I am a huge Stiefvater fan and could not wait to read her adult debut. Even though this plot seemed a bit weird, I knew that I would find the writing enjoyable.

And I wasn't wrong.

There was so much of Stiefvater's attention to detail, her quirky characters, her unusual storylines. I loved June as a main character. I loved all the Gilfoyle stories and I loved each of the unique characters along the way and I really liked the twist. Even though this was historical fiction, it was more because it felt like a Stiefvater novel.

I wasn't crazy about the water under the hotel and never truly understood its significance to the story line. I am sure this is my miss but in my opinion it didn't add much to the story.

with gratitude to netgalley and Viking for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Listeners is historical fiction bout a WWII situation I have never heard of or thought of before: what happened to the Axis (German/Italian/Japanese) diplomats who were residing in the US when the war broke out? Turns out in real life and in this novel, they were temporarily interned at hotels across the country where the same people -- the hotel workers whose sons, brothers, and husbands were drafted into war -- then had to serve these enemies. Add some FBI agents, State Department officials, and one former coal-town, abandoned orphan who over the years has risen to be the General Manager of the luxury hotel, and you've got a story! I really liked the parts of the book about all of the different characters and their interactions, secrets, histories, etc. The book does include some magical realism around the sweetwater that flows in the area and different people ability to "hear" the power of it -- which is really not my thing -- but if you don't mind that and/or \ like historical fiction, this is a good one.

This was a truly wonderful read. I have been a past reader of Maggie Stiefvater and while this is a different genre than what I read in the past, I still greatly enjoyed it. This book, to put it very (very) simply, is about a hotel manager, June, and the complexities of managing this mystical luxury hotel in the middle of wartime while she is balancing the whims of many people and nations. It took me a bit to get into this story but I will say the last bit of it was so wonderful and I couldn’t put it down. The way she described scenes and scenarios was so intricate that I felt like you were there. I loved the way we “saw” the inner workings of the hotel while also trying to understand the overarching theme of war and its’ impacts.

Overall, it was a complex read, but worth your time.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will read anything Maggie Stiefvater writes. Her characters and settings are always delightful and bring me into their world with ease. While I enjoyed The Listeners, I found myself less enchanted than usual. I'm not sure if it was the magic being too subtle, or the plot being too meandery, but it took me a long while to get into the story. I enjoyed the character of June, and I like that Stiefvater used actual historical events to give it even more realness. What I guess I had a hard time with was how long it took me to understand the sweetwater (not entirely sure if I do even still) and where the plot was headed.

That said, overall, I enjoyed this book. It is not my top title for this author, but still something I am not sad to have read. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

June works as a general manager of a hotel in West Virginia during World War II. She has a complicated relationship with the hotel and the family that owns it. Life for her becomes even more complicated when the hotel becomes a holding place for German, Japanese, and Italians held by the government for trade purposes.

This was an interesting take on a World War Two novel. My only complaint would be that I wish there was more backstory on the mysterious waters and how they work.

What a poignant, persistent, unexpected gift of a story. It's giving what audiences love about the kind of "Upstairs/Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey" moment, but with a delicious fantastical twist.

I care so deeply about these characters, It was so smart of Stiefvater for us to follow June, the GM of the Hotel Avallon where the story is set, because we then get to see the perfect amount of each customer, employee, friend, and adversary because of her unstoppable commitment to her job. Who else is going to have an eagle eye view of everything at all times, when observation is as easy as breathing?

The commentary this story presents about who is entitled to receiving empathy and deserving of new beginnings was deeply compelling. The range of the complexities of each person's existence and their purpose also fed into a larger meditation: at which point does duty become a prison? If there's ever a profession that so immediately shows the chemical reactions of Cause and Effect, hospitality is at the top of the list!

The magical realism was so fascinating. Stiefvater gives you just enough of a hint of the magical properties of the hotel and surrounding towns, but there isn't a full breakdown of the exact science of it all. I really appreciated that! It played into how the town saw the water: ranging from a tool, to a manifestation of a miracle.

The relationships between employees, the different customers at the hotel -- the regulars (including an enigmatic permanent dweller known for exorbitant demands, biting observations, and a shockingly great eye for design) and the sudden new inhabitants who, at the beginning of this book, are brought to the hotel for their stay as high class prisoners -- and the romantic love triangle between June, her first love (the son of the hotel owner), and an intriguing FBI Agent assigned to observing and disciplining the diplomats being held against their will in this West Virginian luxury hotel.

This is Stiefvater's first adult book, with June and her contemporaries being in their mid-30's. I felt that made the personal relationships elevated. Everyone felt a real sense of responsibility to their jobs, to their families, to their countries -- and to themselves. But despite the weight of those expectations, there is still so much romance in this. Forbidden romance, fierce longing, reluctant allies-to-friends-to-lovers, sweet and simple wooing, "no one knows me like you do" -- I am kicking my feet and giggling over it all!

In the end, I feel like every character's ending was earned, which can be such a hard quality to find. I truly cheered every page for the last 20%!!

Stiefvater feels perfectly in her wheelhouse with The Listeners. It is intimate, meandering, respectful, mystical, wild, fierce, weighted, and tender. I am so lucky to have known the employees and guests at The Avallon, and I cannot wait to share this story with readers when this comes out.

I would recommend this for someone looking to read a cozy mystery with magical realism and character-forward conflicts, and a subplot of a slow burn romance with a guaranteed HEA.

Joan is the very capable manager of a resort hotel in the mountains of West Virginia and life is good until the U.S. is pulled into the war and The Avallon's only guests are diplomats from now enemy countries and the FBI. While Joan is very good at keeping secrets like her relationship with the owner's son, these new guests have added new strains on the staff. Even the magical sweet water the hotel is famous for feels and tastes a bit off. It is not an easy time for the hotel or the country. There are a lot of characters and history to wade through but Maggie Stiefvater guides you expertly over waterfalls and deep pools with ease. June is a force of nature - a chameleon who can change from southern belle to diplomat to undercover spy within the same chapter. All those readers who adored Stiefvater's young adult books over the years will welcome her to the adult market as will her new fans. This is historical fiction that reads like a classic spy thriller and will appeal to readers of Kate Quinn. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Stiefvater is one of those authors that I really want to enjoy reading, but somehow never find myself connecting to her stories... I think her storytelling style and my reading style must just not mesh, because every time I pick up one of her books (drawn in always by the compelling blurbs and fabulous cover art) I find myself in the same boat. I love the concepts, but struggle with the execution every time. This one was no exception, which I once again found disappointing. There's a great setup but then it just felt like I was turning pages and reading words, but nothing was happening and nothing drew me in.

I've loved Maggie Stiefvater for ages, but with this book I gained a new type of appreciation. This book had so much heart! I could feel the author's love for the setting and time period. Superb, historical fiction and magical realism lovers will enjoy this one!

Thank you, NetGalley and Viking Penguin for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

This is the first adult novel by the author of the Raven Boys cycle. It’s a historical fiction set in 1942. June works at the Avallon Hotel and Spa and through some dealings with the owner of the hotel, the Nazi’s are aloud to reside there in luxury while June and many of the female workers need to care for the Nazi’s like they would any guest.

This was a rough start for me to get into. It took a while, but it did get better after the first twenty percent. The writing is well done and is accessible to all ages, even though this is an adult novel. The plot was compelling, but it wasn’t as fast-paced as I would’ve liked, but that might be due my limited experience with historical fiction.. The ending was great, and I do recommend reading this book, but be prepared to pace yourself.

An interesting read from Maggie Stiefvater, and her first adult work, too. Historical fiction with a touch of fantasy that Stiefvater manages well.

I wanted to love this but it just didn't really fully work for me. I liked the characters and the historical setting was compelling but I wanted more about the water and the magic.

God, I love everything Maggie Stiefvater does. The Listeners was absolutely fantastic! The author wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

This hooked me right away. Intriguing characters with multiple story lines to keep you reading. A lot of things to think about!

Stiefvater's latest is technically for adults, though I think her teen fans will also like it. It takes place at a strange and mystical resort hotel in the Appalachian mountains, at the dawn of WW2, that the US government has taken over to house important...prisoners? Diplomats? Enemies? Most are a mixture. The leads are the hotel's concierge, a young Appalachian woman with a murky past, and an FBI agent...with a different but equally murky past. As in all of Stiefvater's books, the world is a strange and unknowable place and people even more so. More mysteries were left unexplored than I would have liked but I still found it a compelling read.

Loved this book though I feel a bit like my dream of writing a book set at the Greenbrier has been scooped. I enjoy Maggie Stiefvater and I knew I'd enjoy this one set at a familiar location. Such an interesting plot and mix of characters!

This did not fit my usual genre, and it's actually one I don't read often. However, this historical story hit me differently. I enjoyed the setting and characters. Stiefvater has crafted a novel that will be great for Book Clubs. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I never did read the Raven Cycle but I was immediately interested when I saw Maggie Steifvater was publishing an adult debut! I am a huge historical fiction fan so this was right up my alley!
Buckle up as we follow June the GM of a luxurious hotel called The Avalon which is offer a refuge from the chaos that is World War II. June must face the challenges of hosting Nazi diplomats while also maintaining the elegance and charm of the hotel. This authors righting is extremely poetic and left me feeling as if I was sitting in a fancy hotel in the Appalachian mountains. Loved the blend of historical fiction and suspense and well as romance. As well as the unexpected twist of the supernatural.
Highly recommend and am glad to try Maggie Stiefvater for the first time!

This was a bit of a slow burn, but once the characters got under my skin, the sweetwater kept whispering to me, "read."
The Avallon hotel is known for the luxury service provided to all guests who can afford to stay there. This is in large part to the General Manager, June, and her staff. And the magical waters running under the hotel. June has worked her way up from housekeeping and runs a tight ship. Her staff is a happy family as she works to provide for them all. But in 1942, life at the hotel changes. Foreign diplomats arrive as "guests." The State Department and FBI provide watchful eyes over the German, Japanese, and Italian guests as they await a boat to take them back to their home countries.
As June works with the waters to keep the hotel running with these changes, she reflects on her past and makes some decisions for her future.
Like the Raven Cycle, The Listeners has an underlying current of magic in the water, but the real magic lies in the relationships between the characters.
Readers who read The Raven Cycle as teens will appreciate this more adult story from Stiefvater. And anyone who likes a character driven novel with a bit of history, magic, and dachshunds should give it a read!