Looking for a sigh-worthy romance set in a lush locale? Then look no further, McMillan’s latest is a compulsively readable love story that hits just the right spot.
This post contains affiliate links, see disclosure for more details. I received a complimentary review copy of this book, but I actually also purchased my own copy too. All opinions are my own.
About the Book:
Rudy Moser is everything Evelyn Watt has dreamed of when she pictured her ideal match. He’s handsome, accomplished, and has a swoony Austrian accent. When the marketing firm that Evelyn works for is bought out, Rudy approaches her with a proposition: The Moser Collection, his great-grandmother’s collection of priceless antiques, is just about ready to be introduced and sold. He wants Evelyn to come to Austria and write descriptions of everything for the catalog in a way that will appeal to Americans. Evelyn will live in Austria for the months leading up to the lavish Opera Ball, where the heirlooms will be auctioned.
Evelyn accepts and thinks that all of her dreams with Rudy are coming true. However, things don’t quite turn out as she had hoped. She meets gruff professor Klaus Bauner in a coffee shop where he introduces her to Viennese coffee, pastries, and his insights into culture and history. The two forge a friendship, which is tested when Evelyn discovers a secret from Rudy’s past that intersects with Klaus. Which man holds the real key to Evelyn’s heart?
My Thoughts:
If Vienna could be considered a character in this novel, then it definitely would be. McMillan describes the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the setting so well that it made me viscerally long for a place I have never visited (but certainly want to!) I found myself looking up photos and descriptions online as I was reading in order to get a better picture of where I was visiting on paper. As I mentioned above, I enjoyed this book so much that I purchased my own copy (and it’s not very expensive, so that’s an added bonus). There is so much packed into this short novel that I truly savored every page–as well as made myself numerous cups of coffee to try to imagine myself sitting with Klaus and Evelyn.
The romance is also what shines in this novella. It is detailed enough to allow readers to empathize and sympathize with everything going on and to choose which couple to root for achieving a lasting relationship. It’s not a grand surprise who Evelyn ends up with, but the path to get there is not always assured and keeps the plot fascinating and moving as the romance develops. One thing that strikes me is how realistic Evelyn’s feelings are portrayed. She knows in her head which man is right for her, but her heart is full of dreams and ideals that she has a difficult time moving past in order to see that her best choice is right in front of her.
Although the storyline has been done before, McMillan throws in a couple of twists that keep the story interesting and not as predictable as some other love triangle stories have been. And I can’t fail to mention again that the setting is absolutely the detail that sets this novella up above all other contemporary romances. It’s clear that the novel is as much McMillan’s lovely tribute to a place she adores as it is the setting for this charming tale. Readers will be thrilled to note that McMillan returns to Vienna in the second novella in the planned trilogy that will release later this year.
Bottom Line:
Don’t miss this beautifully told romantic story set in gorgeous Vienna, Austria. Readers will fall in love with the setting and be thrilled with the love story as well.
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