Summer Guest

loved this book - good service from a used book seller by amazon

I love Emma hannigans books. This one is no exception. It is based around a couple who do not want children but family and some friends seem to think that they will be incomplete without them. They end up having an unexpected guest to stay over a summer and it makes one half of the couple reciew their decision time and time again. It is very good and very well written like all Emmas books, i would highly recommend it.

I JUST LOVED THE BOOK. EMMA HANNIGAN IS A GREAT AUTHOR. I HAVE READ ALL HER BOOKS AND ENJOYED THEM ALL. THE SUMMER GUEST WAS GREAT. COULD NOT LET THE BOOK DOWN. THIS ALWAYS DOES IT FOR ME WHEN I HAVE TO KEEP READING. THE SIGN OF A GREAT BOOK.

I enjoyed reading this book while on hols earlier in sept. I found the content topical and moving but the story came together well. Helen Mcguire

A nice gentle read Maybe reminds us just how much one kind and thoughtful person can influence many other lives

Nice easy read, lovely holiday book.

Stunning, could not stop reading. The story is told in a way that you feel you are there. Hope she writes many morewonderful books. Was doing research to find if she has written other novels ?

A beautifully written book. Once I started I couldn't put it down. Loved the whole plot and really became involved with the characters. Can't wait for the next one Emma. Thank you.

I have been in a reading slump for over a month now, no matter what book I was picking up I would read a chapter or so and then give up. I had The Summer Guest by Emma Hannigan come through the post this weekend and decided to give it a try as I loved the fresh Summery look to the cover and I know this authors books are usually cosy reads focusing on family and friendships so I was hoping this would get me out of my slump.Lexie and Rob have a wonderful content life together. They have restored their home in Caracove Bay much to Lexie’s joy, when one day a letter arrives through their door from a lady called Kathleen who used to live in their house when she was younger and now that she is back for the Summer she was hoping to take a look at the house.Kathleen is leaving America to return to Caracove Bay for the Summer for a trip down memory lane that her beloved husband booked for her.With both women facing a difficult time ahead they soon form a great friendship and are a shoulder to lean on for each other.This book has definitely got my reading mojo back! It was so strange that three of the characters Lexie, Rea and Dee had the same names as my sister, mum and I so it was quite strange reading this book! The characters were all such a great fun and loving bunch even if poor Lexie’s mum was rather pushy but her heart was in the right place!Now I am going to have to do my first ever spoiler alert here because something that I loved about the book, I know after a discussion last week about characters who do not want children there are readers who get disappointed about the outcome so if this is you then read the spoiler if not then go down to the read again!!SPOILER ALERT!!!I could really relate to Lexie which I think was another reason why I enjoyed the book so much. I have read so many books where a woman isn’t maternal and doesn’t want children but by the end of the book it is happy ever after and the woman has suddenly decided she now wants kids so it was great to read a book where the character actually sticks to her guns as not every woman does feel the need to have children.YOU CAN LOOK AGAIN!!The storyline flows at such a gentle pace and yet there is never a dull moment there is always something going on so you can’t lose interest in this book but the one thing that really got me I was quite happy strolling along in such a lovely storyline then BAM there was a shock revelation that I really didn’t see coming! I gasped and my husband actually jumped up as he thought something was wrong!There was a lot of emotion in this book so it was quite sad but at the same time it was quite uplifting seeing the characters building friendships and taking a trek down memory lane as well as helping each other through trying times.I loved this book and I am so pleased that it got me out of my reading slump, I will definitely be recommending this book especially to any Cathy Kelly or Maeve Binchy fans.

In The Summer Guest we meet Lexie and Sam who have built a great life for themselves restoring their dream home and even overcoming adversity in Lexie's case to change direction in her career to now run a successful art gallery but that could all be threatened by Sam's sudden decision that he now wants a child as they'd both agreed previously that they didn't want children.One day they get a surprise letter through their letterbox from an American tourist Kathleen saying that she used to live in the house as a child and asking if it would be possible to have a look around the house. We soon discover that her husband had booked the holiday for her but that she'd come back to Ireland alone to take a trip down memory lane.Despite the gap in their ages Lexie and Kathleen build up a strong bond and as soon as Lexie discovers that Kathleen is here on her own she invites her to stay in their granny flat downstairs and together they work on Kathleen's things to do which gives them both food for thought as to what they want from their lives in the future...I loved Kathleen's spirit and hope that when I'm a pensioner I have her get up and go to do these sort of things on my own. At the moment I'm a wuss and would never dream of going on holiday on my own let alone fly half way across the world!Although Lexie, Sam and Kathleen are the central characters we also meet a diverse cast of secondary characters including Amelie, Lexie's niece who all play their part. I loved the close bond that Amelie and Lexie have and how even when her recklessness puts herself in damage she knew the one person she could totally rely on was Lexie who would be there for her no matter what.There were some serious issues dealt within the book such as grief/moving on with your life and the decision to have a child but don't let that put you off as the underlying and strongest theme I would say that runs through this book is friendships, between couples, family and friends. The Summer Guest was the perfect read from start to finish but then I might be a little biased as I've loved reading all of Emma Hannigan's books.

A mixed bag of everyday characters who turned out to be exceptional human beings, " warts and all". The bond between grandparents and grandchildren was beautifully portrayed as was the dilemma between the two successful householders as to whether or not conform to society and become parents and live happily ever after. What an emotional roller coaster through out the book. Kathleen was someone we have all known about and wished to emulate if we're ever in a similar situation ourselves. A thoroughly modern story containing old fashioned values. Determination and doubt . Teenage traumas, financial troubles combined with past recriminations and parental heartbreak keep the plot running. A thoroughly enjoyable and also funny book. Should appeal to young and mature alike.

Is there such a thing as a good-natured book? Then this must be it.It's so well meaning. So honest. So eager to invite us in between its lovely covers. The nicest people, from Irish/American Kathleen visiting her roots, via Lexie & husband Sam and their dream home, to feisty young Amelie. Even taxi drivers with a twinkle in the eye have an uplifting say in this nice and sweet story mainly about three lovely ladies at three different stages in life and the friendship growing between them.However, I can't imagine it capturing the audience. There are no surprises, no wish to take a peek at the end to see how it all goes... Nice, sweet, predictable and a bit too detailed about everyday's minutiae.I hoped and tried. Wanted so much to love it. Emma Hannigan has enthralled me with her earlier books, but alas, this time it was far from her brilliant others.

This book would be the perfect read for a sun lounger holiday or a cosy winter day at home. The characters and plot drew me in enough to enjoy and empathise with every page, but it was an easy enough read that you could pick it up now and then and still follow along.The two main characters spend summer together, but while one finds her world falling apart, we follow the other as hers comes together. Their stories intertwine perfectly, and end in a way I hadn't expected. I really enjoyed the contrast between feeling frustration for one character and positivity with the other, and by the end of the book you feel as though you are a friend to both of them.I have already ordered 3 more books from Emma Hannigan, and look forward to enjoying them as much as I did The Summer Guest.