjoyed  If Not For You.  At 25 Beth Prudhomme.'strikes out on her own.  She has been living in Chicago where her overbearing Mother tries to run her life.  She moves to Portland Oregon where the only person she knows is her Aunt Sunshine..  Sunshine is something of a free spirit and an artist.  After an satisfactory blind date with Sam Carney, an accident shakes her whole world.  Just as Beth must recover from her accident, she must mend her relationships and in so doing tries to "fix" other's relationships. Great read.

I'm going to start with saying that I love Debbie Macomber. With this book, I think she meets...no exceeds expectations of her fans. I love that the story has romance & friendship without too much detail on the pda or sex scenes (not that there's anything wrong with that from time to time ;-)). Beth has been sheltered all of her life by her parents, especially her mother. Her mother has tried to make all of her decisions including who she should marry. At 25, Beth finally decides she's had enough & moves from Chicago to Portland, OR where her Aunt Sunshine lives. Side note: Sunshine is Beth's mom's sister that she doesn't speak to. Beth finds a job as a high school classical music teacher & gives piano lessons on the side. She makes friends with Nichole who wants to set her up with a friend of her husbands. Enter Sam...he's rough on the outside (tattoos, beard, long hair, mechanic...you get the picture) but a great guy. At their initial meeting, sparks do not fly. Neither one wants to be there & don't think it's possible to find common ground. Then on the way home, same witnesses Beth get hit by another car going through a stoplight. He quickly gets out & goes to her, holding her hand until the paramedics arrive. They begin to develop a relationship from there. To see their ups & downs, the surprises along the way, the characters, like Sunshine & Beth's mom, is so enjoyable. I highly recommend this book!!