A Wishlist of Impossible Things by Rose Amberley

 A Wishlist of Impossible Things 

by Rose Amberly

A Wishlist of Impossible Things, number 5 in The English Channel series, was published on 15th May 2023. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.

Synopsis

When Brandon’s brother dies unexpectedly, he leaves him a beautiful old cottage and a list of ten wishes he wants him to complete.

Grief stricken Brandon would do anything for his brother, but some of these wishes are just impossible. First, he has to abandon his glittering music career and move to La Canette to live in a farmhouse. He’s never been singly for more than a fortnight, now his brother wants him to take a 12 months’ vow of celibacy? The rest of the wishes seem equally impossible. 

Alice, professional, smart parliamentary researcher, desperately needs to disappear. After a public scandal has destroyed her career and made her a target for the gutter press, her only option is to find somewhere to hide for a few months until they forget her. 

A fake marriage sounds like the perfect answer. Alice gets a new identity and Brandon gets a friend to help him achieve his brother’s wish list. A few months, that’s all, then they can both leave and go their separate ways. 

But they don’t know La Canette. It might look like an invisible rustic little spec on the map, but it’s not going to be easy to resist the island and its community long. Can they walk away unchanged and go back to their old lives and old selves?

About the Series

The inspiration for this series came from a random internet search a few years ago. I cannot even remember what I’d been looking for, but a picture of this charming pretty island in the English Channel caught my attention. I lost myself for a couple of hours, reading about their unusual laws, their dark sky full of stars and their complex history. It just took hold on my imagination. Later that same day, I posted the picture to my Facebook page with the caption “One day I’m going to write a story and set it here.”

The English Channel series is set on a fictional island based on Sark and features real facts and historical events of the Channel Islands. There are five novels so far:

1- Plain Jane Wanted, was number 2 in the kindle store for five weeks. (Women’s Fiction, Romance. Romantic Comedy) 

Would any sane person answer a job advert asking for an unattractive woman? 

2- The Unwanted Bride

The talented bridal designer who is doomed (according to a tarot card reading long ago) to never get married. 

3- Dream Catcher Wanted

Pierre, the young woman with blue or green or rainbow coloured hair and hand painted Wellies, who writes funny but honest messages in greeting cards, finally falls in love, with the wrong man.

4- The Secret House of Honey and Hope. 

A failing honey shop and beehive business, a 90-year old grandfather, a sexy by angry neighbour and a 300 year secret rolled up with a WW2 tragedy. Can Elodie rescue the shop and find love among the thorny bushes on the hill?

My Review

This is a lovely cosy read  set on an idyllic island which will keep you occupied for a few hours on a summer evening. It has all the ingredients for a successful love story, a heroine who is wronged, a hero who is desperate to do what is right by her and friends who become a caring adopted family who will look after their own ; all leading to a happy ever after finale.

The idea of a wishlist of ten things that Brandon has to try and complete in order to honour his late brother's wishes is a good one and one which moves the story on between Lessa and Brandon, in their alternating chapters, as they learn to live in harmony with each other and adapt to the changes in their lives. 

I must admit that at times. as a musician myself I was incredibly torn with the decisions Brandon had to make and can imagine the emotional turmoil he had to go through.

For me this was an engrossing read between some very challenging books I am currently reading and I welcomed the respite it gave me. So pour yourself a cold drink, or make a cuppa and sit and enjoy this lovely tale of love and friendship.

About the Author

Rose Amberly was born in London and travelled widely. After fifteen years as a playwright with works on stage in London, New York, Paris and on international tours, Rose decided to make the move into novel writing. Nowadays, she lives mostly in London and travels in her imagination. Her favourite stories are about brave, flawed but wonderful people trying to overcome difficult life challenges to find happiness without losing their sense of humour.