The Secret Crush Book Club by Karmen Lee was a perfect read after two books that put me through the wringer. It’s soft, slow, and thoughtfully sweet. Things happen, but it’s not plot on top of plot. It’s a small town, slow burn, character driven, sapphic romance.
Dani is the eldest of the Williams sisters, a single mom, and a nurse. Her sisters have found their one true loves (The 7-10 Split and The Relationship Mechanic), her son is developing more independent interests, and even her widowed father has a better social life than she does. She’s lonely, her most recent dates have left her uninspired, and she feels like she might be having her quarter life crisis. When she goes to the library to pick up her son from the esports league, she gets talking to Zoey, the cute new librarian who is also, unlike everyone else in Peach Blossom, new to town. Zoey has two secrets, she’s an author researching small town life for a cozy murder mystery series she wants to write, and she has a crush on Dani. She invites Dani to join her book club and the two begin to form a friendship with a side of longing and flirtation.
Dani and Zoey’s relationships, with each other, their families, their co-workers, and Dani’s son, Jordan, are central to the story. Dani has never considered a romantic relationship with a woman before, so there’s a big dose of queer awakening, and Zoey is gun shy about longing for a woman who will decide she’s too straight for a romance. Jordan’s father adds a complicating wrinkle by being a not great dad and undermining Dani’s sense of self. Separately and together, Dani and Zoey get to a place where they can start a relationship. When they get together near the end of the book, it feels well earned.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Harlequin Afterglow and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.