If Not for You

January 23, 2017
Macomber (A Girl’s Guide to Moving On) continues her New Beginnings series with two parallel stories of love almost lost. New-to-town music teacher Beth and mechanic Sam don’t hit it off immediately when their mutual friends Nichole and Rocco set them up on a blind date in Portland, Ore. But the night takes an unexpected turn when Beth is in a car accident that leaves her in critical condition. From that evening on, Sam stands by her as she recovers from her injuries, but once Beth is out of the hospital, their growing bond is tested by their complicated pasts and hang-ups. Meanwhile, Beth decides to help her aunt Sunshine find the one who got away, sparking concerns that she’s meddling too much in the lives of others. Although the stories dovetail well, showing Beth and Sunshine’s very different relationships founded on unexpected connections, the book itself becomes weighed down by its own subplots, which would be better served by breaking the book in two. Even so, this latest from the prolific Macomber is a fun, sweet read that fans of her style will undoubtedly find satisfying. Agent: Theresa Park, Park Literary.

After Beth flees from an awkward blind date with a mechanic named Sam, she's in a horrible car accident, which he witnesses. On her own in Portland, Oregon, Beth is determined to recover, and Sam feels compelled to help. Soon, Beth reconnects Sam with his past and unknowingly risks their future. Narrator Khristine Hvam brings out all the terror of the accident, and makes the story and its characters appealing and believable. As Beth, she captures a na�ve and openhearted young woman, and with changes in pitch and phrasing, she slips easily into the voice of Sam, a hard-working all-American male. Hvam will captivate listeners with her performance of Macomber's newest classic. S.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine