A NOBLE SCHEME is the second novel in the Imposters series by ROSEANNA M WHITE. Like the first novel, it is beautifully written and it is great to come across the characters we came to know and love in A Beautiful Disguise. Although it can stand alone, I suggest you read the books in sequence. I cannot wait for the third and final book in the series.
Full of emotion, exciting, and with a strong Christian message, A Noble Scheme has everything that makes for a most enjoyable and inspirational read.
The story takes place in 1909-1910 with the Imposters looking for a young boy that has been kidnapped from Fellsbourne, Lord Wilfred’s country estate. The kidnapper took the wrong boy, a poor relation’s son, and the hard hearted Lord Wilfred refuses to pay the ransom to set him free……
We see how the loss of their little Jamie has affected Gemma with hatred towards her husband, and Graham with anger towards God.
Grief over lost children is a major theme in the novel, together with the importance of forgiveness….
Things are not as they seem as we see the mystery unfold and the four friends trying to unravel the clues…..
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I cannot recommend the book highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are competely my own.

I loved this book, and being back with The Imposters, this is the second book in this series, and now I'm looking for more!

This is a story of forgiveness, and it resonates throughout the read, right to the end.

There are sad subjects here, kidnapping of children, and death of children in accidents, the grieving that seems insurmountable.

Here we are in 1909 England, and this group, with their own problems, open their hearts to parents of a missing child, and boy does this touch close to home.

Roseanna M. White sure doesn't disappoint, and I was page turning for answers! Surprises, Yes! And I loved how faith plays such an important part of this book!

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

I enjoyed this story. It finally resolved the tension between Gemma and Graham that was unresolved from book 1. I liked the character development and arc, and I felt a keen sympathy with both Gemma and Graham from each side of their story. The plot twist in the middle really threw me, because I wasn't expecting something so...painful? but I really like it. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy romance, historical fiction, and/or spying & action.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

UNEXPECTEDLY DEEP.

Since this was book two in a series I didn’t read the summary and found this book much heavier than I expected. Not a bad thing, but a thing to note to be prepared to read the trigger warnings first.

Once the plot started to unfold my heart started to hurt. The second chance romance between Graham and Gemma was fought for. The resilient nature of both of them to stubbornly hold on to things and watching those walls crumble was beautiful. I loved how faith was worked into this story and the meaningful moments that were given to these characters to find a way back home.

The mystery was good, I enjoyed the themes throughout the book and how the story was uncovered. I think the Imposters group is a great little found family and I like seeing them work together to solve the crimes before them while supporting each other through their trials.

I’m very much looking forward to Yates book!

Overall audience notes:

Historical Fiction
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low-moderate
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a baby (recounted and discussed throughout), kidnapped children, near suicide, loss of a child (recounted)

This was a touching and lovely story in so many ways; part historical; part romance and part mystery. Yet, there were aspects which were sad and difficult to bear - grief, parent/child relationships, trust, pain, anger, regret, sorrow and forgiveness. There are parallels drawn between theological teachings and relationships among the characters. (Some of these parallels are repeated for emphasis.) Yet, the overarching feeling is one of hope delivered through grace.

The Imposters serve as private investigators to the ton of London. Their services are called upon when a child, mistaken for his better-off cousin, is kidnapped for a king's ransom. Initially, the uncle wants nothing to do with the family of the kidnapped child as it is no concern of his (even though it was his son who was the intended target). Two members of the team are struggling with their own parenthood experiences, heightened by the nature of this particular case. The weight of grief upon their hearts is heavy and burdensome although each carries it differently and faces it alone. We walk beside them throughout the story and share in their sorrow ever hoping that they will unburden their grief and try to face it together.

Although this is the second book in the Imposters series, it manages to stand well on its own. The writing is lovely, the historic context well prepared and delivered in a painterly fashion, the characters are well-developed and the story is engrossing. The plot has a number of twists and turns and possible perpetrators. The tension builds gradually to a peak and gently tapers off to a satisfying conclusion. This is a lovely and affirming story and well worth the read.

I am grateful to Bethany House Publishers for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers and NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication date: March 19, 2024
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 978-0764240935

This is the second book in the Imposters series, and I highly recommend you read the first one, A Beautiful Disguise, before reading this one. Nearly all the characters get introduced in book 1, and a lot of the back story for this book is in there too.

A Noble Scheme is a deep, emotional book. It’s very well-written, but it deals with a lot of heavy themes – grief, forgiveness, trust, love, relationships between parents and children – and it’s not what you want to read if you’re in the mood for something light and frivolous. It’s also set mostly in the winter, so be prepared to feel cold :-)

White does a masterful job of weaving plot lines together with twists that keep the reader on the edge of the seat. I had a hard time putting the book down, wanting to know how all the various plot lines were going to get resolved. White has good insights into the issues she deals with. You may need to have some tissues handy for when you hit the really emotional scenes.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.  #ANobleScheme #NetGalley

"A Noble Scheme" is a Christian romance with a mystery, set in 1909 in England. Most of the story was about this mysterious, unforgivable problem between Gemma and Graham. It didn't matter if they were in a rush to save a young boy, they had time for a long argument about Gemma's lack of trust and forgiveness. Or if Gemma was freezing while lost in the snowy woods, it was a perfect time to kneel in the snow mourning her loss. This rather undercut any suspense. By the end, they'd finally worked through a lot of their relationship trauma and focused on the problem of saving two kidnapped boys.

The mystery was pretty straight forward: they soon identified who was demanding the ransom, where the boys were, and even why they were kidnapped. It was just a matter of getting them back. However, some things were never explained: How did Graham find the lost Gemma so quickly when he didn't know where she'd gone? Or why did someone steal Graham's notes since later no one seemed to suspect him of having anything to do with the attempt to save the boys?

The main characters were likable and generally acted realistically. Gemma had to learn to forgive (because God forgave her and expected her to forgive others). Graham didn't trust God to be good since He could have stopped a tragic loss but didn't, so he had to work through that issue. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this story to those who have read the previous book and enjoyed the characters.

A complicated storyline that was wonderful with many unexpected twists and turns. The characters were delightful and very true to life.

I received this book as an ARC and I'm grateful to the publisher for the opportunity to read it. The 2nd in the Imposters series. I liked this one better than the first. There was depth in this story of James and Gemma. It was a good mystery and the historical and architectural details made it especially interesting. The characters are great. I love how they work together to solve the cases the police won't, or can't. I really look forward to the next offering when Yates has his turn.

Gemma Parks is known throughout high society as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talent to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the elite firm's members through her columns.

Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his soul in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma not only to restore the missing boy, but also to win back the only woman he's ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham must devise a noble scheme to save the boy's life and heal their hearts.

Although the second book in a series, this can be read as a standalone.

Romance is woven throughout grief, challenges, and a mystery. An interesting book with characters that are well developed and a good pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

This continuation of the Imposters series did not disappoint! As Gemma and Graham are forced to work on a case together, you slowly learn more about their past and why they've been at odds with each other. Their character development was perfectly balanced with the Imposters case to find the missing boys. I also really appreciated how well the author handled the themes of grief and forgiveness.

A Noble Scheme
Roseanna M. White
March 19. 2024
Bethany
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
In the opulent and perilous world of high society's most elite--and most dangerous--families, two investigators must set aside their broken hearts to uncover the truth.
I loved this book! I have read this author before and those books are just as good. I enjoyed the elegance and mystery of this book. It was very clever and enjoyable to read.
5 stars

This book is a romance with twists and turns I didn't anticipate but that give it such depth and sweetness. Part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, and it's a book I will think about for a long time. From the first book in the Imposters, I knew there was a deep pain between Gemma and Graham, but the source goes so much deeper than I had anticipated. The author deals with the grief and challenges with such a deft hand that gives such grace and emotion to it without turning the book maudlin. Instead, it's a story that left me rooting so hard for the romance. At the same time there is a multi-layered mystery that borders on suspense that was so well woven. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this novel. It truly promises a HEA after taking the hero and heroine through a wilderness.