This was a very fun listen. It was so nice to read/listen to a historical romance that wasn't set in Regency or Victorian England, or England at all. The Viennese setting was perfection. I also loved that both of our main characters were so competent at their jobs. Maria runs her family hotel, the Hotel Wollner, and Eli works for the US Treasury department, trying to ferret out a leak. There are spies and trysts, family drama, lots of pastry talk, elaborate balls, secret diaries, rampaging boars, and sexytimes. The audio narrator also did a really good job, if you like audiobooks.

I love it when find a historical romance that bends the genre or takes me away from the comfort of Lords and Ladies. Hotel of Secrets was a wonderful surprise that firstly takes place in Vienna, Austria, and secondly tells the story of a hotel heiress (but this one is desperate to rebuild it—not anything like Miss Hilton) and an American “spy”. Maria is my favorite type of heroine; she is intelligent, a hard-worker, fearless, and sexually confident. She knows who she is and her grandest plan is to see her family’s hotel come back to its former glory.
Enter Eli Whittaker. In typical meet-cute fashion, he saves Maria from being nearly run over, but these two seem to have more differences than similarities at first notice. Eli is the buttoned-up, stoic American that suspects Maria might be the code-stealing thief he is after, and the two initially clash. Yet Eli and Maria can’t seem to stay away from each other for long as threats are made on Maria’s life and odd occurrences begin happening at Maria’s hotel (where Eli happens to be staying).
I loved Eli and Maria together! Maria gives Eli the freedom to discover his desires without shame and in return, he gets to learn her. His shyness brings out the best in Maria and he is an excellent pupil under her tutelage. Eli’s enthusiasm to learn what pleases Maria makes him unbelievably attractive and pretty soon these two begin falling for each other beyond their initial arrangement.
As stories go, the romance was probably a third of the book with lots of twisting plot lines, murder attempts, and a whole lot of family drama being the majority of the book. Each chapter began with an entry from the diaries of Maria, her Mother, or Grandmother, and I liked seeing how this fit with each chapter and helped me learn more about the characters’ past lives. I would only knock this down from 5 to 4.5 stars for too many storylines, but everything is resolved by the conclusion of the book. I read an audiobook ARC and the narration was excellent with German accents that really brought the characters to life. There were so many parts of this book that I bookmarked for the quotes and narration. I’m so glad I found Diana Biller and will be adding her to my list of authors whose backlog I want to read. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and St. Martin’s Griffin along with NetGalley for my advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
CW: death threats, attempted murder, father abandonment

4.5 stars

This was such a fantastic read! The mix of romance and adventure/action was so well done and the cast of characters was wonderfully quirky and endearing. I fell head over heels for Eli and I cannot get over how sexy and appealing I found all of the consent and his desire to learn - in all areas of life. He was all in and faced whatever challenge came his way and Maria is a lucky, lucky woman. The action got a little chaotic at the end as all the different plot lines started to come together. I'm not sure all of them were sufficiently addressed and I don't think quite so many threats to safety were necessary, but I appreciated that there wasn't a ton of romantic third act drama. I also liked that the relationship between Maria and her mother was left in a hopeful place. An epilogue would have been amazing since things wrapped up quickly, but my heart was definitely happy when I finished this one. I'm hoping we might see a story for Mac and Hannah in the future.

I both read and listened to the audiobook of Hotel of Secrets and the narration by Carlotta Brentan was fantastic. I really enjoyed all of the different voices and accents she utilized and had no problem differentiating between characters. Definitely an enjoyable listening experience!

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

CW: murder and attempted murder, gun violence, kidnapping, financial instability/insecurity, arson, blackmail, animal attack, parental neglect, emotional and physical abuse (child and spouse, past), infidelity (not MC's)

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

As readers, we often complain about book covers that all look the same, but perhaps there's good reason for it — it gives us a clear glimpse at what to expect. Judging "Hotel of Secrets" by its cover, I got the impression this novel would have some historical weight to it, landing it firmly in the historical fiction genre. I might have fared better with one of the graphic art-style covers typical of modern romances, because this book is first and foremost a romance. While it may have been set in the past, key moments of history play little role and at times it's difficult to peg down the era.

Maria Wallner has just taken on running her family's hotel in Vienna, a once-thriving hotel that has been passed down to the women of her family for the past three generations. Now, facing harder times, Maria is fighting to pull the hotel back to its former glory amidst the upcoming ball season. This proves tricky when she finds her family ensnared in a dangerous plot. First comes the arrival of Eli Whittaker, an American spy who is trying to determine who from the hotel might have leaked American secrets. Next comes repeated attempts on Maria's own life, with a sullen Eli there to whisk her to safety when necessary. Spicy scenes between the two soon abound, often at the cost of distracting from the suspense and mystery of the plot.

As I mentioned, it was hard for me to swallow this novel as historical fiction — it felt more like historical fantasy. Not only were historical details more scant than I'd hoped, there also was a jarring mash-up of modern mannerisms. I'll admit I don't know the past of Vienna well, but I wouldn't have expected upper-class women to have been able to run a hotel so freely, nor for a man of the era to be so concerned over consent. Maria was simultaneously strong enough to take on being a proprietor in the mid 1800s while also seeming feeble and needing Eli to rescue her. As the reader, we spent the first third of the book frequently caught up in Maria's "no, I couldn't, but he's so dashing" lust for Eli, which began to feel a bit tedious.

Bottom line, I'm unclear on how much of my impression of this book is because of the writing or how much of it is a case of unmet expectations. Either way, I came away with the feeling that there was the potential for so much more. when it comes to either an immersive historical experience or an intriguing, suspenseful plot. But if you're looking for a light, fluffy romance with a garnish of history and a heavier side dish of spice, this may be a good one for you.

This novel started out grabbing my attention immediately.. our main characters Eli and Maria are thrown together as Eli saves Maria from a runaway carriage.. This is the first of a string of assassination attempts Eli foils. tpThey head for the third main character, the Havner Hotel, Maria is in the middle of renovating the hotel to its prior glory but has run out of money. Her mother, Elizabeth, has let this place deteriorate into calamity during the eight years she was in charge using money on herself and not the business. , during her reign the banks collapsed and the wealthiest residents lost their money. The hotel was handed to her by her mother Josephine, handed to her by her mother Theresa. The following was my original book review however, I drill feel the book gets a little bogged down with characters. I would change my rating to four stars.One daily habit the original owner practiced was to always take a moment to write in her journals the daily activities some of which could be used as bribes in the future if necessary. News such as which married man had a mistress in tow. Eli, an American has been sent undercover to find who has been stealing the secret codes.. The only clue he has to go on is that a message was sent from that hotel on their letterhead so he must get in there undercover and investigate. Maria as the central criminal. She has gone to at least five banks all telling her no. Maria pushes forward and plans to host the ball of the century which will place her hotel back into it’s rightful place. I felt like Vienna, at that time, everything moved in three quarter time. I thought it got bogged down in waltz time until thesecrets littering started falling out of mouths in the end. I would still recommend for a worthwhile read.

Thanks to the following for allowing me to review early in exchange for my personally honest review.:
#NetGalley
#macMillanPublishing #StMartinsPress
#Diana Biller
#HotelofSecrets
Pub. Date: 28 Mar 2023

Actual Review: Diana Biller is truly one of the most distinct voices in historical romance and I am obsessed with her. Hotel of Secrets had this magical, enchanting quality about it, but also like, so much sexiness. The way this book was crafted to bring about a bit of a mystery with a full fledged romance was a masterclass in how to write a true ROMANCE with suspense elements. Just a really fantastic cast of characters, secrets, and setting. I am obsessed with Diana Biller just like before, but now I'm even more impressed because this is entirely unconnected to the Moore's, which means the woman REALLY understands character building. Twelve out of ten, excellent.

Narration: While only one narrator, I thought Carlotta Brenten did a truly fantastic job of bringing this story to life. I didn't find her voice for Eli cringe ever, which you know, is sometimes a concern. I would say, listen to a sample, but if our tastes in audiobooks tends to align, you should be good to go.

Musings on Secret in the Title: ABSOLUTELY deserved and the way she deals them out throughout the book was really truly well done. And Hotel of Secrets is a literal HOTEL OF SECRETS. You know what I'm saying?

4.5 rounded to 5 stars.

I adored this!! Diana Biller (and the fabulous narrator Carlotta Brentan) transported me to 1870s Vienna. There's so much to love about this book! The characters (main and side), the atmosphere, the balls, the witty banter, the mystery, the humor, the sexy scenes 🥵. Our MC, Maria, is fiercely independent, confident, and knows what she wants. I love that about her! And Eli is slightly more innocent, but equally self-assured. These two are such a great pair and it was such a joy watching them fall for one another.

I love the mashup of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. This book flowed beautifully from chapter to chapter and was just an absolute pleasure to listen to!

Thank you Dreamscape for the gifted ALC!

Hotel of Secrets
Diana Biller
The setting is the 1870s at the Hotel Wallner in Vienna. Maria Wallner is resolved to restore her family’s hotel to its former elegance and grandeur. It is the height of the ball season in Vienna. There are several obstacles standing in Maria’s way: her parents affair, financial problems, political uprisings, assassins trying to killer her and the handsome, dark haired American who keeps saving her life and his luscious lips.
Eli Whittaker is not fond of Vienna. He likes his life to be sensible and predictable. Vienna was anything but sensible. First there was the beautiful manager of the Hotel Wallner. From the moment he laid eyes on her she stirred emotions in him that he didn’t want stirred. Then there was the chaos of the ball season in Vienna. He was sent to Vienna to find the traitorous person selling America’s secret codes. He wants to solve the mystery, arrest the villain and return home to his predictable and sensible life in Washington DC. He has one clue; the culprit sent a letter from a hotel in Vienna.
This was a fun book to read. Of course it was a given that Maria and Eli were going to fall in love but it was such fun watching their antics. Their personalities were so different and yet they complimented each other. There are several quirky characters in this amazing tale. This mystery, love story is filled with humor. There are a lot of characters to keep up with and several times I got lost. There are several humors themes in this tale: linen closets, dark haired men, and sneaky spies. Readers should be forewarned this book does have several scenes that are not for the faint of heart.

3.5⭐

Featuring ~ dual 3rd person POV, historical fiction, 1800's, some violence, steamage

Maria & Eli
The journal entries from prior years that start each chapter were a nice touch. Maria is a lady that knows what she wants and goes after it. I liked how she wanted to restore the hotel and throw a ball like they had done many years ago. I think attending a ball would be fun, but I don't think my personality could have lived in the 19th century.

Eli was a sweet celibate spy. I liked how we had a reverse virgin storyline and how he did his research of what he needed to do to get the job done.
I don't read too much historical romance, this might be my first or second actually, but it seems like an awful lot of work for a quickie in the linen closet with all the ties and buttons and multiple skirts to tackle.

Overall, I feel this would appeal to those that enjoy historical fiction with some romance and mystery.

Narration:
Carlotta Brentan ~ 13 hours 32 minutes ~ fine job.

I’ve read a couple of other books by Diana Biller and so I was very interested to read this latest one. It’s quite different from the others I’ve read but still very enjoyable. It’s a mashup: part historical fiction, mystery, spy story, and ultimately a romance.

The story is set in Vienna at the beginning of 1878. Maria Wallner is the manager of a hotel her family has owned for generations and she is trying to bring it back to its former glory, but finances are limited. She is very creative at making do! Eli Whitaker is an American investigator with the Treasury Department, in Vienna to investigate who has stolen their embassy’s diplomatic codes (not his strength; he normally investigates counterfeiters and such). He is staying at the Hotel Wallner because of a tip that the codes were sent on hotel stationery.

There are quite a few extended family members to keep track of, which I found difficult at first. There are a bunch of half-siblings due to affairs, for example. I really enjoyed the characters, however, especially Maria and her grandmother Josephine. Eli grew on me, but Maria’s infatuation with him seemed a bit immature (constantly referring to his sensuous mouth, for example). You get a bit of a history lesson of the Hapsburg Empire along the way, as each chapter presents snippets from the daily journals the Wallner women have kept for decades. There’s a whole level of political intrigue that will probably confuse most readers, but if you just go with the flow of the story, it won’t really matter. I found the final discovery a bit of a disappointment, but I enjoyed the book nevertheless.

Warning: there are some very graphic steamy encounters, so if you’re listening to the audiobook, I advise using headphones!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was nicely narrated by Carlotta Brentan.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating novel: 4.5 stars
Audio rating: 5 stars
Romance: 3/5
Chemistry: 4/5
1st kiss: +-65% in
Spice: 3/5
Humor: 2/5
Cry factor: 0/5
Suspense: 3/5
Drama: 3/5
Foul language: 2/5

How I felt:
- I listened to the audio of this one and I loved the narrator. The setting of this story was in historical Vienna, so we get a wild range of accents (German, Russian, french, american), which the narrator did beautifully. I was really impressed, you get to a point where you can identify whose talking just because of each accent she can narrate with.
- The story it's self was good. I absolutely loved or MMC, he was a grumpy agent from America trying to sole his case, but couldn't keep away from our FMC.
- There was a lot going on in this story, from political to family secrets that were all tangled and we only get to untangle them in the end. The political side is touched very lightly, so I wasn't too bored from that aspect. The family secrets were a bit confusing in the beginning, but then all was clear before half way into the book.
- Our FMC was a strong, independent woman, a bit stubborn, but that was just because she wasn't used to asking for help. She got things done herself, because she felt she could only count on herself. But she was much relieved to have our MMC with her, carrying some of her burdens.

Overall:
- This is a historical romance, with a touch of mystery and suspense. It is not a clean book.
- The audiobook has an excellent narrator.
- It was a fast paced read, I listened to the book in a day. If I had physically read it it would have been a page turner for me. There was enough suspense to keep the pages turning and it was light on the political stuff.

Tropes:
- Historical
- Vienna setting
- American agent
- Strong FMC
- Virgin MMC
- Sabotage
- Protector MMC

The twists and secrets of this book are amazing. I loved every second of this story. The challenges that the characters went through in order to get to their happy ending was just amazing. I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. I love how strong the women were and how they didn't let the challenges break them.

This book seems like a combination spy thriller / historical fiction / romance. For me, there was just too much going on, and I couldn't settle in. I think it will appeal more to women's fiction readers than romance readers. I enjoyed the audio narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was a delightful glimpse into the lives of a truly eclectic and charming cast of characters. I found myself drawn into their chaotic and turbulent lives and came to care for all of them over the course of the story.

The plot was chaotic as well, with quite a few twists in the spy/assassin/secrets threads, although the romance did tend to overshadow those most of the time. I didn't mind though - it was a charming romance and I loved getting to know Maria and Eli. Watching Maria learn to trust and love her friends was so much fun, and especially so was watching Eli blossom from a closed-off and straight-laced investigator into someone who cared deeply for Maria and her various chaotic friends.

The French spy (I forget his name) was perhaps my favorite side character, always popping up unexpectedly all charming and unassuming and saying 'well, I am a spy' whenever his presence is questioned. The way he and Mac dragged Eli out of his grumpy "I don't have friends" shell made me grin so wide.

Every person in the story was unique and just oozed so much life and character. I felt so warm and cozy as I was reading - I just wanted to immerse myself in the story and characters and wrap their chaotic love around me like a warm blanket.

It was slow to grab me, so if you are a fan of eclectic and well-rounded characters you might want to give it a little extra time to hook you.

The audiobook was wonderfully narrated. I ended up speeding it up to 2x speed because I think the narrator speaks slower than many, but it made the story even more immersive and made the characters seem even more real.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an early audio copy for review.

I really enjoy this title. It’s my first Diana Biller but I can’t wait to check out the rest! I really enjoyed the narration and the story kept me captivated the whole time. Maria is doing everything in her power to keep her family’s hotel running with constant attempts on her life. I loved the chemistry and how the relationship with Eli developed. I love a combination of mystery and romance and this was so well done in Hotel of Secrets. This kept me guessing about who was behind the sabotage and attempts on Maria’s life the whole time and I really enjoyed it!

Diana Biller writes such unique historical romances. While this one lacks the paranormal elements of the Widow of Rose House or The Brightest Star of Paris, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to nineteenth century Vienna and the romance between the fiercely independent hotel manager and the American treasury agent on a secret mission.

Maria and Eli have nothing in common on the surface, but fate seems determined to bring them together—after all, he keeps saving her life. Her family is complicated; her hotel’s legacy is in danger. His country’s secret codes have been leaked, and he’s been sent to sort it out. Eli can’t shake the feeling that somehow the attempts on Maria’s life are somehow connected to his case.

This one has it all—sparkling banter, screwball humor, possessive kisses and a romance that I was rooting for from the first time he saved her life. And I LOVE a virgin hero. They’re my absolute favorite. And Eli is oh so competent—and he does his research!!

The audiobook, narrated by Carlotta Brentan, was so good! Brentan delivers an incredible performance. Her mastery over both female and male voices made for an engaging listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Griffin for my advance review copy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Diane Biller for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for Hotel of Secrets coming out March 28, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

It’s ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner is working to restore the Hotel Wallner to its former glory. She’s not going to let anything stop her from protecting her family’s hotel, not her parents’ affair; not the attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the handsome American foreign agent who’s saved her life twice already. 

Eli Whittaker is sent to Vienna 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 mysterious letter the suspect sent from the Hotel Wallner. When he arrives in Vienna, he is suddenly swept up into a whirlwind of balls, waltzes, and a beautiful hotelkeeper who seems to constantly find herself in danger. He just wants to go home. But he slowly falls deeper into the drama and his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows. Will they come together despite their differences?

This is my first book by this author. I thought I’d really love it based on the description. However, I don’t think this book was for me. I wasn’t really sure what time period it was set in. I thought it started off interesting. It was a bit of a spy thriller, but then it turned into a romance. I wasn’t really a fan of the affairs. Maria seemed like a strong character in running the hotel, but then she seemed to need saving by Eli quite a few times. Eli’s past was also a little predictable with the history with his father. I think it was trying to be a few different genres and it didn’t really work for me.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction dramas!

I enjoyed the setting of the bustling city of Vienna in winter, still decked out with holiday decorations, and busy hotel, filled with people with all sorts of agendas. I also love that Biller makes a point of using this story to show events in the 1870s were happening in places besides America and England. New York tends to hog the spotlight of this time period, plenty was happening in Europe and here, despite the light tone of what very much is a romance novel, we still see that the foundations are very much being cemented into place for what will eventually become WWI.

And while I did like the main characters, i was sometimes brought out of the text by how modern they were, especially Maria. There were a lot of times when she seemed straight out of a modern romance, determined to save the family hotel in a 21st century setting/context. Still, interesting cast of characters all around.

**Not for the faint of heart! 🌶️
This was entertaining! There was intrigue, romance, and humor throughout that kept my interest. Then it suddenly jumped into VERY spicy territory about halfway through. I would have enjoyed this more if the heat had been dialed down a notch or two, but overall it was still a great read!

It's the 1870s and Maria Wallner is trying to restore her family's hotel to its former glory as she also deals with spies, scandals, and some assassination attempts. I have enjoyed Carlotta Brentan's previous narrations with a wide variety of dialects, and I think she did an admirable performance with these characters. However, while I was looking forward to reading Hotel of Secrets after seeing such rave reviews, this book was just lackluster to me.

The Wallners read to me like caricatures, and I struggled to relate to any of the characters and therefore never really felt invested in the story, The plot was chaotic but simultaneously dull. It was intriguing to have a novel set in Vienna, but I don't feel like I got a taste for anything in this place in time except for the hotel. And I found the "romance" portions rather cringey. Overall, I was intrigued by the concept, but this book was not for me.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for gifting me with an audio ARC to review!