Vienna, 1878. Maria Wallner is the new manager of the Hotel Wallner, which has fallen upon hard times. She lives in the hotel with its two previous managers—her mother Elisabeth and her grandmother Josephine. The aftereffects of the 1873 stock market collapse and ensuing recession were partly to blame for the hotel’s decay, but her mother was not much of a businesswoman, preferring to spend time with her lover, a married aristocrat. Now Maria is focused on bringing about the hotel’s “Triumphant Return to Society.”

One of the new guests is Eli Whittaker, an American Secret Service agent who is in Vienna to investigate the theft of cryptographic codes used in diplomatic messages. (This was back in the days before Presidential protection became part of the Service’s mandate.) Unfortunately for Maria, someone seems quite intent on killing her; luckily, Eli proves quite adept at thwarting those attempts.

Why would a young hotelier be the target of a murder plot? Well, it is a hotel of secrets, after all. It’s not easy for a family of women born out of wedlock (Maria’s dad is the baron Elisabeth’s been sleeping with for decades) to run a prosperous, highly-visible business, and it’s important to have some leverage in that situation. The Wallner women have never really had to blackmail anyone, but they could if it ever came to that. An attraction blossoms between Eli and Maria, but the handsome American is keeping some secrets of his own.

Despite the frequent attempts on Maria’s life (she’s obviously going to survive! This isn’t a tragic sort of book), Hotel of Secrets is a light, fun read, sitting squarely in the “romantic suspense” genre.

Sinister houses were a feature in Diana Biller’s debut, “The Widow of Rose House.” Her newest, HOTEL OF SECRETS (St. Martin’s Griffin, 416 pp., paperback, $17.99), gave me a perfect jewel-box world set in 19th-century Vienna.

Maria is the fourth generation of her family to run the Hotel Wallner, but memories of that glorious past have faded with the years. Now, as the winter festive season begins, Maria is determined to reclaim her beloved hotel’s place among the city’s aristocracy. She has grand plans and a capable team — but there is treachery afoot, there are spies aplenty and secrets from the Wallner family’s past that threaten not only Maria’s business but her very life.

Oh, and a dark-haired, stoic, virginal American Treasury agent whom she absolutely refuses to fall in love with.

I wanted intrigue from this book, and I got it — but there was also more charm and sly humor than I was expecting. Maria is the kind of character who, when she learns her guests are having trysts in the linen closet, dreams up cunning ways to make the linen closets more tryst friendly. Eli, our American agent, is the perfect uptight foil for her sumptuous creativity and one of the year’s best grumps; it was a pleasure to watch him unravel.

One passage in particular sums up the reason I and so many others love historical romance: “Later, they would wake up in the real world, with headaches to nurse and bills to pay and petty quarrels to fight, but right now they were in the magical fairyland of the Hotel Wallner, and they felt as though they never needed to leave.”

Thank you Netgalley, Publishers, and Diana Biller for gifting me a copy of Hotel of Secrets in return for my honest opinion.

3.5/5 stars

It’s ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner only wants one thing: to restore her family’s hotel, the Hotel Wallner, to its former glory. She’s not going to let anything get in her way - not her parents’ three-decade-long affair; not seemingly-random attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the broad-shouldered American foreign agent who’s saved her life two times already. No matter how luscious his mouth is.

Eli Whittaker also only wants one thing: 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 letter the culprit sent from a Viennese hotel. But when he arrives in Vienna, he is immediately swept up into a chaotic whirlwind of balls, spies, waltzes, and beautiful hotelkeepers who seem to constantly find themselves in danger. He disapproves of all of it! But his disapproval is tested as he slowly falls deeper into the chaos - and as his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows.

I felt so conflicted while reading this. The blurb made it sound like this intense novel that would keep me on the edge of my seat but really it was just kind of blah. We have a virginal spy and then there is Maria who is being attacked by assassins. It was such an odd premise that I couldn't wrap my head around it. It was an odd assortment of characters.

The storyline was ok and it kept me guessing but I wasn't expecting the steamy aspects, which wasn't awful but I just didn't feel like it fit. I did like the mysterious aspect of it and reading about the family drama that was happening. I guess for me I enjoy more of the historical fiction books that lean away from the romance instead of including spicy scenes.

If you are a fan of spicy scenes and historical fiction than this is definitely the book for you.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a sizzling and steamy historical romance with a mystery, this is the book for you. Taking place in 1888 Vienna there are spies and secrets, an aristocratic family, friends, and lovers. Most of the action occurs in a currently languishing hotel full of family members and other quirky characters.

Hotelkeeper Maria Wallner is working hard to restore her family’s formerly glamorous Hotel Wallner. American Eli Whittaker arrives to discover who is leaking secret codes and finds himself saving Maria from numerous assassination attempts. It doesn’t take long for the sparks to fly between them in bedrooms, ballrooms, and linen closets.

I didn’t finish this (DNF at 61%) as the plot was convoluted and confusing. The characters reminded me of a Marx Brothers movie with everyone bursting in and out of hotel rooms, bordering on hysteria without the comedy. I didn’t care about the hotel, the mystery, or the characters. It felt like the plot was developed merely to bring the two main characters together for racy intimacy every few chapters.

The cover and description led me to think I would be reading historical fiction rather than lusty historical romance. This was not for me.

Hotel of Secrets. Oh my gosh this book is totally hilarious. I would love to live in a hotel like this! There is fun and excitement at every turn every day all day. The characters are all entertaining and a joy to read.
I was so not expecting this much fun from this book. The plot is totally amazing. The characters put forth one hundred percent method of innocently mucking it up. Laugh out loud. Poor Marie, living a crazy world or a mad world from Eli’s prospective. Oh there were so many quotes that memorable for me.
I love the dialogue between the characters. Each was on time and make perfect sense for them and jokingly humor for us the readers. The story moved pretty steady with stalling. The story keeps moving with great details of the story, the characters and storyline. The descriptive details are very clear when it comes to the emotions and features of the characters and all of their surroundings.
I definitely enjoyed the book. I loved the book. I give this book two snaps and a, who’s ready to have their palm read? Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
#HotelofSecrets #DianaBiller #MacmillanPublishers #NetGally #Goodreads #Bookbub

Usually, I love Diana Biller’s novels. However, I could connect with this one. There seemed to be more fantasy than mystery, which was not what I was expecting. I also did not but the romance. Thus, Diana Biller is an excellent writer. It’s just I love her previous works more.

I think this had a good plot and the protagonist was interesting. Some steamy scenes and some mysterious elements that unfold as the story goes along.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Maria bore the brunt of her family on her shoulders.
I thought her mother was a simpering fool.
I liked the setting of a hotel in Austria, it’s a different setting.
I mostly concentrated on the burgeoning romance between Eli and Maria. I thought it was very interesting that he was the one with no experience.
The cover is lush and is begging for readers to crack it open.

This was a nice palette cleanser of a book. Cute, quick-witted and fast moving with a dash of Austrian history thrown in the mix. The characters were well-developed and left me wondering what will happen with Mac and Hannah! I've been to Austria once and thought it was magical and the most beautiful place I have ever been to, this book confirmed that. I hope to one day make a trip to Austria (during ball season) and dance in the streets while wine drunk. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely adored this book! From the interesting side characters to the beautiful setting I loved everything about this story. Eli, my dear Eli! There’s nothing I love more than when the MMC is totally gone for the FMC and boy did Diana Biller deliver. Maria and Eli’s love story is beautiful, interesting, and so so captivating. The support that Maria had from her family and friends throughout the story made me a little teary eyed. The witty banter and mystery kept me coming back for more. I can’t wait to dig into Biller’s backlist and read more of her amazing stories! Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

All I can say is wow. This book was a jaw dropper and I was so here for it. Diana created such a wonderful and interesting read I will for sure try more from her in the future.

It was really hard for me to get into this book. I really liked the cover and the premise seemed really interesting but the buildup was maybe a little too long for me. The love interest had absolutely no interest in the main character and it could not keep my attention. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hotel of Secrets is set in whimsical, 1800s Vienna where spies, balls, competing hotels, and the fabulous (and sometimes scandalous) Wallner women reside. Maria Wallner has recently inherited the family hotel and is determined to revive it to its former glory. Her task would certainly be easier if people weren’t constantly trying to assassinate her. Good thing US Special Agent Eli Whittaker is there to save her life time and time again.

I have now read this book twice in 2023, and I can decidedly say that it is one of my favorite books of the year. The romance has emotional depth and plenty of swoon-worthy moments. The setting is glamorous. I adored the characters, and I was drawn in by the mystery. Another 5-star read by Diana Biller, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

4⭐ on 🎧

My 2 favorite things about this book:
1. A historical novel not set in the UK or during WWII? Way more interesting and so much interesting political backstory about 1870's Vienna and it was this beautiful sparkling setting that I loved!
2. The lead male character was a intellectual virgin who literally read manual on cunnilingus and we just love a studious king of the bedroom arts.

The less ideal:
1. There were just so many characters and side plot in this book that made it hard to keep track of each person's hand in the different intrigue.
2. Some parts were very predictable.

This book was such a fun different historical romance and I loved how the main characters came together so check this out if you want a beautiful Viennese story.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

I was sucked into this story pretty early on. The varying levels of intrigue present in the Hotel Wallner were fantastical and yet the story made them feel quite mundane. The hotel has been temporary home to loads of spies through the years, and everyone just knows that they're spies and nobody cares. But it makes it the perfect landing place for Eli, who is also on a somewhat secret mission of his own.

The way he ends up being drug into protecting Maria over and over again really indicates what a genuinely good guy he is, even though he believes the exact opposite of himself. And the ways he justifies following her around even though that's NOT what the state department sent him to Austria to do were rather humorous. And it felt like everyone and their dog was out to get Maria at one point or another.

I did not see the twist at the end coming, at least not the mastermind behind the major attacks. While it came out of nowhere for me, it did still track with the other things I'd learned about the Wallner women throughout the book. And it made me feel really sad for Maria, more than if it had been someone else that I'd originally suspected.

Overall I give Hotel of Secrets 3.856 out of 5 stars.

In HOTEL OF SECRETS, Maria Wallner is throwing a grand ball for her hotel’s comeback into society, but keeps getting distracted by an American agent investigating leaked codes (and her). The hotel sabotaging incidents and assassination attempts on Maria’s life are, however, more troubling than some leaked codes. Something is afoot, and it’s clear that the scandalous Wallner family is knee-deep in imperial intrigue. There are three generations of Wallner women, and each secret is more shocking than the last. Eli Whittaker. What a starchy, blushing, completely besotted man Maria finds when she crashes into him tipsy, in Vienna. The whirl of the waltz is ever present as Eli has to find his spot and not spin out with lust and love, and figure out that he deserves it no matter what his awful family put him through. I love that he's a numbers guy, a paperwork guy. he's going to solve the problem that is Maria, but Maria isn't actually a problem at all. She's the answer to all of his everything. Maria and Eli’s romance was fun, open, and honest, but also very passionate and sensual as well as spicy, This story is so unique. It is not the typical historical romance that you have read. This is more like women’s fiction with a historical twist.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity

Thanks to Netgalley for another outstanding book. Aside from some editing issues, which I presume will be fixed by publication (I’m still recovering from the shock when Eli Whittaker changed to Eli Whittier), I have no criticisms of this book.

There were many parts that made me laugh. At first, Eli is so stiff and emotionally distant, he cannot allow himself to feel anything. As he starts to feel things that are unfamiliar to him, and that he believes will make him weak, “Eli frowned. Listened to that thought once more. Frowned deeper.” Maria is sunshine and cotton candy. No matter what obstacles are thrown in her path, she maintains a positive attitude, remaining hopeful throughout. They are an unlikely pair, but as Maria comes to find out, Eli is actually kind and thoughtful and feels deeply.

Vienna is very different from America and Eli has trouble understanding the constant need to dance, the constant parade of entertainers like musicians and mimes in the streets. He considers it madness, but when he expresses this to Maria, she tells him, “The madness one needs to maintain sanity.”

Humor, though abundant, is understated. There are no slapstick, laugh-out-loud scenes. The narrative conveys humor through the words that are used. When they are forced to seek the help of the police, they end up finding a young man who must have recently joined. They take him to the scene of the crime, and his discomfort is palpable.
“‘Police,’ the young officer cried. Well, cried was overdoing it. Said, possibly. Certainly he at least squeaked it.”

On multiple occasions, Eli refuses treatment from doctors, saying he can take care of himself. Meanwhile, Maria refuses to ask for help from her group of family and friends, saying she can do it all herself. Maria calls the doctor for Eli and he helps her without being asked. Both Eli and Maria put everyone else in their lives ahead of them, worrying about their needs first. They realize that they need to take care of themselves as the other points it out to them.

The love that builds between them is beautiful and miraculous. It’s poetic and emotional. It is memorable and unique. It affected me and will last in my memories. This is the way a love story should be told. I will happily read more from Diana Bold.

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller is a wonderful historical romance, adventure, and a knock off your feet swoon worthy American Secret Service agent, Eli Whittaker. The setting is 1878 Vienna where our protagonist Maria Wallner, a hotelier, is hosting the Hotelkeeper’s Ball, and in between refurbishing the hotel, the lack of funds, and other mishaps and mysteries, she needs to pull this off.

I loved this book and will definitely re read in audio which I had just purchased! So exciting.

Highly recommend!

I thought I would love this — the synopsis and other reviews I’ve read gave me Bridgerton vibes! Which I loved. But, I’ll be DNFing this. I have no interest in the plot or characters. I’m so disappointed! Thanks anyway for the ARC.

Maria Wallner wants to restore her family's hotel to its former glory. Eli Whittaker is in Vienna to find out who is selling American secret codes in Europe. Eli is staying at the Wallner Hotel and is drawn into the whirlwind of balls, waltzes and the mystery surrounding the hotel. Along with an attraction to the hotel manager.

This is a great story, with a great plot and wonderful characters.