This is another winner by Debbie Macomber!  I have yet to read a book by her that I haven't LOVED!  Shay has a brother that she will do anything for, he presses the point when he askes her to steal money from the bank she works from.  When she does and she goes to jail, she thinks she has thrown her entire future away.  When she gets out of jail, she wanders into a church. Her entire world changes!  She meets Pastor Drew, he has his own struggles to overcome.  This is a wonderful story of people overcoming struggles, meeting challenges, and finding love in unexpected places.  I absolutely LOVED this book!

Shay Benson loved her younger brother, Caden, so much she would do anything for him. That “anything” landed her in prison, where Caden left her to her fate. Now, after having served her time, Shay is determined to start her life over and forge a future she can be proud of, leaving Caden—and the rest of her bad memories—behind. Homeless and with nowhere to go, Shay enters a church looking for a warm place to spend the night, and maybe some answers.

Pastor Drew is struggling to raise his children in the wake of his wife’s death three years ago. All he can feel is the pain of her loss, and everything else, including the kids and his church, takes a backseat. Desperate for a change, Drew goes to his church looking for answers, and meets Shay, another seeker. The two become friends as Drew tries to help Shay get back on her feet. Their friendship blossoms into something more, until Shay’s past and a secret threaten to end her dreams of a future for good.

I don’t typically read a lot in the romance genre, although I used to. It’s just not my favorite anymore. However, I do make an exception for Debbie Macomber, as her characters and stories are usually so engrossing. Any Dream Will Do was no exception, and Shay has a dark past that left her struggling to find herself in her present. These characters face many obstacles as they slowly grow to love each other, and their struggles are believable and realistic. If you’re looking for some light reading with a great message, Any Dream Will Do is a 
great choice.

(Galley provided by Ballantine Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This book is about second chances. Shay;s kryptonite was her brother Caden. She would do anything to keep him safe. Only this time he hung her out to dry. After 3 years in jail, she has nowhere to to. But fate left her off the bus in front of a church. From there everything has change. Pastor Drew is having a crisis of faith. For 3 years he has been dealing with the death of his wife. Two people in search of redemption. It seems God has plans for these two. They will have to fight for their love but in the end, it will all be worth it.

Any Dream Will Do is a contemporary romance about redemption and hope and the lasting endurance of love and faith.  It's my first Debbie Macomber book and it took awhile to get used to her writing style.   However, as the story progresses, one realizes how Ms. Macomber is able to draw her readers into the story and to get invested in the protagonists journey.  Shay and Drew are relatable characters because of what faces them everyday and they give hope on how things can work out even in the direst of circumstances.

I'm very much a fan of Debbie Macomber's writing, but in Any Dream Wiil Do she's gotten over it by bringing a touching, thrilling story full of positive messages.
Shay had a difficult life getting orphaned along with her younger brother. Brother that she vowed to protect and care for she preferred to stay the wrong way and betray her sister by making her lose all hope of a better future.
After serving her sentence, she leaves the jail, aimlessly and not knowing what to do from there forward. Upon meeting the door of an open church, she enters and meets the pastor Drew, a young widower who talks to her giving her hope of new horizons. What they both did not know is that this meeting would change their lives.
The novel is just the backdrop to show how people's confidence can give strength to those who have lost everything. Shay slowly recovers and manages to help others, but many in the community do not fully trust her, and her aproximity with Drew provokes some negative reactions that have consequences in the life of this couple who will be tested at various points in the book. She brings new perspectives to the lives of Drew and his children too and to keep up with their growing love is too beautiful.
Highlight for me was the moment that explains the title of the book by the end and made me even more excited.
Without a doubt this has become my favorite book of this author and obligatory reading for each one of us.

This a wonderful book about a woman becoming her own true self with the help of others. Shay came from an abusive childhood, with no sense of self, but she was willing to learn. With the  hard tasks of learning to trust and setting boundaries  she found friends, family and
faith. Its all about second chances

A lovely story about forgiveness, strength, and love from Debbie Macomber.
Shay Benson commits a crime to help her brother...a brother who lets her take the fall for all his problems. Sentenced to prison for 3 years, when Shay is let free she want to build her life again but doesn't know how or where to turn. Chance pushes her into a church. God gives her the help she needs in the form of Pastor Drew Douglas. His own faith has been sorely tested with the loss of his wife to cancer and he wonders if he has anything left to give to help anyone else. These two are literally the answer to each other's prayers.
What a joy it was to read a book that had faith, forgiveness, and love as its cornerstones. 5 stars to this talented author and this lovely new story.

rue to form this author gives us a deep, keep your eyes on the pages story. 

We meet Shay who by all accounts is a normal female with family issues. She has struggled through life and it will take just one mistake to bring it all tumbling down. 

When life gives Shay a second chance we meet pastor Drew. He will help Shay more than any man she has ever known. 

A wonderful second chance story. I enjoyed it very much. And I hope we see more on this couple.

Any Dream Will Do
Debbie MacComber
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This isn't my usual type of read but I really enjoyed reading this story. It's such a sweet and eye opening read. 
It shows you how much others judge people due to their pasts. 
It show that people are able to change and that people deserve second chances. 
This story was similiar to all of those lifetime movies my mother watched when I was younger. This was such an inspirational read it just warms your heart. 
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book by Debbie Macomber I have ever read and let me tell you! Before I even finished the book I was looking for her other books. The story grips you from the beginning. She has a great way of starting a book in a manner that grabs you and makes you want to see what happens. Her characters are developed well and aren't all happiness and sunshine. They experience real things and deal with real emotions and reactions. There are great spiritual truths included and lessons to be learned. I found myself applying the spiritual lessons to my own life. I love it when I do that from a fiction book. Her writing style is easy to read and flows nicely. I do not feel like it is disjointed at all. I hate when books cause you to need to read and reread sentences in order to get it. This is not book like that. Love the story and all the twists and turns. Such a nice summer read.  I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

In many ways this is classic Macomber- a clean (no sex) romance with themes of secrets, redemption, and forgiveness- but this time she's added faith as well.  This is an easy read and to be honest, it's a bit too easy.  Shay has a dark past, let alone her time in prison, but it doesn't seem to have affected her in the way one would expect.  Similarly, Drew has a lot on his plate.  You know these two are going to get together, even though Caden throws a bit of a wrench, so the journey there is important.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.  I can't criticize Macomber for not going for the gritty truth because that's not her forte.  This is a good standalone but I suspect readers of her various series will not enjoy this as much as those.  Recommend if you like Macomber and are open to something different.

An easy to read story about love, redemption, and second chances. The book and its memorable characters (although fairly predictable) held my interest from the first page to the last.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2087172709

I haven’t read all of the author’s titles but this one was definitely a deviation from the previous one.  It’s a complicated story about two damaged souls who might be able to help each other but it won’t be easy.

Shay Benson hasn’t had an easy life but she is getting by and trying to get ahead.  Raised in the tough part of town, she had seen her share of criminals and drug dealers. She had managed to move on from that but her brother had not.  Needing lots of money or risk death, Caden came to her for a bailout.  She ended up ‘borrowing’ the money from her employer, a bank, and going to jail for it.  

On the day she is released from jail, she has no idea what she will do or how she will eat.  She ends up in a church where the pastor helps her find a place to spend the night.

Drew Douglas is a lost soul as well but he has a congregation to serve and two children to care for after losing his wife.  He’s not so sure that God is listening to him either. He can only hope that Shay Benson will listen to the counselors at the community center and turn her life around.  There isn’t enough time in the day for him to worry about her future.

But life has a way of throwing obstacles or people in your path sometimes. Drew and Shay keep meeting up and become friends of a sort.  Together they begin to heal each other, learn to trust, and maybe find out that life can be good.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was expected or received for the review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Ballantine Books for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story on overcoming our past mistakes and starting over.  No two people could be more opposite that Shay and Drew but they come together to find love, trust and find faith.

I really enjoyed this book.  It’s told from a Christian standpoint and is a pretty sweet, innocent romance.  There is a lot going on in this book, from drug abuse to homelessness and to learning not only to forgive others but also to learn to forgive yourself.

I really liked the characters in this book and I was rooting for Shay and Drew from the moment they met.  They both had a lot to overcome and to let go of but they show that it can be done.  

If you are in to Christian romance then I would highly suggest that you pick this book up.

Title: Any Dream Will Do
Author: Debbie Macomber
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Random House LLC
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: August 8, 2017
Genre(s): New Adult Romance
Page Count: 336 pages
Heat Level: 0 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:


Beloved bestselling author Debbie Macomber returns with a powerful standalone novel about a woman forced to start her life anew, embarking on the most courageous journey of all—to a place where she learns what love and trust really mean.

Shay Benson adored her younger brother, Caden, and that got her into trouble. When he owed money, Shay realized she would do anything to help him avoid the men who were threatening him, and she crossed lines she never should have crossed. Now, determined to start fresh, she finds herself in search of a place to stay and wanders into a church to escape from the cold.

Pastor Drew Douglas adored his wife. But when he lost her, it was all he could do to focus on his two beautiful kids, and his flock came in a distant third. Now, as he too is thinking about a fresh start, he walks through his sanctuary and finds Shay sitting in a pew.

The pair strike up a friendship—Drew helps Shay get back on her feet, and she reignites his sense of purpose—that, over time, turns into something deeper, something soulful, spiritual, and possibly romantic. Even Drew’s two children are taken with this woman who has brought light back into their lives. Perhaps most important, Shay learns to trust again as she, in turn, proves herself trustworthy to her adopted community.

But Caden’s return to town and a disastrous secret threaten to undo the life Shay has tried so hard to rebuild. It will take the utmost courage and faith if she and Drew hope to find healing and open their hearts to a brighter future.






Review:
This is a powerful standalone novel where circumstances and bad decisions affect what path a person's life takes. This was a truly moving story of love and faith. The plot of this story is about a young woman who steals money from the bank that she works at to help her brother. She gets caught and her brother disappears. After three years in prison, Shay has nowhere to go. Faced with being homeless with no prospect of finding work, she enters a church for warmth. Pastor Drew lost his wife, his soulmate to cancer. He has been trying to get over his loss, but everything has been so overwhelming. Caring for his two young children and a parish that is dwindling adds to deepening his depression. When he sees Shay at the back of his church, he is drawn to the woman and brings her to a friend that runs a facility to help women re entering society through education and counseling. Not only does the friend help Shay, but he also helps Drew realize that he needs help with his depression. The chemistry between Drew and Shay starts off as a simple bond that grows stronger over time. Drew sees the goodness in Shay as he checks on the progress of the woman who he feels brought him into the light. Even his children have formed a strong attachment to the brave, strong woman. Over time their friendship turns into something stronger. The story moves along quickly. Unfortunately, Shay’s past comes into play. The elders of the church are not willing to accept a woman with a criminal past. When money from the church is missing, Shay is the likely suspect, but this time she has people that believe in her. This story has a beautiful and inspiring ending. Seeing Shay overcome her past and make something of herself and in turn help others made for a great story. There is strong character development making these characters likable and believable.

PLOT: 4 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 4 Stars
PACING: 5 Stars
ENDING: 5 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5 Stars


Review Copy of Any Dream Will Do provided by the Random House LLC I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club

I love a great uplifting book and that is exactly what this book is. Drew is a pastor who has two small children and is a widow. He first meets Shay when she is in the back of his church and offers her help in restarting her life. She is trying to start  over after being in prison for three years for trying to help her brother. 
She finds him attractive and to his surprise, because he hasn't been interested in anyone since his wife died, he is drawn to her. They strike up a friendship and his kids, especially his daughter, love her.
When people from his church find out about her past and stay questioning his judgement will he stand up to them or leave her alone?  When her brother comes back will he hurt her or their relationship?  Will Drew find happiness again or will he let a church theft disrupt his future?  Will she betray Drew or find a way to keep her word to someone else and keep Drew?
Any Dream Will Do is a second chance romance, as well as a book about having faith and trust in others.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review, via NetGalley.

This is a book about starting over, making hard choices, learning to have faith, love and forgiveness. It is about believing in yourself, being strong and having hope in your dreams.
The characters face real life issues and choices that sometimes are hard to make.  I found the characters likable and well developed.  It has a lot of emotion and keeps you involved with the characters.
As usual a very good and interesting book by this author.  I enjoyed the storyline and recommend the book.

Thanks to NETGALLEY and DEBBIE MACOMBER for allowing me to read and give an honest review.
Debbie Macomber’s novels are so heartwarming, they are sweet, heartbreaking, great characters, joy, love, lost, but always a good ending. I loved the character of Shay, she’s a fighter, she has been through so much in her life, deep down she expects the worse, but I think she keeps hoping for the best.
When her mother passed away, she felt responsible for her brother Caden, who is always on a down hill cycle. He talks her into doing something she knows she shouldn’t, but for her brother, she will do it. Shay gets caught and goes to jail, her brother just walks away and lets her take the punishment.
Shay comes out of jail a hard and bitter person, she has a huge chip on her shoulder, she also feels that she deserves to be this way. She is homeless, and has no place to go, so she comes upon a church and decides to go in. This turns out to be the best decision she has ever made. She meets Pastor Drew, he is a wounded man, his wife has died and he is having a hard time moving on, his life is church and his children. These two lonely people are drawn together, of course love is never an easy path and they both will have to fight their own demons, but they become friends, and as the story progresses they become more. There are many hurdles for them to jump, surprises along the way, bad things happen, but they stick it out with each other.
This novel is very touching, its full of hope, dreams, forgiveness, will power, love, but mostly new beginnings. How can you not love that!

I have been a fan of Debbie Macomber's work for many years and was so excited when I got the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Any Dream Will Do. 

As with many of her other works, Any Dream Will Do was such an uplifting story. My heart immediately went out to Shay and everything she'd had to endure. Her character was genuine and her heart was truly in the right place despite the many roadblocks that she kept facing. The writing was so suburb, that I ached every time she ached. I felt all the emotions she was going through--the good and the bad. 

I also enjoyed Drew. A man of God, he'd certainly had his own battles losing his wife and raising his two kids, Sarah and Mark, on his own. It's a wonder he'd been able to keep his family together with all they'd been through. But his heart was in the right place and he had faith.

I found that I didn't want to put this story down. There was even a little bit of suspense to it which really kept my attention. I literally loved everything about it and would love to see what happens to Drew and Shay later on. 

If you need something heartfelt that will really help you to see the good in everyone, even when you're struggling to find just one positive things about them, then I'd definitely recommend reading this one. It'll leave you feeling like there's still good people in the world. 

**ARC provided via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.