This was a great read.

I loved the semi mystery plot line and when the truth came out at the end it was so good

I loved the FMC and her slightly chaotic nature and how she brought fun to everything

I enjoyed the fact that despite the 3rd act having a lot of drama it all got sorted quickly and no one really held grudges making it a perfect feel good book as everything worked out good in the end

- small town
- FMC works at a bookshop in a town made famous by an author
- bipoc characters

I wanted to read this book because, well it's a book about books. It was my first time reading this author and I was pleasantly surprised by this enjoyable story.

This is a fun and easy read with small town vibes, think cosy Hallmark type of town. I love all the characters, especially the MC, Maggie. The story is full of humour but important topics are woven in too which I like in this type of book.

The only downside was the ending felt a little rushed. I would have liked to have seen the conclusion a little more fleshed out.

Still an excellent read and one I would definitely recommend.

I always love books about books. This was such a fun read, and I enjoyed it very much. Yes, there were loads of plot holes, and it's stretched the credibility to the max, but I still enjoyed it, and for a short while, I was able to join the characters in a secret book club. Highly entertaining and made the perfect beach/escape read.

I loved the title of this book and hoped it would as good as it sounded. In fact, it was amazing. A lovely, cosy read for those winter nights. Thank you for the ARC.

REVIEW
When Maggie Banks covers her friend's maternity leave at the bookstore in Bell River, she immediately falls foul of the president of the local literary society's strict rules. Trying to boost dwindling sales, she starts a secret book club. But when she unearths a secret about the town's esteemed author, it could throw the entire town's legacy into jeopardy.
There were parts of this book that I loved. I adored the community that Maggie was able to become part of (even clandestinely). I loved the camaraderie between the people who weren't fans of Edward Bell, of which Vernon, for me, was an unexpected highlight. And, I LOVED Maggie's idea for bookish evenings, and the literary mashups were hilarious.
I wasn't, however, entirely sure the romance worked very well, or was even necessary, as the story felt like it was more about Maggie's self-confidence and development. I didn't get any enemies-to-lovers vibes. It was more of an opposites attract, but with very few clashes. That said, what there was of them together was very sweet. I enjoyed their meetup at the book festival, but I was so sad that Maggie didn't invite him to TJ's evening, even though I understood why. Malcolm was lovely, if a little straight-laced, and I felt for him when Maggie's secrets came out. I found the fact that Rochelle, Maggie's best friend (and manager of the bookstore), was barely in it early on a bit odd. There was no dialogue between them after the initial introductions until over halfway (even though she was living with the family, and Rochelle's husband was mostly invisible. But I think the thing I struggled with most was that a small town could keep a bookstore running in this economy purely with old books and the legacy of some long-dead local author. Still, Maggie's first meeting with Ralph, the president of the Bell Society, was hilarious, even though he was an insufferable dictator, and the subterfuge added some amusing moments. What I think I loved the most, though, was the way Maggie discovered her own love of reading.
Books are for everyone, and no one should ever gatekeep which ones you can read!
Not perfect, but a fun, bookish read with a satisfying conclusion.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️.5

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

Favourite Quotes:

“Should I be offended that you’re recommending a children’s book to me?”
“You should be honored that I’m gonna lend you my favorite book in the world.”

“I like certain people.” His eyes locked on mine with enough significance to make something inside me flutter.
“I’m certain people?” I asked.
“You are.”

I loved this story, it was light hearted, fun and fast paced. Maggie was such a quirky character and she drew me in from the beginning. I loved her enthusiasm and the fact that she thought she had no purpose but it was quite obvious from the beginning that she had found her purpose she just didn't know it!
Her love of people was infectious, I wanted to be a part of her army, it seemed like such a fantastic atmosphere to be a part of.

The side characters were great, Rochelle, Malcom, all the other business owners on Bell River, Vernon, the authors she met, all kept me interested. Even Ralph with his horrid attitude and bizarre ways entertained me.

This book drew me into Bell River, it made me want to visit this fictional town and try the apple cheese biscuits! I wanted to be a part of this bookish community and attend these underground events hosted by Maggie!

I highly recommend this book, not only because it is a book about the absolute joy that can be found in reading but that it highlights just how amazing the bookish community is. The town may be fictional but the ideas are not!

I found this book incredibly easy to get into and once I started I had it read in no time. It is cute, funny and entertaining.

I loved the idea of an underground book club but found many things unrealistic and a stretch to the imagination. A non book reader who falls into the job of running a bookshop and then suddenly develops a big love of reading. A businessman so obsessed with his ancestor that he won't allow modern books to be sold in his bookshop to the extent that he is in danger of going bankrupt.
The local people who don't order their books online (or maybe they are all boycotting the zon) and resort to buying them secretly from a person who has one box of books? But hey, the story was really cute so I just went with it.
Malcolm and Maggie have a sweet friendship/romance and I enjoyed their game where they each have to read a book of the other's choosing and then go out for dinner to chat about it. However, their romance was a bit bland and not central to the story.

I loved the quirky characters in this strange little town and the friendships they created as they bonded over their secret book club. It was very entertaining to watch the book club thrive whilst trying to stay hidden from the bookshop's owner.
Everything gets resolved in the end in a sweet and uplifting way.

I absolutely loved this novel, it was so hard to put down, I was just so invested in Maggie and I needed to find out what was happening next.

I loved Maggie's character, the realism of her was striking and her relationships with everyone was just lovely to see play out, especially with Vernon.

The way this novel is written is great, it creates a world that you can easily fall into, the whole creation around the Bell Society was fascinating in a way that I've not seen done in other novels. The rebellion of sorts played right into this and I was rooting for Maggie.

I really enjoyed reading this book and urge everyone else to pick up a copy

This was such a nice read but I was expecting more.

This book had everything that I love in books but it did not catch my attention a lot.

I really enjoyed it but was not thinking about all the times like it happens for me with a book im obsessed with.

Read from January 7th, 2024 to January 13th, 2024. Written on January 18th, 2024.

This was such a cute book and I had a really great time reading it! The challenges, the romance, the regrets and accomplishments all made this story so full of life. I mean, I genuinely believed Edward Bell was a real author that I could look up online and learn more about. The whole world created in this book felt so real!

I have no idea what else to say about this book: the story was amazing, the little forbidden moments at the bookstore were so cosy, in general, the whole thing was easy to read and very entertaining.

Enjoy the book, it comes out today!

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter that I chose to review after reading)

When a call for help comes from her best friend
Maggie Banks agrees to cover till her need for maternity cover ends.
She'll be running a bookstore but with no modern book -
And at the 'other'classics' Maggie has never taken much of a look!

Bell River is the town and everything there
Is from earlier centuries she's made very aware.
There are rules to be followed, they're strictly enforced,
But rules are made to be broken, Maggie thinks of course!

She'd rather read something much modern and so
Starts a secret book club and business starts to grow.
However, keeping things quiet and dodging detection, too,
Could prove a very difficult thing to do!

A great read that's fun with a mystery, too,
Along with discoveries that paint a different point of view.
Maybe Maggie can discover her dream job after all,
Especially when romance may also pay a call.

So if you're looking for a rule breaking fun book to read
This may prove to be the very book that you need!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

I love reading books about bookstores! They just make the book more cozy.
What I loved:
-the setting of a bookstore and the interesting characters surrounding it
-Small town setting
-Close friends and found family.
-Maggie and Rochelle’s friendship. I love how Maggie came down to help Rochelle while she was on maternity leave.
-I love how Maggie was not a reader but became a reader. I find this very relatable. It can take some time to find the right genre but once you do, you will get hooked!

What I did not love:
-Ralph Bell. I know he’s the villain but I did not like him.
-There was some miscommunication between characters and is always annoying to me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would read more from this author. Maggie and Malcolm’s relationship is very cute and not forced. The supporting characters were great too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

When I first heard of this book, my excitement knew no bounds. As a confirmed bookworm with a love of all things mysterious, I grabbed the chance to be part of the read-along with both hands. Unfortunately, I was left a little underwhelmed. 

The premise is a good one; Maggie is invited by her friend Rochelle to look after her bookstore whilst she is having her second child. Maggie, at a crossroads in her life, grabs the opportunity but finds herself in a town built around the legend of one man and run but when I could only describe her as a literary dictator. The shop must not sell anything beyond a certain period, making it difficult to make any money. This is where the idea of a clandestine book club, selling 'banned in the town' books comes to fruition.

Like I said, this premise grabbed my heart and I was so excited to delve in. I think the problem for me was that I didn't really warm to Maggie. She is a girl who accepted a job at a bookstore out of necessity rather than a love for words. Also the fact that Ralph, the town's owner in effect, hadn't been overthrown Captain Blythe style at the start of the story really got my goat. 

Maggie's romance with Ralph's employee Malcolm also felt a little rushed and forced to me, going from enemies to lovers within the space of a chapter. I feel this could have been fleshed out more and taken at a slower pace to really build the relationship between the pair.

The writing, however, is faultless with witty humour and a personable style which kept me reading to the end. Some of the characters I really loved, like not-so-grumpy Vernon, Maggie's upstairs neighbour and fellow conspirator. I also loved the message of the book, which is predominantly that no book should ever be banned and that reading is for all and should not be dictated by those in power.  This is what lifts the book to a solid 3.5 rating for me.

In conclusion, The Secret Book Club is a solid read and in part enjoyable. I just wished that some areas could have been fleshed out and time taken with them rather than rushed. That being said, this is a good debut from an exciting writer and I can't wait to see more of what Shauna Robinson has to offer.

Thank you to One More Chapter for an advance copy to take part in the read-along and in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5

The Secret Book Club really drew me in to its world. It has all the best things: a plucky protagonist, a cute town with a cozy bookstore and a coffee shop with great scones, and a sweet romance. The writing is great - I started this as part of a "read-along" prior to the UK re-release, but it quickly drew me in and I finished well ahead of schedule. The perfect book for a snowy weekend!

Aside from its bookish charms, The Secret Book Club has a few points to make. The story's main theme is the protagonist, Maggie's, distracted (her word) approach to life, and her coming to respect her own interests and needs. This is a lovely idea, even if twenty-eight-year-old Maggie doesn't seem old enough to need reassurance that it's okay she isn't married yet. And the major plot centers around the town's literary society, which controls the bookshop and its other business and looks down on newer literature and especially genre fiction. Book-lovers could argue all day about the relative merits of Melville and Irving, Austen and Henry, but Maggie - despite running a book store in a book town - is no book lover, and she only really likes rom coms and the occasional thriller. If the protagonist's narrow taste in literature is a book's major flaw, that seems like an okay flaw to have.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC of The Secret Book Club!

After losing another job Maggie gladly accepts her best friend Rochelle's offer to cover the running of Rochelle's bookstore while Rochelle is on maternity leave. What Rochelle doesn't mention with the offer is that the bookstore is in a town that is completely dedicated to the great literary mind Edward Bell. Edward Bell's grandson Ralph runs the Bell Society which has its hooks in every profitable business in town. Rochelle's bookstore is only allowed to sell books that the great Edward Bell could have read so nothing is stocked that was published after 1968.As Ralph uses Rochelle's leave to try to worm in to the bookstore even more, Maggie begins scheming to make the bookstore more profitable despite being under the constant watch of one of Ralph's underlings, Malcom. Luckily, Malcom is much kinder than Ralph and Maggie and Malcom's quirky friendship blossoms into something more.

I LOVED this story! It is such a beautiful ode to books and the writing is so good. It is so cinematic; I'd love to see this made into a movie or TV show. It definitely has Gilmore Girl vibes. The crotchety neighbor, the parking lot pumpkin patch, the increasingly ridiculous attempts to make the entire town revolve around Edward Bell - I loved it all. I literally googled to see if TJ Hull was a real author because I was ready to buy the children's book she described (he isn't real). This will definitely not be my last Shauna Robinson book.

I really enjoyed reading this lovely book and often found myself smiling while reading. The relationship between Malcolm and Maggie is wonderful as they bring the best out of each other. I fell in love with the inhabitants of Bell River in particular the grumpy Vernon. Maggie is like a breath of fresh air that challenges long held traditions in the town, refusing to accept the restrictive measures Bell's legacy imposes on all the local businesses. I loved all the book references and would definitely have attended one of the secret book club meetings if I could. A real feel good read.

3.5 stars

This was an easy and fun read. I was struggling at the beginning to get into the story, but then it started being more interesting and by the ending, we had so many surprises.
I loved the small town setting and Meggie's secret book club. It was really fun reading about the secret meetings and events.
I could connect with Meggie from the beginning, she was lost and was trying to find her perfect job, which she finally did. I just found her relationship with Malcom a bit basic, for me there was no chemistry.
Still, it ended up being a cute heart warming story.

Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the free ARC!

Maggie decides to start an underground book club, when she is not able to sell the books she wants to because of the literary society in town. This is a good read, a lot of good books have been banned. Books should not be banned.

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and the author for providing a free copy jn exchange for an honest review #thesecretbookclub

Maggie is at a dead end. Living with her parents and never holding down a job which doesn't make her find distractions to create fun. Her best friend Rochelle offers for Maggie to cover her maternity leave he her bookshop the only downside.... Maggie is not a reader. Can Maggie make this work? Can she inject the fun needed into her new venture ?

I was offered to be part of the readalong with OMC Publisher.

This book is a great read that really draws on multiple societial topics such as; Black women authors, marginalised members of society and how your job defines you as a person. Some may find these emotional subjects but I do think the author has subtly Included them to make you think but not detract from the plot of the book. This vook really provides food for thought and some life lessons along the way.

Furthermore the community spirit in this book is very special. It shows that your attitude to life can bring people together even against all odds. It is spectacular it just shows how everyone only wants the best for you and how it takes a village to pull any event off. Something you can only hope is replicated in your own community.

I did find that the romance included was a bit 2dimensional at times. It either needed elaborating on their thoughts, feelings and emotions or leaving out altogether. One minute they didn't really talk and the next they had sex!

the secret book club by shauna robinson (which i learned has also been published as the banned bookshop of maggie banks)
pub date: 18 jan

4.5 ⭐

a light and fun read one can easily sit through in just a couple hours. a book about books with a protagonist who starts off as a non-reader then goes on to build a community that celebrates the love for all books! that's the dream right there.

as a mid-20s serial job hopper whose Dream Job is to Do Nothing, i vibed so hard with maggie. i totally believe she'd go from zero interest in books to a self-proclaimed bookworm within months by the way she "floats through life" as her best friend says. (what i couldn't believe was how she could fake her sales report for weeks?) anyway she was so fun to read about and likely more fun to be around. the supporting characters had their own charm to them as well.

my only issue would be the romance, i.e. the lack of its development. i do like that there's generally less romance in "women's fiction" than in actual romance books, but i thought maggie and the love interest could have been just very good platonic friends and it wouldn't have made a huge difference to the story.

though overall this book was thoroughly enjoyable and well-written. i would love to read more from the author!

thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the copy!