The Number of Love (The Codebreakers)

Way back when I read A Song Unheard in the Shadows Over England series, I said Margot De Wilde needed her own book. Well, she got it, and it rocks. Everything about this book is a slam dunk.Margot is my favorite kind of character, especially for a Christian novel. She's unconventional and somewhat unpredictable. She's neither bold and brassy and adventurous, nor sweet, demure, and exclusively interested in husbands and children. Her strengths mix excellently with her flaws. For example, she's blisteringly brilliant and calm in a crisis, but can come across as too stoic--plus, she's smarter than you and she knows it. She loves logic and has found a way to marry that with Christian faith, but often becomes too driven to find the reason or the point for everything--and when she can't, she ends up hurting herself or others. It's rare you see a character in any novel with this level of development, especially a female protagonist, and I loved getting to know and being with Margot from page one.Drake Elton is no slouch, either. His more gregarious and sometimes flirtatious personality provides Margot's perfect complement, but unlike some heroes of his type, he isn't empty-headed or a pretty boy. Drake and Margot work so well together precisely because there are reasons their relationship shouldn't work. For example, both have intense thirsts to prove themselves, and the way they choose to do that hinders their relationship with each other. Also, Drake is so used to conventional women, he pushes those standards onto Margot without realizing it, which further complicates matters but gives him a great opportunity for character growth.The WWI, espionage-centered plot of this story doesn't seem like it would facilitate character growth, but it does, while still nailing the suspenseful expectations of said plot. I've read some books like this where the plot sounds like, "Go here, go there, find this, zap this bad guy like in a video game." In The Number of Love, I didn't get that. I knew exactly what the stakes were, why objects or people were important, and why I should care. I wanted to see both romantic and overall success. I also loved the balance between romance-based suspense and regular suspense, plus the unique elements Roseanna used. For instance, it's not often you see a hero doing his best work *after* he gets gut shot and spends time recuperating.The secondary cast was pretty great as well. Being reunited with Willa, Lukas, Rosemary, and Barclay was nice, but I also enjoyed the other characters. Dot Elton is my favorite, with her social anxiety and spectrum-like traits (which Margot has some of, too). I have never seen characters like Dot and Margot written this well, and I wanted more. These women are not flat "inspirations." They are not "weird." They are allowed to be who they are and change, or not, on their own terms, only when they need to. Of course, in 1917, nobody would have said something like, "These women probably have Asperger's syndrome or PTSD." But writers and people in general could take a big lesson in how Dot, in particular, is presented with these traits. The same could be said of Redvers "Red" Holmes, who is at first pigeonholed by society because of a disability, but sticks in there and proves himself his own man, without sap or contrived coincidences.And let's not forget the villain. He could be a bit confusing at first, but I ended up understanding him and his motivations. I also liked the unusual way he went about his business, with the Go game and feeling completely stymied by Margot's smarts. The pneumonia element is great too, as it shows villains can have significant weaknesses, but you're still in grave danger if you underestimate the wrong ones.Finally, I appreciated Roseanna's unusual little character touches, such as how Margot interacts with God through numbers. That in particular shows how every Christian's relationship with God is different, multifaceted, and personal, something I wish we saw much more of in Christian fiction and nonfiction.I was a bit skeptical of this series, but no more. The next one cannot come fast enough. I'm anxious to see what sweet nurse Annabelle Denler is going to do to win the Black Heart of the incorrigible Phillip Camden.

Margot is a brilliant mathematical prodigy who, despite being a young female, becomes one of England's top codebreakers during the WWI years. She and fellow codebreakers work to solve mysteries and save lives. Of course a romance develops between the awkward but brilliant Margot and Drake a dashing, brave spy recovering in England. As always, Roseanna White creates witty dialogue with faith themes well woven within the story. Where this book shines is in the uniqueness of the heroine, who is loving portrayed as some who in modern time would be classified as likely having Asperger's Syndrome. The author's treatment of Margot's personality is masterful and is worth the read in and of itself. Although this is book one in a series (and can be read as such or as a stand alone), Margot is actually introduced in A Song Unheard, book two of White's previous series Shadow's Over England. In many ways this book functions more like book 4 of that series with many familiar characters making cameo appearances which allows the faithful Roseanna White readers to see how beloved friends' lives continue to evolve as WWI progresses.

I really don’t give 5’s unless it is close to perfection!!! This is a wonderful story. I felt like it took a long time for the characters story to unfold- but once it did, I loved their chemistry. Ms. White has interesting characters with great history woven within her stories. I finish and start looking for her next book.

Dang. This book was super hard for me to get into at first. I tried reading it in paperback format and listening to it in audiobook a few times before it finally caught me. I listened to about half of on audiobook and devoured the last half of it in paperback. Man was it gripping. So much action and suspense wrapped up in intelligence agents and codebreakers in the shadow of World War I.I loved that Margot was more of an unconventional female lead and how Drake had to pursue her differently as a result. I can't wait to move on to the next book in the series but I think I need to read more of a fluffy book first before I jump back into potential for more suspense haha

This book was not what I initially suspected. It was so much more.Roseanna White plucked engaging historical facts from WWI and laced them with high energy action and quiet romance. I will be following the Codebreakers series in the promise of more.My favorite aspect in The Number Of Love was that our stoic heroine, Margot, did not conform to the expected dutiful wife mentality upon meeting Drake. Rather she fought with her emotions over her wants, expectations, and desires. Being intellectual, she didn't want a life of serving her husband and saw a relationship as a hindrance to her goals. Drake was patient --and smart-- enough to enjoy the slow pace which allowed the reader to understand and appreciate the journey. It made the story so engaging. Of course the reader is cheering for a happy ending, but the winding path is so delicious.I appreciated that the intimate contact was appropriate for the era. I have been frustrated with other authors that toss modern nuances and customs onto characters from past eras. This book was so believable that the characters could very well be in a family tree spilling their tales to a grandchild.I find history books a bit dry, but I so enjoy when I can read factual events through the eyes of emotion, angst, and determination. This book was an absolute delight with fully engaging dialogue, well developed characters, and rich details.As a true testament to the book, my work day was interspersed with thoughts of the characters and what predicament I'd left them. The tale was so gripping and characters so real that I puzzled over their next steps until I could get back to them.

I love anything World War II, and I especially like characters with character. Out of the ordinary is so refreshing, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Number of Love was amazing. The plot was very detailed (without all the silly nonsensical romance that many books seem to have these days). I learned so much about the Great War that I had never known before, it was so interesting to read something with actually facts that made you exercise your brain! And the best part? It was completely free of coarse language and/or carnal romance. Margot, an intelligent and beautiful young lady, works in Room 40, “the intelligence hub of the Admiralty”. She’s a very serious character who takes everything literally making her incredibly sarcastic and a fun heroine. It was compelling to watch her slowly open her heart up to the Lord again where it had once been so easy before. The plot covers her struggles in going back to normalcy after tragedy strikes. Enter Drake, our hero!All the characters that White created had intriguing personalities.The antagonist’s side of the story was, surprisingly, just as interesting as the protagonist’s. Das Gespenst, as he is known, was very mysterious but you couldn’t help but pity him. I really loved the way his story ended, Margot’s reaction was Godly and admirable.The romance in the story was also very sweet. White was able to bring God into Margot and Drake’s relationship beautifully. The two learned to rely on God and saw His work in both their lives. Both of them sacrificed something for the other which I feel is the right representation of romance compared to the “perfect love” that many novels portray.Overall, it was an excellent novel that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would!I look forward to reading more of Roseanna M. White’s creations (the ones I’ve read so far were just as good)! Five stars!You can find more of my reviews on my blog at honestlyspeakingonbooks.blogspot.com/.

This is a beautiful and intelligent novel, really sad in some places as you would expect of a story set during WW1. It is a sincere tribute to the codebreakers of Room 40, Bletchley Park's predecessors and I'm glad I read it because I never knew of their existence before. I think it takes a very talented author to do justice to such a talented group of people. Clearly Ms White is that author and this is a fine achievement.

Exceptionally good. Intelligent, heart warming and powerful. So good to have a strong and gifted female protagonist breaking stereotypes. A tribute to all those courageous women who had crucial roles doing incredible deeds in history.

The Number Of Love is just one more Roseanne M White book that I’ll read over and over again. An easy read, but one that keeps you engaged and guessing what will happen next.