On Wings of Devotion - Book Review

 Last week I reviewed The Number of Love, the first book in The Codebreaker's series. This week I'm back with the second book in Roseanna M. White's trilogy, On Wings of Devotion. For those of you who loved The Number of Love, you will adore On Wings of Devotion. 

Plot Summary

Despite being accused of murdering his squadron, Major Philip Camden has escaped the death penalty for now, but England is still out for his blood. One of the widows continually threatens revenge for her husband's death and the newspapers have labelled him "Black Heart". Though he works as a codebreaker in Room 40 now, Camden accepts that his court martial could be just around the corner - and believes his punishment is deserved.

Nurse Arabelle Denler doesn't see Camden as Black Heart; she sees a broken, hurting man who longs for mercy and forgiveness. When a twist in her circumstances brings them together, she's in a position to help him heal from his past. But when a German agent is willing to use his delicate position to execute a well-made plan, Arabelle's and Camden's future becomes uncertain. Can Camden find the forgiveness he so desperately seeks, or will his many enemies destroy him first?

Personal Thoughts

Camden makes his first appearance in The Number of Love, so I was excited to get his story. And it was even better than I expected. Camden's character was so complex and multi-dimensional. He was ridden with guilt from his men dying and bitter about life, God, and his future. Enter Arabelle, aka Ara. She was sweet, faithful to God, and compassionate - the opposite to Camden in many ways. But she had streak of spunk that was fun to see, especially when she and Camden bantered.

Much like the first book, the suspense was intense. Up until the last few chapters I couldn't figure out how Camden was going to escape his court martial. I was hooked throughout, trying to figure out how all the plot threads tied together. The ending was spectacular, though I was on the edge of my seat for a few minutes.

Notes

Steam Level: 💋💋

This is the second book in The Codebreakers series.

Ramblings Inspired by the Book

Both Ara and Camden went through hard circumstances. Ara's father chose his adventures over her time and again, meaning she was alone when her mother died. Camden faced the death penalty and the label Black Heart. Yet each handled it differently. Camden became bitter and angry. Ara clung tighter to her faith, choosing to rest in God's love. In one conversation Ara admitted to Camden that this did not come naturally to her, that she was a "powder keg", full of anger over what had happened in her life. But she learned that while she couldn't change what had happened, she could change how she reacted to it.

Ara's response isn't common. It's far more normal to be like Camden, angry over what has happened to us. But as Ara pointed out, it is possible to take another path. It is possible, albeit harder, to lean further into God's love and trust in Him. Jesus promised us we would have trouble (John 16:33) but He also made us "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:31, 37). When hard times come, we don't have to be weighed down by the circumstances. Instead, we can lean into God and trust Him to take care of us. Instead of focusing on the trials, we can focus on God and His love. Then we can be like Ara - enduring hard circumstances, but not conquered by them.

For those of you who have read On Wings of Devotion, what did you think of it? For those who have not read it, would you? Tell me in the comments below!