I received a copy from Netgalley.com for a honest review so here goes.

I am a huge fan of Debbie Macomber and look forward to her new books every year and this one did not disappoint at all. This is a story about Shay Benson who's brother lets her take the fall for him when he convinces her to embezzle money for him. Needless to say she ends up in jail and upon her release she meets Pastor Drew Douglas who helps her to rebuild her life but in the process she helps him to rebuild his life after his wife's death. This is a story about building trust and finding love when he your are not looking for it.

When Shay is released from prison, she’s alone with no place to go. When she shows up at a church, she encounters Drew, a widower/pastor/single father. He’s still grieving over his wife’s untimely death and when he spots Shay, it’s during a dark moment in his life. He kindly offers Shay his help.
Shay is a bit suspicious of Drew, but, she accepts his help. After all, she has no choice. She has a chip on her shoulder since she’d been imprisoned for embezzlement. She’d only stolen the money to help her younger brother, Caden. After all, his life would be in danger if she didn’t give him the money.
Her mistake cost her years in prison, and now she’s ready to make a fresh start.
This book showed how judgmental and superficial Christians can be. Although a congregation should follow Jesus’s example, that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, you just have to ask a congregation, What would Jesus do?
I loved to see Shay change and grow within this story. She got along with Drew’s children and they loved her. Drew finds he enjoys spending time with Shay, but, her past proves to be problematic for several in the congregation.
I thought this was a refreshing book and it was a bit different than Macomber’s other books. I guess it was different because it was about an ex-con, trying to make a fresh start. Shay gives it her best, leaning on Jesus for guidance.

Another Debbie Macomber novel. Predictable, in that is was very enjoyable, was about second chances and left me wanting to read another book by...Debbie Macomber. This author is like your favorite comfort food, a trusted "go to" that you know you can count on. This book does not disappoint. Not thought provoking, but comfortable. A good vacation or rainy Sunday afternoon read. 350+ pages will be finished before you know it!

A young woman works to overcome her past and make something of her future. A pastor works to overcome the loss of his wife and be the parent and pastor everyone needs him to be. Through their fateful meeting connections are formed and paths are created. Both working toward something better, and the best part is they are sort of doing it together.

I really liked this book. Debbie Macomber does not disappoint. Her characters were interesting and easy to relate to. It vas a good story.

An inspirational tale. Shay, given a second chance to prove herself, grants the same opportunity to another. Debbie Macomber has delivered another winning story.

A 2 person story of their struggle from addiction and from lost of a wife; how they interact, how they solve their emotional status.

Debbie Macomber's newest release is a sweet romance filled with second chances. I honestly don't read many sweet romances any longer, as I usually like a bit more heat to my stories. However, I found myself really enjoying Any Dream Will Do as I read Shay's story.

I love watching characters grow over the course of a book, and I'm pretty sure Shay Benson grows and changes more than any other character I've read in some time. Thanks to some bad choices Shay made to protect her brother Caden, Shay ends up serving time in prison and when she gets out the first place she sees is Pastor Drew Douglas's church. I loved that for the first time since his wife's death, Drew saw someone he connected with and wanted to help.

Shay was so bitter and full of attitude as Any Dream Will Do began. I loved seeing her going from a woman with a huge chip on her shoulder to a woman who found her place in the world, both in her career and even with a relationship. The slow growth of the relationship between Drew and Shay made me believe in their relationship lasting. I loved that Drew's kids loved Shay every bit as much as she loved them and she was so very protective of them both.

Shay's brother Caden is still a part of her past that comes back to haunt her and her new life. I loved that Shay made great friends with some of the homeless men in the area, and they wanted to help her find her brother and keep her safe from him at the same time. Shay went from a completely closed off person to someone who became a true friend to people in all walks of life. Shay is one of my favorite characters I've read from Debbie Macomber.

Any Dream Will Do was a very satisfying sweet romance. I loved seeing Shay work so hard to make her second chances count. I loved seeing her find love and family for the first time, and find real friends. Fans of Debbie Macomber will adore Any Dream Will Do, and fans of sweet romance will find a wonderful new story.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (B)

I loved this book! A great story of love, trust and second chances. I have posted 5 star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I have also recommended this book to the members of BookAholic Cafe and Book Lovers Forever. Any Dream Will Do has been added to my book board on Pinterest. Sorry, I don't know how to post the links to my reviews

Debbie Macomber's latest stand alone title is a heartwarming and cozy story which will likely be popular with fans of Jan Karon's "Mitford" series. The story is simple and predictable. I only wish there was more development in the romance aspect as it all happened so quickly with scant tension. There was more preachiness than I've seen in some of her previous books, and for me, this was a bit too much. All in all, if a reader is looking for a sweet story, this is it.

I love Debbie's books ... and this is one of my new favorites.

Shay Benson, a sister that commits a crime to help her brother, has just been released from prison when her path crosses Pastor Drew Douglas, a widow with two children. The unlikely duo strike up a friendship and over time they become a couple. This becomes an issue for the people close to Drew and some members of his church.

his is a great little read. Not the kind I usually gravitate to. But very enjoyable. I felt really connected to the character, Drew and Shay. It has some great themes that I think are important. It's a romance, sure, but so much more.

Shay commits a crime to save her brother and gets caught. She goes to prison. When she is released, she has no money and nowhere to go. She finds herself getting out of the weather in a church. That is where she meets the pastor, Drew. They form a friendship that at first I questioned. But, they both are in need of second chances for different reasons...no spoilers. I thought the plot very well developed and moved at a great pace. I found it realistic and could identify with the characters and their struggles and joys. I rarely read this kind of book but am so glad I gave this one a chance. It was a breath of fresh air in the midst of heavier books.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for and ARC to read in exchange for a review. Highly recommended to those that like feel good stories with warmth and compassion. I enjoyed it!

I LOVE Debbie Macomber books, it's impossible not to have the feel good feelsies after finishing one and this isn't anything different. The characters grow just as they should, though if I'm honest, I really didn't care for Shay. She took little personal responsibility for the actions that got her into prison and instead continued to blame her brother. I did however, enjoy her evolution as a character and really enjoyed Drew and the kids.

A book that grabs you from the get go, it won't disappoint you.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2085684809

I have read and enjoyed a number of Debbie Macomber books over the years and this seems to be the exception. This book should be classified as a Christian romance with a message. I wish I could rate it higher but the religious overtones were just too, too ponderous for me. Just too preachy. This story just wasn't my cup of tea.

I wish I had looked at the clock when I started as it certainly didn't take long to read. I found a lot of the dialogue to be repetitive. The four main characters - Shay, Drew, Mark, and Sarah- had great potential to be more interesting, both alone and in relation to one another than the story allowed. Character development seemed superficial and the story line appeared rushed. It really bothered me, a personal quirk, that the timeline wasn't consistent. I hope the age errors, etc., are corrected before it goes to paperback publication as I am sure it will.

Debbie Macomber never fails to provide her readers with a wonderful well told story. Even though she seems to be moving away from her total romance genre, her move to women's fiction has continued to provide fantastic books to her readers.

Shay had grown up with an abusive father and after her mother died she tried to help raise her brother. When Shay finally gets a good job as a bank teller, her brother convinces her to embezzle some money to help him out for a few days and then lets her take the fall for him and she spends several years in jail for her crime. When she gets out of prison, she has no one to meet her and no where to go. She takes the bus into Seattle and goes into a church to keep warm. There she meets the pastor, Drew, who is struggling with his faith after the death of his wife two years earlier. Drew helps Shay get into a program and they become friends....but can their radically different paths allow them to become more than friends?

This is an engrossing book about family and forgiveness and dreams coming true.

Thanks to the author and netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Net Galley & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Shay is a good person. Too good for her own good. Because of it she ends up in a lot of trouble and has to rebuild her life.
Drew is also a good person. A minister, father and widower, he is trying desperately to keep his head above water and still find meaning in his life.
As the two lives crisscross over a span of time, the two manage to find, not only themselves, but a love and joy that they never imagined they would find.

This book is a quick, sweet read that left me feeling warm inside. Just what I needed at the time. Note - this book is overtly Christian but not preachy. Overall a wonderful, enjoyable read.

Any Dream Will Do

Debbie Macomber



ANY DREAM WILL DO is book #4 in the New Beginnings series.


Shay Benson loves her baby brother, Caden and would do just about anything for him. She works at a bank and when Caden asks her to "borrow" some cash for him, Shay tells him no right off the bat. When he convinces her that he will die if he doesn't repay the money, she goes against her better judgement and takes the money. He promises her he will get it back to her ASAP but you know how this is going to go right? He leaves her high and dry. Shay is convicted of embezzlement and spends years in prison for not listening to her gut. ANY DREAM WILL DO has Shay now finished doing her time and the prison bus drops her off in downtown Seattle right in front of a church. Here she meets Pastor Drew Douglas and her life is going to change in ways she never experienced before.


Shay and Drew become friends and as Drew helps Shay get back on her feet, feelings that she has never felt before, start to grow. He helps her get in to Hope Center and there she learns to trust people and accept their help. Drew lost his wife to cancer and has been struggling to move on. Shay and Drew help each other out and soon Drew's children and Drew himself can't imagine their lives without Shay in it. ANY DREAM WILL DO had me choked up at times and falling in love with all of the characters. I was hoping and wishing that Drew and Shay would be able to open up their hearts and let go of the past. Keep the tissues handy.


I have never met a Debbie Macomber story that didn't pull on my heart strings and ANY DREAM WILL DO did not disappoint. It is filled with forgiveness, love, and starting over. It is a fast read and the pages go very quickly as you get pulled in to the drama that the church elders bring on Shay. They don't trust the ex-con and try to convince Drew that he is making a huge mistake inviting her into his family's lives. Sometimes people just need to mind their own business. I found myself laughing and tearing up at the same time. How much garbage can one person take before they snap or just give up? Struggles will either make you or break you. Debbie Macomber pulled me right in from the very first page and never let me go. Now she owes me a box of tissues!

Good range of characters and multiple storylines. Liked having the story from 2 characters perspectives.

I thought this book was very good. I would recommend this book .

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4.5 Stars.

Shay Benson served three years after taking money form the bank where she worked to help her younger brother, Caden, pay off his drug supplier--and save his life. It's time she never wanted to spend, but she didn't have anyone left in her life to keep her or Caden out of harm's way.

Now freed, she has $100 and some hand-me-down clothes with which to begin again. Tired and cold in the December weather, Shay stops into a church to find a little warmth. She also find Pastor Drew Douglas, a man still fighting his grief over the passing of his beloved wife three years prior. Pastor Drew makes it his mission to help Shay find shelter, and his connection with a womens' center gets Shay not just a place to stay, but also counseling and job training. Over the course of a year, Shay and Drew see each other sporadically. His friend runs her jobs program, and she sometimes watches his daughter in a center-sponsored childcare. Both his children, surprisingly, gravitate toward Shay and want to include her in family dinners and special moments.It's not long before Drew acknowledges his own attraction to Shay's gentle nature and abundant kindness.

Though, it's not all easy. Drew's parishoners aren't keen on him marrying an ex-con--not when there are so many "decent" women to marry. And, Drew's bombarded by offers on many side before he recognizes that Shay is the gal for him. Naturally, there are some crises, and Shay falls under suspicion of wrong-doing--only to have things turn out sunny in the end.

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of religious romance, but I really appreciate the delicate position of a minister looking for love. It brings an interesting gravitas to a romance. There's no steam here, but there are plenty of feels. Drew's plagued by doubt and guilt--in his faith and his love. Shay's a good woman who had a bad start in life, and she's paid her dues more than twice. I was glad she found a good stable man to love her, but she's not going to take any guff from him either. I sure liked the 'atta girl moments, and had a few times where I shook the bed holding in my laughter. Poor Pastor! Those eligible ladies sure had high hopes, and he's called tot he carpet a few times defending Shay from some nasty allegations. Expect a hefty helping of redemption in this one, and all the folks who initially cast a gimlet eye on Shay ended up being smitten with her in the end. Its a sweet read, and I enjoyed it.