By Roseanna M. White
Published by Bethany House
Publication Date: January 7th, 2020
Nurse Arabelle Denler knows there's more to Phillip Camden than meets the eye. While most of England has branded him as a monster who intentionally caused the deaths of several of his fellow pilots. Ara isn't convinced that's true, though, especially as she comes to know him and realizes that he's fiercely loyal to those he cares about and not at all the Black Heart he has been labeled by society. Knowing the power of God in her own life, Ara wants to help Phillip find God's forgiveness as well as his own.
Phillip is waiting for the day when the military decides to execute him, knowing he deserves it. When he realizes that his actions have left Ara attracting the attention of men who only want her vast inheritance, he appoints himself her guard dog, and in so doing, finds that maybe his heart isn't as dead as he thought. But as he comes to care for Ara, through his work as a codebreaker for the Admiralty, he finds himself mixed up in a plot that could put Ara in danger and must find a way to distance himself to keep her safe.
Okay, I read this in November 2019 but I'm already willing to say this is one of my picks for Best Books of 2020. It was phenomenal! The plot was so interesting, with details about WWI that really take the reader to England during the war. There were some good twists but not so many to make the story feel contrived. Beyond that, the characters were amazing! I'm a character-driven reader, so a book that has a good plot but the characters are meh won't do it for me; I'm thrilled to say that both Ara and Phillip are characters who I will be thinking about for a long time. They are both so well-developed. Ara has a kind heart and a sincere desire to help others, mixed with her insecurities about her appearance and whether anyone can truly love her and want to stay with her, while Phillip is so torn up by his own poor choices and thinks he's beyond redemption but finds himself desperately wanting it and, despite his poor opinion of himself, reaches out to others more than he even realizes. Both of these characters had so much depth and were so relatable. I just adored them both! There are terrific themes of healing and redemption, and there was some terrific dry humor. All in all, just a fantastic read! An easy 5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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