Diana Biller does a fantastic job of taking a historical romance and flipping it on its head. This time, she puts us in 19th century Vienna. Eli has been sent there as an American spy to track down the person selling secret information and jeopardizing American security. His focus is on the Hotel Wallner. Maria has recently taken control of her family's rundown hotel and wants to restore it to the prize that it once was. She is solely focused on this and has zero plans for men other than enjoying a night or two with them until she runs into Eli and she just cannot help herself.

This is a fun, adventurous read. Eli and Maria could not be more different and the contrast is invigorating. He is super protective and cautious while she has little care for her safety and is willing to take chances. He is a virgin and she is decidedly not. He likes order and she is chaos. I loved watching him try to "handle" Maria as much as I loved seeing her open Eli up. There are a ton of characters in this book but the story was mostly easy to follow. I enjoyed the adventure and mystery that ran alongside the romance. It was fun to learn of some of the history of Vienna and see all of Maria's hard work and determination to get the hotel back to its glory.

If you are a fan of strong women in your historical romance paired with equally competent men, this would be a stellar book for you. While I don't think any book will overtake The Widow of Rose House by Biller, this read is a great addition to the library. Definitely recommend!

Hotel of Secrets was so much better than I expected. It is set in 1878 Vienna at the Hotel Wallner. Maria Wallner is hosting the New Year's Eve ball when the story opens. This ball is the start of brining the hotel back from the brink of disrepair that stemmed from the financial crisis and the Austro-Hungarian war. At the ball the psychics predict that Maria will finally meet "the man". Her family is known for meeting a man and having one daughter but Maria has not meet the man yet.

Eli Whittaker is in Vienna to look into stolen American codes. He is staying at the Hotel Wallner as that is where the codes that we stolen were sent from. To an American Vienna is chaos and Maira is part of that from their first meeting when he saves her from a carriage that is running down the street she is standing on.

Eli and Maria have interactions that I really enjoyed throughout the story. While there was an instant attraction it took time for them to come together and they do get to know each other during that time. I appreciated the history and the setting of the novel. It was well researched and the setting had such a different feel from the historical romances set in England. I've never been to Vienna but I could picture the city and the time period and I think I would like to visit even though it will be very different today than it was in 1878.

As the story unfolds we get to see the many different layers of the characters and the importance of the hotel to Maria and her family. I will be recommending this novel and will be looking for others from the author as it was fun read.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been gravitating towards historical romances that don’t take place in regency England lately and this got all of the right notes.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Great setting (1878 Vienna), good ensemble of secondary characters. It's a plot-heavy story, with several major threads (the ball, Eli's investigation, etc.) besides the romantic relationship. The demands of these plots didn't leave much room for the depth of character development I would have wished for.

Mac has great potential for his own book.

This book was so good! I really enjoyed how in this book the man was the one who was a virgin and how he researched what to do so that our female lead had a good time when they were together. The female lead, Maria, was amazing, she was such strong character who did not put up with anyone's garbage and a lot was thrown at her. You really got the feeling that she truly was happy with her life and what she was doing before the male lead showed up and he would just add to her already great life. The male lead, Eli, was awesome he was tall, dark haired, brooding lead which is always great in a romance novel but the way he competently handled the craziness of Vienna in the late 1800;s was such a fun thing to read. The side characters, which there were many, were such a fun delight to experience and added so much to the story. I would happily ready a book with any of them as the lead. For a fun romance novel the mystery present was actually really good. It had plenty of twists through out that kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next and who was behind everything that was happening. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun romance with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in.

📖 Book Review: Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

I liked this book SO much more than I expected to. I slept on this ARC for an embarrassingly long time because I expected a typical period romance set around ball season. I have never been happier to be wrong!

Maria runs the hotel that has been in her family for generations. Eli is an undercover operative from America. There are definitely high society shenanigans, but they compliment the main plot lines of Maria and Eli falling hopelessly in love with each other, while also figuring out who is trying to kill Maria!

Both MCs are witty with quick tongues, which is very much my jam. The verbal sparring is great, and what starts as “I just met you but I certainly don’t like you” turns into affection and then love before too long as we see each character open up. I particularly enjoyed the undoing of the uptight virgin MMC at the hands of the no-nonsense FMC — always satisfying.

The mystery/political intrigue part was woven into the larger story well and I think the conclusion at the end was the right mix of unpredictable and implied/hinted at. Also I love the MC’s grandmother and want HER book next!

This book is my first ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for April and the first in a long time! I literally have no complaints. Recommend for historical fiction folks but also anyone who just likes a well-written romance!!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fabulous. Imperial Vienna is such a unique and unexpected setting. Add in some mystery, family drama, and political intrigue, and this historical romance absolutely shines.

Excellent slow burn with very clear chemistry between Maria and Eli. They are both independent, competent, and dedicated to their success. I loved how the story simmered with them both being determined to not burden or rely on others, while clearly wanting to support each other. And what a fantastically frustrating portrayal of selfish parents! The family dynamics are incredibly well written.

Also, the acknowledgments had me tearing up! This whole book is just incredibly beautiful from start to finish. I cannot wait to see what Diana Biller writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Hotel of Secrets had a little bit of everything and it was a delicious escape from reality. Maria runs a hotel that has been in her family for generations. After some years of some tight budgets, Hotel Wallner is trying it's best to be a destination for the Vienna social scene again.

Eli Whittaker is undercover from Washington DC, investigating the leaking of sensitive American information, when he gets thrust into another mystery and despite his best efforts falls for the beautiful hotel owner.

Dual POV allows you to see Vienna in the 1800s from a local and American voice and it was jut so fun. I almost wish there was more of the balls and society gatherings but the focal point was really the hotel which was fun. I do love a story that takes place in a hotel where everyone who works there becomes family.

This almost felt like part cozy and part steam historical romance to me and I liked that this story had both as only just one of those might have just dragged on for me. My only qualm is parts of the mystery were a little convoluted to me. I might have benefited from a family tree (but maybe that is a spoiler?) and I was a little confused about the actual crimes being committed were.

Overall it was a fun read and I'd recommend for fans of historical fiction but who want something with a little more mystery and spice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maria is fighting to rebuild her family's hotel (Hotel Wallner) so it can be a shining jewel like it used to be. Drama unfolds when an unknown person sends out American secret codes from the hotel and Eli is sent to find the culprit.

Things I enjoyed:
* the plot is engaging and not predictable
* Maria is a strong independent woman and I really liked that for her
* I could understand how she'd be attracted to Eli / the development of their relationship

What I didn't enjoy:
* all the grunting that Eli did lol like why couldn't he just be curt instead of grunting?
* the chemistry between Maria and Eli dwindled in the 2nd half

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love that Diana Biller writes historical romances with very original settings and very cinnamon roll-type men. And me not enjoying this one as much as her past works is because she didn't put a supernatural element in here as she has in the past. Instead, there's more intrigue and mystery, and it didn't grab me the same. Her pacing is very slow, and that coupled with a plot that didn't pull me in as much made this drag. Still, I will be excited to see what's next from her. If you like more sabotage and espionage-type plots with a very slow burning romance, this might work better for you!

This book is magnificent. Absolutely outstanding. This will likely be one of my top reads for the year. I loved the historical fiction aspect with spies in France, Austria, and the United States; the romance that bloomed between Eli and Maria; and the incredibly interesting plot regarding the stolen spy codes and assassination attempts on the Wallners. This book is well written and keeps the reader engaged throughout the entirety of the story, never reaching a lull. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical romance!

**Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC

Hotel of Secrets is a historical novel set in Vienna in the 1870's. Maria owns the Hotel Wallner in Vienna. She is working to revitalize the hotel when she finds herself in danger. American detective Eli Whittaker saves her, and a romance begins.

I wanted to read this novel because of the Austrian setting! I am fascinated by Austria and rarely find historical fiction set in this country. The setting and historical details were delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Maria and Eli in this lively novel. Recommended for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone with an interest in Vienna or Austria.

I loved this book! I haven’t read a historical in a while and this was just the right one to go back.
Maria was such an independent woman who just wanted to make her family’s hotel successful again and Eli was just a man trying to so his job, and somehow they were thrown together and fell in love, but the journey is so delightful and the side characters are so real
I absolutely loved that they were no misunderstandings and the almost end of the book break up was handled swiftly and wasn’t dragged forever, a delightful book.

I struggled to get into this book. I usually love historical fiction and romance novels, but for some reason, I just couldn't connect with the story so I didn't finish it. I think I struggled with the 3rd person point of view the most. The way it was written made Maria dry in my opinion. I truly hope that other people enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me.

Absolutely loved this one. Eli is the grumpiest grump of a bodyguard there ever was and he's perfect. This story was so unique and fun. I loved that Maria was her own person especially during an era in time where it might have been hard to be a woman in charge of a hotel. I also loved that there was romance and mystery with this one, and not just one mystery but a few. I also definitely did not have the mystery figured out, so the ending was a bit of a surprise for me. I've read another of Diana Biller's work, but I think this one might be my favorite so far of hers. Diana is definitely an autobuy author for me now.

In 1870s Vienna, Maria is the illegitimate child of a prominent man. She also runs the Wallner Hotel and wants to restore it. Eli is an agent sent from America whose investigation into the selling of secret American codes across Europe has led him to the Wallner Hotel. They find themselves flung together more than once as secrets and danger surround them.

This is a unique and somewhat shocking novel, as there is a definite sensual side to it. It is quite funny at times and not at all what I was expecting. Frankly, it's way too "spicy" for me, but others will enjoy it. I loved the descriptions of the hotel, which almost had its own personality. The mystery aspect is well done and compelling.

I'm more interested in historical mystery than romance, so this wasn't the perfect fit for me. However, I appreciate great writing and this was well written.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin's Press. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

This novel is a historical romantic suspense, chock-full with the kind of dry sarcastic humor I understand. It also broke my heart, in the best possible way, a few times.

Despite the length of the novel, the pacing is so good, that I read it in essentially one long sitting. Who needs sleep? But seriously, each chapter builds on the previous one, barely letting up so the reader can breathe.

The story is set in Vienna in the first weeks of 1878, as tensions between European countries rose in the midst of the Turkish-Russian war, and it follows a woman determined to rewrite her future by restoring her legacy, and a man who doesn't know how to break the bonds of his own.

For four generations, the Wallner women have been as much a Viennesse high society institution as their hotel, ever since Francis I, Emperor of Austria, gave it to his mistress, Maria's great-grandmother as a parting gift. For just as long, part of the family tradition is to maintain daily journals recording everything that happens at the hotel and in their lives. Snippets of these entries appear at the beginning of each chapter, and they are very illuminating indeed (also, funny).

With each chapter, the author builds the characterization of the protagonists and main players, as well as further building the world around them; late nineteenth century continental Europe, and specially Vienna, is very different from Victorian England (where so much of genre romance historicals are set).

As the novel starts, Hotel Wallner is in a precarious financial position; aside from a recent banking crisis and the ongoing war, the previous manager--Maria's mother, Elizabeth--was basically useless. Now that she's in charge, Maria is determined that 1878 will be better; starting with the success of the New Year's Eve ball, things will work out for them.

If only the plumbing stopped giving her grief, and her parents stopped being...Well. As Eli remarks later in the novel, her family tree is complicated, and the relationships among the different branches only more so.

Maria herself is a very competent woman of thirty or so, who has so far managed to keep herself heart-whole, while surrounding herself with loving friends and family--other than her parents, that is.

For his part, Eli Whittaker is an extremely competent agent for the U.S. Treasury. A bit too competent, as he's now on the brink of charging and arresting a number of important people, including a U.S. Senator, for all kinds of federal crimes. Except, somehow, he's suddenly sent to Vienna, to act as an undercover agent there for the U.S. Secretary of State. This makes no sense to Eli, but, duty is duty; he's determined to find out who's selling U.S. state secrets in Europe, and get back to his investigation, and his well-ordered life, post haste.

However, much to Eli's vexation, Vienna is definitely not Washington D.C., and the Hotel Wallner bears no resemblance whatsoever to his boardinghouse there. Just arrived from the very young and, well, outwardly straitlaced, United States, everything about the city is a shock to his senses--from the opulence of the buildings to the revelry in the streets, never mind Maria herself: a woman who is both part of high society and outside it.

Eli's reaction to Vienna is, in a word, provincial, and just a bit prudish. He's not necessarily shocked by all the sexual affairs going on, as by how much no one really bothers to hide them from...well, anyone, including the parties being cheated on.

Ms Biller does so many things so well in this novel!

For starters, our heroine is the experienced one. Maria hasn't had romantic relationships; she's had liaisons with men she has liked well enough to enjoy some satisfying sex with. "...for me, sex is a thing I do for fun. It's separate--a thing that is enough on its own." (Chapter 24) She has never dreamed of marriage and babies; all her dreams revolve around the Hotel Wallner. Restoring it to its former glory will keep her family (both by blood and found) safe, and that is all that matters.

Eli, on the other hand, is a virgin. There's a very traumatic event in his past, and he has planned the rest of his life along very specific (and solitary) lines as a direct consequence. Here I will note that it strikes me that Eli may have been written as being in the autism spectrum: math calms him, he prefers routine and solitude, is very observant, struggles with subterfuge and some of society's 'niceties'. Eli's focus is justice, and his view of what that is is very much black and white.

It is a legitimate shock to Eli when he realizes he can't--and doesn't want to--fight his attraction to Maria. "It wasn't that he hadn't been attracted to people before her. He had a very efficient system in place to handle it--he ignored it." (Chapter 13)

The treatment of consent between them is beautifully done; not just as it pertains to sex, but general communication as their relationship develops. They are gentle with each other, and as emotionally honest as they can be. The tenderness between them is leavened with a lot of subtle humor. (One of the great joys of the books is to see Eli find laughter, and discover that he too can be devious and enjoy it.)

And the sexual tension! They don't have intercourse until well past the half point of the novel, but oh my! Arguing. Dancing. Kissing. Thinking about each other.

And as Eli and Maria grow closer, things keep happening. Curses, plumbing mishaps, attempted murder, blackmail, treason, spies, stolen codes, and more.

Through it all, with few exceptions, the other characters in the story are fully developed people with their own lives and interests, who interact with, and react to, each other in complex ways, according to their own, sometimes fraught relationships.

There are all sorts of non-traditional romantic relationships of long standing, some very happy, some not so much, and one of the great things about all these, is that the author doesn't reveal all the secrets, doesn't answer all the questions: relationships are often messy in real life!

Josephine, Maria's grandmother, for example; not only is she exceedingly strong in character, she's clearly bisexual, currently in a lesbian relationship of very long standing.

It is also notable that the suspense thread is anchored in historical events, as well as the mores of the time and place; the research is evident without the details overwhelming the narrative.

At the end of the story, all the important questions have been answered, and for the most part, "the universe has been righted", to borrow a fellow reader's phrase. The villains get their comeuppance--sometimes with extreme finality--; some characters redeem themselves, and I am convinced that Maria's and Eli's relationship is built on a solid foundation, and will last for a very, very long time.

Because, in the end, it's the two main characters who made the book for me. Even though Eli's emotional arc is the most overtly significant, given the terrible heartbreak of his past, Maria has her own trauma to overcome. "She couldn't keep him" (Chapter 20)

The way they help each other break free from their past is just beautiful.

Hotel of Secrets gets 9.50 out of 10.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

DNF at 26%

I was excited about this one, and I thought the blurb sounded like this was going to be a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, the characters in this fell flat for me and I didn't find that I cared what happened to them, if they were together, or about anything else in the story. I am not sure why I couldn't connect, but I couldn't.

I'm unable to recommend this title.

Hotel of secrets has a little bit of something for everyone. History, romance and some mystery. I LOVE this cover it’s as beautiful as the story. Literally swept me away to Vienna. Maria’s strong character was way ahead of her time.