Hotel of Secrets
By Diana Biller
Pub date mar 28
St Martins Griffith
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this book. The cover was perfect.
Escape into 1870’s
I was charmed with this story. 4 stars

Is there anything dreamier than late 1800s Vienna during ball season? Absolutely not.

This book will transport you right there to the luscious hotel that has been owned by four generations of Wallner women. Maria, the current manager, is trying to bring the hotel back to its opulent former state after years of disrepair and financial woes in Austria. She is quickly distracted by an American, Eli, who was sent by the Treasury Department to find a security link that has been linked to the hotel. As he dives deeper into the secrets of the hotel, the two cannot deny their growing affection and attraction. And it’s a good thing he’s around because someone keeps trying to kill Maria — and Eli has to continue to save her & teach her how to save herself.

This book has a little of everything — kickass women, family drama, espionage, romance, and more. It’s beautifully well written and every piece of the plot comes together seamlessly. My only regret is that there wasn’t an epilogue to give us a glimpse at the next branch of the family tree!

Hotel of Secrets- 2.25⭐️3.25🌶️

It’s ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner only wants one thing: to restore her family’s hotel, the Hotel Wallner, to its former glory. She’s not going to let anything get in her way - not her parents’ three-decade-long affair; not seemingly-random attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the broad-shouldered American foreign agent who’s saved her life two times already. No matter how luscious his mouth is.

Eli Whittaker also only wants one thing: to find out who is selling American secret codes across Europe, arrest them, and go home to his sensible life in Washington, DC. He has one lead - a letter the culprit sent from a Viennese hotel. But when he arrives in Vienna, he is immediately swept up into a chaotic whirlwind of balls, spies, waltzes, and beautiful hotelkeepers who seem to constantly find themselves in danger. He disapproves of all of it! But his disapproval is tested as he slowly falls deeper into the chaos - and as his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows.
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✨My Opinion✨

I’ve honestly never read a German based romance novel. It was interesting to see a glimpse of the times, but I didn’t get a very good picture of actual setting of Vienna or anything else other than the hotel itself. But the little historical political snippets were nice.

This book was all over the place. The first half of the book was specifically a suspense book, a super slow one where things didn’t even seem to be tied together. I started skimming fairly early on. Then all of a sudden it was very much a romance novel. Thankfully, the second half was interesting, but the espionage entangled ending was a big dud. It seems that exactly no agent/spy/traitor is good at their job… which makes for a bad book about espionage.

As far as characters go, The two main characters were fairly blah. Eli had no personality, with the excuse that his childhood trauma sucked it out of him. Tall, dark and never smiling/laughing before just isn’t enough to make a character interesting for me.

Maria was fine, but for such an independent and modern woman, had to be saved too many times for my liking.

*Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nothing I love more than historical fiction taking me somewhere I haven't been before. This historical fiction/historical romance novel takes us to Vienna in the late 1800s, and I loved getting to read about life there for the first time. It was well written and well developed, with lots of intrigue and plenty of romance. The characters (both the main characters and the cast of side characters!) were likeable and easy to root for from the beginning.

3.5⭐️ sweet little romance. I really enjoyed the role reversal of an experienced woman with an inexperienced man, and I loved the hotel setting. Some plot points were conveniently related, which made the ending move very quickly, but overall it was a book I’d recommend.

I loved Hotel of Secrets and now I want to go read Diana Biller’s backlist. I was anxious going in to this romance because I haven’t enjoyed a straight historical romance in forever, but it quickly won me over. I liked it so much I’ve actually preordered a signed copy from an independent bookstore.

Hotel of Secrets is set in Vienna just as 1878 begins. While the jostling among empires (Austro-Hungarian, Russian, Ottoman) and the rise of national identities isn’t a focus, it does creep in at the edges and provide a background of intrigue. I found the complete absence of the British refreshing. This period of history is rich with conflict and intrigue, but far enough from the devastation of World War 1 that it’s a smudge on the horizon, not a looming tragedy.

Maria and Eli are wonderful main characters. I love watching very competent people fall in love despite themselves. Maria manages the Hotel Wallner, which has been in her family since an emperor gave it to her great grandmother – his mistress and mother of his natural daughter. Eli is a US Treasury agent sent “undercover” to find out who is selling codes. (Also refreshing, no one except Eli cares about the US). For reasons, Eli considers Hotel Wallner a lead, so he is staying there to further his investigation.

I will confess that as much as I enjoyed everything about this book, Eli is my favorite. His stern daddy vibes are so strong he can’t be called a Stern Brunch Daddy. He would only go to brunch if he had a specific undercover task or to make Maria happy. Otherwise brunch is a frivolous meal that involves socializing and loitering. He is buttoned up, ethical, and a virgin. Once he ticks Maria off his suspect list, he takes on the task of protecting her (someone is trying to kill her). But the main reason I love Eli – he does his research. When he needs to learn a language he finds someone to teach him. When he needs to learn about a religion, he gets a book. I love the sex lessons mini-trope and in Hotel of Secrets you get sex lessons with a pupil who has done the reading in advance. I love a character who, when confronted with things he doesn’t know, educates himself.

Maria is her own wonderful character. She has the practical creativity of someone who has had to do a lot with a little for a long time. The love of her life is Hotel Wallner. Restoring the Hotel to its former glory is her primary objective and she knows who she can and cannot count on for help and support. Her attraction to Eli is immediate, but her liking and love for Eli grows as she finds in him a fellow competent person who solves the problems around them. I loved that Biller gives us a woman who knows who she is and what she wants and pursues it with her whole heart.

I don’t know if this is a stand alone or the start of a series. I would read this as a series, even if it was just Maria and Eli learning things and solving crimes. Though there is no indication that Maria or Eli are queer, the book is very queer friendly.

CW: abusive and neglectful fathers, attempted murder in past and on page, murder in past (self-defense) and on page, animal attack (no animals harmed), complicated and toxic families, political intrigue.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

I've liked all of Biller's books but this is probably my favorite and her best. Rich in historical details and depth of understanding of the complicated political dynamics of an area of the late 19th-century world that would very soon change global history, it's also just an all around substantial romance and character study. It's almost certainly to be one of my favorite books this year.

Maria Wallner is owner/manager of the once famous Hotel Wallner, renowned in Vienna's glitzy ball season and aristocratic social circles. The hotel has always been a matriarchal affair that relied upon the women in the family to keep the family business going while negotiating sticky relationships among the Emperor's courtiers, Austrian spies, and the aristos who all use the hotel as a background for their various intrigues. We learn in the opening pages that someone is using the hotel to send stolen American codes, and the U.S. is sending their most stalwart and by-the-books federal agent to investigate. I consider the codes the McGuffin of the book, as Hitchcock would call it. I never really understood the murky "codes" issue except that it involves spies and European conspiracies, but more importantly puts in motion the arrival of the buttoned-up Eli Whittaker to get to the bottom of things.

Eli arrives just in time too because Maria has, for unknown reasons, become the target of nefarious players who want her out of the way. Eli's gut instinct tells him that the assassination attempts on her life are somehow connected to the case he's been assigned to, and his dogged pursuit of truth never allows him to set aside his suspicions. Maria is just a terrific heroine and my compliments to Diana Biller for creating such a complicated and wonderful character. She's a bit of an eccentric, a precursor of sorts to the "new woman" of the early 20th century with modern ideas on sexuality and the freedoms to which women can aspire. Her very unique role as the youngest woman in a family of strong, iconoclastic women gives her the sense that she can achieve whatever she wants and can reject gender conventions. The long-standing joke in Viennese society that the man is out there and that it's only a matter of time before Maria is tamed has served to scare her - so much so that she cannot allow herself to commit to anyone out of fear of losing herself in the process. Eli is, of course, the man, except that he for his own complicated reasons does not see himself as a suitable partner to any woman. Their unfolding romance unravels in such a beautiful and natural way that it's hard to pinpoint each transition between them, such is Biller's adeptness is constructing this relationship. Initially they are both wary of each other's sudden role in their lives, then they reluctantly join forces to uncover dangerous secrets, and then they gradually become lovers. Is Eli there to save Maria, or is she in his life to save him? Lots of vacillations between them keep the power dynamic always shifting, but they also always acknowledge the importance of caring for each other's well-being.

Aside from the lovely romance, the terrific setting of Vienna works so well here by giving us a place where rules are made to be broken. Vienna in the month when Eli arrives is experiencing their version of Mardi Gras and the carnival-like setting supports the chaos that is erupting all over for the characters. This is also a book too where a strong supporting cast of characters create a detailed world that makes the story really come alive. I loved so many of these secondary characters and felt that I got to know them all. I loved this book and hope that Biller continues to pursue unique settings for her historical romances. She is one of the best historical romance writers writing today.

Not quite what I expected, but still a decent read. A little graphic at times for some of the sex scenes. I found the little diary snippets at the beginning of each chapter a bit distracting since there were different povs.
**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review. **

I loved this! I can't stop thinking about it and I want to read it again and again. This was so good it is everything you need! Love, love, love this!!
I just reviewed Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This is the first book I've read by this author, and although it was fun and fizzy, too many elements were thrown in for me to say I would read it all over again tomorrow. To her credit, the author has an engaging writing style, you can tell she's done her research, and she does a nice job with world-building here. The Vienna 1870's setting serves as a unique backdrop, and I always look forward to a twisty spy yarn.

For much of this book, I can describe my reaction as similar to playing with a energetic terrier puppy: by turns I was charmed, frustrated, and in the end tuckered out, although my mood was improved.

Without further ado, I'm parsing my review down into different elements to better explain the 4 stars.

Tropes: fated mates, fish out of water, sunshine MFC meets grumpy MMC. Also, feministic MFC keeps finding herself somehow needing to be rescued by stoic MMC. More on this follows.

Characterization: I have a weakness for by-the-book, staid MMC's who are softies underneath it all, and I enjoyed Eli. Somehow he has managed to overcome horrific incidents with at least a semblance of grace, and there are revelations throughout the storyline of his sensitivity, kindness, and dry sense of humor. He's a master interrogator and cool under pressure. He also happens to be a virgin, which is an emerging trend in HR's, and I much prefer it to the typical "I'll sleep with anyone" rake. His innocence at his age is a bit hard to believe, but the only time his character really didn't ring true to me was toward the end, when, after opening up emotionally during relations with the MFC, he abruptly shuts down again after she confesses her love for him.
As far as the MFC, Maria, goes, I'm not quite sure who the author wanted her to be. At times, she's smart, strong, and yes, way too feministic for the time period. But in the first half of the book, especially, she has more than a couple eye-rolling TSTL moments.
The family members are generally fun, with the exception of Maria's parents, Elisabeth in particular. While she has a character arc, did she have to be such a ninny for so long?

Steam: the first half is steam free. Then the middle portion (basically from the 50%-75% mark) is all-out steam. (Also plenty of f-bombs, for those who are sensitive to this). I enjoy spice, and found the love scenes sweet and emotional overall, with the refreshing switcheroo of MFC teaching MMC bedroom tricks. But this is where the plot falters a bit (described below), and this feels like a different book than the first half.

Plot: Everything starts off on a dizzy, hectic note (reminiscent of, say, some of Tessa Dare's books). My critique overall is that there's perhaps one baddie, subplot, and secondary character too many. I have to admit that I'm not into the winding family trees that some HR writers seem to be enamored of, so there were passages in the beginning when I did some skimming, but everything else is very fast paced. Pacing toward the middle of the book does mellow as the MC's become physical.
I liked the aspects of the plot dealing with Eli's work back in the US, and wish more of the storyline had been focused on that. There are definitely too many instances of MFC in jep, and the final confrontation doesn't feel all that satisfying, considering it involves a memory from a scene the reader was never let in on in the beginning. That's a bit of a cheat.

Dialog/banter: Smart and witty, but super anachronistic. If this bothers you in a HR, this is probably not the book for you.

Humor: the absolute best element of this book, and frequently its saving grace. I will admit to laughing out loud several times, Yes, there's some screwball comedy and situational humor, but there's plenty of sly humor, particularly inherent in Eli's work with the government.

Bottom line: I would recommend this if you're a fan of writers like Tessa Dare, Charlie Lane, and Susanna Craig.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this opportunity. This book is expected to be published March 28.

📚Book Review

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

Releasing March 28th (Preorder now!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶/5

Picture this: beautiful gowns, a glittering Ballroom, and an air of mystery… this is the general vibe of this entire book and I loved it. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was that the author does a great job of balancing the different storylines to where it doesn’t feel like the romance is the main plot and the mystery is the subplot. They feel very equally weighted.

Definitely give this one a read if you love a good historical romance, spy novel, or even a little bit of mystery.

Diana Biller's writing just moves me in ways I cannot explain. It's not overwrought or flowery, it just gets right to the heart of things in the most honest and poignant of ways. I really adored the 2 MCs in this book, both of their backstories contained a lot of pain, especially Eli's, and the way he chose to live his life in response to his past was heartbreaking. I really wish this book contained an epilogue - that's my only hiccup but regardless, the book still gets 5 solid stars from me.

Willkommen im Hotel Wallner

Diana Biller’s Hotel of Secrets was my first read of the new year, and it was just wonderful. It’s an exciting tale of romance, spies, and mystery, and it has a delightful cast of characters.

Viennese hotelkeeper Maria Wallner wants to restore her family’s hotel to its former glory. However, assassination attempts and other mysterious incidents keep getting in her way. And most distracting is the American agent, whose stern and sexy mouth makes her want to him drag into the nearest linen closet.

Eli Whittaker is a guest at the hotel, and he is there on a case to find out who has been selling American codes. But upon arrival, he is swept up in Vienna’s dazzling ball season and a swoonworthy romance, all while trying to unravel the secrets.

Hotel of Secrets sparkles with Biller’s brilliantly crafted plot and well-developed characters, interspersed with detailed Austrian history and political intrigue.

It's no secret that Biller's Moore family is my favorite fictional family. The Wallners and their friends, while different from the Moores, are equally endearing. The way Maria and Eli get to know each other and fall in love is such a heartwarming journey. I loved the character development. Eli goes from stern and starchy secret agent to soft and gooey orchid knight. It was so fun to watch him open up to Maria and her family and learn how to laugh. The hotel’s forced proximity causes some delicious banter-filled moments and lots of swoony tension between the two main characters. It was a joy to see them both realize that love is a miracle. I also really enjoyed the relationship arcs between Maria and her family, especially her mother.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the unique and simply magical setting of a hotel in 19th-century Vienna. The Hotel Wallner is as pivotal to the story as the main characters. And the exquisite Viennese backdrop adds an extra layer of beauty to this romance.

Last, but not least, the way this book addresses sexuality and consent is perfect. In this book, the FMC is more experienced than the MMC (celibate), and some of the secondary characters are queer. Everything is really well done and respectful of all the characters’ experiences and choices.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, gun violence, attempted murder, murder, killing in self-defense, discussion of past spousal and child abuse, government corruption and injustice

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. I felt like the characters were richly developed. Maria Wallner isn't your typical female lead, especially for a book set during this time period (late 1800s). She is bold, independent, in tune with her sexuality, & around 30 & not married. Eli is also not the typical male protagonist being a bit aloof & not sexual at all. Their story & the characters that surround them is filled with many twists & turns that keep you engaged from beginning to end. Thoroughly enjoyed this one & highly recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

"Diana Biller's Hotel of Secrets is chock full of banter-filled shenanigans, must-have-you kisses, and romance certain to light a fire in the hearts of readers everywhere.

During ball season, anything can happen - even love.

It's ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner only wants one thing: to restore her family's hotel, the Hotel Wallner, to its former glory. She's not going to let anything get in her way - not her parents' three-decade-long affair; not seemingly-random attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the broad-shouldered American foreign agent who's saved her life two times already. No matter how luscious his mouth is.

Eli Whittaker also only wants one thing: to find out who is selling American secret codes across Europe, arrest them, and go home to his sensible life in Washington, DC. He has one lead - a letter the culprit sent from a Viennese hotel. But when he arrives in Vienna, he is immediately swept up into a chaotic whirlwind of balls, spies, waltzes, and beautiful hotelkeepers who seem to constantly find themselves in danger. He disapproves of all of it! But his disapproval is tested as he slowly falls deeper into the chaos - and as his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows."

Ball season in Vienna? YES!

This book transports you to 1870s Vienna during the annual ball season. Maria, the proprietress of the Hotel Wallner, is trying to save her family’s hotel with a shoestring budget. But someone is out to kill Maria for unknown reasons. Eli is an American investigating stolen codes. Eli and Maria are both complicated characters. There was a lot of back story for both, and it comes out over the pages as Eli conducts his investigation and Maria tries to bring her fractured family together. The book does a great job of capturing the atmosphere in the city, but it does drag at times when you are trying to figure out where the story is going.

The most salacious historical romance, set against the glamourous backdrop of 19th-century Vienna! ✨🥂

A SHORT PREVIEW:
When Maria Wallner is handed the keys to her family's luxurious hotel, her dreams of restoring this crumbling facade come to fruition. She realizes that not everyone wants her hotel to succeed as she earns more success. A series of surprise assailants, being abandoned by a cab driver in the middle of nowhere, and major costly *manmade* problems pop up in the hotel as people start noticing a buzz around The Wallner Hotel. Then along comes Eli Whittaker, an American agent looking to uncover who's been trading American state secrets and committing heinous acts of treason. Neither expects to fall in love or for the stars to align and make their goals one and the same.

THOUGHTS:
- Much of this book is a slow-burn romance wrapped in a few mysteries. Some secret always seemed to be unraveling, whether big or small, and I LOVED it!
- This was unexpectedly a REALLY good spy novel! I thought it would be much lighter and almost be in the background, but this is my favorite type of historical romance where the characters are working to rectify some sort of conspiracy/corruption.
- Hotel of Secrets is full of such gorgeous imagery and definitely makes me want to travel to Austria! It was already on our list - so learning a little about the way Europe shaped itself during the rise and fall of familial dynasties etc, is incredibly interesting. (I cataloged this one on my 'travel inspiration' shelf because it's a fun, immersive read.)
- I also loved that it was unexpectedly a 'mature women's romance'. When you're young, you're always looking for that happy ever after, and while our characters did have that, they weren't expecting to. That lack of dramatic expectation is what makes this book so good! You just want to wrap the characters up and hug them because they found their happy while in their thirties... well past what many would consider being prime marrying age. *Insert eye-roll here.*

FAVORITE QUOTE(S):
-- "..it was hardly good manners to a leave a sexual partner unsatisfied." - I mean.. true.

-- “Ah, Josephine,” von Laziska said. “Now I’ll have to get rid of three bodies.” “We both know that once you have two a third makes no difference at all,” she said, wiping her hands with a handkerchief. -- There are surprising moments of dry wit all throughout!

NOTES:
- 🌶🌶🌶/5 -- Open-door romance & general themes of sexuality throughout the book
- HEA Ending
- Historical Fiction (Not a regency romance - even though the cover is a gal in a gorgeous dress in a ballroom!)
- Definitely funny at times
- CWs: Cheating (parents), domestic abu3e. parental abandonment

**Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Hotel of Secrets covers several tropes and is a Romance, a Mystery, and a Historical tale set in Vienna in the late 1800s. Our female MC, Maria, is a strong, capable woman who comes from a long line of strong, capable women who own a once-grand hotel. Our male MC, Eli, is an American who comes to investigate the loss of secret codes for the US Government. Eli is a very competent, tightly wrapped-man, with dark secrets of his own. Both are not looking for love, but you don't always get what you are looking for! The cast of characters is interesting, and Maria and Eli find themselves working together to save the Hotel and Maria.

I received an ARC for free from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

The story opens following Eli Whittaker being dispatched to sleuth some nefarious goings on at the American legation in Vienna. It quickly shifts over to Maria Wallner who is trying desperately to restore the grandeur of the Hotel Wallner. Mixed in is ball season in Vienna. But also confounding the plot is the colorful cast of characters - from Maria's family, the hotel staff, as well as the staff at the legation. How Maria navigates through the various calamities and challenges related to the hotel and to her personal life is masterfully crafted by the author.