The main thing to know about this book: Barclay Pearce is my new book boyfriend. 🙂

An Hour Unspent is an excellent work of historical romance for the inspirational market. It has everything I love about a great story and characters in the genre. With its early WWI timeline, plenty of intrigue and interesting things happen to Barclay Pearce on the homefront as he works as a procurator for the admiralty — a nice label for a former thief now turned honest. The heroine of the story, Evelina Manning, has an unlikely encounter with Barclay that turns into a friendship with lots of sparks.

I very much enjoyed seeing the larger cast of characters around these two, especially Barclay’s immediate family, interact and be meaningful to the story. I appreciate the deeper themes White has included, like those of loyalty, family, and sacrifice, that weave naturally through the story. Seeing Barclay find a measure of romantic love and being cared for (instead of being the caregiver) is good for the heart, as is seeing Evelina come into her own with her familial relationships and asserting her strength and capability with Barclay — who faithfully supports her.

The narrative as told by Liz Pearce in audiobook form is particularly enjoyable, especially as the accents of the characters transition through classes from a posh society tones to a fun cockney one. I recommend the other stories in this series, and the follow up connected Codebreakers series, for a full story world experience and many beloved characters.

Thank you to the publisher for the ebook copy. I purchased an audio copy. This is my honest review.

I did not realize that this was a third book in a series when I requested it. Though I have been able to read Roseanna White's new Codebreaker series, and I am loving it, so I know that I will eventually get back to this book/series and read them in order, so that I can fully appreciate the story and plot line set up.

Roseanna White excels at creating a perfectly atmospheric landscape enhanced by her obvious research. Detailed with rich characterization and a dash of suspense, An Hour Unspent concludes a fantastic trilogy. But while readers of the previous two books will be delighted to spend more time with friends they have already met and loved, new readers will have no difficulty falling into the brilliant story world.

I recently finished reading An Hour Unspent, the third book in the Shadows Over England series by Roseanna M. White. I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, but this is probably my most favorite one so far! I’ve read several other books by this author (outside of this book series) and quite honestly, this is probably one of her best books ever!

The series continues during World War I. The main character is Barclay Pearce, the de facto brother/father to the “family” of former thieves based out of the Poplar neighborhood in London. (His “sister” Rosemary was the main character in A Name Unknown, and his other “sister” Willa was the main character in A Song Unheard. A very important note: you definitely want to read this series in order. It will make so much more sense that way. Do NOT read these books out of order!)

Rosemary and Willa had both been hired by the elusive V, an agent of the Crown, to help in the war effort against Germany. V now hires Barclay, and moves the family to the upper-class neighborhood of Hammersmith so that Barclay can more effectively do his work for the British government. Barclay is tasked with making contact with a Hammersmith clockmaker, who is working on a device that could be incredibly useful to the British government, in terms of their air force capability. As Barclay begins to work on his assignment, he meets and falls for the clockmaker’s daughter Evelina.

The author weaves a fascinating tale of Barclay and Evelina working through life’s challenges, which have been even more exacerbated by the war. I loved that many spiritual aspects were woven into this story. The characters learned to depend more and more on Christ as their dangerous journey went on.

There are SO many exciting parts to this book! I don’t want to spoil it, but needless to say, it was a fabulous read! The author has done a lot of research on WWI and it shows. I highly recommend this book!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House (via Netgalley) for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

What a lovely Christian historical fiction-romance novel set in London! Third in a beloved series but definitely works as a standalone. Tells the compelling story of Barclay, a reformed thief brought in to help the Admiralty during WWI, and his love interest Evelina, daughter of the clockmaker whose important work he assists. Draws you fully in as the best fiction does and leaves you wanting more when the last page is closed. 5/5

Pub Date 04 Sep 2018. Available on Amazon.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

Loved reading this! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this book is so much more than I first thought! So good!

This book was so very good!!

I loved the easy bond Barclay and Evelina had from the beginning. Their friendship was beautiful and inspiring.

The story was interesting. The host of characters enjoyable and entertaining.

It took me a bit to get into the story, I felt the beginning was a bit slow, but after that I was HOOKED. I stayed up way too late finishing the book, though my body regrets that, my heart doesn't.

Let's chat about Barclay Pearce for a moment, shall we?
Though he was a known thief, Barclay is a sweet, kind, caring, gentleman.
I'd heard a lot of swoon worthy accounts of him and I'm glad to say I was not disappointed.
He'll do absolutely everything he can for those in need, he's compassionate. Loves deeply, and hurts deeply. But that doesn't mean he's without his flaws. There were a lot of times he bugged me! But I always came back to him. 😍

Evelina Manning.
Lina... is a character. Very feisty. She's insecure yet independent, a strong and bull headed woman.
Evelina probably bugged me the most. That's not to say I didn't like her, because I did. For the most part. Just the way she dragged poor Barclay's heart through the mud 🙄

Can we just talk about the beautiful bonds among Barclay's family? Blood doesn't matter to them, love does. And that's what all of these people share. A deep, eternal love. Barclay is an amazing brother. As the oldest he's the protector, but he doesn't limit his protectiveness to his siblings alone, he also cares deeply and will do anything to protect the people he knows.

“But family isn’t blood— you know that. It should be, but it isn’t, not always. Family is choice. Love. Wearing a blighted tie when you’d rather be in an apron, and then walking down the aisle of a fancy church when you belong in the kitchen.”


Faith, family and time are the three huge themes in this book.

""Mr. Manning . . . a man has only so much time upon this earth. It seems to me that if you spend it all regretting what you haven’t accomplished , you’ve only managed to waste what hours you have, which you ought to be spending with the people who make them count."


Honestly y'all, I'm scrambling for words. I usually keep notes as I go through the book so I know what to write for a review, but I was so into reading that I only took a few for the first half of the book. 🙈
I can tell you that I wasn't sure how things were going to end up. That my heart was racing through a lot of scenes. That I love these characters and I thought I was ready for this story to be over, but I'm not.
I'm gonna miss reading this story. I know that there are more in this series, but I don't think it will ever be the same.

I looked around for the best deals I could find and CBD and Thrift Books had them!
I also found that it is free on Kindle Unlimited!

Thanks so much to Bethany House Chosen Readers for a free copy of this book!

**As always, I was in no obligated to leave a positive review, all thoughts and expressions are purely my own. **

I absolutely enjoyed Barclay's story and fell in love with his tribe of siblings. Lina is complex character who redeemed herself in the end. The Shadows Over England trilogy has been a good one that I highly recommend and will revisit.

ARC from Bethany House Publishers via Netgalley

Quick thoughts

A good read. Best parts were Barclay's character (complex, attractive, honorable) and the well-researched historical details of 1915 England. Roseanna White continues her trek to becoming a go-to historical fiction favorite. You can tell she does her homework!

Words fail me to describe how much I enjoyed this whole series! Since I met Barclay in book one, I've been dying for him to have a book of his own and this one did not disappoint! This story is well-told with perfect pacing, fascinating characters, and well-researched history. It is so good, in fact, that I've added it to my 9th grade daughter's homeschool history curriculum for this year's study of World War I. I highly recommend each and every book in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and then purchased my own paperback copy directly from the author's website because I loved it so much and wanted a signed copy!

I really enjoyed this series by Roseanna White and was particularly excited to finally learn more about Barclay! The characters in this series have been interesting and the “family” that they form from their unique backgrounds is definitely endearing. This book contains intrigue and mystery interspersed with romance and character development. The history was well researched and fascinating. I was sorry to see the series end because I think several more books could be written about the other siblings! I liked this book and look forward to more by this author.

I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In one word, An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White is exquisite. I don’t know when the theme of a series and its characters have more completely captured my heart. These stories – A Name Unknown, A Song Unheard, and An Hour Unspent – are so very well written, rich with interesting historical detail, and filled with memorable characters who tug at the heartstrings. Reading the entire series in order will provide the most fulfilling reading experience, but An Hour Unspent stands alone and should be read, no matter what.

White’s stories feature women who are strong, and the clockmaker’s daughter, Evelina Manning, continues that trend. It took me a while to warm up to her, but that certainly happened as some of her insecurities and family background came to light… “The Manning house…it hadn’t been alive, not really, in fifteen years. It had just kept ticking along, because that was what gears did when set in motion.”

The heart of this story, and one of its strengths, is Barclay Pearce – founder, caregiver, leader. Barclay, who we’ve followed as a background character through the two previous books. Barclay, once a thief, now a moral leader working to assist the government as war deepens. Barclay, father to the most precious group of orphans, who emulate what real family means. Barclay, longing to find his brother who “had vanished into London’s orphanage system as surely as their mother had into its prisons.” And Barclay, a relatively new-to-the-faith Christian who struggles with the same questions that seasoned believers face as he asks, “When one’s government told one to slip back into one’s old habits…was it wrong? Or justified?” I have been hoping for and eagerly anticipating his story, and it is so much more than I could have imagined.

The element of faith is the sustaining thread that flows gently and effectively throughout. As Roseanna said in her guest post below, this is “a story about how far people should go for love.” And really, should there ever be any limit, deadline, or last chance? An Hour Unspent is an incredibly moving story and Barclay one of my favorite characters ever. While this may complete the series, I certainly hope to see this family and the younger siblings in the future.

I can’t resist adding this thought… While the cover perfectly fits the story’s theme, I would love for Barclay to have been featured on it.

An Hour Unspent is an all-time favorite, best of the best, highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through the author and Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I got this book not knowing that it was part of series. Thank goodness it stood on it's own. However, the background of certain characters I'd like to have known before I read it. I honestly didn't get interested in this book til I was about half way through it. The characters are good but I just wasn't into it. However, half way through there was a lot of action and I was hooked! I'm so glad I didn't give up on this story. Now I want to go back and check out the other books in the series.

An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White is a novel set in the early 1900s about a young woman, a daughter of a clock maker, Evenlyn Manning. Life has been very overwhelming due to the fact that Evenlyn's mother is always telling her she should be married and quit being picky on her suitors and that she should marry well. She is betrothed to a good man, but hesitates to love him.

When Barclay Pearce, an under cover spy for the Admiralty of England and former thief, appears the day Evenlyn's betrothed breaks their engagement for the War, her world will began to spiral, as much as the World War continues outside on the English streets.

Barclay Pearce, a man who is trying to correct his "evil" ways with the Lord's help and trying to find his lost brother, is told to meet with the clock maker, Evenlyn's farhter to get schematics for an secret mechanism that the German's want. Barclay Pearce soon becomes an apprentice for Mister Manning and a body guard for Evenlyn, due to her being attached by a mysterious figure on the street.

As Barclay and Evenlyn become closer during their time together, Evenlyn soon realizes there are some mysterious things about Barclay and his past.

Will Evenlyn open her heart and listen to Barclay and be understanding or will she be the cold-hearted person her mother tells her she is? Will Barclay be able to find the information he needs from Manning or will Barclay fail his under cover mission?

Well... I'm not going to spoil this book for you. I want you to go out and find a copy.

An Hour Unspent was a very good ending to a great series. While this wasn't my favorite of the series, I did really enjoy the read.

I loved the characters and getting to know everyone better. I felt for heroine right away when her engagement ended...and then when a twist happened in the story, I was shocked. The romance was sweet and I enjoyed that part of the book.

All in all, An Hour Unspent was a wonderful read and I recommend it. Definitely read this series in order.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above 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 and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.*

An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M . White is part of the Shadows Over England series. I’ve read another book in this series and this book is the best so far. The series features a “family” of thieves that have reformed. This story is even more interesting in some ways because it tells the story of the eldest brother Barclay. The author has the wonderful ability to whisk you away back in time, in this case to London during World War I, and make it come alive. Never did the setting descriptions take away from the story. On the contrary, they blended into the story so well that it was like you simply walked right in. This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This is one of the best series! An Hour Unspent was riveting. I have loved learning about the orphan train and connecting with the characters in this book and in the series. Barkley is fantastic and this book wraps up things up beautifully. My only sadness is that it's over! I enjoyed the details, the story, all the research, faith and hope in desperate times, romance, and realism. I can't think of anything lacking, except that I need more.

My copy came from Celebrate Lit. My review is my own, left of my own free will, with my thoughts and opinions included.

An Hour Unspent both delighted and intrigued me. I loved the historical aspects to the book—just enough that I felt like I got a good overview of what it may have been like to live in London during the Blitz, but not so much that it felt like information overload. The author did an amazing job using history to support the story, but not the story supporting it—it was a delight to see, and made it even more fascinating.

As often happens for me, some parts of the romance were a little difficult, but the overall story was delightful. I was so glad to find out what happened with the family that I’ve been enjoying watching grow and mature over the last year and a half or so since the first book was published. A great conclusion to the series!

I requested a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

An Hour Unspent
Shadows Over England #3
By Roseanna M. White

Barclay Pearce is very good at what he does. His skills honed as a child made him one of London's top thieves and boss of his own band and territory. But now his skills are at the behest of the British Admiralty.

Barclay's current assignment is to get close to master clockmaker Cecil Manning who may have invented something that would aid the British efforts in the war. And if necessary he is to remove the plans from the Manning household. But Barclay wants to put as much distance between him and his old life as possible and assisting Manning is his preferred method of obtaining Manning's work.

Barclay's first attempt at meeting with Manning introduces him to Evalina Manning whom he rescues from an attempted mugging. Is it mere coincidence that the daughter of the very man whom Barclay is supposed to connect with threatened within feet of their home? Barclay is determined to discover the identity of this stranger who is where he shouldn't be.

When Barclay's interest in Manning's work results in an offer to mentor him the intricacies of watch movements Barclay is more than happy to accept. And his interactions with Evalina prove most interesting especially once her mother returns home with Aunt Beatrice in tow. With a broken engagement, Evalina needs Barclay and his family as a means of escape from the tense and oppressive atmosphere that has come home. Evalina is determined to enjoy her little rebellion - after all Barclay is everything her mother doesn't want in a husband for her. He works, doesn't have connections or wealth and as her friends advise her, "have a little fun" while she can. But losing her heart was never a possibility or was it?

With his responsibilities to his family, Barclay doesn't have time for romance. Nor does he have the means to provide for someone of Evalina's status. The family barely has the means to put enough food on the table every day and now they are saving up for furnishing for their new home. But marriage was something he'd never contemplated for himself until Evalina declared that he was her new best friend.

As Evalina and Barclay work through what they are feeling with whom they are danger comes closer and everything that they hold dear is threatened. Once again Barclay faces the prospect of having to make his behind enemy lines to save not only a life but to protect England.

With An Hour Unspent Roseanna White has brought Barclay and his story forward so that the reader gets to know him. Barclay is a most admirable and likable individual and his care and concern for the orphaned and abandoned children of London just makes him that much nobler. This book can be read alone but as good as the other books are, just go ahead and read them all - this way you'll have the backstory without wondering "what are they referring to?". Fans of WWI historical fiction will enjoy this one as it deals with the threats to England found within her borders.

Why This Book:
I have been a fan of Roseanna M. White’s Shadows Over England series since I read book one, A Name Unknown.

Opening Line (from Chapter 1):
May 11, 1915
Poplar, London, England

Barclay Pearce shouldered his way through the mob, invisible.

First Impressions:
Having gotten to know Barclay through the previous two books in the series, it didn’t take much to snag my attention with this opening, but that isn’t to say it wouldn’t have caught my attention otherwise. Well-written and intriguing, I immediately wanted to know more about where Barclay was and what he was doing. The backdrop of espionage, social unrest, and racial tensions in war-time England only added to the page-turning urge.

Main Characters:
Barclay Pearce – Head of a group – or as they call themselves, “family” – of former street thieves turned government spies, Barclay serves as a sort of father figure/ elder brother figure to the other members of the “family.” He is loyal, intelligent, kind, and, of course, handsome. Fully worthy of his role as the lead in this story, Barclay isn’t without his faults. Which, of course, is why I loved him.

Mr. V – A mysterious man, Mr. V has served as the family’s contact with the government throughout the series. It is wonderful to get to know a tiny bit more about him in this book than in the previous two.

Cecil Manning – Something of a genius and a clockmaker (and toy maker, and inventor), Cecil is head of the Manning family although his relationship with his wife leaves that somewhat debatable. Beloved by his daughter and sought by his country’s government, Cecil is a character I loved rooting for.

Evelina Manning – Cecil’s daughter, Evelina is highly intelligent in her own right and nothing if not passionate. Her burning desire to change the wrong in the world around her makes her an easy character to love, despite some rather questionable behavior at one point in the book that made me want to shake her just a bit and give her a good-old-fashioned talking to.

Judith Manning – Cecil’s wife and Evelina’s mother, Judith is a complicated woman and not someone you immediately want to invite over to tea. That said, I enjoyed her role in this story – especially regarding the surprises.

Emotional Engagement & Pacing of the Story:
As I said, this book had me from page one and the tension ratcheted up seamlessly from there. At no point did I want to put the book down and more than once I experienced a strong emotional reaction to something a character said, did, or experienced. (See the character descriptions for just a teeny hint of that.)

Elements I especially liked/disliked:
As with the first two books, this story is set against the backdrop of World War I and I thoroughly enjoyed the additional true historical elements Roseanna was able to organically incorporate into this story. I truly felt as though I’d been there, experiencing the thrill and fear along with the characters.

I honestly can’t think of a single thing I disliked about this novel.

Theme:
I think, even more than the previous two books, this novel really focused on what it means to be a family. It also presents the question of how far we are willing or even should go for love.

Other issues touched on include racism, prejudice, and identity.

Ending:
Thoroughly satisfying and just the right length to wrap up all those little details fans of the series could hope for.

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5 stars