The development of the main characters was so good
The writing is very good. The plot was very interesting. I felt that something was lacking in the romance

Goodnight, Vienna by Marius Gabriel is an historical fiction set in Austria just before & immediately after the annex, much of the focus is on Katya, a British Russian women who wants to be a doctor but has to work as a governess to help her spendthrift parents. Katya resents her employer Thor and doesn't care for Gretchen who at 12 yrs old cannot read and write but slowly she starts to fall in love with them both.
It was interesting reading about Austria during this time and the attitudes of the everyday people, however unfortunately I did not seem to connect with the characters and found myself frustrated many times with Katya especially when she refuses Thor's proposal and the way she tries to get out of the country.

WW2. Reading this book, you have to put yourself in the shoes of a young woman.. The author did a great job of portraying this. This was such a beautiful story. This novel set in 1938 in Vienna has kept me glued to the pages all way through! The second half of the story was quite intense. Good characterization, a suspenseful and realistic plot, tension does not let down. Fear is strongly described, I felt with it with the characters. Excellent!!

Having fled Russia as a child with her aristocratic parents, Katya Komarovaky dreamed of one day becoming a doctor and was well on the way to making her dreams come true, when she was called home from her studies to help support her indulgent, spendthrift parents once again. Finding herself thrust into the role of governess to a young, troubled, Austrian girl, Katya’s anger and resentment slowly shift as her feelings grow for the child and her father.

Gretchen we learn is quite gifted, a musical prodigy able to replicate music on piano purely by ear, but she is unable to read or write, and her frustration and fears are frequently expressed as negative behavioral outbursts. When her father is arrested, Katya is is left to protect not only herself, but this beautiful child from the hatred of the Nazis.

Goodnight Vienna takes place during the German annexation of Austria, with much of the story focusing on the Nazis view and mistreatment of what they considered ‘undesirables’. Much of the story focuses on Gretchen’s behavioral issues. The appearance of real life figures like Sigmund Freud and Hans Asperger enhanced the believability factor. I’d not known that Asperger was accused of collaborating in the murder of children with disabilities under the Third Reich. This in itself had me googling for more information.

I found this to be such a different view from this time period. It was a difficult read for sure. There were so many unlikable characters and the cruelty and misbehavior that occurred wasn’t glossed over. Conversely, Katya’s determination, bravery, sacrifice and love was instrumental in their survival. I loved all the characters that showed kindness, a reminder that goodness can shine despite evil. This was a perfect exploration of the impossible choices ordinary people faced every day during extraordinary circumstances, celebrating those who pushed the boundaries of this time. I was happy for the epilogue which provided closure for the many people and things I grew to care about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for the opportunity to read this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to reading more from this author.

The author weaves history into her narrative as she depicts wartime. A very good story.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

(Read a finished copy)

‘I am only here tonight because certain people gave up a great deal for me.’ She lowered her eyes to Katya and David in the front row. ‘Some gave up their dreams. Some gave up their lives. None of them ever asked for thanks. But I thank them now. And tonight, on my debut, I dedicate this music, and all the music I will ever play in my life, to those people.’

Goodnight, Vienna is told from the perspective of Katya a young woman who wants to be a doctor, but whose parents convince her she needs to go be a governess to an Austrian businessman (Thor) to take care of his daughter as a job instead of continuing her studies to become a doctor. Katya does not want to do this and goes to Vienna determined to turn down the position once she had met both Thor and the child (Gretchen), but once there she realizes she can't go back to university yet for so many reasons. You see Katya's family was Russian but they left when the revolution happened and had been living off of the items they had brought with them, as well as their title. While that part is not that important the title Katya's family held and how close they were to the Russian Royal family is important, because Katya would 'play' with the Alexie as everyone else was to rough with him, but she had a gentle touch it seemed and the two of them were close. This closeness she had with Alexie has convinced her parents that she will be a good fit for Thor's daughter Gretchen who needs some extra help as well.

Gretchen and Katya get off to a bit of a rough start, but quickly become friends. Katya is so patient and kind to Gretchen and actually listens to her instead of ordering her around or making her feel stupid like everyone else around her had been doing since her mother died. Katya believes in Gretchen and because of this Thor starts believing in her to. While the time together they all have together is short it is one filled with happy moments, and moments of seeing a family brought back together after so long apart. The entire priority for both Katya and Thor is about saving Gretchen and the lengths they will go to, to do so.

Overall I loved this book. I couldn't read it fast enough and I needed to know what was going to happen to them all next. Once the Nazis invaded Austria everything quickly changed and with this change came violence and uncertainty for everyone who was 'different' in the eyes of the Nazis. Gretchen was considered one of those people who were different, as was her father Thor for his feelings towards the Nazis, and Katya was a threat as well as she was a foreigner originally from Russia. This is when everything became tense, and almost every time you think something else won't and can't go wrong it does. There were so many ups and downs, and the downs kept getting lower every time because the danger was increasing for Katya and Gretchen. Throughout this part, though we really got to see Katya's determination and love for Gretchen and the lengths that she will go to in order to protect her and get her to safety. All of the side characters we got to meet, while some of them were cruel, we also got to see the kindness that others had and the want to help others to safety. This book had so many layers to it when it came to telling the history part as well as the human part of what was happening in 1938 Austria.

‘When I see all this, I feel despair. I feel that a shadow has fallen over the world, and there is no light anywhere.’

The ending of this book, whew, it was a hard one. So many hard truths happened and were said throughout Goodnight, Vienna. While they are important and made this book what it is and set it apart from other historical fiction books set in the same time period.

"Katya could still hear Gretchen’s voice: We didn’t say anything. Why didn’t we say anything? And her own response: Because we were afraid."

I can't wait to read more by Gabriel in the future as his writing captivated me.

I really enjoyed the historical thread throughout, especially reading about actual real doctors and when the Nazi party started taking over Austria.
Whilst I felt the main characters were believable, the story seemed very rushed and to me left questions unanswered.

Thank you to @amazonpublishing @amazonuk @lakeunionauthors for the ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Moving. I grew up in Vienna, so the title was the main attraction. And, I’m so glad the book turned out to be well written as well. I’m so glad that Katya started off strong and stayed strong. Sometimes, the woman’s strength decreases in a story for the sake of the plot. Here, it didn’t do that and the character development for the main characters were well done. I was intrigued and enjoyed the cameos of famous Austrians such as Freud. And the beginnings of Hans Asperger’s treatment of children with Asperger’s syndrome. For a historical war fiction, it touched a lot on the issues of child behaviours, behavior therapy, and how children, like Gretchen, were considered imperfect and were placed in concentration camps.
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❗️This would be a great book club read.

I've just got up after a very very late night reading about Katya, Gretchen and their struggles to escape Nazi Austrua.
Katya went unwillingly to Vienna to be governess to the child Grey Gretchen. She sacrificed her medical studies to fulfil her parents' wishes who were emigrees from Russia and she set off for Vienna
She hadn't planned on falling in love though and her life took a very different path.
The struggles of leaving nazi occupied Austria were immense and she met good friends on the way.

I honestly could not put this book down abd thank netgalley.co.uk so much for this Arc.

A very well-written book with a strong lead character, I really enjoyed Goodnight, Vienna by Marius Gabriel. I was also drawn to Gretchen as a character and would have liked just a bit more development from her perspective. All in all, a great book that I had difficulty putting down and which I would highly recommend to readers of historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

A beautifully written novel about Vienna before and during the beginning of WWII. Katya reluctantly leaves her medical studies in Ireland to become a nanny for the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Vienna. Soon after her arrival, Katya finds herself falling in love with the businessman and forming a strong bond with his daughter. As the war looms in Vienna, the businessman is arrested by the Nazis and Katya realizes she must flee Vienna with his daughter, before they, too, are taken prisoners.

I liked the contrast depicted in Katya's life - arriving and then leaving Vienna by the Orient Express - as the war progressed. I also was intrigued by learning more about Dr. Asperger and his involvement with the Nazis. One thing I disliked was Katya's reason for not marrying the wealthy businessman: She refused his proposal because she wanted to return to Ireland someday to complete her medical studies in her own language, not German. However, it is established early in the book that Katya was originally from Russia, so that excuse didn't hold a lot of water. Otherwise, it was a very interesting book and a strongly recommended read for anyone who enjoys the genre.

Goodnight, Vienna, is the story of a Russian emigrant turned British governess, and her Austrian charge, who flee after the Nazis take over Vienna and all of Austria. I've thought a lot about this book since I finished it, trying to pinpoint why this did not work for me. While I think the effort was for a story arc of overcoming adversity and one of survival against repeated overwhelming odds, I think the story spent too much time buried in the adversity and very little time making me care about the characters except for in context of what was happening to them.

The writing was better when discussing some really horrible people and their revolting beliefs. The villains are more brightly drawn, such as Dr. Asperger and the Nazi commanders that show up repeatedly. That's not to say there aren't amazing and amazingly good people on the right side here. Specifically, I think Hildegard, the music student in Innsbruck, and the doctor, David, and his sister, Shulamit, were characters that were not as one dimensional. Though each had a relatively short time on the page, they had huge impact on Katya's and Gretchen's safe escape. That's great. But there was so much negative that ate up the pages, it was hard to find anything positive. Katya felt very determined but never very warm. Gretchen is a child struggling with the loss of her mother, a severe learning disability, possible neurodivergent behavior, and a magnificent musical ability. I saw more growth in the Gretchen character, but there was little in her POV. I think that would have been helpful. For example, her thanks in the prologue, to those that helped her, that showed her growth and character. But it's at the end!

And repeatedly over and over, the two of them escape the Nazis. Over and over and over. And the number of times someone said, just go, leave, and that's how they escaped? It just kept happening.

Instead of the persecution of Jews, the author focuses mostly on the Nazi plans to cleans the Aryan race of those who were not physically perfect. Gretchen herself is a target of this program because of her neurodivergence and dyslexia. Through the story multiple characters are subject to horrific treatment solely because of their disabilities. And yes, this absolutely was a component of the Nazi programs. The parade of disabled characters that Katya and Gretchen connected with, and who were then murdered by Nazis, began to wear on me as a reader. Georg and Shulamit are both well drawn initially, and while Shulamit helped Katya and Gretchen reach Switzerland successfully, both Georg and Shulamit were ultimately only victims. They existed mostly to be killed, it felt. And that was so disappointing.

I do not recommend. Rated 1 star as Goodreads labels that as "do not like."

After fleeing Russia, Katya is now studying medicine, settled in 1937 Glasgow. When her parents basically run out of money, Katya must travel to Austria as a governess. But as Hitler moves forward with his plans, Katya finds herself much more than a caregiver to her young charge, Gretchen. Well written historical fiction.

This books opening chapter managed to set the stage and pull me straight into the given narrative capturing my attention and compelling me to keep heading forward. What a ride this book was to read. I sailed thru the pages and had a great time reading it. It was just what I needed!

I can certainly understand why someone once said of Marius Gabriel’s writing, that, “It makes you read until your dinner is burning!” So, so true! This is the first book of his that I’ve read, and it won’t be the last one.
This is one of the best books about WW2 that I’ve ever read, (and that’s saying something, because I read a lot about that time period). It focused on the German annexation of Austria and the aftermath, rather than the concentration camp horrors in many WW2 books. A particularly chilling aspect was the attitudes towards those that the Nazis considered “undesirables”, and the means that employed to get rid of them. (I have anxiety and hear with hearing aids, so I would have been in big trouble). The author did a masterful job of showing how the Nazis gained power little by little, the “slow burn” technique. By the time most people realized the actual danger, it was too late to put a stop to the atrocities.
I have to state that this novel did have some light-hearted moments. The best one? A display of portraits of Hitler without the famous mustache, in a basement, created by a woman in a wheelchair that Hitler would have eliminated. And the musings of this young woman about drawing Goering without his huge belly, and Himmler to look like a street thug; hilarious!
As soon as this book was released in print, I bought a copy.
*Th@nks, Netgalley, for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Memorable Quote:
“Interesting, isn’t it? You’d think the man has a face you’d recognize anywhere. But all you really see is the ridiculous mustache.. If he were to shave it off, nobody in Germany would be able to pick him out of a police line-up of bag-snatchers.”- Dr. Turtletaub

What an amazing book; I loved it from the start. The characters were so real, the setting perfect and the story so very realistic. I particularly liked Marius Gabriel’s style of writing, making this a true page turned. It’s not initially clear where this novel is heading, but bit by bit the all the pieces fall into place, including the aspects of the autism spectrum which have been well researched and conveyed. Mingled with fact, this historical novel brings to life the suffering and risks taken of so many communities during the rise of Nazism during WW2 in Austria. It’s a joy to read a book that is not only enjoyable but informative and the ending couldn’t have been better.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy - and I look forward to reading further novels by Marius Gabriel.

Honestly, this book wasn't very good. The diaglogue was stilted and awkward and it felt like characters would do or say things just to move the plot along. Nothing ever felt quite natural and perhaps this is because of the fact that the author is a grown man trying to sound like a young woman. It is possible, just not this time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodnight Vienna, by Marius Gabriel, is historical fiction with all the feels. It also includes a bit of very interesting medical history related to autism and dyslexia. The medical community's ignorance about learning differences was astounding, in the sense that it was even worse than it is now. It was interesting getting a look at what Doctor Hans Asperger might have been like. I think it was probably pretty close to reality.
It's 1937 and Katya Komarovsky is in medical school in the United Kingdom. She's excited about becoming a doctor in a couple years but suddenly her parents turn her world upside down. Due to their own excesses they don't have anymore money so now they expect their daughter to support them by becoming a nanny. To add insult to injury, Katya will have to move to Vienna, right "next door" to Hitler!
Of course Katya is angry and she blames Thor, her employer, for taking advantage of her parent's financial situation. Now she's responsible for 12yo Gretchen, who's a musical prodigy but struggles with all her lessons. Soon she finds herself caring deeply for both Gretchen and Thor.
Unfortunately, the Nazis take over Austria and Thor refuses to leave, without fighting to help save his beloved homeland. Leaving Katya and Gretchen forced to flee to safety alone.

What a read. Marius Gabriel wove a tale that had me sighing, crying, angry, and wishing for more. A unique point of view from other historical fiction I have read. Katya quickly became one of my favorite heroines, her strength and capacity for love are outstanding. I have recommended this book to lovers of powerful WW2 fiction and will continue to do so for some time.

This book was... not it. While it's good writing, it left a gross feeling in my stomach for how much Jews/Roma seemed to be an afterthought in a book that takes place during the literal Holocaust.