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La felicità nei giorni di pioggia
Romany ha da poco compiuto diciott’anni ed è sul punto di muovere i primi passi nell’età adulta quando si ritrova improvvisamente sola senza sua madre, Angie, l’unico genitore che abbia mai conosciuto, portata via da un male repentino. Nella sua lettera di commiato, consegnata a un avvocato, Angie ha incaricato i suoi più cari amici di prendersi cura della figlia durante il suo ultimo anno di scuola superiore. Ognuno dei quattro tutori possiede una visione della vita che la donna vuole lasciare a Romany come eredità: c’è Tiger, l’eterno giramondo; Leon, timido e pratico, con il suo genio musicale inesplorato; e Maggie, brillante e sicura di sé, che si identifica a tutto tondo con la sua professione. Tutti loro si conoscono fin dai tempi dell’università. Ma la quarta tutrice, Hope, è invece un mistero di cui non avevano mai sentito parlare prima… È l’inizio di un viaggio in cui ciascuno dovrà fare i conti con il dolore della perdita, con l’incredulità, con fantasmi del passato da affrontare e misteri da dipanare. E mentre ognuno sfida le proprie paure, a volte vincendole, a volte scendendoci a patti, Angie, quella che vedeva più lontano di tutti, insegna loro che ci vuole una tribù per crescere, se stessi e pure una bambina.
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2022
5438 people are currently reading
17163 people want to read
About the author
Imogen Clark
15 books885 followersInternationally bestselling author Imogen Clark has sold over one million books. She writes contemporary fiction about families and secrets. Her books have topped Amazon storewide charts eight times and her third book, Where the Story Starts, was shortlisted in the UK for Contemporary Romantic Novel of the year 2020.
Imogen initially qualified as a lawyer but after leaving her legal career behind to care for her four children, she returned to her first love - books. She went back to University, studying English Literature part-time whilst the children were at school. It was a short step from there to writing novels.
Imogen's great love is travel and she is always planning her next adventure. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children.
If you'd like to connect then please visit her website at www.imogenclark.com where you can sign up to her monthly newsletter. Imogen can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as Imogen Clark Author.
Imogen initially qualified as a lawyer but after leaving her legal career behind to care for her four children, she returned to her first love - books. She went back to University, studying English Literature part-time whilst the children were at school. It was a short step from there to writing novels.
Imogen's great love is travel and she is always planning her next adventure. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children.
If you'd like to connect then please visit her website at www.imogenclark.com where you can sign up to her monthly newsletter. Imogen can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as Imogen Clark Author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,160 reviews
February 21, 2022
EXCERPT: August 2018
My dear friends,
If you are reading this, then I must be dead. (I've always wanted to say that - so very Agatha Christie! And please don't cry, Leon. It's only a bit of fun. X)
Seriously though, I want to thank you all for being there for me over the last couple of months. It's been pretty tough, but having you lot in my corner has made it easier to cope. To be honest, I don't know what I'd have done without you. I couldn't have wished for a better bunch of mates.
But there's just one last thing I need to ask you to do for me.
Obviously, my biggest concern is my beautiful girl, Romany. I will never understand a universe that lets a parent die before they have finished preparing their child to live. It's all kinds of wrong. Yet we are where we are.
Without me, Romany will be left all alone. Even though she's about to turn eighteen, she's really still a child with so much to learn about the world, good and bad. She needs someone to be there for her, a guardian if you like, to guide her until she finds her feet. It won't be forever, just until she finishes her A levels and gets a place at university, but I can't bear to think of her struggling through school on her own. I had to do that, and I don't want history repeating itself.
That's where you come in. I charge you, my dearest and most trusted friends, with the vitality important task of steering her through the challenging months ahead.
I know it wouldn't be fair to suggest that just one of you shoulders this massive responsibility, so I've decided to ask you all to play to your individual strengths.
ABOUT 'IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET': Just turned eighteen, Romany is on the cusp of taking her first steps into adulthood when tragedy strikes, and she finds herself suddenly alone without her mother, Angie, the only parent she has ever known. In her final letter, Angie has charged her four closest friends with guiding Romany through her last year of school—but is there an ulterior motive to her unusual dying wish?
Each of the four guardians possesses an outlook on life that Angie wants to give her daughter as a legacy. Three of them have known each other since university: the eternally nomadic and exotically named Tiger; the shy and practical Leon with his untapped musical genius; and Maggie, a brilliant lawyer who doesn’t know her own abilities. But the fourth guardian is a mystery to the others: they’ve never even heard of former model Hope before…
As the guardians reflect on their friendship with Angie, it becomes apparent that this unusual arrangement is as much about them as it is about Romany. Navigating their grief individually and as a group, what will all five of them learn about themselves, their pasts—and the woman who’s brought them all together?
MY THOUGHTS: Impossible to Forget is a nice read about a mainly nice group of people, but it's nothing special and, honestly, I was expecting so much more.
I never became fully invested to the point where the characters felt real to me, that it mattered what happened to them. I picked up other books in preference to this, and yet I didn't dislike it, it just failed to move me.
One of the problems I think, was that there was far too much backstory, chapter upon chapter of it; in fact, it makes up the majority of the book. A lot of it was unnecessarily repetitive and could have been done without. For all the background given, the characters still fell flat.
The premise is interesting, but I believe that this could have been a far more emotionally fulfilling experience than what I had. Unfortunately, this is not impossible to forget.
⭐⭐.8
#ImpossibletoForget #NetGalley
I: @imogenclarkauthor @amazonpublishing
T: @imogenclark @AmazonPub
#comingofage #contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Imogen initially qualified as a lawyer but after leaving her legal career behind to care for her four children, she returned to her first love - books. She went back to University, studying English Literature part-time whilst the children were at school. It was a short step from there to writing novels.
Imogen's great love is travel and she is always planning her next adventure. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Impossible to Forget by Imogen Clark. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
My dear friends,
If you are reading this, then I must be dead. (I've always wanted to say that - so very Agatha Christie! And please don't cry, Leon. It's only a bit of fun. X)
Seriously though, I want to thank you all for being there for me over the last couple of months. It's been pretty tough, but having you lot in my corner has made it easier to cope. To be honest, I don't know what I'd have done without you. I couldn't have wished for a better bunch of mates.
But there's just one last thing I need to ask you to do for me.
Obviously, my biggest concern is my beautiful girl, Romany. I will never understand a universe that lets a parent die before they have finished preparing their child to live. It's all kinds of wrong. Yet we are where we are.
Without me, Romany will be left all alone. Even though she's about to turn eighteen, she's really still a child with so much to learn about the world, good and bad. She needs someone to be there for her, a guardian if you like, to guide her until she finds her feet. It won't be forever, just until she finishes her A levels and gets a place at university, but I can't bear to think of her struggling through school on her own. I had to do that, and I don't want history repeating itself.
That's where you come in. I charge you, my dearest and most trusted friends, with the vitality important task of steering her through the challenging months ahead.
I know it wouldn't be fair to suggest that just one of you shoulders this massive responsibility, so I've decided to ask you all to play to your individual strengths.
ABOUT 'IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET': Just turned eighteen, Romany is on the cusp of taking her first steps into adulthood when tragedy strikes, and she finds herself suddenly alone without her mother, Angie, the only parent she has ever known. In her final letter, Angie has charged her four closest friends with guiding Romany through her last year of school—but is there an ulterior motive to her unusual dying wish?
Each of the four guardians possesses an outlook on life that Angie wants to give her daughter as a legacy. Three of them have known each other since university: the eternally nomadic and exotically named Tiger; the shy and practical Leon with his untapped musical genius; and Maggie, a brilliant lawyer who doesn’t know her own abilities. But the fourth guardian is a mystery to the others: they’ve never even heard of former model Hope before…
As the guardians reflect on their friendship with Angie, it becomes apparent that this unusual arrangement is as much about them as it is about Romany. Navigating their grief individually and as a group, what will all five of them learn about themselves, their pasts—and the woman who’s brought them all together?
MY THOUGHTS: Impossible to Forget is a nice read about a mainly nice group of people, but it's nothing special and, honestly, I was expecting so much more.
I never became fully invested to the point where the characters felt real to me, that it mattered what happened to them. I picked up other books in preference to this, and yet I didn't dislike it, it just failed to move me.
One of the problems I think, was that there was far too much backstory, chapter upon chapter of it; in fact, it makes up the majority of the book. A lot of it was unnecessarily repetitive and could have been done without. For all the background given, the characters still fell flat.
The premise is interesting, but I believe that this could have been a far more emotionally fulfilling experience than what I had. Unfortunately, this is not impossible to forget.
⭐⭐.8
#ImpossibletoForget #NetGalley
I: @imogenclarkauthor @amazonpublishing
T: @imogenclark @AmazonPub
#comingofage #contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Imogen initially qualified as a lawyer but after leaving her legal career behind to care for her four children, she returned to her first love - books. She went back to University, studying English Literature part-time whilst the children were at school. It was a short step from there to writing novels.
Imogen's great love is travel and she is always planning her next adventure. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Impossible to Forget by Imogen Clark. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
February 5, 2022
This was not for me.
The writing was good and had an easy flow but for what the story was should have been quite a bit shorter. I thought the plot was going to follow Romany and her new guardians which it did, eventually. After about 300 pages of background. I think it would have worked a little better if the flashbacks were interspersed with the story, as a double time line instead of just all dumped at the beginning right after the initial revelation or even was just alluded to and Romany made the main focus of the entire story.
I found most of the characters really unlikeable? Angie is supposed to be carefree, hippy dippy type but really comes off as inconsiderate and rude. Same with Tiger (yes that is a character name). Maggie was the most likeable of the bunch and I still found her distant as a character and did not like her later treatment of Leon and her cliché life of career focused and not able to find a man and regretting it life. I do not think the portion where they were in university sounded like anyone at that age and there literally was no distinction between their behavior, thoughts and development through their 30 years of life. They seemed 50 at 20.
This got a lot of positive reviews so it seems to work for some people as a found family type of deal but it just did not work for me. The author seems to get a lot of love but I just might not be the audience. Sorry, I tried, Imogen!
I received this copy from Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review.
The writing was good and had an easy flow but for what the story was should have been quite a bit shorter. I thought the plot was going to follow Romany and her new guardians which it did, eventually. After about 300 pages of background. I think it would have worked a little better if the flashbacks were interspersed with the story, as a double time line instead of just all dumped at the beginning right after the initial revelation or even was just alluded to and Romany made the main focus of the entire story.
I found most of the characters really unlikeable? Angie is supposed to be carefree, hippy dippy type but really comes off as inconsiderate and rude. Same with Tiger (yes that is a character name). Maggie was the most likeable of the bunch and I still found her distant as a character and did not like her later treatment of Leon and her cliché life of career focused and not able to find a man and regretting it life. I do not think the portion where they were in university sounded like anyone at that age and there literally was no distinction between their behavior, thoughts and development through their 30 years of life. They seemed 50 at 20.
This got a lot of positive reviews so it seems to work for some people as a found family type of deal but it just did not work for me. The author seems to get a lot of love but I just might not be the audience. Sorry, I tried, Imogen!
I received this copy from Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review.
January 3, 2023
I love books that bring some St. Elmo's Fire vibes and this was a fun look at college friends that continued with that friendship throughout their life. Four friends: Angie is a true hippy, sometimes rude, and selfish or guarded because she had a rough childhood. She never knew what family was until she raised a daughter as a single parent. Tiger is the carefree nomadic wanderer and never serious friend with no commitments. Maggie is a brilliant lawyer and a lovable character. Leon is shy and practical, a musical genius and a failed marriage with a girl that never appreciated his friends. All four of them gather often for birthdays and holidays.
When Maggie dies of cancer, she has one wish for her daughter Romany to have these 4 friends and one other that Romany has never met...Hope... to take over the guardianship of her daughter until she can get through school. She not only wanted Romany to get to know each friend's outlook on life, but for them to know each one has their own special gift to give. But who is Hope?
What an epic tribute to friends that each one of them is worthy of her child's future! This is more about love, loss and friendship with regrets sprinkled throughout. Romany's grief over her mom is the toughest part to read. My heart grieved with her. An excellent book although the ending was drawn out much longer than I anticipated, it was still worthy of an audio selection! The narrator, Bronwen Price, does an outstanding job with her British accent!
When Maggie dies of cancer, she has one wish for her daughter Romany to have these 4 friends and one other that Romany has never met...Hope... to take over the guardianship of her daughter until she can get through school. She not only wanted Romany to get to know each friend's outlook on life, but for them to know each one has their own special gift to give. But who is Hope?
What an epic tribute to friends that each one of them is worthy of her child's future! This is more about love, loss and friendship with regrets sprinkled throughout. Romany's grief over her mom is the toughest part to read. My heart grieved with her. An excellent book although the ending was drawn out much longer than I anticipated, it was still worthy of an audio selection! The narrator, Bronwen Price, does an outstanding job with her British accent!
March 19, 2023
"If you are reading this, I must be dead." And unfortunately, Angie was in fact dead at a young age from cancer. At the reading of her will, she asks four of her friends to be unofficial guardians of her 18 year old daughter who is finishing high school. Three of the friends are from Angie's college days, but the fourth is a young model who seems out of place.
This is an enjoyable character driven story. It follows Angie's friendships starting in college, her raising a child born out of wedlock, and her successful career as a holistic practitioner. Her choice of guardians has a long lasting positive effect on all involved. Even in death, Angie is impossible to forget.
This is an enjoyable character driven story. It follows Angie's friendships starting in college, her raising a child born out of wedlock, and her successful career as a holistic practitioner. Her choice of guardians has a long lasting positive effect on all involved. Even in death, Angie is impossible to forget.
January 10, 2022
Sweetly predictable
My favorite things about the book:
- it acknowledges how we don’t really see people - especially older people
- almost all the narrators reveal that they are most annoyed by qualities in others which they possess themselves (I loved when Angie saw Becky as rude and not very smart. Angie had already proved herself rude, and was about to be not very smart in preparing for Romany’s arrival. )
My favorite things about the book:
- it acknowledges how we don’t really see people - especially older people
- almost all the narrators reveal that they are most annoyed by qualities in others which they possess themselves (I loved when Angie saw Becky as rude and not very smart. Angie had already proved herself rude, and was about to be not very smart in preparing for Romany’s arrival. )
May 11, 2025
L’idea di fondo poteva anche essere carina ma a mio avviso non è stata sviluppata nel modo migliore.
Ne viene fuori una storia a tratti banale e scontata. Leggibile, non voglio dire di no, ma non mi ha lasciato nulla. Ho dovuto aspettare le ultime venti pagine per avere un sussulto emotivo. Peccato.
Ne viene fuori una storia a tratti banale e scontata. Leggibile, non voglio dire di no, ma non mi ha lasciato nulla. Ho dovuto aspettare le ultime venti pagine per avere un sussulto emotivo. Peccato.
January 4, 2022
So good!
I loved how the author wove the storyline together and how she built up every character! I couldn't help falling in love with all of them. Amazing story writing !
I loved how the author wove the storyline together and how she built up every character! I couldn't help falling in love with all of them. Amazing story writing !
January 10, 2022
4.5 stars. I downloaded Impossible to Forget by Imogen Clark as my January Amazon First Read. I download my free book(s) every month but never read them. I decided this year I was going to read the book I chose. I’m so glad I made that decision.
Impossible to Forget starts at the reading of Angie’s will. She has left the guidance of her daughter Romany to her 4 friends: Maggie, the lawyer; Leon, the engineer; Tiger, the free-spirit; and Hope, the beautiful model/entrepreneur that is her newest friend.
From there, the friends stories are revealed beginning at University and ultimately ending at Angie’s passing. Then we get these characters stories as they navigate life without Angie and how Romany embraces these older friends of her moms.
I love a good character driven story. Ms. Clark delivered that. I love a found family story. Ms. Clark also delivers that. I love a story that reveals itself slowly and unexpectedly. Ms. Clark delivers that multiple times.
Overall, I loved Impossible to Forget and look forward to next months First Read.
Impossible to Forget starts at the reading of Angie’s will. She has left the guidance of her daughter Romany to her 4 friends: Maggie, the lawyer; Leon, the engineer; Tiger, the free-spirit; and Hope, the beautiful model/entrepreneur that is her newest friend.
From there, the friends stories are revealed beginning at University and ultimately ending at Angie’s passing. Then we get these characters stories as they navigate life without Angie and how Romany embraces these older friends of her moms.
I love a good character driven story. Ms. Clark delivered that. I love a found family story. Ms. Clark also delivers that. I love a story that reveals itself slowly and unexpectedly. Ms. Clark delivers that multiple times.
Overall, I loved Impossible to Forget and look forward to next months First Read.
February 8, 2022
I liked the duality of this book, it was sad but ultimately about hope and moving forward rather than being stuck and dwelling on the past. The overall message of the book and the journey that the characters go on together was nice to read.
I was a tad confused by how we started off, to go into an abrupt time and point of view change for the next two hundred or so pages. It just felt like we got chucked into the deep end a bit. The four characters that we follow throughout that period though different, seemed to all blur into one for me at points. I could not for the life of me keep track of who was having a relationship with who, or what had happened to each character individually. I mean, I spent half of the book thinking it was Maggie who passed away not Angie, so THAT was a big bit of confusion to be honest. They just all felt the same to me which was a shame.
The plot was easy moving and the pace was fine, I just think it was a little bit lacking in events at times. There were small plot twists towards the end that helped propel it forward but other than that, it was very run of the mill and had a bit of a monotonous tone to it. I like the idea of focusing on a friend group, I just wish we knew them more individually as opposed to who they were to each other. I didn’t feel like their personalities really came forward and I ended up not caring about them for the most part.
The writing was fine and I found it easy to get through, though this is a fairly long winded book - I think we could have gotten to the point a bit sooner. I think the emotion aspect of it all could’ve been developed more if we really got to spend more time with Romany. The entire synopsis and beginning of the book places so much emphasis on her, and in the end we barely spend any time with her or know her at all. We don’t get much of her grieving the loss of her mom, which I was anticipating. I think telling this story from her point of view with flashbacks from her mom sprinkled in would’ve made for a more engaging narrative.
I was a tad confused by how we started off, to go into an abrupt time and point of view change for the next two hundred or so pages. It just felt like we got chucked into the deep end a bit. The four characters that we follow throughout that period though different, seemed to all blur into one for me at points. I could not for the life of me keep track of who was having a relationship with who, or what had happened to each character individually. I mean, I spent half of the book thinking it was Maggie who passed away not Angie, so THAT was a big bit of confusion to be honest. They just all felt the same to me which was a shame.
The plot was easy moving and the pace was fine, I just think it was a little bit lacking in events at times. There were small plot twists towards the end that helped propel it forward but other than that, it was very run of the mill and had a bit of a monotonous tone to it. I like the idea of focusing on a friend group, I just wish we knew them more individually as opposed to who they were to each other. I didn’t feel like their personalities really came forward and I ended up not caring about them for the most part.
The writing was fine and I found it easy to get through, though this is a fairly long winded book - I think we could have gotten to the point a bit sooner. I think the emotion aspect of it all could’ve been developed more if we really got to spend more time with Romany. The entire synopsis and beginning of the book places so much emphasis on her, and in the end we barely spend any time with her or know her at all. We don’t get much of her grieving the loss of her mom, which I was anticipating. I think telling this story from her point of view with flashbacks from her mom sprinkled in would’ve made for a more engaging narrative.
February 14, 2022
Most reviewers seemed to be over the moon about this book but I found the structure the writer chose to be extremely frustrating. The beginning scene sets up an interesting story with all kinds of possibilities: A single mother, Angie, requests in her will that her three best friends from college (who have continued to be friends, now in their fifties), look after Angie's daughter, Romany, even though Romany is eighteen and can make decisions on her own. She also requests that Hope, a new friend, join in this guardianship, even though the three older friends have never met Hope and don't know how she fits into Angie and Romany's life.
Intriguing, right? Well, that setup was followed by over two hundred pages of back story about the friendship between Angie and her college friends, Maggie, Leon, and Tiger. (Tiger is a nickname but you don't find out his real name until the very end.) I was so frustrated I almost stopped reading. The background information could easily have been relayed with fifty pages, not two hundred. Even better, it could have been told in flashback form periodically through the story of how the guardians related to dealing with Romany.
Finally, at about page three hundred, the story actually begins and it is quite interesting - much more so than the previous two hundred pages. So I do recommend the first chapter of the book and the last ninety or so pages. The rest - eh. Reader's choice.
Intriguing, right? Well, that setup was followed by over two hundred pages of back story about the friendship between Angie and her college friends, Maggie, Leon, and Tiger. (Tiger is a nickname but you don't find out his real name until the very end.) I was so frustrated I almost stopped reading. The background information could easily have been relayed with fifty pages, not two hundred. Even better, it could have been told in flashback form periodically through the story of how the guardians related to dealing with Romany.
Finally, at about page three hundred, the story actually begins and it is quite interesting - much more so than the previous two hundred pages. So I do recommend the first chapter of the book and the last ninety or so pages. The rest - eh. Reader's choice.
February 2, 2022
Calling all Imogen Clark fans! She has just released a brilliant new adult fiction book "Impossible To Forget". The title is fitting. Readers will remember this dazzling book for a long time.
Romany age-18 has just lost her mother Angie to cancer. Angie was a single parent and Romany was Angie's world. At the reading of the will, Romany finds out Angie has left her an unexpected gift. Angie requests that four of her friends Maggie, Leon, Tiger, and Hope, act as custodians of Romany during her last year of high school. Maggie, Leon, and Tiger have been Angie's best friends since college, but who is Hope? Why was she named as the fourth guardian?
This is a incredible story of loss, love, and friendship. Readers will immediately be taken in by events as they play out in this thought-provoking novel. Imogen Clark fans are aware of her place as one of the most respected storytellers. This exquisite book is another example of the depth in which she brings the characters to life. Adult fiction lovers, this is for you. Don't miss it!
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, for the honor of reviewing this superb e-book. Applause to Imogen Clark for writing this 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ masterpiece!
Romany age-18 has just lost her mother Angie to cancer. Angie was a single parent and Romany was Angie's world. At the reading of the will, Romany finds out Angie has left her an unexpected gift. Angie requests that four of her friends Maggie, Leon, Tiger, and Hope, act as custodians of Romany during her last year of high school. Maggie, Leon, and Tiger have been Angie's best friends since college, but who is Hope? Why was she named as the fourth guardian?
This is a incredible story of loss, love, and friendship. Readers will immediately be taken in by events as they play out in this thought-provoking novel. Imogen Clark fans are aware of her place as one of the most respected storytellers. This exquisite book is another example of the depth in which she brings the characters to life. Adult fiction lovers, this is for you. Don't miss it!
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, for the honor of reviewing this superb e-book. Applause to Imogen Clark for writing this 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ masterpiece!
February 16, 2023
If you're not familiar with Imogen Clark, she writes entertaining, not too heavy contemporary book club fiction about family and friendship. In Impossible to Forget, four very different individuals come together through their proximity in a college dorm; not the likeliest of friends. The first half of the book is backstory and moves along slowly but perseverance is rewarded in the second half. One of the things I found interesting was how courageous and insightful Angie was. So many things could have gone wrong but, on the other hand, her daughter could only be better off by her trying. (No spoiler as this occurs on page one). Surprisingly, I didn't find the most interesting character to be among the cuatro amigos but I will let you decide for yourself. As I finished the last page I had the thought, "And a little child shall lead them."
Thank you to Imogen Clark, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of Impossible to Forget for my enjoyment and review.
Thank you to Imogen Clark, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of Impossible to Forget for my enjoyment and review.
Read
February 20, 2022DNF
February 9, 2022
Impossible To Forget caught my eye as an Amazon First Reads book and I was immediately intrigued by its premise that revolves around a group of university friends - their friendships over the years, their struggles, and triumphs.
The story begins with the death of Angie, a homeopath and mother of 18-year-old Romany. When her solicitor brings Angie's three university friends and another woman in for a meeting, they're told that Angie has asked these four people to be mentors for Romany. Maggie (lawyer), Tiger (roving free spirit) and Leon (engineer) have been friends with Angie since their first days in university residence. Hope, the beautiful young woman, is unknown to the others and her inclusion is a mystery to the three friends and the reader. Unsure of whether they're up with this task, the story takes readers back in time to see how these friends met, the bumps in the road and how Hope fits into things.
This is an engaging character-driven read and while I found some behaviours irksome, they were authentically portrayed and hit their emotional target. Clark slowly reveals the personal quirks, pasts and passions of this group of people, and we see how each of them change over time and grow to know each other (and themselves) better than they ever thought possible. Don't miss this impressive read!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this through the Amazon First Reads program in exchange for my honest review.
February 10, 2023
If you're not familiar with Imogen Clark, she writes entertaining, not too heavy contemporary book club fiction about family and friendship. In Impossible to Forget, four very different individuals come together through their proximity in a college dorm; not the likeliest of friends. The first half of the book is backstory and moves along slowly but perseverance is rewarded in the second half. One of the things I found interesting was how courageous and insightful Angie was. So many things could have gone wrong but, on the other hand, her daughter could only be better off by her trying. (No spoiler as this occurs on page one). Surprisingly, I didn't find the most interesting character to be among the cuatro amigos but I will let you decide for yourself. As I finished the last page I had the thought, "And a little child shall lead them."
3 1/2 stars
Thank you to Imogen Clark, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of Impossible to Forget for my enjoyment and review. Published on 2/12/22.
3 1/2 stars
Thank you to Imogen Clark, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of Impossible to Forget for my enjoyment and review. Published on 2/12/22.
November 12, 2023
Imogen Clark has a way with storytelling. I would recommend this book if you're looking for something light with a good flow... a story that is centered on friendship and family that you choose, with excellent character growth.
January 21, 2022
An engaging story about four university friends and the bonds that keep them together, even after one dies. Their struggles to be true to themselves make up the bulk of the plot and it takes each of them a long time to realize their true potential. I guess that's true of most of us, always trying to answer the question, "What do I want to be when I grow up?"
February 7, 2022
The premise of this book seemed intriguing, so I checked it out from the library not knowing anything about the author or the types of books she writes ("contemporary book club fiction"? I had no idea that was even a genre!) or her intended audience. I wish I had done a little research. My literary tastes generally preclude "chick-lit" books, and while I'm all for branching out, this book left me feeling a little grouchy for having read it. It gets one star for holding my interest enough to finish the book, but I did not enjoy it.
June 6, 2022
I feel like this is one of those that I should have liked better than I did, but honestly I was a bit bored through it all. The one thing that kept me going was I wanted to see how the adults dealt with their part of being a guardian. At first it seemed like it was going to be a shit show the Romany was going to be on her own. By the end all of them stepped up and everyone learned something from someone else, especially the adults.
February 8, 2022
Impossible to Forget it's a book that will literally be impossible to forget. a book that will fill you with hope, make you smile, and cry from time to time.
This is the story of Angie and Romany a story that starts when Romany finds herself all alone, not knowing what will happen to her. four strangers are ready to take over and teach her things her mother Angie would love for her to learn and know.
Romany is not so excited to live with anybody especially with a guy who doesn't seem to have a clue about life and spend his entire time traveling to exotic locations but never settling down, she is not sure her mother knew what she wanted when she left so many things unsaid but she trusted her mother and knew this was the best.
In Impossible to Forget we get to meet each character and learn more about them how they became friends with Angie. we get to dig into the past and learn everything about Tiger, Maggie, Leon, and Hope.
My favorite character was Romany, she was never a petulant child, she was in her 18 teens and she was very mature for her age, I was waiting for her to be the typical narcissistic teenager that will make problems for everybody, a living hell but I'm glad this was never the case. she was always very respectful and kind and very smart for her own age. In the last pages of the book, Romany really shows everybody including the reader that she is a very strong character who deserves happiness. I love her strength, her faith but mostly that she was a strong character without being a problem.
The "secondary" characters more like the main characters as all of them are very involved in this story are amazing, each one has a great quality or thing to share with Romany, Tiger was the first one that I was skeptical to like him but at the end, he turned out to be great, always traveling and changing places and live like a nomadic, he was always flirting with Maggie but never made a move.
Maggie at first gave me a vibe that I thought she was going to be a problem in the story, but she was non of that, she was kind and always ready to help, a successful lawyer that is searching to find more on herself.
Leon, was the quiet one, shy, brilliant, a rare talent in music, he was a great friend to have around, Leon gave me the views as if he was a loner or prefer to stay in his silence, especially around his wife.
I couldn't stand Becky she was the worst character of the book, she was a terrible liar, always creating conflict around her friends and the typical insecure woman trying to separate Leon from his friends because she didn't understand the friendship.
Impossible to Forget is a book that will be Impossible to Forget, I love everything about this book, the freshness of the story and the characters, the light tone of the book, the strength of the women shown in the story, especially Romany.
Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union for sharing this digital copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This is the story of Angie and Romany a story that starts when Romany finds herself all alone, not knowing what will happen to her. four strangers are ready to take over and teach her things her mother Angie would love for her to learn and know.
Romany is not so excited to live with anybody especially with a guy who doesn't seem to have a clue about life and spend his entire time traveling to exotic locations but never settling down, she is not sure her mother knew what she wanted when she left so many things unsaid but she trusted her mother and knew this was the best.
In Impossible to Forget we get to meet each character and learn more about them how they became friends with Angie. we get to dig into the past and learn everything about Tiger, Maggie, Leon, and Hope.
My favorite character was Romany, she was never a petulant child, she was in her 18 teens and she was very mature for her age, I was waiting for her to be the typical narcissistic teenager that will make problems for everybody, a living hell but I'm glad this was never the case. she was always very respectful and kind and very smart for her own age. In the last pages of the book, Romany really shows everybody including the reader that she is a very strong character who deserves happiness. I love her strength, her faith but mostly that she was a strong character without being a problem.
The "secondary" characters more like the main characters as all of them are very involved in this story are amazing, each one has a great quality or thing to share with Romany, Tiger was the first one that I was skeptical to like him but at the end, he turned out to be great, always traveling and changing places and live like a nomadic, he was always flirting with Maggie but never made a move.
Maggie at first gave me a vibe that I thought she was going to be a problem in the story, but she was non of that, she was kind and always ready to help, a successful lawyer that is searching to find more on herself.
Leon, was the quiet one, shy, brilliant, a rare talent in music, he was a great friend to have around, Leon gave me the views as if he was a loner or prefer to stay in his silence, especially around his wife.
I couldn't stand Becky she was the worst character of the book, she was a terrible liar, always creating conflict around her friends and the typical insecure woman trying to separate Leon from his friends because she didn't understand the friendship.
Impossible to Forget is a book that will be Impossible to Forget, I love everything about this book, the freshness of the story and the characters, the light tone of the book, the strength of the women shown in the story, especially Romany.
Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union for sharing this digital copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
June 13, 2023
3.5 stars
This is about Angie, who dies from cancer leaving her four friends as guardians on her eighteen years old daughter Romany. The book goes back in time to how their friendships are formed, progresses throught their adult years up to the present time and situation where they all have to adapt to what Angie has asked of them.
The writing flows smoothly, and you can tell the author is a very good story teller, this is not an action packed book, most of the book recounts conversations, daily life events, etc.. so could easily become boring, but it didn’t. Although I think we spent too much time on their yound years and not enough time on the “ present” day where the “conflict” of the book really is.
The characters are mostly likeable, but I noticed they were so mature and grown up in their university years, so there’s no noticeable change to their characters over the years.
The book didn’t blow me away, but I enjoyed it.
This is about Angie, who dies from cancer leaving her four friends as guardians on her eighteen years old daughter Romany. The book goes back in time to how their friendships are formed, progresses throught their adult years up to the present time and situation where they all have to adapt to what Angie has asked of them.
The writing flows smoothly, and you can tell the author is a very good story teller, this is not an action packed book, most of the book recounts conversations, daily life events, etc.. so could easily become boring, but it didn’t. Although I think we spent too much time on their yound years and not enough time on the “ present” day where the “conflict” of the book really is.
The characters are mostly likeable, but I noticed they were so mature and grown up in their university years, so there’s no noticeable change to their characters over the years.
The book didn’t blow me away, but I enjoyed it.
February 15, 2022
Impossible to Forget by Imogen Clark is a story about friendship, family, grief and the strength to find your place in the world. Just as Romany Osborne turns eighteen, she loses her mother, Angie, to a sudden illness. As the only parent Romany has ever known, Angie wants to make sure her daughter has guidance as she finishes her last year of school before university. In a final letter, Angie has charged her four closest friends to help Romany, each charged with a different task including legal help, cultural education, travel and relationship advice. Three of them have known Angie since university and have remained friends for more than 30 years. Tiger is the perpetual nomad who hides his true identity. Leon is the shy and practical one with an untapped musical talent. Lastly, Maggie, the brilliant lawyer who has always had a set plan to follow. But the fourth guardian is a bit of a mystery. Hope has only known Angie for a few years. She and the others have no idea why she was included. What was the motivation behind this odd request? What could being Romany’s guardian possibly accomplish?
I chose Impossible to Forget as my January pick from Amazon’s First Reads selection and I am so glad I did. Imogen Clark is a new author to me and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But from the opening chapter to the final page, this story had me hooked. I could not put it down as I read about the unusual friendship between these four people and Angie. There were many moments of laughter and deep heartfelt moments which left me in tears. At first, there were characters I wasn’t sure I would like but by the end of the book, it was hard to have one favorite character. One of my favorite moments is when Romany was horrified that her mother dared to fold the corner of her book. I laughed and cheered because that’s me! I loved that each character, filled with flaws, had moments of growth and personal revelations that it wasn’t too late for true happiness and to follow your heart instead of the sensible and logical path. I highly, highly recommend Impossible to Forget. It is a book that will fill you with hope and appreciation for those unusual friendships.
Impossible to Forget is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
I chose Impossible to Forget as my January pick from Amazon’s First Reads selection and I am so glad I did. Imogen Clark is a new author to me and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But from the opening chapter to the final page, this story had me hooked. I could not put it down as I read about the unusual friendship between these four people and Angie. There were many moments of laughter and deep heartfelt moments which left me in tears. At first, there were characters I wasn’t sure I would like but by the end of the book, it was hard to have one favorite character. One of my favorite moments is when Romany was horrified that her mother dared to fold the corner of her book. I laughed and cheered because that’s me! I loved that each character, filled with flaws, had moments of growth and personal revelations that it wasn’t too late for true happiness and to follow your heart instead of the sensible and logical path. I highly, highly recommend Impossible to Forget. It is a book that will fill you with hope and appreciation for those unusual friendships.
Impossible to Forget is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
Read
June 13, 2023Impossible to Forget by Imogene Clark follows four very different friends through the ups and downs of their lives as they ultimately come together to support each other at a difficult time.
Lovable qualities: I found this book’s approach to different ways of life and different choices that people make refreshing. It was reinforcing old tropes and stories.
Not so lovable qualities: Like some other reviewers, I wasn’t fond of the set up and then immediate turn to backstory. The backstory is totally necessary but I felt like it took a long time to get back to the present-day story. This made the book a little slow for me.
My assessment: Clearly a lot of people enjoy this book so it might just not be to my tastes. It’s is decent tale that will appeal to readers who enjoy friendship stories.
Liebhart cuppa tea rating: decent cuppa, no frills
Lovable qualities: I found this book’s approach to different ways of life and different choices that people make refreshing. It was reinforcing old tropes and stories.
Not so lovable qualities: Like some other reviewers, I wasn’t fond of the set up and then immediate turn to backstory. The backstory is totally necessary but I felt like it took a long time to get back to the present-day story. This made the book a little slow for me.
My assessment: Clearly a lot of people enjoy this book so it might just not be to my tastes. It’s is decent tale that will appeal to readers who enjoy friendship stories.
Liebhart cuppa tea rating: decent cuppa, no frills
September 7, 2025
“Tutti riescono a brillare quando il sole splende. Il segreto, figlia mia, è riuscire a spremere gocce di splendore dai giorni di pioggia.”
February 11, 2022
LOVED it!!! Imogen Clark's books never disappoint. She is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to reading her books. I had a hard time liking Angie at first. I can understand how Maggie felt when she met her at college. It wasn't until after college that I finally started liking her and she really grew on me. By the end of the book I loved her. She was one smart cookie and knew exactly what she was doing when she made all her friends guardians. I wasn't sure why she made Hope a guardian until there's a flashback to Hope's birthday party. Then I put all the pieces together. Then there was Tiger. I thought he would be the worst guardian for Romany. He pretty much hated the idea of having to stay in Angie's apartment for a year. He is the Tiger that can't be tamed. He pretty much was a bum and relied on his friends for a place to sleep and food to eat when he wasn't galavanting all over the world. I LOVED how Tiger changed. He was a perfect house father and the apron sealed the deal. All I can say is Angie knew what she was doing. I feel like I got to know Tiger, Maggie and Angie pretty well. Leon on the other hand, not so much. He was absent from Maggie and Angie's life for many years while he was with Becky. Angie always wanted Leon to play his sax and finally got her wish with Romany's help. Maggie was the best friend anyone could have. She bought everything Angie needed after having the baby and was always there for her friend. Angie and Maggie started out rocky but ended being the best of friends. All I can say is I LOVED this book and the characters. Angie was definitely smarter than anyone could have guessed and put her daughter in the hands of the best people she could have ever wished for.
Definitely recommend the book. I was sad when I finished because I wanted to keep reading about Tiger, Maggie, Leon and Angie. I felt like I was part of their group and I was one of Ramany's guardians. I loved the characters, story and writing style. It was beautifully written and a magical story. It made me laugh, smile and even shed a few tears. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Love the cover of the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Definitely recommend the book. I was sad when I finished because I wanted to keep reading about Tiger, Maggie, Leon and Angie. I felt like I was part of their group and I was one of Ramany's guardians. I loved the characters, story and writing style. It was beautifully written and a magical story. It made me laugh, smile and even shed a few tears. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Love the cover of the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 14, 2022
⭐️ 4.5 loved the weaving of characters and how the story came together at the end
December 4, 2025
Bellissimo!!! un'altra storia che merita di essere letta......
July 18, 2022
3.5 stars
I expected this to be Angie’s story but in reality it belonged to her friends and goes back to how they met at university and their hopes, aspirations and lives since then. How they move on after the once selfish Angie, who had become the lynchpin of the group, has died and entrusted them all to be there for her daughter. With one anomaly, Hope, who is a recent friend and a mystery to the others.
An eclectic bunch of characters who were as different as apples and oranges, they are each set different tasks which for some plays to their strengths and others their weaknesses. How will nomadic Tiger for instance, cope with being made to stay in the same place?
This made for a good book read and some interesting discussions on unlikely friendships, meddling and what qualities you would bring to help guide a friend’s son or daughter. I admitted that I would be a terrible role model with my naughtiness but then my two girls turned into wonderful young ladies so maybe there is method in my madness.
An easy and enjoyable read that had drama, humour, relatable characters, sone surprising revelations and a really nice message about friendship and that it’s never too late to change.
I expected this to be Angie’s story but in reality it belonged to her friends and goes back to how they met at university and their hopes, aspirations and lives since then. How they move on after the once selfish Angie, who had become the lynchpin of the group, has died and entrusted them all to be there for her daughter. With one anomaly, Hope, who is a recent friend and a mystery to the others.
An eclectic bunch of characters who were as different as apples and oranges, they are each set different tasks which for some plays to their strengths and others their weaknesses. How will nomadic Tiger for instance, cope with being made to stay in the same place?
This made for a good book read and some interesting discussions on unlikely friendships, meddling and what qualities you would bring to help guide a friend’s son or daughter. I admitted that I would be a terrible role model with my naughtiness but then my two girls turned into wonderful young ladies so maybe there is method in my madness.
An easy and enjoyable read that had drama, humour, relatable characters, sone surprising revelations and a really nice message about friendship and that it’s never too late to change.
January 27, 2022
Just… wow.
I’ll preface this by saying that, while I’ve only recently rediscovered my love of reading, I consider myself to be a diehard fan of mystery and thriller novels.
But this.
My heavens, this book.
Having only just revived my love of reading-for-fun as of recently, I didn’t want to let myself lose interest quickly, (as I tend to do with so many hobbies.)
I initially chose this book based on reviews and the fact that I wanted something less “heavy” so I didn’t burn myself out on intense mystery reads.
What a wonderful choice I made.
Imogen Clark tells a story in a completely new way for me. Weaving a timeline of events in a way that makes one feel as if they’re there in the moment themselves. It’s beautiful and eloquent and mesmerizing.
I love the story, don’t get me wrong. But what I love most? The characters. The way Clark shows you the most intimate pieces of their lives so that you feel as if you know them personally, as if they’re a friend of yours too, it’s unlike any story I’ve read in that regard.
If you’re looking for something that’s raw, beautiful, emotional without being overwhelming, intimate, yet fun and playful… this is it.
Absolutely lovely in every way.
I’ll preface this by saying that, while I’ve only recently rediscovered my love of reading, I consider myself to be a diehard fan of mystery and thriller novels.
But this.
My heavens, this book.
Having only just revived my love of reading-for-fun as of recently, I didn’t want to let myself lose interest quickly, (as I tend to do with so many hobbies.)
I initially chose this book based on reviews and the fact that I wanted something less “heavy” so I didn’t burn myself out on intense mystery reads.
What a wonderful choice I made.
Imogen Clark tells a story in a completely new way for me. Weaving a timeline of events in a way that makes one feel as if they’re there in the moment themselves. It’s beautiful and eloquent and mesmerizing.
I love the story, don’t get me wrong. But what I love most? The characters. The way Clark shows you the most intimate pieces of their lives so that you feel as if you know them personally, as if they’re a friend of yours too, it’s unlike any story I’ve read in that regard.
If you’re looking for something that’s raw, beautiful, emotional without being overwhelming, intimate, yet fun and playful… this is it.
Absolutely lovely in every way.
February 5, 2022
Impossible to forget is just that!&
Friendships that begin in college and never end. I would have loved that but college was not in my life. Great read!
Friendships that begin in college and never end. I would have loved that but college was not in my life. Great read!
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