Book summary (Amazon): All of England thinks Phillip Camden a monster--a man who deliberately caused the deaths of his squadron. But as nurse Arabelle Denler watches the so-dubbed "Black Heart" every day, she sees something far different: a hurting man desperate for mercy. And when their paths twist together and he declares himself her new protector, she realizes she has her own role to play in his healing.
Phillip Camden would have preferred to die that day with his squadron rather than be recruited to the Admiralty's codebreaking division. The threats he receives daily are no great surprise and, in his opinion, well deserved. What comes as a shock is the reborn desire to truly live that Arabelle inspires in him.
But when an old acquaintance shows up and seems set on using him in a plot that has the codebreakers of Room 40 in a frenzy, new affections are put to the test.
My thoughts... There is so much I loved about this book! I liked the first book in the Code Breakers series, but I really fell in love with the characters and storyline in this second book. Let's start with the hero. I won't lie, those dark, broody, angsty, bad boy heroes get me every time. I was sold on Phillip Camden from the beginning of this novel and I certainly wanted to know his story 'til the end. I was totally invested. Roseanna White detailed his character so well, contrasting his deep inner struggle of secretly being a man of high convictions with his outer appearance of being a handsome, yet unfeeling, man with a "black heart." Then there's the heroine, who is herself considered less than beautiful on the outside (although her cover image looks pretty beautiful to me!), but her heart is pure gold. I love the way that she is one of the only people who can see through Phillip's rough exterior to the heart of who he truly is. It's what makes this novel pretty special. My personal sense of justice struggled with Arabelle's deep sense of humility and generosity (especially when the others, in my mind, didn't deserve it), but even that became a lesson learned for me in the end. Redemption, humility, and courage are just a few of the themes in this book that I appreciated. I also appreciated the romantic tension : ).
I would highly recommend this book for those of you who are fans of historical Christian fiction. There is a definitive Gospel moment in this book as well, which also adds to an additional theme of forgiveness. Loved it!
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in order to share my honest opinions, which I did.**
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