Rachel McMillanReseñas

Mystery

I would do four or five stars however there was no faith content outside of a character knowing the Bible well because he is a theology professor. And, there were mentions of lovemaking... Kinda a little kissy.

"The London Restoration" is my first book from Rachel McMillan, and I am quite pleased with how it turned out, the historical facts were woven in such a way that you could see the scenes as they happened in the book. I have not read many books that take place right after War World Two with flashbacks to during the war, and I found that I want to read more books in this era... It just pulled me in so deeply.

I at first read this for the cover alone and now I want a copy for the story ... It was so good!

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher/review company. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Three wonderful love stories written during different time periods. All the stories have the same setting of Leedswick Castle. Each story is unique and all of the characters are wonderful! My favorite story is Elena and Tobias'.
A definite must read!
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had intrigue and hints of romance. It did leave some unanswered questions but overall an interesting book.
Based in Vienna, Lady Sophia is part of a covert team to infiltrate relics. She is commissioned by various men to locate the death mask of Mozart. Her colleague, Simon , heir of Suxxex's oldest estate (also her husband in name only) uses his high breeding to gain access to all of the allied quarters. He truly loves Sophia and he is torn between his heart and loyalty to his cause. They find out that their involvement in the wars is based on a lie and they struggle to find the truth. Along the way, Sophia finally opens her heart to Simon and they take their place in high society again.

Leedswick Castle in the English Countryside, has been home to the Alnwick family for generations. It is cursed! But this does not stop future generations from giving their all to overcome tragedy and adversity. And to give a little of themselves and the estate to help others.

This could almost be considered short stories. Each time period is separate, with different characters and different tales.

The first time period of 1870 is my favorite. I enjoyed Beatrice. But, that is not to say that 1917 is to be left out. I had no idea about masks that were made to help soldiers. These masks were to cover the injuries to the face and make it appear normal. Very interesting indeed! Then there is 1945. Alec definitely is shell shocked. But this does not stop him from helping others and possibly finding healing for himself.

The narrator, Ann Marie Gideon, is a great asset. She made all these time periods and characters separate and unique.

Need a tale about love and war with a wonderful estate as the backdrop…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review

This was a wonderfully marvelous way to present a story; three strong, established authors of historical fiction (with a bit of romance of course) take on one family in three distinct time periods through three wars and the horrors that each inflicts. Tying them all together is a castle that remained in the family through time.

First is the tale of Charles and Beatrice – he has the crumbling castle in need of repairs but no money and she has the money but no reputation back in NY. Fortunately they find each other and love blossoms.

WWI is the fight that brings us the tale of Tobias Alnwick. His face was scarred in battle and his parents have found a woman to create a mask to help him face the world again. But she sees him for who he is not what he looks like and love soon blossoms – but not easily. Only time will tell if these two can truly share the life they are meant to have.

Then WWII brings Alec Alnwick home from the horrors of that conflict and with the help of his psychoanalyst he also uses the family home as safe space for ailing soldiers. Can the two of them work together to bring peace to the soldiers and finally to Alnwick itself?

This was a very involving book as all three novellas brought a little more of the story of Alnwick alive. The people who lived, loved and died there all left their marks and it made for good story telling.

The book did not feel as if it were written by three different authors, only rather by three different characters and that is a difference. For the threads of all things finite within the tales all remained the same but only the voices of the people within changed so that you never felt out of the story.

I hope this bodes well for future collaborations between these talented writers.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A story about generations of the Alnwick family of England written by three authors in three sections: The Truth Keepers, 1870 (Charles and Beatrice; The Memory Keepers, 1917 (Tobias and Elena); and The Dream Keepers 1945 (Alec and Brigitta).
There is a "curse" on the family because rumor has Charles Alnwick caused the death of his soldier-servant.
In the second section there is Tobia who is having a face mask made for him by Elena because of the injuries in the war .
In the third section, Alec has made the castle into a rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers with the help of Brigitta.
This was a read more about people than war. I would say love and caring is what I got from reading but there is mystery in the book as well.
The continuation of the family history was well done by the three authors and the stories flowed together.
I won a complimentary copy from Goodreads and the opinions are my own.
I gave The Castle Keepers a 5 star rating and it will be a re-read for me.

Three generations of the Alnwick family, a crumbling castle in Northumberland, and a family curse! I was so excited to listen to the audiobook version of this novella collection by three amazing authors. I loved the way the stories were all connected. Each generation of the Alnwick men has to deal with injuries and the aftermath of war. The women who love them are brought to Leeds castle for various reasons, but each must help the men overcome their pasts, and solve a mystery.

In 1870, New York socialite Beatrice Holbrook is trying to save face after a disastrous debut. Her family takes her to England hoping their wealth will snag them a British title. She meets Charles Alnwick, future Marquess of Northridge who suffers from wounds sustained in India, and rumors about him abound. They become fast friends and she agrees to a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience. When Charles is accused of a heinous crime, Beatrice must gather her courage to defend her husband.

In 1917, Tobias Alnwick sustained life altering injuries in WWI. His parents have commissioned artist Elena Hamilton to create a life like face mask to cover his disfigured face. Elena is the sunshine to Tobias’ grumpiness and she brings him much needed laughter and enjoyment. But when her past comes back in a threatening way, it will take all of Tobias’ courage to save her.

In 1945, Alec Alnwick is suffering from PTSD. He calls on the beautiful, intelligent Brigitta Mayr, a psychoanalyst, to help him turn his crumbling family castle into a rehabilitation center for those who similarly suffer. As Alec tries to break the curse from the past, it seems his health is in jeopardy and distinguishing truth from reality becomes more difficult. Can Brigitta help him solve the mystery before it’s too late?

I loved all three of these stories and how they each revolved around the mysterious Leeds castle. Each of the romances was so well done and they all tied together brilliantly. I loved the gardens, even the deadly one and how they featured in each story. The mysteries in each time period added a suspenseful element, as well as the supposed curse that bound them all.

The audiobook version was fantastic! The narrator distinguished each story and character in a unique way. I enjoyed how she voiced both male and female characters. She injected just the right amount of emotion and made it an easy to listen to audiobook.

Highly recommend this intriguing, enjoyable, historical novella collection! I received an advanced complimentary listener copy from the publisher. All opinions are completely my own and voluntarily given.

This was a nice collection of stories to listen to, all linked to a place called Leedswick Castle. It was interesting to read about the Alnwick family throughout the ages. I especially connected with the characters in the stories set in 1870 and 1917.

It was a fascinating parallel to read stories where the main characters were finding love while persevering through trial, yet all under what was rumored to be a “curse”. These couples may have found their happiness together, however, it was sad to see how long the people of the village continued to treat the family badly due to rumors that were perpetuated about them.

I enjoyed seeing how some things changed and others stayed the same as each tale progressed. The narration was nicely done and I liked listening to this audio book. I did notice an expletive in the first novella, however, this is overall a clean collection of stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A mix of short stories, each with their own beguiling characters and well written storylines to keep you entertained in spurts. I enjoyed the compilation and recommend it for anyone looking for a bit of romance and regency.
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review

The Castle Keepers is three novellas written by three fantastic authors about a curse on a family during three different time periods. All three stories have strong women who work hard to help the family heal from its past.

1870 - Socialite Beatrice has failed to be accepted into society in New York city and moves with her parents to London to find a husband. It was very popular during this time period for rich women to marry someone in London - it was a win-win - she got a title and a place in society and he got money from her dowry to help their dwindling family fortunes. She met and married Lord Alnwick, heir to the Marquess of Northridge. He had been injured in the war and when she arrived at his home, she found that he was not treated well by his parents and younger brother. His mother felt that the younger brother should be the heir and she spread rumors about him to try to diminish his standing. When the father died, under mysterious circumstances, the mom and younger brother made sure that he was arrested for the murder. It was only through Beatrice's strength and love that the real truth came out.

1917 - Elena, an artist arrives at the castle to make a real-life mask to cover the damage done to Tobias's face during World War I. She is a free spirit and he wants to hide behind his wounded face and not see other people. People from her past begin to make problems for Elena so she has two battles to fight - one against people in her past and the other in trying to convince Tobias that his life is not over and there is still a lot to be thankful for.

1945 - World War II has just ended and Alec returns to the family castle. He has what we would refer to today as PTSD and is still suffering from the destruction of the war. With the help of Brigetta, a psychoanalyst that he corresponded with during the war, they turn the castle into a rehabilitation center for soldiers who are unable to get back into the real world due to mental trauma from the war. Will he be able to end the curse that has affected this castle and family for years?

I enjoyed all three stories and liked the way that they were tied together. All three had men who were harmed by the wars that they fought in and women who were brave and strong and able to help their man achieve peace in their lives.

I love when novels are written around a historical structure and we get to read about the different generations who reside there over the decades. Written from the point of view of three different generations of the Alnwick family, each trying to come to terms with keeping the residence and if it is worth the curse and folklore that has blackened the grounds for as long as anyone can remember. All three stories can be read as standalone but they all tie together in that it is the same family we are following. My favorite of the stories was the dollar princess story of Beatrice and Charles. As the women each fight to prove their work, so too the men are fighting a battle with physical war and then the aftereffects of that trauma. I loved reading about the gardens, how each woman was not of the mold that was expected of the men to marry and how one black stain can carry for generations on a family and town even after those people have long passed. I really enjoyed how this novel was written with the three different families but yet all were connected in similar themes. Thank you to HFVBT for the invite and to the authors and publisher for the free novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

This is really beautifully written. I find it a bit too lingering near the end, with dialogue just a little too earnestly sentimental for me, but I enjoyed the lyrical writing so much that I can't help but give it 4 stars.

I truly enjoyed the atmosphere in this book. Vienna makes an awesome setting. Also, the characters are enjoyable and very sweet. But this novella had more than its fair share of typos, and I often found the sentence structure unwieldy. There were so many cases of phrases on top of phrases followed by a period...it was almost like reading the brainstorm session of a story instead of the story itself. I repeatedly had to go back and figure out whether I could take some sort of meaning from these quasi-sentences, or abandon them and hope for something better in the next chapter. It's a pity, because I really, really want to enjoy this.

Didn't enjoy this as much as the author's Three-Quarter Time series...there were very many typos and grammar flubs to the point where it just didn't feel like a very finished work. It's a novella contained in a collection of others, so at least it didn't take very long to get through. The piano-tuning, chess-playing romantic lead was sweet, but ultimately this won't be one that I'll remember much.

A sweet story about Johanna, an American in Vienna who tries to escape her insecurities by competing with Felix, a fellow journalist who always seems to get the best story opportunities. He asks her to work together on a story that will take them right to the heart of the Austrian winter and its most famous dessert.
As is sometimes the case with this series, I really enjoy the setting and the dreamy atmosphere but often wish the sentences were a little more clean cut... sometimes it can be difficult to decipher what exactly I’m supposed to be visualizing.

Re-read, December 2021: Although I’m occasionally flummoxed by the syntax and word choice, I still enjoy the characters, the story, the dreamy setting, and the shout-out to an obscure song from Brigadoon!
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UPDATE 2018: I'm retroactively pushing this to 4 stars, because it's been sticking in my mind, and that makes it special.
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I don't think I've ever read a marriage-of-convenience story set in the modern day. This one was pretty nice. Both the people are genuinely likeable, and the setting in Vienna is beautiful. This is a short read, more like a novella.

A unique set of novellas featuring several generations who inherit an estate in northern England. Fans of clean historical fiction with mystery and romance should enjoy this one.

"...life is indeed worth living no matter the pain."
I enjoyed reading each part of the story and wondered how each one would blend into the next. The authors did a good job bringing it all together, tying the family tree with a line of strong, brave women who grow to care deeply for their wounded warriors. The PTSD theme plays a large part in their struggles, as the men bear scars on the inside as well as the outside.
"She made him want to believe again."
I was drawn to each of them, especially the WW1 veteran and the artist. The mysteries added intrigue and suspenseful moments, with some action. The romances that developed were all different, tender and sincere, with some sighworthy moments in each one.
A satisfying read overall! 4.5 stars

(An ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.)½

I'm not quite sure how to rate this. The actual story itself is swoony. The romance between Oliver and Rose is sweet - but it also falls flat. The writing during the first movement is clunky. It was lyrical - but it seemed to miss the mark when it came to providing a fully developed narrative. It improved marginally as the story progressed but it often felt as though only snippets of a scene were told and it made it feel very disjointed and somewhat flat. That said, this story isn't bad. There were a lot of great quotes and there were a lot of swoon worthy scenes between Oliver and Rose. Oliver and Rose are mostly well developed with motivations and backgrounds and feelings, but the rest of the characters were mere signposts. There's a lot of potential for a five star read - with the help of a decent editor to tighten up the narrative and polish up the talent. For the moment I'm sticking with a 3 star rating and I'd be interested to check out more of the authors work.

This was a bit flat to start with and kind of rushed - I felt like it was hard to get to know Jem or Merinda in any meaningful way. Particularly because there are a million characters introduced in what is only a very short story. That said, I did like Jem and Merinda and feel like they'll be interesting characters to know. I'm particularly interested in finding out more of their backstory - how did they get into the detective game? The mystery itself was predictable but it was only a short story. The love interests seemed alright, although I think the novella could have been better for having not gone there. Too much was squeezed into this and I think everything suffered because of it. But it was enough to get me interested to find out more. 2 stars.

This is a fun and festive book that I loved. If you are a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, this book is a must!

Engaging story of espionage, romance, and music! This is the first book I’ve read by Rachel McMillan and it certainly won’t be the last. Like an intense game of chess, this book takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions as danger mounts and the romantic tension between the two main players increases.

The story takes place in Vienna after WWII with several factions vying for control. Spies and intrigue abound as each of the Allied forces tries to gain dominance. Mozart plays a key role where his music and the search for his death mask are underlying pawns in a new subtle Cold War.

Juxtaposed with the political intrigue is the tension filled romance between Simon and Sophie. Simon is the secret illegitimate son of Lady Barrington who fell in love over a chess game. He is resented by his “stepfather” who allowed Simon to take his name to prevent scandal. His brilliant mind and knack for chess earned him a role at Bletchley Park and Simon continues his covert work to further British interests after the war. His longtime friend Sophie whom he has secretly loved since their first meeting is also in Vienna, but her newest assignment has him questioning her loyalty and their relationship.

Lady Sophia Huntington from the time she was little was told love is a weakness. She holds close her grandmother’s pearls as a reminder. Playing the piano, especially Mozart. is near to her heart and she uses it as a shield. Her past war experience now has her working with Simon in a new role as Starling, a dealer and acquirer of rare relics. Her charge in Vienna is to acquire Mozart’s death mask. However, as she gets closer to finding the mask, she encounters men on all political sides who would kill to obtain it.

Sophie’s and Simon’s relationship is complicated to say the least. The story switches back and forth from their first meetings to their present day relationship. Both are crippled by their pasts. They agreed to a secret marriage of convenience to save Simon’s estate, but neither one is willing to admit there might be more to it. At times, I was frustrated with Sophie and her inability to express her feelings. The tension between these two is palpable and it’s obvious that they love each other.

In the end, I grew to appreciate their strong friendship/relationship that built into more. The villains were especially ruthless. I enjoyed the symbolism in the story and the suspense. To be honest, it took me awhile to get used to the style of writing. I received an advanced copy from NetGalley, but because of time constraints, I obtained the Audible audiobook version. I absolutely loved the audiobook! The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing each of the characters to life and I feel like this book especially was meant for audiobook listeners. It flowed so much better for me. I was not required to provide a positive review and am leaving this voluntarily. Content: closed door romance with some foreplay between a married couple, violence, torture.

4.5 Stars

If you asked me to name one author who is an avid reader and encourages and promotes other authors, my answer would come without much thought. Rachel McMillan is a self-proclaimed book gusher. She is also an author—one that I’ve followed since her first Herringford and Watts series book—who is an auto-buy for me.

In The Mozart Code, McMillan combines the world of espionage, artifacts, romance (including a marriage of convenience), Vienna and Prague while taking readers on Sophie and Simon’s journey of uncovering their true feelings for each other.

There are a lot of World War II stories but not many, at least that I’ve read, dealing with life after the war. McMillan gives us snapshots of pre-war and post-war life for her characters (and by the way, readers will enjoy some more time with Brent and Diana from The London Restoration) as well.

My favorite parts of this book are the romance built on friendship and the familial relationships both Sophie and Simon have with their families—different in several respects, but both strain against the expectations of their circumstances.

McMillan’s detailed descriptions put me right in the cities with her characters, the action scenes had me on the edge of my seat, and the romance (my favorite part of any book) was everything I expected it to be. In short, The Mozart Code was worth the wait.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

It is the autumn of 1945. Brent Somerville has returned to London to resume teaching theology at King’s College after serving in Belgium and Italy by helping the injured, hoisting stretchers after retrieving them from the battlefields and trenches. He has returned after recuperating from injuries in a foreign hospital with visible scars and PTSD. Prior to the war Brent’s wife, Diana Foyle Somerville was a student of architectural history and has not yet returned to London as she traveled to Vienna to “do a favor for a friend.” Husband and wife for only a short time before Brent went off to war. Now both have secrets from one another. What will become of their love for one another? Can a love story that began before the war endure?

Romance, architecture, theology, PTSD, secrets, the aftermath of war’s destruction, and post-war Soviet threats are all within this beautifully written novel. Historical fiction with atmospheric writing that makes senses tingle. I was engrossed in feeling as though I was viewing the remains of bombed churches and wishing to hear the church bells ring in splendor as they did before the war and riveted in feeling there were goosebumps on my arms from the suspense in the darkness of night and not knowing if good will prevail over evil. It simply isn’t possible for me to separate reading this book and not think about the ongoing war in Ukraine.

I highly recommend this novel with Brent Somerville based on the author’s grandfather’s service with the Royal Canadian Army, 24th Field Ambulance, 5th Armored Division. It shares a glimpse of the myriad of emotions as individuals returned from their service during the war and viewed the devastation in their city of London that is home. I also highly recommend the novel to anyone that has visited London and seen the splendor of the churches and admired the architecture of the churches or is planning an upcoming visit to enjoy the plethora of information particularly of the churches constructed with the architectural design by Christopher Wren. Enjoying this information within the novel brings history alive and allows one to appreciate the history and splendor of the churches that can’t be captured in a tourism or non-fiction book.