Restoration

by Carol Davis

384 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 29, 2026

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Restoration by Carol Davis was not at all what I expected. The story follows Risa, an architect hired to restore an old barn in England, while also uncovering family secrets and working through the weight of her family trauma. The premise was strong, and the first half of the book kept my interest, even though it was different from what I had imagined going in.

What worked for me most was the setting and the early buildup. There was enough emotional depth and mystery to make me want to keep reading. Unfortunately, the second half lost me. I found it frustrating, and by the end I felt disappointed with the direction the story took.

Overall, this one started with promise but did not come together in a satisfying way for me. If you enjoy family secrets and emotional journeys, it may still be worth picking up, but it ultimately was not the reading experience I had hoped for.

[Claire Bevan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.

I was drawn to the premise of Restoration and its themes of family history, grief and renewal, but unfortunately the novel wasn’t a good fit for me.

Much of the prose felt overly descriptive, with frequent similes, metaphors and turns of phrase that kept pulling me out of the story rather than drawing me further into it. I found I was more aware of the language than the characters or story.

That said, Risa’s search for resolution to her difficult childhood and her fractured family relationships pulled me through to the end of the book. I particularly found the thread of Risa’s relationship with her mother compelling.

Ultimately, however, the prose style didn’t work for me and I found it difficult to connect with the story as a whole. If you enjoy highly descriptive literary, reflective fiction you might like it. I think overall it would work better as a tv/film.

[Kaelee Dewit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to the premise of Restoration. An architect restoring an old barn in England was totally up my alley. Unfortunately, I found the execution of the book to be lacking. I found the main character to be cold and hard to connect with. At times, the chapters felt choppy, and the scene changes felt sudden. I had a hard time getting immersed in the story and eventually just started skim reading to finish it only because this was an advanced copy. I had hopes that maybe the second half of the story would be better, but the main character continued to be unlikeable, and the storyline didn’t get any better in my opinion.

This isn’t something I’d recommend spending your time reading.

Language and infidelity.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Emma S · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this novel. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book***

4.5 stars

Restoration is a truly atmospheric novel, rich with descriptions of self and place. While nominally on a journey to restore architectural spaces, Risa embarks on successive journeys of healing--her mother, herself, and her relationships. This is not a novel to breeze through, it is prose to sit with, absorb, and feel deeply.