A Song Unheard (Shadows Over England Book #2)

Roseanna M. White

Jan 2018 · Shadows Over England Book 2 · Baker Books

About this ebook

Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which makes her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I--to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales.

Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he's won--until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father's work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is meeting the intriguing Willa Forsythe.

But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn't--that she must betray him and find that cypher, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.

Ratings and reviews

A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White is the second book in Shadows Over England series. Willa Forsythe is a thief in London in 1914. Her skills are an asset to the government. Her latest assignment is to obtain a cypher key from Lukas De Wilde, a Belgian immigrant and violinist. Lukas is currently with other Belgian refugees making up the Belgian Symphony Orchestra which is raising money for the Belgium Relief Fund. Lukas is worried about his mother and sister who are still in Belgium. Lukas was shot when he escaped because the German’s want details on his father’s work in the field of cryptography. It is rumored that his father had a device that would revolutionize the field. He needs to get them out of Belgium before they are captured. Lukas is intrigued by Willa and her natural ability with the violin. Willa is attracted to Lukas, but she knows she must betray his trust. Then Willa notices someone following Lukas. She must find that key, but what will it cost her? A Song Unheard has great characters that are well developed. The book contains good writing, but the pace is slow in the first half. A Song Unheard can be read alone. You do not need to read A Name Unknown (which tells Rosemary’s story). The author captured the time-period and area (Wales, London, Belgium). Cryptography is fascinating, and many new developments were made during World War II. Ms. White described cyphers and how they created/used in terms that a layman can understand (and did not make it boring). I did have trouble getting into the novel. The first half of the book could have used some fine tuning. The pace, flow and action pick up during the second half. It held my attention, and I was curious to discover what would happen next. The POV switched between Willa, Lukas and Margot (Lukas’ sister). We get to see how each character feels and what they are thinking. I liked the spunky and intelligent Margot. The Christian elements are incorporated nicely into the story (finding God, being a good Christian, having faith, trusting God). Readers of historical fiction will be delighted with Willa’s story in A Song Unheard.

This is book two in the Shadows Over England series. I have not read book one and had no problem jumping right into this one so I would say it is a stand alone book. However, I did wonder if it was part of a series and can totally see how it is, so you may miss some history but nothing that will keep you from enjoying this novel. Willa Forsythe is a unique lady with a unique past as well. I love her spunk and personality, even though she must learn to overcome her past. Willa finds herself in more trouble than she anticipated and can't help but wonder who is pulling all the strings. Lukas De Wilde is a handsome man who may start to regret some of his life choices. When Willa is introduced to him, he is drawn to her in a way no-one has been before. Yet Lukas must also search for his mom and sister and keep them safe. This book is full of history, mystery, suspicion, romance and more. I enjoyed the sparks that fly between Willa and Lukas and I love Willa's entire family. I look forward to reading more from this series.

I love this authors voice. Anything she writes, I want to read. I enjoyed Roseanna's first book in this series “A Name Unknown”. During this book we were introduced to the family of London's number one pickpockets and thieves. The second book “A Song Unheard” introduces us further to the second oldest sister, Willa Forsythe. Roseanna M. White is one of my top five authors. She is such a gifted storyteller. From the very first page until I set the book down I was wondering what would happen next. Even then I was left wanting more. This is a page-turner laced in romance. I love, love love this author as I said before. I would highly recommend this and any book that Roseanna M. White, might write.

About the author

Roseanna M. White 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. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.