A delightful read of family, friendships, and forgiveness.  I loved the characters and the resolution that they eventually came to.

I read an early release of If Not For You.  I loved every bit of this book.  Meeting Sam and Beth, then Sunshine - they could be members of my family or my neighbors.  I love Debbie Macomber's books, this could actually be my favorite so far.  I had a very difficult time putting this book down.  The main character, Beth, was able to overcome many obstacles - gives us all hope!  This is a must read, especially for Debbie Macomber fans!

Beth and Sam meet up for a blind date, which doesn't go well. They dislike each other (they're total opposites) quite a bit. When Beth leaves the date, a teenager hits her car, and Sam immediately rushes in to help Beth. 

He never leaves her side while she's recovering. Although that premise is most definitely romantic and pulls at the heart strings, I had a hard time blindly buying into the idea that Sam would act like a loyal boyfriend mere minutes after their crappy date ended. It just doesn't feel realistic to me, but it's minor and is easily overlooked.

Beth and Sam go through more than one issue as a couple during the entirety of the book, which spans only a few months even though it feels like longer. Much of this is due to Beth sticking her nose into everybody's business (which is annoying, even if it does come from the heart).

I thought the ending wrapped things up too quickly, although fans of Debbie Macomber will surely not be disappointed with it. I was hoping to see more of a resolution with the relationship between Beth's mom and her aunt Sunshine. 

Overall, it's a fast, decent read, and will be thoroughly enjoyable for those who gravitate toward romance novels.

Debbie Macomber is the top of the top for me.  I have read all of her books.  I have met her at signings- she is as amazing in person in person as her books are.  I liked her when she was hard to find and I had to do special requests for her.  So when I got a chance to read this, I was overwhelmingly excited!!

This is the third book in the New Beginnings Series.
A move from Chicago to Portland begins this story.  Beth and Sam meet with no fireworks- then a car crash gives a second chance.  Admiration grows with each new day and with each conversation.
Throwing in some Seahawks Love is icing on my cake.  I am all about the twelfth man...GO HAWKS!  
You will root for them all along the interruptions.
You will become immersed in their lives and feel like their friends.  
I highly recommend this book!!

I started out really enjoying the premise of this latest book by Debbie Macomber.  It is the story of Beth and Sam, who start out as two opposites and find love through a series of life altering events.  

We jump into the action rather quickly, which I enjoyed,  I like how the two main characters are brought together by her car accident.  Their relationship progressed from friendship to "dating" faster than I had anticipated, but I was really enjoying the pace.  Because we read the story from both perspectives, many of the issues that would complicate their relationship based on how they met were addressed really well. 

But then the inevitable "drama" surfaced and I started losing interest.  In my opinion, both characters began to act in ways that were completely different from the way they has originally been portrayed.  And then the ending came way too quickly and we were in the middle of another conflict.  I think Beth's actions were explained away (and forgiven) way too quickly, especially when it came to what happened with Sam.  In facat, everyone was forgiven very quickly and life moved on toward the happily ever after.  There were a lot more layers to Sam's conflict and the Sunshine/Ellie drama that were never explored, which would have provided better drama than the superficial drama we had to read about for many chapters in the middle.   

I'm sure fans of Debbie Macomber will enjoy this book, but I was left unsatisfied.  I am giving it 3 stars for the promising beginning and for the character of Sam, who I really enjoyed for the most part.  But I think it could have been so much more interesting if some of the middle had been trimmed and we got a few extra dramatic chapters at the end.

I was so excited to receive this advance copy of a forthcoming title by Debbie Macomber.  I was so totally engrossed and could not put the book down from the minute I received until the last word.  A beautifully written book reminding us all that visual appearances do not make or define a person's character or emotional being.  We should always look beneath the exterior to make a true discovery of the layers of a person.  This was truly a beautiful and loving story---nothing less than what Debbie Macomber excels at!  Thank you again for the opportunity to read this title prior to publication....I just *L*-O*-V*-E*-D* it!!!

Truly an inspirational love story that will make you believe that good things can happen even when you are surrounded by bad.  The love between Sam and Beth started out rocky and had its own twists and turned but in the end it was heartwarming.  Beth helped Sam take off his armor and let love in.  A great read that I highly recommend.