Senta Rich, author of Hotel 21, almost (not quite) made me believe that the right woman friends would completely heal your serious mental health problem. That's not a criticism! I really loved these women and felt wonderful for Noelle that she found them in her 21st hotel in a row. Their determined, stubborn love for Noelle makes me chalk this up as another modern "found family" feel-good read that I'm happy to have discovered.

Noelle's not so much a kleptomaniac as a pilferer and I felt terrible about the train wreck of a mother-daughter relationship that made her that way. A character-driven novel should have great characters and this one truly does. I cried at the end and I hardly ever cry at the end of a book. Now if I could only find a cadre of awesome pals like this maybe I too would see my trauma melt away. Or I'd like to think so.

I just finished this book a few minutes ago and let me tell you, I absolutely adored this! I related to Noelle so much and I loved the female friendships in this!

Noelle has worked in 21 different hotels. She is not that old, nor that poor of a worker. She just has to move on every few weeks - right before she gets targeted for lifting items from guest's rooms as she cleans them. Hotel 21 is different, though. Noelle is assigned to the 7th floor - a primo spot because of the crew. For the first time she can ever remember, Noelle is invited to be part of a family. A family of women, each with their struggles and dreams, but an eclectic group of women who are there for each other and want to be there for Noelle. As Noelle struggles to maintain a wall between herself and any friendships the pull from the women is too much and Noelle finds herself leaning on the women and appreciating their support.

This was a great book - Noelle's character is deep, dark and twisty, and very flawed, but you cannot help but cheer for her. As you read this story you will hope she doesn't get caught, even though you are now a little creeped out about staying in hotels. You will hope the women love and help her, but know they won't protect a thief. You want Phil to fall in love with her, even though you now that is not how Phil rolls - she loves everyone and no one. Page-turner for sure, more so because I've never really read anything like it, and because you want to make sure Noelle is going to be okay.

"Hotel 21" is a gem of a story. The protagonist works in hotels where she pockets things she thinks won't be missed. The reader gets a clearer picture of her behaviors as her past is revealed, but things start to change when she starts work at her 21st hotel. Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an unexpected treasure. The power of friendship can heal some of the deepest wounds. This book is a little edgy and very raw. I struggled to like Noelle for a while, but as her backstory was revealed, I almost felt guilty for not liking her. She was a well-developed, thoughtful character who made me rethink how I pay attention to the people around me. This is a treasure of a book & I hope it gets the attention it deserves.