This book was good but definitely not one of Macomber's best.

Beth just wants her own life away from her mother trying to pressure her into doing what she thinks is the "right thing." Now she's in Portland doing her best to live her own life. That is until a blind date leaves her in a car accident with the kind of person she never thought she could fall for at her side.

Sam doesn't understand why he's attracted to Beth. She's everything he never thought he could love but there's something about her that he can't deny.

I don't really recommend this book.

I'm a fan of most of Debbie Macomber's books, especially her Blossom Street series because of the central knitting theme it has. However, while I was reading this book, it really hit me how incredibly formulaic some of her character's love stories were. It wasn't just a genre or trope, either, but specifically for her novels: the two polar opposites who are extremely judgmental of each other for many very many, if any, concrete reasons, one of which is from a well off background, the other from a rougher or working class background, but who will obviously end up together in the end.

The main characters in this book, Sam and Beth, were harder to connect to than previous Macomber couples. Their attraction, after being set up on a blind date that neither wanted and being thrown together, quite literally, by an accident on the way home, seemed to happen really quickly with next to no foundation. I've seen instalove in young adult novels, but this really took it to another level.

Beth annoyed me at some points because on the one hand she kept "telling" the reader that she knew what her mother was like, the typical overbearing mother who thinks she knows what is good for her daughter no matter what the daughter says, but on the other hand she ignored classic warning signs like when Ellie, her mother, said "she was afraid this would happen" and upon being pressed for meaning says "never mind." That should have been a huge red flag because, not long after, a mother provided road block pops up. This was one of those moments like when you're watching a horror movie and shouting at the stupid person checking out the noise in the dark backyard, knowing only doom awaits.

Beth's aunt, Sunshine, was a cool character at first. She lived in Portland, the new town that Beth had moved to and was giving her as much support as she could while allowing her to be her own person. However, when Beth started meddling in her past and that became Sunshine's main story, I started to dislike where it was going. The painful memory of her past, an intense love with a man named Peter, was something that I wouldn't have minded being reconciled, but not to the extent that it went. Peter begs Sunshine to give up a once in a lifetime art trip to Italy because he doesn't have the funds to go, she goes anyway, and while she's gone he cheats on her with her sister.

When Sunshine comes back, Peter and Sunshine's sister say they're in love. That was bad enough, but to have the author write a story where Sunshine forgave him because she loved him so much and accepted him back as her love interest felt wrong for two reasons: 1) No. He cheated once and you can't trust him, especially since it was with someone so near to you. 2) The reconciliation/new relationship with the cheater is quite contradictory to almost all of Macomber's other books where the women leave cheating husbands/boyfriends who "swear they'll never do it again". This twist felt like a betrayal.

When the story began to end, Beth also came back with something that annoyed me and that was taking Sam to a piano recital. At the recital they saw Lucinda play, Lucinda being the daughter that Sam has never met and has no parental rights to due some thorny issues thirteen years ago. Beth should have known how painful this would be, but it never once occurred to her and that made her seem incredibly selfish to me, which is how Sam starts out when he gets mad at her for bringing him there. Of course by the end of the book he forgives her, so she never really suffers for her actions and I doubt she'll really learn, so what was the point? The whole Lucinda story felt cruel because there was no resolution,  one way or the other, by the end and Beth dredging it up when she knew Sam wouldn't want that felt horrid.

Overall the book lacked a lot of content. Most of it went by with nothing really happening and that, while at times relaxing and interesting if the story is character driven, was not the case here. If Not For You is one of the most disappointing Macomber books I've read yet.

If Not for You is the third book of Debbie Macomber's New Beginning series. Although characters from A Girl's Guide to Moving On do appear in this new installment, If Not for You can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

I really liked this happy-ending romance. Debbie Macomber gives us another set of characters that are restarting their life in some way and gain their strength from an unlikely romantic match up. As in her previous book, Macomber gives us two romances in this storyline, one for her younger readers and another for the more mature reader. Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good read. Liked the characters and story flow. Liked the romance and the journeys by the characters to find what they were looking for. Hard to put down. Highly recommend.

While I've loved Ms. Macomber's other works, this one was a bit of a letdown. I felt that the characters kept doing the same things over and over, making the same mistakes, and having the same conversations. The book was ok, but it was not as enjoyable as others by this author.

I love that Rocco and Nichole make an appearance in this installment, however, are not the major characters. In fact, if you have not read book 1 or 2, you can pick up this book with no problem.

Beth decides at 25 to finally spread her wings, get out from under her mothers control, and move far enough away to really start living the life she wants. She moves from Chicago to Portland, Oregon, where her aunt lives, and begins working as a music teacher. Her friend, Nichole, sets her up on a blind date with Rocco's friend, Sam. Sam is everything Beth's mother would absolutely hate, and even during dinner, Beth wasn't taken by him herself.

However, because of a serious car accident that occurred after leaving dinner, Beth and Sam were drawn close together. He stayed with her on the scene of the accident until help arrived, and visited her frequently during her hospital and rehabilitation. The way this relationship begins rings true to the saying that sometimes, opposites do attract.

Beth and Sam are slowly drawn close, and have a deep, meaningful friendship, slightly turned relationship. I like how things do progress slowly, and their love for music only helps build on that. Beth, the piano, and Sam, the guitar. However, there are things in Sam's past that prevents him from letting any woman get too close, and what he starts feeling for Beth starts to scare him. He promised he would never love again, and not that deeply. Can he overcome the pain to let Beth in fully, or will there always be that wall?

Beth's aunt, Sunshine, is also one of my favorite characters. Her hippy, free-spirited ways makes me smile. However, she has a troublesome relationship with her sister, Beth's mother. A side story throughout this book digs into that situation a little bit, and I think that helped with the depth of the entire story.

Once again, Debbie Macomber wrote another book that I just could not put down once I started. A definite 5 star read for me.

I have never read a Debbie Macomber book i did not enjoy. I loved how everything is the book happened for a reason and how the reason was subtly explained.
Beth was determined to live life the way she wanted not the way her mother wanted her to live it. Sam was living life the way he wanted with a lot of hidden hurts. They make the most unlikely couple but yet they make it work, or do they.
Read this book. You will be glad you did.

An avid reader of Debbie Macomber, this book didn't disappoint! Wonderful plot, great characters... Hard to put down!

Thanks to NETGALLEY and Debbie Macomber for allowing me to read and give an honest review.
Debbie Macomber's books always make me feel good. There are many life challenges in her novels, many different characters, there is usually a happy ending.
This is the story of Beth and Sam, two people who could not be more different, you want them to work out, have a happy ending.
Beth's mother has always controlled every thing in her life, she decides to break away and moves to Portland Oregon where her aunt lives, Sunshine, her mother and aunt have been estranged for several years, this story slowly unravels throughout the novel.
Beth and Sam meet as a blind date, they are not interested in each other and go about their separate ways. However there is a horrible accident on the way home.
There are many ups and downs, but you will be routing for this couple to make it. Rocco and Nicole are back from "A Girls Guild to Moving On" so its like coming home.
There's family drama, physical challenges, forgiveness, new beginnings, and of course, this novel is full of love.

If Not for You by Debbie Macomber is a well written story about new paths, forgiveness, and change. The story line was strong and the pace was perfect. Beth and Sam are the main characters that find an unexpected romance together. They may start out as having nothing in common, but discover that music binds them together. I loved Beth’s aunt with her uplifting comments and advice. Thank you Debbie for an enjoyable and touching story.

I was given an advanced copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

I love Debbie Macomber, but was underwhelmed by this book. I made myself stick with it in the beginning...... Confusing, too many main characters......hoping it would redeem itself as her books are usually great. It didn't, though, the story was predictable and bland.

This book was in the usual Debbie Macomber style. A nice contemporary romance with ordinary and relatable characters. While you may not love the characters, they typically remind me of people I know. It’s like watching a Saturday afternoon show on Lifetime. In fact, this one would make a good movie.

Beth Prudhomme and Sam Carney were set up on a blind date by mutual friends (Nichole and Rocco from Book 2: A Girl's Guide to Moving On). A dinner at Nichole's house and boy, that first dinner was a disaster! Both of them came to the date with preconceived notions, so to Nichole's disappointment, they didn't click. On the way home, Beth got into a car accident and Sam was one of the first people to arrive on the scene. Beth’s misfortune paved a way for Sam to connect with her in a new way. As Beth recovered, Sam came to visit and keep her company in the hospital. They began looking forward to spending time together and a strong bond began to form.

I thought it was sweet that Sam kept coming to check on Beth, but I had issues with both of them. How could a grown twenty-five year old teacher be so completely under her mother’s thumb? Beth seemed to be a sixteen-year old girl at times where Sam had the jaded attitude made him seem really old. Sam had a painful experience with a woman, so he swore off love and relationships. Yet, he went to visit Beth every chance he got because he just wanted…what exactly did he expect?
Each character seemed to be the opposite of their counterpart. Beth as sweet and flexible, Sam was gruff and inflexible. Beth’s mom Ellie was pushy and judgmental while Beth’s dad seemed like he took things lighter and respected the autonomy of others.

I liked Sam, but didn’t feel like his past gave him a pass to be so mean and unforgiving. He was still a stand up guy and I was rooting for him to get healing on such the tough sacrifice he made. I had a harder time liking Beth because she was pretty weak as a heroine, yet nosy as hell with other people’s issues. I do believe her heart was in the right place so she wasn't malicious in anyway. Beth was good for Sam despite her mother's objections. Ellie, Beth's mother was one of the most annoying and rude parents I've read in a long time. I am glad Beth’s dad was in the story to balance out the mother’s abrasiveness. I was so hoping Beth would put her own foot down and put her mother in check without needing Aunt Sunshine or her dad. I liked the side story of the Aunt Sunshine, which ended well after 30 years. That love story mending two broken relationships and I love it when there is healing and forgiveness.

Overall, the story was a pleasant read and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

I enjoyed the story very much, although Beth's relationship with her mom and aunt was a little odd, and not in a quirky, fun way, but rather in a forced, relationship drama for the sake of a plot point way. Other than that, I enjoyed Beth and Sam's love story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story Beth and Sam are both likeable and interesting people. They are both quite different from each other but they have enough in common that they can work together. I have always enjoyed Debbie Macomber's books and this one did not disappoint.

Beautifully written. I love how love can grow and this book really captures that in detail. It makes you want to be there so you can feel it. A different approach but I liked it. I didn't like how the main character seemed to have no self esteem though. A little bit irritating.

Part of the New beginning series, #3, you can read this as a stand alone book. It's vintage Debbie Macomber and fans will appreciate the wonderful characters and touch of Christian values. Beth has moved to Oregon at age 25 to escape her overbearing mother. She makes friends with fellow school teacher Nichole and agrees to a blind date to make Nichole happy. Things don't start out to well between Beth and Sam but their story makes you feel good.

When I think of any novel written by the immensely talented Debbie Macomber I think of inspiring stories of friendship, love, loss and life. These stories are the ones that I can most relate to the stories themselves are always so well written within the boundaries of the modern world, any reader can feel like they belong. Yet, "If Not For You," I did not share in the usually emotional happiness that the author's books normally brings.

There was a lot of drama in this book. In many ways, the plot was a little too much drama overkill. I personally did not like Beth's character. I thought she was childish and I supported her decision to improve her life but in many ways, Beth was like her mother, the woman she was trying to escape. As for Sam, Beth's love interest there wasn't much to be desired about him. I felt like Beth and Sam were more like high school kids finding love rather than adults. I could have lived without Sam insisting singing within the book and I feel like he could have given Beth more space in her newly established independence.

As much as I love books by the author, this story just felt wrong. It was beautifully detailed but I wanted so much more from the characters including less drama as this book was wrong for me entirely.

Reading a Debbie Macomber book is like going on a mini vacation in the springtime. You can lose yourself in the story and forget about all the stresses of life. Each book has characters that are relatable and you can always expect a happy ending. This one doesn't disappoint. Take the time to escape for awhile and enjoy this book!

Ballantine Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of If Not for You. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Beth Prudhomme, in an attempt to escape her controlling mother, moves halfway across the country to teach high school music in Portland, Oregon. Reconnecting with her successful aunt, who has made a name for herself in the art world, Beth has finally been able to spread her wings. A blind date with Sam through a mutual friend is not a success, that is, until a serious accident changes everything. Despite coming from very different worlds, will Beth and Sam allow their hearts to decide? Will Beth's well meaning meddling threaten to ruin her happiness?

If Not for You is a clean romance with some religious undertones. To be honest, I was not blown away by this one. The dialogue seemed forced in places and I found it hard to forge a connection to the characters or their story. If Not for You was not overly memorable and this average read is one I would decline to recommend.

2.5 stars - Only because of the writing. The story - I just couldn't connect to these characters. They were boring and sometimes childish. The sub-plot and characters had some good moments, but just didn't hold it for me.
I have read many DM books over the years, and have liked them, but this one was too religious for me.
Sam goes to the hospital and she makes him read from the Bible when he is clearly uncomfortable! Pushy!! She hardly even knows him yet! Not for me.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**