Sunday, September 10, 2017

ANY DREAM WILL DO by Debbie Macomber

Ballantine Books
August 8th, 2017
9780399181191
Contemporary/Women’s Fiction
Paperback ARC
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher
3.5 Hearts

 

Shay Benson loves her younger brother, Caden but when he brings trouble to her door, Shay finds out that in helping him, she lost the life she was making for herself. Now released from prison and trying to get back on her feet, Shay discovers that the path to the life she wants is not going to be easy.

Pastor Drew Douglas is lost and lonely after his wife died, leaving him and their two children behind. Drew finds Shay in his church one day and thus begins a journey for these two that will show them their heart’s desire. But as time goes on, Drew and Shay’s friendship evolves and grows and as Shay opens to Drew and lets down her guard, she finds a life worth fighting for. But when her past finds her, can Drew and Shay survive the chaos it causes or will their fragile bond break amid the weight of Shay’s past?

Debbie Macomber is a wonderful storyteller and delivers a heart stirring story of two people who find themselves at a crossroad. I normally enjoy this author’s books and as I was reading ANY DREAM WILL DO, I got sidetracked by all the mentions of religion and god though it didn’t come across as preachy in my opinion. It just moved the story along nicely. I mainly concentrated on Shay and Drew’s growing friendship. Normally I put books down that have an overabundance of religion within the storyline but in this l attest story from one of my favorite authors, I found it to be charming and perfectly written. I loved how Shay and Drew clicked after they first met and I enjoyed seeing these two continue to grow and evolve within the pages of ANY DREEAM WILL DO.

The story isn’t just about Shay and her desire to stay on the straight and narrow but of allowing her guard down to see the opportunities before her, that with hard work she could make that life she always dreamed of happen. Drew is at a standstill ever since his wife died. Meeting Shay leaves him reeling in a good way and he feels like he has awoken from fog. As much as I enjoyed these two main characters apart, together they were electric. I loved the scenes where they tease and flirt with one another, where Shay is interacting with Drew’s kids in a charming sort of way that left me falling just a little bit more in love with her. Shay is sweet, kind, compassionate and determined whereas Drew is trying to take it one day at a time and when he meets up with Shay again after many months apart, he is startled by how much she has changed yet stayed the same. Ms. Macomber has a gift of creating such unique and intriguing characters for readers to love. From Drew and Shay to Mark and Sarah’s love for Shay. Add in some homeless men who Shay befriends and tries to help plus members of Drew’s church well you get a sense of this village that is on Shay’s journey.
 
ANY DREAM WILL DO is a perfect book if you enjoy second chance stories filled with unbelievable characters that steal your heart, a storyline that is fast paced and keeps you glued to the pages until the very end and an author who is a master storyteller. Ms. Macomber is an auto-buy for myself and I look forward to seeing where she goes next for her readers to enjoy. If you haven’t tried this author before, then this is the perfect book to get started with.
 
This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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