The Number of Love

The Codebreakers #1

by Roseanna M. White

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 German telegrams for hints of the enemy's plans. 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, she discovers for the first time in her life that 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 quick and brainy Margot, but soon the dangers of the war draw ever closer. Margot and Drake will have to team up to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Historical, Christian, Fiction, Historical Romance

364 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2019

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.
see also Roseanna White

Reviews

[Sarah Grace Grzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone fell in love with the quirky, genius, number-loving Margot in A Song Unheard. And now she has her own story.

Roseanna White is an author with many strengths and talents, from strong plots to the historical depth her stories contain, but perhaps her greatest strength is her characters. Each and every one is unique with their own quirks, and each one sees the world a little differently. For this character-loving girl, that makes these books for me. Margot is quite possibly White's most complex character, and while she is so different from me, I quickly fell in love with her. Drake, too, is a very distinctive character. I don't think there is a character I don't like in any of White's book. (Okay, actually there is one. I'm not a huge fan of Evalina from An Hour Unspent) From page one, these characters grab your interest and you're rooting for them for the rest of the story.

The plot moves along at a nice clip and there wasn't ever a moment I wanted to put this book down. Packed with loads of historical depth, espionage, spies, encoded messages, gunfights, romance, and authentic Brittish dialogue, there's something for everyone in The Number of Love! White explores themes of love, loss, and trust throughout the story, and there are several heartfelt scenes, a few of which had me tearing up. The romance is swoon-worthy without being over the top or sensual in any way.

All in all, White pens another fabulous novel. I have nothing negative to say! The quality of these novels is unsurpassed; I always know I'm in for an excellent read when I pick up this author's books. Well done, Ms. White! I cannot recommend The Number of Love enough!


FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this novel for promotional purposes from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how Roseanna White topped her last book, which I loved but she has.
This is the first book in her new series, the Codebreakers series.
Her books are totally on point. Though fictional they are so meticulously researched you would swear you were reading a true account of things going on.
I am always fascinated in learning new information about things I already know.
Margot is such a strong willed and intelligent woman . I loved seeing a woman involved in a field usually dominated by men. She is a codebreaker able to crack German telegrams gaining information about enemies plans. It was interesting learning about the importance of the secretive room 40.
The book intrigued me from the very start and I had to keep turning page after page to see what happened. The plot fascinated me and it moved along quickly. I can't wait to meet up with characters from this book in the next book in the series.

Published June 4th 2019 by Bethany House Publishers.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[lydia ‧ ia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐

❝ We're all good. We're all bad. The hero in our own story. The villain in someone else's. ❞

The one time I bought a book without reading it first. *loud tsk-ing*

This was not a bad book by any means; Mrs. White is a very talented author. But the plot was very sparse and slow-paced. Aside from mini villain pov, there wasn't even really a plot for the main characters until the climax. It's mainly a romance. Which would have been fine, since I adore character-driven stories, if the romance hadn't been blander than unsalted mashed potatoes and if the main character wasn't the most infuriating character since Alina Starkov.

Let me introduce Margot De Wilde's character to you. Margot is almost eighteen, but she has the mind of an extremely intelligent elderly gentleman. She sees the world as an equation to be solved. She's so dang smart that she literally thinks and prays in numbers. She works as a codebreaker in a secretive Room 40 with a bunch of ✨men✨, creatures likeminded to her just not as smart, obviously. Margot eats lunch alone, because everyone expects her to eat with the fellow young woman who work as secretaries, but she despises them because they're all brainless gossips with only room in their head for fluff and fashion and she's the first female to ever exist who every had any common sense.

Then Drake Elton comes along. Drake is very hot, and he asks very good questions, and he can't resist any challenge. He immediately is smitten with the very quick-witted and sarcastic and hilarious Margot De Wilde. Everything she does becomes even more annoying from his pov because he is obsessed with her and thinks she's ✨really great✨.

As you might have guessed, after lots of flirtation and Margot being too good for Drake, they fall in love.

Now people, I really wanted to like Margot. She had her moments, such as this one:

"wait just a blighted moment. Do you mean to tell me-"
"Shut up, Camden. My feeble feminine intelligence requires a bit of quiet for such tasks."

But overall, she made me want to punch her in her super-smart face. Which made her romance, while still cute, overall very meh for me, and I thought Drake deserved a lot better than he was getting with her.

I expected a bit more from Roseanna, especially after just previously reading The Reluctant Duchess (which was beautiful and gripping), but the next book in the series (about different characters thank goodness) looks good so I'll probably still pick that one up.

❝ I love to watch you and try to imagine the thoughts pouring through your mind... I picture them like a whirlwind, each thought a bejeweled raindrop. Beautiful storms of brilliance. ❞

happy reading my loves <33 remember to stay safe and drink enough water!! 🤍

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book set during the Great War and the codebreakers that took all those numbers and made sense of them. Margot was an innocent character that everything around her had something to do with numbers. I cannot imagine thinking in numbers all the time, my brain would explode. I loved the friends she made in Dot, Red, Drake, and Camden. Even though Camden got a bit on my nerves with his arrogance. The humanity that Drake showed towards Margot in declaring his love for her, telling her he will be there not if she wants him, but when she was ready, made me smile.

I enjoyed the beginning to this series and will look forward to the rest of the series.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble getting drawn into this book. It was a slow build. Then about 25% in I was drawn in but not completely and it didn’t hold my interest. I had wanted to read this book for some time because I enjoy WWI and WWII fiction so not sure why the story didn’t hold my interest. I can’t say I disliked the book but it doesn’t stand out as a favorite read. I did finish reading it.

[Melissa Tagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roseanna White never, ever fails to completely delight and enthrall me with her stories. Every single time, the storyline is intriguing, the characters are layered and relatable and unique...and Margot might be her most unique character yet. I adored her! Her love of numbers and her very analytical, rational personality are pretty much the complete opposite of me...and yet, I still connected with her so deeply. I felt what she felt. I loved getting to know her in a deeper way (after first meeting her in one of Roseanna White's past books) and the whole plot revolving codebreaking and spies was wonderfully interesting. The romance was steady and heartfelt. I'm excited for another wonderful series by one of my faves!

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars because I'm tired of motherhood being treated as lesser than careers. And Christian fiction doing that is even worse.

[Katie Hanna]

*angry raccoon noises*

I'm Really Not Having a Good Time here, and that's why I'm not going to continue this book. If anyone is curious, I made it to the 51% mark before calling it quits. Sure, I paid money for the thing, but I refuse to allow the sunk-cost fallacy to drag me any further into the mire. I got an A in high school economics, y'all. :-P

I wanted to love this book, for a lot of reasons. It's historical fiction set in WW1, it stars Catholic characters (representation??), it boasts a geeky, feminist heroine who dreams of attending college even though women of her time are heavily discouraged from doing so ... but alas. Sometimes, books just disappoint us, and this was one of those times.

I appreciate Margot de Wilde, our leading lady, as a character, but I don't like the author's attitude towards her. It's condescending. It's stereotyping. It's like "oh, poor little angry geeky baby who doesn't know how to Exist in Normal Human Society, so we must Fix Her." From the other characters laughing at her / constantly telling her they know her own needs better than she does (including the hero????? what??? WHAT KIND OF ROMANCE IS THAT), to the author herself kind of snarkily chuckling off to the side when Margot displays confusion about how to handle unexpected strong emotions ... I just. It's not respectful. There are ways to write heavily nerdy, socially awkward characters and give them satisfying character arcs without acting like they're broken robots for you as the Wise Author to "fix," but this ain't it, chief.

There's a lot of stuff I could cite in support of this conclusion, but I'm going to take the most glaring example.

Margot says she's not interested in dating. She may marry eventually (she says), but right now she's not looking for marriage & its attendant complications in her life. She wants a university degree, she wants to focus on her studies. She wants to be friends, and friends only, with the male protagonist, Drake Elton. She is clearly angry & uncomfortable, and even a little bit scared, by his repeated attempts to pursue and flirt with her. Drake's response?

"I'm going to change her mind."

NO, YOU'RE BLOODY NOT.

YOU'RE GOING TO STEP BACK AND RESPECT HER WISHES, IF YOU CALL YOURSELF ANY KIND OF A MAN.

But the writer is all "awwww, look at my dashing, persistent, romantic hero, he's gonna sweep her off her feet and Open Her Heart and Fix Her Life, because that's what I want for her." What Margot herself wants does not [apparently] matter one whit. Not cool, bruh. Not cool.

To be clear. I am not saying that no-one can ever change their mind about wanting to marry vs. not wanting to marry, being open to a relationship vs. not being open to a relationship. What I am saying, however, and saying very firmly, is that pursuing someone who does not want to be pursued, who is uncomfortable with your attentions, is wrong. If you say "hey I'd like to date you," and the person responds "yeah no I'd rather be friends, thanks," you jolly well need to accept that, and take a decent interval to simply build a friendship with that person, AS PER THEIR OWN REQUEST, without pressuring them in the slightest to turn their thoughts towards romance. If their feelings alter, it should be through their own choice, not your meddling agency.

*heavy sigh*

Guys, this is why I don't read a lot of Christian fiction romance--why I usually, in fact, avoid it rather like the plague. Romantic tropes which have long been discredited in other genres, exposed for their problematic roots, stick to the CFR flypaper like so many dead flies. The overly persistent, overly meddling/controlling/mayhap even stalking "hopeless romantic" is one of these.

Throughout the story, Drake Elton displays a tendency to decide what's best for women without consulting them or gaining their consent ... which maaaaaaaaaajorly ticked me off in his very first POV chapter, when he sees his severely-social-anxiety-ridden sister have a minor panic attack in a public place and he DOESN'T GO TO HER AND COMFORT HER, because "she needs to figure out how to handle this on her own." Oh??? Does she???? R u a doctor????? R u a psychologist????? Did you even talk to your sister about the kind of support she needs from you during her panic attacks, and what would, y'know, actually Help Her the most?????? Because I bet you didn't, Drake Elton. And I am not impressed with you. I'm really glad you're not my brother: and I'm really glad my sweet, loving, supportive brothers irl would never ditch me at a restaurant or other public venue if they saw me panicking.

Watch me have an anxiety meltdown, now. Gah. I need a cooling drink or smthing.

*deeeeeeeeeep breath*

Finally. I mentioned the main characters were Catholic, yes? I was genuinely excited about the prospect of Catholic representation in a Christian fiction romance novel--a genre known for its strong Protestant bias. But I was disappointed to find very few distinguishing marks in-text to show these characters are actually CATHOLIC, as opposed to just generically Christian: and I was even more disappointed when those few distinguishing features, as it were, turned out to be inaccurate.

Let me explain.

First, I am not demanding every single author who assigns their character a "Catholic" label must back it up with an exhaustively authentic, in-depth portrayal of said Catholicism. In some stories, stories where religion isn't a thematic focus, or where it doesn't play a huuuge role in the characters' daily lives, it's enough to simply (say) show somebody with a Rosary in their hand, or a medal around their neck, or show them leaving the confession line on a Saturday afternoon; and that'll be enough to clue me in that this character is a Kindred Spirit. *wink* *nod* "I gotchu, fam. I see you."

But this book, The Number of Love, doesn't just set out to portray Catholics, but devout Catholics. Catholics who are praying constantly, and whose interior prayer monologues are visible to the readers.

And those monologues sound eerily, unfamiliar-ly, evangelical Protestant, to my ears.

They address God as "Eternal Father" or "Father in Heaven," which we really don't tend to do. (We're much more informal and intimate, we'll say something like "Dear Jesus ..." or "Dear Blessed Mother ...") They never once--not once!--address any of their prayers to the Virgin Mary, which for French- and Spanish-influenced Catholics in WW1 Europe, is SIMPLY NOT TENABLE. I never saw them make the Sign of the Cross, which, to any cradle Catholic, is a gesture as natural as breathing. They're not wearing religious jewelry (Miraculous Medal, anybody?) They have no religious imagery in their homes. They never talk about their favorite saints??? C'mon, bro??? Am I really among fellow Catholics in World War I era Europe, or have I taken a hard left turn into Generic Protestant Land?

And then.

And thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

A side character prays the Rosary, on-screen, and I'm left here scratching my head and whispering, in utter, consummate bafflement,

"That's not how the Rosary works."

Rightly or wrongly, I feel compelled to explain how the Rosary DOES work, for anybody who read the book, perhaps got the wrong idea, and is now interested in learning the proper form. Essentially. Remember how Dot, Drake's sister, was reciting Bible verses from Luke's Gospel as she "clicked" the beads through her fingers? The "clicking" part is accurate, but the Bible verse recitation ... is not.

*solemn head shake*

When we say the Rosary, we're not reading the Bible out loud. We are indeed thinking about certain Biblical events, but as we tick off the beads, what we're actually doing is reciting a prayer called the Hail Mary. We recite it fifty-three times (yes, you heard me. Fifty-three times. Quite a workout. Takes about 20 minutes if you're doing the whole thing.) Reciting these fifty-three Hail Marys (a prayer we all know like the back of our hands, literally from infancy) is seen as an opportunity for reflection, for meditation, for contemplation of Christ and our relationship to Him and to His Mother.

If you've never heard the Hail Mary, this is how it goes:

"Hail Mary,
Full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death, Amen."

You have to understand. I'm making a big deal about this because IT IS A BIG DEAL. The Hail Mary is at least a thousand years old, and the Rosary has been central to the Catholic experience and Catholic daily practice since the Middle Ages. If you're aiming to portray devoutly Catholic characters, and you set up an opportunity for one of them to say the Rosary on-screen ... and then they DON'T SAY IT, but recite random, other Bible verses instead?? What--literally what--are you doing? Who gave you the right to mess with our traditions and our rituals like that?

All you have to do is google "The Rosary," and the proper form is right there at your fingertips.
I don't understand how this knowledge didn't make it into the book. Either there was a serious research fail here, or else the author/publisher decided they weren't comfortable portraying authentically Catholic traditions ("we can't have our characters directly address the Virgin Mary!!! OH THE PAGANISM, OH THE IDOLATRY"), so they switched things up a bit of their own accord.

And I really, really, really hope it wasn't the latter.

Cuz I'm tired of fellow Christians pointing fingers at my thousands-of-years-old traditions and going "Is this Idolatry?" like the guy in the freakin' butterfly meme.

*peace out*

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the four books Mrs. White has written that are set in the WWI era, this may be my new favorite. I fell in love with Margot the second she stepped on the page as a side character in the second book in the Shadows Over England series, "A Song Unheard". Interestingly enough, I didn't love her because she was anything like me. She actually adores math and connects numbers with everything while I have been known to despise math in spite of being semi-proficient with some of it when I absolutely have to be. Yet Margot won me over nevertheless with her wit, sarcasm, and complete and total lack of shame about being the brilliant young mind that she is, even in an era when it wasn't fashionable for young women to be brilliant in academics. Some people as smart as her would consider themselves completely self-sufficient, but Margot made be love her even more by also having deep faith in God and a love for her family that almost rivals her love for math. Therefore, I couldn't have been more excited when I found out she was going to be the main character in her own book.

Each of the three Shadows Over England books had exciting twists and turns, mystery, and things that made me smile, get warm fuzzies, and sometimes even cry, and this first book in the Codebreakers series is no different. I was truly taken by surprise with the big twist about what was really happening and why. (Hints *were* dropped along the way, I just missed them this time. :p) I loved the getting to see Margot interact with characters we know and love from the SOE series as well as make new friends that now we also know and love.

I absolutely adored how the romance was handled in this book. There was some mild attraction between the leads from the beginning of course, but none of this insta-love stuff. It was a good, slow burn with the man truly working to earn the heart of the woman and just overall being a wonderful, respectful, gentle, patient, loving human being who is possibly my new favorite hero from these books. Draaaaaake. <333333 I especially appreciated that Margot's heart truly did have to be earned, too. She wasn't like her peers who were obsessing over men and marriage. She had her sights set firmly on her academic future and I thought this was a good example of the man being a friend before being a romantic interest and also that you don't always have to let go of one dream to pursue a new one. I also really appreciated that both Drake and Margot had been believers since childhood rather than one being a long time Christian and the other having just come to faith, which can work sometimes, but can also just as easily be risky relationship-wise, (and I do acknowledge that that was an issue with the first SOE book "A Name Unknown").

Oh, a quick note on the faith aspect of this book: My Catholic friends may be interested to know that both Margot and Drake (and Drake's sister, Dot) are Catholic and I felt that Mrs. White portrayed their faith accurately and respectfully without ever "otherizing" them or otherwise acting as if they aren't real Christians. This was important to me even though I'm not Catholic myself because I do have Catholic friends and an uncle who is Catholic and I don't like seeing anyone hurt due to misrepresentation.

The only thing I didn't like about this story so much as cry my way through was the very, very, sad thing that happened. I won't spoil it here, but check out the "other" section content advisory if you're concerned at all, or perhaps have been through any kind of loss recently and want to be sure it doesn't hit too close to home for you to read this book right now. The synopsis of the book does hint at this sad thing but I didn't realize what the "personal loss" was going to be until I started picking up on some foreshadowing and started thinking, "No, no, no, not [name redacted]!" And then it did happen and it was sad, and I cried multiple times, and also had to force back tears while sitting in a public waiting room because *of course* I had to reach that part of the story while in public. *sigh* It didn't take away from the story for me and in fact the lessons Margot learned because of it were very touching and applicable in this day and age when we see so much bad happening around us. It's all about asking the right questions. Instead of asking God, "Why did you let this happen?" we need to ask, "How will you use this?" because He promises us that He works all things together for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) And I'm tearing up again. It really touched my heart.

The closest thing I have to a complaint is that I usually don't like villain perspectives in books. Depending on the author and the villain, they can get a little too disturbed, creepy, and occasionally violent for my tastes and I don't enjoy being in their heads. None of the three Shadows Over England books had a villain perspective either, so I was surprised to discover that "The Number of Love" did. However, I feel Mrs. White handled it delicately, using it only to show us who this person is and add to the mystery rather than using it for scare or ick factor or anything like that. In fact, I'd argue that this villain perspective was *needed* to give the story extra depth and to help drive home that fact that even the enemy is a human with a soul. God created that human and loves them even though they rebelled against His morality at some point, and He is always willing to forgive and redeem them, whether they ever choose to accept His offer or not.

Overall, this was a deep, touching, beautiful story that I thoroughly enjoyed. These characters feel like dear friends to me and I just love them so much! I am looking forward to the next book in this series and many more of Roseanna M. White's books to come.


Content Advisory:

Violence:
People get shot at several times.
Someone gets non-fatally shot. Some brief description including pain and mention of the feeling of blood. Pain is mentioned quite a few times as the wound heals.
Mention that someone got fatally shot and bled out. This is only mentioned after the fact, but someone who tried to save the individual does (non-graphically) remember that there was a lot of blood and that the light went out of the person's eyes when they died.
It is implied that an individual who was very ill killed himself. This is only mentioned after the fact and there is no description of the act itself, but there is mention of someone finding a bloody knife.
Two women are almost attacked with a knife. The attacker is kneed in the groin and the women escape unhurt.
Someone thinks about manipulating women to get secret government information. His plans include threats of violence against the women's loved ones and he does indeed kidnap, tie up, and drug a woman. He doesn't plan to kill her himself but does plan to leave her somewhere she will likely die in a bombing raid.
Someone gets punched in the stomach.
A villain gets kicked and falls on something that breaks his hand in several places. Mention that the hand is painful and black with bruising.

Language: No swears are written out, but it is mentioned that someone said something stronger than the replacement words (like "blazes") the main character chooses to think of instead. The person who swore is chastised for doing so in front of a woman.

Sexual: Several mentions of someone's heart rate increasing because they saw the person they're in love with. Several instances of holding hands and a couple mentions of someone's hand being familiar and comforting. A couple kisses on the hand, several kisses on the forehead or hair. Several instances of someone putting their arms around someone else in a romantic context. A few mentions of feeling the warmth of someone's hand. Four kisses on the lips. Two of these kisses are briefly described. The other two are not described at all. One or two mentions of wanting to kiss someone. One mention of the purpose of marriage being to produce children and Margot thinks several times about whether or not she wants children and therefore if she wants to get married. Several mentions of couples (both married and not married) giving each other loving looks and being a little flirtatious.

Other: Heads up to anyone who may be sensitive to the subject of Parental loss. Someone's mother dies of natural causes and their body is found lying on the floor. No description but the incident is very emotional. This causes emotional weight and sadness for a large part of the story.

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! My heart! Roseanna M. White is a fantastic writer. Her latest novel, The Number of Love, starts a brand new series set during the Great War ... and actually focuses on a secondary character from her last series!

If you read A Song Unheard (SHADOWS OVER ENGLAND #2), you met the brilliant, young Margot De Wilde. I don't know if she intrigued you, but she did me! It was so exciting to dive into her personal story in the first book of THE CODEBREAKERS. She is now seventeen years of age and spends her days deciphering messages and breaking codes. Throw in a brave field agent named Drake, spies, emotional drama, and a journey of faith, and you have a superb historical novel.

Margot was such a fascinating character to follow. Her brain just works so differently ... always thinking in numbers. She's spunky, but also sweet and unassuming, in a way. The way she approaches people, friendship, romance, even God, is very interesting. I loved watching her grow. I loved seeing her faith expand. I loved the way she fell in love. At some points, I worried that The Number of Love would push that feminist rhetoric, saying stuff about how being a wife and a mother is such a drudge, and why do they force that on women, and Margot was made for more than that!! But I think that it actually turned out quite beautiful and sweet, and cherished Biblical womanhood.

This author does really well with historical detail and setting. It was intriguing learning more about World War I, and also going undercover with the spies and breaking enemy codes! So cool! Action, drama, intrigue ... this book has it all! Again, I loved the faith theme - it was heartfelt. And that romance was just so tender and adorable and fun! Drake Elton was definitely a great character. And also his sweet sister! It was great seeing characters from other books, as well.

Truly, a unique, exciting, and thoughtful novel. I loved it! So looking forward to Book Two!

I received a complimentary copy of The Number of Love from the author/publisher. This review is honest and all my own.

[Hannah Linder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.*

[Rachel McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO MY JAM! I loved a unique heroine who saw the world in a different way and the man who learned her language in his soft and patient pursuit of her. But, I also loved the splendid cast of supporting characters: Red and Dot and Philip Frigging Camden ( my play on his name). It is about TIME the CBA got a Philip Camden so I am delighted that the next book in the series is his.

Roseanna White is one of the most intelligent writers on the planet: balancing impeccable research, a penchant for codes and yet never breaking the trail of her accessible, well-paced romantic read.


Major shout out to the feminist overtones, intelligently resourceful women who mentally put men in their place and to the portrayal of a strong female friendship.


I love this book and you should read it.

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored Margot in the prior series and she was a great way to kick off the Codebteakers Series.

[Amanda Geaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 Reasons to Recommend: The Number of Love

3 - History.

During the Great War, Room 40 was the intelligence hub of the Admiralty. White portrays this organization of codebreakers and secretarial staff as a diverse yet tight-knit group of professionals. She draws a number of fascinating real-life events into her story—explaining in her author's note how she had to alter the timeline of a few to fit her storyline.

2 - Friendship.

“I’m not a secretary—I’m one of the cryptographers. I hate fashion, I hate gossip, and I absolutely cannot stand girls who giggle over every man who sends a smile their way. So if you want to walk the other way, I won’t begrudge it.”

When Margo made this forthright statement and Dot accepted her, I smiled. I've begun two friendships in a similar way and one is still going strong—24 years later. I would much rather have a few friends I can be completely transparent with than a gaggle of shallow acquaintances. Dot and Margo's friendship grows deeper and stronger as the story progresses and the two women change for the better because of it—like iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17). In this fast-paced story or espionage and subterfuge, I felt like the friendship shared between Dot and Margot grounded the story.


1 - Margo De Wilde.

"Emotions didn’t obey the rules. They existed somewhere outside the set of axioms that governed the rest of her life. They confused her."

When I look back over the list of books I've read this year (61 so far), Margo is one of the most memorable characters. I admire her intelligence and wit and I can relate to her introverted ways. While it's not easy to gain access to her inner circle of trust, once you're in, she is fiercely loyal. Drake "gets her" and works to win her by deciphering and speaking her love language.

*I deducted a star because Margo receives direct revelations from God, apart from scripture.

Christian Shelf-Esteem received a book to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255 Guidelines, concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm intrigued when the main character has an unusual process of thinking and the author successfully draws me into their mind. Two of my favorite examples are Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt and The Unlikely Master Genius by Carla Kelly. The Number of Love is now added to that list! Margot's mathematical intellect bleeds into her spirituality and emotions, and I was fascinated by the idea that she received her personal revelations and inspiration through the types of numbers that run through her head. She's pragmatic, but also caring and compassionate. I enjoyed the variety of facets to her personality and the way she developed with her new relationships with her friend Dot and romantic interest Drake. I appreciated Drake's realization that he needed to court Margot in a way that she would be open to receiving, and his creativity and gentle determination in reaching out to her and waking up her responses. Propelling the pace of the story is the wartime setting, the codebreaking, the secret agent activities, and the danger on the homefront. I was captivated throughout the entire book and felt it had a good balance of suspense, personal reflection, and relationships. I can't wait for the next book!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

[Miriam Simut · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

The Great War. Numbers. Quirky characters. Believable romance. Simple faith. Say less!

Margot was such a fascinating, unique character! I loved gaining insight into the role of codebreakers in Britain's infamous Room 40, where Margot thrived and found comfort in numbers. I appreciated how RMW wrote Margot's character as she is on the autism spectrum. She did a wonderful job of showing how numbers could bring a sense of calm and ground Margot through some difficult and tragic moments.

Then there is Drake! What a wonderful male lead. He was gentle and kind with a good sense of humour, but also very intelligent and wise. I loved seeing his role in the war effort and how it intersected with Margot's. Their relationship was beautiful and realistic.

I so appreciated the side characters! Dot with her shy but passionate demeanour, Admiral Hall with his fatherly interactions with Margot, kind Redvers Holmes, complex Phillip Camden, etc!

The war also brought Drake a sinister threat in the form of Das Gespenst (the ghost). I thought this storyline was well done and brought about some high stakes to the otherwise simple and sweet story.

I also like how the characters had a simple faith without getting pedantic. So good!

I really enjoyed this book and CANNOT WAIT to move on to book 2!!

[Oceana GottaReadEmAll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I liked:
-the characters! I really liked Margot and Dot and Drake. They were unique and funny.
-the faith. It was genuine and involved. I appreciated how the author used prayer and God speaking to move the plot along.
-the romance. Very funny and cute and different.

Dislikes:
-the setting didn’t click with me
-the time period also didn’t click with me
I don’t think I like fictional retellings of a real event. Or maybe it was just this one. World War I was such a sad time and it didn’t excite me to be reading about the heart ache from that time.
-the emphasis on numbers/codes kind of bored me to be honest!

I still think I will try another book by this author just not in this series probably.

[Courtney Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very, very cool. Not perfect, but really enjoyable. Margot De Wilde was a secondary character in White's earlier book A Song Unheard, and probably my favorite character in that, so I was really excited that she got her own book. This one is set several years after Song, and she's now working as a codebreaker for British Intelligence during WWI.

Of course, there's a love story, with her slowly coming to like and then love a British spy. But the story mostly revolves around Margot learning to trust God instead of her own vast intelligence. She has some really hard things happen to her over the course of this book, including one that I don't want to spoil much, but which reminded me of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "The Body" in many ways.

In fact, this is almost more a coming-of-age story than a romance, which I appreciated. I also loved all the stuff about spies and espionage and a few scenes of derring-do. But Margot herself remains my favorite part of it, the way she thinks and prays in numbers instead of words sometimes, and the way she stalwartly strives to find her place in the world.

I actually identified with Margot in a lot of ways, especially her extreme annoyance with being dismissed by older adults just because she's quite young. I hated that so much as a young adult. SO MUCH. Also, she wonders if there's something wrong with her because she doesn't love babies like other young women, and dude, that's so me. I love MY babies, but not just babies in general. And her skittishness about strong emotions... it took me years to learn how to feel without letting feelings control me. I would just avoid feeling at all, which I eventually realized was simply letting feelings control me in a different way.

So yeah, I dug this book :-)

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Number of Love is the first book in Roseanne M. White's newest series, The Codebreakers. I've read and loved White's previous two series and so I was eager to read this book. It was a very interesting story and I loved the setting. WWI storylines are fascinating and this one about codebreakers definitely grabbed my attention.

I really enjoyed the characters. The romance was sweet and it was intriguing how the heroine felt numbers. There were a couple things about the storyline that felt a bit weird to me; but, besides that, it was a good read.

All in all, The Number of Love was a memorable read and I look forward to the next book.

*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.*

[Toni Shiloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book! First of all, Margot!! I’ve wanted to know more about Margot since I read about her in the Shadows over England series. Margot’s not your usual heroine. She thinks in numbers and values logic over feelings. I can admire that and it made for a great read.

And Drake! What a hero. Instead of forcing Margot to comply to his way of thinking, he woos her in a way she can appreciate. It was so sweet to see their romance bloom and I have to admit, I started spying connections with the numbers everywhere!

Oh and the cameos! I would love to spoil it but trust me, there are cameos galore in here that make you happy you and make you want to pull out some old books in Ms. White’s backlist. Enjoy them!

I devoured this book in one sitting—although I slowed down toward the end to savor it a bit—and can’t wait until the next Codebreaker releases.

*I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley. This review was not required nor influenced.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, this book! ❤ This author amazes me with every new release. I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction but I just love this author.

After reading the Shadows Over England series, I couldn’t wait for The Number of Love. I was so excited when I found out it was about Margot! I had huge expectations for this book and it completely lived up to them. This author is incredibly talented. Her way of writing a story is just beautiful. She’s the only historical author I really enjoy.

I enjoyed every minute of this beautiful book. I highly recommend this author!

“I received a copy of this book in exchange of my honest review. All thoughts are my own”

[Jocelyn Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roseanna White has rocketed into my short list of favorite authors of historical fiction (Christian fiction or general market--she can hold her own with either!). This book is worth studying for its characterization alone, but it delivers far more than that. If you're looking for an atypical heroine, diverse cast of characters, suspense, romance, history, and a completely satisfying ending, look no further.

[Malia Saldaña · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! Oh my gosh! It was so interesting. I love Margot De Wilde. She’s so awesome and intelligent. I’ve never read a book like this. It didn’t disappoint.:) And the cover is gorgeous!!!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The numbers marched across the page in a glory all their own."

Margot De Wilde stays quite busy using her prodigious mathematical prowess to aid England's intelligence network at its highest level; in short, Margot is a codebreaker. She would rather calculate the number of bricks used to construct a building, than bat her eyes in flirtation; thus keeping her male counterparts in Room 40 at a comfortable distance. That is until one day, when Lieutenant Drake Elton barged into her private conversation of numbers and popped just the right question, "Have you a name?"

Drake Elton cannot forget the girl without a name, whose dark eyes pervade his memory through-out the hours of his dangerous days and nights. When his own service as an intelligence agent is interrupted by a life threatening injury, Drake returns home to England to recuperate and discovers the enigmatic Margot De Wilde once again; this time at the side of his hospital bed, in the shadow of his beloved sister. Unfortunately, all is not fair in love and war as pundits would have us to believe, for there are some puzzles that seem impossible to solve, or perhaps it's just a matter of asking the right question.

"Three, nine, twenty-seven, eighty-one . . . Eighteen. Eighteen. Eighteen." The number of love.

Outstanding hardly seems adequate to describe the manner in which Roseanna White has brought these characters to life!

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I may have stayed up late reading this the day after I got it.
I was so excited to pick up this after reading about Margot in the Shadows over England series. I loved all her talk about mathematics. Even though I got slightly tired of it sometimes, it felt perfectly believable and fit her character to a T. Also, the plot point at the beginning just killed me. I wanted to hug Margot. But her reaction to it was spot on perfect.
Drake was one of the most patient main guys I've read in a book. He doesn't push Margot, or try to rush things. I love patient guys.
Room 40 was just incredible. I don't know a lot about the actual history of it, but I really enjoyed learning about it.
My only two complaints with this book were that 1. Margot smugly says she's smarter than pretty much anyone, and no one ever corrects her. Or even bothers to point out she might be a bit prideful about how smart she is. 2. the bad guy was creepy. I hate mind game, and even this mild one bothered me.

Overall, this was an incredible book that I hope to re-read soon.

[Emilee]

This one is really hard to rate. I really enjoyed it and the author did an amazing job weaving the plot together but I struggled to connect with Margot and her mathematics. I learned so many interesting historical facts about WW1 and Room 40 and that it's based on true accounts. I do love how Roseanna White builds her characters. This is the third book I have read by her and each heroine and hero are so unique. Her characters have their own individual personalities and they are so well written. It was fun getting updates on previous characters too. I did not realize all of these series are somewhat linked together so that was a nice surprise. I loved Camden! I think he will make a wonderful hero in the next book in the series.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved the mind the author gave the main character Margot and she turned out to have her wits about her in direr situations.
We put faces to those making the ultimate sacrifices during the First World War, and we are able to walk in their shoes for a while.
Love reading historical fiction that is based on fact, and this read did not disappoint! I can’t wait for the next in this series!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Be happy!!! Eat Bread!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

could have saved her so much time... it's buying 100% of the books on their TBR list...