2.5 stars

I am normally the first person to endorse a book that includes mental health representation, realistic characters, and a workplace romance, but this book just didn't do it for me. I feel like there were all the pieces of a really great novel, and with some workshopping I'm sure it would have been, but the execution fell short for me.

As much as I loved that Lucy, the FMC, advocated so much for mental health (she herself deals with depression and ADHD) there was something about how her struggles were written that missed the mark for me. It was hard for me to connect with her when she was unable to really exist without being surrounded by other people, but then all of a sudden at the end of the book she was confident and ready to barge in and stand up for herself. It just wasn't realistic character development. And as for the romance, it did nothing for me. They had this great connection online, but their in person connection was lacking and felt unnatural and really rushed.

While the story had some cute and funny moments, it dragged on for me and I didn't feel like anything notable happened.

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe is a cute workplace rom-com that reminded me a bit of Abbott Elementary.
There was good mental representation but it did border on overwhelming. While anxiety and depression was treated with care, it did slow down the pace of the story with a lot of internal monologues. The romance fell a bit short because the chemistry between the two main characters, Lucy and Fletcher, wasn't well developed and felt, at times, forced.
Overall, this one just wasn't for me but I will look forward to reading more from Jessica Lepe because I did enjoy her storytelling around Lucy's family and cultural heritage.
Flirty Little Secret was 2.5/3 stars from me.
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Flirty Little Secret is a fun, quick romcom following colleagues who don't know they're also besties (with feelings) on Instagram. Lucy and Fletcher are very sweet together, and there's some great character growth, especially for Lucy. The "when should one person tell the other they know the big secret" trope is hard to do without being annoying, but Lepe balanced this well. I wanted to love this book more, there's lots of great stuff going for it! But ultimately the delivery fell a little flat for me throughout. I was never super swoony over their love story, but it was a sweet story I'll still sometimes recommend, especially based on the mental health rep.

There is of mental illness and family trauma throughout this book, but there's just as much humor that makes it a delightful read. Thanks, netgalley!

One of the most relatable FMCs that I've read so far. The humor, the thought process, and even her struggles are so real to me that I feel an instant connection to her. I love overall feel of this book - the school vibe, the tight-knit family, the blended culture, the close sisterhood, and even the rich people drama - it's a perfect story. Pretty basic honestly, but still a fun light read that I highly recommend. I love every character - there's truly no villains here and I adore Fletcher and Lucy! Their connection - both online and in person is so cute and hilarious. Fletcher is someone who doesn't shy away from Lucy's breakdown and insecurity and Lucy lets herself be vulnerable around him and their whole interaction towards one another just makes my heart melt. Solid read for a debut IMO!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Lepe did a wonderful job with this book! I loved the two main characters and the school setting, and I especially loved the attention to mental health. I can’t wait to read more from her!

This was such a cute book! I loved the mental health representation shown here. There were lots of laugh out loud moments and some serious ones as well. The characters felt believable, and it was so fun to watch their forced proximity romance develop. This book left me with a huge grin on my face, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a feel good story that puts the "comedy" in "romantic comedy."

(3.5 rounded up to a 4)

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe is a debut contemporary romance with great mental health representation.

We alternate POVs between our leads Lucy and Fletcher. Lucy, a school counselor, is shy and sweet but also constantly struggling to hold off disaster. On the other hand, her anonymous online alter ego, TheMissGuidedCounselor, is confident and always knows what to say. Fletcher moved back home to help is his mother after a family crisis, and is a new history teacher at Lucy's school.

When I see epistolary as a key word for a book, I usually jump on it. Interspersed throughout the book are text conversations between TheMissGuidedCounselor and BravesGuy93 (aka Lucy and Fletcher) by way of Instagram DMs. I love it when books have this conceit!

I identified a lot with Lucy, as I'm a similar brand of neurospicy (ADHD, anxiety, and depression). As someone who deals with invisible illnesses, I really appreciated how these characters talked about panic attacks, depression, and other heavier topics.

There's great cultural representation in the book as well. Lucy's father is a Sephardi Jew from Morocco and her mother is Mexican. Their entire family unit is precious and tight-knit and reminded me a little bit of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Miscommunication is one of my least-favorite tropes, and there are also lies by omission here as well. The trajectory of their relationship felt like it moved way too fast to saying the "l" word.

I'd love to see more books from this author about Lucy's (or Fletcher's) sisters. Lucy's coworkers were also great, and I think Georgia deserves her HEA too (possibly with Brodie).

Tropes in this book include: secret identity, epistolary, workplace romance

CW: panic attack (on-page), passive suicidal ideation (no attempt), some ableist language regarding mental illness

I absolutely loved this one and binged it quickly. It was so cute. You get mental health reps, influencer posts, DM's, hidden identities. I thought it was a charming love story with some funny parts. I really enjoyed Fletcher and Lucy's story that I read in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for this EARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you love You've Got Mail then you will love this book! This book is a great blend of flirty and fun but also tackles some serious topics.

Lucy and Fletcher work together and have no ideas that they are pen pals. This book is a great couples meet-cute between two co-workers. Where I felt this book, lacked in romance it was able to bring some serious topics to light. Lucy suffers from anxiety, depression and ADHD. I felt like Lepe did a great job adding that in the book to show it in a real way. Overall this book is a really cute read, I wanted to love it but it wasn't totally for me. I do recommend everyone give it a read though! Huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Flirty Little Secret has FANTASTIC mental health representation!

LUcy has a secret identity. Yes, she's the school counselor but she's also the voice behind @themisguidedcounselor. One's strong on the outside, one's strong on the inside. Alridch Fletcher takes a high school history teacher job to be nearby his mom in her time of crisis. He's got some messy feelings that he leans on @themisguidedcounselor to navigate. An awkward meet cute puts both in a friendship. But, realistically, they've been friends for A LOT longer than either realizes. How long will they stay just a "flirty" little secret?

I laughed out loud at the meet cute in Jessica Lepe's debut novel! Was it awkward? Yes. Was it highly relatable (along with Lucky's inner thoughts)? Yep. As a former teacher, all the "teachery" school moments hit the mark and had me "ahaing" with how relatable they were. I enjoyed the mental health representation featured, especially the commentary regarding taking meds and sexual drive. Flirty Little Secret hit its mark with me, making me a fan! Those who enjoy a "you've got mail" plot and characters who are just a little too relatable will enjoy Lepe's debut!

HELLOOO CUTIE!!

This book was so adorable – while also having oh so much heart and depth!

Right from the first paragraph – I was cackling!!!!!!

I truly loved Lucy so much – she was beyond relatable and I love how open and honest she was about her daily struggles. What may seem small and insignificant to others – but can be vast for individuals who have anxiety and/or depression.

I loved how perfectly imperfect she was – she was the messy in the most beautiful of ways.

Lucy also had THE most supportive family!! I adored them! (I realllly hope we get more books with Lucy’s family in them!)

I also looooved the Jewish rep!!!!

Gimme a book in the education setting any day!! I really appreciated how realistic it was. There can most definitely be a cliquey “mean girls” side to teaching and it was very much accurately displayed. I also loved the interactions Lucy had with her students – the dialogue as appropriate!

And Fletcher? I too loved his flawed cutie self! Nothing about his life was picture perfect either, and I loved him even more for it.

He was such a golden retriever – I loved his kind heart SO MUCH. I actually LOVE a man who is in tune with his feelings.

While, there was some *miscommunication* and that’s not my fave trope in books…I understood the WHY behind it and because of that, I was okay with it lol

This TRULY was the perfect combination of You’ve Got Mail meets Abbott Elementary – and I can’t wait to see what Jessica Lepe writes next!

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

Supportive families
Guidance counselor/teacher
You’ve Got Mail meets Abbott Elementary
Dual pov
Jewish rep
Mental health rep

Thank you Forever (grand central) for this review copy, I really enjoyed this sweet and indeed flirty read. Flirty Little Secret nails all of the things I really like about a good romcom, good banter and chemistry, strong character depth and development, and good secondary plots/characters for depth. There is some miscommunication themes but in this book it all worked and the miscommunication worked and made sense to the story. I really loved the themes on being your authentic self as Lucy works on that with herself and also her students and appreciated how Fletcher loved all parts of Lucy, and that how they fell for each other happened through genuine connection at a personal and emotional level, not just attraction but connection.
Jessica Lepe has a new dan!

LOVED! I loved this one so much! I had heard some mixed reviews, but I really don't get why. The banter is top notch, and the Jewish rep is great. I loved how the author tackled mental health.

I was really looking forward to reading this one but it unfortunately didn’t work for me. The synopsis seemed fun, a clumsy guidance counsellor during the day who also runs a successful social media platform @TheMissGuidedCounselor. She meets the new teacher and accidentally spills tea all over his lap and basically gives the whole teacher lounge a show as she tries to clean up the mess on his lap. Unfortunately the book took an uncomfortable turn when one of the high school clubs Lucy runs was introduced : the Konfident Kids Klub (KKK). Lucys explains the clubs name as being dated and needing to be changed. She also says “𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐊𝐊𝐊? 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥“. I truly fail to understand how this was introduced, much less why it felt beneficial or necessary to the story. As much as the story is inclusive with its representation, the KKK jokes definitely weren’t needed, educational or appropriate.

✵𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖥𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 ＆ 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝖦𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖢𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐.✵

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Paperback for an arc of Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe. In this book, you have Lucy who is school counselor and she has a secret where online she is known as @theMissGuidedCounselor. Lucy in real life is anxious and depressed, but her online personality is very bold and outgoing. There is a new teacher at her school named Aldrich and he follows her online and writes her, but they don’t know they actually know each other yet. I loved the story because Lucy is not your normal character with her anxiety, depression, and quirkiness. This book came out 3/19, pick it up at your local bookstore today.

I have been really anticipating reading this book, and it did not disappoint! I loved the premise of the story, and it had me laughing from the first meet-disaster. Lucy and Fletcher are just too cute together. And while it is a romcom, the book also deals with heavier topics, such as mental health, with real nuance and respect. I definitely resonated with Fletcher's fear of confrontation and saying no to people. And I also loved the discussions about identity that Lucy has with her family, around not feeling Jewish, Moroccan, or Mexican enough because of her mixed heritage. That is another thing I loved in the book- the sephardic Jewish representation that we don't really ever see in romance novels. I loved learning about different customs and foods that are so different to what I grew up with, yet at the same time the Jewish traditions were so familiar to me. I absolutely loved it. (I also loved Lucy's whole family,  especially her sisters. We need more of the Galindo family in future books, please!)

I absolutely flew through this book, and the only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the third act breakup. I knew going in this story contained the hidden/secret identity trope, and I usually dont like that trope in my romances. So I knew the reveal was going to come and blow up in the characters face, and it just isn't my favorite trope. I will say though, the grand gesture moment was epic!

All in all, this was a great romance debut from an author I can't wait to read more from!

Pitched as You've Got Mail meets Abbott Elementary, Flirty Little Secret follows guidance counselor Lucy and teacher Fletcher.

Read if you want
- Workplace romance
- Online penpals (who don't know that they know each other IRL)
- Mental health rep (anxiety, depression, and ADHD)
- Meet awkward
- Jewish rep

My thoughts: 3.5 stars
The connection between Fletcher and Lucy was just missing for me. There felt like there wasn't that much between them and they just jumped into having feelings. This was also soooo much miscommunication trope which is not my thing.

The secondary characters, especially Lucy's sisters, were my favorite part of the whole book and I'd adore books about them. Her family has My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibes in the best way possible.

But this is a romance and the romance didn't work for me

*ARC provider by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.*

I liked Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe. I really appreciated the modern spin on You've Got Mail as well as the Jewish and depression/anxiety rep. There was a lot to love with quirky side characters and family drama on top of meaningful discussions about mental health and mental illness, including panic attacks.

However, the romance wasn't all the way there for me; the spark wasn't there between Lucy and Fletcher. Maybe it's that I'm not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope or lying by omission, which felt like it got worse as the book went on without a full remedy. Or maybe the fact they're coworkers made me pause? Regardless, Lucy and Fletcher share some sweet moments, and I'm glad I finished the book.

Thanks to Read Forever and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

This book was completely fine; I didn’t have any problems with it. But that’s all it was for me: just fine. There wasn’t a sense of specialness or anything that really hooked me. I was excited to read it because I’m a high school teacher and it takes place in a school, but there wasn’t much in the book that I could relate to, nothing that made it feel particularly “real” to me. The whole time I felt very aware that I was reading about characters in a rom-com rather than real people. There was nothing wrong with the book for me but just nothing that particularly grabbed me either.