REVIEW: Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe

In Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe, school counselor Lucy Galindo struggles with depression, anxiety, and insecurities. But online? Her persona of @TheMissGuidedCounselor is confident, bold, and filled with advice. She is the person Lucy could portray in real life.

Teacher Aldrich Fletcher, who goes by Fletcher, has been following @TheMissGuidedCounselor, and they strike up an online friendship. He confides in her during one of his darkest times. Now he’s teaching at a new school, where he meets Lucy. When some things come out, he starts to put the pieces together that Lucy is actually his online friend, but he’s afraid to let her know. When the truth comes out, will their romance and their friendship fall apart?

One place where I struggled with this book was with the romance between the pair. It feels rushed and a bit forced. Another thing I struggled with was how different Lucy and her online personality were. I know some people feel free to act differently online versus in real life because of the anonymity being online provides, but there was such a drastic difference between Lucy online versus offline. She’s constantly comparing her online personality to her real life one, and always finding her real life one lacking.

I praise the author for not being afraid to tackle mental health. I haven’t read too many stories where the main character struggles with it. My problem, however, is when Lucy basically says that she tells her psychiatrist what he wants to hear so he and her family won’t worry about her. That’s clearly not the right way to handle things.

This book has some humor. Sometimes it hits the mark, but other times it feels awkward and over-the-top. There’s also some drama, especially between Fletcher and his father. So, at times it felt like a rom-com, and then at other times, it didn’t.

I feel like this is a book some readers will love, some will not, and some, like me, will be on the fence about. There are some aspects of the story I really enjoyed, and others not so much. Still, I enjoyed it enough that I’d be willing to give this author another read.

Book Info:

Publication: March 19, 2024 | Forever |

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?