Thanks to publisher Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

One of my favorite genres - historical fiction, and this one takes place just after World War II: espionage and battlefield memories; codes and secret agents; music and architecture; faith and trust. This is a love story (not a "romance") between newly married Diana, architectural historian, and Brent, theology professor, set amid the rubble of war-torn London. Meticulously researched, the author connects architecture of the many London churches with classical music, blending these topics in a race to discover a suspenseful and clever conspiracy to break the code that will protect Europe from further threats to recent peace. This espionage thread is woven into the story of the rebuilding of Diana's and Brent's relationship, after being apart for four years during the war. Loved the authentic details of life after the war: the rationing, the clothes, the parties, the churches, and the tea. Also appreciated the author's double meaning in the title - restoration of the city of London, as well as the restoration of Diana's and Brent's marriage. These characters were both likable and honest, and I am looking forward to reading about them in Vienna, in what I hope will be the next book.

The London Restoration provides a unique setting for a clandestine undercover operation, beginning during wwii and culminating during the cold war.  Rachel McMillan's knowledge of Christopher Wren's churches of London is very impressive and gives much insight into these very old landmarks.  If you like a good spy vs. spy plot, and old architecture, you will love this book.

I started this book when I wasn’t feeling like reading but once the characters grabbed onto me the book was so hard to put down. I loved this story and would love to find out more about them and what happens next.

This book is set towards the end/after ww2, a period I particularly like to read about. The prose his is meticulously crafted, it’s atmospheric, intelligent and realistic.
Unfortunately for me the storyline just didn’t hold my attention, which is a huge shame. I found to slow going and honestly a little predictable.

This was a slow-building read. Every sentence and even every word was meticulously crafted and placed forcing the reader to slow down and carefully digest it all so as not to miss a single nuance.
It wasn’t your typical romance but it was a love story. A story of two people who fell in love just before war ripped them apart and who are discovering who they are now after years of separation and unshared life experiences are finding their way to a new kind of love. Despite secrets, and wounds, and even disagreements they always chose each other and found their way back.
There was so much history and facts about buildings I’d never even heard of in this book and you could tell the author thoroughly researched every bit and had a true love for the information she was sharing.
For me it wasn’t a pleasure read but it was a pleasure to read even if I occasionally found myself getting a little bogged down. But overall it was a well-written novel sure to enchant history loving readers.

This was an interesting book, even if hard to follow at times. It's set in England, just after WWII.

Diana and her husband Brent married just before they went separate ways to serve in the war effort, At the end of the war, Brent goes home after having been injured. Although Diana was physically safe, her expertise about church history architecture, has her sent to Vienna for five weeks. When Diana at last returns to London, she and Brent have to learn to make a life together and to their new roles.

I liked seeing Diana and Brent's relationship grow. They love each other, they've missed each other, but they're keeping secrets from each other and they suffer from it.

While they're learning to navigate their new life together, Diana is trying to sort out the identity of someone and Brent gets pulled along to protect her.

There's a lot of history about rebuilding the churches that were destroyed in London during the war, which was very interesting to learn.

The intrigue and backflashes made it hard to follow the narrative at times, but watching Diana and Brent fall in love with each other again made up for it.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The text was too tiny for me to read. I needed to expand it every time I turned the page.

The language was eloquent. I enjoyed reading what I was able to read.

Diana Somerville and her husband Brent try to find a new normal in post-World War II London, but MI6 agent Simon Barre is determined to have Diana's help to prevent a new war with the Soviets by finding a mysterious foreign agent code named Eternity.
Diana Foyle and college professor Brent Somerville were married in the smoking ruins of a London church during the Blitz and were almost immediately separated for 4 long years as the war raged. Now the war has ended but they are both forever changed by the experiences of war. Diana is weighed down with government secrets from her work at Bletchley Park that cannot be shared even with her spouse and feels obligated to repay her debt to colleague and friend Simon Barre. Brent is dealing with post-traumatic stress and the scars of war and cannot understand why Diana remains so distant since the war has ended. Can Brent and Diana learn to trust each other when there is so much that remains unspoken? London Restoration is a fascinating look at rebuilding relationships in the face of unalterable changes.

#netgalley #thelondonrestoration

I loved this historical romance set after WWII. It was beautiful written and the storyline was exciting and suspenseful.

Many WWII stories follow the typical route of surviving the war, then soldier comes home to love of their life and they live happily ever after. Rachel McMillan took a different route that I much appreciated. The story actually begins at the end of the war and when Brent and Diana reunite life isn’t perfect. They have been estranged for years and the war has, in many ways, changed them both. This is a story of two people learning to know and love each other once again. There is a great deal of realism in that. Don’t expect a book full of MI6 action/suspense here. There was some of that of course, but the author’s focus is on the characters themselves. This novel was very well researched and you can tell the author is passionate about what she wrote.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thought this book was great. If you know me, I love a good love story and historical fiction. It warmed my heart to see 2 people fighting for their marriage after being away from each other for years. There is suspense, love, and espionage. I loved the humor and all of the architecture (I learned a lot about churches).

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

Reading The London Restoration during the current social and political climate of shortages due to quarantine from Covid, allowed me to relate to the events in this story more than I would have otherwise (not having lived through rationing and shortages after WWII.)

I definitely liked Brent. He was a man worthy of admiration, but I just couldn't like Diana. Yes, she was a kind and loving person, but her obsession with churches bordered on the narcissistic. Had she not been "so beautiful," I wonder if everyone would have been so willing to admire her the way EVERYONE did.

I was fatigued by the number of times I read how beautiful she was and how wonderful the Wren churches were. This is saying a lot, because I am a huge fan of old buildings in London (churches and everything else), but this went far beyond that.

I also couldn't understand where Simon's obsession with the threat of communism came from. Possibly this was due to my not knowing enough about the time period, but I questioned his animosity (especially since Stalin's terrorism against his own people was not known at this time). I wondered if his hatred came from his privileged background, but if this was the case, it was not emphasized enough in my thinking.

I found Simon's requests strange, and yes that was explained in the story that Diana had a particular gift for finding patterns, but I couldn't see how it was useful in her visits to the churches. And his requests kept putting Diana in danger, so I couldn't like Simon's character (at all), which made Diana's mission tainted (in my view).

Finally, it was difficult to follow the dialogue, because it wasn't always clear to me who was saying what.

All that said, I really did enjoy the book once I was about halfway through it. It has stayed with me and my mind goes back to the story periodically, but I felt I was missing something while I was reading it.


"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." #TheLondonRestoration #NetGalley

"The London Restoration" by Rachel McMillan is an absolutely wonderful tale of rediscovery, first of one's self, and then of the partners long separated by the effects of war. Brent and Diana are so very real that the reader is apt to forget that this is a work of fiction. World War II has changed London forever, but it has changed the people as well. Brent and Diana are the quintessential example of what so many couples experience during and after such a separation. This is romance. This is love.



Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan

A love story disguised as historical fiction, this novel is short on action and long on angst and pining. The protagonists, married couple Brent and Diana, are together face to face after World War II, yet are not yet reconnected emotionally. Lies and trauma keep them apart.

While Brent went to fight on the front, Diana “did her bit” decoding messages. They’re back in London now, but their relationship suffers from Diana’s lie and Brent’s nightmares.

There is intrigue, mystery and espionage for Diana and Brent. Brent’s secondary role in the story, however, is to repeatedly describe Diana’s beauty, perfume, silhouette, clingy dress and terrible cooking skills. Thus, the love story.

Diana’s fascination with old churches, especially those of architect Christopher Wren, and her friendships play an important part in the intrigue and bring the tale to its resolution. If you enjoy a love story combined with some history of Britain’s place in WWII, this adventure is for you.

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

This novel focused on restoration of a city ravaged by war, as well as the restoration of a marriage broken by wartime secrets and separation.

Brent served in WW2 and although the war is now over, his frightful memories remain. The author did a nice job depicting how the physical and emotional scars of war remained with Brent and how these scars threatened to end his marriage.

Diana, his wife, worked for the Foreign Office during the war, intercepting codes. The secrets she carried after the war and choices she made had a monumental effect on Brent and caused him to question her loyalty to him.

I found this book to be hard to follow and often unbelievable, specifically surrounding the details around what Diana did as a spy during and after the war. The characters lacked depth and insight. I would have a hard time recommending this book to anyone.

The London Restoration is a unique historical romance that takes place immediately following the end of WW2, but also gives flashbacks of the main characters' responsibilities and thoughts during the war. As Diana and her husband, Brent, reunite following the war, Diana is still involved in post-war responsibilities that Brent is unaware of. As they seek to reconnect in their young marriage, Diana and Brent must learn to trust one another again, even when circumstances aren't as they appear. Author McMillan does a fantastic job of leading the reader into the thoughts and emotions of Diana and Brent. The characters have depth. The plot is interesting and attention-holding. The historical facts about London, the churches of London, and the onset threat of Communism at the end of WW2 all meld together into an intriguing story that holds your attention from beginning to end. Great story!

The London Restoration is a story of secrets....spies, love, and friendships... it is a historical romance fiction book and one that is worth reading.
You are transported to post war London with bombed buildings, rubble lined streets and a young couple Diana, architectural historian and Brent, professor of theology at King's College, attempting to reconnect and start their married life again. They have both lived different lives during the war Diana at Bletchley Park and Brent, a stretcher bearer at the front and returning home with physical and emotional war wounds.
Diana has signed the Offical Secrets Act and can’t tell her husband the truth of her war life but even though the war is now over she is still caught up in searching for a Russian spy.
A riveting story with wonderful descriptions of post war London and it’s magnificent Christopher Wren churches.

Behold the majestic spires in they're search fir eternity. This tells of the destruction and rebuilding of the many churches destroyed over the centuries, This is an enduring love story about the people who loved these edifices, knowing they are the glue that holds a community together for the greater glory of God,

The London Restoration – one might imagine it entails restoration of London after a devastation of war. Or maybe it’s about restoration of love in London. One young couple gets married at the beginning of the war, then pushed away due to war, and now after the war trying to restore the love bond damaged by war. A beautiful love story.

London, 1945. Diana Somerville is a woman of great intuition and ability to read hidden messages. Thus during the war she was recruited as a codebreaker. However, what her husband knows is that she was doing translation work. He on the other hand was a stretcher bearer in the Belgian trenches, and later Italian. Once the war ends, she disappears for five weeks without any word. When he needed her the most, she was gone. “Then there were the weeks of convalescence when his pain and flashbacks were secondary to his worry for her.”

The story goes back in time to 1941 and reveals how she was enlisted as a codebreaker agent. And further back in time, how they met in 1938.

Now after her five week assignment in Vienna, she is back in London and looks forward to her regular life. But Simon Barre, her colleague agent, insists that there is a new war brewing, “a quieter one of propaganda and intelligence.” Simon believes that there is a spread of Soviet ideology in London and he needs to stop it from spreading. Diana is indebted to Simon and has no choice.

At the same time, her husband finds a relic at a church or what is left of it. He wonders how workers missed it. He wants to trace history of the relic and that takes him to a place where he finds out unexpected information about his wife.

The story builds up slowly, but it’s a good slow. It’s a delectable slow. You want to enjoy this journey and not rush through it. It takes time to get to know someone. And that’s how it’s reflected in this story. It reveals their story, their love for each other and their love for the subjects they studied and pursued their careers in. It is a very mature love, beautifully revealed.

The time period of restoration doesn’t come through in this story. There is no noise of cranes moving the rubble and there is no noise of hammers preparing for new constructions. And there is no hardship of everyday life. Instead, this story offers something fresh, with concentration on churches, it sheds light on Christopher Wren. Among many accomplishments, he was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history. After the Great Fire in 1666, he was rendered responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches in the city of London. Most of them were destroyed during WWII.

The character development is masterful, revealing many aspects of their lives, what they think, how they feel. She is heartbroken by the wall she built between them. He pours out his heart and soul in his thoughts, how different it was between them before the war and how it is now. Once very talkative, later saying very little. Before she wasn’t able to keep a secret from him, now she seems to be so secretive. He struggles with her careless decision to disappear for five weeks. It’s so real. I’ve read many wonderful stories with interesting characters, but this is the epitome of well-developed characters. If you are a struggling writer or want to improve on character development, then this is the book to learn from.

Very skillfully woven story. I’m also full of admiration for the author to create such complex story, which flows so effortlessly. Written with evocative and heartfelt prose, infusing characters with so much humanity, passion, warmth, and love, keeping the plot moving smoothly.

P.S. I almost passed this book, because it’s under category of Romance. The unfortunate thing is that the genre of historical fiction got flooded with immature romances. Thus, when I see Romance category, my first reaction is no, thank you. And this is unfortunate for such books as this one, which brings a very mature love story.

This book hooked me from page one. Definitely an adventure and it didn’t let go. I didn’t want the story to end. Loved it.