I loved this historical, Victorian era secret society of bad-A women! Lady Duxbury creates a forbidden book club where she intends to bring women in who need help in their oppressive marriages or are cracking under societal expectations. The women become fast friends and the secrets revealed are dangerous, especially for those that need to break free!
I thought the multiple POVs was great as well as the depth in each character. Each woman had her own struggles and once they opened up and shared with one another, you could see the almost instantaneous bond between them.

The Secret Book Society
Madeline Martin
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. It's London 1895 and these women are trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, but soon they will see things can be different. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club. Basically a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their own stories

Eleanor Clarke is a devoted mother who's suffocating under the tyranny of her husband.
Rose Wharton is from America and is struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife.
Lavina Cavendish is an artistic young woman who is haunted by a dangerous family secret.
They all are drawn to Lady Duxbury who is thrice widowed. Her husband's deaths having all sparked whispers of murder.

As the women get closer and closer to eachother, they form unforgettable bonds. As they go along they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the horrible risks they face. There is one thing they all have in common and that is their courage which is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent for so long, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

I do believe that this is the best book that Madeline Martin has ever written. I fell into this book so hard that I had a tough time pulling myself out at the end. It was nothing short of a roller coaster ride. I cheered, I railed, I yelled, and I cried at the injustice these women had to endure. It was like I was part of the secret society myself. This book was absolutely phenomenal. I'm still trying to put how I felt into words. The sad part is I'm sure that there are some women still going through this today. If you read anything this year I highly recommend this book. You won't want to miss it. It touched my heart in a way nothing has in a very long time. Ms. Martin, I applaud you for writing such a wonderful heartfelt book.

A secret book club in Vivtoriqn England drives the plot of this well -written and masterfully plotted historical novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Not to be missed.

This book was such an amazing peek into the lives of the women of the secret book society! I truly enjoyed this book from beginning to end and found myself rooting for all of the women. Their husbands... not so much! The societal pressures on women to be the perfect wife, the perfect socialite.... without having a mind of their own.... and not being able to read books because they might put ideas in their heads... Thankfully Lady Duxbury saw the needs of those around her and gave them a safe space to express themselves and grow!
Whether you like historical fiction or not, this book is a must read!!

Madeline Martin has done it again. She has written another fabulous story of capable and amazing women who want more than society (men) will allow in the late 1800s. Set in London, a thrice widowed woman, Lady Duxbury had many rumors swirling about her. To fulfill a promise, she sent invitations to several society women to join her for “tea”, but they were really joining a secret book society. Lavinia, Rose, and Eleanor needed to be seen and Lady Duxbury saw them beyond just an obedient wife. Each of the women have their own baggage and their own hopes and dreams. I loved how these very different women learned to care and support each other and gave each woman what they needed. The character development allows the reader to really understand the similarities and differences of each woman. As I was reading, I had so many feelings about what the women did and what they experienced which is something I love in a book. If you are looking for a historical fiction book where you will be immersed in the time and place with complex characters, I highly recommend this book.

Spoilers below:
I don’t usually include spoilers but one male character evoked so much emotion I need to talk about him here. Cecil Clarke is the husband of Eleanor. I know in my head that Cecil’s character is true to the time period, but he was so cruel and disrespectful toward Eleanor, I kept hoping something bad would happen to him. He got what was coming to him in the end! The way he could just throw her away and put her in an asylum made me so furious. Good job on the author for writing such an awful character that could give me all those feelings.

#TheSecretBookSociety #NetGalley #historicalfiction
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reviews will be sent to Amazon on the day of publication. Other reviews are posted in the links below. I will be posted to other Facebook groups throughout spring and summer prior to pub day.

Another amazing 5-star book by Madeline Martin! The Secret Book Society reads like a present day Jane Austen novel. The four amazing heroines - Lady Duxbury, Eleanor Clarke, Rose Wharton, and Lady Lavinia Cavendish captured my heart from the start. This book shows the power of women supporting women and remarkable strength/confidence gained. This is a perfect book for any book club. Can't wait to read it again!

Thank you Madeline Martin and NetGalley for the the advanced copy

As a big fan of Madeline Martin I had high expectations for her latest novel. The Secret Book Society easily exceeded my expectations. I was immediately pulled into the characters and fell in love with each of them. Rose the bold American, Eleanor the subservient wife, Lavinia, the young woman trying to find her footing in the world, and finally, Lady Duxbury, the three time widowed aristocrat with all of her strength, knowledge and empathy. All four women are very different from each other, but form a beautiful, and strong bond that nobody can break. For me this is one of those books that you cannot stop reading, but you slow down towards the end to make it last longer. Madeline has done it again. This novel is filled with strong women who overcome many obstacles and rely on each other for strength and true friendship .highly recommend this novel to every woman who needs to be reminded how strong us women are, and how much stronger we become when we have other women in our corner.

Exploring strong female friendships, literacy, and societal expectations of women in the late 1800s, The Secret Book Society was a quick, cozy read.

TW: Domestic abuse, child abuse - There are some difficult themes in this book. The Victorian age did not allow for women to have the freedoms of expression or speech that we have today.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be released on August 26, 2025.

I've read and loved all of Madeline Martin's historical novels, but this may be my favorite so far. This book is an absolute page turner. It concerns four different society women, each of whom is experiencing or has experienced oppression in the patriarchal Victorian society, where too much intelligence or education renders a woman "dangerous" and possibly insane. They are brought together under the guise of drinking tea amid polite society, but what they are really doing is reading books, discussing books, and even doing some writing of their own. Martin gets inside each woman's head and heart and endears them to us. Having written several dozen historical romances, she brings some of that romantic sensibility to the page in this book but she turns the genre upside down. Though men have all the power in this society, Martin shows how harmful absolute power can also be to men -- even the ones who have good intentions, which some of them do. Another plus to the book is the in-depth research into the time period. Sane women really were sometimes given a diagnosis of insanity if they caused their husbands displeasure.

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin has made it to my Best Books of All Time list…and it is at the top. Oh, this book. This book showcases the power of books, the desperate need we have for them, the ways they can empower us to literally change our lives and the beautiful communities that form around sharing them. In this book, we go back in time to Victorian London where women were often forbidden to read by the men in their lives for fear of the emotions, ideas and independent thoughts they might elicit. But when a group of women come together in a secret book society to read, the grow and to change, anything can happen. My goodness, this book showcases why I do what I do. Reading can change everything.

Three women are invited by a fourth to visit at her home (Lady Duxbury) in London during the Victorian era. Brought together by for their love of books and reading-which were being forbidden by their husbands and/or fathers. The book is somewhat tragic, not a lighthearted read, so readers please take note. With the constant threat of being sent to an insane asylum for any minor disagreement in the men's eyes, the women find themselves at risk. One is sent off, the other three are determined to save her. The storyline moves along quickly at that point, and does end with everything tidily wrapped up. There is somewhat of a lead in for a possible sequel at the end as well.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Martin, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy reading a variety of historical fiction but usually steer away from the Victorian era, finding the pomp and circumstance off putting, but this one had me hooked. Instead of sensationalizing an era where women were regarded as possessions, Madeline Martin gives us a realistic glimpse of what life may have been like for many women suffering under the repression of their husbands.

The masterfully crafted characters are the heart of this story. Through the guise of weekly tea, Lady Duxbury opens her home and library to Eleanor, Rose, and Lavinia. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing their friendship grow. As each of their plights was revealed, I was pulled into their world. I devoured the last half of the book desperate to find out if any of them get their happy ending.


An engaging story with well developed characters, I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A great story on female friendship and support, but I was quite put off by the heavy handed portrayal of (all) men as controlling and nasty. There is plenty of unfairness towards women throughout history without having to make them all quite so thoroughly evil. I've read (and liked) most of Martin's books, but this one seemed more intent on man hating than others and I could not finish. Sorry, but I really feel like writers of historical fiction owe it to their readers to be more accurate and even handed with their research!

Powerful! The plot moves at a steady pace, keeping the reader hooked from start to finish. The characters are compelling and truly engaging.

Hearing about how women were treated once married in the Victorian era makes me angry. However this is a great story of friendship and perseverance and HOPE.

Fueled by feminine rage and a great plot, I read this in a day! I knew that novels were frowned upon or belittled during the Victorian era but this brought to light how literature could be weaponized against women. A wonderful story about the importance of female friendships and the power of a great book.