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 a 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 … 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.
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I am pretty sure this is the sixth book by Roseanna M. White that I have read this year, so I may sound like a broken record gushing again, but I love this author. I’m so impressed by her. A Portrait of Loyalty is a lovely conclusion to The Codebreakers series. As always, the history and characterization shine.
This little piece of dialogue from p. 272-273 sticks with me: “Who said love had to be shackles? I’m not trying to hold you anywhere, force you to do anything. This is a gift. . . I hope you’ll accept my love–not as a prison trying to make you be something you don’t want to be. But as . . . wings.” As soon as I heard this, I thought how much this reminds me of God’s love for us. It isn’t shackles, but freedom, in so many ways.
I loved this series.
From the first page until the last this delightful book held my imagination captive. The heart of these characters seized my own and I felt part of their story. Roseanna M. White has expertly crafted a delightful work of art in this story. I loved how we see the world through Lily Blackwell’s eyes as she photographs the world around her. This character came to life in this story and at one pivotal moment, my heart broke right alongside hers.
The twists and turns in the story had me holding my breath and rapidly turning pages to see what would happen next. I said up late reading until my eyes turned blurry more than once because I just didn’t want to put this book down! I highly recommend this story!
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.)
I listened to the audio version of A Portrait of Loyalty and really enjoyed the story. Roseanna does a wonderful job with research and bringing World War One in England to life. Her characters are very memorable and I was totally wrapped up in the story. The narrator did a great job with the Russian and British accents. This is book 3 in the Codebreakers Series and highly recommended!
A Portrait of Loyalty Roseanna M. White is the 3rd novel in The Codebreakers. It can be read as a standalone, but I believe you will have a better reading experience if the series is read in order. I thought A Portrait of Loyalty was well-written with developed characters. Ms. White takes readers back to 1918 in London where they are diligently fighting the Germans. The point-of-view switches between several characters including Zivon and Lily. It was fascinating learning about the work Lily did for the war effort. The author really brought Lily’s characters and the work she did to life. The way they would take photos and alter them was intriguing. Lily also took plenty of photos with the camera she carried everywhere with her. I could tell the author did her research for this story. The information about the Bolsheviks, espionage, breaking codes, and the Spanish flu are all included. There was just the right amount of detail. The author managed to walk that fine line between not enough and too much. The pace of the story picked up near the end as well as the tension. I was eager to see how the story would finish. The romance was sweet and will make you smile. A Portrait of Loyalty is an emotional story (joy, hope, grief, sadness, and despair). I liked how Lily helped Zivon regain his trust in God. He wondered how God can let so much violence. Zivon needed help in renewing his faith. I was happy to catch up with the characters from On Wings of Devotion and The Number of Love. A Portrait of Loyalty is a charming historical novel that provided a good ending to The Codebreakers.
I have loved this series by Ms. White, each book just gets more interesting and keeps me turning pages long after I should be going to bed. A Portrait of Loyalty went above and beyond my expectations, maybe it’s because I realized the series was ending or maybe because I loved the storyline and the characters much more than I anticipated.
I loved Lily because I found her photography skills to be amazing, her job fascinating and her family relationships pretty interesting. I loved Lily even more with Ziovon and found their relationship to be so tender and sweet. It was also nice to see characters from the first books, making this reader feel like I was reconnecting with old friends. This book has everything I wanted and more from romance, sadness, illness, hope and good solid writing. A Portrait of Loyalty is a novel that will stay in my heart for quite a long time.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Loved it! Though this fabulous historical fiction story takes place in 1918, some of the things they were dealing with seem to be straight out of today’s headlines!
Roseanna M White did an amazing job on this book and I recommend the whole series! I thoroughly enjoyed the espionage aspect, the photography aspect, and the human aspect in this WWI story. The importance of faith, freedom, and forgiveness are themes that are addressed in A Portrait of Loyalty.
I highly recommend this story!
I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have just returned from traveling through history with Roseanna M. White aboard her time machine, “A Portrait of Loyalty.” The research is impeccable. The beauty within the articulation of the story is sublime. I fell in love with the characters and, with the help of Lily Blackwell’s eye for photography, and the relationship that develops between herself and Russian refugee Zivon Marin, I saw hope and love in an era that was filled with the chaos of war, the Spanish Flu, and the upheaval of world powers. It is almost as though the author had traveled forward in time to see that we would need such a boost right now. As a result of reading this book, I feel a greater peace and resolve that everything will surely turn out well, and this season we are in shall surely pass.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
A click. A whir. A moment…
This book is filled with many moments. Wonderful, happy moments. Sad, heartbreaking moments. Moments that will change lives and history forever.
I finished this story the same day I began reading it. However, it was not finished with me. I kept picking it back up, reading certain passages again and again. I could not help thinking about the people living their lives amidst the tragedies of war and then a horrible flu outbreak happening. People that seem to be healthy in the morning are dead by evening, it was such a scary time.
Of course, this book is also filled with secrets. Lily has secrets, Zivon has secrets. I loved how they connected and really saw each other, saw the things others did not.
“Be still and know that I am God” is an important verse in Zivon’s life and a recurring one throughout the story. It was also a good reminder for me.
Lily finds light in the darkness, good in the bad, and captures moments. Some are perfect moments.
This was a fantastic conclusion to the Codebreakers series!
*I received an early copy of this book from the publisher. A review was not required. The opinion expressed is entirely my own.
I can clearly see why A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna White won a Christy Award. This Christian historical romance is incredible. I’ve learned so much about World War I because of The Codebreaker series, but more than that, this book gave me some new perspectives from the ones I learned about growing up.
I loved getting a glimpse into Russia at the time through Zivan Marin. His loyalty to his country, but also devastation due to political events was palpable. I loved the contrast between his perspective and the other Russian characters in this novel.
I loved Lily Blackwell and how she uses her gifts for photography to both join in the war effort and find light in one of the darkest times in human history.
Together, Zivan and Lily are a wonderful team worth cheering for.
This book is filled with the faith, history, and wonderful writing style I’ve come to associate with Roseanna White. I can’t wait to jump into another one of her books soon.
Zivon Marin is one of Russia’s best cryptographers. He and his brother were separated on the train in France while fleeing Russia on their way to England. Now Zivon lives in England and helps England in the war, while wondering what happened to his brother, Evgeni. Zivon meets Lily (Lillian) Blackwell when her father (his boss Captain Blackwell) invites him to dinner. Lily is a gifted photographer and works in the intelligence division retouching and recreating photographs to be used as propaganda to England and its allies.
Once I got into it, this book really held my attention. Zivon has enemies that have found him in England, which leads to his coworkers and supervisor wondering if he can be trusted. Is he truly on England’s side? I loved the intrigue and reading how they used retouched photos back in 1918. I didn’t realize they used things like that back then, and found it very interesting. You can tell the author put a lot of time into research for this book. I liked all the different points of view–Zivon, Lily, and a couple of other characters I won’t mention because I don’t want to give anything away.
I liked Lily, she’s much braver and smarter than I think I’d have been in the situations she found herself in. I liked how she and her sister would “talk” to each other through the wall that separated their bedrooms. I liked how her friendship with Zivon developed into love.
This is part of a trilogy and although each book can be read as a standalone, I feel it would be best to read them in order. I didn’t realize this was the last of a trilogy when I requested it from NetGalley, but I didn’t have a hard time following it, although I probably would’ve appreciated some of the characters more knowing their backstory.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher Bethany House via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
What an ending to a wonderful series! The characters are so real.. Secrets, double lives, secret agents, romance and a unique look behind the scenes inside an intelligence agency. I always enjoy the Historical lessons this author gives me through the eyes of these unique characters. Definitely on of my favorite authors. If you like this type story… you will definitely enjoy this book and the entire series. I was requested a copy through NetGalley and no review was required. My review is voluntary.
I loved this story—partly for its wonderful characters, but also partly because of the history woven seamlessly into its pages! I feel like I learned a lot more from this book than from some of the others, history-wise; I knew the Bolshevik Revolution happened right around the time of World War I, but it’s one thing to know and another thing to see it through the eyes of a character you’re empathetic with. That part was very well done—that, and seeing the effect of the Spanish Flu. How horrible! Makes the pandemic we’re living through seem relatively light in comparison.
The characters? They were spot-on, as I’ve learned to expect from White. She knows her characters and somehow manages to think with their mindsets, and the results are astounding. I’d love to take some character creation classes from her! Whether they are musically, mathematically, or artistically inclined, she does a great job bringing that out in everyday circumstances that just go to prove how much they are geared for those things—it’s a beautiful experience as you read.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It wasn’t my favorite of the whole series (I’m a loyal Margot fan), but I felt like it did an excellent job wrapping up the series, and was the perfect addition to them overall. As a historical fiction addict, this one tickled my fancy in that way, but also provided some sweet but not over-the-top romance, which was lovely. If you enjoy that combination within the realms of a well-told story, I’d recommend you check these books out.
I was given a complementary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
I loved this conclusion to The Codebreakers series!
In this final installment of the Codebreakers series, we become acquainted with Lilly, a photographer who is not only a hobby artist but works for the Admiralty as, what we would call today, a media specialist. While working at the OB, Lilly befriends a Russian immigrant cryptographer, Zivon. As WW1 is drawing to a close, Russia’s civil war is just starting. Through their individual and collective stories, we learn that waiting on God and his perfect timing is essential.
I am sad to be finished with series of books and the characters who have run throughout several series. Roseanna White has done an impeccable job researching the WW1 era and reminds us again how important history is to our world through her stories loosely based on real people.
Such detail and research went into this story that made it flow, feel natural and believable. The book was a wonderful read & full of emotion though heartbreaking at times with the Great War, Spanish flu & Bolshevik revolution happening. Some lines, wisely & succinctly written, I loved so much I just had to highlight. I loved the attention to historical detail. I think Roseanna White did well in writing Zivon’s brother’s character. I see how people can justify & rationalize their behavior. It was great using the very minor character of the French grocer girl & Zivon’s brother’s stories to her to illustrate the brother’s character. The journey of forgivness Zivon went through felt authentic and I loved the conversation he had with the priest. Many passages throughout the book were beautifully said when it came to hard topics of forgivness, loss & the trials we face.
A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White is a long, deep book that I read while bedridden with Covid. It was a bit of a slow start for me because I did not connect right away with Lily or Zivon. However, plenty of intrigue kept me interested in the story and I later found the lead characters more relatable. Eventually, Zivon became my favorite character as he was a true hero, a man of devotion and excellent character.
One thing that I appreciated in A Portrait of Loyalty (and all the other books in this series) was how the characters wrestled intensely with their spiritual issues. Lily and Zivon do not settle for blind, easy answers. The author dives deep with characters that doubt and struggle in a way that feels very authentic and true to real life. As the characters grapple with circumstances and issues, the truths that they discover are powerful and relevant for the reader.
A Portrait of Loyalty stands as the third book in The Codebreakers series by Roseanna M. White, but it can be read on its own. I recommend reading all the series, in order if possible, as each one is excellent in its own way.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
Page turning plots of intrigue, heart stirring romance, life like characters and a thoroughly researched historical setting that consumes the imagination…these are things I’ve come to expect from Roseanna M. White.
In “A Portrait of Loyalty,” the third volume of The Codebreaker’s series, White met my every expectation whilst simultaneously taking me on an emotionally gripping journey that surprised with its familiarity.
As much as this was Lily and Zivon’s story, this was somehow my story, too. Their pain, their fears, their struggle to be still and trust in God when He feels so far away resonated in every beat of my aching heart. Highly recommend!
I’m a huge fan of Roseanna M. White’s writing, and The Codebreakers series just might be my favorite. A Portrait of Loyalty is the final book and was an amazing way to finish the series. I loved the wonderful characters, especially Zivon and his constant unwavering faith. I loved seeing Lilly and Zivon’s relationship develop and thrive even through the difficulties they face. A constant with Roseanna’s books is the depth of research she puts into them and the wonder descriptions of people and settings that makes the reader feel transported and fully absorbed, and A Portrait of Loyalty does not fall short. While reading you truly feel transported and can’t help becoming totally immersed in the story filled with adventure, intrigue, tragedy, and romance. All of the books in the series can be read as stand-alone novels, but do yourself a favor and read the entire series! Absolutely excellent!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions about it are my own.
Twists and turns abound in this beautiful story, along with pain. The depth of loss during war is incomprehensible to many of us. I appreciate the amount of research Roseanna White must have done in order to write such a believable story. It is a fitting ending to The Codebreakers!
Zivon Marin intrigued me greatly in the previous book (On Wings of Devotion) but in A Portrait of Loyalty he captured my heart. Quiet, determined, and steadfast are just a few of his admirable qualities. I loved hearing the letters he wrote Lily. They were deeply romantic and sigh worthy. No spoilers as to why he had to resort to writing.
Lily Blackwell has an incredible talent when it comes to photography and editing images. It was a joy to see what she saw through the author’s descriptive language. But heartache comes and it is a real shocker.
I would recommend reading the books in order to get the full enjoyment and intricacy of the time period and characters. I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher. No review was required. No compensation received.
Lilian Blackwell spends her days volunteering in Charing Cross Hospital … at least, that’s what her mother thinks. She actually spends her afternoons in the basement of the Admiralty building, retouching and manipulating photographs to be used in the war effort. Propaganda—something Lily and her mother have opposing views on.
Cryptographer Zivon Marin escapes Russia in the fourth year of World War I, escaping the rise of the Bolsheviks … and the murder of his fiance. He ends up in London, working for the British Admiralty, although he doesn’t think the British trust him, especially not after certain photographs show up.
The two meet when Lily’s father invites Marin home for dinner, and start getting to know each other. But it’s not an easy relationship, as the Admiralty aren’t sure if they can trust Marin, as it’s not clear which side of the Russian Revolution he supports. What does become clear is that he is on one side … and his brother is on the other, which places Marin in danger …
Portrait of Loyalty brings in more history than simply the backdrop of World War I, and that is a strength.
The other nod to history (which I should have seen coming) is the Spanish Flu arriving in London from Kansas via half of Europe. And that’s not pretty, particularly given what we now know about living through a pandemic. So if you’re one of the people avoiding pandemic books, you might want to wait before reading Portrait of Loyalty.
Overall, Portrait of Loyalty is another excellent installment in Roseanna M White’s Codebreaker series. The characters are people of faith, so it’s clearly Christian fiction. It has romance, suspense, and tragedy, and the writing is excellent.
It’s a standalone novel, so you don’t have to have read earlier books in the series to enjoy this one. However, if you have, you’ll recognise some characters. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.