A simple sweet romance of finding love in the most unusual places.

Wonderful book. Debbie has a way with words that weaves her storyline together.

Judging a book... you have heard the phrase more times and have memorized its meaning, however, what happens when a gruff, but handsome mechanic rescues you from yourself?! This second in Debbie Macomber's new series is a prefect example of looking on the outside and not digging deeper. When Beth first meets Sam, her first thought isn't a good one. He is rough, lower class, and well. he's a mechanic. Sam feels she is rich, snooty, and rather shallow. Maybe the first date was all they needed to realize it wasn't going to work, too bad fate and a rather nasty accident decide different.

I have always been a fan of good clean romance books with substance. Not just boy meets girl and instantly they are in love, but the hearty real life experience of judging and being proven wrong. In this story, you will laugh, cry, and most assuredly nod your head at the things we all done. A perfect book for a rainy day or feel good afternoon!!

I really enjoyed this book. Probably one of my favorites by Debbie Macomber in awhile.

Debbie Macomber never disappoints. If Not For You is a heartwarming story of new-found love, setting out on one's own, and reconciliation.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘If Not For You’ by Debbie Macomber in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
To get away from her controlling mother in California, Beth Prudhomme takes a position as music teacher in a high school in Portland, Oregan, where her Aunt Sunshine lives. Her friend Nichole and husband Rocco arrange a blind date for Beth to meet their good friend Sam Carney, tattood and long-haired, who looks far from Beth’s type. But on her way home from the date Beth is involved in a serious car accident, Sam stays with her until the 911 team arrive, and despite their differences they start to fall in love.
I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed a great number of Debbie Macomber’s novels. Her latest book ‘If Not For You’ is enchanting and unashamedly romantic and a pleasure to read.

Beth has run away to find herself. She's tired of living under her mother's thumb and has decided to break free. She has landed in Portland, Or to stay with her aunt. She has found a job, a place to live and making friends. He friend Nicole wants everyone to be happy, so she sets Beth up on a blind date with Sam. Sam is Nicole's husband best friend. One look at each other and Beth sees a mechanic with long hair and a beard. Sam sees a stuck up woman as a person of means. Shortly after leaving, Beth is in a car accident. Sam witnessed it and from that point on, he became attached to her. In the days to come, Sam visits, reads and plays his guitar for her. What this accident has done for her is given her the strength to stand up to her mother. Now that she is happy, she has acquired her mother's habit of meddling. Only she ends up hurting the people she loved. Time will tell if apologies mends the hurt she has caused.

After reading several intense and depressing novels, it was a pleasure to read If Not for You. Beth has recently taken a job as a music teacher in Portland, near her aunt, to escape her bossy and suffocating mother. Her friend Nichole fixes her up on a blind date with an auto mechanic named Sam, who of course her mother disapproves of. A serious car accident, some well-intentioned meddling, and long-overdue forgiveness pave the way for these likable and well-drawn characters to get to happily-ever-after.

Book Review: If Not for You, Debbie Macomber, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books
I was privileged to receive a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beth Prudhomme was raised by parents who loved her. But at 25 she had had enough of her mother’s controlling ways. Mom, who only wanted the best for her was misguided in her thinking about what truly was best for Beth and really didn’t know her daughter’s true heart and life’s dreams at all. Beth picks up her life and with an agreement that Mom won’t interfere for six months, she heads to Portland Oregon. Interestingly this is where her favorite Aunt lives. The aunt and her mother (sisters) have a disgruntled relationship over past events between them.

Once in Portland, she lands a music teaching job, makes a new best friend, and ultimately is introduced to Sam, an at first unlikely suitor by her new best friend Nicole. A serious car accident temporarily complicates Beth’s life, but provides a great storyline and opportunity to grow their relationship and enable Beth to grow her independence as well.

What I really liked about the book: Beth is a very likeable character. She is strong willed, congenial, caring and yet she is vulnerable and makes mistakes, too. She pushes the boundaries of her relationships with her mother, with Sam, with her aunt, and her friends. She learns a lot of lessons along the way in her quest for independence. As readers, we get to see her blossom. Sam’s character is a charming love interest. Sam’s surprise was a good one. As I was reading, I kept picturing actor Clayne Crawford currently playing on TV Series Lethal Weapon as Sam. Perhaps because they both carry that “wounded” quality.


What I didn’t like about the book: It was a bit predictable, but it didn’t bother me as I loved the characters and the story. Without creating a spoiler effect, I knew that certain things that needed to be resolved, would be. There was nothing left undone, unsaid or un-tidied up at the end. Real life isn’t always packaged up like that, but I enjoy Debbie’s books and the movies/TV shows that come from her writing because they make me feel good. Life is hard enough in the “real.”

This book is to be published in March 2017.

This was a sweet love story about a 25 old woman learning to act like an adult instead of being under her controlling mother's thumb. It wasn't my favorite Debbie Macomber book, but I liked it. And it was fun to hear from Nichole and Leanne again. One thing about Ms. Macomber's books, they usually have a happy ending and this one was no exception. If Beth and Sam were real people, I would not bet on their relationship surviving. in spite of being in love. She meddles in other people's business and he seems awfully moody. I think there will be struggles ahead for those two. I wonder which character from this book will get a "second chance" in the next book from this series.

If Not for You by Debbie Macomber is a story of love, hope and forgiveness.
Beth has been dominated by her mother her whole life. Of course, her mother is convinced that everything she does is for Beth’s own good. Beth finally decides to move from Chicago to Portland Oregon where her aunt, Sunshine, lives. Her mother is convinced Sunshine has coerced Beth to move close to her as the sisters have a long-time feud going on and do not speak to each other unless absolutely necessary. Neither one will say what caused the sisters to be enemies. Beth enlists the help of her father who gets her mother to agree to not contact Beth for six months and allow her to make her own decisions about her life. She gets a contract to teach high school music and finds a small apartment. One of her teacher friends, Nichole, decides to introduce her to her husband Rocco’s best friend, Sam. They seem to be total opposites and both are anxious to leave the dinner party. On their ways home, Sam witnesses a serious car accident and Beth is the victim. He calls for help and stays with her until paramedics arrive. Will he be able to just leave and never see her again or will this accident lead to friendship and more? Will her mother keep her promise to stay away or will she rush in to insist Beth move back to Chicago to recover? There are many interesting twists and turns as Beth struggles to recover and retrieve the life she feels led to live.
I enjoyed this book and give it 5 of 5 stars. The characters are very realistic as well as the storyline. I felt I know some of these people personally. As in real life the characters have many ups and downs and disagreements with others and disappointments when life doesn’t go the way they wish.
I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys romance novels and certainly anyone who is a Debbie Macomber fan. I have been a fan of Debbie Macomber books for years and this one does not disappoint.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

In If Not For You by Debbie Macomber, the main character is Beth Prudhomme who is a classical music teacher. Beth has just moved to Portland from Chicago in an effort to get away from her controlling mother and to spend time living close to her free spirit Aunt Sunshine. Nicole, one of Beth’s new friends invites her to dinner to introduce her to one of her husband’s friends, Sam. Things do not go well at dinner with both guests feeling trapped and not really wanting to get to know each other better, but that all changed with a car crash. A young girl runs a red light while texting and totals Beth’s car seriously injuring Beth, all the while Sam watches helplessly from the next car.

What starts off, as Sam wanting to make sure Beth is OK develops into a relationship. However, Sam comes with baggage of his own and he is certainly not the man Beth’s mother would have picked for her. As Beth recovers from her accident, her feelings for Sam deepen but will they feel the same way when she returns to her normal life? Will Sam’s past or Beth’s mother destroy their relationship?

I enjoyed this novel and the characters in it. I especially loved the character of Aunt Sunshine. It is the story of how secrets kept can keep us trapped in the past and not allow us to move onward. Like all Debbie Macomber’s books it is a feel good read perfect for a weekend escape to another place.

I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine with no obligation to review it. This is my honest review after reading.

I always enjoy her books. A controlling Mother and a free spirit Aunt who do not speak. A blind date that does not impress either party. But after a wreck, things change. Maybe they do have something in common after all.

If Not for You started off really well. I enjoyed Beth and Sam's blind date and how awkward it was. Neither was all that impressed with the other. I like romances that aren't love, or rather, lust at first sight.

Although it took a while to get to their first kiss, it seemed that the relationship progressed rather quickly after it. Sam was a great guy, and in my opinion, more secure than Beth. Beth spent a lot of time trying to break her mother's hold on her so that she could become her own person.

However, one problem that I had with the story is that, in a way, Beth was like her mother. She tended to do to others what she didn't want her mother to do to her - stick her nose in other people's business. Yes, she did things out of love and wanted people to be happy, but she shouldn't have gone behind people's backs in order to surprise them; and, when she was told to leave things alone, she should have. I found her to be annoying towards the end of the book.

I love most of Debbie Macomber's books, and I wanted to love this one, but it just fell a little flat. I never warmed up to Beth the way I did to other characters. I did not like her mother and felt Beth had some of her characteristics. The story was great for most of the book but just lost a little something towards the end.

Being a fan of Debbie Macomber for over 20 years I was eagerly awaiting her newest book. She did not disappoint.

If Not for You is a wonderful addition to Ms. Macomber's bibliography.
I liked how it started differently than her other works. Starting off with a bang and keeping the readers attention till the end. Beth and Sam are two of her strongest characters to date. I was happily surprised to see previous characters entwined into the story.

Ms. Macomber writes about life and love in a way that the readers can fully identify with. Her characters become your friends. I really appreciate how she teaches life lessons without one even realizing it. I also enjoyed how she intertwined a bible story into the mix as well.

Ms. Macomber has proven again that her stories will stand the test of time.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher on return for my honest opinion.

What a wonderful addition to the series. Beth was so real and I felt a part of her. Sam was a surprise and couldn't have been better. The way I felt a part of the story and the characters, made it feel real. It was easy to feel the emotions and laugh or cry. I loved Sunshine too; a kindred spirit. Thanks Debbie Macromber for taking me back to Portland with old friends. Book gifted by NetGalley for a review.

Debbie Macomber can always be counted on for a book full of emotions & tender scenes. This book was no different. This book is about taking chances & first impressions. If Beth hadn't broke free of her overbearing mother & moved to the opposite coast to spend time with her aunt, she wouldn't be in place to meet Sam. If Sam hadn't taken a chance by visiting her, their relationship wouldn't have evolved. Both Sam & Beth had formed faulty first impressions of each other & weren't going to give each other another shot.

Ms. Macomber is an excellent writer that manages to pull you into the story from the very beginning, gets your emotions involved & delivers an ending that leaves you feeling all warm & content! She can describe the scenes in such a way that has you picturing them in your mind as you read. The emotions in the scenes are expressed without resorting to overt sex scenes & language. Her characters are well developed, realistic & likable. Another great read by a terrific author!

Like true Debbie Macomber fashion, this novel was well crafted. Loved the continuation of characters from the previous novels in this series. The beginning, middle, and ending flowed well together. Although, I was looking for a better resolution at the end. The two main characters, Sam and Beth, ended up together, but I also wanted resolution with Sam and his daughter, Luci.

Beth is new to Portland, a high school music teacher, going to her friends home to have a blind date with a friend of Rocco's. Sam is a mechanic, long hair, tattoos and a beard. Both Beth and Sam realize that they are a bad match before the night is over. The night ends early with Sam and Beth getting into their cars and driving home. Little do they know that the next 15 minutes will affect their lives forever. I love to read Debbie Macomber and am so happy to be able to review this book. If Not for You has lovable and realistic characters with a plot that is sweet and engaging. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of contemporary romance.

If Not for You by Debbie Macomber will be available March 21, 2017 by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House Publishing Group. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.