A Portrait of Loyalty ~ Review

A Portrait of Loyalty
The Codebreakers #3
By Roseanna M White

He was trying to save his brother and his homeland. The knowledge that he took with him has made him a target. Zivon Marin has defied the Bolsheviks and their revolution, but it has come at a steep cost. And if he is not careful, ensuring his silence could cost him even more.

Lily Blackwell sees beauty in the everyday moments of life. Fallen petals. A smile. But the Admiralty has another use for her gift - a service that her mother would disapprove of. But her father feels this secret is necessary to England's war efforts. Tweaking and manipulating photos for the country's propaganda efforts can't be wrong, not when it could save lives and help bring this war to a conclusion. 

When a passing invitation brings Zivon and a colleague to a dinner at the Blackwell home, they soon find themselves frequent guests of the Blackwells. Lily sees something in Zivon - something that makes her want to get to know this somber, serious young man. 

When tragedy strikes, Lily begins to question her role within the Admiralty. Could her work cause more harm than good? Meanwhile, Zivon's loyalty is being questioned - he fears that the very people he escaped from have found him and are seeking to once again ruin the life he has. With the evidence he had so carefully hidden lost to him, he has nothing to corroborate his claims. Can their faith sustain them through the trials that they are both facing?

A Portrait of Loyalty is able to be read on its own if you have not yet read the first two books in the series (The Number of Love and Wings of Devotion). But in my opinion it is so much better to read these books in series order as they do build upon each other. This book opens in February 1918 and ends in November 1918 with most of the scenes taking place in England and then France. I liked that some of the characters who were in Roseanna's Shadows Over England and Ladies of the Manor series also made an appearance. This story takes place during the final days of the war but also during the beginning days of the Spanish Influenza. I found it quite interesting the parallels between then and now. I highly recommend this book and this series which due to the very subject matter has emotional moments that will move the reader. This is a series that I know is one that I'll be rereading it is that good. This is my pick for the next book club selection (whenever that happens).

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

He sees patterns in what she deems chaos.

She sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed.

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 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.