This was a new author to me and I'm glad I took a chance because I really enjoyed this one. I loved most of the characters and all the twists and turns. I'm not usually a fan of when the H is inexperienced but I like how it was written and it definitely was hot and spicy!

This was a fun and interesting historical fiction set in Vienna, Austria! Main character Maria wants to restore her family hotel to its former glory and meanwhile US government investigator Eli is in Vienna undercover. Their pats cross and sexual tension-- then sexual chemistry blossoms. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a good historical romance/historical mystery.

Well. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this story...I think that maybe 3 stars could be too high.

I really liked Maria and Eli. They're both seemingly on their own and looking for some sort of purpose: for Maria, it's the hotel, for Eli, it's working for the Treasury. Together they have a fun meet cute that morphs into a begrudging acquaintance into friendship to more. I loved reading them try to figure things out and especially loved all of the exasperation each had for the other.

Plot wise, it was half good, half so very boring. There's a lot of history (I don't know if it's real or not) and the sections of journal entries at the beginning of the chapters became something I skipped. I wanted to know what happened to everyone, but wasn't really concerned with the so-called mystery of the story.

Overall, it was the characters that I was invested in, but I likely could have just skipped to the end and saved myself some time.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

A historical romance with a side of mystery sounded really interesting and exciting to me, but unfortunately, I found both aspects in this book to be disappointing. It was difficult to follow at times which made the storyline frustrating rather than intriguing. Based on the way the characters acted and spoke, it also didn't really have the true feel of a historical fiction book for me, which also took away from my overall enjoyment.

This book has it all. Mystery, romance and hot spicey parts too. Great writing. Will definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and Diana Biller for the chance to read this lovely book. The book centers around the Viennese social scene of balls and intrigue when the main characters are swept up in a world of secrets and mystery. Maria only wants to bring her family hotel back to its former glory. Eli on the other hand, wants to find out who is selling American secret codes across Europe, arrest them and then go home.
This is a fun filled book with lots of action and romance with lovable characters that genuinely make you happy for every moment in their life.

I am normally not a historical fiction kind of girl, but I so enjoyed this book. I felt like I was there with the characters and was nervous for them. I was yelling at them to be careful.. LOL I would definitely recommend this book to all my family and friends.

This was an exceptionally well written historical romance. The characters were superbly done, each having their own fantastic personalities and motivations. The dynamics between them were perfect. The setting was unique and historical details on point. The mystery subplot was very well done and was weaved into the romance in the best way. I highly recommend this refreshing historical romance with a twist.

This was a beautiful historical romance set in Vienna with amazing characters that I couldn't help but fall for!

Maria Wallner is the owner of Hotel Wallner and is hoping to restore it to its former glory while taking her first steps towards this goal during the hotel season. If only someone wasn't intent on attacking her. And in comes Eli - an American agent who is investigating some leaked codes. Except neither were the codes a secret nor was his undercover status kept hidden for long 😂 lol. He manages to save her multiple times and goes from suspecting her to helping her 😆 Despite all of this Maria is determined to host the Hotelkeeper's Ball though they haven't found out who is behind her attacks.

Maria and Eli are quite different from each other as Maria is confident, charming and more experienced while Eli is quieter, more stoic and protective(& celibate 😆) but I loved how they connected with each other. They're both very dedicated when it comes to their job and the people they love. They're used to taking care of everyone around them while forgetting to take care of themselves, so I loved it when they took care of the other person while encouraging each other to do their best! There's no deception here because they never hide anything from each other! And Eli is so sweet because not only does he rescue Maria from danger but he's observant enough to see when she's tired or hurt and helps her get away when needed. As if that wasn't enough he even does his 'research' to make sure Maria is *ahem* happier. Gosh, I can't stop gushing about him.

There's also a intergenerational story with the Wallner women and as we get to meet Maria's mother and grandmother we learn more about them and Maria's great grandmother too in snippets from their journals at the beginning of every chapter too. This was done so well and I loved how different they were but with a hidden strength that they all shared. I wasn't a fan of Maria's mom at first but she did surprise me by the end! The setting with the undercurrent of the political and historical events that shaped their lives was also described beautifully! The mystery plot runs parallel to the romance but I'd say that the romance is the main focus here!

I don't have much to complain about here except for the lack of epilogue, because who doesn't love a good epilogue?😆 But, anyway if you're in the mood for a beautiful historical romance set in vibrant Vienna with amazing characters and a little bit of mystery, you'll love this one!❣️✨

diana biller writes such beautiful and emotional historical romance, I am always impressed by her books, and this was no exception! so good!

This is one of my new favorite books!! Seriously, Diana Biller can do no wrong in my book. I absolutely adored the setting and the group of characters at the center of this story. And Eli was entirely too precious! He and Maria were *chef's kiss* together. Biller just has such a way of bringing the setting to life and creating an incredible group of characters and making the whole story so incredibly romantic!! I cannot wait to see what she has planned next, as I've loved each book more than the last!

Hotel of Secrets was an enjoyable read. What I think I loved most was that this is an APPROACHABLE historical fiction novel. Despite taking place many, MANY years ago, the language didn't feel stilted or forced. I was able to appreciate learning about this time-period in Vienna in an easy way. It was also fun to make connections to another book I read in the last year or so about Empress Sisi from Vienna!

I loved the characters in this story. Every single one of them had a role to play and they did it well. I want to travel through time and visit the Hotel Walner! I want to go to balls and dance the waltz and meet the spies!

The romance was fine. I appreciated that Maria was the dominate partner and Eli was more subdued. I appreciated the backstory that Eli had, and the familial issues for Maria. They were very in-depth characters. At one point I made a note on my Kindle, "Eli reminds me of Mr. Darcy in the 2004 version of Pride & Prejudice!" (Because of his reserved nature.)

I felt like the mystery took a while to really get going, but I didn't care because I was enjoying every moment with the characters. I was rooting for Maria to get the hotel fixed up for the ball. I was enjoying Eli being forced into situations by the other spy and Maria's half-brother.

So yeah, this was a really fun book. I knocked down a star because of some really cringe sexy scenes that IMO didn't add to the story.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ what happens when a staid government agent is ordered to Vienna to search for who is leaking American codes and saves a drunk woman from getting run over by a carriage on his first night? He realizes that everything happens for a reason and this woman is connected to his case, but also, maybe not.

Hotel of Secrets had it all. There was banter, romance, mystery, crazy families, crazier friends, a woman in charge of her life, and a hotel coming back from the brink of ruin. The first 1/3 dragged for me but after the first, yes first, attempt on Maria’s life, it picked up from there.

I wanted to like this story but the characters just didn’t do it for me. The story, the characters, and the setting weren't engaging in my opinion, I didn't even make it to half the book, I had

Wow, what a way out of my reading slump! This has all of the catnip I could possibly put together, and I’ll attempt a more fulsome review soon. But this book made believe I can take chances on new books again.

Maria, the lead, is driven, passionate, smart, and vulnerable. Eli, the male MC, is a workaholic punishing himself for his parent’s sins with all work and no play. They come together and their various jagged edges just for together. The relationship is beautiful, but rebuilding a hotel and planning a grand ball is even more fascinating.

In 1870s Vienna, Maria worked hard to restore her family's hotel to its former glory. The hotel's success hung in a delicate balance, and the news that she would fall in love that year only added to her stress. Maria believed her mother's love for her father partly contributed to the decline of the hotel. Then, she met Eli, an American investigator who came to Vienna to uncover the sale of secret codes.

This book is an excellent blend of romance, mystery, and character development. Maria and Eli's relationship is heartwarming, and the supporting characters provide comedic relief. There is also a secondary love story that readers will enjoy. The historical setting is richly described, and the non-English location adds to its appeal. The lush city and hotel descriptions make me yearn for a movie adaptation.

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller had such unexpected depth, and I enjoyed reading this historical romance meets mystery that takes readers back to Vienna in the late 1800s.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

There are so many historical romance novels that are set in England – that can be fun but a bit boring. Hotel of Secrets is set in 1870’s Vienna during Ball Season as Maria Wallner tries to restore her family’s hotel to its former glory. The characters are interesting and spies and political intrigue abound. I might not have found it completely historically believable but this was a very fun read. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced readers copy of this book.

The Hotel Wallner, featured in this book, is a place I would love to visit! The book is written in such a way that you want to join the hotel family and care about what happens. I want to meet Eli for a drink. I want to meet Maria and the her friends.

Maria is determined to bring her family's hotel back from the brink. Eli is determined to not get caught up in personal matters and keep it strictly professional. The hijinks and love story that follow are a fun romp making this a highly recommended fun read.

Went into this on expecting a mystery and ended up with a historical romance. Talk about a plot twist. Yet, I still enjoyed this book. It had a little of everything; excellent setting structure, characters that you invest in from the beginning, and a little bit of smut.

Only issue is, the book starts off strong and ends sort of flat, like maybe we forgot what we were doing or where we were supposed to be heading.

3.5 rounded down