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A review by olivialandryxo
The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was browsing the adult section of my library for romance books and picked this up because the title caught my eye, even though I’d never heard of it. The synopsis interested me, and when I skimmed the first couple of pages, I found that the writing was easy to read. So I took a chance on a random book.
I’m glad I did! White did a great job with basically everything. I haven’t read many books set during either of the world wars, and the few I did read never featured characters actively involved in the war, save one. I liked that Margot was not only a codebreaker, but one that the men around her had grown to respect. I liked Drake, Dot, Red, and Margot’s family, as well as the found family consisting of Margot and the first three in that list. The various dynamics between them were very well-written.
Some things I appreciated: a) the other characters’ acceptance of both Dot’s agoraphobia and Red’s disability, rather than any attempts to “fix” Dot or disdain toward them both, as I’d kind of expected from a story set in the early 20th century, b) Drake’s understanding of Margot’s way of thinking and life goals and his willingness to let her set the pace of their relationship, and c) the inclusion of Margot’s job as a codebreaker that was easy to understand and didn’t bog down the story. I also liked Margot and Dot’s friendship, and found both of the romances that developed over the course of the book to be very sweet.
A couple of things I wasn’t such a fan of: a) Margot’s condescending views of women that were interested in fashion, as she herself didn’t see the point of it, and b) the fact that she was only eighteen, and newly at that. I’d thought her older since this isn’t a YA book, and honestly, she doesn’t act like a young girl. Granted, in the midst of a war circumstances were definitely different, but she felt like someone in her early twenties, at least. Maybe about twenty-five. Ultimately, the former bothered me more than the latter, but both nagged at me enough to be worth mentioning. (Note: the age gap between Margot and Drake isn’t an issue to me. It’s only six years, and one of my favorite ships of all time has a seven year age gap. So yeah, just wanted to clarify.)
Overall, this was a surprisingly good read! More of a historical fiction than a historical romance, as I’d expected from the blurb, but enjoyable nonetheless. White’s writing was very easy to read, and I’m definitely interested in reading more from her. I’d recommend this to anyone interested in historical fiction, and/or books with strong platonic and familial relationships, found family, women in STEM, and war settings that don’t involve anyone actually on the frontlines.
Representation
I’m glad I did! White did a great job with basically everything. I haven’t read many books set during either of the world wars, and the few I did read never featured characters actively involved in the war, save one. I liked that Margot was not only a codebreaker, but one that the men around her had grown to respect. I liked Drake, Dot, Red, and Margot’s family, as well as the found family consisting of Margot and the first three in that list. The various dynamics between them were very well-written.
Some things I appreciated: a) the other characters’ acceptance of both Dot’s agoraphobia and Red’s disability, rather than any attempts to “fix” Dot or disdain toward them both, as I’d kind of expected from a story set in the early 20th century, b) Drake’s understanding of Margot’s way of thinking and life goals and his willingness to let her set the pace of their relationship, and c) the inclusion of Margot’s job as a codebreaker that was easy to understand and didn’t bog down the story. I also liked Margot and Dot’s friendship, and found both of the romances that developed over the course of the book to be very sweet.
A couple of things I wasn’t such a fan of: a) Margot’s condescending views of women that were interested in fashion, as she herself didn’t see the point of it, and b) the fact that she was only eighteen, and newly at that. I’d thought her older since this isn’t a YA book, and honestly, she doesn’t act like a young girl. Granted, in the midst of a war circumstances were definitely different, but she felt like someone in her early twenties, at least. Maybe about twenty-five. Ultimately, the former bothered me more than the latter, but both nagged at me enough to be worth mentioning. (Note: the age gap between Margot and Drake isn’t an issue to me. It’s only six years, and one of my favorite ships of all time has a seven year age gap. So yeah, just wanted to clarify.)
Overall, this was a surprisingly good read! More of a historical fiction than a historical romance, as I’d expected from the blurb, but enjoyable nonetheless. White’s writing was very easy to read, and I’m definitely interested in reading more from her. I’d recommend this to anyone interested in historical fiction, and/or books with strong platonic and familial relationships, found family, women in STEM, and war settings that don’t involve anyone actually on the frontlines.
Representation
- side character with agoraphobia
- amputee side character with a prosthetic foot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
War and death are self-explanatory. Parent death: both protagonists lost parents prior to the story, but one also lost her mother during the story. An additional warning is necessary because she finds her mother’s body in their flat, which may be especially triggering. Gun violence: one of the protagonists is shot near-fatally, and spends most of the book recovering from the wound.