A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White (Blog Tour Review)

A Name Unknown
(Shadows Over England #1)
by Roseanna M. White
Christian Historical Romantic Suspense
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 428 Pages
July 4th 2017 by Bethany House

Summary

She’s out to steal his name. Will he steal her heart instead?

Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets—now they focus on high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. Rosemary’s challenge of a lifetime comes when she’s assigned to determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany. How does one steal a family’s history, their very name?

Rumors swirl around Peter Holstein. Awkward and solitary, but with access to the king, many fear his influence. But Peter can’t help his German last name and wants to prove his loyalty to the crown—so he can go back to anonymously writing a series of popular adventure novels. When Rosemary arrives on his doorstop pretending to be a well- credentialed historian, Peter believes she’s the right person to help him dig through his family’s past.

Anger and danger continue to mount, though, and both realize they’re in a race against time to discover the truth—about Peter’s past and about the undeniable attraction kindling between them.

(Affiliate links included - I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using my links.)

My Review

A NAME UNKNOWN is a story sure to pull readers in from the beginning and never let go. They won't be able to resist the likable characters, beautiful setting, and intriguing plot with danger, suspense, tests of faith, and romance. This is one story not to be missed!

I loved this story! Loved it!! Every. Single. Page! I loved the characters who were unique and complex. They were also quite charming with their imperfections and talents. I couldn't help but fall in love with Rosemary and Peter. I loved how their relationship begins and develops. I loved how the staff and Peter's friends, as well as other side characters came alive. I also loved all the small things, the meaningful looks, the walks, the sweet moments, the heartbreaking ones, and the fierce moments when Rosemary or Peter take action. The characters definitely won me over in this story!

This is the second book I've read set in Cornwall, England this week, and I loved the setting both times. I could picture the small country town, the sprawling gardens of the manor house, the rugged cliffs with the ocean breeze, the mist that comes in the morning... I loved how the setting added additional charm to the story.

Now let's talk about the plot... I found it to be completely intriguing. Here is this thief-turned-librarian trying to find proof of someone being a traitor who is constantly trying to be this new persona while also trying to be as genuine as possible to pull off the job. She is pitted against this gentleman who is intelligent, somewhat of a recluse, extremely kind, has a stuttering issue, is also refined (he is a member of the upper class), and who is also strong and confident. The contrasts were quite marked between the two of them, but I found this just added to the story more and made them work so well together. I loved the whole mystery and underlying suspense. You can feel the danger lurking through the whole story. I wasn't sure exactly who were the villains and who could be trusted. The ending has a few twists that kept things interesting as well.

Other elements of the story were very well done. There was a strong inspirational element. It was part of the story I enjoyed as it was woven through well. It also felt genuine, especially for these characters. The romance was really beautiful and I appreciated that it was a slow build, but also had plenty of chemistry between these two characters in the end. This story brought out all the feels and I loved that it drew all these emotions from me.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This story has it all: great characters, superb writing, a beautiful and charming setting, inspiring and sweet moments, danger and intrigue, and a very sweet romance. Highly recommended!

Content: Some violence and innuendo, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Litfuse Publicity, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.

Other Books in the Series

A Song Unheard
(Shadows Over England #2)
by Roseanna M. White
Christian Historical Romantic Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 400 Pages
January 2nd 2018 by Bethany House Publishers

Summary

Willa Forsythe is a violin prodigy—but no one will ever know it beyond the ragtag collection of former street urchins she calls family. Because Willa Forsythe is also one of London’s best thieves, and her life is far from the limelight of a stage. But with war destroying everything normal, she finds herself accepting an odd and awe-inspiring job from a new employer—to steal an encryption key from a famous violinist currently in Wales. A violinist whose poster she has had tacked to her wall for years.

Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he’s won—until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. In addition to being a premiere musician, he’s also the son of a late professor whose work in codebreaking has gained far too much attention from far too many governments. Everyone wants the key to his father’s work. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is meeting the intriguing and miraculous Willa Forsythe, whose talent leaves him breathless. But how can he convince her to let him have a part in her life?

Working together with an orchestra of Belgian refugees, Willa and Lukas find themselves in an unlikely cast full of musicians and heiresses, thieves and spies . . . and unending questions of who they can trust. Lukas speaks so easily of a bright and promising future after the war—but Willa has never known anything other than abandonment. Hope is a song she has never been able to hear, much less play. And she knows what he doesn’t—that she must betray him and find that encryption key, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.

(Affiliate links included - I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using my links.)

About the Author


Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of over a dozen historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly boring. She passes said boring life with her husband and kids in the beautiful mountains of eastern West Virginia.



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