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“He’d chosen his words carefully, so that he’d remember his own intentions. He wasn’t waiting for her. He was waiting on her. That kind of waiting wasn’t impatient, didn’t sit there tapping its foot. That kind of waiting was service. Selfless. Unflagging.”

Roseanna White has yet again outdone herself. I don’t know how she does it, but her writing becomes more intense, more gripping, and more lyrical with each new book and series. I thoroughly enjoyed the Shadows Over England series and love that some of the beloved characters from that series have roles in this story between Margot and Drake. Of course, we met Margot in A Song Unheard (book 2 in Shadows Over England) as the quirky younger sister of the world-renowned violinist Lukas De Wilde but this book can be read as a stand-alone, without having read the previous series (but I highly recommend that you do read the series if you haven’t yet).

So knowing what a fantastic storyteller the author is, the wait for this book was agonizing….but so worth it. The deliciously fast-paced suspense, mystery, and secrecy of espionage in this book far surpass what I remember from the previous books. The fascinating and clever dialogue that is the author’s trademark is taken up a notch. Roseanna White has a way of creating unforgettable characters and she has indeed gone above and beyond in introducing Margot and Drake to the world. Margot thinks in numbers and relies on methodical calculations and logic to face the world of loss as WWI destroys everything she holds dear. She’s a very different kind of heroine with a unique voice that comes so clearly across the pages. Drake is an injured espionage agent who has survived on instinct and fearlessly takes on Margot’s intelligence to show her that emotions and feelings are not enemies but something to treasure. His devotion, maturity, and selflessness make him quite swoon-worthy. And there is a villain with a voice that sends chills up my spine whenever I think about him! And, of course, there is that gentle spiritual reminder in this book that “faith isn’t just feeling. We have to know He’s still there, unchanged, even when we can’t feel Him. When the grief’s too loud to let us hear His voice.”

Now I am in my agonizing waiting period again for the next book to be released so I can revel in Phillip and Arabelle’s story!

I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

When I told my best friend and critique partner what book I was pitching next to my publisher, her response was something along the lines of, “That sounds awesome. Also, you’re crazy, and I do not envy you writing that one.”

I laughed…and knew exactly what she meant. Because I was setting out to write a heroine who was a mathematician—which I am definitely not. A heroine who was utterly indifferent to love and marriage—which makes for a difficult story when one writes romance. A character who had an unshakeable faith—which has to be shaken at least a bit in order to make for growth throughout the story. And more, a character who has “issues,” let’s call it, that those familiar with such things will recognize…and which those who aren’t will probably think are quirks.

I was setting out to write a story that would be challenging for me, every step of the way. And the result is a book I’m incredibly in love with and so happy to share with the world.

The Number of Love is all about Margot, who thinks and even prays in numbers. Born and raised in Belgium, she and her family fled to England in 1914 when the Germans invaded her homeland. Thanks to her remarkable abilities with numbers and patterns, she’s now employed at Room 40, the Admiralty’s secret codebreaking branch. But as I was contemplating what sort of man could ever win Margot’s heart, I knew he had to be very different… someone active where she’s still. Someone outgoing where she turns inward. Someone who sees in her what she never can, and who believes she can grasp the dreams that society tells her are unbefitting a woman. This is how Drake was born—a field agent employed by Room 40.

I can honestly say this is the only book I’ve ever written that required me to borrow my daughter’s algebra book while I was writing it, LOL. And though every single scene was a challenge, it was one I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you’ll join me on the journey that Margot and Drake are on, which answer the question my husband cheekily asked more than once as I was writing it: what is the number of love?