This third and last installment of The Codebreakers series by Roseanna White was fabulous! In it you get Zivon, the handsome and steady Russian who fled to London during the Bolshevik revolution. There he meets Lily Blackwell, volunteer nurse and photographer. Right away you become immersed in her family, war hardships, influenza, loss and love. I love how there are many true historical events/people in here along with Roseanna's amazing fictionalized account of this time in our history. It was just so, so good and I think it will stay with you a while like it has for me.

If you like your historical Christian fiction to be adventurous and deeply moving as well, give this series a try. I think you'll love it too!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Roseanna M. White is one of my favourite historical romance authors for a number of reasons, but top among those reasons are (a) the way the historical setting plays such a key role in her stories and (b) the unique characters through which she brings the settings to life. Part of the fascination of this series has been learning more about the codebreakers and what their work involved during World War I, but my bet is that it wouldn’t have been half so fascinating had it not been explored through White’s skillful portrayal of characters such as Margot de Wilde and Zivon Marin, who view the world through a different lens than many of us. And speaking of lenses, Lily’s photography work was equally fascinating, and I loved the way in which the story touched on some of the moral questions that surrounded her work.

One of the features of this series has been the presence of the point of view of an antagonist whom the codebreakers are working against, and while that has been a point of interest in each of the previous books, there was an extra layer of tension in this book for reasons which I won’t disclose here. It also afforded an interesting, albeit limited, exploration of the philosophies that underpinned the Bolshevik Revolution, and created quite a lot of inner tension for Zivon as he wrestled with loyalty to his country, his family, and God. And if that isn’t enough historical interest, it just so happens that the Spanish flu pandemic broke out during the time frame of this story and so naturally impacts the characters. A little uncanny considering the year we’ve had!

The romance in Roseanna White’s novels is always the icing on the cake. They’re never formulaic, always unique to the characters and their circumstances, and as a result, every one of her books leaves me with that satisfied feeling of a thoroughly enjoyable and edifying read.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

It’s been several days since I finished A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White, and I’m still trying to decide what I think about this book. It was an amazing book, and I enjoyed the World War I aspect, especially the details about photography and editing photography to help the war. However, the parts about the Spanish flu were hard for me to read because the times they described seemed so much like modern times with the face masks and the pandemic, and people dying. But overall, I did really enjoy the book and loved the main characters, Lily and Zivon. Roseanna M. White does an excellent job with historical details and I always enjoy reading the notes at the end about what is real and what was fiction. It was truly a beautiful ending to the series.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, especially fiction that takes place during World War I.

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

From the first page until the last this delightful book held my imagination captive. The heart of these characters seized my own and I felt part of their story. Roseanna M. White has expertly crafted a delightful work of art in this story. I loved how we see the world through Lily Blackwell’s eyes as she photographs the world around her. This character came to life in this story and at one pivotal moment, my heart broke right alongside hers.

The twists and turns in the story had me holding my breath and rapidly turning pages to see what would happen next. I said up late reading until my eyes turned blurry more than once because I just didn’t want to put this book down! I highly recommend this story!

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon is driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits. But never far from his mind is his brother, whom Zivon fears died in the train crash that separated them.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove if she ever found out.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily that soon takes over their hearts. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share, and neither is entirely sure they can trust the other. When Zivon's loyalties are called into question, proving him honest is about more than one couple's future dreams--it becomes a matter of ending the war.

This is the third book in this series. It's not necessary to read the first two books in the series. But it would be helpful to read them to know the characters that are in book three.

This book centers around codebreakers during WWI and the retouching of photographs. Besides the story line of the book I found that aspect to be quite interesting. The flu epidemic was also brought into the story.

The book started out a little slow but got more interesting as it went along. I would recommend this book.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

I was intrigued by Lily in the previous book and was really glad that this one was about her and also Zivon, who we met in the last book as well. I enjoyed reading how their love blossomed, and the way they were able to help and comfort each other through the different ways they saw the world. One thing I liked about this book and the one before it is that we didn't have the typical 'misunderstanding between love interests' trope where there is a lack of communication involved. It was so refreshing to read a romance without that, where the love interests had faith in each other and never doubted each other, even if they didn't have all the information about something. Thank you Roseanna M. White for writing your characters this way!

Yet again I enjoyed the historical aspects of this series, which included the Russian Revolution, Russian cryptographers, early photography, and the Spanish Flu epidemic. This was a great conclusion to the series and I'll miss it, but I still have other books to read by this author. Up next will be the Ladies of the Manor series.

This is a lovely conclusion to the Codebreakers series! After having been with these characters for 9 books(3 series!) I am sad to say goodbye but this finale was just about perfect. It has been exciting following these characters through World War 1 and their contributions to the war effort. Lillian and Zion were fun to meet and I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. Lillian’s photography skills were such a cool element and it was neat to see how a skill like that could have been used back then. This was a fun read, that’s for certain. If you like historical fiction, don’t miss Roseanna’s stories. They will not disappoint!

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

This is the third and final book in the series, so I went into it with excitement as I’d been awaiting the story for a long time. I’m pretty picky with my series endings, and they quite often disappoint me, so I was a little bit nervous to pick up the book and dive in. Recently I’ve not been in a readerly mood, so most of the books I’ve read in the last few months have fallen short of my expectations, so I was also a little worried.

Then I started reading. And, Roseanna M. White did it again – she wrote a book that was delightful, fully immersive, had complex characters, and a plot that kept me wanting to read.

Due to life being really busy I had to read the book throughout a couple of weeks, but it’s the kind of story I could have easily swallowed in one sitting. Every time I picked the book up I was sucked back into the story, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.

Although the storyline was very interesting, it wasn’t exceedingly fast, which means I was able to get to know the characters and really delve into the time period, instead of just wanting to flip pages as fast as possible. The plot covered the topic of propaganda and (essentially) photoshopping photographs which is something I didn’t realize was happening back during the first World War. That was interesting to read about, and the author did a great job explaining it in an easy-to-understand way that also just blended into the story.

The characters were ones I enjoyed reading about. I especially enjoyed watching Lily (the main female character) and her sister, Ivy, interacting. I’m one of five sisters and reading a book that correctly portrays a good sister relationship makes me happy. Their bond was so deep and even amid war, they were able to find joy and laughter together.

While we get to watch Lily and her sister’s relationship, we also get that with Zivon (the main male character) and his brother. (Which is funny because I didn’t realize until just now how the stories parallel each other.) Zivon spends a good portion of the book trying to find his brother – who he’s not even sure is still alive – and we get to see how much he loves his brother.

Another side of this book was getting to read from the point-of-view of two not-so-great characters. We got to know them a lot better than we normally get to see this author’s “villains” and I enjoyed that and the character arc that they went through.

CONCLUSION

I liked it a whole lot. I lent the book to a friend literally as soon as I finished it so that she can read it and I can have someone to discuss the story with.

You’ll get more out of the story if you read the series in order, but I do think this book could be a standalone if you wanted to read it that way.

RATING

I’m giving A Portrait of Loyalty 4.5 out of 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy A Portrait of Loyalty from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. Thank you to the author and publisher for sending me this book!

The Codebreaker series has been one of faith, family, and love in the midst of war, ugliness, and in this one disease. Lily Blackwell is a photographer, and a really good one. So much so that she is needed in the war effort. However, her mother sees things differently. I did like the closeness that this military family showed- Lily's mother, father, and sister Ivy.

Zivon is also a family man. He has lost his parents and he is desperately looking for his younger brother and whether he is alive or dead. He is from Russia and is a great asset for the codebreakers. I enjoyed the different ways he and Lily looked at life and situations and how that complemented both of them and made for a great match. The author gives us great visual cues in the describing of their demeanors and even the way they moved.

Author White gives us a bit of the views of Russia and what was happening as this war dragged on and some wanted changes. They no longer wanted their nobility, but the way they went about the change was very ugly. In many ways mirroring our own current culture.

Not only was the war going on, but the Spanish influenza had come and was affecting the entire world. Sometimes it seems so much has changed and yet 100 years later, like nothing has changed.

This was a bit of a heart wrenching novel and I would suggest having tissues nearby.

I received a copy of this novel from publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

As much as I enjoyed the first books in The Codebreakers Series, I think A Portrait of Loyalty may be my favorite. There was much depth to the nuances of the friendship between the sisters, the relationship between Lily and Zivnon and their relationship with Lily's parents. And then, since I hadn't been paying attention to the dates at the beginning of the chapters, the arrival of the Spanish Flu took me by complete surprise. I cried more than once while reading Roseanna White's latest!

(I received a complimentary e-copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I absolutely love Roseanna White, and have loved all of The Codebreaker books. But as much as I wanted to love this one, I just couldn't. It got better as it went along, but the characters were all new and had very little tie to the Pierce family we all know and love from the previous books. In addition, it was difficult to keep up with the Russian names and nicknames - several times I wasn't sure who was being spoken about.

BOOK REVIEW: A Portrait of Loyalty (The Codebreakers 3)
BOOK BY: Roseanna White
This is the final book of The Codebreakers Trilogy which ties up all the loose ends from the previous two books into a nice neat bow at the end.
As always, Roseanna White’s books are well researched, rich with description and full of characters readers can fall in love with. This book is no different. It’s pleasant to be re-introduced to previous characters who have had their own stories throughout this series and other ones that take place during World War 1.
The questions of loyalty, trustworthiness, and art as a means to an end are addressed throughout the pages. There are some interesting arguments presented for the use of art in propaganda, and a question our heroine struggles with as she uses her photography talents to help end the war for Britain.
The newest cast member was introduced in the final pages of the previous novel so it was a delight to read Zivon’s story. He is one of those guys you love and can see that his struggle to share information is real. Can he trust the allies? Can he trust anyone? Can they trust him? It’s an interesting conundrum that plays throughout the novel.
Lily is a likeable character, if not conflicted. She works secretly with her father for Whitehall, but must keep her true job a secret from her artistic – and very opinionated – mother. When Lily meets Zivon, there is attraction but keeping her job a secret brings strain. Theirs is a slow romance, one that is challenged, but of course – there’s a happily ever after for them and everyone else around them.
This novel is probably the least favourite of the whole series. I found the pace a lot slower than the other ones and quite a bit less action, but no less tension. A reader could likely read this one as a stand alone, but to get the full appreciation of the series one should start with book one. Even better, start with the previous series Shadows Over England (or even Ladies of the Manor since they all make cameos throughout Shadows Over England).
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have read all of White’s Code Breaker series. I must say she certainly does her research well about WW1 and the intelligence network used during this time. She is a great writer and is not afraid to bring Christian faith into her writings. As all of White’s books, this was a beautifully crafted story with unforgettable characters and a fast moving plot. There is a depth to this one that you can get lost in as you keep reading on. I was given an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley and I am glad to give my review.

Auf ihrer Flucht vor den Bolschewiken werden Zivon und sein Bruder Evgeni bei einem Zugunglück getrennt. Als Zivon aus einem Koma erwacht gibt es keine Spur seines Koffers, seiner Papiere, oder seines Bruders. Wie der ursprüngliche Plan vorgesehen hat, macht er sich allein auf den Weg nach London, um den Briten seine Dienste als Topverschlüsselungsexperte anzubieten. Bei einem Dinner der Familie Blackwell lernt er die Tochter des Hauses, Lily kennen.
Die politischen Hintergründe sind etwas schwierig zu verstehen, wenn man sich geschichtlich mit der Oktoberrevolution nicht auskennt. Es ist zunächst nicht ganz einfach Zivon richtig einzuordnen, er entzieht sich etwas dem Einblick des Lesers. Vielleicht liegt es aber auch daran, dass er sich selbst in diesen neuen Lebensumständen noch nicht einordnen kann. Lily dagegen ist schnell sympathisch und durch ihre Fähigkeiten interessant.
Auch wenn Zivon nicht davon ausgeht, erfährt man in abwechselnden Kapiteln, dass seine Feinde die Freundin seines Bruders auf seine Spur gesetzt haben. Mit wenigen Mitteln macht sie sich dennoch voll Tatendrang auf den Weg zum Unglücksort nach Frankreich.
Eine der bewegenden Fragen, die das Buch aufwirft lautet: Darf man sein künstlerisches Talent in den Dienst der Kriegspropaganda stellen? Darf man Bilder verändern, um den Feind zu schwächen und den Krieg früher zu beenden? Bei dieser Diskussion geht ein Riss durch die Lilys Familie.
Die wachsende Zuneigung der Beiden kann überzeugen, sie sind ein sympathisches Paar, aber dann entstehen durch die Widrigkeiten ihrer Geheimnisse schwere Hindernisse und Zerwürfnisse.
Man erhält Einblick in die Not, Sorge und Verzweiflung dieses Krieges und in die Situation in der Stadt London. Man fühlt sich in die Zeit versetzt.
Die Autorin beendet das Buch spannend und glaubhaft. Ein lesenswerter Teil 3 der Codebreakers Reihe.

This was simply an amazing book! It had a unique plot that kept my interest, and the characters felt very real. Lily was a very kind and helpful person. And with her amazing talent in photography, she was able to help the war effort in a very special way.

Zivon had a very interesting story behind him. He went through some very hard things in Russia, ran for his life to a new country, and faces new trouble even there. I really enjoyed getting to see what was waiting around the corner. I also loved how smart and watchful he was, it was really interesting seeing him work at figuring out the clues that he found. It's a great book and I highly recommend it!



I received this book free through NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. The opinions are my own.

I am so happy to be done with the Codebreakers series in the sense that I loved it so much and enjoyed every page I read. I am sorry to see it end though.
Please,please do yourself a big favor and even though each book can be read as a stand alone I highly recommend reading the series from the start as the books all come together and you will much better understand the stories.
Though a fictional series it's based on true events and happenings and I so much appreciate all the hard work and research the author has put into her writing of this series.
It was all so intriguing and had me turning pages one after another so quickly just to find out what happens not to mention the lack of sleep I got because well you know, just one more chapter turns into half the night reading. But I really couldn't resist with this one!
Highly recommend this whole series!

Pub Date 08 Sep 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White is a clean Christian romance novel set during World War I.

After Russia falls to revolution, Russia's top cryptographer, Zivon Marin, moves to London to work with the British cryptographers. In the same building, the beautiful Lilly Blackwell secretly works for the government as a professional photographer and early photoshopper.

I really enjoyed this novel. Roseanna White has a talent for creating interesting characters with unique characters, and this novel was no exception. I really enjoyed getting to know Lilly and Zivon and watching their romance play out.

I also liked what happened with the villains. But I won't spoil anything for you, so I won't say more.

I found it interesting, considering that this was published in Autumn 2020, that the author included a flu pandemic that swept through London. Everyone was wearing masks in the hospitals, it spread quickly, and no one knew who might catch it next. Sound familiar?

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the next book by this lovely author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley ... and I bought it as an audiobook (the narrator did an exceptional job with the accents!). All opinions are entirely my own.

A Portrait of Loyalty
by Roseanna M. White
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 08 Sep 2020



I am reviewing a copy of A Portrait of Loyalty through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:






Zivon Marin had been one of Russia’s top cryptographers up until the October Revolution tore apart his world. He was forced to flees to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon driven by his growing anger is determined to offer his his services to the Brits. But Zivon’s brother who he feared died in the train crash that separated the brothers is never far from his mind.






Lily Blackwell sees the best the world has to offer through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. Her fathers connections in propaganda have allowed her to be recruited to the intelligence division, despite the fact her Mother would disapprove if she ever found out.






When Captain Blackwell invited Zivon to dinner, one evening, a friendship blossoms between him and Lily that soon takes over their hearts. But both Zivon and Lily have secrets of that they are not willing to share, and neither one of them is entirely sure they could trust the other one. When Zivon finds his loyalties have been called into question, proving him honest is about more than one couple's future dreams, it becomes a matter of ending the war.



If you like World War 1 era fiction, you will love A Portrait of Loyalty.



I give A Portrait of Loyalty five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

A PORTRAIT OF LOYALTY by Roseanna White
The Codebreakers Series has been great and I hate to see it end. The characters and their personalities were so descriptive that I felt like I knew them. I loved Lily and Zivon and their sweet romance. A WW1 story at it’s finest.
I have learned so much through The Codebreakers Series. I have read one other book about the codebreakers in all of my years of reading except this series. My heart was broken at least one time but I won’t tell you when. An Inspirational message throughout the story will make you take a look at your own life. Am I holding on to any kind of anger and bitterness or is my heart where it’s supposed to be?
There were some things in this book I felt were parallel with what we are going through now in 2020 and this book was wrote before we ever knew of Covid-19. It’s amazing how lots of Christian books I read will be similar to things I have went through or are going through at the moment. What beautiful lessons I learn sometimes through Christian Fiction.
Even though this book can stand alone I love that the characters from the other two books makes their appearance in this story. Roseanna White has become one of my favorite authors so I would love for my friends to try her if you haven’t already.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The Codebreakers series wraps up here, after following Margot the math whiz in The Number of Love and Philip the disgraced pilot in On Wings of Devotion. Now our heroine is Lily, a young photography expert helping alter shots to leak to the enemy. Her father also works at the Old Admiralty Building, but Lily's mother has strict views against propaganda, so Lily has kept her official work a secret, covered up by her volunteer nursing shifts at Charing Cross Hospital.

Zivon Marin escaped war-torn Russia after losing his family and fiancee. A train wreck has separated him from his brother, his last living relative, and he wonders if he'll ever see Evgeni alive again. Despite their differing political beliefs, he longs for the love and connection they'd always shared. He has no regrets defecting to help the British, not after everything the Bolsheviks have taken from him.

Lily likes the new man around the office, but she sees the pain and scars he keeps buried deep inside. Can she help him see the beauty in life once more?

The final days of WWI play out across the pages, including the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. I hadn't expected that to be part of the story, so it was quite a surprise, especially given all that has happened in our world here in 2020. We all understand about that a little more now than we would have if this book had released last year.

Overall, another fantastic novel from Roseanna M. White! I would recommend this for all fans of historical fiction.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.