Rating: 4 stars

A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.
 
You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society…
 
London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.
 
Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.
 
As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.

The Secret Book Society was an enjoyable read for me. What I enjoyed about this book was reading the stories of these women during this time and seeing the friendships they developed with each other as the book progressed. Even though all these women’s stories were different, what they had in common was being suppressed by the men in their lives and not being able to enjoy a hobby that they loved. I really loved seeing these women come together in sisterhood and watching their friendship with each other blossom into a support system that was there for each other when needed.

I especially enjoyed reading this book because I found I could relate to the struggles one of the characters was dealing with. Having big emotions that you don’t always feel like you have control over is something I can definitely relate to, so I deeply felt for Lavinia when the book was from her perspective. I felt like I could relate to both Eleanor and Rose as well, but not quite as much as the struggles Lavinia was facing when it came to her emotions and how she handled situations she found herself dealing with in this book.

I also enjoyed that this book was from these women’s perspectives, and getting to learn more about Lady Duxbury through her diary. Hearing each of these women’s voices during this time was wonderful, even when I found myself feeling frustrated by the men in their lives. I enjoyed getting to learn more about Lady Duxbury, too, because you were able to see how she became the character you see in The Secret Book Society. Yes, she still ends up having some mystery to her character, but I feel like getting to read her diary was a great way to learn more about her.  

If there was anything I didn’t particularly enjoy with this book, it would be the ending. I enjoyed that things worked out for all of these characters, but I wanted to see more of their story after the events that transpired, instead of getting a little snippet about what happened. This is mostly because I enjoyed reading their story, but also because I wanted to see how their friendship continued to grow with everything they’d gone through.

As a whole, though, I enjoyed reading The Secret Book Society. I think it’s a book women should read to learn about what happened to women during that time and to see how they were treated by men because of their gender. Especially because each of these women are very relatable too. The Secret Book Society was published on August 26, 2025, for anyone interested in giving this book a read.