Masterfully told: "An Hour Unspent" by Roseanna M. White


Cover Art


about the book....



With Danger Creeping Ever Closer,
Do Their Dreams Still Matter?


Once London's top thief, Barclay Pearce has turned his back on his life of crime and now uses his skills for a nation at war, including keeping an eye on a talented engineer working as a clockmaker. But not until he rescues the man's daughter from a mugging does he begin to wonder what his future might hold.

Evelina Manning has constantly dreamed and worked for independence, but she certainly never meant for it to inspire her fiancé to end their engagement and enlist in the army. When the intriguing man who saved her returns to the Manning residence to study clock repair with her father, she can't help being interested. But she soon learns that nothing with Barclay Pearce is as simple as it seems.

As 1915 England plunges deeper into war, the race is on for any technological edge, and Evelina's father's ideas have captured the attention of many--perhaps too many. As danger seems to encroach from every side, it may just take a reformed thief to steal the time they need to escape.



my review....



The "Shadows Over England" series wraps up with perhaps the best book of them all, one focusing on the lovable scoundrel Barclay Pearce. Anyone who has been following this series will agree that the Pearce family of misfits, a family who has chosen to adopt each other, is one of the most intriguing families to hit the Christian fiction scene in some time! As the family decides to walk away from crime and use their tremendous skills for good instead, the result is nothing short of addictive reading.

As the leader of the family, Barclay is one of the most intriguing of them all. I enjoyed the way that this book dives into Barclay's life, especially how he ends up crossing paths with the fiercely independent and misunderstood Evelina Manning. Watching their friendship unfold made for many entertaining scenes, and I loved Barclay's ability to see past Evelina's rather cold exterior and glimpse the uncertainty that lay beneath. The mystery of Evelina's father's disappearance adds a clever twist to the story, and it blends perfectly with historical events of World War I.  Readers will definitely appreciate the authentic historical flair that White lends this novel and indeed the entire series.

But if you are anything like me, your favourite aspect of the story may just be the incredible love these characters show for the unlovable, for the grace that they offer in the most unexpected of ways. Barclay's siblings are generous to a fault and willing to step up and help anyone in need. As such, they are truly the hands and feet of their saviour to a world that so often doesn't understand what Jesus is offering. As the chapters raced towards the conclusion of the story, I found it impossible to step away from the journey unfolding before my eyes. By the time I turned the final page of this remarkable story, I was left feeling deeply satisfied at the well-told plot, but also feeling like I had made new friends with Barclay and Evelina and the rest of the Pearce family. My only regret with this book is that it is the final one in the series! However, I have since taken a peek at what White is offering up next, and I am so excited to see that her next series brings back a character from this one, promising to launch what is sure to be another amazing series, "The Codebreakers".

"An Hour Unspent" is a masterfully told conclusion to a truly fantastic series. I award this engrossing novel my highest rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


about the author....


Roseanna M. White
Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) 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, designing book covers, editing, 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.




Buy now from Amazon.com:





Comments