Showing posts with label WWI. Show all posts

Monday, September 7, 2020

A Portrait of Loyalty (The Codebreakers #3) by Roseanna M. White

Title: A Portrait of Loyalty (The Codebreakers #3)

Author: Roseanna M. White

Pages: 384

Release Date: September 8, 2020

Genre: Historical Romance, WWI

Publisher: Bethany House

Format: eBook (also available in paperback

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

Zivon Marin was one of Russia’s top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera—and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father’s connections in propaganda, she’s recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they’re unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question—and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he’d feared.

My review:

This is a fantastic historical romance!

I love all of the main characters in this book. This includes all of Lily Blackwell’s family. It is easy to connect with them and all of the different emotions that they experience going through the story.

One of the things that I enjoyed was the brief glimpses at the characters from the previous books the author set before and during WWI. None of them are central enough that the previous books need to be read first though.

At the same time there are a few characters that are working against them and it was just as easy to dislike them. There is just enough intrigue to really keep the reader guessing as to how things are going to work out. I really like how Admiral Hall stays on top of everything that is going on in the intelligence world.

I had never realized that the revolution in Russia took place during WWI. This was quite an eye opener for me. It really made me realize how little I know about world history. Part of me wants to study it further. But I don’t want to get bogged down in books filled with historical facts. I love the personality that comes in historical fiction books.

I am giving this marvelous book a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have done. All thoughts and opinions 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.*

Monday, June 3, 2019

The Number of Love (The Codebreakers #1) by Rosanna M. White

Title: The Number of Love (The Codebreakers #1)

Author: Roseanna M. White

Pages: 400

Release Date: June 4, 2019

Genre: Historical Romance (WWI)

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Format: Paperback

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

The Toughest Puzzle She’ll Have to Solve

Might Be the Wishes of Her Own Heart

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 German telegrams for hints of the enemy’s plans. 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, she discovers for the first time in her life that numbers aren’t enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy who just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the quick and brainy Margot, but soon the dangers of the war draw ever closer. Margot and Drake will have to team up to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.

My review:

This is an amazing historical romance!

I love each of the main characters in this book. There is quite a variety of personalities and unusual quirks among them. Some of them seemed to be very duplicitous and it was difficult at times to figure out their true motives.

There are many different languages that people use to express love. Margot has a language all her own. It totally captivated me to try and figure her out and see how others would communicate with her.

The fact that there was an intelligence network in place on both sides during WWI was not a surprise to me. I was fascinated by how intricate it was though. The plot of this story was very well developed and kept me enthralled. I was very caught up in the details and pulling for England to prevail in the spy game. Having quickly developed an emotional attachment to Drake, Margot, Dot and the others involved in the work done in Room 40 added to my deep interest.

This wonderful book is getting a 5 star rating from me. I am highly recommending it. I am truly looking forward to seeing what comes next for the Codebreakers in Room 40.

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. She and her family make their home in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseannaMWhite/

Blog: https://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com/

Website: https://roseannamwhite.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseannaMWhite

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roseannamwhite/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/roseannamwhite/

Book Buy Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christian Book | More

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42075376-the-number-of-love?from_search=true

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Number-Love-Codebreakers-Roseanna-White/dp/0764231812/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+number+of+love&qid=1557899486&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-number-of-love-roseanna-m-white/1129716514?ean=9780764231810#/

Christian Book: https://www.christianbook.com/the-number-of-love-1/roseanna-white/9780764231810/pd/231812?event=ESRCG

More: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/the-number-of-love/391570/affiliates

We first met Margot De Wilde in A Song Unheard (Shadows Over England #2). You can read my review of it here: https://godslittlebookworm.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-song-unheard-shadows-over-england-2.html

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions 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.*

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin

Title: Far Side of the Sea

Author: Kate Breslin

Pages: 384

Release Date: March 5, 2019

Genre: Historical Romance (WWI)

Publisher: Bethany House

Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, received a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life—a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel

s half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel’s diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.

My review:

This is an incredible historical romance!

I absolutely loved both of the main characters. They each have wounds from their pasts that they are trying to learn to move past. I found that the exploration into how Colin has been affected emotionally by the physical wound from his time at the front during WWI was excellent. This is something that I knew on a surface level had to be the case. I had never really dug deep to try to understand what it was like.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Colin was trusting God in the midst of his own struggles. He was able to speak encouragement when talking with Johanna to try and point her to God which is what we all need to be doing for those around us.

I learned a lot about WWI reading this book. I found the information about the carrier pigeons to be fascinating. I was especially happy to read the Author’s Note at the back and find out that everything that was new to me was based on actual research that she did before writing this novel.

I am giving this wonderful book a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

An Hour Unspent (Shadows Over England #3) by Roseanna M. White + A GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Once London’s top thief, Barclay Pearce has turned his back on his life of crime and now uses his skills for a nation at war. But not until he rescues a clockmaker’s daughter from a mugging does he begin to wonder what his future might hold.

Evelina Manning has constantly fought for independence but she certainly never meant for it to inspire her fiancé to end the engagement and enlist in the army. When the intriguing man who saved her returns to the Manning residence to study clockwork repair with her father, she can’t help being interested. But she soon learns that nothing with Barclay Pearce is as simple as it seems.

As 1915 England plunges ever deeper into war, the work of an ingenious clockmaker may give England an unbeatable military edge—and Germany realizes it as well. Evelina’s father soon finds his whole family in danger—and it may just take a reformed thief to steal the time they need to escape it.

Click here to purchase your copy!

My Review

This is an incredible novel set during WWI in London!

This is a standalone story within a series. There is a core nucleus of characters that are in all three books. Their lives are ongoing and progress as anyone’s life will. Each book has one of these characters as the central figure of the story.

I adore the main characters in this book! We’ve learned a lot about Barclay Pearce in the previous books in this series. But this book focuses on him and his background. We learn more about what formed him as he was growing up. His loyalty to family is fantastic. I also appreciate the fact that he is striving to learn to rely on God.

Evelina Manning’s whole demeanor has been formed by tragic health issues as a child. How her parents reacted in the aftermath has truly affected the whole family and how they interact with each other. I loved seeing how Evelina and her parents grow and work through issues that have been held inside for years.

The plot of this book is very intricately woven. I was caught up in the little mysteries that all tied together into a wonderful story of intrigue.

One of my favorite aspects of the story is the deep look as to what makes a family. Is it simply the blood flowing through people’s veins? Or is it a choice to stick together to face whatever comes up?

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

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. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Guest Post from Roseanna

Last year, as I finished up the writing of An Hour Unspent, my great-grandmother passed away at the age of 103. As I sat at her funeral service and listened to the heartfelt memorial raised up to her by her kids and grandkids, I realized anew that this woman had been a matriarch in the truest sense of the word. She’d taught my family for generations how to love the Lord and each other, how to serve the Lord and each other, and how to trust the Lord and each other. Grandma Seward was, in so many ways, the one who instilled in me my idea of what family really is.

That idea—that it’s those knit together by love more than blood, and that faith is the strongest foundation—is what I built my unusual family of thieves upon in the Shadows Over England series. And strange as it is to liken my twenty-something reformed-thief hero to my 103-year-old-grandmother, Barclay Pearce is very much to his family what Maxine Seward was to mine.

The founder. The caregiver. The leader.

I knew as I began the series that I would write about Barclay in book three, and as I got to know him better throughout the series, I grew so excited to share his story! This is a man who led his family first into and then out of a life a crime, always for the right reasons—so he could provide for the children under his care. All he ever wanted to do was give them what he himself had lost. To show them love. To prove to them that they were worth any sacrifice.

It was truly a blessing for me to get to write the story in which Barclay found someone to come alongside him, to appreciate and learn to understand him. To finally share what started him down this path. I loved the idea that only a reformed thief could steal the time another family needed to overcome their own trials.

There are many historical items in the book that were such fun to explore—watchmaking of the era, the suffrage movement in England, technological advancements of the war—but at the heart, this isn’t a story about any of those.

It’s a story about how far people should go for love. I hope you enjoy Barclay’s story as much as I did!