Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell Review

Title: Vienna Nocturne
Author: Vivien Shotwell
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The bottom line: Lush, romantic, and glittering, Vienna Nocturne captivated me entirely--a gorgeous love story told with grace, style, and tenderness in 1770s Vienna--just amazing!

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Anna Storace is a young ingenue, passionately in love with opera and singing on stage. Rising quickly through the ranks to become a prima donna, despite some mistakes and personal issues. Happy and in love with her craft, this all changes when Anna meets Wolfgang Mozart--and falls passionately in love. Indulging in a doomed romance, our two lovers find that even love requires great sacrifice..

What I enjoyed:
-First off, I absolutely loved that the book was written by someone who knew the opera industry--I really felt like I was getting a backstage look into the glittering, secret world of fine opera and culture
-The lush, glittering world of 1770s Vienna, beautiful and yet still very perilous in many ways
-Anna, the fragile young ingenue who grows up to be a star, and a strong woman in her own right--her character development was almost painful as it went on
-Mozart, the tortured genius who Anna falls for, despite being married to other people
-The vibrant cast of characters surrounding the two star-crossed lovers
-The pacing of this novel was lovely--I couldn't put it down
-The detailed prose
-The ending--it did justice to everyone involved
-I loved the research that went into this novel

What could've been better:
-I was kind of hoping that more could've been divulged out of Anna and Mozart's whirlwind passion
-I was hoping that Lidia could've been more of a main character in the story

Overall, I really enjoyed Vienna Nocturne--truly it was a treat! Next on deck: The Girl Who Never Was by Skylar Dorset!

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