Reviewer's Bookshelf: "A Portrait of Loyalty" by Roseanna M. White

 

Book Summary (Amazon): 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 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.

My thoughts...My thoughts begin with this beautiful cover! It reminds me of not only what the heroine, Lily Blackwell, does as her work and her hobby (photography), but it actually looks like a photo that Lily would take herself. I loved the details that described every step of this part of her story, from the actual taking of a picture to its development. I had no idea that altering photos played a role in warfare that early in time. 

The depth of both main characters, Lily and Zivon, kept me intrigued the whole time. Zivon's Russian background held personal interest as I have traveled to Russia and have read other books on Russian history. Zivon's background was complicated, but seeing it unravel as the story went on was very satisfying. Lily's innocence paired with a profession that involved espionage created a great contrast and moral dilemma. 

Each book in the Codebreakers series has had elements of romance, espionage, wartime drama and suspense. I would highly recommend not only this book in the series, which could be read as a stand-alone novel, but all three! 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in order to share my personal opinions, which I did.**