Im not a fan of historical fiction but i thought Maggie Stiefvater could make me one with her adult debut. Alas, this was not the case.

This had the Stiefvaters usual touch of magical realism but i felt myself quite uninspired by the concept in the end. It seems like the author was almost scared to fully lean into her usual weirdness. The latter half and conclusion of the book was quite unfulfilling, not to mention that the pacing dragged. I'm just not sure that I really got it.

I appreciated that this was a WW2 novel without being in the thick of the fighting. Overall, an interesting step into the adult age range but ultimately fell flat. 2.75 stars.

Thank you so much to Headline and netgalley for this e-arc.

Thank you Headline and NetGalley for granting my wish and allowing me to read the ARC of my most anticipated book of the year in exchange of an honest review.

I've been a loyal reader of Maggie Stiefvater for 15 years now and I cannot express how excited I was (am) for this novel.
They synopsis of her adult debut surprised me, as I surely did not expect a story that takes place in a hotel hosting nazi diplomats during Second World War, a story about something so specific and yet so interesting.

But this is not just the story of a hotel – it's the one of Jude Hudson and Tucker Minnick and all the people that inhabit this world.
Stiefvater made us accustomed to character driven books, and The Listeners meets expectations. The characters are flashed out: everyone has a story behind them and we get to know them all, even if it is just through a few words; everyone serves their purpose and add up to the emotional baggage of the book.

This is the story of June Hudson, general manager, a woman that grew into a position position of power and is respected by everyone in the hotel.
I love how everything about her and her relationship with the Avallon and the staff is crafted to perfection. Every single word in this book is accurately chosen and compelling – the author's years of research shine through every detail, from the historical world building to the hotel itself. All is elevated by her signature wondrous prose and the touch of magic that always infuse her stories.

The Listeners was a profound pleasure to read and it absolutely met my expectations.
When you approach this book don't expect a plot driven and fast one (if you know Stiefvater just a little, I'm sure you wouldn't), this is a slow burn read for those who like to get lost in a lovely prose and a story about people and about relationships and love of different kinds.

I can see how it may not resonate with those who like plot driven books and were expecting something on the lines of Maggie's previous works, but I personally believe this is a fantastic first step into adult literature and I cannot wait to see what Maggie's mind will give birth to next.

Definitely a different vibe from her usual books, I liked this for the most part, it was intriguing and atmospheric but it felt very slow and not much happened? A little disappointed as I love this author, I think fans of historical fiction might enjoy

This is an alternative look at World War II the story is set in a five star rural hotel in America that it’s taken over to house Japanese German and Italian ambassadors and their families
There’s the ever brooding presence of the water in the spa hotel itself, which seems to have some kind of magical property never clearly stated but always brooding under the story personally, I didn’t think it added very much to the story itself apart from this brooding quality
I particularly enjoyed the character of the young girl Hannelore an elective mute to had autistic behaviour so perfectly described in this part of a paragraph “food tasted loud clothing sang at her skin perfume screamed in living colour” because we are now all aware of the atrocities of the Nazi World War II we know as soon as we meet this young girl that she would potentially be euthanised if she returns to Germany
This is one of those books that has a slow burn, but it gradually started to dawn on me that this is rather than remarkable novel
The author describes her characters well and although character development is not extensive we nevertheless believe that these are real people
The setting within an isolated historical spa hotel gives the book a feeling of menace and claustrophobia that permeates the novel
I have not read any of the authors previous works. I read an early copy of the novel in return for an unbiased review on NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 3rd of June 2025 by headline.

This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK

After enjoying some of Maggie Stiefvater young adult books I was excited to read an adult book by her.
But this was not what I was expecting. Sadly it didn't work for it.
This was slow paced but in a way I lost interest pretty quickly. There wasn't anything to really grip me.

How very different from Maggie's other works! I have to say I was skeptical, as her YA series is one of my faves so I went in this one with very high expectations. Which is why I think it didn't quite hit the mark. It lacked the witty dialogue the I got used to from her and it moved too slowly. However I will still recommend it to customers; just a different demographic from her previous one.

Thank you to headlinepg and NetGalley for arc I enjoyed reading it, it was very paced which i like liked the magical elements in it and really like characters in it some bits was a bit confusing and the love bit between characters I don’t see it coming it was at the end bit but overall it was good 3.75 stars

What a treat it is to be back with Stiefvater’s writing… After adoring The Raven Cycle I was excited to read again from Stiefvater, who is always able to weave in magical elements that uplift the story to greater heights. In The Listeners the magical component in question is the sweetwater, and the ‘real’ part is the glorious hotel setting during early WW2.

Being in June’s shoes as the hotel’s manager was a treat; with the vivid descriptions of the Avallon’s design and quirks all at the forefront. The entire setting felt so lifelike, which is one of Stiefvater’s strong suits that has carried over from her TRC series. Her writing style will always be one of my favourites as it uses beautiful descriptions and repeated phrases to emphasise the characters (and hotel's) feelings.

Unfortunately I found the weakest part of the story to be the magical element. It felt as though the main structure of the book would not have been affected if the sweetwater was simply taken out! Whilst it didn’t drastically hinder my enjoyment of the story, I earned for more fantastical antics! As well as this, I did not find the cast of characters particularly memorable, but I was certainly rooting for them by the end of the book.

I think having a map of the hotel and its surrounding landscape would also be a nice addition to the reading experience.

Looking forward to another Stiefvater adult title for sure!

3.5 stars

I don't quite know what I was expecting with this book, and I still haven't quite formulated my thoughts around it, but I do know I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it!

I'm so conflicted about this novel! I loved her YA series and the strange eerily poetic writing. While I loved June and the concept of the sweetwater, the writing felt stilted and I found myself not really rooting for any of the other characters.

DNF at 15%

I just couldn't get myself to keep reading. I unfortunately can't stand the author's writing, so even getting 15% through the book was a lot.
It seens interesting so I feel like people who are able to enjoy her writing will really like this book.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review!

I don't usually rate my DNF's but I will have to in order to submit the review.

It started well and I was fairly hooked, but then it became rather disjointed and I felt the plot lost its way and became harder to follow. I've not read this author before, so could just be a matter of not being used to her style.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC!

3.5 stars!

Maggie’s books are always a little weird and this book is definitely a little weird. We follow June Hudson, the manager of a luxurious hotel, the Avallon, which is taken over by the state department and the FBI to house diplomats after the outbreak of the war.

This is Maggie’s adult debut and it’s very different to her other books. This book is set in the hills of West Virginia, and the influence of Appalachia and the mountains are all over this book. I really liked that aspect of the story and I think it’s done very well.

The magical realism element is very present - I won’t spoil what it is but I think it was very clever how the moods of their guests and staff influenced it.

There were a few things in this book that I think made it fall a little flat for me.

Maggie’s character work in her other books are phenomenal. In this one, I feel like the hotel was its own character and it overshadowed everyone else. This probably was Maggie’s intent as the hotel is certainly a character but I wanted more development of our human characters!

June is definitely interesting and I enjoyed reading about her, but I wanted MORE. I wanted more development, I wanted the romance storyline to be more developed even though I still liked it.

I think this book just feels a little flat for me because the characters, other than June, also feel flat. I liked this book, I don’t know if I love it, but I did enjoy reading it. Definitely weird, as I said, which means it’s definitely a Maggie book.

Maggie never disappoints her readers and this is no exception.

1942 West Virginia. The Avalon hotel is a popular luxury hotel attracting the rich and famous, with its mountain sweetwater holding magical secrets known to only a few. June Hudson, general manager, Boss and sweetwater talker, runs the hotel and keep the water in check, regardless of what it costs her. When war finally hits the hotel the owners make a deal to avoid action and instead have the hotel house diplomats, international prisoners, and anyone else they deem fit. June and her staff are pushed to treat the guests as any other, even though many are nazis and have war connections, even though her staff have lost their families members to the fight against all these people stand for. FBI agent Tucker Minnick is running the operation, much to his distress, he holds his own secrets about his life, his work and his relationship to sweetwater. Pushed to their limits, trying to save a child of the diplomats from being sent back to Germany where she would risk sterilisation if not death due to her disability, trying to crack any secrets the diplomats are hiding, stopping them from fighting each other and the threat of suicide of prisoners, the water takes all these emotions and personalities and risks turning. If the water turns, the hotel is ruined, and only June and tucker can face these threats.

First of all, thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. It was impossible to turn down the chance to be one of the first to read the first adult novel by an author I enjoyed so much as a child!

This is a highly compelling book, difficult to put down once it gets its teeth into you, or maybe when you first feel the pull of the Sweetwater. Within this work of historical fiction are characters bound up by layers of secrecy, twisting around each other in an elaborate and dangerous dance, and beside all of them - if only for a moment - is the fascinating June Hudson. At first she feels like the most important cog in the complicated wheel of the hotel, but there is so much to discover about her as the story progresses and I stayed interested.

I felt the weight of the historical research and attention to detail throughout, and as a fan of a good non-fiction history book I appreciated the hints towards a subject I had rarely touched on.

Not short of curious mysteries and hints of darkness, horror and magic, I can truly recommend this book and will be waiting - as patiently as a tantalised hotel guest in a glimmering lobby - for her next work.

I was excited about The Listeners—the premise is fascinating. Set in 1942 at the grand Avallon Hotel, which is repurposed to house diplomats from Germany, Italy, and Japan under FBI and State Department supervision, it promised intrigue, history, and a unique perspective on WWII.

The novel's star is June, the hotel’s General Manager, and while I appreciated her character, I wanted more depth from the story itself. We got to know the German delegation, but the Italian and Japanese guests remained on the sidelines, and the complex relationships between these groups felt like a missed opportunity. Instead, the focus leaned heavily on the love story (or triangle), which I found less compelling. The novel meandered at times and could have been tighter in its execution.

There’s also a magical element—the hotel’s legendary sweetwater—but I never fully grasped its significance or felt it added much to the story. The strongest aspect was the writing itself, which was undeniably excellent. However, I felt like I got to know the hotel more than the characters, and ultimately, the story didn’t move me the way I expect WWII fiction to.

Like a gramophone record played at half speed, eerie and hypnotic.

I enjoyed the richly created setting and the historical authenticity. The story unfolded slowly, and evoked a sort of wistful regret for the characters caught up in WWII. The style made me feel more like I was floating through the scene rather than immersed in it, though.

Stylistically, I admit I was disappointed - Stiefvater is one of my favourite YA authors, and I honestly think this lacked the compelling originality of her recent books. The elements of magical realism felt like a token addition - the plot could have functioned perfectly well without them.

Overall, worth reading, but not overwhelming.

Confused and bored. Those are the overall feelings I have after reading this.
Divided into four parts, this story felt like there was no plot but also a strong hidden one that I might be too dumb to fully understand.
The characters felt flat and although it was nice to see a romance bloom between June and Tucker, I still feel slightly confused.
As for the magic part, I didn’t see it or felt it at all. Mentions of water being scary and doing something were everywhere but I didn’t get the real grasp of what it’s meant to do.
Like I said, confusing and boring.

This story was so Maggie Stiefvater. I enjoyed the book a lot, especially the sweet water. It immediately made me want to drive to West Virginia and experience everything I could. I think all her books make me like that - want to explore the world and be curious. June is an amazing main character. Thanks NetGalley!

‘The men who didn’t smile have no control, so they will always serve those who do’

300 Axis diplomats are sent to be interned in a luxury hotel in the mountains of West Virginia—where magic flows through the water and someone is listening at every door.

Stiefvater’s prose is clear yet lyrical, and not afraid to be humorous. The setting of the hotel is painted intricately, and each character sketched with deft skill.

On the topic of characters, all our POV characters were likeable in their own way. Tucker won me over slowly, whereas Hannelore was instantly a favourite, and June, with her quiet strength, was the piece that held the rest together. A special note of appreciation for the depiction of autism in Hannelore, and how much love she was given by the narrative.

The slow unfolding of the magic of the sweetwater was masterful, and kept me reading. The sinister undertones of the novel—there are Nazis present, after all—were not shied away from, nor diluted. But alongside the horrors, there was wonder. The conclusion of the book was satisfying and bittersweet, a reflection on the impact of WW2 on American society and a portrayal of the end of an era.

Overall, a beautiful book from one of my favourite authors!