This book was the perfect balance of all things sweet and sexy. The characters were lovable and it was an easy read that you just want more of!

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC. I loved this story I just want to thank the author Jessica Lepe for making this book soooo real. Even if we are not diagnosed with what Lucy has by reading this we can like Fletcher did get a idea if we meet or have someone close in our lives who are are have mental health issues. I laughed so much and I found myself giving Lucy my own pep talks as the book progressed. I cant wait to read more books by this author.

Flirty Little Secret is a fun rom-com.

I read this book because of the Jewish rep. But I was so impressed by the mental health rep.

The book has both the male and female POVs. The heroine is 28 year old high school guidance counselor Lucy. In real life she has anxiety and depression. However online anonymously she is the popular and confident @TheMissGuidedCounselor.

It was amazing to see a heroine with clinical depression and anxiety. Lucy regularly has panic attacks. I love that this character was based off the author's own experiences.

Another thing that I loved about this book was how important family was to the story. Lucy has a Mexican mother and a Moroccan father (who is also Jewish). I really enjoyed seeing these cultures represented. And I really liked the Jewish rep. Her father is a Sephardi Jew from Morocco. So this was so different and interesting. I also really liked Lucy's sisters Amira and Julieta and her best friend fellow teacher Nia.

Fletcher is the new history teacher at her school. He has an interesting backstory and I really enjoyed his messed up family.

I did enjoy the romance. Although miscommunication and lies aren't my favorite.

Overall this was a really good debut that was super cute, but also with great mental health and Jewish rep.

I really, really wanted to live this book.

I couldn’t really. It was an easy read but there was not just a whole lot I loved about it. It was more just finish it in hopes it gets better to just finish it to be done.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Cute and quick read that was honest and refreshing about the complexities of race, religion, and most centrally, mental health. Weaving all three of these into a romance is no easy feat! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Although the romance is cute and great steam.
There was this group joke that made me very uncomfortable. The use of K K K in here feels insensitive and def written by a white woman that does not fear this group. And although small groups that have comfort and def rely on dry and dark humor to cope and be silly. I think that the mention of that group of people is not the way to go for humor. It set my brain off as I read and I could not shake it.

Lucy & Fletcher have been anonymous online friends, and that’s just how Lucy likes it. Until one day, Fletcher starts a new job at a new school and runs into Lucy, the school’s guidance counselor. The two share an instant attraction and a mutual feeling that they’ve known each other for a long time. When they finally realize that the person they’ve fallen in love with in the real world is their best friend online, Lucy & Fletcher’s feelings are truly put to the test.

Flirty Little Thing was such a realistic look into finding love in the midst of anxiety and depression. The mental health representation as well as how to love someone through their struggles were so well done. It was raw and heartbreaking at parts, but that made the characters feel real in how they navigated learning about each other and themselves.

I loved how the characters communicated through DMs throughout the book; it was a fun way to learn about the friendship that they’d established before we were introduced to them.

Lucy, the school guidance counselor, was a great representation of what life is like when struggling with mental health issues and how neurodivergence can be a true gift in how you care for the people in your life. She learned to love herself through the book and learned how to accept the love she deserves through Fletcher.

Fletcher, the new teacher, was in the depths of having to parent a parent and put in the emotional labor of multiple betrayals in his family. He was able to grow and learn how to work through his feelings all while learning how to support Lucy in the ways she needed (which was so precious).

They were a wonderful example of how to love and support your partner when they need it.

A great debut novel by Jessica Lepe that was just released on March 19th!

I’m sorry but KKK jokes in 2024 are not okay. This was gross and wildly unnecessary to the story. I couldn’t continue reading this.

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure about this one at the beginning because it felt slow and it seemed like it was going in the obvious direction. While it did do that, it was also so much more.

I felt so seen with Lucy having ADHD, anxiety and depression. I absolutely adored Fletcher after Lucy's meltdown and how caring he was 🥹

The third act break up was so predictable but the ending mostly redeemed it!

This was a great debut novel!

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Pub) for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book. It's hard to get the balance right when writing a main character that lives with an illness, especially mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, and ADHD, but she nailed it. And the romance itself was perfect--a little spicy, a little sweet, and the problems they have felt realistic as did the resolution. Great debit!

This book was absolutely one that the reader knows all of the information and we get to watch the characters slowly come to the knowledge we were given from the beginning. It was completely satisfying to see the ending of this one and all the twists and turns along the way. It was a beautiful way of learning to listen to a partner with mental health needs.

#arc
#netgalley
#flirtylittlesecret

I thought this was a super cute book for a debut author. It definitely gave "You've Got Mail" vibes and that's exactly what drew me to the book. Flirty texting is 100% my love language.

I loved the way that this book dealt with mental health issues and there were some very cute, romantic moments. There were also some moments that just didn't work for me. The insta love in person was a little difficult to process and the naming of an after school group didn't hit the mark for me. The way the author discusses and described mental health issues was very well done and for me, that was a highlight of this book. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had been seeing so much about this book on Instagram, and I always worry those books won't live up to the hype. I'm happy to say, Flirty Little Secret totally did. Lucy and Fletcher are so likable and charming. They're realistic and flawed, but so easy to root for. I loved watching their friendship evolve from online to real life, even if they didn't know it at the time. Both Lucy and Fletcher struggle with other people's expectations of them, which I could relate to and I think so many other readers will see bits of themselves as well. Learning not to let other people hold you back is such an important lesson.

And beyond that, this book is just lots of rom-com fun.

The depiction of Lucy's depression was so well done. It's something she constantly lives with, not something that goes away because her family loves her unconditionally or she has a supportive partner. Those factors are important, but it's really the way Lucy views herself that matters. And I loved her journey, from never feeling like enough to realizing her worth regardless of those outside factors.

Even the side characters are distinct and realistic. Fletcher's family dynamic is complicated, and Lucy's is loud and loving and overbearing at times. Her relationship with her sisters is hilarious and supportive, and his issues with his father fuel a lot of his growth in the novel. Everyone brings something important to the story, and nothing feels unnecessary.

In a book that touches on the concept of anti-semitism, racism, and mental health, the use of the “KKK” acronym as a representation for the Konfident Kids Klub really missed the mark for me. Coming from a background where I had to learn about how closely “grand wizards” effected the daily lives of my community and beyond made this come across as incredibly distasteful.

That being said, I did enjoy the Abbott Elementary feel of the story and the positive way in which mental health representation was handled in the story overall.

Flirty Little Secret is an enjoyable romance between a high school teacher and a guidance counselor, with a touch of You’ve Got Mail thrown in. Jessica Lepe’s debut is filled with charming characters and their families, and lots of refreshing depression, anxiety, ADHD and Jewish representation.

Lucy is a high school guidance counselor who also has a secret online alter ego, @ TheMissGuidedCounselor, where she dispenses the advice she wishes she was bold enough to share IRL. When she meets Fletcher, the new history teacher, she has no idea he’s also her anonymous online friend. Fletcher moved home due to family issues, and isn’t prepared for meeting Lucy, or running into his ex when he starts his new job. But as the two grow closer, and Lucy shares the reality of her mental health, what happens when Fletcher figures out Lucy’s secret?

The mental health representation here is great. Lucy’s experiences show not only how depression and anxiety affect her daily like, but how they make it more difficult to connect with new people. And, Lucy’s family is tons of fun to spend time with. While they sometimes feel overbearing to her, the way they love and support her is obvious. I adore the descriptions of their Shabbat dinners, for both the family dynamics and the amazing food.

I highlighted soooo much of this ebook. Truly, SO MUCH. Jessica Lepe is hilarious and her writing is just amazing, I really can't believe this is a debut novel and I hope she plans on writing many more romcoms because I ate this up!

The main characters are lovably flawed and there are so many fantastic, unique side characters. I love how much each of the MC's families are involved in this romance. It gives insight to both Lucy and Fletcher but also just makes it a really fun read with lots of funny moments only family members can create. Flirty Little Secret is a perfect mix of sweet, swoony, heartfelt and funny. I was smiling most of the way through, definitely laughed out loud in a few places, but also really felt deeply for our MCs in other places. Lucy is a guidance counselor with an anonymous account that gives amazing advice and her on page encounters felt so authentic that when I read at the back that Jessica is a former social worker it did not surprise me at all. I have a background in social work (though I chose not to pursue it professionally because I didn't want to leave my library <3) so I really loved that aspect of Lucy's character and the experience Jessica brought to her character. Lucy's mental health issues also made her character extra real and relatable because I know so many people who expect guidance counselors, therapists, social workers etc. to be perfect and completely put together problem solvers but forget that they're people too with their own issues. It just made me love Lucy all the more and her nosy, extra involved, big family made me so happy. Fletcher is a teacher from a wealthy family that's been falling apart; his family was never really all that close and Fletcher is used to running from his emotions rather than sticking around to confront the problems. But he also is immediately there when his mom needs him and is so supportive of Lucy when she's having a panic attack. He's definitely a cinnamon roll but with avoidant tendencies.

The chemistry between Lucy and Fletcher is palpable from their very first *embarrassing* meeting, which makes sense since they're besties online. I love the interactions between the two via their anonymous accounts. They're funny, comfortable and supportive and really know each other on a deeper level despite not knowing who the other is irl. When Fletcher finds out that @TheMissGuidedCounselor is Lucy, he doesn't tell her right away but he also doesn't try to pull one over on her or anything. I can imagine it would be awkward to realize your real life crush and online bestie are one and the same and trying to navigate that would be hard. Every interaction between Lucy and Fletcher feels so genuine and realistic, I really love them together and individually. Amira, one of Lucy's sisters, also was a favorite for me! Everything that her character says is hysterical and she definitely brings the comic relief but is also so supportive of Lucy and makes sure she knows how amazing she is. The on page depictions of depression and anxiety are super well done and I think many readers will be able to relate to Lucy and be just as supportive as her sisters. The family dynamics are so different for Lucy and Fletcher -- I definitely have more of Lucy's family -- and they bring a lot of depth to the story. We meet Lucy's sisters, parents, aunts, cousins who are always getting together and are very involved in each other's lives and we meet Fletcher's siblings, parents, and his dad's mistress which gives very different vibes and though they don't have as much on page time, their interactions are just as important to the story. I feel like I haven't given any spoilers and I really hope that's true, I just could say so many good things about this book that I'm definitely rambling! Basically, it's an amazing, touching romcom with a whole cast of lovable, fun, unique characters that will make you want to read more. I hope everyone gets their own book honestly because Amira, Julieta, Nia, Brodie -- they alllll would make great main characters and I'd certainly keep reading about this whole community.

I think everyone should read this debut novel from Jessica Lepe. She has a beautiful way with words and writes with such a sincere voice. Also, as mentioned a few times above, she's HILARIOUS. You will not be disappointed if you pick this one up!

Thank you so much to Forever for this eARC via NetGalley that I have voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Flirty Little Secret is a stand alone romance featuring Lucy and Aldrich. They meet when Lucy dumps her tea on his pants in the teachers lounge on Aldrich's first day of teaching there, then she tries to clean it off. But is that the first time they've met? Lucy has a secret online identity that she's been using giving out advise as a friendly online counsellor and she's been messaging someone anonymously for awhile now quickly becoming close friends. He wants to meet in person but she wants to keep her identity a secret. What happens when her two lives come crashing together and the reality of online vs in person hits?

This has great representation including a mental breakdown turned romantic showing how perfect Aldrich is for Lucy. Throw in some family drama on his side, nosy sisters from her side, mouth watering food descriptions from Lucy's family restaurant, and you get one fun romance that is hard to put down.

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe
Contemporary romance. Mental health issues. Alternating 1st person POV’s for Lucy and Fletcher.
Lucy Galindo is a high school guidance counselor. She is good at her job but she hides her own anxiety and depression with the help of a hidden and remodeled closet that she can escape to when needed. She uses the room to cry, to unwind and retreat from the pressure of life. Lucy also has a secret identity in an online column she writes. Writing the column, she can be positive, bold and always have the right advice to give. She can make the column her own, while hiding her own fears and tears.
New History teacher Fletcher moved to the small public school in Massachusetts to help his mother recover. The timing worked well since he was burned out at the private school and their policies. Fletcher is immediately intrigued with his new coworker, Lucy. She makes him laugh and simply feel better around her. The more time he spends with Lucy and her family and getting to know her well enough to accept her ADHD, her depression he begins to care for her even more. Just a few more facts and he discovers that he and Lucy have been sharing texts for awhile under assumed names as part of her advice column. They were already friends before they had even met. But will she trust him if he reveals their backstory?

I want to say it was nice and welcoming to read a “non perfect” heroine, but I’m don’t want to label her that way. I found Lucy delightful and charming, regardless of her depression induced crying, or her not being able to go shopping. All of us have felt overwhelmed at times or many of us have cried at the silliest of events. Life is messy and this heroine has the diagnosis to explain her issues but she also has a great supportive family that will love her no matter what. That is priceless and Lucy embraces them.
The romance is enchanting and Fletcher being enamored with Lucy feels comforting. The lack of openness on the secret identities felt contrived and unnecessary but the grand gesture made it worth it. A wonderful ending for a perfect pairing.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This debut novel started a little rough for me. It opens with a meet cute that was more wincing than humorous to me. School Counselor Lucy Galindo is really good at her job. Unfortunately she is always on edge trying to balance her depression and anxieties. The one place she is confident is in her Instagram persona where she has a half million followers. New to the high school is history teacher Aldrich Fletcher. He left teaching at a prestigious private school to return home to support his mother through an emotional time. In a nod to You’ve Got Mail or The Shop Around the Corner Aldrich and Lucy have been exchanging direct messages for months and developing an online friendship.

Where it is good is in showing Lucy being good at her job despite her mental health and neurodivergence. I also liked the Jewish representation and how it impacts how Lucy sees herself. Those two things alone are a lot. Her family is wonderfully supportive and loving. But one of her sisters made me cringe almost every time she opened her mouth. She is supposed to bring comic relief but she was so over the top in her comments I genuinely thought of DNFing the story because of her alone. She can be crass, but knowing she truly loves her sister and she knows her issues, I can’t imagine anyone thinking she is a realistic character.

The story gives chapters from both POVs. It felt like Lucy got the larger share as she has long internal monologues especially when she is anxious. There is a lot of humor in the story but not many surprises. It relies on coincidence and miscommunication. I didn’t doubt Lucy loved her job but was never sure about Aldrich. By the end I bought into the romance and enjoyed reading it. (3.5 Stars)