Quick read. A story of heros, heroism, love and mystery. It was a an enjoyable read and will keep this author on my TBR list.

A perfect blend of history and romance, The Number of Love has intrigue and secrets aplenty. Much of the story backdrop is the intelligence agency of Room 40 during WWI, which lends a fascinating behind the scenes perspective and several real-life facts (have I mentioned how much I love author’s notes?).

Margot is brilliant and I love seeing how she processes the world through numbers and equations. My brain doesn’t work like that, so her character allows for empathy and understanding in a different way. Drake recognizes her intelligence from the start, which is one of the reasons they are well suited. His bravery and steadiness anchor the story and propel the plot as his role in espionage sets off events that introduce a villain and draw together some endearing side characters (like Red, Dot, and Camden!).

And the romance between Drake and Margot… it shines! It is SMART and one the reader wants to root for. Their chemistry is apparent from the start, which intrigues Drake and sets Margot off-balance. While they experience some heartrending situations, I appreciate how their friendship develops — especially the compassionate way Drake treats Margot, and the way he works to relate to her heart on *her* terms.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook, too. Next up, book 2!

Thank you to the publisher for the ebook review copy. This is my honest review.

This book may be the best this author has written so far! Margot could easily be a "Rainman" her own way. Her abilities with numbers are astounding. Margot was in prior books, but this book takes her to a whole new level and you can count me in for being a #1 fan of her story with Drake. All the characters of this book are riveting and faith is gently woven in, while we deal with wars, life and breaking codes. Wow, just wow. You will be missing out if you don't read this book. The Number of Love has so much depth, I could read it again and I might be counting days till the next book in this series is released. If it could have more than 5 stars, it would have them from me.

My Copy came from Bethany House and Celebrate Lit. This review is my own, left of my own free will.

I devoured this in little more than one sitting. Ms. White had me hooked from page one. Such a fascinating view into women codebreakers and a swoony love story to boot!

The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White is the first book in her Code breakers series. World War 2 has always interested me. So, a story about a female codebreaker during that time in history was a must read. Ms. White did not disappoint. She wove such a wonderful story along with facts, and history that I couldn’t put the book down until it was completely read. Margot De Wilde loves numbers; they speak to her as a friend. She is recruited to help the Admiralty in Room 40 as a code breaker. There she meets Drake Elton, an agent in the field. Together they must solve the hardest puzzle of their life. The way Drake was able to empathize with Margot was great. He didn’t try to change her, he just loved her and encouraged her to be herself. No pressure, just take all the time she needed. I don’t know how Ms. White was able to write such an outstanding book about numbers. I would never have been able to keep it all straight. This story has everything you could want for in a fiction story – London, spies, suspense, intrigue and of course a sweet romance. I can’t wait for the next book!

I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but then I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to find out what happened with the characters.
Author Roseanna White creates and develops characters that in some ways are realistic in today’s world, but definitely to the world as it was in the 1800’s. This is the first book I’ve ever read about numbers, as they were explained in this story. And I was very fascinated throughout the entire story. I really had never heard of Room 40 and the codebreakers. This is sure worth the read.

I love Margot, she is so interesting and full of talent and knowledge when it comes to numbers. But forget about love, she doesn’t have time for anyone. That is until Drake came along. And this is a story left for you to know when you read tdd his book. I sure hope I have given you enough info to want to run out and buy this book for yourself. You will definitely love and enjoy this book.

A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Can You Think, Pray, and Love in Numbers?
Sometimes you read a book that instantly climbs its way to the top of your favorite books of the year. The Number of Love is that book for this year.

To be fair, I expected it. When you have a young woman with a unique perspective on life, a war that needs to be won, and characters weaving in and out of those two facts, you have a winner of a book idea.

Add to that a writer who knows how to pull you into a story and hold you as a prisoner of the war for your time—it just doesn’t get any better than that.

I’ve not yet read a book by Roseanna M. White that I didn’t love. Part of me thinks (not just hopes) that this will never happen. I think it’s because Ms. White knows that beautiful, delicate balance of all the elements of a book. She has scales with multiple pans and manages to keep each element—description, faith, character, plot, twists, herrings (all of it)—in perfect balance.

In The Number of Love, that balance shows even stronger than ever, because of how carefully Ms. White layers her elements. With each peel of the page, we uncover the beautiful story until it it unfolds before us—a perfect rose in bloom.

My two favorite elements?
Faith. In this book, the characters are Catholic—but not stereotypical “book Catholics” as you often see in fiction. There aren’t a few nods to what people think of as Catholic and then prescripted prayer bytes dumped here and there. These Catholics show the deep faith in Jesus that the Catholics in my world exhibit. No, I am not a Catholic. Just had to drop that there.

I don’t remember once a reference to Mary—only to the Lord. And you know what? Very rarely do my Catholic friends reference Mary in their discussions of faith. What may seem “off” to non-Catholics who are accustomed to the stereotypical is actually very accurate in current-day reality.

Is it historically accurate? I have no idea. What it is, however, is encouraging, Scriptural, and beautiful. Roseanna M. White dug deep into the heart and the soul of the young woman “the Lord created” (work with me here) and sought how He would encourage her. He “spoke” her language—nudged her in ways that He does every one of us… but translated to be how she could “hear” Him.

All without me feeling like she added to Scripture. Brilliantly done.

Characters.
Each character in this book stands strong—even in weakness. Margot is herself. Always. Even when things go wrong and unsettle and dismay her, she’s strong and consistent. Her uncertainties appear where they should. The same goes for her strengths.

Drake brings stability into an unstable world and then has to provide that without his usual physical strength. As a result, we see vulnerabilities that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Additionally, his sister and her personal issues prepared him for dealing with Margot’s peculiarities.

The villain, Drake’s and Margot’s friends… even the neighbors and coworkers all add to the plot rather than take up space in it. This is brilliant writing. I’m taking notes.

And one final bonus coolness.
Not until I went to write this review did I realize that Drake has what is almost “insta-love.” It isn’t. Not really. But he’s immediately attracted, and his mind goes to “happily-ever-after” much sooner than most might expect.

This works within the story because of how Ms. White addresses it. She uses the war, characters’ personalities, circumstance, and the careful, brilliant use of words to craft a scenario so plausible that it would have seemed less real if she hadn’t done as she did.

The Number of Love is a perfect blend of everything that a historical novel should be and written with a delicate hand so that even contemporary lovers couldn’t help but be drawn in and held captive among the beautiful world White created among the horrors of London in 1917.

Recommended for anyone who loves good writing, great storytelling, and characters who will never leave your heart.

Oh, and can you eat, think, and pray in numbers? Well, I don’t know about you, and I do know I can’t, but Margot? Definitely.

I requested The Number of Love on a whim. I liked the description, but I'm not typically big into spy books or this time period. But something about it drew me in. I ended up putting off reading it because of this. But I'm glad that I ended up reading it when I did.

Sometimes I struggle with characters and people who base so much of their beliefs on science. But I suppose I've never encountered a character that did the same with math. And you know what? I actually ended up liking Margot because of her relationship with math. I also appreciated her relationship with God which involved math as well. It's just how she thinks and processes information.

I loved Drake as well. His understanding of Margot and how her brain works was the most endearing trait. The side characters were bright and complex. I appreciated each one and what they each brought to the story.

I certainly didn't predict each piece of this story which is a good thing. The Number of Love does have a love story, but it took a while to get going and I often thought that piece wasn't the focus of the story. The Number of Love gets 4 Stars even if I don't feel like my review is showing off it's merits as well as I'd like. I enjoyed the romance and the unique way Margot sees the world. Have you read The Number of Love? What did you think? Let me know!

LOVED this book! The characters are so well developed that they seem like friends and the plot is intricately weaved and expertly crafted. Perfect amounts of historical romance, high tension and biblical perspective.

Every time Roseanna White releases a new book, I cannot wait to read it. She is one of those authors that delivers every.single.time. There are some books that are just a good read, and then there are those that leave you mulling certain aspects, delving into new subjects, and so completely satisfied.

The Number of Love follows a young codebreaker, Margot De Wilde, as she works to decipher the enemy’s messages. Margot sees the world through an interesting lens – numbers. Through her secretive work she meets “18” – a young man who quickly falls for her quirks and sees the heart of the girl behind the numbers. Together the delve into breaking a crucial code that will save many lives, but not before their own, and the lives of many they love, are threatened. White offers a peek into another aspect of WW1 and the role many men and women played in helping foil the enemy’s plans by using their own codes against them.
While this book goes hand-in-hand with a previous series by White, it can be read independently without the reader missing a beat. There aren’t many series I feel that can be said about, but after reading you will likely want to read her other books. Another great read and one that I highly recommend.

Roseanna M. White has written another fantastic story in her WWI novel about the London codebreakers in Room 40 who are responsible for decoding German telegrams that cross their paths. From page one readers will be drawn to the intriguing plot and characters within, especially the woman and strong female lead Margot de Wilde a Belgian young woman circulating in a male dominated environment. White has crafted a beautiful historical novel with details that have obviously been well researched, drawing readers more fully into the tale. A powerful, intriguing, and captivating story, readers will not want to miss the excellent first story in the Codebreakers series.

Series: Codebreakers
Genre: historical, WWI, romance
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication date: June 4, 2019
Number of pages: 370

Other books in the series:
2-On Wings of Devotion (coming 2020)

I was so excited to read Margot's story! The reader is first introduced to Margot in the book, A Song Unheard, which is the second book in another series called Shadows Over England. I would definitely suggest reading that series prior to this one to fill in Margot's back story. Margot is such a fun, unusual character. Her quick wit, humor, spunk and fire made me smile. I love how she thinks in numbers about everything, and I enjoyed watching her character grow throughout the story. The historical aspects of this book were great. It was fun to read about Room 40 and to imagine what it would of been like to work there, especially for a woman. This story is filled with suspense and mystery as they try to solve the puzzle and decode the German messages in time.
I think the book was a great read and would definitely recommend it!

***I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Honestly, I will read anything Roseanna White publishes, so when The Number of Love became available I was quick to snatch it up. And for not understanding one bit how numbers played a part in Margot’s life, I was delighted with the story.

Margot has a rather complex way of looking at life. Personally, I hate numbers. I was never good in math and to this day cannot keep a balanced checkbook. But the way Rosanna White depicted this character’s quirky ways made numbers more interesting. Not so interesting that I am going to take up becoming a mathematician, but interesting enough to keep my attention all the way through.

I found Margot to be a very guarded character. She has a very specific way of looking at her life as it is constructed with guidelines that she is set up for herself. As with numbers, everything has its place and time. The idea of something new happening seems to put her on edge. I will say that she has quite a cast of characters around her that love her despite how guarded she keeps her self.

There is one aspect of this character that I can relate to. When someone close to her is no longer there, the numbers that she once saw, as a warning or as confirmation that something is OK, leaves. Her ability to gauge people and events through numbers becomes difficult. I could relate to that struggle as that is how it is with music for me. Music is a constant thing running through my mind but after losing two people recently, the music is a struggle to hear. Like Margot, Praying ceases to come easily when grieving and is required to become a conscious effort. I won’t tell you if prayer returns the numbers for her but I know it returned the music for me.

The Number of Love is also has a mystery or two waiting to be solved. Being that it takes place during the great war, also known as World War I, I was intrigued with the Discovery of the various cases that the characters must solve. As a codebreaker, Margot’s job exposes her to the background workings of the Royal Navy and other military branches. While she thinks she is making a discovery in one area, something in the shadows lurks close by. It is more than just Drake’s desire to make a life with her and for her to love him in return. (I love how he gets her attention.)

** The Number of Love was provided by the publisher through CelebrateLit. This review is purely my own thoughts.

I loved Margot so much! Her brain works differently than most people's, with numbers running through her mind to signify different things. She had no interest in anything but her work as a codebreaker until she meets Dot, a new secretary who suffers from anxiety. God clearly tells Margot to befriend Dot, and they soon become fast friends. Margot's friendship with Dot leads her to Dot's brother Drake.

I loved the connection between Drake and Margot (you'll have to read the novel to see just how great it is), and I thought Margot's life and work was fascinating. While there's obviously romance in this novel, what really had me flying through the pages were the relationships between characters. White has written some excellent characters (with real life problems) in this book—anyone with any sort of role in the story has something intriguing about him or her. And I especially loved Margot's relationship with the book's antagonist—it was beautiful and unexpected.

This book has romance, intrigue, and friendship, all set in the backdrop of World War I, and it's such a satisfying read!

Why did I wait so long to read this book?!? It was fabulous!!!! I am most definitely going to be reading more of Ms. White's book! Her writing, characters, storylines, accurate history, and anything else that this gorgeous book contained was amazing. I love that the cover ties perfectly in with this story. I literally was fangirling once I discovered the tie in!

I loved every single one of the characters! Margot was amazing and though we are complete opposites, I still feel in love with her character and would love to meet someone like her in real life. Drake was also amazing! He was the perfect male lead for this book. I could gush on and on about him but I won't! ;) Dot was another character that I would love to meet in real life. I loved seeing her character growth throughout this book!! Though, I was uneasy about Cam at first...I cannot wait to read his story in the next book!!!!

I love historical fiction books that are set during the world wars and this book has made me fall in love with this type of historical fiction again!

*FTC: I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.*

The Number of Love
by Roseanna M. White

Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers

Christian


Pub Date 04 Jun 2019


I am reviewing a copy of The Number of Love through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:



The Number of Love will transport you three years into the Great War taking you on a journey back to 1917 where we meet England’s greatest assets, their intelligence workers, threes field agents risk their lives to gather information, and the code breakers are able to crack every German Telegram. One that thrives in the secret environment of Room 40 is Margot De Wilde, she spends her time in that room deciphering intercepted messages. But afrer her world is turned upside down by her Mothers Murder, she finds for the first time in her life numbers aren't enough.


After Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, an enemy that just won’t give up, is following him. He also finds that he has become quickly smitten by the intelligent Margot, but he does not know how to begin convincing Margot who lives entirely in her mind, that sometimes you need to seek the answers with your heart.



Amidst the biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them but those that they love Margot and Drake find themselves having to Work together to save themselves from the same secrets that brought them both together.

If you love clean historical romance with a dose of adventure and intrigue then The Number of Love is just the ticket.



I give The Number of Love five out of five stars, happy reading!

Math Mystic and Majesty


I love mystery, intrigue, and when people are willing to sacrifice for the things they believe in. It is why I love these books. I am always amazed at the level of historical detail in Rosanna's books.
. Brook from the Lost Heiress makes an appearance. The Lost Heiress is the first of Shadow’s Over England. It takes place in England. Her spy books are from the United States during war time where men and women sacrificed for that which the love of family and country. Which is the common heart in all of her books.

Margot De While was first introduced in A Song Unheard from the Shadows over England series, Margot is a strong woman that has experienced hard times and lived with fear in German occupied belgium. The Number of Love by Rosenna White is Margot’s story. Margot is living in war torn London and most of the people she knows have left the city. Margot has a great gift that is useful for England's government. ,She is a part of a secret spy office and her job is to decrypt German messages that have been intercepted. .Margot finds her place in the secret office.
As she uses her gift that God has given her Margot views life in the form of numbers. God guides her with numbers as she seeks His will in every decision. She feels an urging to pray for some of the secret agents as she decodes their reports. It made me think about the things around me that God may urging that I need to pay attention to. Who does God want me praying for? I am not a math person, but I really enjoyed seeing the vast strength of the universe with the rules of numbers, I was cheering Margot on as she is the very picture separation between men and women in a time when women were not valued for their brains . Yet she knows that God has given her purpose. Sometimes she struggles with that purpose and loses sight.
It makes me examine some of my actions, I question myself am I putting too much of me in the gifts and purpose that God has given me. `` I am encouraged by the fact that sometimes we may lose sight of God but He never loses sight of me.
God loves us. Check
Mystery check
Mystery intrigue and secret spy stuff
Good wins over evil check

This is the first book in a new series. I thought this was an interesting and captivating historical fiction romance. I liked the main characters. I especially liked Margot who was a very intelligent woman occupying a role that was traditionally reserved for men.

Interesting and well-researched novel with an intriguing plot and characters. If you enjoy historical fiction, especially during the World War One era, you will not want to miss this book about code breakers.

A few months ago, I read The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White. It is book #1 in White’s new series The Codebreakers. However, it like a continuation of White’s book series Shadows Over England, also set during World War I. There were only three books in the Shadows Over England series (A Name Unknown, A Song Unheard, and An Hour Unspent), and I really wish there had been more books in that series. Oh well. So the next best thing is a continuation of the series in a new one, with some of the same characters still.

We were introduced to Margot de Wilde, the younger sister of Lukas de Wilde, in A Song Unheard. Lukas, a world-renowned violinist, had to flee war-torn Belgium, and while in England falls in love with amateur violinist and professional thief Willa Forsythe. At the end of A Song Unheard, Lukas’s mother and his sister Margot are rescued from Belgium and go to live in England.

Margot is a child-genius and has been learning the craft of codebreaking since she was a very small child. England is desperate to win the war, and now that she’s a teenager, and she is brought to work in the secretive Room 40 in London, helping to crack codes intercepted from the enemy.

A new secretary starts working at British headquarters, and Margot and she become friends. When Margot’s mother unexpectedly and tragically dies of (supposed) influenza, Margot leans more heavily on her friend, even though she previously did not have many friends her own age, and especially not in her new homeland of England. When Margot meets her new friend’s dashing brother Drake Elton (recently returned wounded from the field), she is unprepared for the feelings that start to rise within her.

But there is more to Drake Elton than meets the eye. Eventually Margot discovers that he is not a soldier and wasn’t wounded in battle, but rather a spy for the British Crown. And he was wounded by his “opposite number” - a dangerous German spy.

Margot’s feelings for Drake Elton get further complicated as the story goes on. And when the supposed German spy shows up in England, things get complicated even faster!

I won’t say more, but this was a very good book. I prefer the Shadows Over England series, but this is still very good as well. It was definitely a darker book with the death of Margot’s mother and Margot’s struggles after that. There was also violence as it related to Drake Elton’s espionage activities for the British Crown and his interactions with his opposite number. For that reason, I would not recommend this book for young children or even young teenagers.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you read the Shadows Over England series (in order) before reading this book! It will make a lot more sense to you!

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.