Showing posts with label Rachel McMillan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rachel McMillan. Show all posts

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Review: The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan



My rating: 



Synopsis

No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand.

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer’s legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague.

Simon Barrington, the illegitimate heir of one of Sussex’s oldest estates, used the previous war to hide his insecurities about his past. Now, he uses his high breeding to gain access to all four allied quarters of the ruined city in an attempt to slow the fall of the Iron Curtain. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her, and a marriage of convenience to save Simon’s estate has always kept her close. Until now, when Sophie’s mysterious client in Prague forces him to wonder if her allegiance to him—and their cause—is in question. Torn between his loyalty to his cause and his heart, Simon seeks answers about Sophie only to learn that everything he thought he knew about his involvement in both wars is based on a lie.

My Review

This book opened my eyes to the unrest and turmoil of post-war Europe. I would recommend reading The London Restoration first, since this book picks up where it left off, just focusing on different characters. But the friendships and characters in the first book are helpful in understanding some details in this story. Like the previous book, the style is hazy and ambiguous, reflecting much of the uncertainty in Simon and Sophie's work and relationship. Communism is an ideology that influential people in Austria are considering for the next political era since being released from Nazism. Somehow the arts and culture, especially Mozart's legacy and identity is seen as a gateway to instill the ideology that will reign. I would have liked to know more details about how Sophie acquired antiques and artifacts for her clients, but much of her work remained vague. I was glad to learn about Simon's past, and how it influenced him. He and Sophie have a kind of yearning and longing in their relationship, and I was happy to see Sophie reconcile herself to allow her feelings to be valid, after being raised with the idea that love is dangerous. The story picks up toward the end and once the mysteries are revealed, I enjoyed the book more, rather than the majority of the time feeling like I'm wandering.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Check out the previous connected book, The London Restoration
 

 
 
 

Review: The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan



My rating: 3 stars / I liked it



Synopsis

In post-World War II London, 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.


My Review

The city of London was a major character in this book, especially its churches. The main character Diana is obsessed, or devoted, to the architecture of Christopher Wren, and her knowledge and intuition about the churches pulls her into secret agent work. The story is told with a dual timeline of the present post-war intrigue and Diana's reunification with her husband Brent, and the early days of the war when they met and fell in love, and Diana's codebreaking work while Brent was abroad. The style of writing is very ambiguous, especially in the beginning, and I had a difficult time connecting to the characters and story. The vibe felt hazy, with too much unknown, and the details too slowly revealed. Even though there was quite a bit of description, I never felt grounded in the setting. By the end of the book I had a better picture of things, but my experience reading the book felt fumbling, much like Diana's amateur investigative work. The thing I enjoyed the most was the friendships Diana gained during her time at Bletchley Park, and the way she and Brent eventually gained the footing back in their marriage.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the author's connected post-WWII book, The Mozart Code







Friday, August 21, 2020

Author Interview & Giveaway: The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan

 

The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan

Publication Date: August 18, 2020
Thomas Nelson
Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook
Genre: Historical Fiction
 

Synopsis

From author Rachel McMillan comes a richly researched historical romance that takes place in post-World War II London and features a strong female lead. 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. Featuring a timeless love story bolstered by flashbacks and the excavation of a priceless Roman artifact, The London Restoration is a richly atmospheric look at post-war London as two people changed by war rebuild amidst the city’s reconstruction.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

 

Interview with Author Rachel McMillan

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I live in Toronto, Canada and I love to travel solo –especially for research for my books.  I am also a Starbucks addict and Broadway nerd (I have seen Les Miserables on 3 continents). I am a Hallmark Christmas movie buff and my favourite movie is Master and Commander. I would love to visit Egypt someday and own a basset hound. But most of all, more than anything in the world, I love to read and gush about books.

 

What do you do besides writing?

Reading is a huge part of my life!  I am a literary agent as well so I get to work in publishing basically all of the time which is wonderful for me.  I love visiting my little nieces and nephew and I love being out and around in Toronto.  Travel is a huge part of my life, as mentioned, and I am also a classically trained vocalist. I love music!

 

What was your favorite part of researching this book?

 

I loved learning all about the churches and studying the Wren designs from when he first rebuilt the churches after the Great Fire in 1666. Many of the churches rebuilt after the Blitz were based on those designs. The Toronto Reference Library has wonderful facsimiles of some of Wren’s original blue prints and it was so fun to sit there with my notebook and look over them all and take notes.

 

I also spent 10 days in London with a side trip to Bletchley Park immersed in this world. I specifically spent time in Clerkenwell (Where Brent Somerville’s flat is ), Along Fleet Street and the Strand and King’s College and in over 30 churches ( Wren designed and those from other architects) bombed or rebuilt after the war taking notes and pictures and doing on-location writing. All of that helped me capture Brent and Diana’s world: pre-war and post-war.

 

Do you have images you can share that come close to how you picture your characters? Do you like to find visual inspiration for your characters before or during your writing process?

Some writers create characters, I always say that I meet mine because they appear to me so clearly set in my mind that it is often hard to find real life counterparts. I see them down to the freckle and hear them so clearly in my mind.

That being said, I knew this question would come up and so I tried. Brent is especially hard because he has dark red hair and is broad-shouldered.  One reader said she pictured Eddie Redmayne, another James Norton... maybe he’s a hybrid of both.

Diana is a striking, curvy blonde who might look a bit like Romola Garai.

 



What are some songs that you listened to or inspired you while writing your book?

Mozart plays a pretty big role in this book and in the companion book releasing next year called The Mozart Code

So, I listen to a lot of Mozart.  The Grosse Messe in C Minor,  Ave Verum Corpus and his Piano Concerto No. 17 play a big part in London Restoration and in the upcoming The Mozart Code.

I once wrote a contemporary romance called Rose in Three Quarter Time where music played a huge role and so I “auditioned” songs, especially for key and pivotal moments in my conductor hero and violinist heroine’s lives. With The London Restoration, I knew that I had to find Brent and Diana the perfect song.  So I listened to a lot of songs I knew--- standards and war ballads—trying to find something perfect. As a big music lover this was not a chore: amazing music came out of the pre-war and war periods. In the end, I settled on two different songs: I’ll Be Seeing You( a favourite of my Opa –who was a stretcher bearer for the Canadian forces and whom inspired that part of Brent Somerville’s life. I sang this song at his funeral when I was a teenager) and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.

In the end, I went with the latter: because it is not only a love story between two people but also the city that they love.  The London Restoration is a love story between Diana and Brent but also a love letter to London and it just fit.  So music plays a huge part in this book as in all of my books.

During edits though?  When times get tough? I just crack out my favourite Broadway musicals lol.  So a lot of Phantom and Wicked!

 

What message would you like readers to ultimately take away from the book?

There is something so amazing about the building of cathedrals. Liturgical almost. I remember when I watched Notre Dame burn on tv last April and how overcome I was by the loss of history I loved and had spent hours exploring.  But then even that day, firefighters were risking their lives to save it.  And plans for rebuilding were already in place.  In WWII Britain,  Churchill was so adamant St Paul’s Cathedral be saved that he formed a Paul’s Watch of volunteers that would protect the cathedral from firebombs at the cost of their lives. 

I find this so amazing. The testament to Matt 16:18 that the fires of hell will not prevail against God’s house on earth. 

But more still, the stonemasons and carpenters and architects who designed the great cathedral (building as high as they could up to heaven) knew that during their lifetimes they would never see the fruits of their labour.  They wouldn’t live to see the cathedrals in their entirety. They had to work knowing that what they were building would outlast them long after they were gone. I think that’s a really wonderful way to look at our legacy as humans. To be resilient when things crumble around us in adversity but also to recognize that we are just a blip on history’s timeline and the legacy and seeds that we plant now—the brick and mortar we contribute to a great cathedral of our works—can have eternal repurcussions.

 

What can we look forward to coming from you in the future?

On October 6, I have a Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide releasing---

Available for pre-order on Amazon

The Movie Lover’s Guide to Yuletide
 
Are you a holiday film fan? If so, you’re in good company. Fellow made-for-TV movie buff Rachel McMillan invites you to skip the office Christmas party, put on your coziest pj’s, and crash on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and your remote in the other to watch the movies that have become the “hallmark” of the holiday season.  
 
This one-of-a-kind illustrated guide features 15 themed celebrations featuring customized viewing lists, fun suggestions for starting new traditions, and festive facts about the happiest season of all. From baking to books, romance to royalty, and more, Rachel has put together a picture-perfect selection of holiday films to suit any interest.
 
A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide is an ideal gift or stocking stuffer for the Christmas movie lover in your life or a welcome addition to your family’s holiday traditions.    

 

Then, next Summer the companion book (though not a direct sequel ) to The London Restoration releases called The Mozart Code featuring two characters you meet in LR!

Available for pre-order on Amazon

From author Rachel McMillan comes a richly researched historical romance that takes place in post-World War II Europe and features espionage and a strong female lead.

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in postwar Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to uncover a lethal double agent immersed in the world of relics—including the death mask of Mozart. 

Simon Barrington, eighth earl of Camden, is determined to end the Cold War before it becomes as devastating as the war Britain has just won. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her. A marriage of convenience to save Simon's estate brings them closer until a mission in Prague drives Sophie to a decision that will brand her not only a traitor to her country but also to her new husband.

With Sophie’s allegiance in question, Simon is torn between his duty to the crown and saving the woman who might have betrayed his cause and his heart.

 

 Thank you Rachel!


About the Author

 
Rachel McMillan is the author of The Herringford and Watts mysteries, The Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries and The Three Quarter Time series of contemporary Viennese romances. Her next work of historical fiction, The London Restoration, releases in Summer 2020 and takes readers deep into the heart of London's most beautiful churches. Dream, Plan, Go (May, 2020) is her first work of non-fiction. Rachel lives in Toronto, Canada and is always planning her next adventure.
 

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Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, August 18 Review at Nursebookie Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, August 19 Review at Austenprose Review at Amy's Booket List

Thursday, August 20 Review at Gwendalyn's Books Review at Little But Fierce Book Diary

Friday, August 21 Interview at Heidi Reads... Review at Foals, Fiction, and Filligree

Saturday, August 22 Review at Donna's Book Blog

Monday, August 24 Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals Interview at The Green Mockingbird

Tuesday, August 25 Review at The Green Mockingbird

Wednesday, August 26 Review at 100 Pages a Day Interview on Jorie Loves A Story

Thursday, August 27 Review at The Lit B*

Friday, August 28 Review at Read Review Rejoice

Saturday, August 29 Review at Books and Backroads Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, August 31 Review at Passages to the Past

 

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 copies of The London Restoration! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on August 31st. You must be 18 or older to enter.

 

 The London Restoration