After leaving Los Angeles burned out and bruised by ambition, a woman relocates to Seattle in search of something quieter. What she finds is rain, distance, and a connection with a woman whose steadiness challenges her understanding of love. Laurelhurst is a slow-burn sapphic novella about learning to trust again after surviving toxic relationships.

| What This Book Does Well |
This novella knows exactly what it wants to be. The slow-burn romance feels earned, even with the constraint of its novella length. The emotional development unfolds with intention rather than urgency as it explores more facets of relationships than just a new relationship. I appreciated the military-adjacent element, which isn't something I often see in sapphic stories. It meaningfully contributes to teh externsion tension and helps anchor the emotional arc. That added layer strengthened the cohesion of the story for me and prevented it from feeling purely introspective.

| Where The Book Fell Short For Me |
Since this is a novella and the start of a series, the ending felt somewhat sudden. I'm still unsure whether that reaction stems from wanting the story to expand further in length and depth, or from the subtle emotional distance I felt from the prose. The writing is smooth and gently poetic, but it carries a spareness that, at times, reads as emotional restraint. That restraint feels intentional, but it occasionally left me wanting a bit more immersion.

| Craft & Writing Quality |
At its core, Laurelhurts is interested in recalibrating what connection looks like after being in survival mode. I really loved the way that the novella prioritizes emotional recalibration through quiet steadiness and presence rather than sweeping plot moments.

I would classify this as literary fiction first, with romance as its vehicle. The love story unfolds in a way that feels quieter and more reflective than contemporary romance.

| Narration & Audio Quality |
From a technical standpoint, the audio quality was smooth and clear. However, I didn't fully connect with the narrator's performance. It may have been the combination of the prose and tonal delivery, but the narration created a slight distance for me. It didn't diminish my overall enjoyment, but I also wouldn't say it elevated my experience. Readers who prefer a more emotive narration style may feel similarly.

| Who I Would Recommend This To |
Readers who prefer literary fiction about romance. This story is more interested in exploring the emotional nuance and rebuilding trust than dramatic plot turns. While the themes are broadly relatable, the sapphic relationship adds a meaningful layer. Readers seeking queer love stories may find this one especially resonant.

| Final Thoughts & Opinions |
Laurelhurst is a brief but thoughtful story. I'm glad to see that it will continue as a series, because I would be interested in spending more time with these characters and seeing how their relationship develops next. This story explores romantic healing in a way that feels touching without becoming overwhelming - quiet, reflective, and intentional.

| Scoring Breakdown |
Personal Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution (Did the book do what it set out to do): 4.5/5
Writing Quality: 4/5
Characters: 3.75/5
Plot: 4/5
Audio/Narration: 3.5/5

Thank you to netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Loved this. Military Spouse here. It’s written in the way only a significant other could write soldier. K isn’t flat, she’s composed and is learning to love someone and let someone in.

The story rhythm pulled me in immediately. It was truly wonderful to read, like a warm hug. I was surprised the FMC didn’t know immediately about K’s job. The characters were written with depth and nuance. Author captured the love between K and fellow soldiers. K know’s she is asking a lot of a partner and she hesitated with good reason to let the FMC in. K was as consistent as her job allows and had to learn to trust.

This book explores the quiet third part of a relationship called Army in romantic relationships with service members, and the growth of FMC. I love this book. Well written and beautifully understood.

A novella-length romance with a straightforward, realistic plot. Not much happens but the writing is exquisite, and had me hanging on every word. The descriptions of Seattle made me nostalgic.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Robyn Unger is excellent.

I'm excited to listen to the sequel next!