Book Review
Any Dream Will Do
by Debbie Macomber
Ballentine Books © 2017
A New Beginnings Series
Plot Summary:
Shay Benson made a mistake; out of twisted familial loyalty only an abuse victim could comprehend, she embezzled to help her drug-addicted brother. Unfortunately, the mistake sent her to prison for three years. Now a convicted felon released to a world in which she has no friends of family, she stumbled into the only warmth she could find: a church.
Pastor Drew Douglas is struggling to cope with the grief of losing his wife while trying to provide love and support to his two children through their grief as well. His faith is suffering as he deals with the strain. He prays to God for help to find his faith and find love again. Then Shay Benson walked into his church.
The two will, together, find healing and strength in each other and in their faith. As they are drawn together, could Shay’s past come to affect their relationship?
My Thoughts:
This is a sweet story of second chances and redemption. For faithful fans of Hallmark movies, they will be drawn to the plot and the characters.
For me, the story was too simplistic. Additionally, Debbie Macomber wrote at an approximate 5th grade reading level for this one. (Example: I hesitated, not wanting to pry but at the same time wondering if there was any way I could help. “Anything I can do?” I asked.) I almost thought of the SNL sketch about the man who said exactly what he was thinking. Not funny in this context though. Just boring.
Macomber’s sentence structure is simple. The thoughts and motives of her characters, even the adults, are not subtle or nuanced in the slightest.
I must confess to a love of light-hearted romance stories. This one, however, was slow and uneventful. Even the drama in the story was too contrived and simplistic to be compelling.