By Kelly Bridgewater
A romantic waltz through a city filled with music, passion
and coffee.
Evelyn Watt fell in love with Austrian marketing director Rudy Moser the moment he stepped into their Boston firm. With his ice blue eyes and chocolate-melting accent, he is as refined as she imagines his home country to be. When Evelyn finds herself unexpectedly unemployed right before Christmas, she is left with an unknown future until Rudy steps in with a job appraising, assessing and cataloging heirlooms, lending her American vernacular to the translated descriptions to give each item international appeal. Evelyn will live in Vienna for the months leading up to a grand auction at a party held in conjunction with the Opera Ball—on Valentine’s Day.
Vienna is a magical blend of waltzing, antiques, and bottomless cups of Einspanner coffee at the Café Mozart. When a secret from Rudy's family's past blows in with the winter chill, Evelyn is forced to confront how well she knows the object of her affection. Her café tablemate, the gruff and enigmatic Klaus Bauner might be the only person who holds the key to Rudy’s past. But could that key also unlock her future? In the days leading up to the Opera Ball, Evelyn finds herself in the middle of the greatest romance of her life…as long as she doesn’t trip over her two left feet.
Evelyn Watt fell in love with Austrian marketing director Rudy Moser the moment he stepped into their Boston firm. With his ice blue eyes and chocolate-melting accent, he is as refined as she imagines his home country to be. When Evelyn finds herself unexpectedly unemployed right before Christmas, she is left with an unknown future until Rudy steps in with a job appraising, assessing and cataloging heirlooms, lending her American vernacular to the translated descriptions to give each item international appeal. Evelyn will live in Vienna for the months leading up to a grand auction at a party held in conjunction with the Opera Ball—on Valentine’s Day.
Vienna is a magical blend of waltzing, antiques, and bottomless cups of Einspanner coffee at the Café Mozart. When a secret from Rudy's family's past blows in with the winter chill, Evelyn is forced to confront how well she knows the object of her affection. Her café tablemate, the gruff and enigmatic Klaus Bauner might be the only person who holds the key to Rudy’s past. But could that key also unlock her future? In the days leading up to the Opera Ball, Evelyn finds herself in the middle of the greatest romance of her life…as long as she doesn’t trip over her two left feet.
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| From Rachel McMillan |
My Thoughts:
I adore Rachel McMillan's writing. She is a fabulous
storyteller who captures my interest. I really enjoyed her Herringford and Watts series and can't wait for her next series releasing July 2018 from Thomas
Nelson Publishing. So when I heard McMillan was writing a contemporary romance
set in Vienna, I jumped at the chance to read it. I was familiar with
McMillan's writing style, so I had a good idea what I was getting into.
My favorite aspect of her novella "Love in Three
Quarter Time" is the setting. For someone who really hasn't traveled a
lot, I really enjoyed how McMillan brings the setting of Vienna to life for me.
I even Googled a couple of places she described, so I could look at them with
my own eyes, so I had a better visual of these unfamiliar places. I felt like I
was walking alongside Evelyn as she traveled to these historical sites with
Klaus. McMillan's love for this city and the history shines in every place that Evelyn traveled, and I really enjoyed that.
The plot has been done before. How many movies or stories
show a girl that leaves what she has to chase a guy? Legally Blonde. Felicity. This novella has the same plot.
Eventually, Evelyn realizes something is wrong with the guy she idealizes and
finds her true love. On the other hand, I did enjoy this plot line because Evelyn was brave enough to travel to an unknown country to seek something better for her existence, not that I would do that. About seventy-five percent into the novel, McMillan created a twist I didn't see coming and made me sit up and take note. What was going to happen? I couldn't get to the end fast enough.
The romance was the best thing of the novel. I enjoyed how
McMillan really dug deep into the character's individuality and allows Evelyn
and Klaus to see the better side of each other. Their romance was sweet and
different. I didn't like Evelyn at the beginning. What girl would travel halfway across the
world to work for a guy she has a crush on? They have never been on a date or
done anything but work together. She redeems herself when she arrives in
Vienna. On the other hand, Klaus was
an unique hero. He loved history and reading. He even knew the quotes she
pulled from a Charlotte Bronte novel. I don't know many men, besides those in
my required English classes in college, who would read a Bronte novel. Klaus
was definitely one in a million.
I had one issue with the novella. First, I don't
understand the caffeinated note to the reader. What does that have to do with
the story? When I first started reading the novella, I was confused. After
reading the story, it makes sense, but I was lost when the story started.
Overall, "Love in Three Quarter Time" by Rachel
McMillan is a sweet romance taking place in a foreign country where McMillan
invites me into the world of Vienna with a cup of coffee and some foreign food
to savor. I believe fans of Susan Meissner would enjoy this novella.
I received a complimentary copy of "Love in Three
Quarter Time" by Rachel McMillan, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
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