The London House
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- Create Date：2021-11-11 11:21:19
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Katherine Reay
- ISBN：1713637510
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
thereadingowlvina （Elvina Ulrich）
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"I don't want you to give up your present chasing a past that can't be fixed。 It's not your job。" The Story:Caroline Payne's mundane life is about to change when she receives a call from her old college friend and historian， Mat Hammond。 Mat has uncovered some buried secret about her grand aunt who may be a traitor and Nazi collaborator during the World War II。 Desperate to save her family's reputation， Caroline must return to her ancestral home in London。 My thoughts:This was a beauti "I don't want you to give up your present chasing a past that can't be fixed。 It's not your job。" The Story:Caroline Payne's mundane life is about to change when she receives a call from her old college friend and historian， Mat Hammond。 Mat has uncovered some buried secret about her grand aunt who may be a traitor and Nazi collaborator during the World War II。 Desperate to save her family's reputation， Caroline must return to her ancestral home in London。 My thoughts:This was a beautifully written story about family， love， and healing。 The plot was an interesting one。 I enjoyed reading all the discovery done by both Mat and Caroline when they were reading letters， notes and meeting references。 It was pretty suspenseful as the mysterious past of Caroline's great aunt is slowly being brought to light。 Most of the characters in the story are likable despite their flaws。 This story explores how a buried past affected generations of a family。 There were so much hurt and lies， and I truly felt for them。 The friendship between Caroline and Mat is endearing and I enjoyed seeing how both of them work together to uncover the truth。 This historical novel was such a delightful read and I truly appreciate all the research done for this book。 I learned some new things about the WWII！ Last but not least， please read the author's notes in the end。 It was insightful and added depth to this story！ ***Thank you Book Sparks， Harper Muse books and author Katherine Reay for this gifted reading copy。 All opinions expressed are my own。*** 。。。more
Katy Compton
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Though the story seemed intriguing， it was utterly predictable。 The modern part of the story was a little dull and seemed to just keep pulling in all these odd storylines。 （Romance - check， trauma in youth- check， dad with cancer - check） The aunt/grandmother story was much more interesting， but dragged at points。 I honestly think that if the author would have skipped the modern parts and just wrote the tale of the two sisters， it might have been a more compelling story。
Rebecca
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Having read most of the reviews for this book I decided to go ahead and give it a try。 It's not that I didn't like this book。 It just wasn't great。 There were a few characters in the book that were somewhat convincing and seemed plausible。 It will be interesting to see if Katherine Reay writes any more historical fiction。 I think she does better with the contemporary light hearted romantic story lines。 （I like Elizabeth Camden's historical fiction books much better。） Having read most of the reviews for this book I decided to go ahead and give it a try。 It's not that I didn't like this book。 It just wasn't great。 There were a few characters in the book that were somewhat convincing and seemed plausible。 It will be interesting to see if Katherine Reay writes any more historical fiction。 I think she does better with the contemporary light hearted romantic story lines。 （I like Elizabeth Camden's historical fiction books much better。） 。。。more
Leith Devine
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I just finished this book and I am overwhelmed。 What an amazing story， so well-written， with characters who jump off the page demanding your attention。Caroline Payne is contacted by a college friend named Mat。 He’s writing an article on a Nazi officer named Paul Arnim， and says that Caroline’s great aunt Caroline was a traitor who ran off with Paul in Paris。 Caroline was told she died as a child， but discovers that the information that she was a traitor negatively affected her family for decades I just finished this book and I am overwhelmed。 What an amazing story， so well-written， with characters who jump off the page demanding your attention。Caroline Payne is contacted by a college friend named Mat。 He’s writing an article on a Nazi officer named Paul Arnim， and says that Caroline’s great aunt Caroline was a traitor who ran off with Paul in Paris。 Caroline was told she died as a child， but discovers that the information that she was a traitor negatively affected her family for decades， especially Margo， her grandmother and Caroline’s twin sister。Caroline needs to find out more， so she and Mat go to the family’s house in London， where her mother is living。 They pore over letters， diaries， and official records， and what they discover will rock Caroline’s family yet again。I can’t say enough about this one， it’s a must read。 If I could give more than 5 stars I would。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Beckie Burnham
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I just closed the cover of Katherine Reay‘s latest novel， The London House， and all I can manage to say is WOW！ Okay， that is not going to suffice for a review， so bear with me as I try to put into words all the feelings and emotions and ruminations that accompanied my reading experience。 First， let me say that The London House is an exceptionally well-written novel。 It is told from the first person POV of Caroline Payne， a young woman who has been dealing with emotional turmoil， grief， and unwo I just closed the cover of Katherine Reay‘s latest novel， The London House， and all I can manage to say is WOW！ Okay， that is not going to suffice for a review， so bear with me as I try to put into words all the feelings and emotions and ruminations that accompanied my reading experience。 First， let me say that The London House is an exceptionally well-written novel。 It is told from the first person POV of Caroline Payne， a young woman who has been dealing with emotional turmoil， grief， and unworthiness for most of her life。 She is our modern-day connection to the history of her family， and specifically her grandmother， Margaret and her great-aunt Caro。 Their two stories are told in a series of letters and diary entries that Reay masterfully wove into a tale of betrayal and unforgiveness， courage and triumph。 Caroline is determined to set the story straight about just what happened to her great-aunt during WWII and the impact her choices made on the whole family from that point on to the present。 Helping her is Mat， a long lost friend who shatters Caroline’s equilibrium。 All of the characters within The London House are flawed and real and highly relatable。 Their past sins and past failures resonated with this reader。 All have a long way to grow， and Reay does a great job of exposing and exploring their personalities。 The main story is full of mystery。 What-ifs of the spy rings of the early days of the war kept me turning the pages。 I have to admit that I did have a hard time with the beginning of the book — there seemed to be a lot of chaos surrounding the characters and their stories。 But I think that was the point。 The book takes all those loose ends and weaves a story full of hope and redemption。 There is an overarching theme of perception vs truth。 We often think that a thing is true because we perceive it to be。 But as the character’s discover reality or history based on perceptions alone is flawed from the beginning。 I loved how Reay inserted C。 S。 Lewis’ radio broadcasts that were part of the time period and used them to assert there are absolute truths， whether we care to believe that or not。 I found this message in The London House pertinent for today — not only in the world in which we live， but in my own personal life。 This book made me think！ And isn’t that a great bonus to a riveting story？！The London House is perfect for those who like time-slip novels， WWII tales， and family relationship dramas。 It is also for those who love an excellently told story。 It is also perfect for a book club。 You will want to talk about this book。 As an additional bonus， one of the characters cooks。 I found a new favorite recipe inspired by my reading — Lemon Olive Oil Cake。 Google it and then make it， You will love it too！ 😉Very Highly Recommended。Great for Book Clubs。Audience: Adults。（Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy。 All opinions expressed are mine alone。） 。。。more
Lori Leaf
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I love historical fiction， especially this time of the year。 This book had it all; mystery， romance and a family saga。 Blurb: Uncovering a dark family secret sends on woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamourous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation。 What to expect:📝Epistolary fiction📝Multiple time perspectives。 Most of this book is set in modern day with letters & diary entries from the 1940s mixed in。 📝Family Saga with secrets， discovering the truth， res I love historical fiction， especially this time of the year。 This book had it all; mystery， romance and a family saga。 Blurb: Uncovering a dark family secret sends on woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamourous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation。 What to expect:📝Epistolary fiction📝Multiple time perspectives。 Most of this book is set in modern day with letters & diary entries from the 1940s mixed in。 📝Family Saga with secrets， discovering the truth， resilience and forgiveness。 📝Great writing， very expressive and took my through the range of emotions My thoughts:This was such a fascinating book！ I liked that the majority of this book was set in modern day with Caroline and Mat researching her aunts past and did so with letters and diary entries from the 1940s。 The mystery of what really happened to her aunt was so captivating & simultaneously uplifting and heartbreaking。 I also liked that her father found healing， forgiveness and happiness through this journey。 。。。more
Chris Jager
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A must read for any fan of WWII books。 Full of intrigue， a decades long family secret and a very determined young woman。 I loved reading this very different book by Reay。 If it is a sign of things to come from her， I am a very happy reader。
Helen O'Day
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Audio recording I enjoyed this book。 Another one about WWII。 It's about 2 sets of sisters in different time periods; in the war time period the sisters were twins， in present day the sisters were not twins。 Family heartbreaks， lies， misunderstandings and distrust run throughout the story。 The characters are really well developed， but I have to admit that I got a little confused in the beginning of the letter reading which sister was which。 🙄 Does love win in the end？ Read and find out。。。😁🎈 Audio recording I enjoyed this book。 Another one about WWII。 It's about 2 sets of sisters in different time periods; in the war time period the sisters were twins， in present day the sisters were not twins。 Family heartbreaks， lies， misunderstandings and distrust run throughout the story。 The characters are really well developed， but I have to admit that I got a little confused in the beginning of the letter reading which sister was which。 🙄 Does love win in the end？ Read and find out。。。😁🎈 。。。more
Phyllis
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Love this author but this is her best yet。 Great balance between modern day story and historical thread。 Richer， deeper layers as depths of the mystery and generational impact of misperceptions and unspeakable loss are unveiled layer by layer。 Audi version makes this book such a satisfying read！
Ruth Billington
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I've read many books by Katherine Reay and have enjoyed them all。 This one certainly didn't disappoint。 She is wonderful storyteller， and her use of letters， journals， documents， and emails add both depth and the human touch to this story of family memories， and the courage to seek for truth in the stories we tell and believe。 A quick read， and one I will probably revisit。 I've read many books by Katherine Reay and have enjoyed them all。 This one certainly didn't disappoint。 She is wonderful storyteller， and her use of letters， journals， documents， and emails add both depth and the human touch to this story of family memories， and the courage to seek for truth in the stories we tell and believe。 A quick read， and one I will probably revisit。 。。。more
Melissa Johnson
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Another winner for ReayI have been a fan of Reay since her debut novel， but I think this one is my favorite so far。 She does an amazing job of weaving together two stories and yet still being able to dive deep into the characters。 I had no idea how this story would end and that’s pretty rare for me。 This book is full of WW II era history along with family secrets and intrigue。 It also has me pondering how we perceive history and how our past affects how we live now。
Kidlitter
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A DRC was provided by Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and fatigued review。Oh， please won't someone stop that woman from walking away from us on the cover of every recent WWII historical fiction novel written for us ladies？ I do love wherever the heck she's always going towards - the Eiffel Tower， the Arc de Triomphe， some vineyard， now a very nice house in Eaton Square Gardens， Belgravia。 And she's always dressed so nicely in period costume， voluminous New Look skirts （never mind they came alon A DRC was provided by Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and fatigued review。Oh， please won't someone stop that woman from walking away from us on the cover of every recent WWII historical fiction novel written for us ladies？ I do love wherever the heck she's always going towards - the Eiffel Tower， the Arc de Triomphe， some vineyard， now a very nice house in Eaton Square Gardens， Belgravia。 And she's always dressed so nicely in period costume， voluminous New Look skirts （never mind they came along much later than the war， as no woman would be able to get her hands on so much fabric while the military needed it all - or for that matter， during post-war rationing for some years。） And she usually has the setting to herself， the better to set off her silhouette against the sinking sun/rising moon/twinkling stars that exist but to light her shining way。 But who is this woman whose face must never， ever be seen except in mysterious 3/4 quarter profile， turning away from us into her destiny？ And can I get the name of her tailor？The London House is well-researched and does have several pesistent American characters who love to do just that， in the quest of the Truth about a Lady Spy。 There were some very brave ones during the War， but these endless books would have us believe there was one around every postbox in London or flowerpot in Paris， usually hiding behind their jobs at the Louvre or a bookshop or in this case， the fashion house of Schiaparelli。 Caroline， our modern day investigator， is determined to find out the truth of her great-aunt and namesake Caro's confusing past as madcap society girl， SOE typist and Nazi turncoat。 Caroline's goal is not only to clear up just who Caro was but also to solve an awful lot of family trauma in the present， much of which stemmed from her family's murky past with Caro， but which in true upper-class English fashion they refused to discuss。 I wish their repressive ways had won out， because Caro's genuinely interesting story gets buried in a sludge of modern day psycho-babble and some icky romancing between the researchers。 This reader got rather lost in the time traveling epistolary narratives， to the point where I don't even know which lady is ascending the stairs to the London House。 Pity！ 。。。more
Ramblin Hamlin
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Heartbreaking story that shows the toll of generational trauma that is passed from generation to generation。 When Caroline is approached by a former college friend Mat， he provides her with documentation that her great aunt ran away with a Nazi during WWII。 He plans to write an article about it and was looking for a comment。 Caroline has always been told her aunt died as a child， so this comes to her as a shock。 She convinces him to give her time which sends her to London looking for answers。 Ev Heartbreaking story that shows the toll of generational trauma that is passed from generation to generation。 When Caroline is approached by a former college friend Mat， he provides her with documentation that her great aunt ran away with a Nazi during WWII。 He plans to write an article about it and was looking for a comment。 Caroline has always been told her aunt died as a child， so this comes to her as a shock。 She convinces him to give her time which sends her to London looking for answers。 Eventually Mat and Caroline work together to unlock the mysteries behind her great aunt。The storyline is unique and pretty different from anything I have ever read before。 It's all told in the present day but we get a glimpse into the past through old journals， letters and government documents。 The characters are flawless， resilient， determined and easy to connect too。 The story shows how history and secrets can define or impact future generations。 It's a story about love， betrayal， family and loyalty。 The story is captivating and will break your heart。 If you are a fan of WWII historical fiction then this is a story for you。Thank you BookSparks for the gifted copy 。。。more
Becky
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Secrets destroy lives。 Grief destroys lives。 The Payne family has lived under the weight of secrets and grief for generations。 Caroline's immediate family fractured when her sister was killed in an accident， but she didn't realize there was a deeper reason that her family fell apart - the supposed betrayal of her great-aunt Caroline （called Caro） during World War II。 When Caroline learns the story she was told about her aunt was a lie， she determines to learn what she can about the woman she was Secrets destroy lives。 Grief destroys lives。 The Payne family has lived under the weight of secrets and grief for generations。 Caroline's immediate family fractured when her sister was killed in an accident， but she didn't realize there was a deeper reason that her family fell apart - the supposed betrayal of her great-aunt Caroline （called Caro） during World War II。 When Caroline learns the story she was told about her aunt was a lie， she determines to learn what she can about the woman she was named after。 Along the way， she discovers healing， love， and redemption。As I started reading， I didn't really know what to expect from this novel - I've enjoyed several of Katherine Reay's other books， but this one is split time， which can be hit or miss for me。 We can file this one under "hit。"This story is captivating and so beautifully plotted。 The truth about Caro is revealed slowly through letters， journals， and government documents， and I wasn't ever entirely sure what Caroline would find out about her great aunt。 The story is also heartbreaking - so many lives were impacted by Caro's actions during the war， both positively and negatively。 My heart hurt for Caro's sister Margaret， who died before learning the truth， and for Caroline's father （Margaret's son）， who lived with parents unable to fully love him or each other because of their grief and pain。 While some of the letters and journal entries did feel a little long for my taste （I would've preferred to have them broken up more with scenes from the present）， overall I really enjoyed this novel and the experience of reading it。 I know the story is fictional， but it absolutely feels like it could be the truth， and it's both tragic and hopeful。 4-1/2 stars。Disclosure of material connection: I received this book from the publisher。 I was not required to write a positive review， and the opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
elysa
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The book was great， but someone needs to tell the author that Elsa Schiparelli might have sold clothes to Germans she was NOT A GERMAN SPY。 CoCo Channel was the actual collaborator and spy。 I hope the author gets sued from the Schiparelli descendents for not doing proper research。 There's a book out there that tells about Coco Chanelle and Elsa Schiparelli and who did and don't aid the Germans。 The book was great， but someone needs to tell the author that Elsa Schiparelli might have sold clothes to Germans she was NOT A GERMAN SPY。 CoCo Channel was the actual collaborator and spy。 I hope the author gets sued from the Schiparelli descendents for not doing proper research。 There's a book out there that tells about Coco Chanelle and Elsa Schiparelli and who did and don't aid the Germans。 。。。more
Fanaticmama
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This book was soooooo good。 Twisty and turny。 But the ending left a little bit to be desired！ Really good tho。 4 ⭐️
Rachelle
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The London House is full of family secrets slowly being revealed。I loved this historical fiction novel and the unique way it’s told。 Instead of being a dual timeline， the entire story is set in the present day with Caroline trying to uncover the truth about her great-aunt during WW2， who the government claims deserted as a spy for the Nazis。 We learn about her great-aunt and grandmother， who were twins， through their letters and diary entries。 Their writings take on new meanings as Caroline lear The London House is full of family secrets slowly being revealed。I loved this historical fiction novel and the unique way it’s told。 Instead of being a dual timeline， the entire story is set in the present day with Caroline trying to uncover the truth about her great-aunt during WW2， who the government claims deserted as a spy for the Nazis。 We learn about her great-aunt and grandmother， who were twins， through their letters and diary entries。 Their writings take on new meanings as Caroline learns more about the truth of what happened。Often， I find the present storyline weaker in dual timeline books， but that wasn’t the case here！ The research Caroline does and how she discovers more about her aunt connects closely to her own journey。 Read this if you like family secrets， fashion， and espionage。 4。25 stars 。。。more
Monica
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Caroline Payne is at work when her old college friend， Mat Hammond， calls her and reveals that he knows a scandalous secret within her family tree that has been buried--and he is warning her that it is going to come to light through an article he wrote for the Atlantic。 Caroline wants to protect her family from scandal and she also wants to find out the truth so she sets out to do just that。As her adventure begins， Caroline decides to go to London for a few days to visit her mom， who is living i Caroline Payne is at work when her old college friend， Mat Hammond， calls her and reveals that he knows a scandalous secret within her family tree that has been buried--and he is warning her that it is going to come to light through an article he wrote for the Atlantic。 Caroline wants to protect her family from scandal and she also wants to find out the truth so she sets out to do just that。As her adventure begins， Caroline decides to go to London for a few days to visit her mom， who is living in the ancestral home of her father， and look at old letters in the attic to see if she can find out the real story about her aunt， whom she is named after， and her grandmother， Margaret， who were twin sisters。 This is just the beginning of a healing journey for Caroline's family in The London House by Katherine Reay。I really enjoyed The London House。 The characters had flaws， but they were so realistic and relatable that I truly liked them all。 I felt for them all。 I actually could relate to some of the family dysfunction as I have seen some similar things in my own family。 The history through the shared letters and diary entries was quite interesting to me。 I enjoyed reading along to see how Caroline and Mat solved the mysteries that they found within the letters。 I thought the whole plot was rich and layered。 I also enjoyed seeing the relationships within the book unfold as people opened their hearts and minds to the new possibilities in front of them。 I am not sure my review can do this beautiful writing and story justice。 I also couldn't read this book fast。 I read it in bits and slowly absorbed all that the characters were learning and how they were growing both in their own selves and in relation to each other。 I highly recommend The London House。 This would be a great book for a book club discussion and there are discussion questions in the back。I received a copy of this book from the author and the publisher。 All opinions within this review are my own。 。。。more
Cheri
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#TheLondonHouse #NetGalleyCaroline Waite， carries a burden and it has effected every part of her life。 When an old friend， wants expose what happened in her family back in the 1940's， Caroline， has no idea， that her life is about to change。 In searching old letters and diaries， Caroline tries to piece together what happened so long ago。 The stories that her family believed， had created a chasm of hurt and old secrets。 To find out what happened in the past， is what Caroline hopes， will mend her f #TheLondonHouse #NetGalleyCaroline Waite， carries a burden and it has effected every part of her life。 When an old friend， wants expose what happened in her family back in the 1940's， Caroline， has no idea， that her life is about to change。 In searching old letters and diaries， Caroline tries to piece together what happened so long ago。 The stories that her family believed， had created a chasm of hurt and old secrets。 To find out what happened in the past， is what Caroline hopes， will mend her future。 Well written， and set in two time periods。 I got caught up in the story， it was so good。 。。。more
Victoria
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This story was a little hard for me to enjoy because I got given THE most terrible ARC ebook， the paragraphs were all switched around！ So I'm looking forward to rereading it when the published version arrives at the library。 I'll be honest and say that I was expecting a time-split novel and was so surprised when it wasn't。 Instead the connection to the past is through old letters and diary entries， which was really interesting to me as I've never read a book quite in that style before。 Now， the This story was a little hard for me to enjoy because I got given THE most terrible ARC ebook， the paragraphs were all switched around！ So I'm looking forward to rereading it when the published version arrives at the library。 I'll be honest and say that I was expecting a time-split novel and was so surprised when it wasn't。 Instead the connection to the past is through old letters and diary entries， which was really interesting to me as I've never read a book quite in that style before。 Now， the start of the book is a little hard to get into， it felt a bit like starting a movie in the middle trying to work out who's who and what's happening。 But once you get through a few chapters， the story grabs you and doesn't let go。 I did find the book quite heavy， not necessarily in a bad way， but I did find it was good to take little mini breaks from the deep emotions the characters were working through。 That's probably just me though， I like my 'airy-fairy' romances lol！ I loved the characters in the book， they all felt very real， especially modern-day Caroline。 She is messy。 She makes so big mistakes。 She's human。 Sad to say that this book isn't really a romance but there is a little in there so that made me happy。 I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book but all views and opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Katie
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4。5 Stars。
Ashley Chesnut
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I’ve read all of Katherine Reay’s books， and this is one of her best。 The storyline is gripping and a snapshot of life in WWII England， and she demonstrates a depth of understanding about human nature and how we respond to pain and grief （and how it affects families）。 Be sure to look up all the Schiaperelli dresses she mentions - it was a legit fashion house in Paris during that era。
Stacie ||readingbetweenthevines
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I find that ever since joining bookstagram I haven’t read as much historical fiction as I used to。 I always forget how much I love it， and boy oh boy The London House by Katherine Reay certainly did not disappoint。 This was quite emotional， from family secrets and long held grievances， we see Caroline and her family fall apart and come together。 Caro’s letters to her twin Margaret revealing clues into her life during the War seemed well researched and were well written。 Reay plays on your emotio I find that ever since joining bookstagram I haven’t read as much historical fiction as I used to。 I always forget how much I love it， and boy oh boy The London House by Katherine Reay certainly did not disappoint。 This was quite emotional， from family secrets and long held grievances， we see Caroline and her family fall apart and come together。 Caro’s letters to her twin Margaret revealing clues into her life during the War seemed well researched and were well written。 Reay plays on your emotions in this one， and gives us a new way to interpret history。 All in all I found this to be a quite bittersweet reading experience！4。5/5Thank you to HarperMuse， Katherine Reay and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for review。 。。。more
Laura
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What would you do if you learned a family member may have been a Nazi sympathizer？Caroline Payne is shocked to learn that a great-aunt she thought died of polio as a child may have run off with her German lover during World War II。 Bound and determined to clear her name， Caroline travels to her family home in England， the London House。 There she sorts through her grandmother’s journals and letters from her great aunt to try to piece together the story of what happened to her aunt。 With the help What would you do if you learned a family member may have been a Nazi sympathizer？Caroline Payne is shocked to learn that a great-aunt she thought died of polio as a child may have run off with her German lover during World War II。 Bound and determined to clear her name， Caroline travels to her family home in England， the London House。 There she sorts through her grandmother’s journals and letters from her great aunt to try to piece together the story of what happened to her aunt。 With the help of her old flame， journalist Mat Hammond， she is determined to clear her family name。 What really happened to her great-aunt and why did it remain secret？The London House was a very engaging novel。 I really liked how the dual timeline involved the story being told in a contemporary setting and the flashbacks to World War II being told through the journal entries and letters。 I wanted to solve the mystery of Aunt Caro！！ I love learning more about Aunt Caro， her fraught relationship with her sister Margo， and the love triangle that ensued。 I couldn’t put this book down。 I also loved the contemporary story as Caroline tries to figure out a path forward with her parents， Mat， and her own pain on the premature death of her sister。 I’ve read and enjoyed The Austen Escape and The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay in the past。 The London House dove more into historical fiction than those two and I enjoyed it as well for its differences。 It also made me think about how we may have mistaken impressions of our own ancestors from stories that have been passed down or not told。 Favorite Quote:“There are very few of us who have heart enough to really be in love without encouragement。”Overall， The London House was an engrossing read and I highly recommend it！Book Source: Review Copy from author Katherine Reay as part of the Austenprose Book Tour。 Thank-you！This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold。blogspot。com/2021。。。 。。。more
Carol Perreault
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A writer contacts a young woman， claiming that her great aunt was a spy who defected and married a Nazi。 The young woman travels to England to her mother's old house where， in the attic， she finds letters that might explain what was really going on。 A writer contacts a young woman， claiming that her great aunt was a spy who defected and married a Nazi。 The young woman travels to England to her mother's old house where， in the attic， she finds letters that might explain what was really going on。 。。。more
Dianne Sidebottom
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Mat and Caro's story。 （relationship repair/ second chance）the biblical story of Joseph from （Genesis 37 to 50） forgiveness， restoration， redemption all areas covered in this great story of 3 generations that can filter down traits that needed addressing and have history set right。 （we can be blindsided what habits and mannerism are copied down in families where secrets are kept or never to mention a name/ incident ever。 Conflict to be avoided peace any any cost。 memorials are good to have whethe Mat and Caro's story。 （relationship repair/ second chance）the biblical story of Joseph from （Genesis 37 to 50） forgiveness， restoration， redemption all areas covered in this great story of 3 generations that can filter down traits that needed addressing and have history set right。 （we can be blindsided what habits and mannerism are copied down in families where secrets are kept or never to mention a name/ incident ever。 Conflict to be avoided peace any any cost。 memorials are good to have whether in a cemetery， plaque somewhere so we can visit and reflect。 There seem to be many around and popping up as it is seen as needed by humanity to remember because we forget。 。。。more
Kristina
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Caroline Payne is approached by old college friend， Mat Hammond who is writing an article。 While doing research for a family， he discovered that a secret about Caroline’s namesake and aunt， Caroline。 Caroline was told that her aunt died of polio as a child， but that is not the truth。 It turns out that the twin sister of Caroline’s grandmother betrayed her country。 She went to France to be with her German officer lover。 Caroline does not believe this is the truth。 She heads the family home in Lon Caroline Payne is approached by old college friend， Mat Hammond who is writing an article。 While doing research for a family， he discovered that a secret about Caroline’s namesake and aunt， Caroline。 Caroline was told that her aunt died of polio as a child， but that is not the truth。 It turns out that the twin sister of Caroline’s grandmother betrayed her country。 She went to France to be with her German officer lover。 Caroline does not believe this is the truth。 She heads the family home in London to dig through letters and diaries buried in a trunk in the attic。 The more Caroline reads， the more questions she has about Caroline Waite。 Caroline and Mat keep digging until they uncover the truth。 The London House by Katherine Reay is an engaging story。 I thought The London House is well-written with developed characters。 This story takes readers from the present day to the late 1930s and early 1940s。 I can tell the author did her research for this story。 The details are what brings this novel to life。 Katherine Reay brings her world and characters alive with her descriptive writing。 The pacing varies throughout the book （action speeds it up while overly detailed sections slow it down） and I thought the book was a little long。 Quite a big of the story is told through letters and diary entries （very realistic） as Caroline and Mat work to uncover the truth。 I wish the story had followed a straightforward timeline。 It would have made for easier reading。 I enjoyed the tie in to Elsa Schiaparelli。 I enjoyed the descriptions of her design house and her gorgeous dresses。 Those who love historical fiction especially the World War II era will enjoy reading The London House。 The London House is a dual timeline novel about misperceptions， misunderstandings， love， jealously， hope， and injustice。 。。。more
Stacey Ulferts
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The London House is a fantastic split time novel。 Each timeline is its own solid story and the two are flawlessly combined。 I love the use of letters and diary entries to tell the historical side。 The twists and turns kept me turning pages to find out what really happened。 More than once I returned to a passage just to savor it。 This amazing， captivating story is not to be missed。I received an Advanced Reader Copy and all opinions are my own。
Star Gater
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The story took off for me right away。 I found the subject matter intriguing， and completely plausible。 With that said， I liked most of the characters， and could empathize with the older relatives。 I don't repeat synopses or give spoilers。 The intertwining time periods were sometimes awkward。 But， I wanted to be around the table during the current period。 Please， the current timeline， teen-like romance angst between adults is incredibly insulting。 The subject matter deserved better。 I was ready t The story took off for me right away。 I found the subject matter intriguing， and completely plausible。 With that said， I liked most of the characters， and could empathize with the older relatives。 I don't repeat synopses or give spoilers。 The intertwining time periods were sometimes awkward。 But， I wanted to be around the table during the current period。 Please， the current timeline， teen-like romance angst between adults is incredibly insulting。 The subject matter deserved better。 I was ready to close my Kindle at about 80%。 The author had to tie up the romance， do the obligatory mind changes and group hugs。 。 All-in-all about a 3。25 for me。 There was a lot of potential。 （And， I do not recall any profanity。 That earned the 。25 star。 I appreciate good writing ）Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for accepting my request to read and review The London House。 #NetGalley#HarperMuse#HistoricalFiction#KatherineReay#TheLondonHouse 。。。more
RebeccaReviewedIt
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