Lucy, the school guidance counselor, and Fletcher, the new history teacher, have a disastrous introduction when Lucy spills her tea all over Fletcher's crotch! 😵‍💫 But despite their rocky start, sparks fly between these two. The only problem? They already know each other online. They just don't know it yet....

This was a quick, mostly enjoyable read, and I'm sure it'll spark joy with many a reader. True to the title, it's super flirty and fun! Unfortunately the concept didn't quite compute for me, particularly with Lucy's character. The whole book is based on the fact that Lucy is such a mess IRL that she creates an online alter ego where she has it all together. As said in the synopsis "[Lucy's] constantly struggling to hold off disaster" and "Her followers would never trust the real Lucy with their problems." And yet..... She's a real guidance counselor? Entrusted with real problems? Of a very vulnerable population of students? Whaaaaat? TBH she's a full-on hot mess. And while I understand that people can do a job without having their lives 100% in order, or while struggling with mental health issues, Lucy being a guidance counselor wasn't believable to me. I really wish the author would have made her a teacher or something, and reworked her online persona to be a teacher advice blog. I just struggled to connect because it all seemed to outlandish and unbelievable. 😔

The romance was sweet, and I enjoyed the whole secret identity aspect. And the writing is good! I also really liked Fletcher's character and many of the side characters. So if folks can suspend reality and not think too hard, they should be able to enjoy this for the light, sweet romance it is. 💜 This is Lepe's debut and I'll definitely try her next one.

Thank you Forever Pub for my gifted eARC.

I regretfully am going to DNF this at 28%. I don’t think it’s completely terrible or anything. I just know it’s not for me.

I felt like the FMC’s maturity level was way off for a person who is a guidance counselor for children. The name of the group repeatedly being used as a joke fell really flat for me. The overall humor used in this book felt incredibly cringy to me.

I do believe other people can enjoy this book… I’m just not one of those people. Thank you though and I do hope your book finds the right audience.

This started out well enough. There were some funny situations which had me laughing out loud, and the characters themselves seemed interesting enough.. for the first 20% of the story.
Then it all went downhill for me. At that point there were only a couple of very quick interactions between the main characters, which started to make me lose interest. On top of that was their online personas vs them in real life: it seemed to me that there were too many similarities or coinciding situations for them not to be, at the very least, suspicious about who they each were.
I also felt like Lucy and Fletcher were barely spending any amount of time together at 40% through the book. Unfortunately this is turning out to be tedious, so I'm going to dnf here.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The book caught my attention in another group and was pleased to review it. I enjoyed rare representation of Jewish Sephardic characters such as Lucy Galindo, a high school guidance counselor. Lucy, or Lulu, as she's affectionately called by her family, has depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Despite these challenges, she's a respected guidance counselor at Harview, a public school in the Boston suburbs. She had an Instagram called The Misguided counselor. It's there that she's "friends" with BravesGuy93, a teacher going through a hard time with his family. We meet Fletcher, who comes from an affluent family and used to teach at a private school. The 1st meet cute is hilariously awful and embarrassing.

Despite the embarrassing first meet, Lucy and Fletcher become friends. Maybe more? I loved Lucy's family, her sisters, and her best friend Nia. Lucy is Moroccan and Mexican and Jewish. Her mother and aunt own a fusion restaurant. The food sounds incredible. Lucy has a tendency to cry and get emotional while having panic attacks. She's very relatable. Fletcher moved to his mom's when his dad cheated and left her for his pregnant secretary, such a cliché. They decide to keep their budding romance quiet because his ex Georgia won't leave him alone. There were parts I found a little incredulous. But it was good to challenge our expectations of people based on past experiences. I thought Georgia was an insecure, jealous witch who was insincere. Also had a hard time with the insta love - almost. The deception once discovered that they have been talking online and the other person didn't realize it was uncomfortable and unethical, particularly since the truth came out after they slept together.

However, as a debut, I enjoyed this book for the most part. 4/5☆ release 3/19/24.

Thanks to Net Galley and Forever publishing for this eARC of Flirty Little Secret. The book is like an update of You've Got Mail without the initial dislike between the characters. I liked the 2 MCs Lucy and Fletcher. I almost wish there were more DM exchanges between the two.

I loved the portrayal of a multicultural Jewish woman of color as the main character. As a bicultural Jewish woman myself it is nice to have representation. Loved Lucy's family and the descriptions of culture. I liked that Lucy was neurodivergent. I don't think that someone with the amount of therapy and medication as Lucy had would still be suffering this much and is this insecure. It would be one thing if her culture got in the way of her treatment, but that was not the case.

I also think there were major issues with representation of school personnel and their choices (like driving to rescue a student without consent from parents.) The drama in the high school between teachers seems normal to me. Working in a high school means high school never ends. I also would like to see more of the supporting characters. I'm all about a sequel where Georgia and Brodie get together.

I liked the relationship between Lucy and Fletcher. I find it believable that their feelings would be big because of their dual ways of getting to know one another. All and all a cute read.

Let's keep getting more diversity and representation in romance! Good for a debut writer. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

this had a great start and the whole story had potential since it’s a you’ve got mail x abbott elementary vibe but past 40% it all went downhill for me

for the first 20% I had fun and it was entertaining and endearing but then the humour started to become a bit quirky which then turned cringy. the characters relationship was lacking sense bc of how it was orchestrated and it went way too fast when we weren’t even settled on learning the characters. at 50% I lost almost complete interest bc of the timeline not making to much sense and the abondance of pop culture references. at 80% I just couldn’t wait to be done with it

the characters were sweet but I didn’t connect with them. tho, this book wins a few points on representation, which was abundant. mental health: ahdh, neurodivergence, anxiety, depression. cultural: moroccan & mexican & jewish

So many parts felt rushed and the adults felt super juvenile to me. I’m sure it’s meant to be more of a YA book, but the relationships were so unrealistic and surface that they were hard to believe

Flirty Little Secret is a rom com read for fans of Abbot Elementary. Its pacing and characters all feel very sitcom ready. I appreciated the very raw representation of life with anxiety and depression. Further, it was brilliant to see how life still works amidst the struggles, and absolutely one is still worthy of love even when our brains lie to us.

Sadly, this book wasn't for me. I was not invested in Fletcher's family conflict. There was too much telling their story rather than showing us how things fell apart.

Fletcher starts teaching at a new school. Sitcom magic means his ex girlfriend works there too. I don't think I ever learn what subject she teaches so it feels like she is just - There. Also, it took much too long to learn a few key things about her. Right away we know they broke up because she cheated amd left him for his brother. But while she's tryna flirt with him at work, I'm thinking shes tryna UNO revese cheat on the brother because it takes 3/4 of the book to learn that relationship didn't last.

Lucy's life was much more cohesive amd well thought out. Her family's presence was purposeful. Her curated social media presence was wholly informed by Lucy's best self. And I appreciated when there were breakthroughs allowing Lucy to experience that persona in real time.

Overall, the melodrama and episodic story beats didn't make for a cohesive read. But fans of that format may find it familiar and appreciate it more than me.

*

I have one major critical note that I have tempered somewhat having read through the entire book. Trust me when I say I nearly DNF'd each time this plot point was on page. While I understand it's presence now, it made it beyond difficult to want to keep reading.

Potential spoilers are below.

Lucy is a school guidance counselor forced to use outdated curriculum named "Konfident Kids Klub". The acronym for the group becomes a running gag throughout the book. A coworker friend walks Lucy to a group meeting and comments , “Got your hood and tiki torch ready?” The students call Lucy "grand wizard" behind her back. Again, this curriculum's name is used throughout as a punchline.

There is a single mention that Lucy attempted to get the school to change the curriculum but there are budget limitations and she is forced to carry on as is. One additional extended scene used the group's name as a gag, but later mentions are done so without any comedic tone.

Eventually, Lucy does confront the Principle and advocates for the retirement of the outdated and offensive curriculum. This happens as her major personal growth grand gesture moment.

Thats some full disclosure about what I'm gonna vent about.

I don't care how its meant to emphasize either neglectful funding or something I might have missed because Rasicsm Is Not A Joke. Pick. Something. Else. Trying to shift my brain into "this is a fictional situation, what can it help shed light on?" wasn't working because I was too busy wondering "how many times did the author & editor & publisher think this was the best choice after each pass?"

I understand anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts kept Lucy from fighting back more. She is resigned to the situation and uses her energy to make do. But as the story progressed, the name given to the curriculum is seemingly used only to embarrass Lucy. There is only ever comedy or nothing else attached any to use of this plot point. This is what made it extremely difficult for me to accept its use in the story.

It took much too long and had very little support to finally use it as a means for Lucy to assert herself & exercise confidence. I was too frustrated that it was used as a joke to care when it was eventually taken seriously.

Thank you Netgalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Lucy is a high school guidance counselor who also anonymously runs an Instagram page - @TheMissGuidedCounselor. She feels it’s the one place she can truly be herself. Fletcher is a high school history teacher that slides into her DMs one day. They quickly become the sort of friends that run to each other with the problems they aren’t ready to face in the real world. One thing - their real identities are a total secret to each other.

Fletcher starts a new job at a public high school and has a not-so-meet-cute with Lucy, the high school guidance counselor. Only neither one knows they’ve actually been communicating for quite some time. How long will it be before these two realize the true identity of each other?

This book was CUTE! I loved the dual POV. It really allowed an insight into what each main character thought of the other. The format was fantastic, with Lucy’s Instagram posts sprinkled throughout, as well as Lucy and Fletcher’s messages on Instagram. The supporting characters were simply wonderful and the mental health rep was done so well and I loved that it was included. At its core, this story is a romance, but it’s also a story of Lucy and Fletcher learning to love themselves and live in their own truths.

4.5 stars!! A wonderful debut.

Overall: 4 Stars
Spice: 1 pepper

Cute story dealing from the child view of life after divorce. Finding your own voice and living for yourself and no one else. How mental health can look different in real life vs on line. The book deals with you can be someone completely different online but the total opposite in real life. I love the sassy and witty banter throughout the book. The importance of not taking yourself to seriously. The importance of self love, self acceptance and self care. How mental health effects the entire family and not just the person dealing with the struggle.

ARC review:
This story follows Lucy, a guidance counselor who has an anonymous online identity @TheMissGuidedCounselor who is confident and always gives the best advice. Fletcher, the new history teacher at school starts to fall for Lucy and turns to his online confidant for advice like always, but he quickly discovers that @TheMissGuidedCounselor is Lucy.

The synopsis of this story really intrigued me at first! I didn’t end up loving this book but I didn’t hate it. It was an easy, quick read and had some funny moments. Lucy struggles with anxiety, ADHD and depression, and as someone who also struggles with some of these things, I appreciated the accuracy and mental health representation, I felt very seen. I always appreciate an author who discusses mental health and for that it got an extra star from me.

I wanted to like the rest of this story more but it was kinda all over the place, some of it felt unrealistic and some of the side stories felt very unnecessary to the main story. It was also insta-lovey (which isn’t a bad thing but I just don’t like that in a book), I didn’t really get a chance to feel the chemistry/tension, and the 3rd act breakup was so frustrating bc it could’ve easily been solved. It also wrapped up a bunch of things really quick which made the pacing feel off. Overall, the mental health aspect was my favorite part and it was a cute debut novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

By day, Lucy Galindo is an awkward high school guidance counselor. By night, she’s the anonymous @TheMissGuidedCounselor, a bold and confident online personality who always knows what to say.

History teacher Aldrich Fletcher is struggling at his new school. He’s dealing with family drama, trying to dodge a cheating ex, and pining over Lucy. Thankfully, he has his online BFF to confide in… until he realizes that @TheMissGuidedCounselor is Lucy.

I wanted to like this book so much. I love You’ve Got Mail and I was very excited for that storyline. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me and I didn’t enjoy reading it.

My first and biggest issue with the book is that the relationship between the Lucy and Fletcher did not feel authentic. All of a sudden, they’re all in, professing major league feelings, but we’ve hardly seen them interact. Their declarations of love seem ridiculous and out of the blue.

My second major issue with this book is Lucy herself. She’s shallow, judgmental, and self-centered. While these flaws are portrayed as defense mechanisms against her insecurity, they still make her really mean and really immature. Reading the story from her POV meant constant exposure to a self-centered, immature, shallow, judgmental, whiny monologue, and it’s just not enjoyable.

I am really struggling to square my thoughts about Lucy with the mental health issues she experienced. It feels ick to critique the inner monologue of a character struggling with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, especially if that is the lived experience of the author. After sitting with it, I realized it’s the execution of the portrayal that doesn’t work for me. Rather than seeing the impact Lucy’s illnesses have on her life through the plot and from Fletcher, we really only hear about them through Lucy’s incessant inner monologue. There’s too much telling and not enough showing, and it keeps the mental health rep from effectively building awareness and empathy.

My third issue is the “Konfident Kids Klub” that Lucy leads. While the characters acknowledge that it’s horrible name and Lucy wants to change it, it’s also used as the punchline of a few jokes, which were in quite poor taste and may make readers uncomfortable. It added nothing to the plot to use these initials and I cannot fathom why it was left in through the editing process.

One thing about this book that I really appreciated was the Jewish representation and how the author actually shows the weekly Shabbat dinner. I finished reading those scenes wanting more and will seek out more books with Jewish representation to keep learning.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the gifted copy of Flirty Little Secret.

The KKK jokes ruined the book for me. It’s supposed to be a club to help boost the youth’s confidence and yet, they’re isolating and creating an unsafe space for all the students of color. And then making jokes about it, “remember your hood and torch”.

I think the story line had great potential and would’ve loved to have read about them dismantling that name, fighting for a safe space for all students or even if that was left out.

Being a Lucy, myself, I loved this book. I have struggled with anxiety and wasn’t sure if I was one that others loved but the trope of finding each other was great. I loved all the family drama but did think it was a bit much at times. Great debut book for the author!

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to read this book. I thought it was cute, but the characters did annoy me a little. Lucy is very self-centered in real life, but somehow manages to think of others only in her secret online life. Lucy does struggle with depression and anxiety, and I do think the representation is pretty accurate. Fletcher is a bit of a bro, but still sweet. The conflicts in the book are just magically forgiven? It was just ok.

The main characters are 30 and work in a high school but honestly they sounded like they were in high school. They talked and acted too young for me and it made it difficult to get through. However, I commend the author for the way she openly talks about and discusses mental health. We need more of that in books.

"Flirty Little Secret" by Jessica Lepe is a delightful blend of romance, secrets, and self-discovery. Lucy Galindo, a school counselor grappling with anxiety and depression, maintains an anonymous online persona, @TheMissGuidedCounselor, where she exudes confidence. The story takes an intriguing turn when Aldrich Fletcher, a history teacher, seeks advice from this mysterious online confidant, unaware that Lucy is the real MissGuided.

Jessica skillfully navigates the complexities of modern relationships, weaving a compelling narrative around Lucy and Aldrich's budding romance. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and the discovery of each other's secrets adds a layer of tension that keeps the reader engaged. The novel also explores themes of trust and authenticity, prompting readers to reflect on the importance of openness in relationships.

The author's writing style is accessible and engaging, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the characters' lives. With well-paced storytelling and a perfect balance of humor and vulnerability, "Flirty Little Secret" is a heartwarming read that celebrates the power of connection and the courage to be true to oneself. Jessica Lepe has crafted a captivating love story that resonates with authenticity, making it a must-read for fans of romance and self-discovery.

This is a cute romance with good Jewish and mental health rep. I really liked the education setting as the fmc is a guidance counselor and the mmc is a teacher. The fmc Lucy is a Sephardic Jew that's Moroccan/Mexican who has ADHD, depression, and anxiety and navigates that while helping teenagers at school. She also runs an anonymous social media account where she advises people online. She connects with the MMC on her platform, and they become good friends when exchanging messages, but she has no idea that he's the attractive new teacher at her school.

I thought this book was very fun especially the first half of the book, the fmc is relatable and i loved the nice school setting with all the educators. I also loved everything about self-discovery and the main characters becoming their true selves. The middle of the book to the third act breakup was a little slow at times, and I wanted to skim through some parts at times, but overall, this is fun with great representation and nice themes. Thanks to Forever for this arc for an honest review.

Tropes/themes:
- Romcom
- Jewish Rep
- BIPOC fmc
- Educators
- Mental health rep

This book is a must read! As a teacher, I appreciate the school setting and workplace dynamics. I enjoyed getting to see Lucy become comfortable in her own skin and the realistic depiction of depression was appreciated. The diverse characters added to the plot and made you want to keep reading!

This book wasn’t written for me. I didn’t resonate with any of the characters but that doesn’t mean this is a “bad” book by any means. It flowed well, the dialogue was great between characters.