I had a hard time getting into this book and ended up putting it aside to read something else. It may have just been my frame of mind at the time because I have seen a lot of good reviews online. Maybe I will try it again sometime when I get through my TBR pile.

A great historical story. War causes so much to change and this is a story of love during a very hard time in history.
Thanks for the advanced copy from netgalley and the publisher.

Rachel McMillan has created an intriguing mystery set in post-war London after the second World War. She brings to life the love story of Diana and Brent as they struggle to return to the passion that was theirs before the war. Because of Diana’s secret work during the war, they are compelled into the search for an elusive relics dealer that haunts the destroyed churches. This novel has it all, love, mystery and little talked about history. You do not want to miss it!! You will not be able to put it down.

The London Restoration
by Rachel McMillan
Thomas Nelson--FICTION
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Thomas Nelson
Historical Fiction | Romance
Also available as an audiobook
Pub Date 18 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 18 Sep 2020

Great Historical Fiction! I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to our patrons. It's quite different than other romance books I have read recently. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the ARC.


4 star

This book I have both read and listened to as an audiobook. I think I enjoyed it more as an audiobook. The characters in this book were in love at the time of WW2 and as many did during that time, married quickly. Then separated for years because of war and jobs they come back to each other, but each with their own secrets. The question is can their marriage be saved or are the secrets too big?

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I was looking forward to reading The London Restoration because the idea behind it and the description sounded very promising. While I found the writing to be lovely, I didn't finish the book. I'm sure there are people who would love a very slow-moving pace and lots of description of London architecture after the end of WWII, but I didn't. Occasionally, I found the move between time periods, both past and present, a little confusing. It's the story of Diana and Brent Somerville who served in the war in different roles. When the war ends, they both have scars and secrets. The plot shows them moving toward what they could call a "new normal" in their world and marriage. The London cathedrals provide a backdrop for a WWII spy, and that lends some suspense. But, overall, I think I'm not the right audience for this book. I do want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for offering me the opportunity to try it out.

My thanks to Rachel McMillen, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the ARC.
It took a little while for me to get into this novel, but once I was immersed in Diana and Brent's story I was hooked. The writing is beautiful (except for pajamas and tooth cream) I'm a London girl, it's not how we say or spell them but no matter. The restoration of the title speaks not just of WW2 London but of their brief marriage, a wedding held amongst the almost rubble of a church of Diana's passion bombed in a raid. It's a lovely read, a slow burn of a quiet thriller if there is such a thing. One I will recommend.

London 1945. With the war finally over, Diana Somerville longs to restore the connection and intimacy she once shared with her husband Brent. However, having signed the Official Secrets Act means that revealing anything about her wartime efforts would be treason. Furthermore, her time as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park and her expertise in the field of London churches make her an invaluable asset in MI6’s hunt for a Russian agent known as Eternity.

Theology professor, Brent Sommerville agrees to aid his wife with her church consultations, hoping to understand what led to her disappearance when he needed her most. But he, too, conceals wartime experiences and the traumatic memories of his time as a stretcher bearer on the front. With the growing number of secrets expanding the gap between them, the Sommervilles begin to wonder whether their love and marriage will become one more casualty of war.

Mark Twain said, “There is no such thing as a new idea.” Long before him, Solomon said something to the same effect, yet London Restoration comes very close. Weaving post-World War II elements with espionage and a fresh take on romance, Rachel McMillan crafts a story that breaks the molds delivering a tale I can’t quite compare to anything else I’ve read.

Let’s start with the love story. It isn’t your typical boy-meets-girl, but an already married couple rediscovering themselves and each other after the war as they navigate all the challenges that entails. We meet the protagonists in the fall of 1945 with events of their pasts interspersed throughout the novel. Even if dates hadn’t been included to reflect a jump in the timeline, McMillan brilliantly captures the nuances of their voices so that the reader recognizes pre-war hero/heroine from post-war hero/heroine. As with everyone, their experiences have changed them. The author’s capacity to unobtrusively convey this reveal a deep understanding not just of human nature but her characters as well. It reflects countless hours of work and study, and it doesn’t stop there.

Brent and Diana approach God and faith differently, and yet, his passion for theology and hers for old churches — particularly Wren Churches — offers them a common ground. By the time I finished reading, I possessed a deeper understanding of them through their interests and had learned about previously new-to-me topics. I confess I knew nothing of Wren Churches prior to The London Restoration.
Playing off the biblical themes, when it comes to the men in her life, Diana exercises the patience of Job. A lesser woman would have lost her cool sooner. Brent with his self-imposed martyrdom and Simon (one of her closest friends during the war) with his pushy demands, I often found myself wanting to give them a piece of my mind.

Whether you’re a fan of post-war novels, Wren Churches, or uniquely woven stories, London Restoration is for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this advance copy. I was happy to be introduced to this author's work. This book explores whether a marriage can survive in the wake of war's separation, secrets, and sacrifices. I thought that Diana and Brent's struggle to reclaim what they lost from the war made a nice counterpoint to the struggle to rebuild and restore Christopher Wren's buildings in post-Second World War London. I enjoyed the intrigue and mystery, and the way the characters (who felt very real) and the city at that time came alive for me.

This was an intriguing story full of mystery, secrets, and spies. It is rich with historical detail especially regarding London’s old churches. I found the characters to be very interesting and loved their story.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

London Restoration alternates between his and her viewpoints, flashing back to their separate experiences during World War II. Their reunion and journey of restoration is set against the rich backdrop of the history of London's churches.

Brent and Diana spent their time apart wishing for nothing more than to be together. Now neither of them is the person the other fell in love with before the war but they they must reconcile that with the fact that they are married.

While the story line has some suspense, this is not a fast read--but that feels appropriate. For this process of rebuilding, redemption, and restoration is not one that can be rushed.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Brent and Diana make this whole book! I was a little reluctant in reading a romance with a married couple but their prior separation due to the war makes for perfect romantic chemistry! Not to mention the mystery they're both involved in. This is the perfect historical romance!

The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan
Publication Date: August 18, 2020 - Out Now!
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Description from NetGalley...
“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 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.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @thomasnelson for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Rachel McMillan is a Canadian author. I really like finding new Canadian authors whose books I enjoyed reading. This is one of them. If you’re a fan of historical fictions, you’d probably like this book. I’m already looking forward to the next book (I’m assuming this will become a series). I enjoyed reading about our protagonist’s experience at Bletchley Park. I appreciated rich description of post-war London and the atmosphere from the bombed churches. Brent’s post-war trauma life and Diana’s new found strength whilst having felt useful during the war, and continued to, were believable. It was refreshing to read about a marriage rebuilding itself, accepting of each other’s changes without too much drama or angst. This book felt like a timeless historical fiction.

I really enjoyed this richly layered historical fiction novel. It has all of the elements I want to see in a book of this genre: vividly written characters, rich historical detail, an interesting plot, and complexity in how all of it is woven together. I think so many readers, like me, want to see more of the psychological and emotional affects of war on the characters in our fiction, not just nonstop action during the war years alone.

I loved these characters. They’re the kind you think about for weeks afterwards. And I had never really thought about how the damage to the churches would have been so immense during the war, and the author incorporated the damage from the war so nicely into the plot and symbolism.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

What an amazing novel dual time historical novel! The characters were well drawn and the storyline flowed seamlessly. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

The premise of this story is very interesting - Diana’s love and knowledge of London churches may be the key to finding a Russian spy in the aftermath of WWII. It seems natural that her husband, a theology professor, might be able to help, but she can’t tell him what she’s really doing... until he is drawn into the effort, whether he likes it or not. I thought the struggles they faced in their marriage, after years apart and so many secrets between them, were portrayed very realistically. However, the story seemed a little disjointed and confusing to me. The transitions between past and present didn’t flow very smoothly and left me feeling a little lost. Overall, this was an enjoyable story, but not one of my favorites.

The London Restoration is an incredibly well written book - excellent research so rich in history, clever spy tales and twists with heartfelt romance. Set in post World War II London, Rachel's love for historic cities, especially churches, is sprinkled lovingly throughout in a most engaging way. She brings great architecture to life, which was so necessary in war torn London.

“Some will see a crack. A bombed building.” The right side of his mouth twitched into a small smile. “You will see a map and imagine the potential in the rubble.”

This is a slow build story but each flashback, each moment is pertinent as Rachel cleverly moves the puzzle pieces around her storyboard. She gives you the time to get to know her characters, their story, their situation and what future they each envision. The ending was perfection.

“She wasn’t sure why the spell of these buildings held her so tightly. They were brick and mortar and artistry, pleasing to the eye but not flesh and blood. “Sometimes I can’t tell whether the emotion I feel in these places is from something emotional or spiritual. But I feel like I’ve known these churches all of my life.”

The London Restoration is about restorative practices on many levels. That is what is so clever about this book. Yes, it is about the physical restoration of London after the devastation of war. However, it is also most definitely about personal restoration and the impact war has had on relationships. The love story of Diana and Brent is something special - from their marriage before the war, how the war impacted upon them individually, to after the war and how they both work so hard to restore or create a new relationship after all that has ensued. This is a mature and heartfelt journey.

“If I ask what you did during the war and you tell me, then you are as good as a traitor. But what you are doing after the war is what is keeping us apart, Di.” He grabbed her hand. “We are getting so close to being who we are together. This just seems like recklessness.”

This book is just so interesting from a historic point of view. The architectural history, especially the information about Wren and the churches, will have you Googling names, dates, places. This could have been a very dry inclusion but not under this skilled author’s pen - it was fascinating.

‘Diana had read that alongside Roman coins and medieval stained glass, the bombs had erupted over 230 coffins from three different centuries.’

Then there is the plot - again, just so clever! This is real espionage - secrets and lies abound! The subtle inclusion of everything from politics to the use of classical music as code is quite extraordinary. One cannot help but be impressed by the excellent job Rachel does in balancing the many components of this tale.

“But the new war is boiling under the surface. It won’t be the one we just saw with guns and artillery fire and bombs desecrating our city. It will be a quieter one of propaganda and intelligence.”

The London Restoration provided me with a few glorious hours lost in the past - walking amongst bombed churches, trying to make the world a better place whilst investing in a relationship that had undergone life changing experiences. I learned so much, I was captivated by the ending so much and I was cheering for both Diana and Brent just so much! If you love quality historical fiction with mysterious thrills, espionage and rekindling of love, then this is most definitely the book for you.

“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 review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

I love World War II books. This one has bits of the war but really focuses on the war after the war. The beginning of the Cold War. I have not read many fiction books on that time period so I was eager to read this one.

Diana and Brent you just have to love them. They are devoted to each other and trust each other. Yet, each of them has secrets. It is not until the secrets are revealed that they can really grow in their relationship.

Diana has a love for the churches in London especially Christopher Wren's churches. She is full of knowledge and gets around the churches. I wanted to just go and wander the churches of London.

You need at least one character that you just don't like and for me, Simon was that character. I didn't like the way he pushed Diana but at the same time, he was trying to do his job.

Overall, I loved the book and would love to read more about this time period and the characters.

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book to read. The review and opinions are all my own.

Post world war 2 London comes alive in this story of a marriage fighting to survive
The author’s discriptions of a burned out London was a great backdrop for the story of Brent and Diana a couple whose marriage has been interrupted and weakened by war. I found myself absorbed by both the story line and the history of the churches and London. I will definitely read more books by Rachael McMillan

WWII has always been an era that fascinates me. It was a time that brought out the best and the worst of people. This story is about Diana and Brent, two people that fought in the war in their own ways. Through this story you see their early story, their war experiences, and coming together after. What it is mostly about is the behind the scenes chess game that happened during and after the war. It is a story of codes and secrets, and most especially spies.

The shadow game in London that Brent and Diana are drawn into was written exquisitely and was well researched. There was suspense and intrigue with the romance hanging at the edges.

The story did bounce from one time period to the other but did give an indication of where the story was with a date and location at the beginning of a chapter. It explored the idea of lies and half truths within the relationship and the trust of the two

I really liked this story. I like to try to see if I can figure out what is going to happen before it does and this one definitely left me guessing which is a good thing for a mystery/suspense. This is the first book I have read by this author and I definitely enjoyed the experience.

I read this book over several sittings and at times found myself distracted though I blame me more than the book. I have a harder time sometimes when it bounces back and forth in time which can distract my attention. It worked for this book.

I received a copy via netgalley and this is my honest review.