Thanks to Forever for the copy of this book!

Representation: Mexican, Moroccan, Jewish, depression/anxiety

I really enjoy the "messaging online but we don't know that we know each other in real life" microtrope, and FLIRTY LITTLE SECRET revolves around school counselor Lucy Galindo and her popular Instagram account @TheMissGuidedCounselor. She's messaging someone she's really vibing with, not realizing it's also the new history teacher at school she's interested in. And their meet cute is hysterical - the first few chapters of this book were my favorite. The repesentation in this book is also really good, as Lucy is half-Mexican, half-Moroccan, Jewish, and struggles with depression and anxiety. What didn't work for me is that I did think that Lucy was on the immature side and also needed more intensive therapy, and almost wish her career wasn't a school counselor. Her friends were along the same lines.

SUCH a fun read with INCREDIBLY relatable characters! I highlighted so many passages in this book that described some of my neurodivergent traits so perfectly. Sometimes characters feel less relatable because simple tasks seem so easy for them, but this book really explored what it’s like being an adult with anxiety, ADHD, and depression! The cute romance didn’t hurt 😂

I loved this book up until ~50% of the way through. I loved the mixed cultures of the FMC and how her family was a big part of this book from the mixed heritage to their Jewish beliefs. I loved the mental health representation- as someone who also has anxiety and depression, I thought the descriptions were really spot on. However, I feel like the plot started to unravel at 50% thought the book. The characters went from barely being friends to hot and heavy and then back to kinda friends and it just lacked flow. It started feeling repetitive and excuse driven in the second half and really put down the FMC for her weaknesses. I get that the FMC was putting herself down and there were other people to pick her up, but as someone who shares these plights, I felt offended and also put down. Then all of the suddenly, literally every plot line was 100% resolved and everyone was so happy. I got emotional and plot-driven whiplash. I feel like more editing and refinement would’ve made this a more enjoyable read. 3.25⭐️, 2🌶

Thank you @readforeverpub @netgalley for a copy of this fun rom com. I always enjoy stories that incorporates texts/letters with strangers. Fletcher moved home to help his mom and accepts a new job at the local high school. Fletcher and Lucy has a disastrous meet cute and there's mutual attraction. The author did a great job with anxieties and Jewish representation. The texts exchange between TheMissGuidedCounselor was great. I wished the conflict of the story was not miscommunication. The supporting characters with Lucy's family was great and I love how much they added to the story.

I genuinely hate that it took me so long to read this book. I would read a page and stop...read a page and stop...over and over again for weeks. I was in such a slump when I started this book and it makes me so sad to know that I almost didnt give this book a chance.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I truly did love this book. It is definitely a slower burn, ease into type book, which is fine with me! I loved the honesty between the characters and within themselves. I was pleasantly surprised with the way friendships and relationships formed in this book. I also loved the social media aspects added in and it is actually quite ironic because I run a mental health instagram that I told no one about for the longest time.

The mental health struggles depicted in this book is something that I walk through on a weekly basis, having anxiety and depression myself. It was honestly refreshing while also very self reflecting at times to read sections of this book. It made me evaluate my own relationships at times. I am thankful for the representation in this book and look forward to reading more titles from this author. Well done.

Thank you to Jessica Lepe and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of this title!

I didn’t know I needed a secret online identity and anonymous friendship book reminiscent of You’ve Got Mail until I read this book! Unbeknownst to Lucy, a high school guidance counselor, and Fletcher, the new hot-tea teacher, anonymous DM friends have a hilarious IRL meet-cute that was quite literally hot! Fletcher is instantly drawn to her, and the more he sees her and gets to know her he falls hard despite having had no intentions of starting a relationship in the midst of family drama that has brought him home, especially with a coworker. Lucy is instantly attracted and shockingly comfortable sharing her deepest and messiest self with Fletcher, however she is wary of him and her feelings. But he is determined to win her over.

Lucy is intelligent, funny and charming but she feels so burdened and undeserving because of her depression and anxiety. She is surprised it doesn’t drive Fletcher away but only makes him fall more in love with her. Fletcher is so amazing and sweet, and the way he was so accepting and supportive made me swoon!

I have read books that deal with emotional and mental health struggles but I have never identified with one more than this book and this FMC. Jessica was so eloquently able to describe feelings, emotions, and thoughts regarding anxiety and ADHD in a way I have never been able to express in worlds so accurately, it was so validating and accepting on a level that felt healing.

This was a wonderfully beautiful story of falling in love while dealing with mental health struggles and realizing they do not make you less than or undeserving of love and acceptance. This book also addressed racial and cultural identity struggles. It was poignant and funny and all around comforting to me. I most definitely recommend this read!!!

Thank you forever for the ARC.

You’ve Got Mail is one of my all time favourite movies, so when I read the description for Flirty Little Secret I was all in!! But, unfortunately, I have decided to DNF this book at 42%.

Before I jump in, I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me an ARC to review honestly.

I don’t think this book is horrible by any means, it’s just not for me. I’m having a hard time connecting with the characters, the pacing is all off, and I’m finding it a little immature for a story about a teacher and guidance counsellor. It just hasn’t grabbed me like I wanted. I’m not getting the fun, charming, romantic rom-com vibes of You’ve Got Mail. I’m almost half way through and nothing has really happened… I also REALLY struggled with the kids club name/joke. Hate groups should never be used as the butt of a joke and it really made me question why I was reading this book. It just wasn’t necessary and added no value.

Even though I haven’t connected with the story I did love the mental health and Jewish representation. I loved the cultural representation and enjoyed learning about a Moroccan - Mexican family and the struggles with identity that one might face when being from a multicultural household. A highlight for me was reading about their sacred Friday nights to celebrate Shabbat. With this in mind, I’ll be giving this book a neutral three stars as this representation created an open and safe environment for discussion and might appeal to others.

If you love rom-coms you may want to give it go. You might have a better time with this read than I did 🤍

Such a great book! I really enjoyed Lucy’s story. She was extremely relatable and fun to go on a journey with. Can’t wait to read more from this author! Highly recommend!

I appreciate receiving an arc of this but I ended up DNFing because this story was not for me. I couldn’t find it in myself to care about the characters.

I unfortunately DNF this book. I am disappointed because I was excited for the Jewish rep and because You’ve Got Mail is one of my all-time favorite movies. However, the author’s writing style and Fletcher’s narrative voice are not for me. I was just not enjoying it. Perhaps it will work better for other readers.

✨ Review ✨ Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe

Thanks to Forever and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Described as You’ve Got Mail meets Abbott Elementary, this delivers those vibes. Lucy's a guidance counselor who loves her students but battles depression and ADHD. Fletcher's just joined her school as a history teachers. A friendship quickly blooms.

What they don't know is that they're also anonymous besties online - Lucy has a popular social media account @TheMissGuidedCounselor where she gets to curate her put-together life and Fletcher's befriended her there as well.

This as all the tension of a You've Got Mail plot with all the sweetness of two people working with young adults, and all the smuttiness of a guidance counselor who spills her tea on the pants of the new history teacher on day one and then tries to scrub his crotch dry. 😂

This really did a great job of talking about mental health, imposter syndrome and other insecurities. The romance was great, and I was super invested in the characters. I flew through this one.

A great new romance debut!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: contemporary f/m romance
Pub Date: March 19, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ teacher + guidance counselor romance
⭕️ great mental health rep
⭕️ secret mental health hideaway room in the school!
⭕️ digital friendships

I really enjoyed this debut from Jessica Lepe. I loved the "secret identity" friendship between Lucy and Fletcher. As someone who has been active on social media, I definitely related to the feeling of trying show the perfect persona online, while struggling with my mental health offline.

I loved the side characters - not only the friends, but the sisters & the families in general. They felt real, even if the conflict between Fletcher and his dad felt like it wrapped up a little easily.

I also really appreciated the strong emphasis put on mental illness & neurodivergent. I'm 100% in the group that is encouraging more books about mental illness & neurodivergent because it's time to normalize that.

I can't wait to read more books by this author. Huge thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the E-ARC and huge thank you to Forever for a physical ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️

Lucy Galindo is a school guidance counselor by day, and motivational instagrammer by night. Under the alliance @MissGuidedCounselor, Lucy uses her platform to be the version of herself that she always aspired to be - confident, witty, brilliant and wise. She keeps her two personas separate from one another to hide the all encompassing weight that someone living with anxiety, depression and ADHD experiences daily. It is this one rule that stops her from meeting her best friend, @BraveGuy93, in real life … or so she thought. Enter Aldrich Fletcher, the new history teacher at her school and as Lucy puts it: “ victim to [her] assault by tea” (you’ll have to read the book to find out more!!). It seems that every encounter the two have is either embarrassing or a ‘foot in the mouth’ moment, but along the way they start connecting and craving each other’s company (and Mexican/Moroccan fusion food)! Little do they know, their relationship is far more complex than what they think…

I was instantly drawn to Jessica Lepe’s debut book after reading the synopsis and description of the story as ‘You’ve Got Main meets Abbott Elementary’ (realistically who could say no to that??!). The authentic portrayal of mental health themes and multicultural identity was done so well as these are topics that require a great deal of attention and care to get right. I have always been a fan of an MMC that falls first and falls harder and Fletcher does not disappoint. He gets himself into some trouble but is shown to be constantly learning and growing to not only be better for himself but also to be a supportive partner for Lucy. Definitely book boyfriend material!

Rating: 3.25
Tropes: Secret Identity, Co-workers, Mental Health Rep

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy was one of the most realistic characters I've had the chance to read, and felt like my experience was being represented in a book. She has depression, anxiety, and ADHD; and explores how the intricacies of each diagnosis impacts relationships, including personal, professional, and romantic.

Fletcher is the new teacher at a public high school where Lucy has been the guidance counselor for the past few years. Their meet-cute starts HOT with spilled tea, and they slowly build their relationship from there. However, they have secretly had a friendship for years through Lucy's online persona. It was great to see these two relationships merge and strengthen into one, with a few bumps in the road along the way.

I didn't always love the story, but I'm glad I read it! There was one scene where Lucy was describing her emotions, and I resonated with it immediately. I look forward to future releases from this author.

This was better in setup and marketing than execution for me. It read a little silly and juvenile and I just did not find the romance to be all that endearing when it had all the potential in the world as I may be the biggest Abbot Elementary fan there is.

Flirty Little Secret was a delight to read. I went into this one somewhat blind (I primarily requested because the cover was so cute), and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. It definitely had some You've Got Mail vibes going on, which I loved.

Both Lucy and Fletcher were good characters for me. As someone who struggles with mental health, I loved the representation for anxiety, depression, and ADHD in this book. Many of the things that Lucy struggled with hit home for me, and it was nice to see myself some in Lucy. It was also a nice change to see someone who "presented normal" with these conditions. In a lot of the books I read where the MC lives with mental health conditions, everyone knows from the onset of meeting said person that they are "different" (whatever that means...). When I tell others about my mental health struggles, people are often surprised because I'm generally happy and cheerful and put together in public, so I appreciated that Lucy was represented that way.

I also really enjoyed the mixed media within the book with how the messages between Lucy and Fletcher were presented. It was a nice change from paragraphs of text and still moved the story forward.

Overall, I'd recommend this one for someone wanting a cute romance.

Read if you enjoy:
- Friends to Lovers
- Workplace Romance
- You've Got Mail
- Mental Health Rep

Thank you for the ARC, Forever!

Flirty Little Secret is a sweet, and well thought-out book. Its strength is in the vulnerable and careful portrayal of Lucy’s mental health struggles, as well as the representation of Jewish culture as a Mexican-Moroccan.

However, I feel like the execution could have been better. I found myself disengaged for a good part of the book. I felt like the characters were quite immature? I think this would have done better as a New Adult book, where the characters are a little younger, and not 30 year olds. I have to say, though, that I don’t live with most of their mental health conditions, so I might not have the authority to speak about that too much. There were just some things they both said and did that took me away from the story.

Overall, I loved the premise, the representation, and the family dynamics, particularly Lucy’s family! I’m still looking forward to what Lepe has next.

"Flirty Little Secret" by Jessica Lepe stands out for its thoughtful portrayal of Jewish culture and mental health struggles, handling it with sensitivity and attention to detail. However, despite these strengths, I found it challenging to connect with the main characters and their love story. While I appreciated the inclusion of Instagram messages in the narrative, I was less enthused about the miscommunication and lying aspects of the story. Overall, it's a quick and easy read, but I couldn't help but feel that there was untapped potential for a deeper, more fulfilling story. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book, the story of Lucy and Fletcher. It dealt with some difficult issues but was a great read. I hope it will be a series.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: March 19, 2024

This was a book recommended to me and I was invited to read it. I chose to go in blind, however, I could tell that the book and I were not going to get along.

Firstly, I can see where the plot was trying to go and that the author was trying to go for corny/cute. It unfortunately felt more like cringe corny.

Secondly, I struggled to distinguish Fletcher from Lucy when their chapters alternated so it felt like I was reading the same voice.

I loved the mixed media sprinkled throughout (threads, texts, emails, etc) but overall I just found myself cringing more than laughing.