I've read quite a few novels by Debbie Macomber and I'm definitely a fan. In fact, I'd like to one day say that I've read all of her books. Starting Now, however, was my first trip to Blossom Street and lets just say that I was not disappointed. This may be the ninth book in the Blossom Street series but having not read the previous stories did not effect my perception of this one at all. Prior knowledge of the previous books didn't seem to be a huge deal in understanding Starting Now. I did, however, enjoy this one enough that I'll be going back to check out the earlier installments. (:In true Debbie Macomber fashion we get some wonderful characters. I wouldn't have expected anything less. We get an extremely hard-working and dedicated lawyer, Libby, who is all but obsessed with her job. Out of the blue one day, she finds herself laid off. Her bosses final advice to her is to "get a life". Starting Now is Libby's journey to finding a more fulfilling life and true friendships. All of the lovely characters we meet as Libby meets them and builds relationships with them. We also get a small secondary story of a young girl, Ava, which I wasn't expecting but worked really well in adding some more depth to the novel. I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything!Throughout the story Libby learns a lot of really valuable lessons about cherishing your friends and valuing things outside of work. Anyone, especially in the era, can take a lot away from this book and apply these lessons to their own lives. I love Debbie Macomber's way of getting a read to take a closer look at their own lives without becoming preachy. Oh, and of course, the usual sweet and feel-good romance is there as well. Can't forget that! *An ARC was providing to be in exchange for an honest review only.
