Safe Place

by Rae James

She only knows survival. He only knows privilege. One connection changes everything.

SOPHIE LENNOX has rules. Lock the door twice. Don't owe anyone anything. Never let anyone close enough to ask why.
Westcliffe University was supposed to be her clean break—three jobs, eighteen credits, a future in law school, and a thousand miles between her and the dark past she ran from. Her life is carefully controlled, because that's the only way it's ever worked. She doesn't need rescuing. She just needs quiet.

MICAH VALE doesn't do quiet. The heir to a multi-billion-dollar empire, he runs his life on a calendar he hates and a name he didn't choose. Every door has been opened for him; none of them were ones he picked. Then a class project puts him in a group with a girl wearing the same sweatshirt as him, and his perfect schedule starts rearranging itself around her.

He's everything she's never let herself want. She's everything he isn't supposed to fall for. And when the past she fought so hard to escape begins closing in, Micah is the one who refuses to look away.

A slow-burn college romance about healing, hypervigilance, and finally finding a safe place to land.

Safe Place is a slow-burn, emotionally intense college romance featuring a protective hero, found family, and themes of trauma, healing, and love.

Westcliffe Series Book 1 — each book follows a different couple and can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Romance

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2026

Reviews

[Gabby]

If you want something so sweet with an MMC who’s obsessed after seeing the FMC once, this is your book. The debut romance from Rae James had me cheesin due to the fact of how absolutely obsessed Micah was with Sophie. This man literally sees her in class, finds her at her job on accident and it’s all a slippery slope from there. It’s Micah asking, “but why am I like this” that had me laughing at that part.

Sophie Lennox is a scholarship student working two jobs and on her way to a third one. She really has no family and no one who loves her unconditionally. One of her classes has a group project thats picked at random and in walks Micah Vale, millionaire and heir to his family’s company. He takes one look at Sophie and is drawn to her immediately. What starts out as wanting to protect her and be there becomes utter obsession to make her his.

Sophie was the character you wanted to hug so tight because this girl needed one badly. She was so precious and we love an FMC that actually lets the MMC help her… eventually. She was sweet and strong but also so alone, that when Micah befriends her, all the puzzles pieces start clicking into place.

Micah was absolutely insane in the most fluffy way if I can describe it that way. The way this man takes care of Sophie, he’s so down bad for her and there’s no going back. I was smiling every time he did something for her because 1. She deserved everything and 2. They were so extreme, anyone would be like, good sir, you did what now? 😂 He was literally a puppy just trailing after her. And then there’s a not so fluffy side to him that I was like 😮‍💨. Also, when he says, “ we’re not friends, you’re my girlfriend,” to Sophie, girl he wasn’t asking, he was definitely telling because Sophie was his.

This is a cute romance with closed door scenes for the most part. You get all of the emotion of the act but no descriptions. This book would be a good palate cleanser if one needs. You get the obsessed MMC, the wonderful FMC he rescues with their feelings and no smut. And the way Rae James wrote this, Micah can definitely get and he’s a patient king for sure.

This book also had a close knit friend group that I cannot wait to explore more of in her next books. And the way this book is set up, a lot of the chapters were split up with the main characters and I really enjoyed that. I loved that we got each of their perspectives in that chapter.

Thank you to Rae James for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Tropes:
✨opposites attract
✨billionaire heir x scholarship girl
✨he falls first and harder
✨ptsd/anxiety rep
✨touch her and d*e
✨college romance
✨found family
✨witty banter

[caitlyn :)]

it’s hard to believe that this is rae’s debut book!! this is so so well put together and the dynamic between sophie and micah is so pure 🥹 sophie is such a strong person and micah recognizes that while also taking stressors off her plate to allow her to thrive. he’s a man obsessed and i love it 💗 thank you to the author for sending me an e-arc of this!

[Raechel Tomaselli]

I deducted many points for the author making the fmc’s favorite color white

[Jean]

3 stars: for a debut novel, better than expected and cute but
1. Pacing of story was iffy
2. Micah hiding stuff from Sophie. So many secrets and withholding info in this group
3. Relationship building with the couples and the “found family” needed work. Too fast and surface lvl
4. For Sophie’s issues with trust and safety, she trusted and felt safe with almost a stranger pretty quickly
5. Lowkey Micah throwing some of his money around. Cool/good for you but also some loose ends
6. Rushed ending

Full review:
while a cute story, the pacing was weird. It was slow then fast. Not a lot would happen yet they’d get together and progress their relationship so quickly. Like Micah barely ended his FWB a few weeks before he was intrigued with Sophie then fell. It was almost love at first sight. Like it hasn’t even been a semester since he met her but they both fell pretty hard.

This was like Wattpad vibes with many cliches. The tropes of found family also felt weak because they barely knew each other or interacted. The friends only liked Sophie because she got Micah acting differently. Then for another couple to date & break up & live in another friends guest room after they moved out?

Another issue was Micah hiding things and doing things behind her back. It came up a lot but even 80% in, he still didn’t tell her he did a background check on her and was already aware of the shit she was going through. Also the stuff with his dad? Where’s the mom in the picture. If the dad lets go of things related to the mom or grant and dad loves the mom who was just an artist, then why doesn’t she have a role in his life? Is she even alive?

How did Sophie’s cafe job react to Micah’s connections preventing her from losing her job? What happened to the guy that harassed her? He drives her to school now; what about the car he gave her? If the next book is a different couple, how do we know Micah’s dad’s reaction since they’re marrying to protect Sophie from him. Things were just placed/handled and left open ended. It’ll be nice if this couple gets a sequel because the ending was rushed and left me with so many questions

[Kaitlyn Mahone]

I’ve been having the time of my life with Instagram reels and finding hidden gems with indie authors and their books. I came across a fun reel about Safe Place about a month ago, and I immediately was intrigued by the premise and of the little snippets of the writing.

I want to thank Rae for selecting me to ARC read. I was so excited for the opportunity. This book did not disappoint! I loved the characters, the plot, the healing aspect, and prose. I also love how understanding and loving the FMC towards the characters. (**MINOR SPOILERS INCOMING: AND there is no third act break up-THANK YOU, RAE!**)

This is Rae’s debut novel, and it was written so well. It was very addictive because I wanted to know what would happen with our characters. I connected with the pretty much all the characters. You feel for the characters.

Some of the tropes include: opposites attract, found family, healing from traumatic events, touch her and 💀, protective MMC, soft yet strong FMC, college romance, etc.

I absolutely loved this book! However, there are some topics that can be triggering for some people. However, I genuinely think the events were handled with care. I am so looking forward to the next books in the series because there’s a storyline with one of our secondary couples that I need worked out. Haha!

I highly recommend this book!

[Kaylee Fronius]

I absolutely adored this book. It is so well written and the story stuck with me. The characters were relatable and I was able to easily relate to them. This book was such a good representation of Mental Health and I could see myself in the pages. I also love the way it fit into the romance genre. Usually in romance books there is a third act break up and constant miscommunication. I feel like the author stayed away from these stereotypes. This helped build a better relationship with the characters as well as make her own place in the reading community. Safe place was an amazing read and I am so excited for the rest of the series to be released. This book holds a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to see what else Rae James has to give to the reading community.

[May🍓]

ARC review of Safe Place by Rae James. Sophie & Micah🥹🥰 This book was exceptional. I enjoyed this book from first page to last page. Truly honored to receive this ARC. Sophie is a struggling 20 year old college scholarship kid who is barely making ends meet. She is placed in a group project with Declan who she knows and 3 people she doesn’t. Micah is a billionaire heir who is put into the same group as Sophie. He gets very protective over Sophie not even he knows why. I really did enjoy this book so much and loved that it touched tastefully on mental health and feeling safe after trauma. Troupes Found family, forced proximity, golden retriever MMC, touch her and find out.

[Andrea Garcia]

I got the amazing opportunity to get this book as ARC, and wow, it’s such a beautiful book, as a romance girly it really live to the expectations, a very nice and healthy relationship, loved the mix of friends to lovers but with the drop of he fell from the very begging, I started reading and couldn’t let go, you can feel all the emotions both Micah and Sophie have, can’t wait for the next books, congrats Rae!!

Definitely one of the top reading of this year

[Kayleigh]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from the author.
Sophie’s had a hard life and is running herself ragged working 3 jobs to pay for rent and college expenses. When Micah starts falling for her, how long will it take her to realize he’s a secret billionaire? When her past resurfaces he is the only one to make her feel truly safe.
This is one hell of a debut. It was so easy to read and get lost in Micah and Sophie’s story. Some of Micah’s actions were a little questionable and I thought Sophie was going to have a different reaction to some things than she did but these two were meant to be together.
I’m so glad the author has this as a planned series since it’s impossible to not love the whole friend group and I’m looking forward to Poppy and Wyatt’s story!

[Andrea]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Safe Place by Rae James was such a great read! It pulled me right out of my reading slump.

I absolutely adored Micah and Sophie. They’re the perfect friends-to-lovers couple, and even though they couldn’t be more opposite, they fit together so perfectly. Their relationship develops in a way that feels so genuine, making them impossible not to root for.

Micah is a protector to his core, and when he says he’s going to “take care of it,” you know he means it. Sophie is strong, independent, and determined to make her own way, which made watching her journey unfold on the page that much more rewarding. Her character growth was beautifully written and was one of my favorite parts of the book.

I’m already looking forward to seeing what comes next with this interconnected friend group. I can’t wait to spend more time with these characters!

[Stef]

4.5 stars ⭐️

Oh my heart—this was soo flipping cute! 😭🩷

The first thing I genuinely asked myself was, “This is a debut?” Because the amount of times I found myself smiling and giggling was insannneee.

You can never go wrong with a college romance, and this one did not disappoint. I loved how sweet and gentle yet fiercely independent and strong Sophie is. Her determination and the amount of character growth she goes through were so rewarding to see.

And Micah???

Don’t even get me started because the amount of patience and devotion that man had for Sophie was just so sweet. I honestly think I felt my heart melting more than once. 😭

I especially loved their friendship and the way their relationship evolves. Micah slowly breaking through Sophie’s defenses simply by being the kind and considerate person he is was EVERYTHING. And I loved how Sophie ends up changing his entire worldview because she doesn’t see the billionaire, the popular guy, or the heir to a huge company. She just sees Micah.

Girl literally got excited and offered the man who could probably buy an entire store her employee discount and then whispered it to him so it could be their little secret. 😭🩷 I WAS DONE.

I will say, there were definitely moments when I wanted to shake Sophie a little and yell, “PLEASE DEFEND YOURSELF!” 😂 I did get frustrated waiting for her to stand up for herself, but at the same time, I understood why she struggled with it because of everything she’d been through. She was trying so hard to hold onto her kind and soft-hearted nature, and I respected that about her even when my impatient self was sitting there like, “Fine. I’ll wait. Impatiently, but I’ll wait.” 🤣

The trauma was also handled with so much care, especially during the heavier scenes and some of the more difficult topics throughout the story. I really appreciated the way the author approached those moments while still maintaining the warmth and coziness of the overall story.

I loved the author’s fun and cozy writing style and the way the characters and story came together to create just the right amount of sweetness. This genuinely felt like the kind of book you want to curl up with and keep reading, and it quickly became a new favorite.

My other critique would be that some chapters felt a little too long. With the POV switches between chapters, I understood why some chapters needed more space, but even with the scene breaks, I think having a few shorter chapters sprinkled throughout would have offered a little more breathing room, especially between some of the heavier chapters.

Overall, this was such a sweet, heartwarming, and cozy read. It wasn’t quite a perfect five-star read for me, but I loved these characters, loved their relationship, and loved watching Sophie grow throughout the story.

And I still cannot believe this was a debut. 😭🩷

[Danielle]

There are no words to describe how much I enjoyed this book. I was totally immersed in this novel after reading a few chapters, and holy cow - this book is totally worth reading.

Sophie is a college student majoring in law. She is balancing multiple jobs while trying to maintain her scholarship. Sophie has gone through a lot of hardships growing up - her mom and stepfather being alcoholics, and she experienced sexual harassment and abuse from her stepfather. Although her stepfather was in prison, Sophie still experiences panic attacks when triggered. One day in class, the professor assigned the class a group project, and Sophie was grouped with some new classmates and met Micah and his friends. Little did she know that Micah would be her safe place and gain a new family who loves and protects her.

Micah is the next heir of his father's company after his older brother rejected the business. As soon as he saw Sophie in class for their group project, it was love at first sight for him. Since the beginning of their interaction, he was always there for Sophie. For whatever reason, he was just so attracted to Sophie, so he tried to get to know her by spending time with her whenever he could. The more he spent time with her, the more he noticed the little things about her - like the way she dresses and the way she is applying herself to work multiple jobs. Micah knew something was going on with Sophie, so he asked someone to look into her. Although his gut feelings were right that something indeed was going on with Sophie, he did not expect to learn the dark truth or past about her. Because of that, Micah did whatever he could to protect Sophie and make her feel safe and loved.

I felt so bad for Sophie because she definitely did not deserve all that harassment from those people. But I am glad that she met good people through Micah. They were all so friendly with her from the beginning and protected her from the class bully. My favorite scene is when Micah got his friends to wear the same hoodie or sweater as Sophie. I think that was one of the sweetest gestures that Micah did for Sophie so that she could feel accepted.

I highly recommend reading this novel because the love between Sophie and Micah is just so heartfelt.

I cannot wait for the next book to come out because that ending was something else, and it definitely piqued my curiosity.

[Simply Adventures]

*content warning the MMC does have a FWB who wants to be more for a few months and he does sleep with that FWB in the morning that he meets the FMC and later that afternoon the FWB does go to the MMC and tries to sleep with him but he breaks everything off. OW Drama with a sprinkle of OM stalker drama*

Currently reading in just a few thoughts. The fmc's job situation doesn't make a whole lot of sense. She tells Us / the MMC that she lives off campus about 30 minutes away she walks unless she uses the bus that cost money. She works at the campus coffee shop and she tells the MMC that they offered her a position to be an assistant manager but she couldn't do it because it would give her too many hours because she's working in 18 credit semester but then she talks about getting a job as a tutor on campus which I guess wouldn't give her as many hours but if someone request her then she would have to tutor them in order to get money. But that's not a solid hours and she might not be able to accommodate other people's tutoring time so there's that. Then she mentions how she has an extra room in her apartment so she put out a listing for a roommate and that she would have to drop a class and find another job if she did not get a roommate to help her cover expenses for the off-campus housing. Then on top of this she also has works at the campus bookstore. So instead of trying to find a 4th job why didn't she just work another shift at the campus bookstore or the coffee shop or take the assistant manager position where she would have more hours and she could drop the other shifts at the bookstore. I don't know it just didn't make a lot of sense. I can understand why she keeps the bookstore job just because she does get a discount on things like clothing and supplies.

I do like the writing it has a good flow although the FMC is already borderline tstl (too stupid to live) vibes and I'm unsure if she's going to break away from that.

I like the dual POV and I like that you get their povs Throughout the chapter you don't have to and just read filler. The story is definitely setting up for the other characters in the book but I do feel it is focused a lot on the MMC and the FMC you don't lose those characters in the story.

[shruReads]

ARC review of Safe Place by Rae James: I received the copy today and finished it in one sitting. To start off, the story is such a sweet, strangers to lovers, slow burn college romance that had me swooning. The MMC, Micah is a sweetheart and FMC, Sophie is a resilient and kind person. The story starts with them being in the same group for a project and how slowly and steadily they become friends and then lovers. Micah protects her, cares for her and does things for her but always apologises when he knows he's at fault. He's a walking green flag and so considerate of Sophie, respectful of her decisions and choices as he understands that she carries something heavy from her past and is a fighter. Likewise, Sophie was a darling. She's had a tough past, but the maturity and dignity with which she chose to distance herself from her past and build something out of her life says volumes. She's independent as hell but slowly with Micah being there for her when no one else ever was, she learns to lower her guards and lets him in because he's a constant she never had, always present, backing her up. The bond between the friends is also so cute with the banter and jokes. Micah and Sophie's relationship starts with a meeting at a cafe and their story takes off. Their bond grows over time coming with their own set of issues and struggles but they both handle it so well, holding onto each other, trusting that it'll be all alright. The cute moments, the spark, the realisation of being in love, the story progressed beautifully. It was a pretty good read for a debut novel. Also breadcrumbs for upcoming books in the series, loved that. Waiting for the second book. Thanks to the author for giving me a chance to read the story through the e-arc. It was a soft and pleasant experience🩵

[Adhara]

Honestly this is book is just so freaking adorable and endearing. The love story development between Micah and Sophie is just to DIE forrrr. I absolutely adored the way they became friends and slowly began to become more, the way Micah would be subtly flirtatious and make jokes to make Sophie blush, to the way Sophie slowly starts to trust him. UGH! Everything about them was just so freaking wholesome. And Micah, the man that you are! Gave me the giggles FOR REAL LOL. We love a MMC who will not hesitate to stand up for their girl!

I am a very nit picky reader though and I will say that certain parts of the story needed to be developed a bit more in my opinion. Personally, I just couldn't connect as much to the side characters. I just felt as though they needed a bit more context to show the found family aspect. It was there briefly during the study sessions with Wyatt and brief moments with Grant, but I just wish there was more because I definitely fell in love with this group! I also wished that we got to see a bit more of Micah's story and Sophie's interactions with his family as the threats from his dad and the solution of marriage just felt a bit rushed. In other words, I loved this story so much that I just wanted MORE.

That being said, the fact that this is a debut novel is incredible! She put so much attention and detail into building up Sophie's background and the MMC/FMC relationship. I read this book so fast and could not stop thinking about their romance/friendship. Thank you to the author for sending me an early copy! I can't wait to see your future work! <3

[Shannons Book Nook]

ARC Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Safe Place by @raejames.author

Some books tells a love story. Safe Place tells a story about healing.

From the very first page, Rae James creates an emotional journey centered on trust, vulnerability, and finding the courage to let someone in after life has taught you to keep your guard up. Sophie and Micah’s relationship isn’t built on grand gestures alone—it’s built on patience, understanding, and the quiet moments that slowly become everything.

Micah completely stole my heart. He’s protective without being overbearing, gentle when Sophie needs him most, and willing to earn her trust one step at a time. Watching him become Sophie’s safe place made this romance feel incredibly authentic and deeply emotional.

Sophie is a heroine you’ll want to root for. Her struggles feel real, and her journey toward healing is handled with care and compassion. Rather than rushing her recovery, the story allows her to grow at her own pace, making every breakthrough feel well deserved.

The slow-burn romance had me hanging onto every interaction, and the found-family elements added so much warmth to the story. If you love emotional romances where love isn’t about fixing someone but standing beside them while they heal, this book absolutely delivers.

Read if you love

🫶 He falls first and harder
💛 Found family
🎓 College romance
✨ Emotional healing and hurt/comfort
💼 Billionaire hero
❤️ Protective MMC

Rae James’s debut is a heartfelt reminder that sometimes the greatest love stories begin with someone simply saying, ”You’re safe with me.” I can’t wait to see where the Westcliffe series goes next.

[Richelle Bocking]

I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy of Safe Place by Rae James. Here's my honest review below!

Wow! This opposites-attract, emotional college romance did not disappoint! It was raw and authentic, there was sadness and heartache but also joy and friendships and of course love/romance.

My heart broke for Sophie and all she had to endure, despite this she works hard to make her own way, living a quiet life. Then she meets Micah the extroverted billionaire. From the moment these two meet there's a shift in them both. Micah finds himself repeatedly drawn to Sophie, finding ways to spend time with her even if it's just a car ride together. Sophie finds herself being equally drawn to Micah and the ease / comfort his presence provides her. The more time these two spend together the more their relationship grows. I loved seeing Sophie find safety and trust with Micah and in turn seeing Micah care for Sophie in the most heart warming ways. These two had great communication and the banter was 10/10!

The way Sophie regains her spark throughout the story was inspiring!

The friendships in this story were also some of my favorites, specifically Poppy and Sophie's friendship. I felt they really complemented each other well!

I absolutely adored this book and I cannot wait to read more in the series!

[BK Reads]

I honestly don't know where to start with this review. Ok, as if this is a debut novel!? Like WTF!? Rae James is so so talented and I honestly felt blessed to read this early. So thank you to Rae for the ARC. It was pure bliss.

Sophie and Micah are two characters that ar first glance look like they would never be together, but from the get go Micah is infatuated. The way this man yearns for Sophie is insane. The friendship they create before they start to date is honestly beautiful.

The romance is so swoony and so pure. I love a golden retriever MMC and Micah is exactly that! He is so down bad for Sophie and he would do anything for her.

Sophie is such a strong and independent character. It is so nice to see her growth, where she becomes confident enough within herself to trust and lean on someone else.

It is relatively closed door. Just an fyi. I don't think the story really needed it to be frank.

The friendships in this book were also phenomenal and I cannot wait to see which characters Rae will be focusing on next! So please do yourself a favour and pick this one up! You won't regret it 🩷🩷

[Chong]

4.5 stars ⭐️ "If this is what it feels like to be loved, let it consume me."

Sophie & Micah’s friends-to-lovers relationship is SO sweet & pure!! 🥹

The moment Micah realized he was playing chauffeur & rearranging his schedule for Sophie, he was already DOWN BAD!! I’m obsessed with how attentive he is, always noticing the little things & remembering everything about her. He’s so protective & willing to do ANYTHING for Sophie. I LOVE HIM - immediately added to my book boyfriend list!! 🫶

My heart aches for Sophie. She carries so much trauma, yet she remains incredibly strong & kindhearted. The fact that she struggles to depend on Micah after having to survive on her own for so long made me want to give her the BIGGEST hug everrr 😭 It was so heartwarming to watch her walls slowly come down & see her learn to trust Micah as he continued to show up for her, again & again.

I’m excited to learn more about the rest of the friend group & see how their stories unfold. I also hope we continue to get little glimpses of Sophie & Micah’s story along the way because I’m not ready to let them go just yet!! 🥹

THANK YOU RAE for the lovely copy! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!! 🫶

[Andersen Raines]

Wow! This book genuinely has been on my radar for months and getting an advanced copy was something I hadn’t imagined I would get! I cannot believe that this is Rae James’ debut novel, it reads so cleanly and doesn’t leave stones unturned!

This book is so wholesome! Honestly makes you believe in romance again in such a sweet, and genuine way! I loved that while this was not a short read by any means the pacing kept up and I was able to finish this novel in just under 4.5 hours! I genuinely tried to put it down, but Micah and Sophie had other plans.

Micah and Sophie truly imprinted on my heart and I cannot wait to dive in deep to the Westcliffe series! If you are looking for a novel that will just make you tear up from happy tears, while also making you feel so deeply for the FMC then this is definitely The novel for you!

I can say with complete certainty that this will be on my re read list for years to come. The joy of this novel is infectious and I can’t wait to read this first novel again and will be awaiting more from Rae James and the Westcliffe students!

[Sandy]

Wow Rae, there is no way this is a debut novel. This book is your debut novel. It’s such a beautiful story. I was literally addicted. So hooked. Micah is such an amazing MMC. Protective, kind, comforting and compassionate. Sophie is so sweet, reserved, careful, but wanting to just be joyful in life and safe. She’s living in a sort of fight or flight stance, after years of trauma. Micah sees her, for who she truly is, deep inside, and continues to show up for her. Breaking down her walls. Together, that beautiful chemistry and love story blossoms into so much more.

This story has amazing side characters that I absolutely fell in love with! Grant and Wyatt (Micah’s best friends are just as amazing as he is and true gentlemen) and Poppy (Sophie’s bestie) is such a refreshing character for Sophie’s development.

Truly adore this book as an entirety, and I’m so eager to learn about the side characters as well.

[Rachel Pettinger]

4.5 stars
This is the first ARC I’ve ever read and it did not disappoint. I honestly could not put this book down. It was one of the most healthy relationships I’ve read, especially with the characters being young. I was waiting for the show to drop, for a third act break up but it never came and I loved that. Sophie was just the sweetest person and just wanted to belong. Her trauma and anxiety was written so well, it was honest and raw. I just wanted to be her best friend. Micah is the epitome of a “if he wanted to, he would” guy. The way he supported Sophie and never pushed for anything more than what she could give made my heart ache in the best way. The scene where he confronts Sophie’s step dad and mum was soooo worth the wait. I’m so happy this is going to be a series because I need Wyatt and Poppy’s story so bad after that ending.

[BoserMom]

I can’t believe Safe Place is a debut novel and it completely stole my heart!

From the first few chapters, I was already swooning. Sophie has spent her life in survival mode after a difficult childhood, while Micah, who comes from a successful family, quietly does everything he can to make her life a little easier. Watching him become her safe place was so incredibly sweet.

I also loved that Sophie found a family in Micah’s close-knit group of friends, and I already can’t wait for their spin-off books.

This closed-door college romance has just the right amount of suspense as Sophie’s past catches up with her and Micah navigates the pressures of his family. As an ARC reader, I adored every page. It reminded me of all those butterflies and college crushes, and I found myself smiling the entire time.

I wasn’t ready for it to end. An easy 5 stars!

[Lilysbookshelf]

4.5 STARS!

Micah and Sophie were literally everything. I absolutely adored Micah and the way he tried to protect Sophie any way he could. This man was smitten since he first laid eyes on her and it was so cute watching him fall more and more in love with her.

I loved Sophie's character. Her character felt real and raw. I related to her so much and I just love when I can because it makes me feel seen in ways I didn't know I could.

I'm already in love with this friend group. Grant is such a funny character, and I can't wait to read about him. Wyatt is so mysterious that I need to know what goes on in that man's life. And Poppy. I just already love her, and I can't wait to see more of her. Can't wait to get to know more about these characters.

[Isabelle]

I enjoyed this book a lot! Micah and Sophie are adorable together. I love the found family in the story and the friend group as a whole. Each character had their own personality that made them stand out individually.

The story was an easy-to-read, cute college romance. It is dual pov. There were quotes throughout the book that made me fall in love with the characters. I really enjoyed the growth of Sophie specifically, because I believe many people can relate to her in different ways. I will say that the pacing of the book was very fast, but that will not stop me from reading the next book in the series.

Overall, if you love college romances and the found-family trope, I believe that you will enjoy this book.

[Tienna Smith]

Rae James I am so glad I stumble upon your Tik Tok and joined your newsletter! Thank you so much for allowing me to read an ARC of your debut book.

The story sucked me in from the beginning and I read it in one sitting, I absolutely loved the progression of Sophie and Micah’s growth as individuals, and together. As they both heal and learn to come out of their comfort zones in different ways. Each character was easy to connect with and the entire story from start to finish was just so well put together. I cannot wait to read more of your work in the future!

If you like the style and love stories of Lianna Cincotti, but with more open door intimacy you should definitely pick up this book.

[Beta]

I received an ARC from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"I've never been someone's priority. Never been loved like this."
Omg! This was amazing, I was crying happy tears at the end. I was immediately hooked by the first chapter and throughout the book I just had such a connection to Sophie and related a lot to her. What I really loved about Sophie though was how real she was, she didn't feel like a fictional character I was reading about and I feel like thats so rare. Micah was so caring and understanding and I just loved that he had a soft spot for Sophie almost immediately. The found family aspect was also so good, I really loved Wyatt, Grant and Poppy and I'm excited to see more of them! This book also does such an amazing job of talking about sensitive subjects in a very real way, which I really appreciated. Please check the trigger warnings for this book!

[Emily]

It has been such an honor to read Rae James’ debut novel. I enjoyed every second of this book, from the story to the characters. I loved how each character was set up personally and I felt like I really knew the characters well.

Micah and Sophie are so precious to me. The dynamic and care between the two is extremely dynamic and I felt immersed in their journey with eachother. There was such sweetness and care from both sides and I loved getting to see the two continuously care for each other in their own special ways.

I can’t wait to see what else Rae has for us.

[Miriam.reads2much]

I was invested from the beginning, Sophie and Micah are just 2 characters that you can't help but fall in love with, and just want to see where the story takes them. You get
Opposites attract romance, mental health representation, forced proximity, nobody's ever going to hurt you again. I love seeing Sophie persevere over her childhood trauma and letting herself enjoy life and let people in without expecting the worst. This is one of my favorite reads of the year

[Kristina Smith]

This book was AMAZING!! The way that it was written never left me feeling bored. The story itself, beautiful! I absolutely loved meeting Sophie and Micah and cannot wait to read more from this author! This author is going to the top I can feel it and I cannot wait! Thank you so much for sharing this with me.