I loved this book!! Maggie was instantly an interesting and sympathetic character - even if her decisions stressed me out constantly. I found I was quite on edge waiting for the inevitable blow up of her secrets to come, but thankfully it wasn’t too painful when it happened. The premise of this book was so fun - a restrictive bookshop and a secret club, reimagining classics. Seeing Maggie fall in love with the joy of reading in real time and also find what drives her was great, and I loved the messages woven through it - especially that you don’t have to be defined by your career. I loved the writing and every single character, except Ralph of course. Plus the romance!!! My favourite scenes were when Maggie & Malcolm were together. I will definitely be reading more of Shauna Robinsons works. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

You know, I like books like this one. I like books where the main character is just not knowing what she wants to do with her life and someone found her home. Maybe I'm still hopeful I'll find mine.

I liked Maggie, sometimes I was like "girl what are you doing". Maggie is helping out her friends during her maternity leave by running the bookstore in this small town. The small town is a shrine to a white man that wrote a book once. I loved how she questioned things, and tried to make things her own.

I liked the romance, it was small but it was there. I liked seeing Malcom and her getting to know each other after bumping heads.

I just thought it was cute. It was fluffy. I liked it.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
This was a cute and quick read. Very lighthearted with a couple “mystery” type things thrown in. Very easy to follow and likeable characters. This wasn’t a home run for me, but it was not in any way bad. An easier read.

I typically enjoy books where the storyline involves a bookish setting, such as a bookshop or library, which was why I chose this.

I thought it was very charming. I took an immediate liking to the protagonist. My love of books is something that those close to me see as a big part of my personality, so this book spoke to me, as I hoped it would. I think it would speak to many other book lovers too, and I enjoyed all the bookish references throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

A compelling small town story about forbidden books, romance, and how literature feeds our souls. Recommended.

There's a very important topic in this story: the forbidden books. Books are forbidden when someone wants to suppress different ideas and impose a unique one.
Even if there's a serious background this is a light and entertaining story. I liked Maggie and the well plotted story
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.25🌟
I actually quite enjoyed this book. The feeling of small town village vibe where there's a strong sense of community always makes me happy and makes it feel quite homely which is always nice.
Maggie is a bit lost in life, she's not sure where to go, what to do or who she really is. She soon visits Bell River to support her friend in running the book store. Slight problem there though, she hasn't picked up a book in a long long time and she needs to know all about the history of the famous author related to the town.

With a love interest on the horizon, a nemesis out to get her and watching her every mistake and a whole town relying on her to make things better, there's a lot that Maggie has to answer for.

I had high hopes for this book, sadly they didn’t transpire.

The main character, Maggie, aims to help a friends bookstore improve its sales by starting an underground book club and selling banned books there, passing them off as legitimate sales from the store.

She discovers every has secrets, and that no one likes the way the town is being run. She accidentally causes the town’s secrets to be revealed and then needs to save not only her friend, but the town as well.

I didn't find any of the characters particularly interesting or likeable and didn’t connect with any of them, or most of the plot. This one was a struggle to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

I'm a simple person; I see a book about books and I'm in.

This was enjoyable enough. I enjoyed all the book references and everything book related. I would absolutely love to attend events like the ones Maggie hosted in the book.

I really liked the progression of Maggie and Malcolm's relationship but was disappointed that it didn't progress far enough that I would have liked.

I understand that the book is from a black author, which I absolutely have not read enough by, but I found it a bit jarring that race was constantly brought up; I mean I understand why it was but in my opinion it wasn't necessary but obviously I'm not a person of colour so I'm not the best person to judge this.

Having said that I would read something else by the author as this was overall a fun and enjoyable read.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Shauna Robinson for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

I had a hunch I would dig this book. What I didn't know that I would absolutely love it! After struggling find her place, Maggie is running her friend's bookstore. The store is unique in that it only sells books that were published when the town's favorite author was alive. So, nothing new. When the store needs revenue. Maggie decides to start an underground book club where authors offer their spin on classics. She also starts selling new books on the side. And she unexpectedly finds this incredible community. But how can she keep this all going? She's determined to find a way, and that is so much of the story. Y'all, this was just a delight. I wanted more - I was so drawn into Maggie's world - her events, her relationships, everything - I want/need to know what's next because it was just that wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this January 2024 release - one y'all definitely need to check out!

Rated - 3 / 5 ✨

When a book has Book Club in the title, I couldn’t not request it.

This was a really easy, light hearted read about a woman called Maggie, she’s unhappy with the path her life is on and is struggling to find her purpose. Her best friend Rochelle asks her if she can cover the book shop she works in whilst she’s on maternity leave, here is where the story really begins. There is mystery, fun, romance and adventure.

I liked Maggie, she was fun, but I found her frustrating at times, it was so obvious what she would be doing by the end of the story. Malcom the love interest was great, a quiet, serious, sweet book lover. I really enjoyed how they pulled each other out of their comfort zones.

However, I found their feelings for each other a little dull. There was no actual chemistry or spark shared in the story, there was the opportunity so many times, but it felt overlooked We didn’t actually get any really passion from either of them, I found it so frustrating.

The relationships with the towns people were really lovely, I loved getting to know them and seeing the whole town grow as the story progressed.

Overall, this was a lovely read, with some laughter and happiness.

Thanks NetGalley, One More Chapter and Shauna Robinson for the eARC.

Maggie is having a rough time so when her friend offers her the opportunity to run her bookstore while she goes on maternity leave, she decides to take her up on it. The problem is, the bookstore isn’t too profitable because it only sells books from a certain time period because the town historical society owns and runs most of the town puts restrictions on what can be done and sold in the town. After attending a booksellers event, she gets inspired to make the store more profitable for her friend by forming a back door book club and sells books that would otherwise be banned from the store and starts to host author events that have members of the town excited to come to now that they can buy something other than books from 1838. The connections she makes with the townspeople, and in particular her grumpy upstairs neighbor Vernor, are what really make the story.
This was an heartwarming and enjoyable story sprinkled in with bits of humor.
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

So I feel silly… I didn’t realize that The Secret Book Club is actually the same book as The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks. There are just two different titles (one for the US and on for the UK). I have no idea why this book required a title change, but I am happy to report I read the book in February of 2023 and LOVED it. Anyone one who is a fan of books about books or romcoms should give it a go in whichever title you prefer!

What could be more perfect than a book taking place in a bookstore. I find it hard to believe one selling only classics would stay open very long.
I applaud Maggie’s desire to make more money. It’s rather resourceful on her part. I can’t say this was my favorite book but I’m sure some others will enjoy it

A slow, interesting book that made me think about the books that I read and enjoy. Would I be put off a book if I didn't like the author? There was a fantasy series that I really enjoyed, but in the author's notes at the end he didn't come across very well. The idea of a bookshop that only sold "old" literature doesn't seem to be a sound business decision and I'm totally with Maggie with her efforts to get around this. I'm probably much more staid than she is, but we need people like her to get us out of the rut. The focus is on the books, rather than the romance, but is the better for that. Definitely worth reading if you fancy something a bit different.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

The Secret Book Club by Shauna Robinson

Maggie moves to Bell River to take over her best friend Rochelle's book shop while she is on maternity leave. But this is not a usual bookshop - they only sell classic literature and the books written by the town's hero, author Edward Bell, by order of his grandson Ralph. Maggie settles into small town life, makes lots of friends, runs secret events and sells forbidden books, until she discovers a secret that will change everything.

I loved this book - the small town with quirky characters reminded me of Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls), I loved the storyline and Maggie's journey, and I loved the mystery around Edward Bell and its resolution. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

[I wasn’t an aimless wanderer who gave in too easily to distraction. I was driven. I had purpose. It was just a purpose that didn’t fit the mold of what people expected. And there was nothing wrong with that, was there?]

Oh how I LOVED reading books about books, a secret book club, and how books are able to bring people together (grumpy neighbor included). Seeing Maggie finally able to find her place in this world after struggling to do so for a long time truly warms my heart.

Attention all Bookstagrammers: This book is 100% your jam. I am beyond confused as to why I have seen it NOWHERE. It has:

1. A protagonist who develops a love of reading
2. A super cute romance that isn’t even the main point of the book, but it’s there and adorable nonetheless
3. An elderly curmudgeon who is actually lovely
4. A really fantastic idea for a bookstore event that I would absolutely get out of my I’m-at-home pajamas and leave my house for
5. A female protagonist who I loved (and loved to root for)

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks lighthearted and an absolute delight. It was the perfect book to balance my reading of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow this past week.

Bell River is both a totally fabulous location for a book, but equally between the town, the Bell society, and all of the various rules in place by Ralph, I do sometimes wonder if I was almost reading about a cult.

Or at least the setting of a rather disturbing film, as there is something just so creepy about the hero worship of author Edward Bell.

He wrote his most famous book in the town, and as a result it thrives on tourism of people that are fans of the man, and thanks to the Bell Society, the bookshop in town that Maggie is looking after, it's only allowed to sell books that were around before Edward's death. So nothing recent, and predominately classics.

However Maggie who is doing a favour for a friend and looking after the shop for a few months, is a bit of a rule breaker, and well things start to get interesting. She's also just discovering an absolute love of books, and that is fabulous to see.

I absolutely loved the secret events Maggie set up, and if I was in town I would have happily gone to them, they sounded amazing.

However I never really gelled with the love interest in this story, I just couldn't really feel anything for him, and although I could see they were building a connection, it felt more platonic to me!

But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I loved hating the obvious bad guy, and seeing Maggie develop as a character and find out what she may truly want from life is inspiring. .

And above all it is clear to me that with the two books I've now read, that Shauna Robinson really really loves books!

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The Secret Book Club is about Maggie who's been unemployed for 10 month, suddenly encounter a chance for a temporary job at a bookstore managed by her best friend. Except, what's weird is that the bookstore only allowed a classic literature and mostly just a book by Edward Bell (the famous author who used to work at their bookstore. Hence it become a main attraction of the tourist). Maggie then having a wild ideas which is to snuck in a books from different genre and create an illegal book club at the store,

The story was entertaining and fun as you can relate to the main character, Maggie and how you just want to read more than just a classic literature. Owning a bookstore is a fun job, interact with people that have the same interest as you is a huge enjoyment. The romance is not that bad either.

However, the way the conflict is handle are quite abrupt considering the problem Maggie caused is big, irresponsible and childish. While I admire her courage and wanting to do more for people she love, she needs to think more of the consequences. Not only that, her action cause a damage to the town's images. Her character is relatable but at some part it's quite annoying.

I love her chemistry with Malcolm though. both of them are adorable. Their discussion about the books they've read is just so cute (I want to have that too not gonna lie). Overall this is an enjoyable read but the ending is quite rushed.