Soft Power

by Lara Strathmore

She came to learn the language of influence. Instead, she discovered that knowledge is no match for want.

Lara Strathmore has always been disciplined - in her studies, in her silences, in the way she lets herself long without asking. Composed, clever, and chronically unseen, she is a psychology student raised in curated perfection, more fluent in theory than in touch. Desire, for her, has always been distant - aesthetic, imagined, withheld.

Until Julian Levine.

Older, emotionally intuitive, and maddeningly charismatic, he enters her life with an invitation to intern at his firm. As CEO of Levine & Brand, he sees through the polished performance to the ache beneath. What begins as intellectual mentorship deepens into a private gravity - glances that linger too long, conversations that cut too close, and nights that blur the line between discipline and surrender.

Through boardrooms, city streets, and the amber hush of autumn in New York, Lara's world shifts from analysis to experience. Every decision becomes a negotiation between control and confession, between the woman she was trained to be and the one she is quietly becoming. When the affair fractures under its own silence, she must choose whether to remain a reflection of someone else's power - or to reclaim her own.

A work of contemporary women’s literary fiction, Soft Power is an introspective, character-driven novella about forbidden intimacy, psychological power, and female self-discovery in modern New York. For readers of Anais Nin and Sally Rooney.

Tropes Include Age Gap, Office Tension, Forbidden Mentorship, Female Self-Discovery, Luxe Manhattan, Psychological Intimacy

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 11, 2025

About the author

Born into New England polish and living in Manhattan restraint, Lara Strathmore is an American psychology student who models elegance as armor and writes intimacy as risk. Her series, New York Always, is a slow-burn diary of control, confession, and the city that never lets her hide.

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/larastrathmore
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@larastrathmore

Reviews

[Sadie Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

As someone who usually loves a dual POV, I actually really liked that this was only told through Lara’s perspective. Since the whole story is about Lara learning to take back control and hold the power, seeing everything through her POV worked so well. You really felt every bit of her internal conflict whenever Julian was involved and watching her slowly lose herself in that dynamic was honestly so well written. Then Zoe stepping in with the equivalent of “wise up girl this is not you” and Lara finally finding herself again??? Loved that. And the paper at the end… queen behaviour honestly.

At the same time though… Lara is over here YEARNING for this man and I’m sitting there like girl I know absolutely nothing about him 😭 I genuinely could not tell you more than two facts about Julian, so I struggled to fully buy into why she was so attached to him. I almost wish we got a little more depth to his character, even if it still stayed entirely in Lara’s POV. Although honestly… if we had gotten Julian’s POV I probably would’ve hated him even more 😂

The pacing was really solid as well. It deals with a lot of themes around power and imbalance in relationships, which is a bit heavier than my usual smutty romances, but it never felt overwhelming or too intense. It balanced those themes really well while still keeping me invested the whole way through.

[Stefanie Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read Soft Power by Lara Strathmore, and overall it was an enjoyable experience. The story flows smoothly, making it an easy and engaging read from start to finish. The writing style is accessible and keeps you turning the pages without feeling overly complicated or heavy.

What stood out most to me was how effortlessly the narrative unfolds. The pacing is steady, and the characters are presented in a way that makes them easy to follow, even if they don’t always feel deeply complex. While the plot may not be groundbreaking, it remains consistently interesting and enjoyable.

All in all, Soft Power is a solid, well-written book that delivers a pleasant reading experience. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for something light, smooth, and generally satisfying without demanding too much effort from the reader.

[Kendra Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did and, in this case, I think it's a me issue. I've never been one to dwell into those minute details of perception and power like this book handled very well. It made it very easy to understand and what to look for and even read. Lara's internal thoughts made mine feel extremely shallow. I'll admit I found myself rooting for her to get more involved with Julian and hopefully change him for the better. Or at least to be better for her. That wasn't that kind of story. Honestly I think Zoe's story would likely be closer to my speed.

[Deyanira Montanez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, it is a fast space story as it is a short book , there’s still much to learn about Julian so I am curious what happens next. Lara is very straightforward and I enjoyed feeling like I’m in her head. There are some great quotes on power in this book, proving that the author really does want to invite us into Lara’s mind and allow us to learn as the character learns

[Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soft Power by Lara Strathmore has an interesting premise and some strong moments, especially in its exploration of influence and control. However, I found it hard to stay fully engaged. In particular, I feel like we don’t really get to know Julian, which made it harder to connect with the story. Overall, it’s an okay read, but it didn’t quite live up to its potential for me.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about finding your voice and discovering who really holds the power in a situation. I want to know more about the characters...who they are, where they came from and what drives them. Hoping that more of their stories are discovered as the series unfolds.

[Jo Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this story very intriguing. I felt her being distant from her true self, just going thru motions and not being true to herself. I loved the chemistry they had together, although like other have said I wanted to knock some sense into both characters at times lol

[Brenda Bailey Townley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soft Power is a book that dives into the crazy psychology of control in relationships, perfectly capturing the essence of a private meltdown, and targets readers who love contemporary fiction that's all about watching characters go through some stuff.

[Kat Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intelligent gameplay of power and intimidation. Smartly written with the right push for raising the temperature.

ARC opportunity.

[Marianne Antonichuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read soft power it is a quick read but it also has meaning to it as well the book is powerful and you can really learn from it as well loved it