Review: Unravelled by M.K. Tod

Title: Unravelled: Two Wars. Two Affairs. One Marriage
Author: M.K. Tod
Format: ARC
Publisher: Tod Publishing
Publish Date: August 15, 2013
Source: I received a copy from the author; however, this did not affect my review.

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Two wars, two affairs, one marriage. In October 1935, Edward Jamieson's memories of war and a passionate love affair resurface when an invitation to a WWI memorial ceremony arrives. Though reluctant to visit the scenes of horror he has spent years trying to forget, Edward succumbs to the unlikely possibility of discovering what happened to Helene Noisette, the woman he once pledged to marry. Travelling through the French countryside with his wife Ann, Edward sees nothing but reminders of war. After a chance encounter with Helene at the dedication ceremony, Edward's past puts his present life in jeopardy. When WWII erupts a few years later, Edward is quickly caught up in the world of training espionage agents, while Ann counsels grieving women and copes with the daily threats facing those she loves. And once again, secrets and war threaten the bonds of marriage. With events unfolding in France, England and Canada, UNRAVELLED is a compelling novel of love, duty and sacrifice set amongst the turmoil of two world..."

My Two Cents:

"Unravelled" is the story of a marriage set against the backdrop of the fallout of World War I and the events of World War II. The book explores how complex marriage can be especially when the two people in the relationship keep important things from each other. Ann and Edward, the couple, at various points in time keep major events and feelings from each other, which could end up derailing their marriage. This book is filled with details on how the world wars affected people on a very personal level. Historical fiction lovers who are looking for a different and much more personal angle on these world changing events.

I liked the writing of the book. With the way that it is written, we really get to see the whole arc of Edward and Ann's relationship. We get to see how they deal with each other. There is the overwhelming feeling that perhaps they simply settled for each other but this is never really said. I did find myself wanting to know a little bit more about the motivations of Edward and Ann. When the book opens, they have been married for quite a bit and have a family though when Edward has a chance to reconnect with the woman he loved during World War I. I wanted to know why he was so eager to essentially throw away his current relationship for the one he had 20 years prior. I wanted to know more about why this was.

The historical detail was good and engaging. As I said before, there is a great focus on the more personal side of how people were affected. So many lives were changed by the circumstances of the wars. It was so interesting to see how the characters in the book handled the cards that they were dealt. The detail makes these feelings really come to life.

Overall, this was a good story with lots of great detail.