The story of the Secret Book Society is one of female friendship and the ways in which coming together can empower change for the better. Madeline Martin does an exquisite job of telling the story of these fictional women based on women who suffered in the late 19th century. This story was compelling, empowering, and heart breaking. I couldn’t put it down. I can only hope there are more stories on the way.

Thank you to HTP Books for the ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was wonderful. It enraged me, but it was so good. The fact that men had so much control over the women in their lives, the disgraceful fact that a husband could decide his wife was insane and just lock her away is revolting. I loved the way these female characters loved and supported each other, and I loved watching their confidence grow as their friendships grew. And the way the book ended leaves room for a sequel, which I really hope is coming.

This is my first book by Madeline and it won't be my last!

I loved the characters and the plot was amazing.

This book has a setting that captured me as soon as I started reading it. Mysterious characters and places that drag you in.
Very nice and easy story to read. Keeps you enthralled in it and wondering at the same time.
I'll be reading it again.
Teresa Kenyon

I know going into a book by Madeline Martin that I'm going to become attached to charming characters, shed few tears as they navigate significant challenges, and revel in a beautiful ending. I've come to expect this after reading all of her historical fiction books. This story is a little different and it's extra special. We aren't dealing with women during a war, which is a common theme in Martin's books, but with woman who come from restrictive and abusive homes. All of them have soft landings, but a reader should be aware that the road to happily ever after has some details that may be difficult for some to read.

The book starts almost at the end, which is always a fascinating tactic to me. We have Lady Duxbury finding out that a friend has been sent to an asylum by her husband. The first chapter circles back to Lady Duxbury starting a book club for three women who she detects to be in difficult home situations. Eleanor Clarke is the seemingly perfect society woman who has a controlling and sometimes violent husband. Rose Warton is the American "dollar princess" whose once-loving husband is under the influence of an older brother who abhors Rose's background and different behavior (though her money saved their home). Lavinia Cavendish is passionate young woman who has trouble being demure (and may have what we would consider an anxiety disorder in modern times). The three women find community in Lady Duxbury's home and they become friends through their meetings.

The writing in this book is beautiful and I found it hard to put the book down, even before the fast-paced final act during which the friends attempt to extract the one who was sent to the asylum. Despite the difficult details of their home lives, this book felt like a comfort read. The friendships are just so lovely and satisfying.

I imagine that anyone who reads this as their first Madeline Martin book will want to circle back to read her backlist. All of her books are wonderful, but this might be my favorite!

I initially read the synopsis and was pretty optimistic about it. I love a book about sisterhood—and books about books (because who could have guessed that I maybe also like books!)—paired with historical fiction, but the feminist messaging of this book has zero subtlety, and the development of the friendships between the women was, mildly, undercooked. They were simply thrust together in a room and boom, suddenly they're besties. That would be forgiveable if the writing were more compelling. The problem, I think, is that we're told they've bonded over mutual understanding of hardships and a love of literature, but the showing was somewhat lackluster.

I suppose it makes sense that all three women were specifically selected because of the situations they were in, but the antagonists were just so evil, they felt so very one-dimensional. (Especially Lady Meddleson, who's going above and beyond to be petty all because of jealousy. The men? Yeah, I can believe they're rotton to the core.)

The story wasn't so bad. It had its appeal. I was just really hoping for something more, unfortunately.

Madeline Martin is one of my favorite Authors with every genre she writes in, and I'm so glad that I got chosen to be an ARC reader for The Secret Book Society. I absolutely loved this book. The characters amazing to watch develop. The storyline was very well written and entertaining. I couldn't put this book down and found myself self using every spare minute to finish this book. I can't wait to see what she does next!

This was a deeply entertaining book, from start to finish. I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to read it early in exchange for my honest review. This book will surely be gaining a large popularity on social media, and I am sure that it already has. This author has lots of potential to become a baron of the book writing industry; a big name, if you will.

I look forward to this author's future works.

This books chapters are long despite the number of pages. I dont really like historical fiction but this was ok. It was captivating and the time period was set where I like. I think this is a great book for people who love to read historical fiction.

The era in the book is 1895, with some of London’s ladies in society. This was a time when women were discouraged from reading, so establishing something in secret was risky, but dangerous. They are each harboring secrets as they come together after an invitation arrives.

Lady Duxbury, is a recluse and invites these ladies to a tea. A secret book club brings the ladies together as they share a sisterhood and form friendships. Will some of the secrets be deadly? Will they be able to lean on each other as things change for each of them?

Get ready to be lost in London. A novel that is part suspense, historical and the added bonus of friendship when life gets is tough.

A secret book club in Victorian era England with women supporting women, need I say more?

When a mysterious three-time-widow, Lady Duxbury, invites a small group of women to join her secret book club, none of them could have said how much they needed this escape from the injustices of their daily lives. Lady Duxbury doesn’t intend for the club to solely read books, she also hopes to empower the women and guide them to support each other. But as each member finds her voice and learns to stand up against her patriarchal oppressors, the threat of being sent to the lunatic asylum turns from a threat into reality.

This story is a fresh perspective on the injustices that many women experienced in this time and I appreciated how clearly the double standards are called out. I found it challenging to keep the characters straight for the first half of the book as they are called by both their first name and then their last name as the perspective switches. For example one character is called Rose when the story is told from her perspective and then when the story is told from another character’s perspective, Rose is called Mrs Wharton. This is the case for three characters so it was confusing at first. That being said, it wouldn’t stop me from recommending the book, I really enjoyed it.

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in the space of two days. The setting of Victorian England, in the midst of a society which did its best to repress women, was perfect for the lives of Lady Duxbury, Rose Wharton, Eleanor Clarke and Lavinia Cavendish to become entwined. The idea of a literary society, founded by Lady Duxbury, with the intent of helping women to find peers, friends and support is one that still resonates today. Through the gentle guidance of Lady Duxbury, and the access to precious books, each woman finds their voice, their strength and support. A really lovely read - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

From the very first pages, Madeline does an incredible job painting the scene so vividly that I felt like a character living within the story. I started crying by Chapter 3, and honestly, I never really stopped. Her portrayal of the struggles of womanhood and the battles we fight both within ourselves and with other women deeply resonated with me. It was powerful, raw, and impactful.

Though it’s historical fiction, the themes are strikingly modern: the oppression of women by men, the restriction of what we’re allowed to read or say, and the way society teaches us to see each other as rivals instead of allies. Madeline weaves these topics into the narrative with heartbreaking beauty, showing the importance of female empowerment, freedom of expression, and sisterhood.

This book inspired me and stayed with me long after I turned the final page. It gave me a renewed sense of power and a deep desire to be better: to myself, to other women, and to the world around me. It reminded me how much our voices and actions matter in a society that needs compassion, courage, and connection right now.

This book was a balm to my soul. The Victorian women's lot in life was stifling and bleak. To think, reading or writing poetry could put you in an asylum. The individual women's stories had me anxious one minute and enraged the next. Knowing that reading was discouraged for women, I feel immensely relieved that it is different for me in 2025, but not all women have the freedom even now. I applauded the HEA for these characters and yet I wondered what I would have done in each of these women's shoes. A great story.

Overall an enjoyable book. A little heavy handed on social issues at times (I read to get a break from such things).
Great character exploration and use if language.
A bit slow-paced.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Book Society is the third book I’ve read by Madeline Martin. It’s a solid four stars like her others. As a historical fiction author, she is reliably excellent.

This novel was a fast-paced and compelling read. It is also a difficult read during much of it, as it focuses on the oppression of ladies in Victorian England.

Widow Lady Duxbury takes two married women and one young lady under her wing. Through books and through the creation of a community and sharing secrets, all three work to create fulfilling lives for themselves.

Trigger warnings for domestic violence and abusive relationships.

This was a satisfying read. And, although I would never want to live in the world of these women, I would love to befriend any of them. They were all white and wealthy and held stature in society, but they were each unique in their stories, rather than being merely generic stifled women.

4.5 stars, rounded up. This is my third book by Madeline Martin and definitely will not be my last. Her writing gets better with every book, and it was already very good to start. This is a fascinating historical fiction story about the Victorian era when ladies of Society were discouraged (sometimes forced) not to read books for fear that it would be a negative influence on them. One woman is determined to change this, and starts the Secret book Society, with a handful of very carefully chosen members. The sisterhood that develops from this secret society changes all of their lives in very profound ways. I won’t share any of those details, as it is a great joy to watch this unfold in the book. If you like stories of women rising, stories of often overlooked periods of history and/or stories that make you think, you will surely enjoy this lovely novel. Highly recommend.

🌸BOOK REVIEW🌸

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC Ebook

Historical Fiction

A book about books— need I say more??
Set in Victorian London, this story of friendship tackles important topics such as women’s rights, women’s agency and independence, marriage and oppression, social pressures, and domestic violence, with Lady Duxbury’s secret book club as the catalyst for change for four women.
The main characters— Lavinia, Eleanor, Rose, and Lady Duxbury— could not be more different, and their distinct personalities and backgrounds forge close bonds as the women open up to each other and help each other overcome their struggles.
I loved reading about the time period and the lifestyles of the rich and famous, even though the interior lives of each woman were not nearly as glamorous as the shiny exteriors. The descriptions of the balls, teas, dresses, and rules of etiquette brought the story to life!
The role of books in this story is perfectly timed— Lady Duxbury recommends the perfect book to help each young woman at just the right moment: Jane Eyre, a diary, Aurora Leigh, a book of herbal remedies. The women find themselves within the pages of each book.
This is a five star read!!
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you @netgalley and @HTPBooksfor this advanced reader copy! The Secret Book Society will be available August 26!
🌸 Em

With THE SECRET BOOK SOCIETY, Madeline Martin, one of the most under appreciated and undervalued historical novelists working today, proves once again that she is a brilliant storyteller and diligent craftswoman when it comes to the high quality of her prose and character development. When I read Ms. Martin’s books, not only do I know I will be reading an engrossing narrative, but I always learn something new as well.

Stepping away from the backdrop of WWII, Ms. Martin tackles the Victorian era with her latest. This is her darkest and grimmest novel. I certainly grew tense at times, concerned for the welfare of her characters as I became emotionally involved with each of them. Parts of the book reminded me of the horrors described in Dickens.

THE SECRET BOOK SOCIETY is about women’s rights, the patriarchy, power, control, hysteria, influence, family, and most importantly, friendship and the power of books. Readers will laugh, cry, and gasp due to fright.

This book is a must read and is guaranteed to appear on many end-of-the-year Best of lists.

I was captivated by this book from the very beginning. Historical fiction is a favorite genre of mine to read and I was thrilled to see that this was set in a different time period than that of many other historical books. I have yet to read much of Victorian time and was heartbroken while reading what these women had to endure simply because they were women. How easily they could be cast aside and condemned to a psychiatric hospital simply for speaking. How something such as reading could be taken away because their husbands wanted their attention elsewhere.

This book was so beautifully written and the characters were well developed. Their growth as a friend group and as their own was remarkable. You got to see this group of women come together because books were taken from them for various reasons, learn to trust one another, open up to one another and form an unbreakable bond. You see them fight for one another and rely on one another. There are some heartbreaking moments but the strength these women had is unbelievable.

This book was an anticipated read for me this year and I am so grateful to have been able to advance read. Madeline Martin has easily become a favorite author of mine over the years, she has a way of bringing a story to life and writing characters I have had a connection with, who's stories have broken me and gave me hope.

I would like to thank Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to advance read in exchange for my honest review.