From author Rachel McMillan comes a richly researched historical romance that takes place in post-World War II London and features a strong female lead. Determined to save their marriage and the city they love, two people divided by World War II’s secrets rebuild their lives, their love, and their world. London, Fall 1945. Architectural historian Diana Somerville’s experience as a codebreaker at … a codebreaker at Bletchley Park and her knowledge of London’s churches intersect in MI6’s pursuit of a Russian agent named Eternity. Diana wants nothing more than to begin again with her husband Brent after their separation during the war, but her signing of the Official Secrets Act keeps him at a distance.
Brent Somerville, professor of theology at King’s College, hopes aiding his wife with her church consultations will help him better understand why she disappeared when he needed her most. But he must find a way to reconcile his traumatic experiences as a stretcher bearer on the European front with her obvious lies about her wartime activities and whereabouts.
Featuring a timeless love story bolstered by flashbacks and the excavation of a priceless Roman artifact, The London Restoration is a richly atmospheric look at post-war London as two people changed by war rebuild amidst the city’s reconstruction.
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If you know #RachelMcMillan at all, you know she loves travel, she loves churches, and she loves Mozart (among many other things). So it makes perfect sense that in #TheLondonRestoration, we get to spend time in London visiting Christopher Wren churches and chatting about Mozart’s music. If you’re not sure what a Wren church is, never fear, you will learn all about it in the novel. I found that aspect fascinating. Espionage is the vehicle that moves the plot along, but the main story for me was that of Brent and Diana, a husband and wife who had both changed during the war, and had to relearn who they were as individuals and as a couple if their marriage would survive. Following a married couple’s story is a refreshing change of pace from the typical romance genre fare. Fans of historical romance with smart heroines and non-alpha heroes will love this story
The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan is a stunning read. I was immediately hooked by the storyline and felt transported to 1945 London. What a time that must have been — the destruction, the rationing, the rebuilding of lives that had been devastated by WWII. My heart ached for the characters in this book. I found that I related to Brent and Diana’s struggle to find their way back to one another as a married couple after four years of separation. The feelings they experience as they attempt to navigate a “new normal” are relatable and realistic. And, I love that I am leaving this story filled with hope. Life can really do a number on us all. We may feel down and out, but God always makes a way for us in the end. We just have to trust the journey. The London Restoration is a superb story of reconciliation; one that should not be missed.
I am the most impressed by how realistic McMillan portrays the struggles Brent and Diana experience as a married couple who have gone through trauma in the early days of their marriage. When they first are a couple, it seems like nothing can come between them. Their love is so passionate and so big. It’s unfathomable that they would ever feel differently. But then Hitler comes with his bombs and murder and hate, and their lives are irrevocably changed. When the war ends and things go back to normal, Brent and Diana struggle. How does one just go back to normal after experiencing something as awful as Hitler and his war machine? What does normal even mean? Both Brent and Diana have been blown away by the four years they spent desperately and separately trying to survive the war, and are now completely different people than when they first married. Feelings are different. Things are awkward. How do they get back to where they once were as a couple when they don’t even know how to do that as individuals? Is there a way to reconcile their experiences in the war, the traumas they experienced, and still follow the dreams they had for their marriage before the war? To see how Brent and Diana navigate these difficult questions, you will just have to read this beautiful novel. But as a married woman of many, many years, I can say their journey is poignant, relatable, and so very, very true to life. In fact, it is their journey as a married couple in a crazy awful time that filled me with the most hope.
The London Restoration is more than just a good story. It forces the reader to wrestle with things like change — change in feelings, change in time, change in self, change in relationships — and it illustrates that grace and forgiveness and understanding cover a multitude of frustrations and confusions and misunderstandings. It also shows that in the end, it really all does boil down to love — all seven of the Greek forms! The London Restoration is a must-read novel that I highly recommend. If you are a fan of sophisticated historical romances that include a little mystery and intrigue, and timely themes, then this is definitely the book for you!
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I loved this book. It’s so beautifully written, and I found it to be so layered and rich in terms of history, setting, and best of all emotion — all used in unique and meaningful ways. Rachel McMillan has quickly become one of my “go to” authors when I need to lose myself in something really special.
London 1945. The war is over and the city has started restoring the bombed out churches. At the same time, the couples who were separated during the war are working to restore their relationships. This novel is a beautiful book about the churches in London – both the history and the damage from the German bombs. We see what is being done to restore these beautiful old churches. Many of the churches were severely damaged while the beautiful St. Paul’s Cathedral only sustained minor damage.
The churches aren’t the only thing that need to be restored. Many couples who had been separated from each other through the war needed to work to restore their relationships because they aren’t the same people that they were before the war. Diana and Brent were married right before he went to war. He was a professor of theology at King’s College and she was working on her master’s thesis on churches. After the war, he returns home wounded but she isn’t able to return for 5 weeks. When she comes back, she has to keep secrets from him on where she’d been and her role during the war as a code breaker. The secrets between them keep them unable to restore their relationship. Even as he visits churches with her to look at the damage he doesn’t totally trust her any more. Will they be able to get past the secrets between them and be happy together or will the secrets keep them apart?
This novel has love and forgiveness, mystery and suspense and a lot of information about London churches – how they used to look before the war, how the war destroyed them and how they will look in the future after they are restored. It’s historical fiction perfectly mixed with a beautiful love story.
The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan is an illustrative historical novel. Diana Somerville spent the war breaking code at Bletchley Park while her husband, Brent was a stretcher bearer in France. Brent has no clue as to the type of work Diana accomplished, nor can she tell him thanks to the Official Secrets Act. Brent saw terrible tragedies while serving in Europe. He is suffering from PTSD as well as a scar on his face and finger damage. Brent has nightmares, but he does not want to share his traumatic experiences with Diana. They married just before Brent shipped out and have been apart the last four years. This makes for an awkward reunion especially since Diana was gone for five weeks while Brent recovered and only told him she was doing a favor for a friend. Rachel McMillan is a detail-oriented writer. Her word imagery allows readers to visualize the scenes especially the beautiful churches plus I could felt I could hear the music. I did feel, though, that this slowed down the pace of the book. The story progressed at a snail’s pace (it is like walking through quicksand—you get no where fast). There is a slight uptick in the second half. I never did understand Simon Barre’s obsession with Eternity. I thought the characters lacked development. From the beginning, it felt like I was dropped into the middle of an ongoing story. There was more information on churches than the main characters. Diana seems to care more for the churches than her husband and seems oblivious to what he is experiencing. Brent comments often on Diana’s beauty (it got tiring). I can tell the author did her research on churches, music, and Christopher Wren. The history and architecture of the churches is interesting, but it was overwhelming. A little is good, too much has my attention wandering. The book is set in 1945, but it also goes back in time to show us what Brent and Diana did during the war. It could be confusing as to who was speaking and where they were at. They visited many sites and they all started to blend together. I would sit down my book and come back, and I would be completely lost. I ended up skimming through the second half so I could see how The London Restoration ended. I was unable to connect with this book despite my numerous attempts. I did not feel that the author was successful with the meshing of history and mystery. Those readers who like detail oriented historical fiction will enjoy The London Restoration.
Beautiful love story set around World War II! And set in London and around the churches. Brent and Diana are separated during the war. But even after the war, their is a distance between them. They both had different assignments during the war. Things happened to them. And there are reasons they can’t share the details with each other even after the war is over. There are times when the story is hopeful and romantic with their love story. And then there are times during the war that everything feels heavy and hopeless for the two of them. Can they find their way back to the way it used to be.
I found this newest novel by author Rachel McMillan to be a delicious exploration of the heart in the wake of war’s separation, sacrifices, and secrets. The struggle to reclaim what was lost between Diana and Brent Somerville pairs brilliantly with the attempts to restore to beauty Christopher Wren’s architectural marvels in post-WWII London. Fraught with intrigue and mystery, this story is also an immersion of the senses; the sights, smells, and sounds of an ancient city come alive, making McMillan’s detail to London and its history unsurpassed. I didn’t want it to end!
Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, The London Restoration swept me into the months immediately following WWII (with glimpses into the war itself). Interested in restoring the churches of a war-torn London, Diana also wants to restore her marriage to Brent. I anguished over the missteps the couple made as they tried to find their way back to each other. PTSD, government secrets, and espionage complicate matters, making for some heart-stopping moments along the way. The story is a perfect blend of romance and suspense. Note: I listened to the audio version, and the narrator does a wonderful job.
The London Restoration is an elegant and beautifully researched novel, as rich in history as it is in romance. Set in post-World War II London, Rachel McMillan’s passion for historic cities and churches shine through every page. She brings the architecture to life, ravaged by war, but strong at its foundation—just like the marriage of Brent and Diana Somerville. Brilliantly done to the last word.
The London Restoration is McMillan’s love letter to the city of London and its churches, and what a love letter it is! An insightful exploration of the broken places within and around us, and the resiliency of the human spirit, even in the face of tragedy and war. Affecting, beautifully written, and soulful.
A captivating story of a singular love forged in the peeling of church bells, The London Restoration drifts through the post war streets of London to wrap around readers’ hearts. McMillan’s evocative yet delicate prose is a testament not only to the power of love, but to the unfaltering resilience of the city itself which she captures so beautifully.
The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan is a tribute to the great cathedrals she loves and the things they have faced over time. This historical fiction reads like a love story to these buildings and the horrors they’ve seen. It is an interesting read and will be enjoyed by readers of historical fiction. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.
Rachel McMillan weaves a beautiful tale set during and just after World War II. The book is equal measures spy and love story. McMillan skillfully demonstrates how love and tender care set London on a path to renewal, as well as helped Diana and Brent Somerville to find their way back to one another. At once, they are bound more deeply together and garner a new respect for each other’s independence and strength.
McMillan’s novel is full of things I love: a beautiful, unique setting in post-war London; historical/architectural detail (I’m nerdy that way); a bit of suspense/intrigue; poetic language that occasionally made me gasp and rewind to hear the phrase again (I listened to the audio book); and a truly unique love story between a married couple distanced by war, time and mental/emotional issues making them totally realistic and people I felt I knew by the end. I can’t wait to read more from McMillan in this genre, because she excels at it. Highly recommended.
“History without fallen kingdoms is just a fairy tale, Professor Somerville. The true beauty is in resilience. We’ll see the cracks in our facades, but we will know what went into their creation. London will be more beautiful because it was torn apart but didn’t stay so.”
This bit of dialogue pretty much sums up what I loved so much about this story set in post World War II London. Not only did this book paint such a vivid picture of an injured city attempting to move forward, but also a married couple healing from their own individual experiences during the war and figuring out how to adapt and move forward together as well.
Great book. I loved Brent and Diana Somerville. Diana is one of those brainy heroines you can’t help but admire. Or at least I can’t help but admire, considering I didn’t even know what a Wren church was before reading this book. And last but not least, I loved Simon. I was very happy to read Rachel’s notes at the end of the book saying that he will be featured in the next book. I’m definitely looking forward to spending more time with him.
This was an absolutely beautiful historical fiction!
It took me a few chapters to sort our characters, places, and the timeline with the flashbacks, but once I did and was able to focus more on the plot, I was hooked. There is so much to love about this multi-faceted story! As Brent and Diana try to build their marriage in a city turned to rubble, they face challenges from Russian spies as well as from the secrets they are keeping from each other. Their characters had so much depth and emotion that I kept forgetting they are fictional, and their journey of choosing love, again and again, is as breathtaking as the vivid imagery of the London churches.
A masterful story of two people in love and their courage and determination to rebuild what had been lost.
A stunning novel centered on the restoration of both physical structures in a beautiful city ravaged by war and a marriage with both husband and wife much changed after four years apart by what they’ve seen and the secrets they harbor.
I was swept up in the story from page one and didn’t want to see it end. The characters are memorable, the settings vivid and the prose lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of historical timelines both before and after the war. A must read! I cannot wait for Rachel McMillan’s next release, THE MOZART CODE!
Rachel McMillan creates characters that are poetic, yet deep in conviction. This story is a restoration of love in a marriage that had just begun before they were separated by war…. now, they are separated by secrets from war as they struggle to come completely together again. Their relationship is strained by a storyline of espionage and betrayal that does not quite carry the reader to a well defined resolve yet does open the way to another story.
A Tangled Web!
Diana did secret government work during WWII, while her husband, Brent, was at the front. The war ended, and Brent came home. But it took five more weeks before Diana came home. Brent has never understood, or accepted, why that happened, and because of the oath of secrecy she took, Diana can’t tell him about her subterfuge work.
To make it worse, she is still doing secret work that involves her going out at night. Diana says she is doing a study of churches. Although Brent doesn’t believe her, he tags along, and finds she is in one dangerous situation after another–and he saves her more than once.
Since reuniting, their marriage has suffered due to trust issues Brent has because of Diana’s five-week absence, and her nighttime church work. Will Diana find the answer to the puzzle she has been trying to solve? Can her marriage survive her confidential work? Has the war changed Diana and Brent so much that they can never have a satisfying relationship?
The faith in this story is mostly academic. Brent is a stiff theology professor, and Diana admits she has never had much time for religion. Most of the other characters are atheists, so no one in the story has a personal relationship with God–which I found disappointing. There is a lot of esoteric, complicated information about church architects and architecture. This 4-star story would be enjoyed by those with an interest in WWII, church architecture and intrigue.
This was my first read by Rachel McMillan and I loved it! Loved her writing style –so intelligent and such great word pictures painted. And what an intriguing story and compelling characters. Loved Brent and Diana Somerville so much and the love they had for one another.
Already want to read McMillan’s 2021 novel The Mozart Code which will give characters Simon and Sophie from The London Restoration a chance for their own story. If you’re a historical fiction fan, you’ll definitely want to read both of these!