What would YOU wish for? (Twenty Wishes - Debbie Macomber)

Member Name: k81979

Product:	Twenty Wishes - Debbie Macomber
Date:	24/06/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A light, easy summer read, which makes you feel happy!

Disadvantages: May be a bit too sweet for some readers.

Sometimes I want to read a complex, thrilling book that preys on my mind when I'm not reading it, and really makes me wonder what is going to happen at the end. But those types of books can be hard work and I need to be in the right frame of mind! Sometimes, I just want to read a nice story that is fairly predictable, but written so well and with such joy that it makes me feel happy, rested and content. This is why I like Debbie Macomber's books.

Twenty Wishes is the fifth book in Debbie Macomber's popular Blossom Street series. The series focuses on a set of shops on Blossom Street, set in Seattle. Most of the stories focus around the yarn store, and knitting usually plays a part in the story. This book as a little different though, and whilst the yarn store is mentioned, it is not the main focus. There is no knitting pattern to go alongside the story as there has been in some of the other Blossom Street books.

The story focuses on Anne-Marie Roche and her struggle to come to terms with the death of her husband. She has several friends who are also widows, and they decide to write a list of twenty wishes, and then set out to achieve them. Wishes can be small or huge, and the widows are not to be put off by wishes that seem unattainable.

The book follows how the twenty wishes change Anne Marie's life, as well of the lives of the other widows. She meets a young girl called Ellen, and faces up to struggles with the family of her deceased husband. As the story progresses, we see how the twenty wishes not only change Anne Marie's life completely, but those around her.

Fans of the series will also recognise familiar characters such as Lydia who owns the yarn shop, but there are a few new faces too.

Macomber manages to bring to life the friendly Seattle community without resorting to long descriptive passages, and by the end of the book, I felt I really knew the characters within the book. Plus, I wanted to move to Seattle!

Fans of Macomber's books will recognise her easy writing style, and this book is no different. There are no prizes for guessing the ending, and no nasty surprises in store, but then, that isn't what I want when I read one of her books anyway! Perfect for a holiday read, when you want nothing to tax your brain or bring you down. Macomber's characters generally have a strong moral compass and empathising with them makes me feel good about myself.

Twenty Wishes is perhaps my favourite Blossom Street book to date, which is surprising when you consider it is less about the knitting group than the other books. A great, easy read - makes me want to write my own list of twenty wishes!

Summary: Anne Marie and her friends work towards achieving their twenty wishes.