Roseanna M. White: A Song Unheard

By Kelly Bridgewater

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.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White combines my love of England, history, and mystery all in one novel. What is better, honestly? With White's novel, I expected to be thrilled with the amount of details in the story, which brings her character to life. I knew the setting was a little off in the first book in this series A Name Unknown, but I hoped that was fixed when I dived into this novel.

With the writing, I am impressed at White's ability to create a setting that really dives off the page. From the first page, I had no problem visualizing the setting, enjoying myself as I traveled around with Willa and Lukas. White does a fabulous job at entering Willa's train of thoughts and allowing me to experience it with her especially toward the end when something bad happens. The setting again occurs during World War I, but some of the things that happen to Lukas's family remind me of World War II. Honestly, I don't read a lot of World War I novels, so it could have happen. White is the one who has done the research, not me. But what happened to them occurred a lot during World War II.

The plot was unique. I really enjoyed seeing Willa who originally was sent to retrieve something from Lukas but instead found a deeper love of her violin and music. I enjoyed how honestly White shows that a natural gift like music or writing, in my case, takes over a person. It becomes their every thought and guides their movements. The plot is very dense, and I had a hard time getting started. It dragged for the first twenty percent of the book.

Willa, the heroine, is a wonderful thief and is admired by many for her talents. I love how White created a relatable background and hurt for her. I felt bad for her when Willa told me her past. It hurt me too. Her transformation story was rich and full of depth. Made me enjoy her as a character. As for Lukas, I found him shallow. He proposes to Willa at their first meeting, and then spends the rest of the story trying to woo her. Then he has the nerve to be mad at her when he learns the truth about her. What a shallow man. Willa is too good for him, in my humble opinion. 

Overall, A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White is much better than the first book. I felt more connection with Willa and the story line. I recommend A Song Unheard to fans of historical mysteries with a touch of romance. 

I received a complimentary copy of A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars