The London Restoration

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Diana Foyle is a graduate student studying architectural history when World War II begins. She has a passion for Christopher Wren's churches and is recently married to theology professor Brent Somerville. Brent was injured during the war while working carrying stretchers, and Diana spent the war codebreaking at Bletchley Park.

After the war, Diana is still trying to solve the mystery of clues left behind in Wren's churches by Russian agents. She feels distant from her husband because of her inability to tell him what she is working on and what she did during the war. His nightmares don't help their tense relationship. But then Brent becomes entangled in the plot surrounding "Eternity" and the dangers Diana faces by investigating the church clues.

Rachel McMillan brings the reader back to post-war London and describes Wren's churches in lovely detail. The churches almost become another character in the novel, as they are a plot device and the main character's obsession. Hannah Curtis is a good narrator, but not the best I've ever heard by any means. This title switches timelines from post-WWII to during the war and back, and I find that type of narrative especially hard to follow in audio format. I almost wish there had been a different narrator for the different timelines so it would be easier to follow.

This is billed as Christian fiction, but aside from Brent being a theologian the Christian angle is slim. Diana is not a very religious person. The physical relationship between Diana and Brent is described tamely, but after they are married of course. The book focuses on their relationship a lot more than I expected -- I thought I was getting a spy story, but got a story about marriage with some elements of war operations.

My biggest gripe about the book is how Diana is expected to be a homemaker even though she clearly has no abilities to suggest she would be successful. Brent says he "loves her for her mind" but still laments her inability to keep house and prepare a decent meal. He delays going home to eat another burnt dinner and says he may starve when she goes back to school. Like the man can't make a sandwich on his own! It really bothered me during the reading as it comes up several times.

I would recommend this title to fans of Christian romance who are looking for something different. Give to people who enjoy stories about marriage and making it work. Those who like post-WWII fiction and enjoy the architecture of London and Christopher Wren may find something to enjoy here. Readers who like a fast-paced story of espionage should look elsewhere.

Rachel McMillan is the author of historical fiction, travel, and contemporary romance. She lives in Toronto.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Narrator: Hannah Curtis

Running Time: 11 hours, 47 minutes

Release Date: August 18, 2020

I received an electronic audio recording ARC of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.