Review: Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on March 28, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / 20th Century, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 416
Format: eBook
Source: ARC

Diana Biller's Hotel of Secrets is chock full of banter-filled shenanigans, must-have-you kisses, and romance certain to light a fire in the hearts of readers everywhere.

During ball season, anything can happen— even love.

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.

"A beautifully researched and emotionally complex experience, Hotel of Secrets is an opulent slice of Viennese tradition as rich as a torte and as layered as a complicated line of Strauss. With intrigue and danger that nips on the heels of its luscious waltz, Biller’s lush and atmospheric escape is dolloped with romance and the deep, complicated and sigh-worthy characters that always shoot her to the top of my auto-buy list." - Rachel McMillan, author of The Mozart Code

Diana Biller has been an auto-buy author for me since The Widow of Rose House. Hotel of Secrets, written with the same care and thoughtfulness, takes readers away from Moore family and brings us Hotel Wallner set in Vienna. Actually, I believe this was my first historical romance with a Venetian setting. Add in the drama of Maria trying to bring the hotel back to it’s former self while hotel patron shenanigans and exceedingly complex family entanglements (complete with a curse) swirl around. We almost don’t have time for romantic fates featuring a dark haired man and a not so sneaky spy.

Eli and Maria were an absolute delight! Solid characters in their own right and a sparks in the best way when they are together. This romance was fluffy and absolutely decadent. Biller’s heroes are always swoon-worthy and this time we have some angsty background on Eli’s side. Eli’s history and how it impacts his relationship with Maria and others was very well done. Usually this trope wouldn’t work for me but: Virgin hero. A virgin hero that goes the extra mile to be studious with some erotic material. We love a man who reads to up his bedroom… or linen closet game.

Now I have to explain to my husband why I desperately need a walk in linen closet with certain items and surfaces being available for… reasons in our next home. Eli truly is a dreamy stoic hero with passion just waiting to be released! Maria is equally lovely and is high on my list of favorite FMCs. Much like in her previous works, Biller delivered some fabulous side characters to round out an already rich and layered story.

Truly, I can’t crow about this romance enough! Not coherently anyway. If you enjoy a plot of mystery with a dash of family drama to your historical romance. Biller has you covered. Even better if you are looking for a change from regency or just want a historical romance set outside of London.

*I voluntarily read to an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.