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Soft Launch: A Coming-of-Adulthood Novel
Not yet published
Expected 1 Feb 26In her captivating debut, author Sarah Vacchiano tells an exciting “coming of adulthood” story about a young woman who takes a bold new path in her early thirties, leaving her old life—and starter marriage—behind.
When Sam walked herself down the aisle at the age of twenty-two, she never imagined wanting more than the life she had in that moment. Seven years later, with the ink still drying on both her law degree and her divorce papers, she arrives in Manhattan ready to start adulthood over and chase her dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer, determined to prove to herself that upending her life was worth it.
As Sam navigates the high-pressure world of Big Law—heady and demanding, and full of magnetic and powerful people—she finds an unexpected ally in her charming, supportive officemate, Charlie. But just as he begins to tear down the walls Sam has built around herself, she lands her first big client, a “Poker Princess” facing federal charges for running high-stakes games for Hollywood’s elite, and discovers just how high-stakes “fake it till you make it” can be when you’ve given up everything to become someone new.
Emotionally nuanced and delightfully frothy, Soft Launch is a sharp, witty novel that explores the messy reality of starting over and finding yourself.
When Sam walked herself down the aisle at the age of twenty-two, she never imagined wanting more than the life she had in that moment. Seven years later, with the ink still drying on both her law degree and her divorce papers, she arrives in Manhattan ready to start adulthood over and chase her dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer, determined to prove to herself that upending her life was worth it.
As Sam navigates the high-pressure world of Big Law—heady and demanding, and full of magnetic and powerful people—she finds an unexpected ally in her charming, supportive officemate, Charlie. But just as he begins to tear down the walls Sam has built around herself, she lands her first big client, a “Poker Princess” facing federal charges for running high-stakes games for Hollywood’s elite, and discovers just how high-stakes “fake it till you make it” can be when you’ve given up everything to become someone new.
Emotionally nuanced and delightfully frothy, Soft Launch is a sharp, witty novel that explores the messy reality of starting over and finding yourself.
315 pages, Paperback
Expected publication February 1, 2026
268 people are currently reading
5826 people want to read
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November 14, 2025Dear Reader, if you're like me and grew up on books like Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin or The Devil Wears Prada, you will love Soft Launch. Writing it brought me right back to that feeling of landing in New York City in my 20s where one day it felt like the world was my oyster and the next day I was sweating through my Subway commute, not sure if life would ever take shape. But it did - and this book is my love letter to that magical time and to New York City.
I like to describe it as Emily Henry meets Dolly Alderton, with a touch of a therapized Carrie Bradshaw.
As a fun aside, if you loved the book or movie MOLLY'S GAME, you'll appreciate the closer look into the real-life friendship that grew from working together as we both went through insanely transformational chapters in life.
If you take anything away from this book other than nostalgic rom-com vibes and cozy NYC feels, I hope it's the belief that life truly isn't about finding ourselves -- it's about creating ourselves. (Thank you George Bernard Shaw for those words that I literally owe everything to.)
And if you're an aspiring entertainment lawyer - hit me up because I will convince you it's the most amazing job in the world.
More soon,
Sarah
I like to describe it as Emily Henry meets Dolly Alderton, with a touch of a therapized Carrie Bradshaw.
As a fun aside, if you loved the book or movie MOLLY'S GAME, you'll appreciate the closer look into the real-life friendship that grew from working together as we both went through insanely transformational chapters in life.
If you take anything away from this book other than nostalgic rom-com vibes and cozy NYC feels, I hope it's the belief that life truly isn't about finding ourselves -- it's about creating ourselves. (Thank you George Bernard Shaw for those words that I literally owe everything to.)
And if you're an aspiring entertainment lawyer - hit me up because I will convince you it's the most amazing job in the world.
More soon,
Sarah
November 13, 2025
THIS BOOK!!!!!!! I initially read it in a single night where I could not put it down. It was so completely delightful and sharp-witted. Every character relatable, endearing, and real. I truly loved being welcomed into the unknown, insanely intense world of NYC big law, and the rom com elements made the story so enjoyable and satisfying. Think Emily Henry meets Devil Wears Prada but set at a relentless law firm. I have a feeling this is going to be a big hit next year. Recommending it to everyone I know.
January 2, 2026
I received a free advance copy of Soft Launch through Amazon Prime and was pleasantly surprised. As the synopsis explains, Samantha is in her late-twenties, rebounding from an early marriage and divorce and pursuing her dream of being an entertainment lawyer in NYC. The plot line with her office mate is telegraphed from miles away but still manages to be convincing and nuanced, and Sam’s journey seems realistic. The writing is good; I wanted to keep Sam from a few of her less well-considered choices, which I guess shows that I was pulled into the story. A very solid debut novel.
January 4, 2026
Kind of chaotic
I really liked the law stuff and found it fascinating as she handled the cases but the energy was frenetic and then the story just ended. The protagonist didn't really show growth as it ended abruptly.
I really liked the law stuff and found it fascinating as she handled the cases but the energy was frenetic and then the story just ended. The protagonist didn't really show growth as it ended abruptly.
November 13, 2025
Brilliantly written and such an aspiring story!!!
Review of advance copy
This book was part of Amazon Prime’s First Read Collection, so I was able to read it early and for free, and unfortunately, I really struggled with it.
But, I'm going to start with the positives.
1. This book was compulsively readable. Even though I didn't care for the story, I was very invested and wanted to keep reading.
2. Charlie (the love interest) was such a sweet character. He's so grounded and so easy to root for. I really felt like I knew him. He had so many little quirks. The author did a great job with his character. I'd love to read something from his POV.
3. I loved learning more about entertainment law. The high-powered, fast-paced world was SO fascinating. I really felt like I was watching a soap opera (in a good way) at points. This book would be a fantastic movie.
Moving on to the negatives:
I had so many issues with this book that I started taking notes on it like I was back in my college English classes. The first thing that caught my attention was the fact that Samantha (the main character) has no idea what the Freedom of Information Act is. Mind you, she went to Georgetown, which is one of the top fifteen law schools in the country, and she has NO idea what that even means? I just found that so unbelievable, but I digress.
My main issue with this book was the main character Sam. She is insufferable and impossible to root for her. Her ex-husband says it best:
“𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭.” 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭, 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞.” 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈’𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 ‘𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞’ 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝? 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮—𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨, 𝐒𝐚𝐦.”
and so does her best friend:
"𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬; 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.”
"𝐈’𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐦."
even her coworker after knowing her for like a month is able to clock Sam and her complete lack of self-awareness and her damaging thought processes:
"𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧."
But here's the thing, even with the amount of people in her life who are telling her the things she needs to hear, no matter how hard they are, she just continues to play the victim.
And I know the author wants you to feel bad for her, but like...it was her choice to get the divorce, which is her right. But I have a hard time seeing her as the victim.
My empathy lies with her ex-husband, Ben. I feel so unbelievably bad for him. He's the real victim, especially because he was blindsided by her choice. Again, her choice, but she didn't handle it well.
I know how traumatic, chaotic, and all encompassing divorces can be. I've seen it first hand, but I have a hard time sympathizing with Sam. Get a divorce to try and find yourself, that's fine, but don't whine about how that divorce is making self-discovery so hard.
She's incredibly selfish. Her friend Emilie says it best:
“𝐈 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞.”
And that's the whole book. She doesn't know Charlie's mom is sick because she doesn't ask about his family. She didn't know about Emilie's relationship, because she was too self-involved for her friend to even feel safe telling her. Even her client/friend Andie becomes Sam's pseudo-therapist. She doesn't care about anyone but herself.
So, one of the things this books tries to talk about is functional alcoholism, but it does it in such a poor way that it's almost laughable. Sam has a dependency on alcohol. She uses it to get through social situations and tough conversations. She recognizes her issue, but she doesn't do anything to change it. And obviously, that's not the focus of the book and that's how addiction is, but it was frustrating as the reader to watch that unfold over and over. And obviously that's how it can be to see someone deal with an addiction.
Maybe that was the point of the book. I am giving the author the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was trying to talk about addiction in the corporate world...and the pressure to drink when you're in such high-powered careers, but it was so poorly handled. Addiction is such a complex disease, that I understand why the author didn't want to really flesh it out and explore it, but she should have cut that aspect.
The other main issue I had with this book was how rushed it was. There's no resolution on some of the cases Sam was working on. There was no reconciliation between Sam and Emilie. We don't know how it ends with Charlie. The book ends on a majorly unsatisfactory note. There is NO character development, and that fact made the reading experience even worse.
My other grievances with the book are kind of small:
1. The constant brand-naming. Sam and her longchamp tote were so annoying. I stopped counting after five mentions. That's how bad it was.
2. Sam says and I quote: "𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐂𝐃 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲. 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐭𝐨” 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝."
I am so over people using OCD as a quirky little adjective. It's just gross to use mental illness as an adjective to describe your character being worked up over a work memo. I'd be more understanding if this was mentioned again, but it wasn't. Sam doesn't have OCD, the author just couldn't come up with a real adjective.
Here's some she could have used instead: 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. It's not hard to use a thesaurus, and not the DSM-5 to describe your characters.
Overall, I hesitate to recommend this book. The main character is hard to root for and the resolution doesn't really pay off. But hey, the book was free to read and I can exchange it for something else.
But, I'm going to start with the positives.
1. This book was compulsively readable. Even though I didn't care for the story, I was very invested and wanted to keep reading.
2. Charlie (the love interest) was such a sweet character. He's so grounded and so easy to root for. I really felt like I knew him. He had so many little quirks. The author did a great job with his character. I'd love to read something from his POV.
3. I loved learning more about entertainment law. The high-powered, fast-paced world was SO fascinating. I really felt like I was watching a soap opera (in a good way) at points. This book would be a fantastic movie.
Moving on to the negatives:
I had so many issues with this book that I started taking notes on it like I was back in my college English classes. The first thing that caught my attention was the fact that Samantha (the main character) has no idea what the Freedom of Information Act is. Mind you, she went to Georgetown, which is one of the top fifteen law schools in the country, and she has NO idea what that even means? I just found that so unbelievable, but I digress.
My main issue with this book was the main character Sam. She is insufferable and impossible to root for her. Her ex-husband says it best:
“𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭.” 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭, 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞.” 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈’𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 ‘𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞’ 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝? 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮—𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨, 𝐒𝐚𝐦.”
and so does her best friend:
"𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬; 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.”
"𝐈’𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐦."
even her coworker after knowing her for like a month is able to clock Sam and her complete lack of self-awareness and her damaging thought processes:
"𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧."
But here's the thing, even with the amount of people in her life who are telling her the things she needs to hear, no matter how hard they are, she just continues to play the victim.
And I know the author wants you to feel bad for her, but like...it was her choice to get the divorce, which is her right. But I have a hard time seeing her as the victim.
My empathy lies with her ex-husband, Ben. I feel so unbelievably bad for him. He's the real victim, especially because he was blindsided by her choice. Again, her choice, but she didn't handle it well.
I know how traumatic, chaotic, and all encompassing divorces can be. I've seen it first hand, but I have a hard time sympathizing with Sam. Get a divorce to try and find yourself, that's fine, but don't whine about how that divorce is making self-discovery so hard.
She's incredibly selfish. Her friend Emilie says it best:
“𝐈 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞.”
And that's the whole book. She doesn't know Charlie's mom is sick because she doesn't ask about his family. She didn't know about Emilie's relationship, because she was too self-involved for her friend to even feel safe telling her. Even her client/friend Andie becomes Sam's pseudo-therapist. She doesn't care about anyone but herself.
So, one of the things this books tries to talk about is functional alcoholism, but it does it in such a poor way that it's almost laughable. Sam has a dependency on alcohol. She uses it to get through social situations and tough conversations. She recognizes her issue, but she doesn't do anything to change it. And obviously, that's not the focus of the book and that's how addiction is, but it was frustrating as the reader to watch that unfold over and over. And obviously that's how it can be to see someone deal with an addiction.
Maybe that was the point of the book. I am giving the author the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was trying to talk about addiction in the corporate world...and the pressure to drink when you're in such high-powered careers, but it was so poorly handled. Addiction is such a complex disease, that I understand why the author didn't want to really flesh it out and explore it, but she should have cut that aspect.
The other main issue I had with this book was how rushed it was. There's no resolution on some of the cases Sam was working on. There was no reconciliation between Sam and Emilie. We don't know how it ends with Charlie. The book ends on a majorly unsatisfactory note. There is NO character development, and that fact made the reading experience even worse.
My other grievances with the book are kind of small:
1. The constant brand-naming. Sam and her longchamp tote were so annoying. I stopped counting after five mentions. That's how bad it was.
2. Sam says and I quote: "𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐂𝐃 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲. 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐭𝐨” 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝."
I am so over people using OCD as a quirky little adjective. It's just gross to use mental illness as an adjective to describe your character being worked up over a work memo. I'd be more understanding if this was mentioned again, but it wasn't. Sam doesn't have OCD, the author just couldn't come up with a real adjective.
Here's some she could have used instead: 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. It's not hard to use a thesaurus, and not the DSM-5 to describe your characters.
Overall, I hesitate to recommend this book. The main character is hard to root for and the resolution doesn't really pay off. But hey, the book was free to read and I can exchange it for something else.
November 14, 2025
I have been looking to get lost in a book for so long and Soft Launch did just that. I found myself thinking about the characters all day and tried to anticipate what was going to happen next. Sam’s story is relatable to every woman who seeks a supportive partner along with an independent life. Sarah Vacchiano’s writing is witty and smart and charming. I laughed, I cried and I cringed at Sam’s twists and turns. Sam is brilliant, Charlie is wonderful - I simply loved this book. I rarely read a book twice but I can’t wait to start it all over again. Huge BRAVO to Sarah Vacchiano on her debut witty and smart novel.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I am so lucky to have received an early copy of this book. I truly could not put this book down. The writing in this is so beautiful and captivating that you truly grow attached to these characters and feel like you are living the story through them. This is a book I will come back to time and time again to read as it truly captures what it is like to try to create the life that you want to live. Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone who is working towards becoming the person they want to be. This book shows that even if the road may be bumpy, if you keep following it, you will reach your goals.
November 21, 2025
So excited to celebrate my incredible friend Sarah and this beautiful book. It’s a witty totally enjoyable coming-of-adulthood story about someone who completely reshapes their life and starts again—a theme that fits perfectly with who she is: dedicated, enthusiastic, and a true example of someone who can always "make it happen." She pours that same energy and inspiration into everything she does so if you are looking to feel inspired, or simply looking for a "good read" add Soft Launch to your list!
November 22, 2025
Sarah Vacchiano’s debut novel, Soft Launch: A Coming-of-Adulthood Novel, is a sharp, utterly charming story that expertly blends the best elements of classic workplace drama and contemporary women’s fiction. It is the perfect literary cocktail for anyone who grew up watching Mary Richards toss her hat in the air, waited for Carrie Bradshaw’s next column, or secretly wished to survive a year under Miranda Priestly. Above all, it is an inspirational and aspirational story about taking that brave leap, leaving behind comfort and security, to pursue one's dreams and passions.
January 4, 2026
Inspirational Go Getter
Sam is a new associate attorney at an entertainment law firm grappling with guilt for divorcing her husband as she realized they wanted different things on life. Sarah Vacchiano captures Sam's voice in a manner that is so vivid, I feel like I'm talking to her myself! Sam is flawed and her life is a bit messy, but the author doesn't make it all okay like some novelists do. It's refreshing to read about a flawed character who doesn't figure it all out easily.
Great 1st novel! I highly encourage others to read Soft Launch!
Sam is a new associate attorney at an entertainment law firm grappling with guilt for divorcing her husband as she realized they wanted different things on life. Sarah Vacchiano captures Sam's voice in a manner that is so vivid, I feel like I'm talking to her myself! Sam is flawed and her life is a bit messy, but the author doesn't make it all okay like some novelists do. It's refreshing to read about a flawed character who doesn't figure it all out easily.
Great 1st novel! I highly encourage others to read Soft Launch!
January 5, 2026
The main personality the protagonist has is angst and guilt-which is also to say this could be a character in any book but there would also be no point to writing her into a book because there is nothing distinguishing about her. There isn't much driving the plotline of the book, either, no real twist or suspense or interest. The story is anticlimactic and the "coming to adulthood" description is pretty pathetic for a story about a 30 year old who gets handed everything she wants as soon as she embarks on her chosen career path
Review of advance copy
Amazon First Read - I really enjoyed this book overall. It was an easy, cozy read and sometimes a good fluff read is exactly what you need. The characters were fun to spend time with and the story kept me turning pages without feeling heavy or complicated. That said, the ending almost made me drop a star — I hate when they don’t end the story and leave things feeling unfinished. Still, a solid, enjoyable read if you’re in the mood for something light.
November 17, 2025
Soft Launch is the new The Devil Wears Prada for type-A thirty-somethings. Sarah Vacchiano's novel of a young lawyer messily embracing her own ambitions is a sharp, charming reminder that the verdict on your life is yours to write.
January 4, 2026
Fun, fast read
I love the character development of Sam throughout the story, but the ending left me wanting more. The dynamic of Sam’s insecurities, her friends hang ups with her shortcomings and her developing career made this a dynamic read.
I love the character development of Sam throughout the story, but the ending left me wanting more. The dynamic of Sam’s insecurities, her friends hang ups with her shortcomings and her developing career made this a dynamic read.
Review of advance copy
3.5 ⭐️
Sam was a compelling, fun, successful, and completely flawed character and I truly enjoyed getting to know her (even when I didn’t like her). Really good writing and pacing overall. The ending, however, felt abrupt and left me wanting more.
Sam was a compelling, fun, successful, and completely flawed character and I truly enjoyed getting to know her (even when I didn’t like her). Really good writing and pacing overall. The ending, however, felt abrupt and left me wanting more.
January 5, 2026
A super fun read I couldn’t put down! I loved the mix of highs and lows, romance, and emotional angst that so perfectly captures life in your 20s. The big-law details were an added bonus. Highly recommend!
January 3, 2026
Messy. And exciting. And the ending just left me going wait what? I hate endings like that!
January 4, 2026
I am picky with my 5 stars. The cliffhanger makes me want a second book. Maybe a series.
January 4, 2026
Loved the story line and the characters. Ending felt rushed.
Review of advance copy
I really loved the story of the book, but the way it ends was frustrating. You don’t get any resolution to what happens with the characters.
Review of advance copy
Amazon first reads. Insufferable main character.
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