Moonglotexas“The numbers marched across the page in a glory all their own.”
Opening line of The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White
Being a lover of mathematics and, by extension, codebreaking, this book’s plot appealed immediately! Spies, decryption and an intelligent female lead? Yes please! Add Roseanna White as the author and it’s a winning formula!
Margot, codebreaker extraordinaire, fast became one of my favourite fictional characters. She shares a unique perspective on the world: Christianity mixed with logic. I just love it! She struggles to connect with people and show emotion, she see the world in numbers. She is fabulous and fascinating.
Her opposite number, and leading man, Drake, runs on emotion and instinct serving as an intelligence officer for the British. In the midst of the Great War, he sets out to stop biological warfare by collecting information. Drake’s understanding of people, how to influence and motivate them, is wonderful and a great addition to the story.
The plot moves swiftly and narration switches from Margot to Drake to an enemy spy on the prowl. This adds to the tension and mystery, building the suspense. I found it a page-turner! To share more would be to spoil the excitement!
Christianity (in war, in hurt, in fear) features strongly and I so enjoyed how Roseanna’s characters wrestle with God for clarity and come out stronger in their faith for it!
I am glad this is the beginning of a series and look forward to the next one! It’s five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale and highly recommended!
From the back cover:
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 every German telegram. 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, for the first time in her life 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 intelligent Margot, but how can he convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life’s answers lie in the heart?
Amid biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Bethany House. through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
