What if the life you left behind was the one that finally felt like home?

Mara Calloway has built a career writing perfect lives for people who don’t live them. But burnout sends her back to Maple Crescent—the quiet street she once ran from—and straight into Eli Hart, the boy next door who grew into the kindest man she’s ever known.

She expects awkwardness.

She doesn’t expect comfort.

Or laughter.

Or the soft unraveling that happens around sunset basketball games, late-night grocery runs, and a wish list taped to the fridge filled with the kind of dreams she forgot she was allowed to have.

When a major opportunity pulls her back toward the shiny world she built, Mara faces the choice she’s been avoiding for years:

the life she always chased…or the one that finally feels honest.

The Softest Kind of Want is a tender, heartwarming small-town romance about home, healing, second chances, and the quiet love that grows when you stop running. A perfect pick for fans of emotional, character-driven love stories and cozy suburban settings.

⭐ Key Features

• Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction

• Tone: Soft, emotional, slow-burn

• Setting: Small-town suburban neighborhood

• Spice Level: Light / Fade-to-black

• Perfect for readers who enjoyed Every Summer After, Book Lovers, or Things We Hide from the Light

• Themes: coming home, rediscovering self, healing from burnout, choosing a softer life, friends-to-lovers energy

⭐ Specifications (Edit as Needed)

• Format: Paperback (insert trim size)

• Pages: (insert)

• ISBN: (insert)

• Publisher: Story Seed Press

• Publication Date: May 13, 2025

• Printed on demand / ships worldwide