I loved the vibe of You've Got Mail and Abbot Elementary. I liked the premise of the book, but I gotta admit, there were some moments where I lost interest and had to push myself to finish it.

Thank you, the publisher for sending me this ARC.

4.25 stars

So thankful for NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for gifting me this in exchange for my honest opinion. This book really took me by surprise with just how relevant it is to my life. I thought it was going to be a cutesy rom-com (which it is), but it's also a deep dive into anxiety, ADHD, depression, and ethnicity/religion and how we belong in our community. Jessica Lepe might be an auto-buy author for me going forward if THIS is her debut novel.

As someone who doesn't suffer horribly from any of the above (maybe some anxiety, but not as bad as Lucy) it was eye-opening to see the inner monologue of someone with those and helped me understand a little better a few people in my personal life. Bravo on Jessica for not only representing this group of people, but also doing them justice and giving them space in this rom-com world.

I am also a half-breed, but unlike Lucy my mother is the Jewish one and my father is Armenian. I 100% feel Lucy's struggle with fitting in. Not being Jewish enough yet not being Moroccan enough while not being Mexican enough. Not speaking the languages, not knowing how to cook the food. I currently struggle with the same issues in my life. I don't speak either languages or really cook the food and I rely on my family for those things. It's hard to learn to carve a place for yourself in a world that loves boxes and gets confused by anyone who doesn't fit in one. The way Jessica weaved in the Jewish culture with Shabbat family dinner and explains Ladino language and made some cute, funny jokes along the way (Shabbat is a way to reset and welcome the new week. "It's the 'reverse' Uno card for Jews.") really made me excited. Very rarely do I see a Jewish romance book/character that ISN'T centered around Hanukkah and with a goyim MMC.

Now on to the actual plot. Lucy and Fletcher. *swoons* Fletcher is just such a good guy. Like constantly learning and applying what he's learned. Like, ugh, the way he is with Lucy and all her neurosis is just perfection. It's not a super spicy book (like a 1-2 maaaaaaaybe), but, honestly, the book doesn't suffer. It's almost better. Lucy and Fletcher are so pure and so good that more spice in the story might've ruined it for me.

Friends to Lovers
Secret Identities (IG friends)
Workplace Romance
Anxiety/Depression Rep
Jewish/Mexican FMC
Golden Retriever MMC

Lucy is a guidance counselor by day and gives out advice on Instagram by night. She can hide her anxiety and severe depression behind her social media mask and doesn't mix the two personas. She has an online friend that she has been talking to for over a year, helping him get through a terrible time in his life. He wants to meet, but she knows that no one can love her just as she is.
Fletcher is new to the school and while they don't meet in the best of ways, they have an instant connection. Fletcher is drawn to Lucy and even when she continues to show him her messy self, he doesn't turn away. Soon he realizes she's the one who has been talking to him online and now he has to tread lightly because he knows how much she wanted to keep the two separate.
This story had so much potential. I wanted to love the quirky Lucy and the golden retriever Fletcher, but I couldn't relate to either of them. I felt like their issues didn't feel... real, if that makes sense. They felt overdramatized and everything felt rushed between them. There were so many miscommunications and just awkwardness that it distracted me from their connection. It was a cute read though that dealt with sensitive topics, and if you like You've Got Mail you might love this one. Unfortunately it just didn't come across as the romcom that the cover and blurb suggest with the amount of deep issues that were talked about and kind of glossed over at times.
Thanks to Forever, Jessica Lepe and Netgalley for an early copy.

FLIRTY LITTLE SECRET by Jessica Lepe was getting a lot talk on bookstagram, the curiosity got me! It was often said to have the ‘You’ve Got Mail’ vibes which is one of my all time favorite movies. We follow Lucy, a high school guide counselor who hides her identity behind an online account. A new history teacher, Fletcher recently started working at her school and figured out that the online account he follows is Lucy. This read was so fun, lighthearted and realistic. Lucy is going through depression/anxiety, I was impressed with how well the author portrayed that. We watched Lucy ‘masking it’ to look normal as possible and shown how much it affects her daily life. I also LOVED the Jewish rep!

I received an ARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

What a sweet book! I really enjoyed Fletcher and Lucy's relationship, and all the secondary characters provided so much comic relief! The sisters (his and hers) were especially funny. The mental health rep was done so well, and I really enjoyed the Sephardic Jewish rep and Lucy's comments about feeling judged by others as not Jewish "enough." The pop cultural references hit so well and although they are very millennial, as a young(ish) Gen X, I definitely appreciated them all. This book was perfect combination of light romantic comedy and heart-tugging contemporary romance. Can't wait for the author's next book!

Overall, this was a pretty sweet read and a pretty good debut novel! I think the overall idea of the novel was good, but some of the execution could have been a bit better done.

For me, I felt like it was lacking a bit of romance between Fletcher and Lucy! I loved the idea of the book and the Abbott Elementary meets you’ve got mail vibes, but I wish there was more romance between them as some time, it really just felt very surface level and I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. I also would have like to know a bit more more about the two character; I felt like we knew a lot about their families and their histories, but I felt like we didn’t really dive deep into their characters.

Overall, this was a cute book that lacked a bit of substance to me, but was an enjoyable read!

3⭐️

Amazing debut!! This is just a wonderful romance, I pretty much only have positive things to say about it. I got the 5 star tingles when I first started this and that never waned.

I am SEEN. Lucy has ADHD, depression, and anxiety. She is a whole ass human in this and experiences the whole spectrum of emotions and as a reader I was just right there along with her. The depression rep hit so hard to me in particular when she would describe her difficulties with executive dysfunction. The shame and guilt that follows after doing something so simple you put off for so long. When it feels like just simply going through the motions of the day is so hard. Even when you have an incredible support system and meds. As important as stories are where characters discover and begin treatment for their mental illnesses I love that in this one the main character is simply in the middle of it. This is the everyday of being an easy crier, of battling overwhelming emotions. Lucy is truly an icon and I love her. I honestly wish I had her confidence to wear your heart on your sleeve as much as she did.

But don’t worry, this book isn’t just about mental illness or depression, etc. There is a ton of humor in this as well. All the side characters and internal monologue of Lucy is freaking hilarious. All credit to this author in how she can describe something as simple as a boring conversation in a teachers lounge but with so much side commentary I am smiling from how fun this all is to read.

There are some really interesting side plots in this. The MMC is going through a lot with his family and I liked that he wasn’t perfect either. I always appreciate when a MC isn’t made to apologize or be the lesser partner because of their mental illness and Fletcher does an amazing job at accepting Lucy for who she is. And yet he still has his own issues, particularly with being direct with people, something he has to painfully learn by the end.

I will warn that there can tend to be moments of info dumping especially about either of their backgrounds but I thought it all served a purpose and it was never their relationship dynamic that was dumped. They had so many meet cute-y moments I was swooning.

Thank you to Forever for the eARC!

I started out loving this but got bored halfway through. It had a great premise but was just...meh. One thing I loved was the trigger warnings at the start. I love that more and more authors are now including that in their books.

Lucy, a high school guidance counselor (with a secret online persona) and Fletcher, high school history teacher start the book off with one heck of a meet cute disaster. Little do they know, the other is *also* their online BFF, a la you've got mail.

Their in-person interactions are sweet, while chemistry lacking, despite the very insta love feel and Fletcher is amazing at pursuing Lucy the way that she needs. Online they're beyond intentional with each other. But when things start getting a bit to coincidental with what they're talking about, one makes the connection that they do know each other. For what we see of the two MCs, both online and in person, the response to the conflict doesn't really line up with either of them. And amidst the fact that they've been falling in love online for a year, the timeline of their in person interactions I think is only a few weeks and doesn't quite add up to what we know of Lucy and her struggles with anxiety.

This was a quick read, fun and supportive side characters. It was sweet, nothing more, nothing less. I would have loved more chemistry from the MCs, and an epilogue but for now I'm curious if their will be books for Lucy's sisters!


Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Thank you, Forever for sending me this ARC! I LOVE YOU!!
I adore this book!! It’s clearly written with such love and care for the heavy topics it talks about, and I’m so thankful. The way Lucy, as a character, was written and the way Fletcher was written was honestly so amazing!! It’s been a long time since a book felt so realistic.

I loved the whole concept of this book in general. I LOVE friends to lovers, and with the added aspect of an online relationship?? JUST SO GOOD I ATE IT UP!! Lucy and Fletcher are quite literal the cutest ever, and I’m obsessed with them.

Lucy is such a complex character. Her reactions to things and how she handled certain situations were so real and human. She made me feel seen. I really appreciate how she grew as a character and developed herself. She put in the work and it paid off. She had such a good group of women to surround and uplift her. I adored them all.

FLETCHER OH MY GOD this man was literally too good. He had to be fictional. He cared for and loved Lucy so much from the start. He was so clear about his feelings for her. Besides the whole conflict with him figuring out who she was online and not telling her, the communication in this book was SUPERIOR. I loved how they talked to each other and supported each other.

FRIENDS TO LOVERS WINS EVERY TIME AND THEY’RE COWORKERS???? SUPERB. AND IT’S A DEBUT NOVEL???? I cannot wait to see what else Jessica writes.

You've For Mail meets Abbot Elementary school in this rom com about two teachers who are unknowingly best friends online who begin falling for each other in real life. Lucy Galindo is a school counselor with a secret, she's also the person behind the wildly popular blog @TheMissGuidedCounselor. Lucy may be shy and constantly trying to manage her anxiety and depression, however online, she is bold and confident. Aldrich Fletcher is the new history teacher that just transferred from a rich private school to get away from his drama filled family life only to find himself trying to dodge his ex-girlfriend who had cheated on him with his brother and is now currently working at a teacher at his new school and wants a second chance... and the fact that he's crushing on his new co-worker, a very cute guidance counselor... who just happens to be his online best friend @TheMissGuidedCounselor. Lucy and Fletcher constantly seem to run into each other at the worst possible time when they are seeing each other in real life but they are also constantly turning to each other online to ask for advice and talk to one another. Can these two take their online friendship and turn it into a real romance or are some things better left online. This was an okay rom com, both Fletcher and Lucy were dealing with a lot on their plates and the romance definitely took a back seat to their own problems. I guess for me, this book just didn't catch me as much as I had wish it did. Initially the premise sounded really cute but the overall story was just lacking the romance and the charm. It's not bad it's just not as memorable as I expected. I didn't really feel the romance between the two and their relationship just didn't exactly click for me. Overall if you like a rom com give it a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it then I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

3.75 STARS

The comps for this book are You've Got Mail x Abbot Elementary, and while I don't disagree per se, for me I felt like I was reading Another Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff and Chad Micheal Murray but with adults! This is a very cute romance with a small dash of spice (read: really like one scene); the character development shines through in this book! Dealing with depression is hard for anyone, but I especially liked seeing a character who is expected to be a good example for others (a guidance counselor at a high school) struggle with it. It's the visibility we need in the mental health community.

Lucy is struggling with depression and keeping it all together as the guidance counselor for a public high school. She starts an anonymous motivational account on Instagram and ends up having a close friendship with another anonymous account. They get each other so well, it's perfect and she could never ruin it by revealing her identity. So what happens when she starts asking her online friend for advice with an IRL coworker she's a bit flirty with.. and what happens when the two of them seem to have very similar backstories.....

This book will also join my list of books that utilize the internet/social media in a cool way.

Congrats to this author on her debut romance :)

This was an okay read. I was expecting something a little bit more fun and exciting but this didn't deliver in that aspect. I did liked the premise of the book but I feel like it dragged out a little bit at times and that made it hard for me to enjoy this one.

A beautifully messy and OH SO RELATABLE dual POV, friends to lovers, workplace romance debut featuring a half Mexican, half Moroccan Jewish high school guidance counsellor with ADHD, anxiety and depression who constantly suffers with feeling inadequate and not enough.

This was such a heartfelt story with an UTTERLY real FMC, Lucy who has an alter ego identity online where she shares advice and is able to be the 'put-together' woman she aspires to be. Enter new history teacher, Fletcher, the man she's unknowingly been messaging online for months and become close friends with.

The two have an instant connection and slowly take a chance on their growing feelings. I loved how supportive Fletcher was, even as he was dealing with his own family drama, he always went out of his way to show Lucy she was enough just as she was - flaws and all.

Full of heart and a great cast of secondary characters, this was a laugh-out-loud funny romance that tackles important mental health issues and I absolutely cannot wait to see what Jessica Lepe writes next. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: a couple of open door scenes

This one sounded so cute, the premise was super interesting, but unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations, I did not truly enjoy this one and was thinking about DNF a few times. Their relationship just wasn't realistic to me and it just felt off to me.

A fun, debut that delves into serious topics. I’ve never read a book where the FMC feels like she came directly from my brain. Lucy’s struggles with anxiety and depression, feeling unloveable, and feeling like a burden were spot on. This is a romance where the FMC also needs to learn to love herself as well as the MMC. Lucy’s big, boisterous family were a great addition to the book, as well as the Jewish rep. Fletcher’s family is great, except for his dad. He’s trying, but man, he’s terrible.
Lucy and Fletcher’s relationship mostly developed online, which was fun to see, but if Lucy had really stopped and paid attention she would’ve figured out the conflict way before she did. I could tell what the third act breakup was going to be before it came, but it was necessary for Lucy’s journey. I love how patient and caring Fletcher is toward Lucy’s needs, and she’s the same for him when he needs it.
The Konfident Kids Klub is hysterical.
All in all, I really enjoyed this debut and laughed out loud a lot, Lucy is hysterical. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for this author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Flirty Little Secret” by Jessica Lepe

I also was gifted this as an ARC from NetGalley and Forever Pub in exchange for my honest review.

First off I want to admire the author. Until I reached the ending I had no idea she was a debut author and this her debut novel. This novel captivated me. I could NOT put it down. Besides Abby Jimenez in “Yours Truly” no other author has made me feel seen. Jessica made me feel even more seen with this novel than I ever have before.

Now onto the book! 🙃

In social media we all show a fragment of ourselves that we want the world to see. For Lucy, @TheMissGuidedCounselor is who she wishes she could be. Her brain is broken. The simplest tasks are overwhelming sometimes and she just wants to duck into a closet and ugly cry. Sometimes cry for no reason. Sometimes have intrusive thoughts that she thinks everyone has to which said to the wrong person may raise some eyebrows and send her on a vacation with grippy socks. Hell should she even be trusted to guide these high schoolers?

For BravesGuy93 sometimes all you need is a friend. I mean names aren’t really that important right? Fletcher finds himself at a new job with a hell of a first day on more than one account. He quickly finds a real life friend in Lucy, and maybe more.

Will Lucy find her confidence? Will Fletcher reveal a secret he’s discovered?

I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something that touches your soul. Where you learn that you aren’t alone. If you want to laugh your ass off at a family lined up on a boulevard with lawn chairs, waiting. If you want to read about a different styled background heritage, cultural, ethnicity, in a novel that’s written so exquisitely.

In ONE month, support this DEBUT author and novel on her pub day 3/19/24! Trust me, you won’t regret it!

#BookDragon #Books #BookNerd #BookReviewer #BookNerd #ARC #FlirtyLittleSecret #NetGalley #ForeverPub #RomCom #Romance #MentalHealth

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I love the set up for this book. Lucy is a high school guidance counselor who also writes IG posts as TheMissGuidedCounselor. She presents herself as the perfect advice giver in that space and keeps it quite intentionally separate from her IRL identity. And she does so even with her closest online friend, BravesGuy93. But little does she know, her two worlds collide when Fletcher, BravesGuy93, starts as a new teacher at her high school.

I really enjoyed the online messages and seeing them in the two different spaces. And I felt such tension waiting for the two of them to realize they knew each other.

I also really appreciated the great representation in this book. Lucy is Moroccan, Mexican, and Jewish, and she struggles with how people try to fit her into just one singular identity box. This is only further enhanced by her great family and the amazing food descriptions from her family's restaurant. I also found the own voices neurodivergent representation similarly well done.

This book started really strong for me, but I found myself growing more annoyed with Fletcher as the book continued. I wanted to see him learn from his mistakes more quickly and avoid some of the miscommunication trope. I thought this was a good debut romance.

I’ll admit I definitely judge books by their covers - and this one definitely drew me in! The texting vibe seemed cute, and I really enjoyed the added layer of anonymity between Lucy & Fletcher. Lucy’s mental health struggles felt really real & well represented, which added a layer of depth to the story in a lot of places. More than anything, I really loved Lucy’s family & her Mexican-Moroccan culture. Her sisters were amazing, and I’m so looking forward to the rest of the series for them to all find their love stories! Definitely add this to your TBR for its release in a month on 3/19!

I’m a big fan of You’ve Got Mail/epistolary romances, so I jumped at the chance to read Flirty Little Secret. This was a cute read, but sadly it was like and not love for me.

Things started with an epic meet disaster, but the story didn’t really draw me in at first and I contemplated DNF’ing several times. I’m glad I stuck with it though since I really appreciated the Jewish and mental health representation. The discussions about anxiety, panic attacks, depression, ADHD, etc were done especially with care and attention. The secondary characters were also a ton of fun and I loved Lucy’s hilarious coworker and family and their lack of personal boundaries. LOL

Unfortunately, it was the romance that didn’t quite work for me. Things didn’t seem to flow naturally between Fletcher and Lucy. I didn’t feel any strong connection between them to merit their level of feelings/confessions of love. I’m also not a fan of the lying by omission/miscommunication trope and I became frustrated as things dragged on. The ending was sweet, but the book ended up being just OK.

OW/OM notes: there is some OW drama (an ex kisses MMC, but it’s not reciprocated)

CW (from the author): “…this book does contain a main character who is both neurodivergent and depressed and lives with an anxiety disorder. This character also experiences an on-page panic attack and passive suicide ideation (no attempt). Ableist language is sometimes used regarding mental illness, and there is one scene with antisemitic and racial microaggressions. Reference is also made to the grooming and attempted sexual assault of a minor, but the incident itself occurs off-page. Cheating (past/off-page) is also referenced.”

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*