Showing posts with label The Codebreakers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Codebreakers. Show all posts

Friday, January 1, 2021

Book Review: A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White

About the Book:

He sees patterns in what she deems chaos. She sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed.

Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon is driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits. But never far from his mind is his brother, whom Zivon fears died in the train crash that separated them.


Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove if she ever found out.


After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily that soon takes over their hearts. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share, and neither is entirely sure they can trust the other. When Zivon's loyalties are called into question, proving him honest is about more than one couple's future dreams--it becomes a matter of ending the war.


My Thoughts:

A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White is a long, deep book that I read while bedridden with Covid.  It was a bit of a slow start for me because I did not connect right away with Lily or Zivon. However, plenty of intrigue kept me interested in the story and I later found the lead characters more relatable. Eventually, Zivon became my favorite character as he was a true hero, a man of devotion and excellent character.

One thing that I appreciated in A Portrait of Loyalty (and all the other books in this series) was how the characters wrestled intensely with their spiritual issues. Lily and Zivon do not settle for blind, easy answers. The author dives deep with characters that doubt and struggle in a way that feels very authentic and true to real life. As the characters grapple with circumstances and issues, the truths that they discover are powerful and relevant for the reader.

A Portrait of Loyalty stands as the third book in The Codebreakers series by Roseanna M. White, but it can be read on its own. I recommend reading all the series, in order if possible, as each one is excellent in its own way.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: The Number of Love

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour and Giveaway for The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White with JustRead Publicity Tours! Follow along with the tour for a special inside peek at how The Number of Love is connected to the author's previous book from another series, A Song Unheard.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Number of Love  
Series: Codebreakers #1  
Author: Roseanna M. White  
Publisher: Bethany House  
Release Date: June 4, 2019  
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Intrigue

Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren’t enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy that just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the too-intelligent Margot, but how to convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life’s answers lie in the heart?

Amidst biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them, but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save them all from the very secrets that brought them together.


Title: A Song Unheard
Series: Shadows Over England #2 
Author: Roseanna M. White  
Publisher: Bethany House  
Release Date: January 2, 2018  
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Intrigue

Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which make her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I—to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales.

Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he's won—until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father's work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is in meeting the intriguing Willa Forsythe.

But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn't—that she must betray him and find that cypher, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | ChristianBook


MY THOUGHTS ON THE NUMBER OF LOVE

The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White blends war-time intrigue, delicious romance, and lurking danger to create a captivating story that is unexpectedly thought-provoking.

Roseanna M. White's writing finesse shines in her prose and characters. My favorite character in The Number of Love is Margot. She fascinated me with her mathematical genius and unique way of thinking. The correlation between numbers and Margot's prayers prodded me to consider... Does God use our unique abilities and interests to speak to us in ways others might not understand? I think so.

What I loved most in The Number of Love was the author's treatment of God's silence during difficult times. I could identify with many of Margot's thoughts and emotions. Plenty of time is allotted to the examination of this issue and easy, pat answers are bypassed in favor of deep character development. Margot's struggle and resulting growth was a pleasure to observe.

The Number of Love is the first novel in The Codebreakers series by Roseanna M. White. It does have returning characters from her other novels, particularly A Song Unheard; however, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy inspirational historical romances.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books...to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.

CONNECT WITH ROSEANNA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


TOUR GIVEAWAY

Grand Prize: Shadows Over England series, The Number of Love, and the Decrypto board game, plus "Mi Alma" necklace (Necklace is 24" chain with a 1" pendant that says "Mi Alma" Spanish for "My Soul". A term of endearment used throughout the book. Handmade by Bookworm Mama)

(3) additional winners of The Number of Love.

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight June 3, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm June 17, 2019. US only. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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