Restoration

Title: Restoration

Author: Jan Stirling Locke

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: Von Werstein Trilogy book 2 of 3

Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner

Published Date: 2025

Book Length: 321

Format Read: Paperback provided by the publisher in return for an honest review

Star Rating: 5***** I loved it and highly recommend

About Book: It is January 1946, and following General Karl von Werstein's exoneration in Nuremberg, he spends his first night together with Helen and their baby son as a family. Their future looks bleak, and they struggle to find a place to live in the aftermath of a war that has destroyed millions of lives, and made them citizens of nowhere.

Karl is offered work and a home for the family in the city of Bonn, where Helen can continue her medical studies. They soon get caught up in the webs of intrigue and shifting loyalties that define post-war divided Germany. Karl is tasked with a mission that threatens his life.

As she seeks to protect her family and bring her husband's Prussian family to safety, Helen must find the courage and ingenuity to navigate prejudice and betrayal, pushing her love for Karl to the limit.

My Thoughts: Restoration by Jan Stirling Locke is a historical romance novel and the second book in the Von Werstein trilogy. Set in the 1940s, it follows the Von Werstein family as they navigate the turbulent aftermath of war. The story is told from multiple points of view, offering a well-rounded perspective on the struggles and triumphs of its characters. At times, it reads more like a memoir, with prose that flows effortlessly, making you feel as if you're eavesdropping on intimate conversations.

While the novel centres on love and the restoration of Germany, it is much more than that—it’s a story of deception, survival, and the resilience of the human spirit. The characters, Karl and Helen, are beautifully crafted; they are both victims of circumstance and survivors in their own right. Stirling Locke doesn’t shy away from exposing the harsh realities of the time, yet she also captures moments of unexpected joy.

The writing is a masterful balance—brutally simple when it needs to be, yet richly descriptive at other moments, a testament to Stirling Locke's skill. The meticulous research shines through, bringing authenticity to the time, the settings, and the people, making it all feel vividly real.

Restoration is a true page-turner, full of twists and turns that kept me eager to discover what happened next. Stirling Locke has crafted a compelling narrative that is both haunting and hopeful, offering readers not just a story of love and restoration, but a profound look at the strength required to rebuild in the wake of devastation. If you enjoy historical romance with depth and authenticity, this is a book not to be missed.