Hotel of Secrets had all the right ingredients that should have made me a happy reader. Gran Hotel vibes. Undercover spies. Starchy virgin hero who clenches his jaw and hands around the heroine. The right idea was there, but the execution was ridiculous and chaotic.

I was already feeling discombobulated from the first chapter. It felt like I was dropped in the middle of the story and I was expected to know all the characters and their relationship with one another. It was jarring and it was incredibly difficult to keep track of all these characters dropping on me one after the other. I soldiered on because I had faith the writing would stabilize later on because I did love Diana Biller's previous two books. I was proven wrong LOL.

Hotel of Secrets did not feel like a historical romance. The author has clearly done her research on the history, but history alone does not make a good fiction story. This is just another "historical romance" with a 21st century man and woman in disguise as the main characters 🥱 There is a lot of proselytization of modern values that felt forced and did not fit the historical period at all. You can have unconventional characters in historical romance, while still keeping true to the time period. It's not rocket science 🤡 What do I know? Maybe it is rocket science 🤡 Additionally, it's difficult to get a grasp of the setting of Vienna because it's so flimsy and superficial. The only descriptor we have of Vienna is that it's a city with inhabitants who don't do any work and only party hard. Enthralling 🥱

I didn't find any of the characters likable, including Elijah and Maria. The only interesting character in this book is Johann and he appeared for two sentences only. The spy plot is a total joke—everyone figures out that Elijah is a spy at 22%🤦🏽‍♀️and it's painfully obvious who is involved in Maria's recent brushes with death. By the time the climax hit, I was just shaking my head at the ridiculousness. Listen, I can very well suspend disbelief when it's required. But I need the story and the characters to be interesting at the very least, so I can go along with the ridiculousness. On top of the unlikable characters and ridiculous story, this book glorifies cheating through multiple characters. It left such a bad taste in my mouth 🤮

I started reading this book, but then I switched to the audio at 23% just to see if it would get better. The narration is decent, but the story is still crap. I guess I just prefer Diana Biller's somber and angsty romances with lots of feels and a dash of ghostliness.

I love diving into books blind lately. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but what a fun adventure it was! Based in Vienna, the story centers around Hotel Wallner and the desire to bring it back to its former glory. This book is rich in character development and just so unique. The first thing I thought when I finished is that someone needs to make this into a television show. It reminded me so much of the series that PBS aired years ago called “The Paradise.” I loved it,
but alas-they canceled it after the second season.

Ok I digress, but my favorite thing about Hotel of Secrets is the characters. From the MC’s Maria and Eli, to Mac and Hannah, it’s wonderfully character-driven. This is a romance, but it also has thriller and mystery elements as well.

There are assassination attempts, lots of family drama, and hotel sabotage too. The most memorable thing for me- one of the swooniest, sweetest, and most patient Heroes I’ve read in a long time. This book is easy to consume in one sitting. 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Sit back and enjoy this fantastic historical fiction set in 1878 Vienna! Wonderful descriptions make you feel you are there... Intrigue, wonderful characters, fun banter and a journey to romance not to be missed!!

This is the first book by the author I have read, but cannot wait to read more!!

HOTEL OF SECRETS by Diana Biller offered such promise; a faded glory of a hotel being resurrected by a young woman seeking to honor her family's legacy with parents who are forever in love and separated by reality, an American CIA operative in undercover mode charged with stopping leaks of information threatening national security, and the city of Vienna itself, glorious, indulgent and being shoved into a changing world culture. While I struggled at the beginning of the story to untangle the relationships and family lines of the characters, I fell quickly under the spell of a distant decadent city and dire circumstances. Then, I was jolted into the terrible realization this story was nothing but romance dressed up in history, but the dialogue, the situations, even the twists and turns of the plot felt contrived, predictable, and not very interesting at all. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own unbiased thoughts.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an e-arc of HOTEL OF SECRETS by Diana Biller in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Biller’s previous novel, The Widow of Rose House, so I was very happy to read her newest book! It did not disappoint!

I really liked the whole “ball” setting of this book, and how everything was geared towards hosting the most extravagant ball of the season. Seeing Maria (FMC) plan the ball was lots of fun!

True to the title of this book, the hotel and the the Wallner family are full of secrets! As you are reading, you learn not to be too phased by learning new things about this crazy family… it almost just seems like another day to them. But throw in Eli Whittaker (MMC & American treasury worker who is sent to learn the mystery of the missing codes), and we learn just how not normal this family is.

One thing I love about Biller’s books is that they have strong female characters. Even with this book set in the late 1800s, Maria runs her family hotel, hates asking for help, and despite having a “curse” over her, isn’t afraid to go off by herself to get things done for the ball that she is planning.

I also really like how the author weaves romance into her books. Eli and Maria couldn’t be more different. And at first they get in each other’s nerves. But that doesn’t stop them from thinking about each other, when they both know that Eli being at the hotel is temporary. It doesn’t stop them tho, and their romance is 🔥🔥 Maria isn’t just a strong female character, she is also a leading lady in her relationships, and watching Eli’s intense and serious focus turn towards Maria and keeping her safe and happy, is simply the best!

If you are a fan of historical fiction (that doesn’t center around WW2!), with strong female characters, lots of adventure/challenges and mystery and some 🔥 romance, I highly recommend this book!

There was a lot that I enjoyed about Eli and Maria's story, and how they brought the best out in one another as they tried to resolve the mysteries they were entrusted with figuring out. Yet at the same time, this is the first historical fiction novel I've ever read that verged on erotica. There was this wonderful mystery that needed to be solved, yet somehow, it couldn't be done without living out fantasies of trysts in linen closets and seducing a mature virgin (many times over).

The mystery and intrigue itself about who was behind the undermining of the hotel and Maria's struggle to bring the hotel back to life, despite the obstacles, were great. But they were overshadowed by all the sex to the extent that it became uncomfortable to continue reading the book at times.

So for me, there were elements of the story that were excellent and others that were pure detractions from a good story. The characters were wonderful and the mystery was complex. I enjoyed the exploration of how our past issues with parents can affect how we react to present-day events.

Thank you to Diana Biller, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, clever, steamy and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and will look for other books by this author.

I loved this historical romance set in 1870s Vienna. The setting was gorgeous and comforting, and the characters were interesting and made me laugh out loud many times. Diana Biller writes such entertaining and enjoyable stories and I look forward to what she writes next! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

Hotel of Secrets is the charming and lovely story of Maria, successful hotel owner in Vienna. Or she would be, if her hotel wasn’t trying to recover from eight years of mismanagement from her mother. When Maria is given the chance to host a ball that could change the fortunes of the hotel for good, she vows for it to succeed by any means necessary. Even if that means avoiding sabotage, reconfiguring her entire budget, and getting to know the very handsome American spy. Eli is suspicious of Maria from the beginning, but soon finds himself captivated by the incredible feats Maria manages with ease. After several near death experiences, it becomes clear Maria is being targeted. Eli and Maria must work together to pull off the ball and discover who is attempting to take Maria and her hotel off the playing board.

I loved this book!! I felt completely transported to Vienna and its glittering, entangled society. Maria and her family are characters who it would be difficult not to root for and feel connected to. I particularly loved the relationship between Maria and her grandmother, both of whom would do anything for each other. Eli and Maria had amazing chemistry and I loved the role reversal of power that took place with Maria being more experienced. Maria and Eli go on excellent adventures, with a strong supporting cast of characters who create an ironclad sense of found family. Maria and her chef/best friend Hannah have an enjoyable dynamic similar to Lorelai/Sookie (Gilmore Girls). There is never a dull moment with multiple spies frequenting the hotel to outright sabotage and assasination attempts (plus family drama!). However, the joy and romance remained a steady constant throughout.

Diana Biller’s writing is incredibly witty, with many quotable lines. There is unquestionable queer representation, and I loved how accepted it was although I’m curious whether this would have truly been the case during the time. Regardless, it was well done and I loved it! Maria is such a strong heroine who is determined not to let her hotel and legacy crumble and instead claws her way back from ruin with the help of her family and chosen family. I was impressed with how creative she was when she brainstormed solutions to keep the hotel afloat. Hotel of Secrets is a world that I was sad to leave and hope to return to!

Hotel of Secrets would be perfect for readers who enjoy historical romance with a touch of danger, readers who enjoy Eva Ibbotson (The Reluctant Heiress), and determined heroines who refuse to let assisination attempts imperil their dreams.

Thank you so much to Diana Biller, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

I loved the setting of this book. Maria is such a fun character and I love the background of her family and how they gained their position in Vienna’s society. I also really enjoyed Eli. I think that his no fun demeanor breaking down and allowing him to see himself in a different light is quite entertaining. Together they just make the perfect pair. The mystery in this book sometimes becomes a bit stagnant, which took me out of the story a little bit. Overall it is a decent book. One that I would recommend if someone was looking for a historical romance.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

It's ball season in Vienna and after having thrown a successful New Year's ball, Maria Wallner is finally starting to pull her family's legacy, the Hotel Wallner, out from the brink of ruin. And when she's offered the opportunity to host the Hotelkeepers Ball, she cannot turn it down.

Eli Whittaker is in Vienna from Washington DC to investigate whomever is selling American codes across Europe. His one lead has brought him to the doors of Hotel Wallner. Vienna is a city that is always bustling. It's too much for Eli who enjoys his easy life back in the states. He's determined to wrap this investigation up as quickly as possible.

When Eli ends up saving Maria's life on more than one occasion, he becomes intrigued by not only Maria herself, but the possibility that she has some connection to his investigation.

I have come to highly anticipate Diana Biller's releases. She has this way of writing these engaging historical romances with often thrilling/mysterious plot points to solve, but also includes such quirkiness and levity to the characters that her books are fun. The balance between the fun and the serious is on point.

I loved the setting. In this Hotel that has been passed down through the women in the Wallner family for generations. Each chapter begins with a snippet of a journal entry from a previous Wallner matriarch and it's fun to see how these spirited women live their unconventional lives.

Maria being the newest manager of the Hotel Wallner has her work cut out for her. In her mother's hands before, the Hotel did not thrive. Her mother wasn't as interested, coupled with the political climate of the past few years, and the Hotel started to decline. Maria wants to make the Hotel Wallner the place to be and be seen. Of course, just when she thinks that she's on track to bring the Hotel back to glory, Maria is attacked and a series of terrible events befall the Hotel. Through all of this, I liked Maria's strength and determination. She's not one to get flustered easily and when one obstacle presents itself, I loved seeing her pivot to another direction. I'd call her unflappable.

Eli is a slight opposite of Maria's. He's never had the family or friendship loyalty that Maria has. He has little life beyond his work. Being in Vienna, in the middle of ball season no less, is throwing him for a loop. He used to relying on himself alone. Some of the best moments of the book are seeing him like a fish out of water being put in situations where he has to work with others or rely on someone else for information.

Honestly, I think this is the steamiest book from Diana Biller. The attraction between Eli and Maria jumps off the page and each of their interactions are perfect. I really love how they each take the other as they are. There's nothing that they try to change about each other. Instead they fit as they are into each others lives.

I liked the twisting of the mystery in this one. Diana Biller balanced everything well enough to keep the momentum going in the story, while also providing a satisfying ending.

Overall, another good read from Diana Biller. You can go wrong with her blend of historical romance.

I grabbed this from NetGalley hoping to read a historical novel set in Vienna's heyday, during the ball season. I think if I'd been about to read a few pages I would have passed, not because it's a bad book, but because it is firmly set in the "Bridgertons" subgenre: modern people with modern thinking more or less set into a briefly sketched semblance of the past, so we can have the sumptuous trappings and the social dangers but with contemporary language and thinking.

My only real disappointment was that there was very little of Vienna in evidence. However, the author does her best to give us venturesome women running a failing hotel as the ball season comes (Faschingzeit; the copyeditor obviously does not know German, as there were a number of small errors). We get glimpses of the Wallner women's diaries as the plot weaves around them and their desperate need to save their hotel.

Structurally this is very much a romance novel, with the stage set broad at first, hinting at mysteries and espionage, but gradually closing in as the couple find one another and then dance their way onto the mattress. The mystery takes second seat to the romance, which no doubt will please romance readers!

In short, if you like modern characters set in historical times, behaving mostly like modern people, and a hot and heavy romance with a dash of mystery and espionage, this might be the read for you!

Diana has done it again. The perfect balance of mystery, character, romance, and humor wrapped up in a delicious package of balls and intrigue. I adored this book. I was curious what a Diana Biller book would look like that wasn't about the Moore family but of course she completely delivered. Set during ball season in 1870s Vienna, the book is told from alternating perspectives of Maria Wallner, working to restore her family's hotel to its former glory and American spy/bureaucrat Eli Whittaker tasked with finding out who is selling Amerian secret codes across Europe.

Maria and Eli are drawn together and through a series of increasingly hilarious and dangerous shenanigans keep being brought together as well. I loved both of them and the way that Diana balances everything going on in this book is masterful. A lot of times I have found that in historical romances (and a lot of romances generally) I always want the book to go back to the romance and focus less on the mystery but for this book it was all weaved together so well that it felt almost seamless.

The chemistry between Maria and Eli sizzled and I also loved the other characters and the book was filled with banter.

I could go on and on about this book and Diana Biller who I just absolutely love - this is the third book I've read of hers but I think she is an auto-buy for me for the foreseeable future.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and St. Martins for letting me read an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't read a lot of historical romances, but I found this one to be different than others. The description of the setting and time were very descriptive; it painted a vivid picture. This was a fun story filled with unique and entertaining characters. I was pulled into the story right away. I loved Maria and Eli and how they seemed to fit together. I would definitely read other books by this author. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is truly a historic jewel of a story!! Diana Biller has once again brought us another fantastic of intrigue, mystery, & love.

"...The man really did do excellent work with walls..."

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. 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.

God this book just enchanted me. It was just so wonderfully perfect I don't even know where to start my review. The setting of 1800's Vienna, family secrets, a straight-laced american, multiple assassination attempts, very steamy time in linen closets, and not to mention the fact that the mmc goes to an erotic bookstore to get books for 'research' on how to properly please her!?!?!?! HELLO!! I loved the romance between Maria and Eli; the build up was just as juicy as the sexy scenes and I enjoyed every interaction these character had. Also the fact that Maria wanted to see him undone?! I need more of them!!! The mystery and spy element fit perfectly with the narrative and kept me guessing the entire book. All of the Wallner women were badass and strong; honestly I could read endless books about them.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Hotels of Secrets is romantic mystery set in Vienna during the last 1800's The pages transport the reader to the Hotel Wallner as it prepares for Vienna's biggest ball in a dilapidated ballroom about to be transformed into a fairyland. Only, someone keeps sabotaging the work and trying to kill the lovely hotel manager, Maria.

Maria has taken over the management of the family hotel after her mother failed to uphold its lush landscape. She is throughly committed to restoring the hotel to its glory, a time when her grandmother was the manager. Eli has arrived from the America's on special assignment from the government to uncover who's selling codes to the Russians. He soon becomes Maria's hero, saving her life not once, not twice but multiple times over the course of story. Each time he's drawn into her orbit, he's besotted.

Eli is a solutions guy, seeking sources so he can achieve the best outcomes. This man is so damn adorable with his studious readings of erotic literature. My new favorite romantic passage:

"The books said ---" he started, breaking off when she giggled, throwing her arm over her face. He waited patiently. "It's just the first time a man who had me under him cited his sources. Please do go on."

Maria's family is complicated, and there are many family members and hotel staff that provide for a strong supporting cast. Linens closets will hold a new meaning for the reader too.

I look forward to future works by Biller. Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.

Hotel of Secrets is Diana Biller’s new historical novel set in the 1870s of Vienna. This is the first time ever I read a historical romance set in a location that’s not in the US or the UK, so of course the literary setting of Vienna was very refreshing. Apart from that, the book encompassed everything from social scandals, imperial dynasties, political discourses and the drama surrounding it all.

My favorite part was of course the existence of the Hotel Wallner, and how Maria Wallner was so focused on throwing the ball of the season while managing little mishaps happening inside the hotel. At the same time, she has to manage the various assassination attempts on her life, while getting distracted by the new American agent guest, Eli Whittaker, staying at her hotel.

This book managed to surprise me in the best way possible, and taking into account that this is my first time reading anything by the author, I have had a wonderful experience. The first thing that sold me was the setting of the hotel since I thought it was very unique, and the second thing was the mention of anything resembling spies. Add romance to the mix and you’ll have yourself a happy reader that cannot put the book down until getting to the bottom of it all.

I had a blast seeing the romance of the book come to life since Maria and Eli were two VERY likable main characters with equally interesting backstories and personalities, coming together into the most perfect relationship that I could read about. Also worth mentioning is the varied set of secondary characters that took part in the story and made it all enjoyable in the end. I wouldn’t mind seeing a book coming out focusing on Mac and Hannah.

Content warning: mention of an abusive father.

*ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5. I don't read much historical fiction (or romances) set in nineteenth-century Vienna, so this felt like a unique opportunity to learn something about that era. There's a lot more drama, steam, and mystery than historical accuracy (and the mystery takes a backseat to the steam after a while), but it's still a charming read with appealing characters. I particularly loved Maria, who runs a hotel with a firm hand and despite the interventions of her mother, Elisabeth (who's flighty in a particularly annoying way), and other "accidents" that damage the building. Spy/love interest Eli is a well-balanced mix of highly competent and shy, so if you enjoy that then this will work well for you. It feels a little long, but it's entertaining enough and worth a read, especially if you enjoy historical romance.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really enjoy the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!