Twenty Wishes: A Blossom Street Book    by Debbie Macomber Order:  USA  Can Mira, 2008 (2008) Hardcover, Audio, CD      Reviewed by Joan Burton Thirty-eight year old Ann Marie Roche owns and operates a bookstore on popular Blossom Street in Seattle. She lives in the tiny apartment upstairs with her Yorkie, Baxter. She has recently been widowed, is childless, and feels alone and empty. Ann Marie hosts a gathering for a few of her friends who are also widows. They are all dealing with their own circumstances, but enjoy each other's company and conversation. Elise Beaumont, a patron of the book store is in her mid sixties. A retired librarian, she has lost her husband to cancer. Lillie and Barbie are a mother and daughter who both lost their husbands in a private plane crash three years earlier. Drinking champagne and toasting to new beginnings, they all decide to create a list of Twenty Wishes, things they have always wanted to do but never have found time for. One of the friends, encourages Ann Marie to volunteer at a local school as a lunch buddy to a child who needs mentoring. At the school Ann Marie meets eight-year-old Ellen Falk, and once a week they have lunch together and talk. At first Ann Marie feels she has made a mistake but vows to honor her commitment to the young girl. As the weeks go on, a family crisis increases Ann Marie's commitment of time and responsibility, and her involvement becomes more than she originally intended. Each widow is lonely and looking for love. They find it where they least expect to, and with people outside their own social circle. They all learn that wishes can come true, but not necessarily in the way they had expected. Twenty Wishes is a heartwarming story of friends and a second chance at love. Reading a Debbie Macomber book is like wrapping yourself in a warm, cozy blanket. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews