Basic info: The Secret Book Club
Author: Shauna Robinson
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic comedy
Publication date: January 18, 2024
Edition I read: Kindle
Pages: 384
My rating: 3/5
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171831883-the-secret-book-club
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC.
Robinson's writing made it an easy read, with a good idea for the story, but I expected a little more for the execution.
The book started a little slow for me and in the first 10-15% or so all I felt was frustrated. By Ralph, Malcolm, this whole bizarre town, and with nothing good really happening to our poor FMC. But the writing was good, so I carried on, and managed to get into it soon after.
It's supposed to be contemporary romance... but is it?
The romance in the book... I'm not sure I can get behind that. It's supposed to be a sort of enemies to lovers, but our FMC was just unapologetically into the love interest.
No difficulty to admit it to herself and no bumps along the road with them. It was almost just too easy and I felt no chemistry between them. Or maybe the romance is supposed to be an afterthought and my expectations were too high.
What I liked about The Secret Book Club
With that being said, I loved the topics this book touched on outside of the romance. Especially about people's relationship with reading, how everyone can have such a unique experience.
I loved seeing people discover reading as something fun -although again, our FMC got into reading and became.a bookworm almost a little too fast for me.
It was interesting reading the story where the solution for Maggie's "what do I do with my life" issue was so obvious (kick Ralph out somehow, join Rochelle in the bookstore, organise events, and build a community) -but made impossible due to financial constraints, which made it feel real and relatable.
...and what I didn't
Unlike the way Rochelle coddled her even after their standoff at night with Ralph and how easily Malcolm got over everything that happened.
And Ralph's reaction when Maggie found him on her way to the meeting with the journalist? Now that was the most unrealistic part. I get that characters often get redemption arcs, but not like that.
The verdict: not really a romance, 3/5
The book felt like a bit of a rollercoaster that way: I was frustrated with it, then got into it and liked it, then I was skimming and rolling my eyes again.
Maggie's internal monologues got quite repetitive and annoying, and with the lack of good romance and the unrealistic-feeling scenes and reactions, I found myself just wanting to get through it.
I love books about books and people's love for them, but this wasn't it for me.