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.

I love reading books about World War II. There is a long list of books on that subject. This book is about World War I. There are not as many books set in that time period. That is one reason to read this book. That is not the only reason to read this book.

The author has written other books about World War I. Margot is introduced in A Song Unheard. Now we get more of her story. You don’t have to read that book to read this book.

I quickly fell in love with Margot. Even though she is a numbers person and I am not. I still loved her. She does think in numbers but the book is not full of math. She is young facing a challenge that not many could handle. Margot is working as a codebreaker in Room 40. After reading the book, I did a bit more reading about Room 40 and the codebreakers though much of the work was destroyed. It is interesting to think of those who worked in that capacity. A good book causes you to do a bit of research and learning.

I love seeing the relationships grow through the book. Margot’s relationship with Dot is wonderful how they help one another. There are some sad moments in the book but that is part of life and the story.

Drake is up for a challenge. He is creative in how he approaches this challenge. Patient and continues to preserve yet doing his duty. I came to love Drake for who he is and how he changes through the book.

Do you want to know something? As much as I loved Margot, I am looking forward to hearing Phil’s story. He is just a side character but he is a character. I can’t wait to read that story. A good book should have you longing for more.

GO. Read this book. Learn the Number of Love.

Anyone into Christian fiction? I usually don't check out this particular genre, but thanks to Netgalley, I had the opportunity to read "The Number of Love" by Roseanna M. White. I enjoyed this book because it was different. Despite a genre that often feels cheesy to me, this book had an intriguing plot line that kept me interested and seemed more realistic.

"The Number of Love" follows the story of Margot De Wilde and Drake Elton during The Great War. Margot and Drake both play significant roles in both the war and in each other's lives. Ultimately, both characters feel the pull between duty and calling, as well as the struggle to remain christian when times are trying.

One thing I really loved about this book is Margot. She seemed like a different character from what I usually read. I'm all for intelligent protagonist women, but Margot takes this to a whole new level. Margot thinks in patterns and numbers, a world that is completely foreign to me. Initially, I didn't like Margot, because so much of her thinking seems superior, but as we peel back the layers of her personality, I grew to really enjoy her.

One criticism I would have for this book is that it doesn't always seem like the characters make real choices. Sometimes it was easy to predict what they would do simply because they would always end up picking the "right" thing to do. That leads to a message really hitting home, but doesn't reflect real life where choices often become more difficult than that.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was one of the best Christian fiction books I've read in a while.

I studied Spanish linguistics in grad school and loved his name for her in this book. I also loved all the codebreaking. I don't have a mathematical mind, but the word part intrigued me!

This book had a little bit of everything. Love, action, adventure, rescues, friendship, flirting, history, war, and family. I especially loved the espionage!

I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54 or 6, 12, 18, 24 or 14, 28, 42, 56, all these numbers float through Margot's head as she looks at life. She is a codebreaker during the Great War and loves the challenge of figuring out the intercepted messages from Germany. But she keeps hearing the number 18 in her head and is not sure what it means, but she feels compelled to pray.

We all know what that was about right? Agent 18, Drake Elton, young, eligible and available. Need I say more?

But the story is good. Margot doesn't know how to have friends because her knowledge base is so far above other girls her own age that their conversation bores her and she is almost repulsed by the social manners and the niceties of her day. While she is a codebreaker, Drake is an information gatherer in the neutral country of Spain until an accident sends him home to recover. So yes, it's a romance and yet it's also a story of friendship between Margot and Dot, Drake's sister, and a story of courage in facing a scary world.

The mathematics and code-breaking part went way above my head and I have a hard time even fathoming how anyone can do that kind of math, but otherwise the story was intriguing and based loosely on historical facts.

I received this book through NetGalley and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

"The Number of Love " by Rosanna White is an historical fiction book. It takes place during World War 1. The Intelligence Network helped to decipher the German's codes during the war. Those workers were very important. Margot DeWilde enjoyed being a code breaker and worked in Secretive Room 40. Drake Elton came home from the war and was wounded. He is taken with Margot. They are faced with one conflict after another. Will Margot and Drake survive it all? This book gives some good insights about the secret intelligence and other challenges during World War I. The book is well written. Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to read and review this book. I am not obligated to give a positive review. I am posting my review on : Amazon, Goodreads, facebook, my blog, CBD.com ,for church staff.,netgalley.

Sorry it took me so long to write this.
I love anything about ww2 that I can get my hands on. This particular era has sentimental emotions for me.
Roseanna has done a wonderful job with her research and came up with this cool story about codebreakers.
My grandmother has told me stories much like this one where the women would hold jobs while the men were away fighting she said. She herself worked in a plastic plant until my grandfather came back.
Women made just as many sacrifices during the war just as men did.
Margot is a woman much like my grandma. Doing what they must in order to help win the war.
This story will draw the reader in and not let go until you are done. It also brought back many of the stories that my grandma told me. It was like I was hearing her talk to me again.
I am looking forward to this author's next book. Hopefully it will be on Netgalley so I can read it
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. NO compensations were received. All opinions are my own

The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Roseanna M. White introduces her new Codebreakers series to readers with a story that keeps up the suspense until the very last chapters and leaves readers hoping the next book will be out soon.

I’m not usually a fan of WWI based books but as this one was focused more on the intelligence part of the war effort, I was hopeful that I would like it. I was not disappointed in the story or the characters although there was some overly drawn out instances that could have been shorted. They were few though so I was otherwise pleased with the story. It begins with Margot De Wilde, a code breaker in the war department of London, who enjoys the challenge of deciphering the latest codes invented by the Axis powers to hide information of their efforts. But her happy world is about to be upended with the sudden death of her mother. Struggling to find peace and purpose again, Margot retreats into her world of numbers, using them to center her once again. Drake Elton is a war spy seeking out answers in his grandfather’s country of Spain. When a mission ends successfully but with him injured, he returns to England to recover. Happy to have a chance to get to know the enigmatic Margot better, Drake determines to find out what makes her mind tick. She has somehow managed to help his homebody sister find a job at the war office and is helping her break out of her introverted shell. But danger is closer than any of them think and with an important code still unbroken, all the agents in the field are on alert for ambush. Drake and Margot work together to figure it all out and are surprised at the relationship that begins to grow between them. But both must decide if they want to take a chance on love or if they want to go life alone. Margot is hurting from the many losses in her life and Drake is trying to decide how to tell those closest to him about his missions without compromising them. But for the sake of their friends they will have to lay aside the past and solve the puzzle before many people lose their lives. It’s always hard to tell enough about a story but not reveal the most important parts. I really enjoyed getting to know Margot, Drake and the many other characters of this story as they were very realistically written. I was given a different look at the war effort and how necessary the code breakers of that time were. This was before any computers or digitizing so they really had to work hard to solve the encryption. The romantic journey and the spiritual journey of each of these main characters was well done and will be appreciated by readers. There was just enough of both without either of them taking over the story. I will certainly be recommending this story to others as I believe that they will enjoy it immensely. I’m hopeful the next in the series will be coming out soon and I’m curious to see who will be the focus of it.

I received this E-book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

White's characters are deliciously complex and her plot delightfully unexpected for an intellectually and emotionally satisfying reading experience. Historical aspects of the story fascinated my mind while intimate details of each character's life captivated my heart!

Margot's uniqueness makes her an especially endearing character. In addition to her mathematical genius, she is a genuine young woman with vulnerabilities. Drake's intelligence, bravery, and persistence in not only serving his country but also wooing a reluctant young lady are just the beginning of his long list of admirable character traits.

Fans of White's previous series, Shadows Over England, will be just as pleased with this first installment of The Codebreakers series including its occasional cameos by beloved characters. The Number of Love is Margot's chance to shine as the heroine of her own story and shine she does!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book!

I usually don't read WWI or WWII books as they don't interest me enough, but I surprisingly gave this one a try since I do love to read about spies and intrigue, and loved it!

The heroine, Margot, works for the London Spy network during the Great War. Every day she has to crack the german's code. She meets a handsome lieutenant, Drake when he drops off his sister at her first day of work. Unbeknowest to Margot, he's an agent, Agent Eighteen. He uses his Spanish connection and heritage to find and beat the German's and persuade neutral Spain over to the English.

Tragedy hits both Drake and Margot at the same time worlds apart and are thrown together to crack the German code and win the war.

Both characters were fleshed out and relatable, but unique in their characteristics. Margot hears, sees and thinks in numbers, Fibonacci, quadratic equations ect. God talks to her through numbers usually, until suddenly he doesn't. Her journey back to a loving God and learning to trust by faith and not just by numbers was a great theme.

I also enjoyed Drake. He was handsome, suave, but really cared about Margot. He didn't push her to get married, he let her make her own decisions. He himself had to have patience and understanding.

What really stood out was use of side characters. No person was introduced who wasn't important either then or later in the story. There were no one off characters given a name and then forgotten, never to return.

The grammar, language, and historical setting were, for my knowledge and understanding, very accurate. I enjoyed learning about the spying during the great war.

Overall, an awesome read that I consumed in about a day. The beginning was slightly slow but picked up fairly quickly.

This was absolutely amazing. Roseanna writes in such an incredibly rich and gorgeous style and it was such a treat to read another one of her books. 😍 RTC.

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Number of Love by Roseanna M. White was such an incredible read! Every time I finish one of White's books my respect for her grows bigger and bigger. She writes with such fluidity and experience; you can really tell that she did her research, and I adore how incredibly rich and full each of her chapters are. White's books are really a treat to read!

After reading A Song Unheard featuring Lukas DeWilde and loving the glimpse of Margot in there, I especially loved how Number of Love dove into Margot's story and her talent + innate ability to dissect numbers and math, and I feel like the author explained her personality really well. The other main characters, Drake and Dot, had such beautifully vibrant and rich personalities ; especially Dot and her reserved self. I definitely found myself connecting to Margot and Dot and I also loved their friendship (as well as Drake and Margot's romance)! The plot was the only thing I felt was somewhat average compared to other books of similar genres -- though that's not a bad thing. I just can't find anything particularly spectacular to mention of it. xD

Overall, amazing book! Such great content in there and I loved how each of the characters really learned to trust and lean on God! I would definitely and highly recommend this book to anyone and especially lovers of historical fiction. 5 stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

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)

This is a great historical fiction book. The historical setting adds richness and depth to the story. I enjoyed learning more about the code breakers of World War I. I loved the quirky Margot DeWilde, with the way that her brain works and her new friend Dot. I enjoyed how Drake meets her on her level and learns how to communicate effectively with her. It is a sweet romance with interesting characters and an educational and entertaining historical setting. I would absolutely recommend this book and am excited that I have a couple others by Roseanna M. White on my To Read shelf!!.

The Number of Love is the first book in the Codebreakers series by Roseanna M. White. Margot de Wilde serves as a codebreaker in Room 40, and her keen mathematical sense aids the Allied effort. Her life is turned upside down with the death of her mother, and she is forced to train Drake Elton, who had assigned to Room 40 after serving abroad in World War I. With a German spy to foil, White has once again created an engaging novel filled with twists and turns and romance interspersed between the pages. Fans will see a few familiar faces appear throughout the story. If you have seen Bletchley Circle, see its predecessor with Room 40 during WWI.

When the protagonist is a mathematical genius and also happens to be female, I have to read the book. I love to read historical fiction that correctly depicts the effect women had during war, especially when they were awesome code breakers and it was obvious the author did her research. I felt the book was historically accurate and I loved all the details throughout the book.

Margot was one of those characters you'll love and her relationship with her family was inspiring. While she starts the book as quite the loner, it was nice to see her grow and develop friendships. I found the plot to be paced perfectly and I had a hard time putting this one down. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read another book by this author.

The Number of Love was written by Roseanna M. White and is the first book in the Codebreakers series.
Summary: Margot De Wilde has a unique mind for numbers, making her perfect at her job-cracking codes and deciphering intercepted German telegrams for the English military.
But when life takes a devastating turn, her fascination with numbers might not be enough to sustain her outside her work. Can she find a way to relate to the real world-and still solve a German mystery that could save those she cares about?
My Thoughts: I always enjoy Roseanna White’s ability to interweave actual historical events within intricate plot lines that grab my attention and just don’t let go-making her one of my all-time favorite authors.
This book was no exception. The storyline was fascinating, the characters were flawed and yet so relatable, and I was completely engaged.
I am looking forward to the next one, and I would definitely recommend this book!
Note: This book does contain characters from the Shadows Over England series, but it is not necessary to have read those books to enjoy this one.
As always, I would like to thank Bethany House for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Personal Rating: 4.56 Start Rating: 4/5

I love math. My dad loved it and I inherited his desire to be great at it. When I saw the title and read the summary of this book, I knew I had to read it. The Number of Love is my first Roseanna M. White book and I was fortunate to discover it as it's the beginning of her new series, The Codebreakers. You'll have a hard time putting down this character-driven book.

Set in England during WWI, historical detail adds richness to an already intriguing story line. Our main character, Margot De Wilde, is brilliant at Math and she dedicates her time as a cryptographer to decipher intercepted German messages. It's no easy task when others want you dead. Margot is strong-willed and determined in the face of danger. She has no time to be frivolous with romance because she knows that others depend upon her skills as a matter of life and death. In a world of drama, enemies, and espionage a story of teamwork, selflessness and honor is built. It's a story that leaves you wanting the next book. The Number of Love is highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. All Opinions expressed are my own.

Roseanna M. White has become one of my go-to authors since her Ladies of the Manor series debuted 4 years ago. It turned out to the first of 3 series set in Edwardian England.

The Number of Love, the first novel in her new Codebreakers series has been one of my favourite yet. There’s Romance, intrigue, unlikely heroes, witty banter, a train escape scene, and espionage galore.. Yeah, it’s about people breaking German codes so there's gonna be espionage.

It’s absolutely fascinating to learn that there were people doing this for the British Admiralty in the Great War: everyone has heard of the work of the women and men at Bletchley Park in WW2, but I had no idea that kind of thing was happening over 20 years before.
That's one of the other things I RMW's work, is how she works interesting and unusual historical details into the story.

The book is meticulously researched, and the characters brilliant. Margot de Wilde first appeared in the second novel of the last series as a Mathematical child genius who deserved her own story. Margot also happened to be autistic, so whilst she can do calculations and crack codes in minutes, she has problems with emotions, feelings and interacting with others. I appreciated having a woman with learning differences as a heroine as too many protagonists in fiction are perfect and good looking.

Drake Elton was a marvellously chivalrous and heroic leading man: but he also had a strong conscience, and even during war, did not seek to kill unnecessarily. He respects Margot's intelligence and choices, but also wants to help her understand that feelings and love are not something to be feared: nor will they necessarily spoil her dreams.

It was also great to see characters from earlier novels playing a role in the novel: including Brook and her father from the first series.
My only real complaint is I felt bad guy became obvious and a little sloppy in his schemes towards the end. After all that build up, it was a bit disappointing and felt rushed.

Other than that, however, this story was an almost perfect read for me. I look forward to the next one in the series.

I requested this from the Publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

I’m late in the game of getting to this popular new novel by Roseanna White, but it was very worth the time it took me to get it to the top of my TBR pile. I love the fact that there are more novels coming out about WWI. What an unusual heroine! The way her mind worked boggled my own, and I credit Ms. White for the mounds of research she must have done to bring Margot De Wilde and the code breakers to life. I really liked the hero. I found him dashing and dangerous, yet real. I do admit that it took me a little longer to attach to Margot. At first, I had trouble keeping her and another character’s personalities separated. But with time, the differences between them became clearer, and I liked the way they brought out one another’s strengths and weaknesses. As far as spy novels and novels of intrigue go, it kept me worrying, as it should. This was a well-written novel about an aspect of the WWI I knew very little about.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2019, so I was thrilled to receive my copy of The Number of Love! Those who have read Roseanna's previous series, Shadows over England will especially appreciate this book, since it stars Lukas De Wilde's (A Song Unheard) sister, who has used her unique intelligence to work as a codebreaker for England. (by the way, I highly recommend all of Roseanna's other books, but your don't have to read her other series to enjoy the characters in this one!)
I loved getting to know Margot as the heroine, and thought that Roseanna did a phenomenal job of bringing this young genius and her top secret work to life. A young woman who has lost a lot during the pre-war and war days, she also has a way of processing that is entirely her own, making it hard for new people to get close to her. I love the variety that Drake and his sister add to Margot's life! This is a story worth picking up, since the characters are well written and the history is fascinating. This book has all the elements I enjoy: history, a lovely romance, and thought provoking questions, along with a suspenseful plot. This book needs to go on your summer reading list!
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.