I picked this book up because of the comparison to Downton Abbey, because, well, Downton Abbey. And even though there were a few parts that dragged a bit, I found myself fully engaged through the majority of this novel.

Now, I understand why this book wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea (see what I did there?). If you are someone who likes a fast-paced plot, steamy romance, and super witty dialogue, you may want to skip this book. This book is more about the characters. To be cliche, it's about the journey, not the destination.

This story is bittersweet. At times, it flies right past bittersweet and crashes into heartbreaking. Don't go into this story looking for all the happy endings, because you will be thoroughly disappointed. This is not really a spoiler, because Elise herself tells you that everything goes to hell. Maybe not directly, but the foreshadowing isn't exactly subtle.

That being said, I found the writing to be very beautiful. Evocative and lyrical without being over-the-top and silly. The descriptions of Tyneford were wonderful, and Elise's descriptions of Vienna made me want to plan my own trip to see it for myself.

I also found the author's note at the end of the book very interesting, knowing that she took so much of her book from her ancestor's personal experiences and also learning about the sad history of the town Tyneford was based on.

I really enjoyed this book, which is a strange thing to say because it also managed to bum me out at the same time. I would recommend this to:

1. Fans of Downton Abbey
2. Fans of historical fiction, specifically WWII historical fiction
3. Fans of slow, character-driven narratives

I am definitely interested in checking out more from this author in the future.