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!

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.**

It is a refreshing story that is easy to read. This book has a theme of forgiveness, repairing relationships, and moving forward. If I had to compare it to a movie I would probably go with While You Were Sleeping mixed with Mystic Pizza.

Warm and caring! The characters are heartwarmingly lovely. I love it. I have been a fan of Ms.Macomber for a long time. Ever since I discovered Mills and Boon. I like the fact that the characters are relatable. Thank you for letting me read it. The warmth of the characters reach out to you right out of the pages. The situations are practical and not outlandish like most books these days.

I was given a free copy in exchange of an honest review.