I really loved this book! Not at all what I was expecting but it has lots of movement throughout and you are unsure exactly what will happen next, but it had a great plot.

This is about reconnecting with friends, and more importantly with your first love. It demonstrates the impact of that first love and how those feelings stay with you long after, especially when things are left unresolved. There are plenty of misunderstandings, lots of heartfelt conversations and confessions.

This is really well written and not at all soppy like it could have been. The feelings and situations of the characters are long-standing and complex but had just the right amount of information, not too much but not too little. There is a fair amount of political and religious context throughout, but this doesn’t distract too much but does provide a little more context in my opinion.

There is a lot a homophobic attitude in their little town, where everyone knows everyone, and this adds to the plot, but it feels very sad to think that in this day and age there is so much negativity around this in some areas. This also links in with a young teen who is also confused about her sexuality and more so feeling drowned out by the attitudes of those around her, feeling that it would never feel safe for her to come out.

This has a good plot on the face of it is two best friends who were clearly in love with one another when they were at school and broke one another’s hearts before finding each other again later in life. This delves well into their thoughts and feelings about their situation, the lives of others around them and the difficulties one could feel in a similar situation.

The characters are well developed which I think was shown most by feeling that the two main characters had disregarded other people’s feelings. The relationships inside are unhealthy and dysfunctional, which isn’t immediately apparent and while some are repaired to some extend a lot aren’t even thought about. These are essentially flawed people, but Melissa Lenhardt doesn’t try to hide that, it almost makes them more real.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to others.

take her to church to show her how she is to be feels pressures to settle with Charlie after falling pregnant with her daughter by him.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, Nora and Sophie have a complicated history which gets explored as Nora comes back to her hometown from the ar!t after her father's death and rekindled her friendship with Sophie.</div><div><br /></div><div>But can they just be friends forever?</div><div><br /></div><div>There's a lot of political and religious talk and at the beginning tons of characters 're introduced which did course me a lot however the core relationship between Nora and Sophie was fabulous to explore and see.</div>

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

TW: homophobia, substance abuse

Thank you Mills & Boon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can't tell you how many times I sorted, checked out, and checked in Mills & Boon books when I worked at a library and wished that there was queer books in the collection. I think it is so important to have queer mainstream romance books and I hope lots of people have access to books like this.

I really wanted to like this, but I think the only reason I wanted to read this was because it was sapphic and the rest of the story is not the type of story that I usually read. It's about two women from a small town who fall in love and struggle with their feelings and with dealing with their sexuality when surrounded by so much homophobia. There was a lot of homophobia from almost everyone around them, something I think is important to write about, but it was a lot. For most of the book, it almost felt like they were portraying that the characters had no hope and that they would never be able to safely come out.

I also didn't like how cheating was such a core aspect of the story and all the central relationships. The relationships were all so unhealthy and the two main characters seemed to disregard others feelings. I understand that Sophie was struggling a lot with her sexuality and not feeling like she could come out at all, but even Nora who had supposedly moved away and moved on with someone else behaved the same. 

Overall, it was an okay book and I think it is incredibly powerful and will be so important for people who can see themselves in the characters and find hope. It deals with a lot of darkness, but Nora and Sophie's relationship itself is definitely a beacon of light amidst it.

This book was very well written and depicts the love story of two females, it is a heartwarming read despite a slow start.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thanks so much to Netgalley for sending this to me!

After almost two weeks of trying to force my way through this book, I have to admit defeat. I’m over halfway through and every page has been like pulling teeth.

I think the main problem for me is with the characters, who I found unlikeable and difficult to connect with – except for Alima, who I’d happily read an entire book about. The main characters, Sophie and Nora, come across as flat and bland, while their relationship – a doomed love affair that has allegedly haunted them both since their teens – lacks any chemistry. I was unable to find any indication of what was supposed to have fuelled this relationship for so long. They spent most of their time arguing, and while it’s repeatedly emphasized that they love each other and have this amazing connection, I didn’t see any of that passion reflected on the page.

Combined with the grim nature of the story, and the overemphasis on homophobia and the difficulties of coming out (why are straight authors and audiences so obsessed with queer pain?) that completely overshadows the romance, I didn’t find this enjoyable in the slightest. I could at least give it points for innovation – after all, there’s such a shortage of stories about cis white lesbians trapped in miserable heterosexual marriages, suffering under the suffocating weight of a heteronormative society… unless you count Umbrella Academy, Imagine Me and You, Tell It To The Bees, Portrait of A Lady on Fire, Ammonite, and 90% of the other lesbian movies that have been released in the past decade.

Honestly, I do genuinely appreciate that sapphic romances are slowly creeping into the mainstream – Mills and Boone? Hello! – and this was by no means the worst book I’ve ever read. I just found it exhausting. The lack of chemistry between the leads coupled with a cast of boring characters, glacial plot and promises of more misery to come (other reviews have highlighted elements of biphobia and usage of the d-slur) just completely killed my motivation to continue. I appreciate that the author tried, but this book just wasn’t for me.

DNF’d at 55%.

I enjoyed this novel and felt empathy towards these characters despite their flaws. I would recommend to friends.

A good read .This book is a story of friendship, family and love has lots of interesting characters and the story of Nora and Sophie's friendship goes back years,When they meet up again after being apart for years secrets come to light that will shock the community but can they share a future or will they continue living a lie and be unhappy.

This was a wonderful read. A love story with a difference. A story of how many lives were affected by one secret which has never been revealed for 20 years. Nora comes back to the small American town she left 18 years previously, having been run out of town by her father. She returns for his funeral. Gradually, as old relationships and friendships are rekindled, we find out what the falling out was about and why Nora and her best friend, Sophie, haven't spoken since then. Sad, but a real coming of age. #netgalley #thesecretofyouandme

This book was supposed to be that book that pulled me out of my reading funk and it had every premise in it that I should've loved, but unfortunately for me it fell flat. For starters, everyone is in this book was a cheater in one way or another. Then the actual part when Nora and Sophie restart their relationship did not feel like it was one that I could get behind due to their backwards and forwards between arguing and being friendly with each other - didn't feel healthy to me; it also didn't feel they managed to forgive each other. And then there were other issues towards the end that I had a massive issue with which did not work for me.

This may not be for me, but it may be for you! The writing style was good, Melissa has a good writing voice, but unfortunately this didn't work for me.

I adore LGBTQ stories, but I’m ashamed to admit that all of my reads have been predominantly m/m. The Secret of You and Me is my first f/f read, but do you know what?! The Secret of You and Me was one of the best second chance romance stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading!

Nora and Sophie’s story had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. My poor heartstrings were being pulled left, right and centre. In fact, scratch that rollercoaster analogy – it was like being on the waltzers. And I hate the flipping waltzers but call me a masochist (shut it!), I loved every heart stopping word of their journey *sighs*.

Has ever a love story been so hard fought?! But if anything is worth fighting for it’s love. Sorry, my sap level is currently set to high *palms face* Fair warning, I may start gushing soon. (Hormones have a lot to answer for, don’t they?!)

Secrets and lies abound in TSoYaM. I may say I don’t, but you all know I love a bit of angst and, boy, did I get it! I wanted to do some head knocking (quelle surprise). I may have also threatened certain pieces of a character’s anatomy *shrugs*. I apologise for nothing. It was very much deserved...

Yet doesn’t the truth always find a way to be revealed? At the end of the day, don’t we at least have to be true to ourselves? I’m all about the questions today, aren’t I? Oops! *snorts*

I cried (a few times!). In fact, the end of Chapter Twenty One had me sobbing my heart out. I’m such an ugly crier *rolls eyes*.

As you can imagine, TSoYaM tackles some sensitive issues and the tricky subject of prejudice. *sighs* I hate that is still a very real issue in our world today. I keep my fingers crossed for one day, one day, when who we love no longer matters.

Yes, *nods* I agree. This is definitely one of my most cryptic reviews to date. I just want you to go in blind and let Nora and Sophie tell you their story their way. Are they without flaws, heck no, but doesn’t that make them all the more relatable? Oops, I did it again *giggles*.

I was amazed at how quick I read this book. I just got lost and didn’t want it to end.

My first Melissa Lenhardt read, and I hope, by no means by last.

A story about second chances and being true to yourself.

I really enjoyed how the story and characters developed, and couldn’t put this book down - a great read!

Nora hasn't been home in a long time as her best friend and ex boyfriend betrayed her. A tragedy forces her home and she has to be involved with Charlie and Sophie again.

This is such a beautifully written love story. Poor Sophie having to living a lie and trying to hide her feelings for best friend Nora, growing up where being gay is frowned upon .
Nora and Sophie are both characters I loved from the beginning. The story has much more to give than a typical romance book, Love between a mother and daughter shines through also.

I loved the author’s writing and the book had me hooked from the first few chapters.
I was so completely hooked with this story and absolutely loved the two main characters.
Definitely worth a read but be warned it took over my weekend.

I found this really refreshing to read as it's not my usual type of book.

I found it really interesting to understand the struggle of sexuality and a LGBT relationship. It makes a change from the usual romance novels!!

I loved this so much and instantly warned to Nora, sophie and their story.

This story is about Nora & Sophie. It follows their original relationship & many years later when it is rekindled.
It covers looking back at the choices you made or were forced on you by others or circumstances. It looks at how those choices shape you.
I did find this story slow going st first but it did get going and was a pleasant read.

I didn't like this at all at the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure I was going to get along with Nora at all and a small town in Texas? Just. No. That said, I'm so glad I didn't give up because after that initial reaction I found myself enjoying it more and more.

Nora became someone I could relate to despite having precisely nothing in common with her and I eventually warmed to Sophie as well. It was just a really good love story and of course, it was something of an homage to "Persuasion" which is my favourite Austen novel. Mills and Boon is SO much better than it was when I was growing up!

I was really surprised to learn that this was a Mills and Boon title. It wasn’t what I would’ve expected at all. It’s a lovely love story of friends that has lasted through many years. It’s no great literary masterpiece but it’sa really nice read that gives you faith in love conquering all.

I was really surprised by this book. Didn't know if I'd enjoy it but was really pleasantly surprised. Loved the characters, loved the story line and loved the characters. Really enjoyed it and made a real change from my usual type of book.

Wow, what a fantastic book this was to read. A fantastic story that you a gripped from the start as the story slowly unravelled itself. Great characters telling a wonderful story and one I'd highly recommend people to read.

A completely different genre to my usual choice of book, but we all need to try something new from time to time. A story of two girls that shared a history together, finally reunited after years apart. The story deals with some powerful, topics but is well written. Not your usual Mills and Boon of days gone by, but don't be put off from giving it a go.