4 stars!!!!

This was so much fun! I had a bit of a difficult time connecting to Fletcher, personally, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars, but I love how he treated Lucy. She has a few different mental illnesses, and it really comes out to a lethal combination lol, but Jessica Lepe handled each topic with such care and respect. I very much admire how she was able to convey that the people who are paid to look out for us and our mental health need looking out for too!!

I'll be completely honest, I really did not care about what Fletcher was going through with his dad. I get that rich people have problems but you're really not going to get me to give a shit about your daddy issues when you drive around the car he bought for you lollllll. Fletcher wasn't bad at all, he was so so sweet to Lucy, but I grew tired of his conflict avoidance. You're a grown man. Tell your ex-fiancee that you're not interested anymore.

BUT LUCY!!!!! AND HER FAMILY!!!!! Amazing characters and lovely dynamic.

Also, there was one part where Lucy was basically like, "You shouldn't want to date me, I take DEPRESSION MEDICINE!!!" which kind of made me roll my eyes because I'm sick of that immature view on medication, but I also realize at the same time that it was just a way for the author to prove that Fletcher is supportive and gentle with her. It was just annoying though. I know I'm being nit-picky!!!!!!!! I'm just a hater!!!!

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: yes
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: divorce, mentions of spousal death, identity crisis, imposter syndrome, internalized racism, on page anxiety and depression, struggles with neurodivergence, slight OW drama, slight suicidal ideation, references to grooming/attempted sexual assault of a minor (off page), cheating
standalone: yes
final thoughts: for a book with some pretty heavy triggers for a romcom, it still felt light and fun. The writing style made this a quick, easy, fun read with lots of inserts of the DMs back and forth between their online personalities. I loved having the dual 1st person POV to see the push and pull of their relationships growing online and offline. A great secret identity workplace romance that is perfect for a summer beach read.

read this book if you love

😬 angst
💞 friends-to-lovers
🏝️ forced proximity (coworkers)
🧑‍🏫 teacher
🤫 hidden secrets
🎭 secret identity
😂 romcom
💓 slowburn
💼 workplace romance
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters

Offline, Lucy is shy, anxious, guidance counsellor struggling to hold off disaster -- online, she’s bold, confident, and anonymously runs an account under the persona of @ TheMissGuidedCounselor. Fletcher finds himself teaching at the same school as Lucy while dealing with his ex, family drama, and a growing crush, all while getting advice from his online friend.

Honestly, this book had me hooked from the start and with good reason. I loved how hopelessly lost these two were -- yet their ability to find comfort and chemistry (despite the multiple scenes of second hand embarrassment) was undeniably cute. ALSO, the level of chaotic messiness, hilariousness, and genuine moments of vulnerability / insecurity was on par 👌🏼

I will note that there were some tropes I wasn’t a fan of (miscommunication, etc) and some scenes were a bit much. Though this might not be for everyone, I really enjoyed this and it’s easily a new fav 🥰 Overall this was such a fun debut and I can’t wait to read more!

This was a quick and cute read. There were lots of cute and slightly quirky moments with both the FMC and their romantic relationship. I enjoyed how the rep for more heavier topics (anxiety, depression, ADHD) was handled, as it was realistic and respectful. So if you are in the mood for a cute, slightly spicy, friends to lovers read- this may be the book for you.

You’ve Got Mail meets Abbott Elementary piqued my interest, the storyline kept me reading. A fun, lighthearted novel that I'd recommend to anyone that enjoys rom-coms (books or movies).

This story was cute and quickly grabbed my attention. What I loved about the characters is that they were honest, real and so relatable. The author did an amazing job in giving us diverse characters who were dealing with real life issues, including mental health. From their first collision until the very end Lucy and Fletcher were adorable. I loved Lucy’s posts to her followers, so inspiring! I loved Fletcher’s humor and love for her. Beautiful story through and through! Bravo Author!

I saw this called You've Got Mail meets Abbott Elementary, which of course, got my "I need to read this book ASAP" senses tingling. Sadly, I did not like this one. A 3-star is usually the lowest l'll rate a book that I finish, and this one honestly came close to a DNF.
This was sweet at times, but honestly, the romance just felt so cheesy that I could not deal with it. The Instagram posts felt so strange to me - I found the juxtaposition of her IRL personality and her IG presence to be so off.
I found it very strange that this book seems to try pretty hard to be inclusive, yet names a school-sanctioned club after the KKK and makes countless jokes about it? I wanted this to bring the humor, and that's what we got?

This was such a good read! I love a romance book that focuses on the characters individual development alongside their growth together and I love how it had that with the focus on mental health. The social media bit was really interesting but I found the whole secret of their online identities to be a little unnessicary at times. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to see what others this author writes!

I am a huge fan of epistolary fiction so when I saw that Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe was a Read Now option, I jumped at the chance to read it as a fun option. Once I got into the story, I realized quickly that the author delves into some deeper topics. At points I felt like I was inside of the protagonist, Lucy's, head, having also struggled with many of her mental health issues. I loved her relationship with Fletcher, both online and offline, and their friendship and eventual chemistry was so sweet. I particularly enjoyed the exploration into how social media can become a vital tool and lifeline for some of us, As a spoonie and an introvert, I relate to this completely. I applaud Jessica Lepe for tackling more serious subject matter and for a heroine that shows the reader how to love ourselves more as she learns herself. I look forward to reading more titles by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced reader copy.

i feel the trope of "girls with a double life" is just getting started with books like this one. it was done in euphoria, even. i didn't like how childish the writing came off.

So this little meet cute gave off some strong New Girl vibes. I’m talking Jessica Day meeting Ryan Geauxinue awkwardness. And then was just lovely the entire way after that.

I didn’t love the ‘You’ve Got Mail’ type of storyline (even though that’s 90% of why I requested this ARC) and I think its because it felt like they fell deeply in love too quickly. Give me more awkwardness. Give me more banter (a la Megan Ryan and Tom Hanks). Give me less of the ex 🙄 and less of the Konfident Kids Klub and the name abbreviation jokes 🤢

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Flirty Little Secret is one book I was fully expecting to love. I’m still not sure where I’m at with it though.

I found the romance to be very cute, I enjoyed how the author mixed in the social media aspect of today’s world.

Can I say I think we need to add miscommunication trope warnings. I would skip every single book that had a 3rd act breakup over miscommunication. I am a hater and I will not lie about it.

Also can someone explain to me like I’m 5, why "Cool Kids Club" needed to be changed and have its first letters to "KKK". Please because I’m not understanding it.

While I did like the book, there was more things I disliked about it. I would say they’re minor things so I would still recommend it. I understand not everyone is as picky as me 😅

I adored this story so much! Lucy and Fletcher has such adorable banter both online and in person. I saw the third act breakup coming from a mile away but, loved the personal grand gesture.

This was such a cute romance between a guidance counselor and the hot new teacher at her school. Lucy was a relatable main character and it was easy to root for her. The secondary characters here were all unique and added to the story, especially Lucy’s chaotic and charming family. I would LOVE to read a book following Amira; I guffawed at a few of the things that came out of her mouth.

I don’t love it when you can see the cause of the third act break up from a mile away, and in this one you can pretty much see it from page one. I did think the reconciliation was realistic and Fletcher’s “grand gesture” was sweet and fitting his personality.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for a review copy. I’ll definitely read from this author again.

Thank you forever for both the eARC and the physical book! Lucy's got a double life: by day, she's the quiet, anxious teacher trying to keep it together, but by night, she's the confident, savvy advice-giver on Instagram. When her secret online persona catches the eye of her new coworker, Aldrich, things start to get interesting. What Lucy didn't expect was for Aldrich to be her online confidant all along. With their identities revealed, they've got to figure out if there's something real between them or if it's all just online chemistry.

I breezed through this one while lounging in a hammock, only pausing when the sun disappeared. Lucy's journey of balancing her two personas and navigating a budding romance with Aldrich was such a fun and sweet ride. It's a quick read that'll leave you with a smile on your face.

I loved it. It’s so cute. I identified with Lucy a lot and I’ve never felt more seen. I fell in love with the characters…although I won’t lie I did side eye Georgia a bit. The only thing I didn’t like about the story was the whole fletcher not telling her about who he was and her getting mad about it. I thought it wasn’t that big of a deal so I was annoyed with that. In his defense he did try to tell her. But over all loved it. I wanted to cry and it gives me hope. I recommend this book

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing - this one is unfortunately going to be a DNF at. 41% - I just can’t get into this story and I’m having a hard time believing the chemistry between these two characters.

Super Cute Rom-Com. Loved that they didn't know that they had been speaking with each other for years and now know when then meet in real life. The characters were great, funny story line, and the sweet romance was perfect.

loved this romance and how the characters were able to figure things out and find their way to love. Loved the friends .

Flirty Little Secret is, as the title suggests, a fun and cheerful romantic comedy, yet it still manages to tackle some serious subjects while on the way to a happy ending.

As an online presence @TheMissGuidedCounselor, Lucy Galindo is able to channel all of the things she wishes she could be in person – confident, sociable, and with everything well in hand. The reality is different though, as Lucy struggles with chronic depression and anxiety while doing her best in her job as a guidance counsellor at a local school. Online she’s made some friendships, including user @BravesGuy93, with whom she’s formed a connection. In reality, she’s the professional who just managed to assault new history teacher Aldritch Fletcher’s privates with a cup of coffee in the cafeteria on the first day of school. Mortified, Lucy flees to her private hiding space to confide in her best friend, teacher Nia, leaving Fletcher to figure out how to turn his day around. Fortunately he’s rescued by gym teacher Brodie (who soon becomes a good friend) and things improve.

Fletcher used to teach at a private school but left to help take care of his mother when his father abruptly left her for his (now pregnant) secretary. Teaching at a public school will be a new experience for sure, but already the staff have welcomed him, minor incident with Lucy notwithstanding. There is one glitch; his ex-girlfriend Georgia (who cheated on him with his brother) is also a teacher at the school. With all the drama in his life past and present, one thing he can count on is his online friendship as @BravesGuy93 with @TheMissGuidedCounselor.

Despite their inauspicious start, Lucy and Fletcher soon get to have normal school interactions and gradually develop a friendship that turns into a relationship. They both have insecurities and faults but sharing these things draws them closer. Until one day Fletcher realizes that the coincidences of Lucy’s life and the things he knows about @TheMissGuidedCounselor are too many and he now knows her secret identity. But how long will he maintain the secret, and will it damage what he and Lucy have built in person when she also discovers the truth?

I enjoyed how this story played out. We learn lots about Lucy and Fletcher, both from their online conversations and their in-person interactions. Fletcher’s family is definitely a trial for him as he navigates trying to help his mother stand on her own two feet after his father’s betrayal, and dealing with Georgia again brings up the pain and heartbreak he’s never really dealt with. Conversely, Lucy is very close with her family, sharing Shabbat dinners together every week and working part time at her family’s restaurant. Her Mexican and Sephardic Moroccan Jewish background (the fusion of which is their restaurant’s cuisine) make for lively family discussions and delicious food. They are very supportive of her over her mental health problems but Lucy still feels like the odd one out, and sometimes has trouble determining how to fit in with the different parts of her background.

As Lucy and Fletcher get closer, their relationship becomes intimate and we get some sexy scenes. Fletcher is clearly enamoured with Lucy, but also has the guilty secret that he knows who she is online - and since Lucy hasn’t told him about that, he doesn’t know how to approach telling her. Naturally, things come to a head at the worst possible time, and Fletcher has to make up for his big mistake with a grovel that is super sweet and gives Lucy the happy ending she deserves. As a début story, the author tackles a lot of subjects but represents her own mental health challenges in Lucy’s persona. Overall Flirty Little Secret was a very entertaining story with interesting characters and a sweet romance both on and off line. It does get a bit overwhelming sometimes with all of the drama going on (including with an after school club that Lucy runs) which is what keeps this story out of DIK territory but I hope there will be stories about Lucy’s sisters (and her best friend Nia) to come.