📚 Bookish Thoughts
The Secret Crush Book Club is such a cozy and low angst small town sapphic romance. I need more books with a library setting. There is just something magical about it.

Dani and Zoey were both warm and grounded characters, and their relationship was sweet. I loved watching them slowly open up to each other. This was definitely a slow burn and they both worked on their relationship. Including introducing each other to their families and dealing with all that comes from that!

This was a shorter listen, but I really loved the audiobook. It was a solo narration, and I felt like the narrator did a fantastic job capturing both characters’ voices. That’s something that can be hit or miss in sapphic audiobooks, but I could easily tell them apart and really appreciated that.
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📖 What to Expect
• Librarian
• Single mom
• Book club
• Small town romance
• Found family

🎧 Audio Score: 4.5 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: August 26 2025
Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Secret Crush Book Club is a sweet, small-town sapphic romance that follows Zoey, a librarian and author, and Dani, a nurse and single mom. The two already knew each other through Dani’s son Jordan, but a book club brings them closer.

This was such a quick, cozy read with an easy flow and charming vibes. Dani’s queer awakening felt genuine and heartfelt, and I loved watching her and Zoey’s connection grow. Tiffany was hilarious, and the audiobook narrator did a fantastic job. Plus, the cover is absolutely adorable.

The secret Crush Book Club by Karmen Lee
-every time they talk it had me giddy and blushing
-love the bookish vibes and book club vibes
-love Canadian rep 🇨🇦
-love the single mother rep having the book club as her weekly social time is cute , love them bonding
-this was cute but not wow they spent most of the book being friends then lovers which is fine but i was expecting more
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audiofor the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I have loved the first 2 books and this one didn't disappoint. I love a finding yourself book and thought this was done so well. Both single parents is my catnip and thought it was a tender yet hot book.

Suggest giving it a try.

4 5/5☆

Dani is a single mom/nurse in a small town. Ever since her divorce and her sisters both finding true love, she’s not quite sure where she fits in. Zoey is the new-to-town librarian with a secret crush on Dani. Is Dani ready to get back out there?

-Sapphic romance
-Small town
-Single mom
-Slow burn

Okay, this was adorable. If you’re in need of a short and sweet palate cleanser, this is it! Zoey and Dani are both the cutest and I loved each of their conversations with friends/family members about their crushes on each other. Dani’s conflict with her ex-husband and worry about her son added some depth to the plot. This is definitely a slow burn, so be prepared!

The audio narration was excellent!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this ALC!

A lonely, single mom joins a book club led by a gorgeous librarian with a secret.

Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 7 hours 11 minutes
🎤: Angel Pean
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Format: Dual POV
I have already found my love for this audiobook narrator in books like The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton. I really love her tempo and the sound of her voice as she reads. She gives agency and a voice to each character with only minute changes to her narration style. I never have to adjust my speed and she's very accurate and concise in her dictation. I will continue to seek out this audiobook narrator as a favorite.

Themes:
📖: Loneliness
📖: Love of family and friends
📖: Embracing the next chapter
📖: Coming out later in life

Representation:
📚: Sapphic relationship
📚: Single mom
📚: Black cast

Tropes:
💗: Friends to Lovers
💗: Book club
💗: Small Town

🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Potential Triggers: domestic violence **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
Dani is a lonely single mom looking for a connection. Zoey is a librarian with a secret and a crush. Will book club start to sizzle?

General Thoughts:
The romance between Dani and Zoey is so sweet and romantic. But it's not without some conflict and tension which only adds to the sweet contrast between our FMC's.

I really enjoyed the single parent aspects involving our character Dani. The added tension involving her parenting with her ex-husband really set a tone for her storyline. Felt very relatable to what a lot of parents go through coparenting. I do feel like this particular aspect of the book remained unsolved for the most part though. There was no resolution for neither Danny Jordan or the father. And that was a little disappointing because it felt like a plot hole.

Zoey was a really fun character that I felt really paired nicely to Dani. I really liked Zoe's temperament and the overall way she carried herself. She was a fun character and easy to root for. However, I was a little underwhelmed with the huge secret that she was keeping from Dani and the town. I still don't really understand why it needed to be a secret. And I felt like the general reason given was very shallow and underwhelming as well.

I did really enjoy the general storyline, as well as the sexual tension that built up throughout the story. I felt like the sex scenes were well written and embodied the overall sweetness of the story. I felt the book moved at a very good pace and was just the right length to keep you entertained and ended at a good point before it became too long.

Overall, I've already purchased the authors backlog, and I will definitely continue to read her previous two books. I liked the story well enough to continue in this series of interconnected standalone's. I also would like to learn more about the characters I learned about in this novel.

Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through NetGalley and Harlequin Audio. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

what. the hell. they were actually not together/in a relationship for the entirety of this book and it’s a ROMANCE? where was the depth? the emotion? the yearning???

3 stars i GUESS for it being a quick read and the audiobook narrator was phenomenal but. that’s about it. also should i go back and read these in order now why am i kinda intrigued by three gay siblings 😭