It’s May of 1914 and Rosemary, a London thief, has been offered an unusual job -- uncovering evidence of a reclusive Cornwall man’s ties to Germany. Armed with false references, she applies for a job in Peter Holstein’s household as a librarian. It means leaving her large, loving found-family but with younger siblings to help support, Rosemary is desperate for this job to go well.

Peter’s stammer means he’s more comfortable writing letters to socialising, and he doesn’t want to risk revealing his identity as the adventure novelist Branock Hollow. But with England on the brink of war, he knows he needs to prove his loyalty before he is arrested.

I enjoyed this, even though it is -- well, I’ve decided that “idealistic” is a more apt description than “cheesy”.

I also appreciate that it's less preachy than it easily could be. Peter’s earnestness is wel established as just part of who he is. And I like that although Peter is influential (and arguably helpful) in Rosemary's journey to faith, he's not the only one she has important conversations with.

(A couple of quibbles: Rosemary and Peter get to know each other by exchanging notes, and I would have liked if more of them had been included, I feel like White seriously underestimated the appeal of an epistolary romance.
I was surprised and disappointed, when they went on a trip to St Michael’s Mount and the scene ended once they arrived. I expect, and indeed want, fiction to show me the sights -- and to make it interesting!) ( )

Will a master thief have her own heart stolen and find a lasting and life-changing faith along the way? "A Name Unknown" is the stellar beginning to author Roseanna M. White's "Shadows Over England" series. Set in early 1900's England, with the threat of looming world war casting an ominous shadow over all, this intriguing inspirational Historical Romance features an unlikely heroine whose family is a band of street survivors who have graduated from pick-pocketing to relieving the upper echelon of society of their valuables, which may just include vital, secret information. Rosemary Gresham, one of the older "sisters" in the family receives an assignment which will pay her more than she has ever earned through her own particular skill set: She must infiltrate the realm of a certain writer of German descent to learn if his true loyalties lie with England or Germany. Peter Holstein pens his best-selling adventure novels under a "safe" pseudonym, and while he is a man of means and has friends of influence, he remains awkward in his personal life. Suffering from stuttering, Peter feels that he best communicates through his writing. Rosemary enters his life in the guise of an historian of esteem, she seems just the person to help him sort out his lineage and social standing and help him silence dangerous gossip-mongers. Neither of them is prepared for the relationship which grows between them, and their involvement brings unexpected personal and spiritual growth to them both. In such a time when suspicion and fear bring great change to everyday life, is there a chance for Rosemary and Peter to find the love of a lifetime? "A Name Unknown" is a marvelous treat for lovers of history and romance.

Book Copy Gratis Bethany House Books ( )

A gripping story with humor, A Name Unknown follows a young woman who is part of a family of street urchins (Think a nice version of Charles Dicken's Fagin gang) who steals to provide for themselves. There is lots of quick wit and unexpected plot twists that keeps you on your toes, while still providing a happy ending and a satisfactory smile on the face of the reader. Highly recommend for people who like classics and historical fiction. It's a nice twist on both. ( )

4.5 SHINING stars!

*NOTE: please excuse the fangirly review; believe me, I tried to write something professional and coherent . . . but it didn't work.*

Oh. My. Goodness. Y'all. This. Book. This is simple loveliness. From the cover, to the characters, to the writing style, to the history . . . just all of it!

Ms. White is an incredible author. This is exactly the kind of book and kind of writing style I LOVE to read, and would read all the time. (Only problem is, I'd run out of books. :/) Her poetic, yet down-to-earth writing style is so lovely and engaging, and the history she mixes in throughout is neither dull nor boring, but really quite fascinating. I love a book that can teach me something without detracting from the story. The salvation message was woven through brilliantly, and even made me cry. Sometimes the faith message ends up feeling shoe-horned in, but not so in this case. Just lovely!

The characters were literally the best ever. Rosemary was witty, sweet, smart, and flawed enough to made her perfect. I was so attached to her character in only a few chapters, that I just HAD so see how her story ended. I felt her pain, her joys, her frustrations. And then Peter. OH MY WORD! I am not the kind of person who gets a crush on every nice fictional (or real, for that matter) guy, but I'm just going to admit it: I kinda have a tiny eensy weeny crush on Peter . . . He has a stutter, and can hardly speak; is a writer and gets so lost in his fictional words, that he can hardly be disturbed, even if you were to shout fire. (Which believe me, did happen and it didn't work. :P) He's just so incredibly NICE and polite and chivalrous; his relationship with God, and his faith throughout the book was just beautiful and inspiring. And, *cough cough* he has a cleft in his chin . . . I MEAN WHAT EVEN!?! But anyway; I shall stop going on about him now. He's just the perfect character - because he wasn't perfect.
Of course, the secondary characters, like Penrose (HA! He's hilarious and annoying all in one!), Mrs. Tegue, Treeve, the other servants, Mr. V, Willa, Barclay, Georgie . . . all of them were so fantastic!

The story was just amazing. The mystery was intriguing and fascinating, and that plot twist at the end . . . WHOO! You basically had to completely rearrange your view on the story. The romance was SO beautiful! Slow, sweet . . . perfection! The action was fun, and helped to keep my interest.

And the ending . . . *cackles* SHE STOLE A HOUSE!!!! *giggles gleefully* And his name. :D :D :D And Barclay's reaction to finding out she married Peter, and that he was actually Branok Hollow . . . HILARIOUS!

All in all, this was an amazing book! I did dock 12 a star, because it did get slightly boring in the middle, and I kinda lost interest. But the rest was amazing, so don't let that scare you off! ALL Y'ALL! Go find a copy of this book and READ IT!

Content: There was basically nothing. A few sweet, pure kisses, a bit of mild attraction (not graphic at all!), and a bit of action, guns, punches thrown, that kind of thing. All very mild. I'd recommend this for ages 15-16 for interest level. ( )

Every time I read a book by this author, I think Oh this is my favorite. To say I enjoyed this book would be putting it mildly. I love everything about the way Roseanna M. White writes. This is the first of her new series, Shadows Over England. I won't go into the plot of the story, you can read that from the publishers description above. Roseanna has written a page turner. You will not want to put this one down. It contains spy's, traitors, a beautiful and talented thief, along with her unusual street family. Not to mention a recluse of a mystery writer. As with her other books, Roseanna weaves her faith and moral lessons into the story so naturally. I found myself laughing at parts and tearing up at others. I highly recommend this wonderful book. I can't wait to read the others and learn more about this usually family. ( )