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Verdict: A cosy, low-angst small-town slow burn: Dani, a busy single mom feeling lonely now that her sister is moving out, joins the library book club run by Zoey, the new librarian with a secret. Readers love the warmth, the honest communication and Angel Pean’s audiobook narration; the most common complaint is that the romance arrives too late and too lightly.
Best for: Readers who want a gentle, bookish, low-stakes romance with a single mom’s queer awakening.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.6/5 — a 3.76 Goodreads average across 1,047 ratings, 3.75 on StoryGraph from 749 reviews, and 4.4 stars across 116 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Small town, slow burn, single mom, coming out later in life, bookish romance, low angst.
The Secret Crush Book Club is Karmen Lee’s 2025 contemporary lesbian romance from Afterglow Books by Harlequin, the third book in her Peach Blossom series. For Dani, life is a juggling act: as a single mom devoted to her son and family, she barely has a moment to herself.
It holds a 3.76 average across 1,047 Goodreads ratings, with 63% of them four or five stars, 3.75 on StoryGraph from 749 reviews, and 4.4 stars across 116 Amazon ratings.
What Is The Secret Crush Book Club About?
When her sister announces she is moving out, loneliness creeps in, and Dani starts to wonder what she has been missing. Zoey has come to Peach Blossom for her new job as the town librarian, and to do a little research for her next book.
She never expected to find inspiration in fellow book club member Dani. Lingering glances over their favourite fiction turn into first dates, and the two women have to decide whether this plot twist is the happily ever after they have been chasing.
What Works in This Book
- Coziness: Readers call it a comfortable hug of a book, low on drama and ideal for autumn.
- Communication: A couple of fans enjoy the lack of needless misunderstandings and the honest talk about feelings.
- Representation: Readers value a sapphic romance by a woman of colour about women of colour, and one enjoyed the Canadian representation.
- Audiobook: Angel Pean’s narration is praised again and again, with distinct voices for each character.
Book Synopsis
A single mom who has forgotten what she wants. A librarian with a story of her own.
Every good book club needs a plot twist.
My Review
This is a soft, character-first book. Much of it follows Dani’s life, balancing motherhood, work and family, and her slow realisation that she is drawn to a woman for the first time. Readers found that discovery tender and nuanced, and they enjoyed returning to the town and the Williams family from earlier books. A couple of series readers call it their favourite of the three (another calls it her least favourite), and one reader says every conversation between Dani and Zoey left her giddy and blushing.
The trade-off is romance. Several readers point out that the leads are friends for most of the book and only become a couple near the end, which made it feel closer to women’s fiction for some. Others wanted more depth or yearning, found it surface level or simply fine, or were unconvinced by the third-act reversal. One reader also noticed a light brush with the gay-for-you trope, though Dani’s realisation moves past it.
My honest note: Read it for comfort, not for sparks.
| Element | In The Secret Crush Book Club |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Dani (single mom) & Zoey (town librarian and writer) |
| Core tropes | Small town, slow burn, coming out later in life |
| Setting | Peach Blossom, a small town |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 288 pages (paperback) |
| Series | Peach Blossom #3 (readable as a standalone) |
| Content notes | Infidelity mentioned |
How Spicy Is The Secret Crush Book Club?
Moderate, and mostly late in the book. One reader notes some spice towards the end.
The angst is low. One reader flags infidelity being mentioned.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a cosy, bookish single-mom romance with a late-in-life awakening. It is on our single mom lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you want the romance front and centre from the start.
In short: Soft, bookish, slow to spark.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 20% five stars, 43% four, 31% three, 6% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 83% tagged it lighthearted, 49% hopeful, and 92% found the characters loveable.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Coziness first. Second, honest communication. Third, Angel Pean’s narration. Fourth, the Peach Blossom community.
What readers argue about and complain about: How late the romance arrives, above everything. Second, a lack of depth. Third, the third-act reversal.
The comparison worth making first: When You Least Expect It, another single-mom romance about coming out later in life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read the other Peach Blossom books first?
No. It is the third book in the series, and many readers who started here say it works as a standalone, though series fans enjoy catching up with the sisters and the town.
Is it a late-in-life coming-out story?
Yes. Dani realises she is interested in a woman for the first time, and readers praise how that discovery is handled.
When do Dani and Zoey get together?
Late. Several readers note that the two spend most of the book as friends and that the romance only takes centre stage near the end.
How spicy is it?
Moderate, with some spice towards the end.
Is The Secret Crush Book Club on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99. The audiobook, narrated by Angel Pean, runs about 7 hours.
If You Loved The Secret Crush Book Club, Read These Next
Go back to the start of the Peach Blossom series, or try the cosy Teaching Hope and When You Least Expect It. Browse our single mom list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
The Secret Crush Book Club sets out to be a warm small-town story of a single mom finding herself and falling in love, and its coziness and heart deliver. What holds it back is a romance that waits too long to begin. A gentle comfort read, especially on audio. Check The Secret Crush Book Club on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, The Secret Crush Book Club ranks as a fair-to-good single-mom pick — cosy, slow.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ 3.76 average across 1,047 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 63% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.75 on StoryGraph from 749 reviews
- ✓ 4.4 stars across 116 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Late to start
- ✓ Honest communication
- ✓ Thin for some
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Dani
- ✓ Zoey
- ✓ The sisters
- ✓ 92% loveable on StoryGraph
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Warm
- ✓ Quick read
- ✓ Introspective
- ✓ Surface level for some
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Queer awakening
- ✓ Family
- ✓ Hopeful
- ✓ Low angst
Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 2/5
- ✓ Late
- ✓ Some spice
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Adult
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Third-act reversal
- ✓ Possibly the series finale
- ✓ Warm
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Angel Pean audiobook
- ✓ 288 pages
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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