Thank you to NetGalley and @HarlequinTradePub for this ARC. Jane Stanford, co founder of Stanford University is convinced someone is trying to poison her. She decides at the last minute to take a trip to Hawaii with her assistant and maid. After a few days, she does in fact die. Was it murder, suicide or health related? Flash forward 100 years and Zoe is attending a writing workshop and staying in the same room - Room 120. Unexplained things keep happening and she is on the hunt. What happened in this room 100 years ago? Good and quick read and true story with some fiction thrown in! #TheGuestinRoom120 #SaraAckerman #HarlequinTradePub #Sept2025

Sara Ackerman is a master at creating immersive stories centered around Hawaii and its history. This book focuses on three very different women set in 1905 and 2005 about the mysterious death of the founder of Stanford University, Jane Stanford. What surprised me first was I didn't know that a woman founded Stanford, which drew me in right away. Then, Jane escaped from California to Hawaii because she was poisoned back in Cali but did the culprit go with her to Hawaii? Iliahi Baldwin was a young Hawaiian woman who was employed at the new Moana Hotel in Waikiki where Jane was staying. They struck up an unusual friendship, but Jane's death changed her life forever. The 2005 story line follows Zoe, an author struggling with her next book, as she travels from Oregon to Hawaii for an author's conference in search of inspiration for the book. The author creatively connects all these women as she takes the reader on an entertaining journey of exploration, mystery, and a little romance. The author notes let you know that the Jane Stanford death was true but she took some liberties to craft the narrative.
I was thoroughly invested in this book and loved how the story slowly merged together. I loved that Jane Stanford was a woman ahead of her time and wanted to establish her university for everyone. Iliahi found herself having to find a way to support her two young brothers and ingeniously got a job at the brand new hotel in town. Zoe was brave enough to find out the clues and answers to Jane's death one hundred years ago and found her passion for her next book. Each character had depth and flaws, but had strength to pave their way. If you are a fan of historical fiction, mysteries, and stories based/inspired real events, I highly encourage you to dive into this one.
#TheGuestinRoom120 #NetGalley #historicalfiction
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review will be posted to the links below July 10. I will also posted to Amazon and Barnes and Noble on pub day.

The Guest in Room 120 is a dual timeline story stretching a century between 1905 and 2005. It is a book about the controversial death of Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University. It is a compelling story of intrigue bringing history to life as we learn a little about the final days for Jane. A century later, Zoe, an author at a writers’ convention, stayed at the same hotel and in the same room. She has dreams that pull her into the controversy of what happened 100 years earlier. I felt the story started slow but once I was about halfway through, my interest picked up and I had a hard time putting it down. I did not know anything about Jane Sanford so this book gave me a little insight into the tragedy of her final days. I highly recommend the book, especially for those who enjoy history.

This story is beautifully layered with dual timelines. Three women who each experience their own unique challenges only to overlap after a hundred years have passed. I appreciated the little details tucked in the story. While the start is a bit of a slow burn by the middle the pages are flying by. Hauntingly beautiful and well written, a piece of mysterious history that is sure to stick with you well after the last page.

I decided to read Ackerman after I met some folks in Hawai'i who were her neighbours on the islands. We got to talking, and they said that I really should read one of her titles if I liked historical fiction. So, I got home and picked up Radar Girls and adored the book. When this one came up for review, I was a little hestiant because mystery is not my genre of choice even if it is historical. But the fact that it is about the Moana Surfrider which is the hotel where I met the folks who were her neighbours seemed to be a bit of the world saying "read this book, you won't be disappointed." And I loved it.

The characters are well developed and have their own voices, so I didn't find myself confused between the POVs; and the plot moves along. I have to admit that I really wanted the connection with Room 12o to have been made sooner by Zoe. It surprised me that it took her so long to Google anything, because I would have probably started there. That's likely a problem with mystery stories these days because you can Google so much. The book also did what I feel a good historical fiction does which is gets me to read more of the background story that I don't know. In this case, I read about Jane Stanford and her death, something that I had not known about before this book. When we visit the school at some point, I'll have a new appreciation for some of the back story. And when I return to the Moana for our next Hawai'i trip, I intend to wander down the first floor to see if there is anything marking room 120 on the floor. Something I admit that I didn't do when I was last there.

If you are already a fan of Ackerman, this is a bit of a deviation from her subject matter (I think - I still need to read more of her books) but it's a hit and I'm sure you'll love it. If you like Hawai'i and historical fiction, also a great option. This just shows that I need to read more of her books.

I always enjoy Sara Ackerman’s books…set in Hawaii and full of sincere emotion. Set at the beginning of the beautiful and historic Moana Hotel at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, this book tells the part fact and part imagined story of Jane Stanford’s death while staying there. Told in alternating “then and now” chapters, the last few months of Jane’s life is told and imagined through her relationship with a young Hawaiian woman who works at the hotel. It’s also is revealed through Zoe….a successful contemporary writer but one who’s having trouble with her sophomore novel following a wildly successful romance. In a last minute act of desperation to meet her novel deadline, she signs up for a writers conference in Honolulu (held at the Moana of course) and is placed in the same room that Jane Stanford stayed and died in 100 years before. Zoe begins to have disturbing dreams and starts to fine weird notes left in her room over nought. Zoe also meets and makes a connection with the very successful detective writer Dylan who’s teaching a seminar. This is a great take on the male dominated world that Jane had to battle in her hopes of keeping a new university founded after her beloved son’s death at 15 and how easily history can be distorted and forgotten.

I'm a big fan of Sara Ackerman's books based in Hawaii so I couldn't wait to read "The Guest in Room 120". Inspired by the mysterious death of Jane Stanford in 1905, Jane Stanford, after an attempt on her life has sailed to Hawaii en route to Japan. A young Hawaiian girl, Ili has just begun working at the Moana hotel where Jane is staying. Then there is Zoe Finch in 2005, a writer struggling with her next romance novel who decides to attend a writer's retreat in Hawaii at the last moment. These three are mysteriously pulled together. The only thing I didn’t really like was the spiritualism aspect of the story so I discontinued reading about one-third of the book.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a loyal fan of Sara Ackerman’s and I was so excited to read this book while staying on Oahu! I loved each timeline/POV and was completely immersed in the story.

This novel is inspired by death of Stanford University’s founder Jane Stanford.

1905-Jane Stanford is one that does not cater to those around her and is a no-nonsense kind of person. She has made enemies and after an episode at her mansion, she sets out for Honolulu at Moana a new hotel.
Jane meets IIiahi Baldwin who works at the hotel. She and Jane strike up a friendship. Their lives crossing changes both of them.
2005-In Moana, Zoe Finch attends a writers’ conference under an assumed name. She is hoping that her notoriety won’t be an issue, but that remains to be seen. She enlists the help of a fellow mystery writer when she something happens.
A haunting and intriguing novel, one not to be missed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read The Guest in Room 120. This is a dual timeline story that has everything, betrayal, greed, romance, Hawaii and cats! The Guest in Room 120 is a meticulously researched telling of the death of Jane Stanford. Ms. Ackerman creates wonderful characters and keeps the reader interested. This is a book you do not want to miss.

Any book written by Sara Ackerman, I’ll pick it up. I am a loyal fan of hers and she has another 5 star under her belt with this one.
We follow Jane Stanford in 1905 and Zoe in 2005. I found the character development well done and Jane’s story was fascinating. Learning the history of the beginnings of Stanford University was an added plus.
This must be the summer of murder/mystery stories, for my choices on NetGalley to pre-review I’ve picked up several. This was a particularly enjoyable read, and I liked that it was based on a true story. Well done, Ms. Ackerman well done. I found each of the character stories intriguing, especially Jane and Iliahi, and am so proud of Zoe for standing up for herself. Comes in with 5 stars.
This is my own opinion expressed in this review. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.

I really enjoy this author unfortunately this book was just not for me. I struggled to stay interested in all three timelines. I did find 2005 timeline from Zoe's point of view the most interesting. To be honest I can't quite figure out what I didn't like. Hawaii is my favorite place to travel which is why I wanted to read this book, I hope to try to try and read it another time and maybe it will speak to me better then.

This book was a slow starter for me, but it ended up being a good one. I’ve been to Hawaii three times and reading this book made me miss it and want to go back! The only thing I didn’t really like was the spiritualism aspect of the story, but since it is based on real people, I suppose it’s actually integral to the story. The last forty percent of the book really picked up and it was hard to put down

. I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a fairly good book. The concept is interesting but, for me, the story flipped back and forth to much. At one time I thought I was reading three different time frames. The historical part of the story is about a wealthy older woman, whose son and husband have both died and she’s a little eccentric but likable. The current plot is a young woman who is a writer that has writers block and goes to a writer’s workshop. The characters are well written and the storyline is interesting. I will read another from this author and I will recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

In The Guest in Room 120, Ackerman blends historical fiction and contemporary mystery into an atmospheric page-turner. Based on the real-life 1905 poisoning death of Jane Stanford -the Mother of Stanford University- Ackerman reimagines her final days at Waikiki’s Moana Hotel. The story is told through three perspectives: Stanford herself, a young Hawaiian woman employed at the Moana at the time of Stanford’s stay, and an author attending a writing conference at the same hotel in 2005 who becomes entangled in Jane’s story. Each perspective offers the readers more pieces to the captivating puzzle of Jane Stanford’s death.

Ackerman paints the Hawaiian setting in beautiful detail; the sea breezes and floral air come to life on the pages. She also brought new life to Jane Stanford, writing the woman in a way the history books cannot. Ackerman adds embellishments to the tale, making it an intriguing fictional novel with elements of romance and spiritualism. The real-life case remains unresolved, but the book is a satisfying contemporary read steeped in historic mystery.

What really happened to Jane Stanford?

Sara Ackerman’s dual timeline follows the 1905 journey of Jane Stanford and Iliahi Baldwin and the 2005 journey of Zoe Finch. All three women are connected by the Moana hotel in Honolulu. Jane and Zoe are guests in Room 120 and Iliahi is employed at the same upscale beachfront hotel.

Ackerman’s examination of this mysterious death is both compelling and enlightening. Readers are pulled in immediately by the mysterious cover. It hints of something mysterious happening in Room 120 and as readers flip pages, the mystery begins to take hold - switching timelines becomes compelling rather than cumbersome.

I can’t think of anyone better to tell this story; Ackerman’s Hawaiian heritage, her love of the islands, and her stellar ability to infuse her narrative with a distinct sense of place make this novel worth reading. I’ve always loved Ackerman’s characters; this time, her mystery stepped into the spotlight and was enriched by the meticulous crafting of her sense of place.

I hope this mystery enchants you as it did me. If you love true crime, Hawaiiana, unique characters, and multiple time-hops, this one’s for you.

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

“The Guest in Room 120” by Sara Ackerman is an engaging historical fiction that will keep you turning each page trying to figure out what comes next! The story revolves around the mysterious death of Jane Stanford co-founder of Stanford University and is told from the voices of 3 strong women. Told in a dual time line between 1905-2005 we journey to Hawaii and the luxurious newly built Moana Hotel where Mrs. Stanford is escaping a recent suspicious attempt on her life. A unique strong emotional bond forms between herself and a young Hawaiian hotel worker. When tragedy strikes the young hotel worker is left carrying the burden of undisclosed and dangerous secrets.
A hundred years later a best selling author checks into the same hotel room to attend a writers conference and begins to have vivid nightmares that connect her to Stanfords mysterious death.
As she begins to dive into the past to uncover what really happened the vibrant backdrop, great characters and unique historical events had me riveted to this novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is an interesting twist on the suspicious death of Jane Stanford, widow of the man who started Stanford university.
There is a dual timeline and mystery surrounds Room 120 on Waikiki Beach.
I felt the story drug out too long and I lost my interest part way through.
The ending is fictional but a creative twist to what very well could be close to the truth.
Jane Stanford is real, but the rest of the fictions are fictional.
I received a complimentary copy this book. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the ARC.

Loved the setting! I knew who the killer was from the beginning but enjoyed how the author revealed the killer in her story.

Historical mystery novel and a story that I hadn't heard of before made this novel especially interesting to read. Based upon the mysterious death of Stanford University founder, Jane Stanford. Written from a dual timeline, early 1905 and 2005. There's so much jaw dropping drama, it's difficult to remember that this is based upon a real-life event. I love the journey from San Francisco to Honolulu and what lies ahead...
I don't want to give secrets away, read it!