The London House

by Katherine Reay, Madeleine Maby (Narrator)

* 10 hours and 15 minutes *

An uncovered family secret sets one woman on the journey of a lifetime through the history of Britain’s WWII spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris in an effort to understand her past, save her family, and claim her future.

One call could bring ruin to her family name.

Caroline Payne thinks it is just another day at work when she receives a call from Mat Hammon, a doctoral candidate, who has uncovered a dark and scandalous family secret: her British great-aunt defected to the Nazis to marry her German lover.

The letters tell a different story.

In search of answers, Caroline flies to London to search her grandmother’s diaries and her aunt’s letters. In them she discovers the “Waite girls” and a time of peace and luxury in the interwar years that is beyond anything she ever imagined. But the buoyant tone quickly changes as the sisters grow older, fall in love with the same man, and one leaves home to join the glamorous art scene of 1930s Paris - all amid the rumblings of war.

But history won’t let its secrets go so easily.

The more Caroline learns, the more questions she has. Together Caroline and Mat work to dig out answers, uncovering stories of spies and love, of family rifts, and of one fateful evening in 1941. Will the truth they uncover heal the decades-old family wounds, or will they tear the family even further apart?


©2021 Katherine Reay (P)2021 Thomas Nelson

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, World War II, Historical, Mystery, Christian Fiction

10 pages, Audible Audio

First published November 2, 2021

About the author

Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels and one full length non-fiction work. Her novels have been chosen as “One Book, One Community” reads and her writing has appeared in publications such as Criminal Reads, The Daily Beast, Redbook, and USA Today, among others. She holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University. She lives with her husband and too many dogs in Montana.

You can meet her at www.katherinereay.com or on Facebook: KatherineReayBooks, Twitter: @katherine_reay or Instagram: @katherinereay.

Reviews

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed everything I have read by Reay in the past and this novel was no exception as it was engrossing from start to finish. It is important to note that this is Reay's first book with the new Harper Muse imprint, "seeking to illuminate minds and captivate hearts." It's not a Christian fiction imprint, and so Reay's fans expecting Christian fiction should know this in advance. It's a fantastic story though, so I hope that The London House will please both old and new readers of her work.

Carolyn gets approached by an old college friend Mat, who does research into family trees and came across some information about her family, and he plans to include the information in an article he is writing. During World War II, Carolyn's Great Aunt Caro (her namesake) betrayed England as a spy for Germany and defected with a Nazi after falling in love. Carolyn is stunned by this news, as she always believed that Caro died of polio as a child. After getting nowhere with her father, Carolyn heads to the family's London House, where her mother is now living. They uncover letters and diaries, and with the help of Mat begin to put together exactly what must have happened in the past.

This book has so much adventure, Reay's research is stunning and her details are intricately drawn to give the reader the picture of what was happening during World War II. There are so many greater themes here, of bringing truth to light, of healing and learning how to accept the past in order to move forward with the future. I think that sometimes our relatives and our parents are framed in a certain way in our minds, and when we encounter new information it isn't always easy to reconsider and reevaluate.

If you enjoy books set in the present day that are exploring the past, this book should have wide appeal.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Taury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another WW2 story. I enjoyed it a lot. Dual timeline. I liked it referring to events i have read elsewhere. Not much of a review, super busy. This is all i have to offer for now

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caroline Payne, was friends with Mat Hammond in collage, he has an interest in History and he contacts her out of the blue. While doing research for a client, Mat uncovers some interesting information about Caroline’s English great-aunt and Caroline thought she died as a child? Caroline was named after her great-aunt, how could she have possibly been in France during the 1930’s and Mat must have his wires crossed. Her father isn’t happy about Caroline or Mat delving into his families past, he believes his aunt Caroline died as a child and Mat shouldn’t publish any of his crazy theories.

Caroline travels to England to visit her mum, despite being divorced from her husband, her mother-in-law Margaret left her The London House to Caroline’s mum and she's been renovating it. Mat joins her in London and they find old diaries, letters, photographs, and discover Margaret and Caroline Waite were actually twins. The girl’s father John was the Earl of Eriska, he served in the navy with distinction during WW I, and they owned a property in the country called Parkley and of course the town residence in London.

The once close sisters slowly drifted apart, it started when Margaret was sick with scarlet fever and Caroline moved to France after she left finishing school. Caro started working for Elsa Schiaparelli as a modernist dressmaker, she ignored the rumors about another war breaking out and Caro left it too late to return home. Was, Caro possibly a German sympathizer, a traitor to her country, and that’s why she was disowned by her family and they told the next generation she died as a child?

Caroline and Mat, slowly piece together what Caro did during the war, they check national archives in England, France and Germany, she also left behind hidden clues, and they discover what really happened on October 1941 and it wasn’t what the Earl thought. Mat opens up old painful wounds for Caroline junior’s family, Mat had no idea about Caroline’s tragic childhood, and her feelings towards Mat change and could they be more than friends?

Caroline Waite was extremely brave, courageous, loyal, and dedicated to her country, she didn’t run off with a German officer, and she certainly wasn’t a traitor. The London House by Katherine Reay, is a brilliant dual timeline historical fiction story about family secrets, misperception, and misunderstanding, war, lost love, jealousy, resilience, hope, discovering the truth and changing the injustice from the past.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and Harper Muse, one of the best books I have read this year, absolutely brilliant and five stars from me.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KarrenReadsH...

[Jocelyn Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely absorbed in the search for the truth with Katherine Reay's latest novel, The London House. The skillful weaving in of letters, diary entries, and historical documents makes this almost feel like a time-slip novel. The strength of the novel, as usual with Katherine Reay, lies in the robust characters and their development from page one to the end. Past and present play off each other in ways that deepen their growth with each new discovery.

Published by the new imprint, Harper Muse, it's not billed as Christian fiction so you won't find explicit faith content, but you will find a clean story with well-drawn, three-dimensional characters on a journey to reconcile themselves with each other, and with the past. I listened to it in just a few days' time.

[Heather Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspenseful and I assume well-researched (I don't know enough to know, but there were a lot of details), The London House is a story of how lies and broken relationships can cause generations of pain, and how one woman searches for answers to break the cycle. Much of the story is told through the diaries and letters of previous generations (where the story starts), written in way too much detail to be realistic. Through her search, Caroline comes to learn the truth that is the solution to all their problems: "I have come to realize that my “right” is subjective and must be in line with something higher, absolute, and fully formed." In fact, the generations of pain were caused simply because "No one got out of their own way to see what was rather than what they perceived it to be.”

I like this message because I believe in absolute truth and I do think when we take our subjective perceptions of truth as absolute, then yes, we can cause ripple effects that damage our family for centuries.

However, I didn't really enjoy this book. For one thing, the message and closure stopped too short for me, with zero mentions of faith or God, and therefore was significantly more shallow than it should have been. Simply put, this family needed God. They talked repeatedly of being in darkness and feeling lost. The only real anecdote for this in life is Jesus, and I'm not sorry for saying so. Yet when the main character reached the end of her character arc, it was only because she now had "something new." What?

Secondly, the amount of pain everyone was in for most of the book just made them not likeable. They weren't on the level of villains, not evil- but they weren't fun to be around. Thankfully they all had a happy ending and expressed love for each other at the end, but I wasn't really rooting for anyone. For most of the book they were continuing the cycles of dishonesty and avoidance that caused the original problems.

I didn't completely believe that one great-aunt's alleged defection during WWII would affect Caroline's father to the degree it did. He never even met her. Maybe I'm just lucky but of all the families I know personally, I don't see this kind of lack of love in normal life.

The original characters - the great-aunt and her twin sister, the grandmother - were described as "funny, touching, kind, jealous, and in love" yet as the reader, I only saw them as arrogant, selfish, and dishonest. My opinion of the great-aunt did change slightly at the end, but she really wasn't written as the delightful character she was supposed to be. The book kept telling us they were close, but over and over again, they allowed divisions into their relationship. All the characters were an odd combination of extremely self-aware and clueless (probably like a lot of humans). Also the twins were supposed to be super close and the grandmother was supposed to be in the great-aunt's corner, even if she didn't understand everything, the great aunt asked her over and over to believe her and stick up for her "if anything happened" but when everything went south, the grandmother apparently believed the worst along with everyone else. Which was because the great aunt had a letter sent (a lie) to the family telling them that she HAD done the very worst. Just- why?! Generations! Of pain! As a result. And none of it had to be that way.

Lastly, the book was written in order of the granddaughter conducting research so the grandmother/great aunt story is not told in chronological order, which was just plain confusing to follow.

I read this book quickly to get it over with because it was stressful and I didn't enjoy it. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. I received a copy from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and I hoped to like this book more than I did. My apologies, but all opinions are my own.

[Katherine Reay]

It's me... The Author!

Two things... #1 I loved writing this book. It was my first dip into historical fiction and it was amazing. Building out the early WWII sections with Paris fashions, spies, intrigue, and romance, was so much fun. I know you can read all about here at Goodreads, so that's all I'll say.

#2, I'll add that if you're interested, there's an ebook sale going on right now at Amazon. I tried to attach the link, but it was weirdly long. So there you go. Happy Reading!!!

[Mary Van Winkle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Good:
I liked the premise, the setting and traveling, the mystery that kept me wondering just what the heck happened to Caro, the obvious amount of research Reay did and the cover which is a different variation on the tried and true Woman Walking Away From Us design that's becoming much too prevalent in WW2 fiction. Also thanks for including a mother that has a purpose. So often moms are left out or worse, included but not put into action like a chintz chair in the background. But I like that this seems to be Reay stepping out of her possible comfort zone of frothy chick lit into a solid historical fiction.

The Bad:
I've said before I'm over duel timelines. In most cases, I believe one timeline is completely unnecessary and its usually the modern one which needs to go including this book's modern timeline. I get the whole ripple effect going on here, I know it was necessary to create this shame/legend around Caro but I still could have done without it. I didn't need the rudderless heroine at a crossroads (check the box of typical, all too familiar characters), horribly grouchy dad dying of cancer (check), or the love interest who enters heroine's life at just the right moment (check). I liked Caroline more than her namesake (jury's still out on Mat and fyi why couldn't Reay just have written Matt? One T was just too distracting and if you've got eagle eyes, you'll notice a typo of Matt in the book) but I would have preferred just Caro and Margo.

The Ugly:
Spoilers from here on:
But really I would have just preferred Margo because I hated Caro. When Caro begins acting like Queen Brat because her parents didn't want her to contract Margo's scarlett fever she was getting on my nerves. Suddenly, she wanted all the attention as if her sister didn't almost just die. But when Caro takes over Randolph, the secret love of Margo's life-- I had to shut the book and walk away for two days. I was LIVID. Okay, so Margo never, not once said a word to either of them-- who does that in real life? I'm not a fan of love triangles but I can see how two sisters could crush over the same guy. But not once in her life did Caro like Randolph then bam! Now we're just going to take Margo's whole life, her man and even her very personality.

What I really wanted to know was just how Randolph and Margo got together and that whole thing about Randolph loving Margo once (I assume as kids then at the beginning of their marriage)? Prove it, Reay. Give us a scene for poor Margo's sake when they actually had a blip of happiness. But you couldn't give us that, you had to give us two miserable people going to the grave miserable. I didn't need that in my life. I liked both Margo and Randolph but they were ruined.

And I get that modern family was excited to finally uncover Caro's fate but I hated how it ended up being all about Caro. Forget the life-long grief she caused your actual parents/grandparents. And Caro's a hero because she became an overnight spy after living it up in Paris for years and swearing up and down the Germans wouldn't invade? I don't think so. Caro was nothing but an extremely selfish, privileged brat that had to have everything rotating around her. Nelson was right, it would have been lightyears better to tell her family she had died, everyone could have legitimately grieved, healed and moved on...but no. Caro had to invent this labyrinthine mystery around herself telling a lie guaranteed to disgrace generations of her family because she thought her sister would what, telepathically decode messages and sniff her scent like a hounddog? Give me a break Caro you little attention-seeking, toxic drama queen. Meh.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read quite a few Katherine Reay and was excited to try a historical fiction by her. This one has a dual timeline and the past one is set during WWII. Catherine learns of an old family secret from her old college friend, Mat. Supposedly her great aunt left her family to run off with a Nazi soldier. Caroline is convinced this isn't true and flies to their family home in London. Once there she discovers a bunch of old family letters and journals and she dives in to find out the truth.

I really enjoyed the past storyline more than the present day one. I do love a book with letters and journals as the window to the past. I was invested in Caroline and Mat's personal story as together they discovered more and more about Caroline's grandmother and aunt. While WWII is a huge part of the backdrop of this story, at it's center is family. I loved the impact learning about the past had on the present characters and their current relationships. Overall I thought it was well written and paced. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Payne never knew her great-aunt Caro whom she is named after, but when Mat Hammond, a friend from college reappears in her life claiming that her aunt was a spy, a traitor to her own country, she is compelled to find out if it’s true.

London House delves into the family history that Caroline had no idea about because she believed or had been told that her namesake had died of polio. These scandalous secrets that emerge paint her aunt in a way that is unflattering. Through letters and diaries between her grandmother and her great-aunt, she begins to piece together what really has happened.

I liked the relationship between Caroline and Mat, and how at first it was surface but as they furthered their joint research into her aunt that their relationship deepened. There were misunderstandings on both parts, and learning about her aunt helped Caroline to be more open and honest about who she is, which allowed for greater transparency between the two of them.

For me, I found London House to be a departure from what I would normally expect and want from Katherine Reay. Reading the synopsis, I still determined that I wanted to and was interested in reading London House.

First and foremost this is a story about the love between two sisters, twin sisters, and the bond that they share, but how the(and before) War changed their relationship, and how it would continue to reverberate years later right into Caroline’s life even though she was unaware of it. She begins to understand (or at least conceptualize) her relationships with her family, and the loss of her own sister at a young age that has plagued her most of her life. She is able to experience healing and closure through reading the letters of her grandmother and her great-aunt. She is able to speak to her parents about the past and to know the freedom to move towards the unknown.


My gratitude to Harper Muse and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine.

[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

…when bad things happen, life continues, and that we humans are resilient and endure. Hope emerges from tragedy.

This book is very similar to The Berlin Letters (which I absolutely adored), but it’s slower paced and emotionally heavier.

Caroline gets a call from an old friend, Mat, who came across information about her great aunt. According to his sources she was a traitor who run off with a Nazi lover. Caroline doesn’t believe it for a moment, and travels to London to find out what had really happened.

This is a story about family secrets and old wounds, and how harmful and destructive they can be even decades later. But it is also about healing, forgiveness and second chances. There is a lot of unhappiness, heartbreak and grief in this book, but the emotions are described in respectful and delicate way with no unnecessarily added drama, and the overall message is that of hope and love.

We get a dual timeline but the WWII part is told via old letters and diaries. Even though the letters are action packed, the story feels less dynamic since the epistolary form creates additional distance and magnifies the gap of eighty years.

It is however a clever way to include the historical characters into the story and additionally it gives the book an exciting treasure hunt element - who wouldn’t want to find so much history in grandma’s attic?

All in all, despite the heavy topics it’s an uplifting story with a satisfying ending, and a beautiful way to show that we can learn from history and from mistakes.

TW:
- loss of a loved one (mentioned)
- grief

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twin Sisters, WWII, letters left in the attic of their London House, and letters that Caroline needed to find to see if a secret about her aunt held for many years was true.

Caroline, who was named after her Aunt Caroline, was shocked one day when her friend Mat she knew from college told her that her Aunt Caroline had been a Nazi collaborator and had a German lover. He had found a letter that convinced him it was true.

Caroline couldn’t believe that about her aunt…no one had ever said anything about that fact. She was told her aunt had died of Polio when she was 8.

Caroline had to find out so she made the trip back to London and thankfully her mother had the letters, but she found other information that she needed Mat to see before he wrote his article.

Could she convince him to come to London and read the letters?

Will they find out this was true or will they find out something else?

Will it be worse news or better news?

THE LONDON HOUSE is very well written and the story line is excellent, but the book seemed a bit too long and my interest waned, I wasn't anxious to get back to reading, and I was lost at times.

This was my first book by this author so perhaps I wasn't used to her writing style.

Those readers who enjoy historical fiction, finding diaries and letters from the past, gorgeous mansions, a gorgeous book cover, uncovering secrets, and a bit of romance will enjoy this book. 4/5

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Cara Putman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and powerful story of secrets, lies, and unlocking the pain of the past. Brilliantly told split time novel, the past told through letters and diary entries. Cannot highly recommend this book enough.

[Mikayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this. I really did, but I couldn't. First off, it has the cover of a historical, but it is contemporary with historical letters, which is not the same. The most grating thing to me? The descriptions. She described how the main guy smelled at least four times. Who does that?? Also, why did he smell like lemons? Half the book I felt like I was reading Better Homes and Gardens with the over descriptions of every stinking room they went into, and every piece of food they consumed. I simply don't care for a description of every snack her mom brought up every two hours.
While they cut off "just in time" the romance described in the letter was uncomfortable to me. Especially considering that they were unmarried, and I don't think it's realistic that would have happened at that point in history, much less she writes her sister a play-by-play of it. It was to much.
Did I really care about these characters? No. I did not. Each one just has enough emotional baggage to dump on you that you feel some sense of feeling sorry for them, but not actually connected. And there wasn't a lot in the book to make you happy.
I think I'm done with Reay. Her first book was her best.

[all_day_dream_about_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work of historical fiction derives its inspiration from myriad true incidents that have happened during the period leading to and during WWII.

A family history research leads Mat to contact Caroline again regarding her great aunt Caro’s defection to Germany during the height of WWII. But Caroline knows that her great aunt died in her childhood, and something doesn’t seem right. She along with Mat, tries to uncover the past by confronting her family, and that’s when she remembers that she herself had accidentally discovered some aspect about Caro.

The entire novel is about finding the real truth about Caro, did she elope with a German and ultimately defect to Germany or is there other part that’s unknown?

Katherine Reay has provided a lot of real incidents of the 1930s and 40s in the background as well as spun those in the life of fictional characters of this plot. The writing style is unique, with present story going on while past is told through letters and journal entries. Although I’ve read a lot of historical fiction based on WWII, I never came across her books, I’ll be reading more by this author.

[Issabelle Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

Wow, this book was an emotional ride! It was so interesting following along Caroline and Mat as they dug into the past and tried to find the truth amidst all the lies and secrecy that had been passed down through the generations. I felt Caroline's need and push for the truth in a way that I rarely connect with characters in books, and that's one of the things that stick out the most for me. Margo and Caro's relationship was so precious and moving, even with all the flaws. I loved reading the letters and diary entries, and it truly felt like uncovering a mystery. I related to Caro, her push for something bigger, and her need to do the right thing even when it's hard, so deeply. Also, YES, for all the historical nuggets. The history buff in me is quite pleased. The only negative I have is that at times Caroline was a bit of a self-focused character, always dwelling on her pain and emotions and struggling to let go that she rarely ever thought about the people around her. Even though I know this was her struggle and she needed to work through it in her own time, I got annoyed a couple of times, but at the same time, it does make her character arc all the more emotional so... I don't know what to think. *shrugs* 😂 All in all, this was a tear-jerker read for me and one I would recommend for those who love digging into the past as we learn the stories of where we've come from and embrace the paths that lead us into someone stronger.

Content note: One use of "what the h*ll." It is alluded to a character "making love" with a man who wasn't her husband, though it is not described in detail. Brief kisses and some passionate ones as well as mentions of hand-holding between two characters.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a ‘search for truth’ story going back to WWII.

Present day Caroline Payne is blindsided when an ex-boyfriend from college approaches her for comment on an article he is writing about her great aunt, Caroline, claiming that he has evidence that she was a Nazi.

Caroline was named in honour of her great aunt who, according to family lore, died of polio when she was young therefore what she is being told now is obviously rubbish.

When Caroline asks her father about it he reminds her (she seems to have forgotten) that that very sordid story came to light in his mother’s house in London (London House) when Caroline was 8-years old. *Frankly something as momentous as this is not likely to be forgotten even by an 8-year old.*

Caroline decides it’s time to seek the truth – something no one in the family has bothered to do in all the years since WWII - thus requiring Caroline to go to London to pore over letters and diaries long forgotten in the attic of London House. London House is where her grandmother, Margaret, Caroline’s twin, lived until her death.

Feeling overwhelmed and hoping to prove his story wrong she contacts the ex-boyfriend and asks him to join her in London so they can both search for the truth.

It’s pretty clear to the reader just how this is going to turn out but the author has made it imperative to read to the end to find the details. Having done so the details are scant at best.

Unfortunately there are two distinct story lines here – the twins Caroline (Caro) & Margaret (Margo) is one and present day Caroline / her parents and Mat, the ex-boyfriend from college is another.

Present day Caroline’s back story I could have done without and her father was just annoying.

The twins Caroline (Caro) & Margaret (Margo) would have been a terrific story on their own.

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compelling dual timeline novel set in World War II and the present day. When Caroline’s old college friend Mat shows up at her door, he is not there to exchange pleasantries, but to reveal family secrets. Caroline is so shocked by these revelations that she flies to her grandmother’s house in London, determined to find the truth. What she finds are much more than family secrets. She uncovers a rich, life-changing history and a written portrait, drawn in letters and diary entries, of a little-known relative. The character development and world-building really drew me in, and the story kept me riveted throughout. The WWII historical research is very well done. This intriguing novel of secrets, lies, war, and spies will keep you captivated and turning the page. Fans of historical fiction, World War II Novels, and family history will enjoy this fascinating tale.

I received a free copy of this book from Harpermuse Books via Austenprose PR. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

[Rachel McMillan]

Endorsement:

The London House is a thrilling excavation of long held family secrets that proves sometimes the darkest corners of our past are balanced with slivers of light. An expertly researched and marvellously paced treatise on the many variants of courage and loyalty, Reay seamlessly weaves present and precarious past as one young woman finds strength where others found betrayal. This is a brand new side of fan favourite Reay: wonderfully balancing her hallmarks of smart heroines and inimitable voices but blended with an urgent jolt of suspense. Arresting historical fiction destined to thrill fans of Erica Roebuck and Pam Jenoff. Rachel McMillan author of The London Restoration and The Mozart Code

[Left Coast Justin]

I was the wrong reader for this one.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I loved every word of this novel!!!

It’s a modern twist on a WWII historical novel. A future relative delves into the last. There are letters, diaries, clues, romance. Pain, sorrow, hollowed hearts. Spies, twins, loss and love.

There’s also fashion. I’m a huge fan of old fashion and my friend Lauren owns this Incredible vintage store called Timeless Vixen. Everyday I learn more about fashion history and designers. Schiaparelli has quite a history and much of it is woven into Caro’s background.

I truly felt every character. They came alive. I would adore seeing this book unfold on a movie screen. I was intrigued from the start and I full on cried and felt each character by the end.

My ONLY ding to this book, is the misspelling of Sloan Kettering, as it is my hospital. I’m a 10 year survivor 🎀 thanks to those instrumental to my journey at MSK.

Please, get checked and always maintain Hope 🩷

London House embodies HOPE, strength and tenacity along with standing up and changing history.

Always be open to possibilities. Not everything is as it seems all the time.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Payne has always felt like she was a disappointment in her family. A tragic event in her childhood changed the dynamics of the family going forward. When a friend from her college days calls with the shocking news that he is planning to write an article about her great aunt possibly being a traitor during WWII having run off with a German officer she is devastated. Caroline is determined to uncover the truth to protect the reputation of her father. She travels to the family home in London where she discovers a series of letters and diaries containing the history, yearnings, actions and relationships shared between her great aunt and her twin sister. In these she also sees some of her own family struggles, coming to a better understanding of herself and her parents.
Told in split times a beautiful story of redemption, forgiveness and the importance of family and our histories.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time period has always fascinated me. It was such an emotional, hard, horrific, heartbreaking time in our history that truly never should be forgotten. I love all the stories of overcoming our pasts, moving on, forgiving, and most of all truly living and learning to love again.
This story is one that captured my attention from the very beginning and was hard to put down. Truly a story that those who love this time period as much as I do needs to pick up and read and even those that don't, need to pick up and read because this is truly a wonderful story about bravery, being strong and doing what it right regardless of the consequences.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining! I enjoy documentaries where people try to recreate the past through letters & journal entries, so I enjoyed this story of discovery.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating, immersive, and mysterious!

The London House is an uplifting, pensive tale that sweeps you away to England and Paris during WWII, as well as present-day London, and into the lives of the Payne family as they delve into all the strained relationships and enduring secrets, loss, tears, wounds, misery, grief, and anger that has surrounded them for generations.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are complex, scarred, and authentic. And the plot is a sweeping saga filled with familial drama, introspection, love, loss, life, family, friendship, mystique, heartbreak, romance, secrets, hope, passion, sisterhood, as well as a little insight into some of the iconic fashion produced by the house of Schiaparelli over the years.

Overall, The London House is an informative, romantic, alluring tale by Reay that does an exceptional job of highlighting the incredible impact war had on the personal lives of those it touched both at home and away and the significant contribution women played during those dark and tumultuous times.

Thank you to BookSparks for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Christine Indorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know me you know I am a huge Katherine Reay fan, so don't ask me why I didn't get to this sooner, but today was the day. The story of twins women and One is accused of being a Nazi in WWll. The family doesn't want to deal with this and it even broke the family up, but when a article for a paper is being written about it the Granddaughter tries to find out the truth through old letters from the twins. As she reads she finds out something completely different and now with the help of her friend who want to write this article they dive in to finally find the truth. This book will have you going back to WWll and to find out what you would do for your country even sacrificing your life for it. I did really enjoy this book. I think it took me longer to read this book because I am not a huge historical fiction fan. But once I dived in I knew that I was reading Katherine Reay and her poetic way she does writes. No it wasn't my favorite of hers but still was an excellent read and if you like historical fiction I know you will love this book. I had a fun day with Katherine Reay and can't wait to see what she will write next!!

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have rated this novel 3-1/2 stars. I liked the characters and the idea of the story about a mysterious great aunt Caroline who may have run off with a Nazi during WWII in France. 🇫🇷

The younger Caroline (named after her great aunt Caroline) is contacted by her old college friend Matt with news and proof about her great aunt Caroline perhaps not being a traitor. So this couple decide to explore the past.

Now there are so many other WWII stories featuring strong and amazing women during the war, that this began to feel a little disappointing. The thing that bothered me most was a lot of complaining and whining from both the lead male Matt and female lead Caroline. Were they miserable, spoiled? Or just young people who have no patience?

There are def some good and great moments and the story is truly a good one, so maybe it was the audio version and narrator’s tone and intonations.

Give it a chance either way!

[Laurien Berenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

With its dual timeline plot, this book was both gripping and heart-wrenching. I hated for it to end.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Library Loan

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The London House by Katherine Reay exceeded all my expectations, and I already had high ones set going in to it. I started out thinking the story would go one way, but I was quickly caught up in the current of words that took me places I had not foreseen. It is a story of brokenness, yes, but it’s also a greater story of love, courage, and hope. And though I have not personally lived a similar life to either Caroline, I found myself in their stories, and I was deeply moved.

“Those were hallmarks of our childhood. Sisters bound by love, promises, our own language, and what I thought was our own unique sense of fairness.

Yet, that’s just it. It wasn’t just ours. And if not only ours – we are part of a larger story. And that’s what presses upon me tonight, Margo – my part in this larger story.”

Reay has beautifully created a handful of flawed and relatable characters in one family, broken for generations, where healing hangs in the balance of finally telling the truth. Of finally learning the truth. Of tracing the fatal tear in the family’s fabric to its source and moving from there toward the freedom that comes from authenticity. “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” and Caroline Payne desperately wants her family free from the damage perpetuated down the line by her great-aunt Caroline Waite’s untold story. In these pages, through Margo & Caro’s letters and diary entries from the days leading up to and during World War II, we see a world on the brink of chaos, a family divided by politics and choices, and a love greater than we first assume – no greater love, in fact. In Caroline Payne’s present day world, we find a world and a family in much the same condition.

“We are in such an odd, terrifying place right now and I doubt life will ever return to the cadence we once knew – the safety and comfort I confess that I believed would last forever.”

I loved both Carolines in this story – the WW2 era twin and her modern day great-niece. Watching their very different lives intersect and run slightly parallel held me captivated, frantically turning the pages, forcing myself to slow down and absorb all the masterful nuances to be discovered. The genealogical mystery-solving that present day Caroline and Mat embark on, and of course their swoony romance and sizzling kisses, would have been enough to delight me. But the author took me even further, seamlessly weaving several distinct elements – family dynamics, romance, buried secrets, intrigue, truth, and history – together with pitch perfect narrative into an achingly beautiful tapestry.

“The truths are fixed, immutable, and eternal. We are the ones who will come and go, not truth.

Isn’t that reassuring? I find such comfort, as the world falls apart, that some things will last…”

Bottom Line: Impeccably written & laced with hope, The London House by Katherine Reay combines several of my favorite elements to keep me fully engrossed from beginning to end! Generational brokenness against the backdrop of genealogical mystery is seamlessly told from past to present (through the lovely use of epistolary style) and brings with it intriguing layers and possibilities. This isn’t a book to rush through – though you may be tempted to do just that because it’s so compelling. Rather, it is a story to be savored, each word perfection and each character relatable. Perfect for fans of Hazel Gaynor & Pam Jenoff!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book I've read so far this year!

What can I say, Katherine Reay has done it again, and I'm not surprised. She's always a favorite author to read, and I absolutely loved this novel.

I loved the way this dual-time novel was done, especially how the historical storyline was told completely through letters and diary entries. We get to discover what happened in the past along with the present-day characters, and I was hooked!

This book is centered around the mysterious life of Caro. Was she a spy during World War II? Did she defect? And how far does her past reverberate into future generations of her family?

As the present-day characters discover more and more about Caro's story, you can feel the underlying tension between the characters. I am always so invested in the characters Reay writes. The relationships are layered and nuanced. The complicated family dynamics pulled me in.

This book beautifully displays the brokenness of relationships and how that brokenness can fracture so much of life if we do not take the time to care for each other and seek understanding.

I absolutely loved it.