A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White

MY REVIEW:

I have found that reading a book by Roseanna M. White is akin to climbing into a time machine and taking a trip across the years to the setting of the story. In A Portrait of Loyalty I stepped into the plot and walked beside Zivon and Lily as they experienced life in London during World War 1, complete with danger, intrigue, tragedy, and romance.

The author paints a vivid picture with her words and it is obvious that she has researched her subject well. My history classes always seemed to run out of time before we ever reached this era and we barely touched on WW2 if we studied it at all. I hate to admit that I have learned far more about the Great War from fiction authors such as Roseanna White than I ever learned in school. I found everything about the work of the codebreakers and Lily’s skill at retouching or recreating photographs to be fascinating. So much went on behind the scenes to help win the war.

It was so encouraging for me to see God at work in the pages of this book and the difference love and forgiveness can make in the lives of even the most misguided people.  I found it so gratifying the way one particular situation was handled at the end when it could have easily been handled in a less redemptive fashion.

I have loved the Codebreakers series and am a bit sad to see it end. I will miss some of the characters from the three books but who knows, some of them may make an appearance in another series one day. It has been fun to witness that happening a time or two in A Portrait of Loyalty. If you enjoy historical fiction, this book is a must; however I do suggest reading the entire series for the full experience.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the author. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) 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, designing book covers, editing, 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.

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