An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M White is a timeless wholesome tale of hope and courage during difficulty, loyalty to family both of blood and choice, faith in God, and courage even when the world is in chaos.  An Hour Unspent lands smack dab in the middle of World War I in London, England giving this book a great depth of background and context for the characters.  Barclay Pearce is the protagonist of this story and as the leader of his patchwork family (See the first two books in this series for some of their stories) is struggling with the new changes in the family.  Not only have there been additions to the family through marriage, but there also has been a change in faith leading to a change of occupation.

What exactly does this family of orphans that banded together to form a family do to earn their bread?  Well...let's just say that they are experts at acquiring things....actually....point blank....they are some of the best thieves in England! While this might not set up the description of a great family, it is the truth of their past and their changed hearts of faith that helps them to see the true nature in others and to do the right things.  Barclay and his family are working for a mysterious man only known as "V", whom they believe is truly a man working for the British government....but can they be sure?  Are they truly helping their nation and doing good, or is there anything more sinister going on?  What does Barclay's new assignment to befriend and work with Mr. Manning, a man who repairs clocks have to do with helping the allied powers?

One of the clear themes of this book is time. As Barclay fulfills his assignment, he realizes that Mr. Manning tinkers with more than clocks.  Barclay also seems to keep running into Mr. Manning's daughter, Evelina Manning, a sweet and shy young woman whose engagement is broken just as Barclay walks into the scene....yes, as he actually is coming to visit Mr. Manning.  I thought it was interesting to see the different approaches to time throughout the book, especially that of the past.  Barclay had never relieved himself of the guilt from not finding his younger brother when they were separated in their early childhood.  Yet, he looks at his recent past, his thievery, as not as important as recent developments that allow him and his family to help the British cause in some gray/shadowy areas.  Time is relative and throughout this book, many of the characters have some interesting perspectives on time and history.

Ms. White's plots are never simple or boring and this book is no exception. I love Ms. White's expertise in keeping the plot moving, the mystery and suspense active and the characters real and relatable. I have enjoyed all of Ms. White's books in her series Shadows Over England, yet I have to say that this third book wins my vote of favorite in this series.  I absolutely enjoyed getting to know Barclay and gain a deeper understanding of his character, insights, and history. The sweet love story between the main characters was an added bonus to this intriguing, fast-paced adventure.  I would highly recommend this book....but you might want to start from the beginning of this series to get the best enjoyment!

Disclaimer: Bethany House Publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased honest review.

What an end to this Shadows Over England series! Barclay Pearce is officially my favorite member of this patchwork family of thieves and orphans, y’all.

An Hour Unspent is a fascinating mix of romance, espionage, and self-discovery. And the characters! Barclay is just this subtly brilliant, ordinary man with such skill at his profession and the softest heart. It’s no wonder he’s been able to “adopt” so many orphans and create a family, from Willa and Rosemary to Clover and baby Patch. And it’s heartbreaking to realize he started this after his own family was ripped apart.

This story really shows you the impact of the family’s changes. Rosemary’s and Willa’s stories took them elsewhere for much of the action, but Barclay’s story is centered around his family. You see the struggle to go straight and leave thievery behind (except for their jobs for Mr. V), the shift towards a stable home life, the adjustment to the girls’ marriages and Georgie’s enlistment in the Great War. They’re still them, but life looks different now.

That contrast is especially stark in the scenes between Barclay’s family and Evelina. They challenge her definition of family. Their history is so different from hers, but she’s nevertheless drawn to them. Much of this story centers around the theme of family and what those ties really mean, and Evelina ends up discovering more than she ever imagined.

I love these characters. Barclay is brother, father, and protector to them, and his interactions with the little ones will melt you. Seriously, I needed tissues when he met Clover at Pauly’s pub. And for his reunion with Georgie. And at the end of the book when – sorry, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out. Yet he’s also this spy whose skills and ability to blend in wherever a job takes him reminds me of Neal Caffrey in White Collar. I just wanted to keep reading and reading!

Sadly, however, as they all do, the book ended. But it’s DEFINITELY worth the read – and the re-read.

Barclay Pearce is all grown up, once the leader of a gang of orphaned thieves, now he puts his skills to work for the government during a time when the nation is at war. Barclay is sent to work with a clockmaker, who is working on synchronized gears to help planes shoot through the propellers. He sees a woman being attacked on the streets, and comes to her aide. The woman happens to be Eveline Manning, the daughter of the clockmaker.



Eveline's fiance breaks up with her to join the army, and she strikes up a relationship with Barclay to irritate her disapproving mother. She is fiercely independent.



As England plunges deeper into war, and danger draws near, is a reformed thief the man that they need to escape  the coming horrors?



Barclay has changed alot since becoming a Christian, he knows what Eveline is up to, but lets her know that he doesn't play around. He earnestly lives what he believes, and he holds high standards for his family as well.



Eveline meets Barclay's family and quickly befriends many of the girls, she has a passion for helping working women. Eveline and Barclay grow into an unlikely friendship. 



Well written, with great characters, I really liked Mr. Manning's friendship with another clockmaker, Hans, and their friendly arguments about the future of timepieces. I really admired Barclay, and how he has grown through this series. This book has a great story, and relationship between Eveline and Barclay, with an action-packed ending that brought everything together. A fantastic addition to this well written historical series!



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 it on my blog. Regardless, 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 Spent is the third book in the series, but it could also be read as a stand alone novel. I loved this book, it was well worth reading.  Lina has a strong personality, in a time when women were trying to find their place. Lina is close to her father, who is a clockmaker. When Lina meets Barclay, she doesn't like him, because he tries to save her from a thug on the street, but as Lina gets to know him and his family, she finds her view of him changing. 
I loved Barclay and his siblings. What a great book!

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction.

My Rating: 5 Stars. Recommendation: 15 up.

My favorite character/s: Barclay is the big brother, I loved finding out more about him and I really enjoyed getting to see who made all of the "family" into who they were. Barclay was an awesome character. I now think he is my favorite of all of the characters in the series. I liked how he treated his siblings and was always kind!!

My Verse for Barclay is James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (English Standard Version.)

I also loved every other character, but I don't want to give any spoilers, so that's all for my favorite characters!

My thoughts: I loved the other books in the series, but this one topped them all so far! I loved this book even more because it had more about the rest of the "family" and I really liked the new and old characters! This book seemed even more realistic than the first two, and I am eagerly waiting for Roseanna M. White's next book!
I received this book in exchange for my honest review. (And I am thrilled to provide it! :-) )

An Hour Unspent is fantastic and a joy to read.  Barclay has always been the strong quiet background character so I wasn't sure how he would hold up being front and center.  Yet just a few pages into An Hour Unspent changed everything.  Barclay is entertaining, kind and his scenes were just simple and perfect.  Evelina is a little standoff'ish but perfectly written and as the book went on she became fascinating.  Yet the one character that really pulled the book together is her father, his personality and the relationship he built with Barclay made this book perfect.

An Hour Unspent is book 3 in Roseanna White's Shadows over England series. While I have loved all 3 books I believe this one to be my favorite. Barclay Pearce is a delightful character who truly loves his family and as a reformed thief works for the government. Evalina Manning is a clockmakers daughter and suffragette.  I really enjoyed the light suspense along with the romance. I really hope this is not the final book on the family as there are still several siblings with stories to tell. So grab a mug of good black tea and a few biscuits and settle in for a good read.

I was given a preview copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

Any way this was such an adventure!! I loved it!! You will not be disappointed reading this one, you will be swept away to a time of war and spies, suffragettes and suffrages!! You’ll experience the whole story right along Evelina and Barclay. 

I received this book from Author for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

https://booksnbaubles.com/an-hour-unspent-by-roseanna-m-white/

Barclay's much-anticipated story is finally here! I greatly enjoyed his story, although maybe not quite as much as Rosemary's and Willa's. But it's a close call. 

Barclay is the most fabulous character ever. I love his big-brotherness, his protectiveness towards his family and his desire to provide for them, his honesty, his integrity, his selflessness. He's just such a great guy, but he's real, too. He has his struggles just like everyone else, which is what I think makes him such a great character. The storyline with his mother and brother was incredibly well done, and so realistic. 
Evalina, also, is an amazing character. Just . . . wow. I don't even know what to say. Since it's hard to say much about her without spoilers, I'll just say she's a fabulous character, and we'll leave it at that. Go read the book and find out for yourself. 

Following hot on the heels of A Song Unheard, An Hour Unspent is also full of mystery, intrigue, and danger. While a little slow-paced at times, it still kept me reading and wanting to finish it as soon as possible. The ending felt a little abrupt to me, which I was rather disappointed about, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book too much. Another thing I loved was seeing more of Mr. V, and hearing some of his story. He's such an intriguing character!

All in all, White pens another stellar novel of romance, family, intrigue, and history. This series is a must-read!

CONTENT NOTE: Recommended for ages 16+ romance and mild violence. [There are some somewhat-heated kisses, etc, and thematic material, mostly war-related, such as bombings, shootings, etc.]

Roseanna White's writing gets better and better. Excellent historical details, an ensemble of interesting characters, and a plot with plenty of twists. Recommended!

AN HOUR UNSPENT is the third book in the SHADOWS OVER ENGLAND series by ROSEANNA M WHITE, but it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone.
The story takes place in London in 1915 during the First World War. We come across Barclay Pierce, a reformed thief, whose skills are being used by the war office, and his assortment of adopted brothers and sisters who he has saved from being put into orphanages. Whilst Barclay did what he had to do to take care of his family, he has given up stealing since making a commitment to follow Jesus. He now has a job with the war office who have moved him and the children into a house near where the Mannings live, in order for him to find the gear that Cecil Manning, the brilliant clockmaker, is making, which will help enormously in the war effort.
Evelina Manning is an ardent feminist and it takes her fiancé's breaking of their engagement, and her meeting Barclay and his family, to soften her heart and to make her realize that there is more to life than marching and fighting for women's rights. She longs for a happy family, especially as she doesn't get on with her mother.
The novel is full of interesting characters and the plot is really good. There is a strong Christian message, and I particularly like the symbolism of clocks and watches and time running through the story, where God is spoken of as the great Watchmaker who directs our lives and holds time in His hands. 
I was given a free copy of the book by Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The third and final book in the Shadows Over England series, An Hour Unspent, was an absolute pleasure to read. I had been looking forward to Barclay Pearce’s story and was not disappointed. White is a master at developing unique, vividly drawn, and emotionally layered characters, and Barclay and his patchwork “family” of orphans are so endearing and lovable that I couldn’t help falling in love with them. Barclay is so tender and protective of his family and always willing to take on additional members and duties as needed. Evelina is an independent and spunky heroine who is taken aback by Barclay’s “family” but seems to quickly fit right in.

I’m always so impressed with White’s ability to pack a lot of history and background into her stories. That she has done her research is readily apparent. I enjoyed learning more about London during WWI and what conditions were like for the residents there. For a riveting and fascinating read brimming with intrigue, suspense, and romance with elements of faith woven in, grab this book. Better yet, read the whole series. Although this is a stand-alone book and can be read by itself, you’ll want to read all three books to get the whole background build-up. 

The covers of the books in this series are absolutely gorgeous. They complement the stories so perfectly. I would recommend this book and series to those who enjoy historical fiction at its finest. I’m looking forward to more of this author’s stories.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have to admit. The first chapters of this book didn't have me spellbound. The idea of having a story focused on a male character had me less than interested. But, because of the author I plodded on. I'm glad I did. Loved the story.

Barclay Pearce is on a mission and that is to get a clockmaker who dabbles on the side with gadgets, to perfect an idea he has developed. This idea is just what the military needs, therefore Barclay is here to help. Evelina Manning is the clockmaker's daughter who meets Barclay while being accosted by a mugger. On the same day that her fiancé breaks bad news to her. Also, we learn a bit more about V in this story, which is fascinating in itself.

All in all, I really enjoyed the story. I admit, I read it fast. But, I enjoyed it so much that knowing I missed details here and there, I will return and go for a reread at a later time. This entire series of Barclay and his family fortunately can stand alone, but it's an asset to read in order. Even so, none of the other characters take priority over the main characters in this story.

I was able to download this story via NetGalley and was happy that the publisher, Bethany House, gave me the opportunity to read it.

An Hour Unspent by Roseanna White is the third book in her Shadows Over England series. This is Barclay’s story. No longer a thief on the streets of London, he uses his expertise to help a nation at war. His job is to keep an eye on clockmaker, Cecil Manning, who may have stumbled on a revolutionary idea for the Admiralty. Rescuing his daughter from a mugging is a bonus he hadn’t counted on. I think this was my favorite in the series. I love how compassionate Barclay was and the way he took care of his family without being made to do it, it just came from his heart. “Family isn’t blood. It should be, but it isn’t, not always. Family is choice. Love.” The spiritual lessons woven through-out was an inspiration. The reference to God being the Master Clockmaker were inspired. The way Ms. White dropped in the little history tidbits really made it come alive without being a boring history lesson. I’m sad to see this series come to an end. I would highly recommend the whole series.



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

What an interesting book that White has written continuing the Shadows Over England series………This one centers on Barclay Pierce who is the eldest of the orphans. Barclay is now 28, who helped to create a family out of mismatched street urchins. He is kind and generous with a heart bigger than he is.  He is a wonderful big brother to his “family”. He has now turned to the Lord and has given up his thieving ways except to benefit the Admiralty and assist the war effort for England. Roseanne has certainly done her research for this series, I loved reading of this era during the war, the scenery and events and people, but this book has so much more than the war. We read of Evelina Manning and her clock maker father who has a much desired secret. a secret wotyj killing for.  Her brokenness and rebellion and her reaction to meeting Barclay.  Also of Barclay’s sisters’ wedding and pregnancy. How he takes in more orphans because he cannot leave them on the streets to suffer abuse and starvation. We have mugging, kidnapping, danger and nail biting suspense. Also healing faith and romance, all that it takes to make a most interesting read with a wonderful ending…….I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Bethany publishers and netgalley. I am happy to leave my review.

Barclay Pearce is known as one of the best thieves in London and it is his skills that make him invaluable to the Royal Navy.  He gets his assignments from a man only known as V.  He has taken in a plethora of street urchins (read "orphans") and began to teach them things that are more important than pick-pocketing, general stealing, and living by their wits. 

Evelina Manning has been fighting for women's rights and been involved with the suffrage movement.  It is through her efforts that she met Barclay.  She had little idea how important this meeting was to Barclay.  He needed to meet up with a clock maker and Evelina's father was a clock maker--one of the best in London.

When I first began this novel, it seemed so familiar to me, like I was reading it a second time.  The characters were like meeting old friends again. There was a logical reason for that--this is book three of a series of World War I spy novels by Roseanna M White.  She has the knack for working romance into her spy novels, or maybe it's working the spying into her romance novels.  It's hard to say.

An Hour Unspent also includes the lives of Barclay's "adopted" brothers and sisters, one of which dares him to steal an hour off Big Ben.  It also relates the story of Evelina's mother and her aunt Beatrice, especially Beatrice's overbearing, insulting of Evelina's family. 

This is a five star book with significant historical references -- like when wristwatches came into common use, two thumbs up, and a clock maker to help you steal an hour from Big Ben.

My thanks to Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book.  The galley I read was provided through NetGalley.com.

An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White was just so amazing that I feel that any words I use to describe it will come short of how great it really is! First, if you haven’t read the first two books in the Shadows over England series, you really should read them. I think you might be a little lost if you haven’t read the others beforehand, and they are really good too! But I think this one is my favorite. Why?

Because I love the main character, Barclay. I think I started loving him in the first book even though his sister was the main character in that one. He seems like the perfect older brother and really takes care of his family.  I was so happy to see him get his own love story like his sisters did.
Because I love the historical details that Roseanna M. White always includes. Details about such things as zeppelins, wristwatches, and Britain’s methods for decoding enemy’s mail during World War I create a book that you feel is educational as well as a suspenseful story to read.
Because I love the intense drama. With a book that takes place during World War I, you could probably expect some suspenseful moments, but An Hour Unspent also has drama with Barclay and Evelina’s families. The book is so full of suspense that I couldn’t stop reading. I kept telling my husband things such as, “I can’t go to bed yet, I’m in the middle of World War I!
So, if I haven’t convinced you yet that this book should be at the top of your to read list, then please, just know that I will never be able to adequately recommend a book that is this great! You should read it yourself to see what I mean.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, and if you enjoy anything related to the World Wars, then you need to read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

We first fell in love with London's premier family of thieves in A Name Unknown, and continued following their adventures in A Song Unheard. Now oldest brother Barclay finally gets his turn to star on the pages, and he cuts quite a dashing figure as he tries to help Mr. V and the Admiralty with anything they need while the Great War rages. 

More here: https://reviewsbyerin.dreamwidth.org/101946.html

Soooooo my favorite in the series. I've loved everything I've read by Roseanna M. White and I'd be incredibly hard pressed to pick a favorite of her various series. But I can say without a doubt that this one is my favorite in the Shadows Over England series. Barclay is such a lovable hero, a perfect mix of strength and doubt. I love the family angle of this story...how different Evelina and Barclay's families look in the beginning, the things Evelina learns about what makes a family. I love the clock/watch/time theme woven through the story. The romance is pitch perfect and the mystery kept me turning pages. A wonderful conclusion to a series I'm not ready to say goodbye to!

Run, don't walk to your nearest bookstore or computer to get this installment in the Shadows Over England series! I was so excited for the opportunity to read this book, which features big "brother" Barclay Pearce, now on the straight and narrow. (Please note: you can enjoy this book as a standalone, but I promise you will love it much more if you read the other two -A Name Unknown, A Song Unheard- first.)

Barclay has long been driven by the need to protect his loved ones. With a deceased father and a selfish thieving mother, he and his younger brother are essentially orphaned when their mother is put in jail. Initially unaware that his brother was taken away to an orphanage, Barclay has spent years searching for him with no results. Now, he is the head of the unusual family of (reformed) thieves and is working for the English government in their covert war efforts. With his special skill set he has been commissioned by their contact, V, to work with a local clock maker with a specific design that will potentially help the troops. In the course of this assignment Barclay meets the clock maker's daughter, Evelina. Although she is a strong woman with a sharp mind, she has recently encountered not only a broken engagement, but some difficult family circumstances. When a mystery surrounding Evelina's father begins, she and Barclay must work together to potentially save his life - and the lives of many others. Evelina has trouble trusting, though - and it will affect multiple areas of their relationship.

I have truly enjoyed all of the books by this author, but this series is by far my favorite. Again, I would recommend reading all three books in order - all of the characters in all of the books ring true and are moving and fun, with life and spark! You will also enjoy the snappy dialogue and the author's take on the times and location.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.