my thoughts on this flit back and forth a bit. im thinking maybe i need to read more by this author or others in this series to be sure. because sometimes i felt it was spicy to the max but soooometimes it flicked over into making me uncomfortable. the spice in this scene is such that any diving into this type of thing requires a level of safety to the point of procedural to make it actually safe. and for the female in this book i wasn't quite sure. but then i was. and thought i needed to let go of my angst a bit. maybe im being coloured by current culture and news at the moment surrounding woman? who knows. but for me showing spice like this needs a lot of care. especially when going in i truly thought this was a sweet and lovely kind of book, which can still have spice but is still cute. and this was def more spice and spice spice spice kind of book.
but as i say this i also liked the book so much too. Zoey was a great character to get to know. and i was rooting for her and a happy ending she would deserve. their is a tone of humour the author manages really well throughout. and i like that, it lightened it and made it more fun feeling.
i liked that Zoey after a marriage where she didn't feel like herself she wanted to then explore who that was. to gain a sense of self and self love isn't easy. when you have to step into a whole new chapter of your life it can be hard to feel like you know where to go at all. Zoey showed such power to try and find just that.
the side characters had some good giggle moments in this book too.
the heat is turned to the max in this between the pair of main characters. like seriously up the dial and your not even close.
so much i liked about this book, and yet im still left with uncertainty surrounding some parts. but i actually hope thats just me. because there was some great points to it and Ruby writes really well, its flows and feels so easy to read.
overall this book felt fresh and zesty and new.

This one really wasn’t it for me. I’m sure with a particular readership it will be a hit. The spice was very thorough, but there was not a lot beyond that.

Couldn't finish or get past the horrible writing. It felt like the writing style was very choppy. The scenes jumped without context. I couldn't do it.

This is a prime example of don't judge a book by its cutesy cover. I spent most of the book with my stomach all twisted up with the hopes that by the end I would be left with a shiny HEA moment, but that wasn't the case. This definitely took me for a ride that I wasn't prepared for. As this was an ARC, I didn't get a trigger warning and boy did I need one. I'm quite familiar with the dark romance genre, but nothing about the cover prepared me for the journey I was about to go on. I think the town and shop are amazing and a place that I would like to return to. I thought I would relate to the FMC due to my own infertility issues, but I honestly think I feel worse after her deep self destructive journey. There was loads of spice, but most of it left me with negative feelings. At times the degradation felt like it tilted a little too much towards the CNC side of things, which would have been a little easier to swallow if any sort of safe word had been discussed prior to the scenes. Overall there just felt like there were some pretty unhealthy behaviors being exhibited without the proper BDSM steps being demonstrated (aftercare included.) I hope in future books there will be more exploration of the FMC's desire for degradation but within a safer environment. As a reader, I would have not read this book had I read the trigger warnings and known what I would be encountering. With proper warning, I'm sure readers will find this town and these characters captivating and enjoy the journey the author takes them on. While I deeply desire to know if the FMC makes the choice to be with who I envision her with, I don't know that I will continue with the series for my own mental health. Spice 5/5

I had so much fun reading this one! Zoey getting caught reading spicy books at work by her boss’s ex-husband leads to some hilarious—and steamy—moments. The chemistry between Zoey and Richie kept me hooked, and their banter had me laughing and swooning at the same time. Perfect if you want a fun, flirty romance with lots of tension!

I was so scared that it wasn’t going to end like it did, but I was so thankful that she got her happy “ending”! Cannot wait to see what happens in her next book!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for letting me get an early copy of this amazing book!

This book had me chuckling more times than I can count, but I wasn’t ready for how spicy it would get. The heat level definitely caught me off guard!
What I really loved was Zoey’s journey. After leaving a marriage where she felt overlooked, she finally starts to embrace her independence. Her relationship with Richie is passionate and eye-opening, giving her experiences she never had with her ex. Even though she takes on a more submissive role with him, the story highlights something much deeper, how important it is to recognize your own self-worth and how that shapes every relationship.
Steeped in Secrets is a funny, steamy small-town romance that blends humor with real emotional growth. Zoey’s story is about more than romance, it’s about self-discovery, empowerment, and learning to step into a new chapter of life

This was spicy!! 🌶️😍
Much more spicier than I have thought!
I really loved the writing style!! It had such an great undertone to it!
The main character was so cool! And the quirky side characters made the whole vibe in this small town spicy romance great! Definitely a good choice for a quick spicy read with a great FMC.

Only the MMC was a bit of a weirdo for me personally😂 that’s because I cringed in a lot of the scenes 👀

Steeped in Secrets was a fun, fast-paced read that I devoured in one sitting. The small-town setting and teashop backdrop gave it charm, while the chemistry between Zoey and Richie definitely turned up the heat.

I started reading Steeped in Secrets on public transport on my commute home and let’s just say, this book is a lot spicier than the cover lets on! This book is unapologetically spicy and very open door.

It’s an easy read with hot moments, and an authentic heroine trying to navigate love, independence, and temptation. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it was an enjoyable escape and the kind of book you pick up when you want something flirty, fiery, and entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

Wow what a great book! I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The characters are great. I even enjoyed the secondary characters. The writing style was great and this really was an easy read. It had meek hooked from page one. I don't always have a hard time putting books down but this one had me..lol. I highly recommend this book if you are in a reading slump. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last!