If Not for You (New Beginnings)

by Debbie Macomber

"Having lived under her parents' thumb for 25 years, Beth Prudhomme is finally taking charge of her own life. She moves from Chicago to Portland to live near her favorite aunt, finding employment as a music teacher at a local high school and a fast friend in Nichole Nyquist (who readers will recognize from A Girl's Guide to Moving On). Everything is coming together, though her love life leaves something to be desired. Until Nichole introduces Beth to Sam, a tattooed mechanic who's the epitome of her conservative parents' worst nightmare. Beth doesn't want to upset her parents more than she already has, and for himself, Sam has no interest in being set up with a prissy music teacher. But both learn that appearances aren't everything when Beth gets into a car accident and Sam visits her--at first out of obligation, and then because he can't stay away. Yet there are skeletons in Sam's closet that prevent him from ever trusting a woman again, and he knows he doesn't fit into Beth's life. In the end, he'll have to decide if he can ever be worthy of Beth's love and if he is, how far he's willing to go to fight for it"--

• ISBN10: 0553391968
• ISBN13: 9780553391961
• Publish Date: 21 March 2017 (first published 1 January 1999)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Imprint: Ballantine Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[pagesbycyndy]

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for approving me this book.

Review:

I did not realize that this was a series but it can be read as a stand alone. My first thought that came to mind when I finished this book was what a sweet love story. Then I quickly thought that although sweet, it was very complicated. At first glance Beth seems so simple and sweet, don't get me wrong, she is sweet but not simple and uncomplicated at all, boy does she have mommy issues. Sam seems gruff and rough but underneath that exterior he is nothing but depth and character. Their romance should be straightforward and easy but no, that is not going to happen. Their first "blind date" sets the course for the rest of the book and how they develop as a couple, or maybe not ( no spoilers here). Beth's Aunt Sunshine has got to be my favorite character in this book and her story is a bit of an interesting romantic sub-plot and my least favorite character is Beth's mother. I thought to myself a few times in this book when these two were interacting, run Beth run, do not move back to Chicago! The more I got  to know Sam I quickly  realized that his backstory will ultimately hold him back or let him move forward with Beth. Oh and Beth herself forces a few situations between characters in the book that made me think she could be a tiny bit like her mother. The history between Sunshine and Beth's mother was one of my favorite parts of this book , a bit of a love triangle there and who can resist that, not me!

Verdict:

This book was a nice way for me to spend a few afternoons. I liked the love story and the setting of the book. I would like to read the earlier books in this series as well as the next installment.This review was originally posted on Cindy's Book Binge