Soft like Summer

Rae Thompson has spent her entire life trying not to be noticed. At school, she fades into the background — oversized hoodies, headphones always in, her desk by the window like a quiet escape hatch. It’s easier that way. Safer. Especially when there’s a part of herself she’s not ready to name.



Then Isla Foster walks in: radiant, confident, impossible to ignore. When Isla chooses the empty seat next to Rae — and keeps choosing it — Rae’s carefully built silence begins to crack. A subtle glance becomes a note passed in class. A note becomes a secret. A secret becomes a kiss.



But one night at a party changes everything. When a moment meant only for them goes public, Rae is outed before she’s ready — and Isla is suddenly the girl everyone’s whispering about. Rumors spread. Friends turn. Rae must decide whether to retreat back into hiding or finally step into the truth of who she is, even if it means risking everything.



Soft Like Summer is a tender, emotional coming-of-age romance about falling in love for the first time, navigating identity, and learning that being vulnerable is the bravest thing you can do.