I'm not sure why I loved this book but I did. Maybe it's because of you've suffered the loss off a loved one you can equate better to the idea of loving someone and being able to let go. Best friends since early childhood , Ash seemed to cope well with providing end of life care to terminally ill Edi but was she just expert in putting up a good facade to help mask her inner grief? Seemingly having affairs with any man with a pulse, including the doctor helped to control her outward emotions. Although a very moving roller coaster of a story, it didn't leave me sad at the end.

Edi and Ash have been best friends since they were three years old. They've seen each other through all of life's ups and downs - relationships, marriages, divorce, childbirth, fertility struggles, grief - and now Ash is helping to take care of Edi at the hospice where she's receiving palliative care for terminal cancer.

I do not know what possessed me to request this ARC, because I've been avoiding books on grief - and this was definitely that. It's absolutely heartbreaking, and if you've had a loved one with a terminal illness or you've been involved with palliative care, I would warn you that this doesn't hold back. It's unflinching.

But it's in that unflinching rawness and pain that we find so much love, and indeed humour. This book is so, so funny. The banter between Ash and her daughter Belle, the realisation that hits the characters that they're concerned about completely mundane things during a crisis, the love they have for Edi in her declining state - it's just so powerful and beautiful. To be loved so much - what a joy that is.

The author dedicates this book to her friend, Ali Pomeroy, who she lost at a young age. The love she has for her friend shines through in the friendship between Edi & Ash - it's just gorgeous. Their little in-jokes, their little code words, their pure reliance on each other to get through life. It's a gorgeous tribute.

There was a part in here that floored me, made me bawl, and is making me cry again now while typing it - in this bit, Edi is upset about not being there to see her son growing up, about how she won't be able to comfort him or look after him. Ash tells her:

"All of that caretaking... all of it's in his bones. It's the actul stuff of his body and brain. The placenta you made from scratch. Your milk from nursing him. All those pancakes and school-lunch sandwiches, all of that food and care. Everything you've ever fed him. His whole self is made completely out of your love."

A beautiful, beautiful book.

This is a stunning book - full of messy emotion, wonderful connection, extended families and lifelong friendships. its quite short but not one to be rushed, each page is beautifully constructed and makes you think about your own life in quite an assessing way. It left me feeling emotional , its full of messy, beautiful, loving and delicious scenes and it is an utter treat to read

Edi has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and her best friend Ash has taken on the role of organising her end of life care, as Edi's husband is looking after their young son and supporting him through it. Edi has a place in a hospice, and her friends and family stay with her there all the time, swapping memories, supporting one another as well as Edi in their grief. There are happy silly moments too, Ash's teenage daughters are wonderful as is her estranged husband and i wanted to know all of them in real life,

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a love letter to friendship and life - thank you!

My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday publishing for the opportunity to review this novel.
How can a book be both heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure.
I would recommend this to absolutely anyone, a truly memorable read.

Catherine Newman is an excellent story weaver. I admire an author who jumps straight into a potentially traumatic tale with both feet and guides the story smoothly. It felt effortless. I felt very comforted reading this novel, though it begins just before the inevitable grief of losing a beloved friend, it felt like a privilege to be allowed into the hospice during Edi’s last days alive. I enjoyed the dark humour with fondness, remembering my own experiences of losing someone in a hospice; it felt very real (the relationships and the conversations between friends) but also, there is a lot of love there near the end and Catherine dealt with that subject admirably. I also love the detailed visuals of memories and the scenes they share together. They felt very natural and real and awkward and funny. The main characters were flawed and not always liked for what they did or said, but this only made them more real for me. Thank you for allowing me to read this beautiful novel

I didn’t love this one, there wasn’t enough connection with the characters for me, which is important in a book like this where not a great deal happens.

We All Want Impossible Things is simply exquisite. A testament to friendship and to the glorious and tragic nature of life.

Told by Ash (who is an amazing narrator and who I want to be friends with myself), we are invited into that rarest of relationships - a true soul mate. Friends since preschool, Ash and Edi have the kind of connection rarely found. When Edi receives devastating news, it is Ash who stays by her side. It is Ash who takes the utmost care with her. Still able to smile together, to show love in a myriad of ways and to simply hold her hand, this time will have a profound effect on Ash.

Supported by a wonderful group of friends and family, this poignant story never becomes maudlin. It is bitterly sad, but also filled with moments that made me smile wryly. And it is ultimately life-affirming and a reminder to hold those we love that much closer.

Wow! This book was fantastic. So emotional and wonderful. It was sad, uplifting and beautiful. I’d highly recommend.

I struggled with this book, not because of the subject matter but mainly because I didn't relate to the main character. I thought it didn't really flow but jumped about and I found hard to get into.
It wasn't the story I was expecting from the description and so unfortunately this book was not for me.

The cover of this book is very bright and eye catching. That, with all the rave reviews made me decide to read it.

The story is mostly from the point of view of Ash, whose best friend, Edi, is dying of cancer. They have a friendship spanning over forty years and Ash is understandably struggling with the inevitable loss of her friend.

I expected this to be a powerful story of friendship and the strength of relationships. Instead, I couldn’t get into the story at all. I found it jumped around far too much and hardly seemed to feature Edi. I couldn’t relate or warm to any of the characters and I found Ash to be very self absorbed and immature. I have no idea why her husband still dotes on her so much. I wasn’t really bothered about what happened and the book barely held my interest.

Some parts are well written but overall the book wasn’t for me at all.

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for a copy to review.

“We All Want Impossible Things” is a fictional account, based on the authors own personal experiences, of what it means to spend time with your closest friend when they are dying of terminal cancer while still young.
Edi and Ash have known each other for over forty years, as Ash puts it Edi is her back-up memory for her life and now Edi is dying, leaving behind a young son and family and friends who adored her.
The story is told from Ash’s perspective of caring for Edi in her final days/weeks, at times shifting between past and present.
There are elements of this book that are done very well. The description of what it is to love someone in hospice care, the tenderness of daubing dried out lips with sponges, checking feeding lines and the balance of tedium, fear, humour and pain that can be found there. Elements of the humour do strike the right note, taking a very difficult topic and making it relatable. The insight into how hospices are their own microcosms. The choices that people make in their final days to protect the ones that they love, the patience required to tend to the needs of the dying. All of these things are at times captured beautifully here.
I expected an account of shared lives, shared years and what it means to lose someone who has been a touchstone in your life and while there were elements of this; I found Ash to be fairly self-serving as a narrator leaving me struggling to relate to her. Indeed, at times I felt that perhaps the friendship had been shallow, instead of accounts of a shared life we ended up embroiled in Ash’s relationships, feelings and at times strangely petty jealousies. I am a fan of dark humour, but here it irked me at times (the off-hand account of a dentist assaulting sedated patients).
Overall I am coming away from it with mixed feelings.

After hearing quite a lot about this book from other reviews I will admit I was intrigued by this title and was therefore looking forward to read it when I received an advanced readers copy via NetGalley.

'We All Want Impossible Things' by Catherine Newman is told from the perspective of character Ash and tells us all about her relationship with her best friend Edi. Having been friends for over 40 years there isn't much that these two haven't been through but now they face their hardest challenge, Edi's diagnosis with terminal cancer.

So straight from the off this is obviously covering a tough subject in the forms of someone dying from cancer. Virtually the whole book is set in the location of a hospice and the comings and goings of the main character and her best friends battle with cancer. This book is hard going due to the subject matter as virtually everyone will unfortunately be able to relate to the loss of someone close.

I have to admit I did struggle with this book, not due to the subject matter, but rather with the confusing jumping about in the writing style, the main character seems to jump from conversation to conversation with various different characters but nothing flows together for some reason and unfortunately she isn't very likeable as a character or provides any way to connect with her, which is a shame as it ultimately has the premise to be a captivating read but unfortunately the 'yo-yo' from one element to the next so frequently and haphazardly doesn't keep this story flowing. Sadly not a book that worked for me.

A warming, witty and wickedly sharp story about femininity, friendship and the fragility of life.

We follow two friends as one of the pair is diagnosed with a terminal cancer - and they have to face life without one another. Their relationship enters a new territory and they adapt to their new life, trying to make the most out of every single moment. This story is a testament to the lasting power of friendship, and how these relationships shape who we are throughout our lives.

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful book about friendship, family, love, loss and laughter. I too have a best friend that knows everything about me, who is always there for me despite living miles apart, so this book really resonated with me. Of course it’s sad, but it isn’t just about the hospice and death; it’s about the connections we make with people and how that enriches all your life. It’s also very much about the nurturing role of food in our lives, from tenderly weaning our children to the comfort of having food prepared for you when eating is the last thing on your mind. I can totally see this as a film, which I will watch and cry again. I’m going to recommend this to everyone I know. ,

I’m really not sure about this book. It was a very well written warts and all description of the final days of a terminally ill cancer sufferer in a hospice but I found it hard to relate to the characters.

We All Want Impossible Things is both heartbreaking and full of love. It's not uplifting exactly - Edi's death is inevitable - but the exploration of friendship, family, dealing with grief and loss is beautiful. It's the kind of book that will provoke both tears of laughter and sorrow. There are moments where Ash's drama (dealing with the sorrow by screwing the people she is spending most time with e.g Edi's brother and doctor...) eclipses the main point of the story - but i suppose that comes into the remit of her dealing her feelings in an unhealthy way. As long as you are aware of the potentially difficult themes in the book, it's definitely one I'll be recommending in the new year!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Ash's best friend Edi is dying. She has terminal cancer and hasn't got long to live. She is in palliative care and Ash's life is revolving around her. Ash has split up with her husband, Honey, but he is still there for her, but she can't stop sleeping with other people. Edi's brother, Edi's doctor, one of the volunteers, the list goes on. Her own self worth is wrapped up in Edi's wellbeing or lack of it.
This is a sometimes painful book of the last days of someone's best friend. There is humour and sadness. I almost lost it when Robert Frost's Stay Gold was quoted.
I wanted to cuddle everyone I know when I finished.

I actually wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, it isn’t my usual subject matter of choice but I thought I’d give it a go. And was actually really surprised at how much I enjoyed it! Although the ending is inevitable, it was the story of how the prospect of death affects everyone around the dying person and it was actually really uplifting. And several times very funny as well. I also found the characters very real to the point that it felt like the tale of Edi and Ash’s friendship was a love letter from the author to their best friend. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by the author.

Loads of people love this book but I just couldn't get into it. It was a jumble of words to me, the relationships between the many characters just didn't make sense, the names were annoying, a man called Honey, really? The conversations rambled on without meaning and I had no empathy for any of the characters. A big no for me but thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an arc.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I started, a very difficult subject, terminal cancer. But the story is quite life affirming and tackles this almost taboo subject very well. It includes humour, friendship, families and the everyday problems of life to make a story which leaves you with hope even although the ending is inevitable.