Publication Date: March 28, 2023
Historical Romance

Maria Wallner descends from a line of women who have run the Hotel Wallner, that is until her mother got her hands on it. Now the hotel is in need of repairs and a reputation overhaul. As she prepares to host the hotelkeepers ball at the height of Ball Season in Vienna, Maria encounters Eli Whittaker, an American tasked with locating the individual selling American codes from a certain Viennese hotel. As Maria is thrown into the chaos of the spy game playing out in her own hotel, she begins to spend more time with Eli and it isn’t long before sparks fly.

What a breath of fresh air it is to read a historical romance that is not set somewhere in the United Kingdom. Frankly with the exception of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris I don’t think I’ve ever stumbled upon a non-WWII historical romance outside of that setting. If they are going to be anything like this delightful novel then I want more.

Biller did a great job of establishing a historical context for the events of the novel, including what the ball season in Vienna entailed and the financial crisis faced by the Viennese during the events of the novel. Although the societal rules of this time period kind of went out the window.

Our male lead was atypical for a traditional romance novel. He was inexperienced and an introvert especially when compared to Maria who was well versed in physical pursuits, independent and social interactions were necessary by virtue of her occupation. From their very first encounter he was left uncomfortable but yet still intrigued by her boldness. Their chemistry was immediate and quite fiery without being spicy.

I often find historical romances do the romance very well but the subplots are often lacking. This was definitely not the case here. I thought the mystery unraveled and was beautifully integrated into the pacing of the romance itself, and was helpful in showcasing the characters personality traits and providing a catalyst for the events that occur. I enjoyed both aspects of this novel equally.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I begin? Ball season in Vienna, 1878. That alone conjures a beautiful picture. But Maria Wallner’s hotel and her indomitable, fiercely independent but gentle spirit pales the setting by comparison. Simply put, I ADORED the characters, the story, the mystery, from cover to cover. A perfectly spun tale of resiliency, feminism, acceptance, drama, and love. This will be a re-read when the physical book comes out. I have to have it in my hands. 😍
I have absolutely nothing negative to say. Well done, Diana!

A beautiful romance and mystery woven together! Diana Biller is a new to me author and I am excited to read more from her in the future. Definitely recommend this book.

A woman determined to save her family hotel, a man on what is supposed to be a secret mission, several nearly fatal mishaps, a family full of drama, and one intrigue after another doesn’t t exactly sound sound like the recipe for romance. However amidst the ball season in Vienna one plucky, independent hotelier and one closed off, capable American will take those ingredients and make something delicious.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A refreshing romance novel set in the glittering world of Imperial Austria! It’s fun to see one outside of London, y’know? Maria is a delightful heroine with a wild family history. Quite enjoyable, and I’d love to read more romances set in the hotel!

Diana Biller’s Hotel of Secrets is one part romance, once part historical fiction, one part mystery. Biller definitely manages to keep the suspense and the romance rollicking along, making for a delightful read.

Maria Wallner has dedicated herself to restoring the Hotel Wallner, her legacy and the family’s pride and joy, to its former luster. To that end, she decides to throw a big, splashy do to indicate the hotel is open and willing for business when it comes to dances and balls during carnival season, no matter how much her family opposes her.

That’s when the attacks by masked assailants start, which proves to be only one obstacle standing between Maria and her hopes of reviving the hotel; another is her selfish mother, who, after four generations of matriarchal ownership, has shirked her duties regarding the business for years, and that, together with Vienna’s economic downturn, means it’s time for a major refurbishment.

Fortunately, Eli Whittaker – handsome American Treasury agent with a mission – is on hand to intervene. He does not want to be involved in Diana’s business – he’s much keener on trying to figure out who’s selling American codes in secret all over Europe to the country’s enemies. A lead draws him to the Wallner, but Maria’s problems are a distraction, to say the least.

Maria and Eli find themselves embroiled in two mysteries which may indeed dovetail together – and a love match which might indeed turn out to be divine. But he’s wedded to his Washington DC lifestyle, and Vienna is her home. Between kidnapping plots and the distractions the guests and her parents provide, will they figure out where they belong?

Great characters + fun mystery + banter + oodles of hero and heroine-based romantic chemistry = Diana Biller, and this book is no different than any of their others (all of which I’ve adored) in that regard. Her dialogue is smart, and the romance as delicious as a Viennese pastry.

This is a great romance – filled with wit and life. Eli is very internalized, and very conservative while Maria is more passionate and bold. Her love of her hotel and of Vienna glows brightly in her every action. But her love for Eli is just as beautiful. Their connection goes from annoyance to love to lust to desire, and it’s wonderfully handled.

Maria’s grandmother is definitely my favorite supporting character, but there are a lot of wonderful folks floating about in the prose. Biller knows how to create people you love and loathe, and relationships you root for. Every bit of it is fantastic.

In the end, Hotel of Secrets doesn’t quite manage to climb above The Widow of Rose House for me, but it landed just a notch below that auspicious novel. It’s quite a great ride, and fans of romance, of mysteries and of good historical fiction will likely gobble it up.

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This book is an absolute delight! It has mystery, music, culture, history, humor, drama, and of course an incredible romance. And if you love a buttoned up hero, this is absolutely the book for you! I loved it and will be reading it again!

I absolutely love this story. I do think it needs some more editing-just some slight misspellings and some wording- but otherwise it was a captivating read.

This book was a fun historical fiction romance/mystery. I liked the multi-generational feel and the setting of the hotel. I really loved the male MC, I felt like he was different and likable. The romance was great and I found myself turning pages to find out what would happen.

A fizzy delight of a book! I was swept away by the unique setting and delicious banter. Can't wait to read more by Briller!

I love reading books set in this time period, although this one did not quite follow many of the "rules" and expectations during this time-it seemed to be made up as it pleased the author. Most of the characters were well developed. I could feel Eli's broody attitude through the pages and I really liked Josephine. I did not quite follow the plot, as Eli's big investigation seemed to slowly slip into the back story without really being as big of a part of the plot as it was in the first part of the book. It was quite open door, which I did not suspect so that was surprising. I liked that the characters came together in the end and supported one another.

This was a wonderfully fun read. Banter, intrigue, mystery, romance, all in the very evocative atmosphere of bygone Vienna. It was a pleasant change from the plethora of historical romances set in London/England. I loved the main character Maria - strong, quirky, fun, and imperfectly human. Eli wasn't quite as well-developed, I thought, but I did love the chemistry between them and the banter that ensued. And the hotel really did feel like its own little world in the larger world of Vienna. Overall, I highly enjoyed and read more from this author or in this series if it was turned into one.

This book has a little bit of everything - found family, hilarious characters, scandal, drama, romance, suspense, and intrigue. Sometimes I felt like it was a little bit *too* much. But it was an overall enjoyable read and I will definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin's for the eARC in exchange for my review.

This was a fun read with lots of twists & turns! I really enjoyed that the hotel felt like a character all its own as well as the focus on found family.

Hotel of Secrets is a wonderful tale that held my interest from start to finish. Set during Vienna in the late 1870s, it is part mystery, part romance and a whole lot of fun!

Maria Wallner has been hard at work trying to bring her family’s once splendid Hotel Wallner back to its former glory. Eli Whittaker, a guest at the hotel, is a U.S. Treasury agent sent to Vienna to find out who stole codes from the American Legation there--an assignment that he believes is a wild goose chase. The sole lead he has for his investigation is a letter that was sent from the Hotel Wallner.

Several attempts on Maria’s life keep bringing Maria and Eli together, as he always is on hand to save her. Their relationship is both tender and funny as the two try to figure out what they are to each other amid increasingly desperate attempts by unknown parties to sabotage the hotel’s revival and/or to kill Maria.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, there are numerous funny moments in the book, many of them involving Maria’s complicated family and loyal members of the hotel staff. Maria and Eli are a marvelous couple, easy to root for and like; both with an enormous, untapped capacity to love. It was a pleasure to follow their adventures as they discover the many secrets of Hotel Wallner.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC!

“Hotel of Secrets,” by Diana Biller, is a historical fiction book set in 1870s Vienna. In this book, the reader follows Maria, the current owner of the Hotel Wallner, Eli, an American Government agent, and a number of Maria’s family and friends. This book started out really strongly for me - a New Year’s gala ball, wondering how Eli fit into everything, and then a who is trying to sabotage the Hotel Wallner. I really liked Eli - from his quiet observations to his resourcefulness for knowledge (what he could’ve done with Google I find rather interesting to ponder). I did get a few of the characters confused as the book progressed, but I think that was due to me skimming a bit. There are trigger warnings for this book on Ms. Biller’s website. What I wasn’t expecting was detailed “sexy time.” I understand why people have loved this book - the description of the time were good, one could feel like they were actually in the hotel (or at the ball or in Vienna). I would read another book by Ms. Biller, but for me, sadly, this book didn’t always work regarding Eli’s mission and the eventual who-done-it. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I really enjoyed this book! At first I wasn't sure if I'd love the writing, but by about a quarter of the way in I found myself too caught up in the story and characters to mind anymore. I found it really engaging and was very invested in what would happen, and in the romance. Slightly more spoilery/specific notes below:

(Also I normally wouldn't comment on the sex scenes specifically, good or bad, because that's embarrassing to me lmao. I would prefer to not acknowledge that when idk who will read this. So it's a mark of just how good they were that I feel the need to at least mention it in my review!)

Sometimes I start a (straight) romance and the male lead is described as so rude and humorless that I have no idea how they're going to bring me around to liking him by the end, or thinking he's a good fit for the female lead. This was one of those, but Biller did indeed end up putting me firmly on the side of the relationship! I love them together and really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.

It’s been a little while since I’ve read a historical romance, and this book reminded me of why I love them! It was so fun to be transported to 1878 Vienna. I loved the main character, and the romance was cute but did feel a little like something was missing. I enjoyed their banter and all the messes they got into. I definitely recommend to historical romance fans!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

A fun ride! I loved the setting of Vienna and the ball season. The family of women was a fun, unique take on some of the classic romance tropes and I enjoyed the hint of intrigue laced throughout the story.

This is a quick read of romance and intrigue. There is a a lot of historical information which I skimmed after a while. A solid 3 stars.


********************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.************************