Hosting diplomatic enemies of The United States in a luxury hotel right after the attacks on Pearl Harbor is a choice certain to raise eyebrows. That it is based on historical accounts makes it even more wild.

The premise of this book was so “out there” that it drew me in immediately. I thought it was speculative fiction until I used my friend Google.

The hotel Avallon was definitely a central character and my favorite part of the story. The descriptions were detailed and I could easily imagine what it would be like to stay there.

The main character, June, capably managed the Avallon through all this craziness. I wish I got to know more of her story.

My one criticism of this story is it didn’t go far enough. Like dipping my toe in the Sweet Water when I wanted to dive in. There seemed to be a distanced between the reader and the action in the story. The writing was interesting, the characters had potential to be interesting and I’m left wanting more but not in a good way. Meh.

Maggie has written a masterful novel that keeps pulling you into the world. This is one of those novels that will read different every single time you read it, providing you with more insights, questions, and perspectives. Maggie is also a master at making the setting of her stories into their own characters. The looming presence of the Avallon and the mercurial spirit of the sweetwater add a magical and ethereal quality to this story that take it to the next level. And the ending provides just enough to be satisfying but little enough that I am begging for more.

June is the GM of the Avallon Hotel, the foremost hotel in luxury stays. After Pearl Harbor, the owner makes the decision to allow the State Department to hold foreign diplomats in the hotel in order to enter negotiations to have Americans returned from countries we are at war with. This throws the hotel into disarray, and June must keep order while also dealing with growing staff deficiencies from the draft. Her people love her, they rely on her, and she has to be strong and gracefully carry them and the hotel through every obstacle.

This is definitely one of the must-reads of the summer. And with quotes such as the one below, how can you resist?
"Everything," he replied. "I want to be what makes you smile when we come home to each other and I want to be what makes you settle under a full moon and I want to be what makes you wild when I'm gone and I want to be what makes you weep when I die and I want to be everything else in between and I want to take you into the world and see it with you, but if it has to be here, then here is where I land."
(this quote is from an advanced copy and may appear differently in the finished copy)

Review goes live May 19

Loved this book and all its many characters, especially the sweetwater! The subject was obviously thoroughly researched and the descriptions made me feel like I was a guest at the Avallon. Thank you to the author for this beautiful piece of historical fiction.

I wanted to love this book, but it was very slow. It reminded me a lot of Emily St. John Mandel's The Glass Hotel, but without the poetry or esoteric propulsion. This book is more severe, more stark in its language and in the world that is created. I struggled to connect to any of the characters, and I couldn't quite follow the plot (is there a plot?). I wanted it to be more whimsical-- perhaps more like The Maid?
I worry that Steifvater may have overestimated her readers here, as it's definitely very far removed from her previous work.

This book had such a unique premise and a beautiful, immersive atmosphere. I was so intrigued by the idea of a hotel in West Virginia housing Axis diplomats during WWII—it’s not a part of history I’d ever seen explored in fiction. The story doesn’t focus on the war itself so much as the people inside the hotel, especially June, the general manager. I really admired her strength and how she carried the weight of two worlds—staff and guests—with so much grace.

There’s also this quiet, magical realism thread running through the story—the hotel feels almost alive, tied to the natural springs around it and the characters themselves. I loved the concept, even though I sometimes found it hard to follow. Some elements didn’t fully come together for me by the end, but I still really appreciated the writing and emotion behind it. I’d absolutely read more from this author. This one just left me with a lot to think about.

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin Group Publishing for an early E-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater is a gripping historical thriller set during World War II at the lavish Avallon Hotel & Spa in West Virginia. As Axis diplomats arrive under the guise of diplomacy, general manager June Porter Hudson works to maintain order and the air of luxury—while working around Special Agent Tucker Rye Minnick, who’s monitoring their every move. As war is brought from the frontlines directly to the hotel and the mountain sweetwater begins to shift in unnatural ways, June finds herself caught in a web of political games, deception, and the world threatening the only foundation she’s ever known.

The Listeners was a book for fans of historical fiction that like a little bit of magic, but not an overwhelming amount like fantasy novels might contain or be based around. Fans of Stiefvater’s previous works will appreciate the nod to her magical roots and be surprised at how different the tone of this work is! Reading about the Avallon and her guests felt so tangible, as if the hotel and it’s staff really existed. Stiefvater is a master of imagery—her descriptors are vivid and transport the reader right into each scene. The writing style is especially immersive, and the use of vernacular is exceptional for the time period, while still being understandable to a modern audience. Stiefvater’s fly-on-the-wall point of view allows the reader to act like Agent Minnick, as if we, too, were listening in on everyone’s conversations behind closed doors. The atmosphere, the dialogue, and structure let the audience feel the magnificence of the hotel and its elite guests while we grappled with moral obligations alongside June.

The conclusion of the novel fell slightly short of my expectations, particularly in regard to Hannelore’s character arc. As the daughter of German diplomats with Nazi sympathies, Hannelore was portrayed with nuance and depth, exhibiting traits suggestive of neurodivergence. Her emotional complexity made her an especially compelling figure, which made the resolution of her storyline feel somewhat unfulfilled. Despite being positioned for a significant narrative payoff, her arc is ultimately concluded by transferring her future to the care of a State Department agent—an ending that seemed more convenient than earned. Although the thematic parallels between Hannelore and June were thoughtfully drawn, the climax lacked the emotional and narrative weight I had anticipated.

Overall, the book was a fascinating and immersive read, and I can certainly appreciate the dedicated research that took place to make it seem as realistic yet fantastical as possible! I look forward to Maggie’s adult debut and future novels.

This was a lovely, slow book, and I'm 85% sure I liked it.

When I think Maggie Stiefvater, I think atmosphere. This woman is an absolute master at curating a literary vibe, so it makes sense that this novel centers around a woman who curates vibes professionally. And the book was vibey, but not in the way that I've come to anticipate. There was an underpinning of the supernatural, but it felt like such a background character, not taking up the space that I would typically expect. It's also worth noting that this is a slow burn of a book, that doesn't quite feel character OR plot driven. It kind of floats along, which, given the subject matter, worked for it. And, like I said, I liked it (at least I'm pretty sure). I was engaged, I could taste the environment, and I was a bit bummed when it ended. But when I think of Stiefvater novels, I don't think this will be the one that defines her work for me.

This is a WW2 story that isn't really about the war, and as usual Stiefvater takes what could be a prosaic, straightforward tale of "the war" and turns it into something much bigger, deeper, and more magical. The Avallon is a luxury hotel in the Appalachian mountains, with an unusual female General Manager, June Hudson. In 1942, the FBI appropriates the entire hotel to stash foreign diplomats: German Nazis, Italians, Japanese. But this isn't a story about the war: it's about humanity, where we're willing to draw a line, and what are the costs of crossing that line -- with the added twist of the sweetwater that runs through the mountains feeding off human emotions, all written in gorgeous prose.

I have read many books by this author, and this one does not disappoint! It is a wonderful mix of history, mystery, human connection (and a little romance), elements of magic, and much more that can't be defined, but is pure Maggie! The cover and title didn't immediately give a clue to the story inside. I can't wait to share this with customers.

I love Maggie Stiefvater. She's one of my favorite YA authors. So when I saw she was writing her first book for adults, I was curious and excited. Historical fiction isn't my primary genre, but I do enjoy it occasionally. It looks like she did tons of research for this one, basing it on the detention of diplomats from enemy countries in American hotels during World War 2.

I was glad to see the Stiefvateran injection of the supernatural in the form of the "sweetwater," that makes the Avallon hotel such a special place. The mysterious, sometimes ominous, atmosphere of the hotel was a fantastic setting for this story.

The set-up felt a little long, and I wasn't in true devour mode until the 40-50% point. The beginning was good for creating the atmosphere and establishing June and Tucker's characters and June's relationship with the hotel staff--it just didn't move as quickly as the second half.

I loved the ending, the twists I half-guessed and the ones I didn't see coming. I felt conflicted about how certain decisions would affect the hotel staff, but I made myself feel better by imagining a good ending for them.

This was a good adult debut, and was happy to read another book by Maggie Stiefvater.

This was not for me...and I am having a hard time thinking of who this could be for. Maybe a die-hard Maggie Stiefvater fan, but other than that...not sure. This book had a lot of traits that I really enjoy: cool setting, historical fiction, deep character dive, little bit of magical elements. But every single one of those fell flat in one way or another.

Firstly, this almost put me into a reading slump, and I don't slump. I NEVER, not once, wanted to pick this up. Every section of the book dragged on and meandered left and right with no real direction. Nothing was gripping there that enticed me to keep reading, and honestly, not much of a plot to begin with. This could have easily been a novella and not a 400-page book.

For characters, none of them stood out. And there is a lot to choose from. For a book that is supposed to be all about characters, I still felt I knew absolutely nothing about any of them by the end. I tried to like Hoss, but she was as flat as cardboard. As for the other characters, I spent too long trying to find out if they mattered or not, or if they were secretly bad people or not, to care about them in any real capacity.

The magic system was incredibly bizarre. Now I love an interesting magic system, and this was, but it was NEVER explained. Not even in the tiniest little crumb. Absolutely nothing. So little to the point that I'm not even sure if it could be considered magical. Which is a big disappointment because the "magic" was a huge plot point and was very crucial in the end. I just didn't know anything about it, so it made the conclusion unfulfilling.

The romance was the slowest burn romance I have ever read, and that is coming from someone who lives and breathes slow burn. SO slow burn that I didn't even realize that there was supposed to be a romance between the two characters until halfway through the book.

This was just missing so many elements that make a historical fiction strong. There is supposed to be atmosphere and history and raw and real emotions. There are usually moments that make the era come alive, with music, or arts, or even the language itself. But all of that was missing here. No emotions elicited.

Lastly, I am not sure about some of the plot points themselves. Maybe that is just how history was, but reading about someone taking care of Nazi's just wasn't my vibe. That, and the fact that two characters' disabilities were used as plot devices and as a prank...so there's that too.

The only saving grace in this, and why it is not getting one star, is the writing itself. But even that was not enough to save a book that just wasn't interesting. I appreciate her trying something different, and I did enjoy this more than the other book I read from her (a one-star), but this was not strong.

2/5 stars.

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.