An Honest Review of... A Portrait of Loyalty

I love everything that comes from the pen (or keyboard, rather) of Roseanna M. White. I know I can count on them to be thoroughly-researched, beautifully-written, and page-turningly-riveting. However, as much I appreciated A Portrait of Loyalty as objectively fantastic, this one was hard for me to finish. Read my review of the book to find out why.

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Not every reader is meant for every book, and not every book is meant for every reader. Personalities, preferences, and even life events and timing can all come into play when evaluating a book.

And my recent reading of A Portrait of Loyalty is a prime example.

I have read nearly every book Roseanna M. White has written and have reviewed several of them. I know I can count on them to be thoroughly-researched, beautifully-written, and page-turningly-riveting. So when I got the chance to read and review the third book in her Codebreakers series, I enthusiastically agreed.

However, as much I appreciated A Portrait of Loyalty as objectively fantastic, this one was hard for me to finish. Read my honest review to learn why.

SUMMARY OF A PORTRAIT OF LOYALTY

The official summary:

“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

I’m going to be honest — I’ve been torn about what to say about this book. I never enjoy speaking negatively about a book, especially from one of my favorite authors and especially especially one that is objectively so well-written.

But I’m committed to always giving my honest opinions, so I’m going to give it to you straight — this was not my favorite Roseanna book. However, this has everything to do with my personality and this crazy year and very little to do with the actual quality of the book.

Throughout the entire first half of the book, I was hooked. The characters were interesting, the story had depth, and the budding romance was lovely. And as usual, the writing was seamless and so well-crafted I often forgot I was on the couch reading words rather than present with the characters in the story.

About halfway through the book, however, a completely unexpected plot twist happened that, frankly, made it hard for me to continue reading the book. I’m being intentionally vague because I don’t want to include any spoilers, but let’s just say 2020 wasn’t the ideal year for me to read this particular storyline.

Other readers, however, might love its relevance! Every reader is different. I’m very sensitive, and this event (which was not central to the story) on top of two other already fairly heavy plot lines (WWI and the Russian Revolution) was just a bit too much for me given current events.

Even so, I loved how Roseanna evoked understanding and sympathy for the antagonists and their Bolshevik leanings, while at the same time highlighting the faults and hypocrisy of their agenda. One of them, in particular, comes to understand that “Freedom that is denied to anyone who disagrees is no freedom at all.”

Similarly, the conversation between Zivon and Father Smirnov about hating “in broad strokes” and mercy versus justice was GOLD.

For example, at one point Father Smirnov says, “God’s wrath is a mighty and terrible thing. We should not be wishing it on others–we should be trying to save them from it. To turn them back to Him. Because if you are wishing vengeance upon the Bolsheviks, my son, remember you are wishing it on each individual, whether they have committed these mortal sins or merely wanted the promise of bread in their children’s bellies.”

Throughout the book and through her characters’ development, Roseanna presents the kind of nuanced, compassionate, and humble ways of thinking that we desperately need more of these days, and that was well-worth the price of admission.

Overall, while this wasn’t my personal favorite book from Roseanna, I still highly recommend it as a beautifully-written, engaging, thought-provoking read. And who knows? In a different year, I might have written a completely different review…

**I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. A positive review was not required, and all opinions are my own.

More Favorite Quotes

Before you go, please read these quotes from the book, because WOW. These will hit you right in the thinker!

“…the difference between a wise man and a fool was not that the wise man was right and the fool wrong–but that the fool always assumed himself right, and the wise man would wonder if he could be wrong.”

(YES YES YES! Praise hands emojis all around!)

“…this life isn’t ours to begin with. We don’t own it as we do a shoe. It is always His–His gift to us. Our purpose ought to be in giving it back to Him moment by moment.”

“If we really believe what we say we do, then we ought to know this life on earth isn’t the goal. We can’t cling to it.”

And finally, one I already shared above but was worth repeating,

“Freedom that is denied to anyone who disagrees is no freedom at all.”

>> Get the book here <<<

While you’re at it, be sure to grab the other two book in the Codebreakers series, The Number of Love and On Wings of Devotion

AUTHOR BIO

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.