Flirty Little Secret

by Jessica Lepe

School counselor Lucy Galindo has a secret.

To her coworkers, friends, and even family, she’s shy, sweet, and constantly struggling to hold off disaster (read: manage her anxiety and depression). But online? She’s bold, confident, and always knows what to say—it’s how she’s become the wildly popular @TheMissGuidedCounselor. It’s also why she keeps her identity anonymous. Her followers would never trust the real Lucy with their problems.

History teacher Aldrich Fletcher thought a new job would give him some relief from his drama-filled family. Instead, he’s dodging his ex-girlfriend and pining over his new co-worker—who only ever seems to see him at his worst. Thankfully, he can count on his online confidant for advice . . . until he discovers @TheMissGuidedCounselor is Lucy.

Now Fletcher has a secret too. And while Lucy can’t deny there’s something between them, she’s not sure she can trust him. Can they both find the courage to share the truth and step out from behind their screens?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Mental Health, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[mimi (depression slump) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was tricked into reading this essay about the middle-child syndrome against my best judgment because this cover is very cute and well, this sums up the type of person I am.

These two entitled little brats annoyed me from the very first page of what will be the last book I’ll ever read from Jessica Lepe, no matter how appealing the cover might be.
And listen, I even think she has done a good job in portraying these two, so my problem is not with her writing style, but she might have done too much of a good job.

There's Lucy and there's Fletcher. Then there's more of Lucy - so much more, so many pages and pages of absolutely nothing that Lucy for some reason finds worth talking about - and there's more of Fletcher - again, absolutely nothing.
Besides Lucy’s monologues (plural) about her mental health and disorders - which I don't find right to judge since the author wrote them from her experience with depression, anxiety and ADHD -, everything else is about how THEY feel, the reasons why THEY act in that way and why THEY are the only ones to actually do something for their families.

Everything outside their romance is proof they are misunderstood and deserve the sympathy of the other members of their family when they could just react when shitty people do something shitty to them.
But their romance is also that bad - they fell in love at first sight after an exhilarating meet-cute, but Fletcher was dm-ing with his online crush the whole time he said he couldn't have enough of Lucy (who was the girl behind the account, obviously).

The only aspects I found slightly interesting are the ones connected with their work as professors in a public high school, but if that's something you might be interested in I recommend reading The Faculty Lounge , which gives a pretty convincing taste of the job.

↠ 2 stars (DFN @40%)

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Elizabeth • LizziePageReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

By day, Lucy Galindo is an awkward high school guidance counselor. By night, she’s the anonymous @TheMissGuidedCounselor, a bold and confident online personality who always knows what to say.

History teacher Aldrich Fletcher is struggling at his new school. He’s dealing with family drama, trying to dodge a cheating ex, and pining over Lucy. Thankfully, he has his online BFF to confide in… until he realizes that @TheMissGuidedCounselor is Lucy.

I wanted to like this book so much. I love You’ve Got Mail and I was very excited for that storyline. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me and I didn’t enjoy reading it.

My first and biggest issue with the book is that the relationship between the Lucy and Fletcher did not feel authentic. All of a sudden, they’re all in, professing major league feelings, but we’ve hardly seen them interact. Their declarations of love seem ridiculous and out of the blue.

My second major issue with this book is Lucy herself. She’s shallow, judgmental, and self-centered. While these flaws are portrayed as defense mechanisms against her insecurity, they still make her really mean and really immature. Reading the story from her POV meant constant exposure to a self-centered, immature, shallow, judgmental, whiny monologue, and it’s just not enjoyable.

I am really struggling to square my thoughts about Lucy with the mental health issues she experienced. It feels ick to critique the inner monologue of a character struggling with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, especially if that is the lived experience of the author. After sitting with it, I realized it’s the execution of the portrayal that doesn’t work for me. Rather than seeing the impact Lucy’s illnesses have on her life through the plot and from Fletcher, we really only hear about them through Lucy’s incessant inner monologue. There’s too much telling and not enough showing, and it keeps the mental health rep from effectively building awareness and empathy.

My third issue is the “Konfident Kids Klub” that Lucy leads. While the characters acknowledge that it’s horrible name and Lucy wants to change it, it’s also used as the punchline of a few jokes, which were in quite poor taste and may make readers uncomfortable. It added nothing to the plot to use these initials and I cannot fathom why it was left in through the editing process.

One thing about this book that I really appreciated was the Jewish representation and how the author actually shows the weekly Shabbat dinner. I finished reading those scenes wanting more and will seek out more books with Jewish representation to keep learning.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the gifted copy of Flirty Little Secret.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe
Contemporary romance. Mental health issues. Alternating 1st person POV’s for Lucy and Fletcher.
Lucy Galindo is a high school guidance counselor. She is good at her job but she hides her own anxiety and depression with the help of a hidden and remodeled closet that she can escape to when needed. She uses the room to cry, to unwind and retreat from the pressure of life. Lucy also has a secret identity in an online column she writes. Writing the column, she can be positive, bold and always have the right advice to give. She can make the column her own, while hiding her own fears and tears.
New History teacher Fletcher moved to the small public school in Massachusetts to help his mother recover. The timing worked well since he was burned out at the private school and their policies. Fletcher is immediately intrigued with his new coworker, Lucy. She makes him laugh and simply feel better around her. The more time he spends with Lucy and her family and getting to know her well enough to accept her ADHD, her depression he begins to care for her even more. Just a few more facts and he discovers that he and Lucy have been sharing texts for awhile under assumed names as part of her advice column. They were already friends before they had even met. But will she trust him if he reveals their backstory?

I want to say it was nice and welcoming to read a “non perfect” heroine, but I’m don’t want to label her that way. I found Lucy delightful and charming, regardless of her depression induced crying, or her not being able to go shopping. All of us have felt overwhelmed at times or many of us have cried at the silliest of events. Life is messy and this heroine has the diagnosis to explain her issues but she also has a great supportive family that will love her no matter what. That is priceless and Lucy embraces them.
The romance is enchanting and Fletcher being enamored with Lucy feels comforting. The lack of openness on the secret identities felt contrived and unnecessary but the grand gesture made it worth it. A wonderful ending for a perfect pairing.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a perfect blend of serious and fun, and I loved every minute of it.

This book has:
•Mental health rep: The author tackled anxiety, depression, and ADHD in a raw and real way. I loved seeing this in a rom-com!
•A hilarious meet cute in the teacher's lounge. If the couple has a meet-cute, I am already half sold, and the meet-cute in this book delivered!
•Workplace romance 👩‍❤️‍👨
•Pen pals 💻 The leads are online friends and have no idea that they work together.

Overall, this book had so much heart, and I can't wait to read the author's future books. Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

[Megan | megs.reading · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 20%. I was so looking forward to this book because I heard there was great Jewish and mental health rep. But I could not get past the running joke about a children’s school group called the Konfident Kids Klub, or the KKK as they said and joked about multiple times. DO BETTER. How did this go through multiple rounds of reviews and editing and no one thought, “Eh. Maybe we should go a different route?”

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing this book to appear.

Honestly, this book is an easy read...but for the wrong reasons. Nothing really happens / goes on in it.

I had problems with it.

1.) I felt the relationship between the teachers was done very... poorly. Like, too many mistakes and red flags thrown about. I thought there is a rule where in office / workplace romances shouldn't interfere with your work? Well, let me tell you, it was being involved - heavily. Kids are gossiping about the teacher, the teacher doesn't seem to have her shit together (she's 28 and guidance counselor? how? she acts as if she is 17). There is a portion of the book where she is near having sex while changing shirts.

2.) I felt that the whole plot was coincidental, but poorly written coincidental. Out of the ENTIRE United States, how can you tell me that she is the one who is behind the blog? How? The odds are incredibly slim that she and he are literally in the same area. Or, excuse me, he moves to her area making himself closer to her.

3.) The behavioral health issues make sense... but I felt they weren't handled in a clinical sense. Could be that I have worked in the medical field for 15+ years, but with the signs and the issues she was showing, girl needs heavy therapy. Like, it's interfering with your work life... maybe, just maybe, you might want to look into intermittent FMLA? Does this woman KNOW about intermittent FMLA? (Which, I will admit, since I work in handling disability / FMLA, I know more than the average individual...) But come on, there could have been more research and care.

I give it two stars for idea and the behavioral health issues, but given my backround in medical and business, this didn't come off as strong or as good as it should have been.

[book bruin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of You’ve Got Mail/epistolary romances, so I jumped at the chance to read Flirty Little Secret. This was a cute read, but sadly it was like and not love for me.

Things started with an epic meet disaster, but the story didn’t really draw me in at first and I contemplated DNF’ing several times. I’m glad I stuck with it though since I really appreciated the Jewish and mental health representation. The discussions about anxiety, panic attacks, depression, ADHD, etc were done especially with care and attention. The secondary characters were also a ton of fun and I loved Lucy’s hilarious coworker and family and their lack of personal boundaries. LOL

Unfortunately, it was the romance that didn’t quite work for me. Things didn’t seem to flow naturally between Fletcher and Lucy. I didn’t feel any strong connection between them to merit their level of feelings/confessions of love. I’m also not a fan of the lying by omission/miscommunication trope and I became frustrated as things dragged on. The ending was sweet, but the book ended up being just OK.

OW/OM notes: there is some OW drama (an ex kisses MMC, but it’s not reciprocated)

CW (from the author): “…this book does contain a main character who is both neurodivergent and depressed and lives with an anxiety disorder. This character also experiences an on-page panic attack and passive suicide ideation (no attempt). Ableist language is sometimes used regarding mental illness, and there is one scene with antisemitic and racial microaggressions. Reference is also made to the grooming and attempted sexual assault of a minor, but the incident itself occurs off-page. Cheating (past/off-page) is also referenced.”

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flirty Little Secret is a fun rom-com.

I read this book because of the Jewish rep. But I was so impressed by the mental health rep.

The book has both the male and female POVs. The heroine is 28 year old high school guidance counselor Lucy. In real life she has anxiety and depression. However online anonymously she is the popular and confident @TheMissGuidedCounselor.

It was amazing to see a heroine with clinical depression and anxiety. Lucy regularly has panic attacks. I love that this character was based off the author's own experiences.

Another thing that I loved about this book was how important family was to the story. Lucy has a Mexican mother and a Moroccan father (who is also Jewish). I really enjoyed seeing these cultures represented. And I really liked the Jewish rep. Her father is a Sephardi Jew from Morocco. So this was so different and interesting. I also really liked Lucy's sisters Amira and Julieta and her best friend fellow teacher Nia.

Fletcher is the new history teacher at her school. He has an interesting backstory and I really enjoyed his messed up family.

I did enjoy the romance. Although miscommunication and lies aren't my favorite.

Overall this was a really good debut that was super cute, but also with great mental health and Jewish rep.

Thanks to Forever Publishing and netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

[Richard Bankey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Goodreads, and the author for the book. Cute story, easy to read, and entertaining.
4 stars

Stacey Bankey

[Lauren (lololovesthings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

I so very much enjoyed "Flirty Little Secret" by Jessica Lepe, which is a fresh, modern take on a "You've Got Mail"-type of story. This one is SO funny! I feel like I laughed constantly throughout the entire book. I loved the connection between Lucy and Fletcher. I was instantly drawn to them and their love story. Their relationship starts out rocky, but the more they lean on each other, get to know one another, and open up to one another, a tender bond between them forms. The mental health representation is the star of the show here. This book has some of the best mental health discussions I have seen as of late. The conversations around mental illness felt totally realistic, wholly purposeful, and remarkably compassionate. It wasn't just thrown in without any rhyme or reason. Lepe really took her time crafting Lucy and Fletcher's mental health struggles and issues so that they felt lived-in and relatable. Lucy's struggles with imposter syndrome, depression, and anxiety felt extremely pertinent to me. There *is* a ton of miscommunication in this story, but it didn't seem to bother me as much as it has in the past in other novels. I think it's because Lucy and Fletcher are so dang likable and lifelike. Also, A+ representation as Lucy is Moroccan Jewish and Mexican. There are a half-dozen things I could pick apart about this book, but at the end of the day, it made me feel seen and made me feel really good about what I just read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Lepe, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @netgalley & @readforeverpub for sending me this book for review. Opinions are my own.
Flirty Little Secret was a great debut novel from Jessica Lepe. I would describe it as You’ve Got Mail meets Hello Stranger meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding. How can you go wrong?
Lucy is a high school guidance counselor with a secret identity online as @TheMisGuidedCounselor. As her alter-ego, Lucy is bold and confident. In real life, Lucy lives with depression and anxiety and is the opposite of confident. When Fletcher starts teaching at the same school, they cross paths in more ways than one and it turns out that Fletcher is hiding his own secret.
I loved the Jewish representation and the Shabbat dinner scenes were beautiful with Lucy’s family around the Shabbat table, saying the blessings together and the descriptions of the food.
I love that this was set in a high school. I think the teachers behaved like cliquey high school students, and I loved the character development. The best side character was definitely Brodie, the Scottish Phys Ed teacher. I think a whole novel could be written about him or about either of Lucy’s sisters.
Finally, of course, as a main plot point, Lucy’s mental health issues are so realistic. I think this novel demonstrates that although something might seem small, it can be huge to someone with anxiety, and there are many different ways this can manifest. The overall message that I took from this novel is that people with mental health issues are capable of both loving and being loved. I appreciated the author’s note about her own mental health struggles and how she was able to channel that into this novel.
I thought the best scenes were at Fletcher’s father’s house when Lucy found her confidence at the moments she needed it most. It was fun to read.
I look forward to seeing what Jessica Lepe writes next!

[Jessica Paige (Exercise_Read_Repeat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a meet disaster, Lucy, the school guidance counselor, and Fletcher, the new history teacher start to develop feelings. The catch, they have been communicating online anonymously for months but just don’t know it yet.

Lee did an amazing job with the Jewish representation. From the Shabbat dinners, to describing her experience as the daughter of an inter-faith marriage, to talking about her family’s traditions, I could not get enough! There was a ton of humor in the book as well that made the cast of side characters and Lucy’s inner monologues hilarious. This helped lighten some of the more serious mental health topics. The one piece that I could not totally get on board with was the fact that Lucy was a guidance counselor for students but at the same time needed to create an online anonymous forum because she thought people would not trust her if they knew who she was. I kind of felt that piece was contradicting itself. Still, I had a lot of fun with this debut and thought the duet narration on audio was top notch. There were even sound effects for the texts.

Read if you like:
-Friends to Lovers
-Secret Identities (IG friends)
-Workplace Romance
-Anxiety/Depression Rep
-Jewish/Mexican FMC

[ChristinaReadsOnTheRoad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grabbed Flirty Little Secret as a Read Now after reading a little bit of the synopsis and I was so delighted by the story! I am a sucker for the hidden identity (a la You’ve Got Mail) trope, and watching this teacher/guidance counselor couple fall for each other in real life alongside their mystery online friendship was very believable and realistic. Lucy projects a “perfect” social media image while living with ADHD, anxiety and depression, and seeing the ways she was able to care for herself while also expressing her needs to family and Fletcher was very aspirational. I deeply despised Fletcher’s father and felt their story wrapped up a little too nicely, but other than that, I loved this story and read it in one sitting.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced review copy.

[Lisbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

El nuevo profesor de historia, Fletcher, está lidiando con un drama familiar y con su ex, pero también se ha enamorado de su compañera de trabajo, Lucy. Ninguno de los dos sabe que han sido amigos cercanos en línea durante algún tiempo sin conocer la verdadera identidad del otro. ¿Podrán ambos encontrar el coraje para compartir la verdad y salir de detrás de sus pantallas?

La historia me atrapó de inmediato con un encuentro gracioso, pero no soy fanática del tropo de la falta de comunicación, así que esa es mi única queja sobre este libro, por lo demás me encantó. Creo que lo que me convenció fue la capacidad de identificación de los personajes principales, especialmente Lucy. La descripción de su salud mental es reflexiva y honesta. Fletcher es reconfortante y dulce. Las bromas a través de mensajes en línea son entretenidas, pero la química entre ellos en persona se nota. Sus luchas diarias, incluso con una vida que amaba, eran tan reales y acertadas.

Me encanta cómo la familia de Lucy la apoya pero mantiene su sentido del humor, y cómo Lucy y Fletcher pasan tiempo haciendo tareas cotidianas como comprar alimentos y lidiar con el drama laboral. Esas partes crearon una experiencia refrescante. .

La autora combinó el humor y la profundidad mientras dos personajes imperfectos se abren camino el uno hacia el otro en medio de obstáculos, tensiones familiares y dudas sobre sí mismos. Los personajes secundarios se sintieron parte integral de la historia en lugar de relleno, particularmente las interacciones de Lucy con su familia y la incorporación de la dinámica familiar de Fletcher. Disfruté mucho de este viaje que trata sobre la autoestima, la salud mental, la dinámica familiar y la amistad

[Stella · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @17%

I ended up DNFing Flirty Little Secret because the writing, humor, and overall execution just didn’t work for me. Right from the start, there were off-putting elements that made it hard to enjoy. One of the biggest issues was a joke about a children’s school having an acronym that matched the KKK—making light of something tied to such a notorious hate group isn’t funny, and it felt completely unnecessary.

Another problem was the running joke about the female teacher spilling hot tea on the male teacher’s crotch and then kneeling to clean it up in a way that made it look inappropriate. This gag was dragged out, with the whole school treating it like an ongoing joke, and it just felt cringeworthy rather than amusing.

Beyond that, the humor throughout the book was corny and forced, and the representation of depression was poorly handled, making it feel like an afterthought rather than a meaningful exploration of mental health.

Overall, between the bad humor, questionable jokes, and weak writing, I just couldn’t push through. This one wasn’t for me.

[Ash]

I regretfully am going to DNF this at 28%. I don’t think it’s terrible or anything. I just know it’s not for me.

I felt like the FMC’s maturity level was way off for a person who is a guidance counselor for children. The name of the group repeatedly being used as a joke fell really flat. I, personally, don’t feel hate groups are something to joke about. Ever. Especially with children involved. Honestly, the overall humor used in this book felt incredibly cringy to me.

I do believe other people can enjoy this book… I’m just not one of those people.
Thank you though and I do hope your book finds the right audience.

[Marietere T · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do feel bad giving this book less than 3 stars. Overall I thought it was a good book and I like the romance and the vulnerability of this book.

I just don't feel comfortable giving a book that uses a hate group as a kind of joke or like a gag. Having a group in high school called the 'Konfident Kids Klub' and shorted to KKK is weird to me. Especially when this book is trad published and it passed multiple hands and no one thought "Maybe this shouldn't be in the book".

It's not a joke, I don't think it's funny.

[bookishlycaffenaited · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, cute! I commend the author for being so open and honest about her mental health, since she embedded so much of her own experience with depression and anxiety in our main character, Lucy. I enjoyed the online interactions between Lucy and Fletcher, but ultimately, I didn’t feel any connection or spark between them. The romance felt one dimensional and forced - they only interacted a handful of times and were suddenly so entirely infatuated and in love?? I can suspend my belief for insta love, but in this case it just didn’t work. The characters were also a little… problematic? For example, there’s a character who mentions that she sleeps with men, pretends that she has a high risk of getting pregnant, and then gets money from the men to buy plan B - even though this character hides the fact that she’s on the pill and does this for extra cash. I’m sorry, wtf??? Also, some dialogue felt a little too cheesy.

I loooooved the Jewish representation, though. So detailed to explain the history of some Sephardic Jews. Really well done. Overall, this was sweet, but I wish the romance aspect would have pulled me in more.

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 / 5

From the very first chapter I was literally laughing out loud at the humor in the book. I love a good romcom with great banter.

[Serena]

dnf due to the phrase "my soaked khaki-clad member"

[Rachel Nahabedian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

So thankful for NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for gifting me this in exchange for my honest opinion. This book really took me by surprise with just how relevant it is to my life. I thought it was going to be a cutesy rom-com (which it is), but it's also a deep dive into anxiety, ADHD, depression, and ethnicity/religion and how we belong in our community. Jessica Lepe might be an auto-buy author for me going forward if THIS is her debut novel.

As someone who doesn't suffer horribly from any of the above (maybe some anxiety, but not as bad as Lucy) it was eye-opening to see the inner monologue of someone with those and helped me understand a little better a few people in my personal life. Bravo on Jessica for not only representing this group of people, but also doing them justice and giving them space in this rom-com world.

I am also a half-breed, but unlike Lucy my mother is the Jewish one and my father is Armenian. I 100% feel Lucy's struggle with fitting in. Not being Jewish enough yet not being Moroccan enough while not being Mexican enough. Not speaking the languages, not knowing how to cook the food. I currently struggle with the same issues in my life. I don't speak either languages or really cook the food and I rely on my family for those things. It's hard to learn to carve a place for yourself in a world that loves boxes and gets confused by anyone who doesn't fit in one. The way Jessica weaved in the Jewish culture with Shabbat family dinner and explains Ladino language and made some cute, funny jokes along the way (Shabbat is a way to reset and welcome the new week. "It's the 'reverse' Uno card for Jews.") really made me excited. Very rarely do I see a Jewish romance book/character that ISN'T centered around Hanukkah and with a goyim MMC.

Now on to the actual plot. Lucy and Fletcher. *swoons* Fletcher is just such a good guy. Like constantly learning and applying what he's learned. Like, ugh, the way he is with Lucy and all her neurosis is just perfection. It's not a super spicy book (like a 1-2 maaaaaaaybe), but, honestly, the book doesn't suffer. It's almost better. Lucy and Fletcher are so pure and so good that more spice in the story might've ruined it for me.

Friends to Lovers
Secret Identities (IG friends)
Workplace Romance
Anxiety/Depression Rep
Jewish/Mexican FMC
Golden Retriever MMC

[Anna (annasbookstacks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟 For the most part, I really loved this book! The first half was so strong and I felt those 5 star feelings. I could relate so heavily to the fmc with her mental health struggles and her career as a counselor. Being so seen in a book is such a comforting feeling. That honestly made this book for me.

This book was fast paced, sweet, quirky, relatable, and an overall good time. I really appreciated the mental health rep as I felt it was done so well. I thought it was really sweet and really loved how Fletcher accepted Lucy for who she is and didn’t try to change her or push her. The mental health rep and counseling aspects of this book were the highlights for me.

I have a few dislikes and first is that I felt like there was hardly any buildup to their relationship. They met, spoke a few times, and were suddenly dating. That’s fine, but I would’ve liked a little more relationship progression. Once I hit halfway in the book I started to slightly lose interest bc I didn’t suuuper feel the chemistry between Lucy and Fletcher. They were cute but they got together so quickly I didn’t fully feel it. I also couldn’t connect to the mmc, he felt so stiff and unreachable most of the time that I felt like I didn’t know him well. There was also something he did towards the end that was a major red flag and I can’t look past it 😭😭

It sounds like I didn’t like this book but I really did, there are just a few things I didn’t love.

[Kearstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I dive into my thoughts, a massive shoutout and thank you to NetGalley for this sneak peek in exchange for my honest review!

Summary:
Lucy is a public school guidance counselor who struggles with her mental health - specifically, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Lucy often finds herself struggling to say and do the right thing in her daily life, which is what prompts her to create a totally anonymous Instagram account with the handle @TheMissGuidedCounselor. Through this account, she is able to be the composed, confident person she aspires to be. As @TheMissGuidedCounselor, Lucy befriends a follower - a follower who quickly becomes one of her best friends. But when Lucy meets the newest history teacher at her school, Fletcher, her days of online anonymity may be over.

Review:
Discovering that "Flirty Little Secret" is Jessica Lepe's debut surprised me—I wouldn't have guessed it from the seamless storytelling. While I noticed a few minor typos and inconsistencies, they didn't overshadow the overall well-crafted narrative.

I typically steer clear of multiple-POV books, but this one was a pleasant exception. It proved crucial in understanding Lucy, a character who doesn't see her own charisma. The switch in perspectives offered valuable insights into each character's struggles, enhancing their complexity and relatability.

As someone juggling anxiety, depression, and ADHD—an admittedly challenging personal cocktail—I resonated deeply with Lucy. Her relatable and humorous portrayal, despite her awkward moments, made her endearing. There were times I wanted to shake some sense into her, but truth be told, I've probably been guilty of similar actions. Lucy's authenticity shines through her actions and reactions to the world around her.

Beyond Lucy, the depiction of her family was a standout. The palpable love between family members, evident in actions and words, added depth to the narrative. Their support during challenging times and playful teasing showcased a true family dynamic.

Despite a few hiccups, "Flirty Little Secret" is an engaging debut novel and an effortless read. I thoroughly enjoyed this advanced copy and eagerly anticipate Jessica Lepe's future works.

Rating: 4/5 stars - A promising start, and I look forward to more from this author!

[Weekend Reader_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut, the author really tackled a bit of topics (mental health, parenting your parents, teacher emotional labor, sense of belonging, and online friendship). Overall, I thought balancing some of the tougher topics with comedic relief broke up the story even though it was a bit jarring at times. But it made me think of how masking mental health conditions can be that way sometimes. Yes, I was spiraling 20 minutes ago, but let me make you laugh.

A few things that I thought were a bit clunky
-Sophia's side story- she was positioned as a bright student and shouldn't throw her life away. It's an attitude that I think why some students don't get the attention they need to thrive
-Georgia were we supposed to like or hate her. Is she besties with Lucy now?
-The 3rd act breakup was resolved in an interesting/confusing way

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CN: cheating, suicide ideation, cheating, panic attacks, depressive episodes, spiraling, anxiety fatigue, microagressions, grooming attempt

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're going to pick this one up, I highly suggest the audio. I started off with a mix of reading and listening, but I was continually pulled back to the audiobook with its duet narration and sound effects. It was amazing!

I loved that we got to see debilitating anxiety and depression within a profession you wouldn't typically expect. Lucy Galindo is living two lives. By day she works as a high school guidance counselor, often escaping to her cry closet. In her free time she is the confident @TheMissGuidedCounselor offering wisdom on Instagram. I thought her comfort behind a screen was very relatable, but also a great reminder that anyone could be struggling with their mental health behind closed doors.

Unknowingly interacting both online and in person, the romance between Lucy and Fletcher (the new history teacher) gave strong "You've Got Mail" vibes! I really, really enjoyed their online banter, but sadly their in-person relationship was just ok for me. Something about their overall chemistry didn't feel quite believable.

(heat level: one open-door scene, explicit details)

[Emily | emilyisoverbooked · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Forever for the copy of this book!

Representation: Mexican, Moroccan, Jewish, depression/anxiety, ADHD

I really enjoy the "messaging online but we don't know that we know each other in real life" microtrope, and FLIRTY LITTLE SECRET revolves around school counselor Lucy Galindo and her popular Instagram account @TheMissGuidedCounselor. She's messaging someone she's really vibing with, not realizing it's also the new history teacher at school she's interested in. And their meet cute is hysterical - the first few chapters of this book were my favorite. The repesentation in this book is also really good, as Lucy is half-Mexican, half-Moroccan, Jewish, and struggles with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. What didn't work for me is that I did think that Lucy was on the immature side and also needed more intensive therapy, and almost wish her career wasn't a school counselor. Her friends were along the same lines.

[CW ✨]

A modern You've Got Mail inspired adult rom-com! I read this while going through a very challenging month of my life, so found myself resonating with the discussions around mental health and anxiety. The romance is cute - fun, silly, escapist.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute romance with good Jewish and mental health rep. I really liked the education setting as the fmc is a guidance counselor and the mmc is a teacher. The fmc Lucy is a Sephardic Jew that's Moroccan/Mexican who has ADHD, depression, and anxiety and navigates that while helping teenagers at school. She also runs an anonymous social media account where she advises people online. She connects with the MMC on her platform, and they become good friends when exchanging messages, but she has no idea that he's the attractive new teacher at her school.

I thought this book was very fun especially the first half of the book, the fmc is relatable and i loved the nice school setting with all the educators. I also loved everything about self-discovery and the main characters becoming their true selves. The middle of the book to the third act breakup was a little slow at times, and I wanted to skim through some parts at times, but overall, this is fun with great representation and nice themes. Thanks to Forever for this arc for an honest review.

Tropes/themes:
- Romcom
- Jewish Rep
- BIPOC fmc
- Educators
- Mental health rep

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing!!! One of my favorite reads of 2024!! And probably of all time!! The depression and anxiety rep is ON POINT. The love story was beautiful. The banter was off the charts. Just incredible.

[Taylor Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved loved loved the representation of neurodivergent people 🤩