Welcome to Litsy!

Not too bad for 2024!❤️📚❤️

How did I get this so wrong? I thought this was historical fiction, with a mystery and light on the romance. It was mostly a historical romance—rather heavy on the sex scenes, and an uninspiring mystery. By the end of the book I didn‘t care. It started out strong. I loved the setting: Vienna in the 1800‘s. A hotel past it‘s prime. Several interesting characters. However my interest waned about ½ way through when the romance overtook the story.

#thingsincommon - spies/employees for the US Gov‘t

Set in Vienna, during ball season. Maria owns and runs her family hotel that needs to be renovated but she has no money.
Eli works for the treasury but is sent to Vienna undercover to see who sold US codes.
There are assassins and mysteries to unravel. A convoluted family tree and a celibate spy.

Loved it!

OK, I loved this book. Everything about it. But especially the characters. My first from this author and set in 1870s Vienna, Maria Wallner is the 4th-generation of daughters to run her family‘s Hotel Wallner, which has sunk into disrepair due to neglect and financial woes. Eli Whittaker is an American agent sent to Vienna from DC to track down the culprits who are selling American codes across Europe. As Eli, based at Hotel Wallner, 🔻

The NetGalley blurb promised banter and shenanigans and Biller delivered. There were many laugh-out-loud moments in this historical romance set in 1870s Vienna. I enjoyed the setting and the quirky cast of characters, but there are enough unpleasantly odd notes that keep this from being a real winner. I can‘t place my finger on what didn‘t work, but while I laughed a lot, I‘m kind of glad it‘s over. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3.5 ⭐️ for the banter and shenanigans