Another five star read by this spectacular author! Imogen Clark has written a mesmerising tale of how four entirely different personalities meet on their first day at university and against all the odds form a friendship which although at times is tenuous, is more than strong enough to last a lifetime.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an opportunity to read this book before it was published.

WOW.. I found myself wanting to pick this book up whenever I had the chance and it to be the last book I read at night... Do yourself a favor and go get this book!!

It starts off with Romany just turning 18 when tragedy happens- her mother (Angie) passes away. Little does Romany know that her mother set her up with four guardians to help guide her through life. I LOVED the way the chapters were set up with it first taking place in the present time to then going back in time to understand how the guardians all met with Romany's mother. The chapters were shorter which made it easier to just fly through and certain chapters were labeled with a new time period to follow along with their aging. It was incredible to hear the different perspectives of Angie (Romany's mother), Maggie (Angie's best friend), and Romany (Angie's daughter). I've never read a book with a concept like this and it was a beautifully written coming-of-age novel. Every person deals with grief differently and this book discusses how one person has significantly impacted their lives for the better even after death. I did find myself tearing up at certain parts just because of the magnitude of the friendship in the story. I plan on buying this book when I get a chance so I can read it again.

When Angie dies she leaves four friends as "guardians" to her senior (18 yr old) daughter, Romany. Three of them have been friends for over 30 years, however, one has only been in her life for a handful.
The book opens at the will reading where the characters also learn this fate. And then quickly goes into a flash back of Angie at college. The story is told from 3 points of view (Angie, Maggie and Romany).
The first half is told pre-baby, when Angie is building her friendships and the story is fun and interesting. But it doesn't tie into the guardianship/4th friend plot and thus it was hard to really get into the storyline.
The second half flips to modern day with some flashbacks and Romany's POV, this is when the story starts to all click together between past and present. It gets interesting and it was just emotional enough (like a few tears but not crying all over).
The ending fell flat, it was a good ending and it ties up most of the characters stories. It just doesn't have any real sense of closing.

I think for me, the real drawback was that you develop an interest in all the characters, but the story is only told from 3 view points. And the ending can't really complete each of their stories.
This would be a great book club discussion book - it has so many opportunities to discuss what family means, friendships, life choices, regrets, etc!

The story of a group of friends who met in university. Odd friendships where they appear to have little in common in the first instance, the book follows them through the years . After Angie passes away, she asks her friends to look out for her daughter. It does ring fairly true and it was an interesting story.
The main characters are well portrayed, others in less depth. The book is set in York, my own hometown, but that was not really described, though I did recognize the few details that were in the book.
I liked the way the characters interacted and how their lives panned out. All in all a feel good story of friendship.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC to read and review truthfully.

I loved this book from the outset. It chronicles a group of misfits who meet at University and follows all the trials and tribulations of their lives. The story is told by Maggie. We learn about each character through her eyes. Despite being the least emotional of the group it soon becomes clear that she is the glue that holds them all together albeit unconsciously. My only criticism is that most of the story features and explains the past. I would have liked more depth, and more time, getting to know Romany and how she faces losing her mum at such an awkward age. I just felt like it ended too quickly. This did not, however, affect my 5 star rating. Great book!

This book was like being wrapped in a big cozy blanket. It celebrates the relationships that you make in life, and the ways that people can influence your life. The characters are very dynamic, and the growth they experience throughout the novel is really satisfying to read. This book also takes a great approach to grief, by seeing through the eyes of a group of people, but also of each member of the group individually. It was comfortable and familiar, and left me feeling satisfied and thankful for life, and the people that I surround myself with. This is one of those books that makes you really think about what you're doing here, what you're doing with your life, and who you're going through life with. It was really heartwarming, so if you're feeling down about life, take a look at this book, because it will remind you of why you keep going despite the hard parts of life, and help you realize and celebrate all the great things and people in your life.

Need a feel good book to get you over the not quite Spring hump? You've found it!

This is definitely to feel good with a spring. It's Park chocolate, part ya, our family dysfunction, heart relatable to anyone. And that's what makes it such an amazing read, at first you're not sure if you're going to like it, and then suddenly you realize you can't put it down and you have to finish it! There is so many backstories interwoven to the present to explain why people are acting the way they are acting or the way decisions are being made, and the way that it's handled is a way that you would tell a friend, so in many ways the book is like a friend telling you the story. It is the story that will stay with you, and if you're a parent of children that are teens and under, make you realize you have to think about the people you leave your kids with if something were to happen to you. It's an honest look at our character faults is humans and the ways we can get around them, in a Yang Yang relationship with our friends who may be more family to us in our family are. It's an amazing book and make sure you read it!

I have had the honour of reading both an ARC and listening to an audio version of this book and it’s been fantastic. I’d say that it’s definitely my second favourite so far this year and that is only because of some very tough competition.

When I first began reading it, we hear of Ange’s death and the guardianship of Romany her daughter. Then the book transports us back to when Ange met them way back in uni. I was quite confused about why her death was at the beginning of the book, and there’s no real mention of it again until maybe the last quarter of the book. That said whilst I don’t necessarily feel it adds anything at the beginning it doesn’t detract from it either.

My one small and it is really small criticism was that I would have liked more surrounding Ange’s death and illness. It is kind of glossed over in the book. One minute she is there and the next gone. Whilst I know a death is a rather macabre topic, I do think it would have added even more depth to the story and created an even deeper emotional connection with the characters. That said it hasn’t detracted so much for me to drop it down to four stars so it’s still pretty good.

The funniest part for me…..Tiger’s real name!!!

Honestly read this book, it’s brilliant!

The first line of this book had me hooked!

From there it just went down hill. I was expecting so much about the situation that the group found them in now, but the majority was about how the group met which I was a little disappointed in. It felt like information dumping.

I loved the writing style of the author, just a little gutted with the plot

The first thing I highlighted in Impossible to Forget was the epigraph: "The unlikeliest of people are hiding halos beneath their hats. Anonymous" The second was the first sentence: "If you are reading this then I must be dead."
An auspicious beginning, right?

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.

This is a beautiful story with characters that become your friends. I loved getting to know each of these people with their flaws and great personalities. There is something special about this story, and it just sweeps the reader into the pages. I really enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

When Romany’s mother Angie dies, she’s left alone at eighteen to navigate the world. However, Angie has asked 4 of her friends to look out for Romany while she finishes her senior year of high school. Angie selected each of them as a “guardian” with a reason in mind. Leon, Tiger and Maggie have been friends since college, and each had their own unique friendship with Angie. The fourth “guardian” wasn’t a part of that group and the others are left to wonder why she was chosen and what role she plays in Angie or Romany’s life. They all learn to navigate their grief and loss together and reflect on their friendships and future.

This book has glowing reviews, and I have read one other book by this author and loved it, so I was very excited to pick it up. I was left a little disappointed after all the hype. I feel like the book could have been much shorter. A large portion of it gives all the background on Angie and her relationship with each of the guardians. I think I was expecting more focus on Romany and her storyline. The pace was a little slow, and I felt myself forcing myself forward at times. The characters didn’t feel developed enough for me to connect with them and invest in their story line. There were some plot twists toward the end, so that did add some interesting dimension. Overall, this book was okay, but not what I was expecting, and did not warrant a rave review for me, personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

Love this book based upon a group of friends who met at university. A nostalgic read of how we make friends throughout our life who we would not normally meet but become friends for life. Brilliant characters with lots of different emotions throughout the story would 100% recommend

This was a really good book. Kept my attention from chapter one. Each charactor was unique and I loved that they melded together in great love and friendship. Good book for relaxing and chilling. Will look for more by Imogen Clark.

DNF at 20%. Writing good and synopsis promising, but I can tell this isn't going to be one for me, so I've put it down.

I love reading character-driven books. And this one is no exception. This story is by no means a light read, but somehow I found it comforting. It deals with grief and relationships very well. The book was as real as you can get. I'm interested to read more from Imogen Clark, the way she crafted the story to me felt very well done!

This was a comfortable read and enjoyable towards the end of the book.

The first 70% of the book followed Angie and her 3 friends from meeting at University to the current day, so the majority of the book didn't follow the synopsis. This part was rather slow and the storyline didn't go anywhere. It also felt too long for the purpose of introducing the characters and their back story.

After this we met Romany and the book picked up pace. I liked Romany as a character and wish that more of the book featured her.

I liked the characters but didn't love them. Even though you got an idea of the characters, they seemed to lack emotional depth. However, at the end you wished you could be part of their friendship gang.

Thank you net galley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So imogen Clark has done it again, A book filled with great charecters and a perfect storyline, the getting to know the charecters page by page was great, loved every minute of this book

This book! What a moving and touching story. The characters stay with you long after you finish it. Cannot recommend this one enough! Can't wait to read more by this author!

I haven't read anything by this author previously but I think this could be my favourite book of the year to date so far. Stunning story, really gave me the feels. I loved all of the characters, a beautiful story spanning four decades, a story of believable relationships and friendships and love and loss - oh, I can't string a sentence together right now. I'm so jealous of all you people who will have the chance to read it for the first time - how ironic the title of the book is "Impossible to forget".