"A Portrait of Loyalty" by Roseanna M White - The Codebreakers, book 3

Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee, he arrives in England to offer his services to the Brits. Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera--and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. She's recruited to British intelligence, even though her mother would disapprove. After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question--and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he'd feared.

I really liked Lily; her part in the war effort is fascinating, especially since it is able to utilize her artistic gift to such great effect And she's just supremely likeable--willing to stand up when she needs to, yet respectful authority. She dearly, dearly loves her family and hates to be a source of controversy. I understand her dilemma, torn between two things that both seem right yet her parents are diametrically opposed over. 

Zivon was a marvelous hero--self-sacrificing, so kind, always paying attention. Though Zivon struggles with hate and unforgiveness, Father Smirnov's wisdom in how to deal with it was spot-on. It was lovely to see cameos of other characters throughout White's three related series. 

Having taken a course purely on the Russian Revolution in college, I loved its prominence in this novel--even if was from the perspective of an exile in Britain. Since I specifically researched feminism in the Revolution for our sole graded work, I was delighted? dismayed? to see the new ideals so accurately portrayed by Nadya.

Highly recommended! Winner of the 2021 Christy Award for Historical Romance.

The Codebreakers (third chronologically)
1. The Number of Love
2. On Wings of Devotion
3. A Portrait of Loyalty

Relates series:

Ladies of the Manor (first chronologically)
1. The Lost Heiress
2. The Reluctant Duchess
3. A Lady Unrivaled

Shadows Over England (second chronologically)
1. A Name Unknown
2. A Song Unheard
3. An Hour Unspent

Codebreakers comes third chronologically.

"An Ivy Hill Christmas" by Julie Klassen - A Tales from Ivy Hill Novella

When Richard Brockwell's mother threatens to stop funding his carefree London life unless he comes home for Christmas, he is finally forced to return to Ivy Hill, though he plans to be back on a coach bound for London and his unencumbered bachelor life the moment the festivities are over. But Christmas in the country presents unforeseen surprises, including encounters with an orphaned apprentice, the first love he disappointed years ago, and Arabella Awdry, a young lady who is far more appealing than he recalled . . . and determined to have nothing to do with him. Will Christmastime in Ivy Hill, with its village charm, kissing boughs, joyous songs, and divine hope, work its magic in his heart . . . and hers as well?

It was nice to catch back up with the characters of Ivy Hill and learn a bit more about Sir Timothy's family (namely, Richard). I appreciated his story of reconciliation and transformation from the selfish man he was to the compassionate man he becomes. 

Honestly, Richard's journey was enough for me that I didn't feel that the romance was even necessary (a bizarre thought--I normally prefer a good romance). There was nothing wrong with Arabella, and I liked getting a chance to get to know her and her siblings a bit better, but while it was a nice add-on, it felt very secondary to me. Maybe it's because so much of Richard's transformation happens out of Arabella's sight--she doesn't know half of what he has been doing and going through (to be fair, they're not great at communication). At least it proves that it's a true heart change, not just a change for a woman! 

Overall, it's a heart-warming Christmas story, with a tour through the old British Christmas traditions--so much more extensive (and charitable) than our brief modern celebrations. 

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Tales from Ivy Hill
1. The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill
2. The Ladies of Ivy Cottage
3. The Bride of Ivy Green
3.5: An Ivy Hill Christmas

Lori Benton's "Mountain Laurel" - Kindred, book 1

Ian Cameron, a Boston cabinetmaker turned frontier trapper, has come to Mountain Laurel hoping to remake himself yet again--into his planter uncle's heir. No matter how uneasily the role of slave owner rests upon his shoulders. Then he meets Seona--beautiful, artistic, and enslaved to his kin. As fascination with Seona turns to love, Ian can no longer be the man others have wished him to be. Though his own heart might prove just as untrustworthy a guide, he cannot simply walk away from those his kin enslaves. With more lives than his and Seona's in the balance, the path Ian chooses now will set the course for generations of Camerons to come.

Lori Benton's books don't shy away from tough subjects, but this one tackles what might be her thorniest subject yet--not just slavery, but the complex relations of children born to slave women and their white masters--and it delves far deeper than I ever would have anticipated. 

The story is gritty and raw and not altogether happy. Rich and historical and faith-filled; hopeful, though in a bittersweet way. But just to be clear, it isn't a depressing read, and (most importantly) this is the first book of a duology. So while I wasn't wholly satisfied with where the book ended, I can rest secure in the knowledge that it isn't the end of the story! Rumors indicate that Joseph-Tames-His-Horse (from Burning Sky) will have a significant role in the sequel, and that would draw me in even if I weren't already thoroughly invested. 

If you are interested in a rich, deeply-layered historical, with complex characters and a story that reaches far beyond race, then I highly recommend this novel.

Kindred:

1. Mountain Laurel

2. Shiloh
2.5 The Journey of Run's Far

Related novels (in chronological order):

The King's Mercy

The Wood's Edge

A Flight of Arrows

Burning Sky

"The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus" by Jaime Jo Wright

1928: The Bonaventure Circus is a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Present day: The old circus train depot will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its future rests on real estate project manager Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed autoimmune disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to the unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

I'm not sure that there is anyone better than Jaime Jo Wright at writing a dual timeline novel, and the fact that she manages to do it with a dark and eerie suspense--in both timelines--makes it all the more amazing. The two timelines are intricately interwoven so that you'd hardly have a story if you cut out one or the other, and that cannot be said for all dual timelines I've read. Each is equally enthralling, and through it all, in both timelines, the creepiness and suspense builds and builds.

The past timeline shows a glimpse of circus life I'd not experienced before; rather than focus on the performers and performances--and all their ensuing drama--this was more about the separation of the ownership and the circus folk, and Pippa's struggles with knowing that she was born to one yet raised to other--part of both yet fitting with neither. Chandler's story takes on some less common themes too--single motherhood as a result of a promiscuous youth and an unrelated chronic debilitating disease. In spite of feeling like a worthless screw-up due to her past, Chandler is impressive with her tenacity and fierce love for her child.

Both Pippa and Chandler have gone through life feeling like nobody sees them, least of all God. And they are definitely not alone in that--I've struggled with the same feeling, even in the face of other blessings and proof of God's care. In Genesis 16:13, God is specifically called "You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees," probably as a specific reminder to those of us who struggle with feeling unseen. That aspect of the story alone would have endeared it to me, but combined with all the other elements of a story well-told, it easily rates a full five stars. Highly recommended!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.