The Soft Launch: As Friends To Lovers, The Internet Shipped Them First. (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798295427510)

Tessa Moreno has a strategy for everything. After a public burnout imploded her corporate career, she's ready to rebuild as a freelance marketing consultant. Her first b[ig gig? Saving PulsePoint, a struggling local studio. Her plan is professional, organized, and completely safe.

Luke Harrington has a secret. For five years, the steady, sports fitness trainer has been hopelessly in love with his best friend. But he knows Tessa needs stability, not a complicated romance, so he's settled for being her anchor-the guy who fixes her coffee, talks her down from panic attacks, and keeps his feelings locked in a vault. He is the ultimate protective hero, waiting for a sign that will never come.

But when a promotional livestream goes wrong (or very, very right), a camera captures Luke catching Tessa in his arms. The chemistry is undeniable. The internet explodes.

Suddenly, #TeamLukessa is trending. Strangers are analyzing their micro-expressions. And the studio has a new solution to save the business: give the people what they want.

They agree to a "Soft Launch"-a strategic fake dating campaign designed to drive engagement. It's the perfect plan: forced proximity for content, ambiguous captions, and clearly defined boundaries.

But as they stage date nights and film couples' workouts, the lines between content and reality blur. The touches linger too long. The look in Luke's eyes feels a little too real. It's a classic best friends to lovers trap, and they are walking right into it.

Tessa is terrified that her anxiety representation makes her "too much" for a happy ending. Luke is terrified that if he tells the truth, he'll lose the friendship forever. But with 200,000 followers watching their every move, they're about to learn that you can't edit the truth.

He falls first, but she might just fall harder.

THE SOFT LAUNCH is a slow burn contemporary romantic comedy full of funny witty banter, heart-melting tenderness, and a viral romance that feels all too real.

If you love:

• Workplace romances where the stakes are high
• Golden Retriever energy meets Black Cat panic
• A hero who has been pining for years
• Healthy mental health rep

Then this is your next obsession.

This is a closed door sweet clean romance with sizzling chemistry but no on-page spice.