Hey y’all! Life has been a bit crazy lately! I had two more book review posts and a Hope Dweller Guest Post that were supposed to happen before June was over! Unfortunately, about halfway through June, BOTH of our computers went on the fritz for one reason or another, and I was unable to get any of those posts up when I had planned. Thankfully, one of our computers is back in action, so those posts will now be able to happen, only they’ll have to be July posts instead of June! As crazy busy as things have been, once I get these three posts up over the course of the next few weeks, I may take break after that as we finish up our summer plans and visits with family and friends. But that is neither here nor there. On with the reason you’re here reading this post! Read on for a bit of info about Roseanna M. White’s first book in The Codebreakers series, The Number of Love, as well as my thoughts on this lovely book!
The Number of Love
by Roseanna M. White
Series: The Codebreakers (Book 1)
Paperback: 369 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (September 4, 2018)
ISBN-13: 978-0764231810
The Toughest Puzzle She’ll Have to Solve
May Be the Wishes of Her Own Heart
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My Thoughts
As usual, Ms. White has done an excellent job! The characters, the setting, the plot, the romance, the mystery, the intrigue, the history that inspired it all—each aspect is expertly handled. Every time, I read one of Ms. White’s books, I am amazed at just how well she writes, how well everything flows, how quickly and easily I’m drawn into the story and into the characters. There’s not a thing that feels unfinished by the end of the book. Everything is well developed and fits together. I may start out, as I did with Margot, loving her one instant and not so sure about her the next, but by the end, I have come to understand her better and love her all the more because of the vulnerability Ms. White shows in her characters.
And boy, did Ms. White introduce some wonderfully intriguing characters in this book! The same number of characters mentioned in another book by a less skillful author might be too much and too hard to follow, but not so with Ms. White. Each character is smoothly introduced and developed in such a way that gives them a distinctiveness that helps settle each of them uniquely into their place in the story. They feel like real people, not just characters on a page . . . even to the point, that I could not help but hope for a redemptive ending for the villain of the story.
I loved both of the main characters (even though I might have spent some time a bit frustrated with one of them 🙂 ) and the development of their friendship and relationship. Margot’s struggle to let herself see and feel beyond the logical was real. I loved the unique way that the Lord spoke to her heart showing the depth of both His knowledge of her and His love for her. Drake’s patience and his ability to read people and help them get to the heart of the matter made him a wonderful match for Margot. Ms. White demonstrates, through Drake’s love for Margo, the beauty of a love that is patient, that waits, that knows intimately enough to see the heart behind someone, that gives what is space needed, that steps back when asked, that is willing to selflessly adjust its method of showing love to accommodate how another receives love.
The new supporting characters introduced have most definitely captured my attention, if not my heart. I enjoyed their side stories and I am more than ready to read about any of them who might be featured in the future books of this series. I also adored the cameo appearances of characters I came to love in Ms. White’s Shadows Over England series. (You can check out my thoughts on that series here and here.) They perfectly rounded out the book and satisfied my “epilogue” loving heart!
The mystery captured my mind and most definitely kept me engaged throughout the book. And I loved the spiritual journeys of the characters as they were faced with walking out their faith when it was no longer as easy as it once was for them, as they had to come to terms with grief in their lives while figuring out how to still trust the Lord.
As it is with all of Ms. White’s books I’ve read, I could go on and on about the things I love about The Number of Love, but I will leave off here before I reveal too much. There is so much both to love and contemplate in this book! If you’re looking for a book with depth and hope and characters that feel more like friends by the end, The Number of Love is a must read!
**I received a complimentary copy The Number of Love from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
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.
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