What a great book and such a historical background feel to it that was very Downton Abbey, which made it even cozier to read.

I found myself completely engrossed in this story and the stories of its characters immediately. By the end of the prologue I was hooked. I could not stop turning the pages. I liked that Lady Duxbury had used the wealth she had amassed over the years to help those less fortunate than her and to encourage women to stand up for themselves and each other. I especially enjoyed the characters of Rose and Lavinia. And I liked watching the women and their friendships grow over the course of the novel.

The Secret Book Society is a heartfelt, stirring celebration of female solidarity and the courage to speak and read freely, When the time was an age designed to keep women silent. Its emotional core and rich period detail that will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate thoughtful, character-driven storytelling and the quiet power of books. Absolutely loved this story

Thank you to netgalley for providing this eARC,

I think I’m going to give this book a 4/6… maybe a 3.5, I’m not quite sure…
This review is going to be full of spoilers, so read at your own risk.


This story centers around 4 women and their horrible families. One has a horrible father, intent on sending her to an asylum because she feels emotions too deeply (Lavinia). Another has a husband who has been verbally cruel to her as he crumbles under the weight of his Count brother’s expectations (Rose), and a third who has a truly abusive husband, who beats her and keeps her away from her child, running his house with such an iron fist that the servants are terrified to even be kind to the beaten wife (Eleanor). The last woman, the mysterious Lady Duxbury, has had three husbands, all of whom die under mysterious circumstances.

The three women are invited by Lady Duxbury to attend a tea party afternoon house while being invited to join the “secret book society”. The 3 women have been restricted in their reading by their husbands/father, and this is a place for them to read freely, become friends, share secrets, and build a trust that normally wouldn’t be encouraged in this Society. After a half a dozen or so meetings, the four become good friends, feeling confident in themselves and each other to share secrets, fears, and hopes.

Through Eleanor, we are given the secrets to Lady Duxbury’s past via the lady’s journal. She gives permission for Eleanor to read it. In it, we the reader, are given the whole tale of Duxbury’s past and her three husbands, her great love, and her betrayal by the one she thought was her dear friend.

Part of this secret society Duxbury brings them to her country house and shows them her secret poison garden. And here I thought “ah, maybe she has killed her husbands after all! Maybe one of these other women will kill their husband!” Alas, while it’s heavily implied that Duxbury killed her husbands, there is no confirmation. The ladies are also taught how to fight with their hatpins.

The ending of this story made me roll my eyes a bit, as it was all wrapped up nicely with a bow, without very much effort.
SPOILERS
But…. Rose and her husband make up, the brother-in-law grudgingly accepts her.
Lavinia’s father doesn’t send her to an asylum, even though he basically had the carriage ready to go (reading poetry by men saved her… really? That’s all it took? And a conversation between her mom and dad? Mom! Where’ve you been this whole time???)
Eleanor, however, IS sent to an asylum, and her time there is short. We’re told it’s 5 days, but we only see one night/day where the horrors seemed to be glossed over and lasted very few pages. She’s pushed, knocks into someone, and then is accused of starting the fight by the asylum’s troublemaker/murderess. So Eleanor is then pulled away, chained to a wall, and has water blasted on her for 12 minutes. After that she is drugged to sleep and the chapter ends. But unlike Lavinia’s deep, expressive emotions, Eleanor’s seems flat, and we don’t come back to her until she’s rescued by her friends.

I really wasn’t expecting Lavinia’s father and Rose’s husband to turn out to be “good”. I honestly thought they’d continued to be threatened and all three would poison their men with the plants from Duxbury’s garden. I was disappointed that no one was poisoned.. Though a case could be made that the dates Eleanor’s husband ate WERE poisoned, but we don’t know for certain.

The story ends with everyone happy and the future looking bright for all of them. Then a woman arrives at Duxbury’s for tea, a woman who had been invited to the beginning of the secret book society, but never attended.

There was another “bad guy” the Lady Meddleson, and her name fits her as she WAS a meddler, couldn’t keep her big nose out of other peoples’ business… And ruined a friendship and a reputation or two along the way.

The book felt very short, and when I looked it up, it was! Only 336 pages, no wonder I finished it in two days lol.

A note I took when I first started, that I wanted to keep because it made me laugh looking back at it:
Prologue June 1895, I think it’s a flash forward and the book will be a flashback.
It’s only a flashback of 2 months?!? It all went to shit pretty quickly then.

“And we women are, after all, too frail to handle the excitement of a novel. Why, that might lead to bouts of hysteria.”

A captivating and beautifully written story about women helping women. At a time when a woman who spoke her mind was thrown into an asylum for hysteria to never be seen again, her only hope is a sisterhood of like-minded women. I love that this story was about the empowerment of women through story. The books the women read in secret gave them the courage to change their situation and forge a new path for future generations.

The Secret Book Society is a tale about repressed women in the 1800's who gather secretly to read while finding comfort and strength in one another's company and experiences. Women being sent away to asylums at the whim of their husbands due to speaking their minds was a sore spot of the story. It was at times hard to read, given our current political climate and the injustices women still face today.

*I was given an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review.

The Secret Book Society is a captivating read that will have you going back in time to the fascinating story that takes place in London during the Victorian era.

Women had no rights back then and reading was one of the forbidden pleasures.

Lady Duxbury is not having that and she secretly sends out inviations to a few select women.

If they are found out the consquences are dire. (How I would have loved to join this group of women. )

This group of women share more than the power of books. They all have a story to tell and together they learn strength, tenactiy and not only the power of the written word but the power of friendshp.

Madeline Martin writes beautifully and I felt like I was sitting in the library with the ladies and on the mission to save their friend.

I hated this book to end.

The Secret Book Society will no doubt be a Book Club Selection for many Book Clubs.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Tade Publishing /Hanover Square Press for the privilege to read and review this fascinating book The Secret Book Society.

I absolutely loved this book. Why? It is about books. It is about women helping other women. It is about overcoming the restrictions that men put on women. Yes, this book is set in 1895 but many women are still oppressed in 2025, which makes It significant to our current world.
What fun it is to read about these oppressive gents getting their comeuppance. This book was perfectly paced. I could not put it down. There was magic woven into this book--I could feel it. I just could not put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the complementary digital ARC. This review is. my own honest opinion and not coerced in any way.

I am extremely grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this new release in exchange for my honest opinions.

Set against the backdrop of high society Victorian London, The Secret Book Society invites us into the world of a group of three well-heeled women of nobility as they struggle to overcome the limitations and oppressions of being born a woman. Despite their magnificent estates, liveried servants and and glamorous couture fashions, they are perpetually held down by oppresive husbands, fathers and brothers. The women endure varying levels of abuse, neglect and restrictions from the men who reject their desire to have any aspirations apart from obidient wife and genteel mother.

These women are drawn together by the mysterious Lady Duxbury, a reclusive widow with a string of dead husbands in her wake. The guise of gathering them together for a ladies' high tea soon falls away as the Dowager Duxbury reveals her wish to initiate a secret book club for women - a place of sanctuary and respite where the women can form true friendships and partake of all of the knowledge ensconced in Lady Duxbury's vast personal library.

Will the wisdom of books be a bridge to freedom and empowerment or will the women be put at even greater risk of being declared hysterical and sent to an asylum to live out their days? How did Lady Duxbury manage to be a widow three times over and what secrets does the keep hidden among the books in her library? A secret garden and hidden country estate? Sure - we have those, too!

I admit that this book started off a little clunky for me but it definitely got better as it went. I think the beginning is just a lot of adjustment to the "Lady So and So" dialogue that felt a little forced and repetitive. However, this is Victorian England and the fussiness sort of fits with the setting and characters. I did find the characters to be a little wanting - we have the brash American heiress who is our square peg, an abused wife who has turned meek at the hand of her brute of a husband and the artistic young maiden who is brilliant and passionate and utterly misunderstood. Nearly all the male characters are absolute ogres with little depth. There is some soft, open door romance and the whole book has a very "romantic drama" feel to it.

I mostly enjoy reading historical fiction to learn new things and be transported into another place and time. I did learn some things about the Victorian era and this book was clearly well-researched. Unfortunately, the characters of the women weren't terribly interesting to me and I found some of their actions and decisions to be far-fetched. The ending is terribly tidy and pat for having suffered through all the agony they experienced to get there. It was fun to imagine such a society existing but also hard to believe.

It is quite a fast paced read, especially once we get past all the titled introductions. Great for fans of Belgravia or The Buccaneers and probably a good read for fans of romance and drama. Some absolutely lovely descriptions of period fashion and food. 3.5 stars

Thank you @htpbooks @madelinemmartin @netgalley for this ARC!

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5 ⭐️.

After reading books about golden retriever MMCs and shadow daddies, this book is a sobering reminder on how women have fought and are continuing to fight against the restrictions & expectations put upon them. The story centers around 4 women in Victorian London and their shared love of books. Their courage, resilience, ingenuity, & friendship are tested, then fortified through their quiet rebellion against constraints & oppression. Martin’s prose is lyrical and moving. She is amazing at conveying powerful messages through grace & subtlety. This inspirational women’s story is highly relevant today.

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin is a thrilling novel set during Victorian England, In London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of Lady Duxbury. Beneath the facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom and courage to rewrite their stories.

Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, a young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder. As the women form friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

Martin does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of women's bravery and courage during the Victorian era. The Secret Book Society had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 4 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Secret Book Society is a beautifully written historical novel set in 1895 London, where three women trapped in oppressive circumstances find freedom, friendship, and quiet rebellion through a secret book club. Martin blends rich atmosphere, emotional depth, and a touch of mystery to explore themes of autonomy, sisterhood, and the transformative power of literature. Though a bit slower paced, it’s an empowering and moving read perfect for fans of historical fiction that centers around strong women and hidden courage.

Not being able to read books sounds like a circle of hell I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but the group of women in this book drive home how important and life sustaining that access to books can be. Eleanor, Lavinia and Rose are society women who find themselves unhappy after their husbands or father denies them access to books. Appearances are everything in their world, and women are ornamental pawns for their male counterparts to manipulate at will. Lady Duxbury forms the Secret Book Society, bringing them together to provide them the an outlet for their bookish natures. This group of ladies build a friendship that sustains them through the hardships of lives that aren’t in their control. A very enthusiastic 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Throughout the story, there are parts that are just horrific to consider, but also uplifting in the friendship, caring and support that are evident throughout the story. The lives depicted in the main characters of this story are genuinely brought to life by the author. How women have had to overcome so many struggles and what women have had to endure throughout the years is so monstrous, and even though women have come a long way in today’s society, it is still tragic that we are still not truly considered equal. However, this story leaves you with a feeling that anything can be accomplished. And it allows you to reflect on the fact that the only reason we are where we are today is because of strong women who stood up for themselves and those that supported them regardless of society dictates. Thank you to author Madeline Martin, publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

What a reminder of how important friendships between women are! Ms. Martin’s book was poignant, reminding me that I am blessed today by the women who forged for freedom before me, The Secret Book Society is a a story of the joys that come with true female friendships, as well as a difficult picture of what freedoms women were “allowed” to have. I admit that parts of the book were hard to read, not because of the writing, which was delightful, but because of the subject matter. Fighting for those who can’’t fight for themselves. Fighting for love.

I enjoyed this book, set in the late 1800s, about a group of women who find strength in each other and in the books they share. Each of the women have a heartfelt story, as they struggle to find their place in society. Most of the men do not come off very well, control freaks, abusers, and worse. While the ending was a bit predictable, I loved the story. The writing is good and there is a pretty good twist or two!

Book Review: The Secret Book Society
Reviewed from an advance pre-release copy provided by the publisher

Madeline Martin’s The Secret Book Society is a powerful and evocative exploration of what it meant to be a woman in Victorian England. Through the lives of Eleanor, Rose, and Lavinia, readers are drawn into a richly imagined world where social expectations suffocate personal freedom, and even reading is seen as a subversive act. These women, each battling their own struggles within the confines of marriage, reputation, and secrecy, come together in an unexpected sanctuary: a private book club hosted by the enigmatic Lady Duxbury. What begins as a quiet gathering over tea blossoms into a life-changing fellowship that challenges the beliefs and boundaries of their time.

The novel is as informative as it is emotionally gripping. Martin does not shy away from portraying the chilling realities of the era. Women were discouraged from reading beyond texts that reinforced their domestic roles, with literature deemed a distraction that could lead to disobedience and dangerous ideas. Even more disturbing is the treatment of emotional and psychological struggles under the label of “hysteria,” which served as a convenient excuse to silence or institutionalize women who dared to express anger, grief, or defiance. These historical details are seamlessly woven into the narrative, providing context without weighing down the story’s pace.

What makes this book unforgettable is its balance of resilience and vulnerability. The characters are richly developed and heartbreakingly real. Their fears, secrets, and small triumphs draw the reader in, making it nearly impossible to set the book aside. I found myself deeply invested in their fates and moved by the courage it took for them to find their voices in a world designed to keep them quiet. This wasn’t a book I could breeze through. It’s a longer read, but every page kept me engaged. For me, The Secret Book Society unfolded over several days, and I found myself looking forward to settling back into its world each time.

Madeline Martin’s novel doesn’t just tell a story. It offers a place to reflect, to witness the quiet strength of women who refused to stay silent, and to remember how powerful words can be. It’s a story that leaves a lasting impression because of how deeply it resonates.

#TheSecretBookSocietyTheHive #NetGalley #MadelineMartin

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Review of The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing

Set in Victorian England, The Secret Book Society explores the rigid class structures and gender expectations of the time through the eyes of three women: Eleanor, Lavinia, and Rose. Each woman faces her own challenges within a society that limits their choices based on wealth, status, and especially gender. The story is centered around a mysterious book club run by Lady Duxbury, a wealthy and sharp widow with three deceased husbands and a reputation that keeps people guessing. The book club serves as a hidden sanctuary where women come together, not just to read, but to push back against the roles they’ve been boxed into. Through alternating points of view, the novel reveals how literature becomes a lifeline—and a form of quiet rebellion—for women seeking agency in a world built to silence them.

I liked that the novel didn’t just focus on romance or drama, but really leaned into themes of personal growth, trust, and female empowerment. The dynamic between the women felt realistic—they don’t instantly bond, but slowly learn to rely on each other, which made their friendship more believable. The book club itself is a great centerpiece—there’s something powerful about women secretly reading banned or controversial books and letting that reshape how they see themselves. That part of the story worked really well for me.

The most interesting part of the novel, though, was actually the Author’s Note at the end. Learning about the real historical fears around women reading—how it was viewed as dangerous, even immoral—gave the whole story an extra layer of meaning. It tied everything together and reminded me how hard women had to fight just to have access to knowledge. I kind of wish that depth had come through even more in the story itself.

If I had one complaint, it’s that the ending felt a little too neat, like everything got wrapped up faster than it should’ve. But overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction with strong women at its center.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an advance copy.

Not my usual type of book but it was very refreshing. I was forcing myself to finish it because I didn't know how it would end bad or good. But overall I really liked the characters and the style of writing.

I loved it so much! Perfect for historical fiction fans, perfect for women- or anyone! It was wonderful. :)