famfriendsfood: Time to Read - An Unexpected Guest by Anne Korkeakivi

I've been reading like crazy the last month or so, which means I've got more books to share with you! Having a Kindle Touch has really allowed me to get reading in just about anywhere. I can carry it in my purse and pull it out while waiting in line to pick up my kids from activities or while we are at the pool. What a thrill it has been to get lost in books again!

When I got started with An Unexpected Guest: A Novel, I was immediately drawn to the story.

Much of the story is told in flashbacks as Clare remembers a past that has had her guilt-ridden for years. As a young Irish-American college girl, she meets Niall. He's a distant cousin from Ireland who seems so much older and more experienced in the world.

She gets swept up in his stories of what is happening in Ireland and the politics of the times. As with many young girls, she only wants to figure out how to ensure a future with him.

As you can imagine, that future is not meant to be and the reason for that is brought to light later in the book. Clare does find love with an English diplomat and lives a very different life than she had anticipated. With two children and a husband who loves her, she always feels as though she sees Niall in the crowds in whatever country they were living in at the time.

I don't want to give too much away, but Niall does reappear in her life at a very inopportune time. She is in the midst of preparing for a very important dinner that will determine whether he husband will be moving to Ireland for his next assignment.

There is intrigue and various family and servant "issues" that come up, which allow the reader to understand who Clare is now as compared to the flashbacks that come at random times in each chapter. At first, the flashbacks are a bit distracting, but as the book progresses they make more sense.

I must say that my only complaint about this book was the way it ended. I felt there were still loose ends that I would have liked to know how they were resolved. The last chapter, Clare makes some decisions and does a few things that appear to be resolving them... but, then the last paragraph kind of left me hanging. Even a quick epilogue would have bee nice.

That being said, I did enjoy the book overall... and if you don't mind a few loose ends, give this one a try and let me know what you thought.

Note: The links above will take you to Amazon where you will be able to get more information on the book. If you choose to purchase via this link, I will receive a small referral fee.