The London Restoration

By: Rachel McMillan

Narrated by: Hannah Curtis

The secrets that might save a nation could shatter a marriage.

Madly in love, Diana Foyle and Brent Somerville married in London as the bombs of World War II dropped on their beloved city. Without time for a honeymoon, the couple spent the next four years apart. Diana, an architectural historian, took a top-secret intelligence post at Bletchley Park. Brent, a professor of theology at King’s College, believed his wife was working for the Foreign Office as a translator when he was injured in an attack on the European front.

Now that the war is over, the Somervilles’ long-anticipated reunion is strained by everything they cannot speak of. Diana’s extensive knowledge of London’s churches could help bring down a Russian agent named Eternity. She’s eager to help MI6 thwart Communist efforts to start a new war, but because of the Official Secrets Act, Diana can’t tell Brent the truth about her work.

Determined to save their marriage and rebuild the city they call home, Diana and Brent’s love is put to the ultimate test as they navigate the rubble of war and the ruins of broken trust.

A stunning novel of a couple and a city altered by WWII

A stunning novel centering 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 throughly enjoyed the mix of historical timelines both before and after the war. A must read! I cannot wait to read Rachel McMillan’s next release!

Mispronunciations are distracting.

Do the readers check pronunciations before recording? Storge does not rhyme with gorge! It’s stor’-gay.

Dry

I was taken aback by the looooong historical note at the beginning. I felt it would’ve been better served as an afterword. I was taken aback that churches were such a feature/ main theme. This was not mentioned in the book’s description or the 11 reviews thus far. I found it dry and very slow going. Maybe it would’ve picked up, but I gave it a solid 2+ hours and reached my limit.

Hopefully this review will be helpful. If you are interested in church design/ historical significance this may be just the book for you.

I was looking for character development/chemistry and I found it lacking. Thankfully I was able to return it. Thank you Audible!!

Thankfully