I really liked the redemption story in this book. I also liked the forgiveness given numerous times. It isn't often that a mainstream book leaves me feeling this good but this book was wonderful!

I'll admit when I first met Shay I really didn't think much of her. Of course that is because that is how Macomber wanted me to feel. And honestly I didn't think much of Drew either! But as the story progressed and I got to see more into both of their lives and especially personalities I grew to like them both more and more.

I loved how hard Drew worked to keep life normal for his kids. And I loved how hard Shay worked to better her life. And I really loved how Shay poured herself into those less fortunate in little ways that made a big impression.

But I'll admit what I really loved was that I just read a mainstream book about a preacher and a woman and there were a lot of fiery kisses but no premarital sex. In fact he was quite careful about not putting themselves in that position. Loved that. Even some of the Christian novels these days are starting to push the border a little bit. And I understand it because they want to relate to more people and they want to be more realistic. But I like the fact that this book was realistic and it was a little edgy with Shay's past. Yet it still remained very clean while still having passion. I will definitely continue to read more from Macomber!

I did receive an advanced copy from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I don't generally write reviews and it wouldn't be favorable if I did. The novel will be popular with a certain group of patrons.

This is an amazing book. I love how it gives hope and comfort. It is predictable but still amazing. Classic Debbie Macomber

This was a beautiful story of redemption, forgiveness and healing.

Shay Benson had a rough life growing up and she had finally gotten out from under that weight and was making a future for herself when she tried to help her brother and it landed her in prison for 3 years. Once she was released, she was broken and had no family and no place to turn for help until she walked into Seattle Calvary church where she found the help she needed to begin to make a change in her life for good.

Pastor Drew was a widower who had loved his wife, Katie, fiercely, and now he was trying to put his life back together for himself and for his two children, Mark and Sarah. When he first saw Shay in his church, he felt compassion and a connection to her. He wanted to help her. He was able to get her into a program that would help to heal her and teach her the skills she would need to make a positive change in her life.

As Drew and Shay's lives intersected over the next year or more, they began to rely on each other for support and eventually love. Drew's children adored Shay and they all enjoyed spending time together. Unfortunately, there were dark forces from Shay's past and prejudices that threatened to destroy a possible future for the two of them. Would they be strong enough to over come the challenges they faced or would they give up on what could possibly be wonderful and everlasting?

I was given an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Debbie Macomber is just amazing in so many ways. On the outside her books may seem simple in plot but in all honesty they are little windows into life-ordinary life of ordinary people in usually charming settings. She writes so appealingly because who doesn't want to feel like they are a part of these charming towns and their comings and goings?

Any Dream Will Do by Debbie Macomber was an excellent story that I highly recommend. It is a journey full of hope and faith in others. The main characters are fully developed and work well together. Shay Benson always helped her brother that she loved. She paid the punishment for his wrong doings, but is ready to move forward with her life. She meets Pastor Drew Douglas and they become friends and help each other in ways neither of them expected. This story moved at a steady pace and was full of both struggles and renewed trust and hope.

Adorable story! Macomber is always at her best and this story did not disappoint.

Debbie Macomber has written some enjoyable books in the past and this one may be her best yet. It is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and ultimately love. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Shay and Drew and how they find each other when they need someone to lean on most. Mark and Sarah, Drew's children, added even more enjoyment to this book. Fans of Debbie Macomber will love this one. I only hope to read more about Shay and Drew in the future!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Any Dream Will Do

by Debbie Macomber

Any Dream Will Do is a story of second chances and redemption. Shay’s background sets her up to feel obligated to sacrifice for her brother Caden to make up for poor choices. Upon release from a three year stay at the Washington Corrections Center for Women, her path crosses that of Drew, a widowed pastor with two children who is unable to move past the death of his wife. Neither is seeking a relationship and both have issues and problems they need to work through. As people of faith they attempt to do that carefully and using biblical principles as a moral compass.

Echoes of the past reverberate in the lives of Drew and Shay emphasizing that although they may get a second chance at happiness, there are no do-overs in life. The decisions of yesterday do affect the opportunities of today.

I like the characters in the book. Although the reader can see where the storyline is going, the characters are so amiable that you want to keep reading to watch the events play out. Also, the author Debbie Macomber keeps the plot interesting with unexpected complications.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House (Ballantine) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Romance, Christian

Notes: #4 in the New Beginnings Series (a thematic series, not dependent on continuing characters)

Publication: August 8, 2017— Random House (Ballantine)

Memorable Lines:

One day I hoped to marry a man like him. Not a pastor, but a decent man who wasn’t into drugs or cheating or hitting women. Sounds simple, right? Well, from my experience those men were far and few between, and if I did happen upon one, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d recognize him.

I found the kindness factor among those who lived on the streets humbling. for the most part the homeless never took what they didn’t need. Often if they knew of someone else who was doing without, then they would accept it to hand off for another.

And with help I’d found a way to forgive him, not because he’d asked or because he deserved my forgiveness. I’d done it for my own peace of mind, to unburden the heavy load of resentment, refusing to cart it around any longer. That didn’t mean I was willing to be drawn back into his craziness, however.

Beautiful redemption story. Shay is a victim of her own doing. She's just been released from prison and needs a fresh start. Pastor Drew is still grieving the loss of his beloved wife after several years and he too needs a fresh start. As only God can, He uses this unlikely pair to bring about a needed shift in their lives using the most unlikely of circumstances.

Unlike most of Debbie Macomber's novels this is a stand alone. It was so good that I'm hoping some of these characters pop up in more of her books. Their stories need to be told too!

This book is a clean, uplifting, Christianity influenced and romantic story. The book has a lot of action, very interesting characters and covers many issues pertinent to growing up in today's world. A moving story about a young woman doing the wrong thing for what she feels is the right reason. She is left high and dry by the person she helped and she suffers the consequences all by herself. The storyline picks up with Shay Benson being released from prison and left to her own devices as how to survive. She actually finds help when she stops at a church. The pastor Drew Douglas is also in the church dealing with his own demons. He decides to help the young woman and takes her to a home where she is taken in and given help to pick up her life and live in the real world. Time goes by and Shay is getting ready to go out on her own. She once again runs into Drew and they start to establish a friendship. While the couple are getting closer there a few bumps in the road. The problem arrives when she is forced to confront her past and defend herself against accusations culminating with a satisfactory ending.










Reading Progress

ANY DREAM WILL DO is a classic Macomber-style book about second chances. It follows the intertwining stories of Shay Benson, a felon recently released from prison after serving three years for embezzlement, and Pastor Drew Douglas, a pastor whom, since the loss of his wife to cancer, has been struggling to find peace and meaning. In helping Shey, Drew also finds he is saving himself.

Fans of Macomber will like this book, as it's still in tune with her general themes. There's a strong theme of faith throughout the book (which is common in her writing). As one who USED to be a big fan, but has stepped away from reading her writing for a bit because it just started to feel too formulaic, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised that it was a good read that I couldn't put down once I started.

Shay Benson loves her brother. So much so, that she knowingly commits a crime to save him and lands in prison for it.

Now finished with her sentence, her brother gone since the day she was jailed and with only a few dollars to her name, Shay is at a loss as to what to do next. Her decision is to stop into a church to get out of the cold and think. That choice winds up saving her life by providing her with a second chance.

Drew Douglas, the widowed Pastor of the church Shay enters and father to two young children, finds Shay in his church that day. Talking with Shay at length, he decides that there's a good woman here who would benefit from the local Home Center. With help to get her frame of mind back and the return of self-esteem while having a place to eat and rest her head each night Shay would be able to hold her head high again.

Neither Shay nor Drew imagined that their meeting that day would have such an impact on both of their lives. ANY DREAM WILL DO is a true Macomber story. Filled with depth and heart, Debbie's characters take us on their spiritual journey and have us cheering them on until the last page. (In this case, I'd love to find out how Shay, Drew, Mark and Sarah are faring two years later! Hint, hint!)

Debbie Macomber's books are like sitting down to have tea with an old friend. She writes great characters and this book about second chances will keep you turning the pages.

Oh, Debbie Macomber.

I actually forgot that this was a Debbie Macomber book, having read it on my Kindle app without a cover, and then I got to the end and read an acknowledgement and started laughing because everything about it made so much sense knowing that it was one of hers. I think I've read a previous book in the series, because all of a sudden I recognized characters back and forth, and was very amused.

That being said, I think this is one of her better books of the last few--I hadn't been terribly impressed by the last two she's published, but I felt like this one had morals that were far less in-your-face and a really interesting premise.

Of course, the characters are overly goody-goody and the actions too picturesque--this IS a Macomber book, after all--but I LOVED that Shay was dealing with coming out of jail and presenting a whole new set of struggles. This was a very uplifting book that I'd quickly recommend to someone needing a dose of hope, and Shay's determination is lovely.

There is very little suspense and conflict, and Shay's brother doesn't really drive the plot, but I happily recommend this to Macomber fans!

A few months ago I was talking to an acquaintance about books and she mentioned how much she likes Debbie Macomber because the books make her happy and she feels "safe" reading them. I'll definitely need to point her towards this book because I know she'd love it.

I too enjoy this author, and I liked this one and its focus on basically just the main characters and two points of view (although the side characters were lovely). Shay was a great protagonist - she had been through a lot and felt worthless, and I loved seeing her change. I'm so glad the author made all of the changes, as well as the love story, take time - that is MUCH more realistic. There is some focus on religion (after all, the male main character is a pastor), but the book isn't preachy - the ideas were about serving the less fortunate. Anyway, I would recommend this book!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This was a cute read, even though it took me awhile to get into it. (I eventually find all of Debbie Macomber's reads cute.) This book was about a young woman, Shay, that had a very rough past and a widowed pastor, Drew, that had two young children he was trying to raise. Fate brought them together and they both figured out the future together- even though the route wasn't the easiest.

I found Shay's character hard to believe. She was in prison for three years, but it just didn't feel like she was someone that just got out, or lead that sort of life. Maybe it is just me. Plus I think three years is rather steep for her crime. On the other hand, I loved Drew's character. He had the tortured soul of losing the love of his life. He was trying to move on just for the sake of his kids, and Shay came along and things changed.

The story wasn't all unicorns and rainbows, which I liked- it made it similar to real life. It is what eventually drew me in. I liked the ending too. It didn't feel forced. It was a good ending, but not overwhelming.

Title: Any Dream Will Do
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Any Dream Will Do" by Debbie Macomber

My Thoughts.....

Who would have thought that Shay Benson and Drew Douglas who were complete opposites would one day come together and actually fall in love? We find that Shay has just been released from prison and finds herself showing up at Drew's church where we find that he is a widower, pastor and also a single father of two who was frowning in sadness. Now why was that? This author does well in giving the readers a real intriguing emotional story of just how life can change and present its form in so many different ways as it was for Shay. One could see why Shay may have had a chip on her shoulder as her life hadn't been easy for her at all especially with her father and brother. It was sad to see how she had been too trusting with her brother that she seemed to not being able to tell him NO. Will Shay learn from this bad experience she had gone through? Well, the story is quite deep and you will just have to pick this well written story that this author presents to her readers to see how things will change for Shay as she seems to have been given a second chance and finally have found someone who truly loves her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I don't think I have read a book by Debbie Macomber that I haven't enjoyed. She just has this style of writing to her work that draws me in and doesn't let me go! She is known for her stories of overcoming mistakes and regrets, and connecting with those opposites in every way of life. This story does seem to take a different level to her themes.

This story is full of deep emotions and really intense feelings. We get to know Shay and Caden on an emotionally intimate level. Choices can be extremely difficult and everyone involved in the story had something to learn and something to deal with.

I think I counted 2, MAYBE 3 curse words through out the whole book, and they were in context and rightly used, so they made sense. While there is an ex-con and a convict in the story, it is still an exceptionally clean story, as are most of Macombers books. This book gets 5 bright and sparkly stars from me!

What an inspirational story and now a new Debbie Macomber favorite.