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A review by fiction_aficionado
A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White
5.0
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.
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.