The Number Of Love by Roseanna M. White

Looking for a good read as we rev up for Valentine’s Day? I just may have found it! But don’t let this book’s title fool you—this is no mushy romance. It’s a World War I thriller as codebreakers and spies alike battle to save London. With a little love story on the side.

Among those codebreakers is Margot De Wilde—who despite the fact that she’s a woman (and an eighteen-year-old one at that!) is the greatest weapon the Room 40 Codebreakers have. And among those spies is Drake Elton—who whether Margot likes it or not, she may have to cooperate with to save London from a deadly plot. But as they race to break the code and evade shadowy agents, Margot is also dealing with the fallout of the greatest tragedy she’s ever known. And that's a code that for the first time in her life, Margot can't crack.

From the moment I picked this book up from the bookstore shelf, I was excited. I was eager to see Margot (whom I became acquainted with in A Song Unheard) return—this spunky young adult deserved her own book! Even though he didn’t have as much of a head start as Margot, Drake soon captured my attention as well. I could get in both their heads and related a lot to the introverted Margot. The side characters are vibrant and only add to the vivid landscape of the unfolding plot.

Roseanna White doesn’t shy away from mentioning God—in fact, this book probes perhaps the deepest question we ask: Why does God let bad things happen? But don't mistake that for me saying the theme is preachy or tacked on--it weaves through out the whole story, right up to the surprising conclusion. The plot twist in the climax turns everything on its head—I quite literally was guessing through every page of this book. And, as I mentioned, a surprising conclusion brings everything full circle.

One or two sequences do feel almost as if a scene is missing. For example: a character argues with Margot in one scene. The scene changes and suddenly we have the villain gloating over having kidnapped said character. What happened? These instances are few and far between, however, and hardly able to tarnish this top-notch story.

In short? Let me break the code for you. This is an exciting read that won't leave you without pencil or paper or scratching your head too many times. How many stars would I give it? The only correct answer, of course, would be the number of love-this-book!