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Soft on Soft
Contemporary romance where one homebody and one extrovert make one hell of a love story.
June Bana might post nearly daily makeup looks that gain thousands of likes but Real Life June has built a wall behind which she exists with her two cats.
But with messy feelings getting in a way of early hermit life, June begins to realize that she wants more. She wants model/actress, Sunshine Reincarnated Selena Clarke. It doesn't hurt that Selena is amazing with cats and quiets down June's anxiety to bearable levels.
June is given the choice of facing her anxieties about relationships to gain not only a girlfriend but also a better understanding of how far she'd go for love.
But would she take it? Would she leave her comfort zone for something softer?
Soft on Soft is a character-driven without an intense plot or conflict! For fans of something low on the angst and high on the fluff
June Bana might post nearly daily makeup looks that gain thousands of likes but Real Life June has built a wall behind which she exists with her two cats.
But with messy feelings getting in a way of early hermit life, June begins to realize that she wants more. She wants model/actress, Sunshine Reincarnated Selena Clarke. It doesn't hurt that Selena is amazing with cats and quiets down June's anxiety to bearable levels.
June is given the choice of facing her anxieties about relationships to gain not only a girlfriend but also a better understanding of how far she'd go for love.
But would she take it? Would she leave her comfort zone for something softer?
Soft on Soft is a character-driven without an intense plot or conflict! For fans of something low on the angst and high on the fluff
167 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2018
37 people are currently reading
2723 people want to read
About the author
Mina Waheed
2 books61 followersMina grew up on TV and K-pop like many in their generation. They learned a lot about how to be a hermit and not interact with people, but they love to hear from readers! Reach Mina through social media or email if you’re shy like them.
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September 12, 2018This romance feels like an antidote to a lot of things. It’s f/f with no homophobia against the MCs (and indeed diverse queer rep, all positive, with nonbinary and ace spectrum people, and one of the MCs is pan). It’s got two fat leads, one entirely happy with her body and one more anxious but no fatphobia. Both POC, one black, one Arab/Persian and a Muslim, and they’re allowed to be completely soft and happy with one another, without hurt and anger: racism and Islamophobia clearly exist in the world but only inasmuch as both women are conscious of their identities and there’s no overt bigotry. June suffers from anxiety and Selena is totally supportive and understanding, which creates a space where June can work on her issues.
Effectively, the book is about two multiply marginalised people taking centre space in a world that loves them and allows them to love each other. And is thus as warm and soft and fluffy as a duvet.
If you like your romance to have conflict, or a driving external plot, this book may not work for you because there’s basically none: June’s anxiety is the only issue impeding the HEA here and it’s not a significant one. This is very much a book about fat neurodivergent queer women of colour being seen and centred, and loving and being safe throughout with absolutely no threat, anger, pain or distress, and more power to its elbow for doing what it does.
However, it really did need a decent edit to sort out some confusing flashbacks and a lot of text errors. Allow me a moment to get angry. Between “f/f doesn’t sell” and the institutional racism of publishing, a book like this is pretty much doomed to self publish, which means a first time author must either shell out a *lot* of money on edits with no idea of what they’re likely to make back financially if they can even afford the spend in the first place, or not do that and then the book isn’t as polished and effective as it should be and readers are put off. Granted lots of people don’t get book deals, but this is a systemic injustice disproportionately affecting marginalised authors, which is something we should bear in mind when we insist that every self pubbed author must pay an editor. Answers on a postcard (and if the answer is ‘burn down publishing and start again’ just let me get the matches).
Effectively, the book is about two multiply marginalised people taking centre space in a world that loves them and allows them to love each other. And is thus as warm and soft and fluffy as a duvet.
If you like your romance to have conflict, or a driving external plot, this book may not work for you because there’s basically none: June’s anxiety is the only issue impeding the HEA here and it’s not a significant one. This is very much a book about fat neurodivergent queer women of colour being seen and centred, and loving and being safe throughout with absolutely no threat, anger, pain or distress, and more power to its elbow for doing what it does.
However, it really did need a decent edit to sort out some confusing flashbacks and a lot of text errors. Allow me a moment to get angry. Between “f/f doesn’t sell” and the institutional racism of publishing, a book like this is pretty much doomed to self publish, which means a first time author must either shell out a *lot* of money on edits with no idea of what they’re likely to make back financially if they can even afford the spend in the first place, or not do that and then the book isn’t as polished and effective as it should be and readers are put off. Granted lots of people don’t get book deals, but this is a systemic injustice disproportionately affecting marginalised authors, which is something we should bear in mind when we insist that every self pubbed author must pay an editor. Answers on a postcard (and if the answer is ‘burn down publishing and start again’ just let me get the matches).
June 9, 2020
3.5 stars, i might be being too generous but it was was really really cute and sapphic so sue me!
May 20, 2019
very cute, very queer, and very NOT sexually explicit (for my ace babies)
March 13, 2019
My full review of this book can be found on my blog, The Quiet Pond.
Soft on Soft was indeed incredibly soft - it warded my anxiety attacks or helped me ride through them. And that's saying something.
- About two fat and queer women - Selena, a Black model/actress, and June, a Persian make-up artist - and their lovely slow-burn romance.
- This book is a slice-of-life; there isn't a distinct plot, but is centered on their budding relationship and the small but significant hoops and hurdles they overcome together.
- This is probably one of the most stress-free books I've read in a long time. It was just so lush and gentle.
Trigger/content warnings:
Soft on Soft was indeed incredibly soft - it warded my anxiety attacks or helped me ride through them. And that's saying something.
- About two fat and queer women - Selena, a Black model/actress, and June, a Persian make-up artist - and their lovely slow-burn romance.
- This book is a slice-of-life; there isn't a distinct plot, but is centered on their budding relationship and the small but significant hoops and hurdles they overcome together.
- This is probably one of the most stress-free books I've read in a long time. It was just so lush and gentle.
Trigger/content warnings:
dnf
May 20, 2020➽ book 28 out of 100
DNF @ 37%
i really don't think it's my place to critique this book.
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DNF @ 37%
i really don't think it's my place to critique this book.
read for my reading romances video on youtube!
youtube ❀ twitter ❀ instagram
June 5, 2020
If you're looking for a SUPER SWEET F/F romance, this is the book for you. There is so much diversity regarding race and sexuality. But the story itself was a bit too sweet for me. June and Selena met through work; June is a makeup artist and Selena is a model. They were so cute around each other and I loved how open and honest they were about their relationship and where they wanted things to go. With my romances, though, I don't really like it when they're just about a happy couple. I wanted more to happen and it was just about them hanging out and being together. So this one was a bit too slow and happy for me.
July 1, 2020
3.5
A cute fluffy romance between 2 fat (and fat-positive) women of color. One, Selena, is a black demisexual model, and the other, June, is an Arab-Persian Pansexual with anxiety and 2 cats (and a bisexual muslim mom). At one point Selena has a baby shower for some friends, a Female/Nonbinary couple and the nonbinary person uses she/her pronouns, showing that not all nonbinary people use they/them pronouns. Her name is Noor and she is also black.
Whenever someone's pronouns isn't known they/them is used, as well as some nonbinary people who use they/them all the time. I love how that is normalized.
This cute queer diverse fluffy romance made me queer heart so happy! It's pure fluff and I loved it.
There were quite a lot of references which I only knew because it would constantly have a character say it was a reference and I was like "reference to what?" so that was kinda annoying. As well as several typos to the point it got annoying and typos usually don't annoy me.
The characters at times felt a little younger than they claimed to be but that could just be me.
It was definitely modern with many texts and emojis. It felt like something many people, myself included, could use right now. Cute modern fluff.
There were a few eye rolling moments but for the most part I really did enjoy it. For anyone that doesn't want smut, this isn't smutty at all. There is an epilogue with some (sweet and consensual) smut though you can skip that if you want.
A cute fluffy romance between 2 fat (and fat-positive) women of color. One, Selena, is a black demisexual model, and the other, June, is an Arab-Persian Pansexual with anxiety and 2 cats (and a bisexual muslim mom). At one point Selena has a baby shower for some friends, a Female/Nonbinary couple and the nonbinary person uses she/her pronouns, showing that not all nonbinary people use they/them pronouns. Her name is Noor and she is also black.
Whenever someone's pronouns isn't known they/them is used, as well as some nonbinary people who use they/them all the time. I love how that is normalized.
This cute queer diverse fluffy romance made me queer heart so happy! It's pure fluff and I loved it.
There were quite a lot of references which I only knew because it would constantly have a character say it was a reference and I was like "reference to what?" so that was kinda annoying. As well as several typos to the point it got annoying and typos usually don't annoy me.
The characters at times felt a little younger than they claimed to be but that could just be me.
It was definitely modern with many texts and emojis. It felt like something many people, myself included, could use right now. Cute modern fluff.
There were a few eye rolling moments but for the most part I really did enjoy it. For anyone that doesn't want smut, this isn't smutty at all. There is an epilogue with some (sweet and consensual) smut though you can skip that if you want.
September 6, 2018
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC! Preorder it on Amazon here! |
Review also on my blog
Drop what you’re doing at this exact moment and preorder this on Kindle. You won’t regret it.
If there was one word I could use to describe this book, it would be: inclusive. Every sapphic individual looking for representation can find themselves in the pages of this book. I can’t explain how special it was for me, a plus sized, anxious, and bisexual teenager, to see someone like me in a healthy, adorable relationship.
Have you ever read a dedication that made you cry? Soft on Soft had me enthralled and squealing with joy from the very first page, something that is difficult to achieve with me. We all adore angst in romance, but sometimes it’s refreshing to just have a clean, fluffy relationship that makes you clutch your heart in excitement. I’ve already preordered my copy on Amazon, and I recommend you do too! It’s only $2 and supports a wonderful #ownvoices author.
June is a fat, anxious, pansexual, Middle Eastern makeup artist whose Instagram has gotten a lot of traction. Selena is a popular fat, black demisexual model who has quite a large following too. June has done Selena’s makeup multiple times over the past few months and feels a connection between them, but is too anxious to make a move. Selena, on the other hand, has been outright flirting with June and finally invites her to her best friend’s baby shower one day.
It’s difficult to articulate how wonderful it is to see yourself represented in a book for the first time, and the same could be said for the other identities that are represented in this book. I read a lot of F/F romance, but I’ve never seen a fat, sapphic main character whose story doesn’t revolve around losing weight or other fatphobic tropes. It was so refreshing to see a homebody character like June in a relationship with an extrovert that understands how social interaction can exhaust her and doesn’t pressure her any further. Every time June’s anxiety was explored I was nodding my head at my Kindle because I related to her so much. For one, she has two cats that she considers genuine friends, and she lowers the volume of her music when she’s driving so others on the road aren’t disturbed. These are such trivial things to get excited over, but it’s rare to see such relatable introverted attributes. There was also a lot of diversity in the side characters, such as June’s best friend Shelby going by “they/them” pronouns and it is respected by those around her. Also – and I think this is important to note – there wasn’t any homophobia (or discrimination in general) aimed at the main characters, which is such a refreshing thing to experience.
The writing was simple, yet very poetic. It wasn’t difficult to follow the story and the metaphors/similies were all wonderful to read. Normally I’m adverse to popular culture references in books, but I genuinely loved the ones in Soft on Soft. Maybe this is because they’re mainly gay popular culture references, we’ll never know. I loved the quotes from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, and Queer Eye and they all made me laugh out loud.
This is an uneventful plot since there isn’t any angst in the romance. I’d argue that this is a good thing since many sapphic romances in the past have been imbued with tragedy and we deserve to read pure fluff by now. However, it was difficult to keep my attention at times because there was no underlying complication to the plot.
Overall, I obviously loved this book and I would definitely recommend it. Pick it up for the inclusive, sapphic representation! Read it for the fat main characters where their weight doesn’t encompass their entire character, or they aren’t forced to lose it all! Consider buying it for the #ownvoices anxiety and Middle Eastern representation and support the author! I can guarantee you’ll find something that you can love in this short book.
Twitter | Blog
Drop what you’re doing at this exact moment and preorder this on Kindle. You won’t regret it.
If there was one word I could use to describe this book, it would be: inclusive. Every sapphic individual looking for representation can find themselves in the pages of this book. I can’t explain how special it was for me, a plus sized, anxious, and bisexual teenager, to see someone like me in a healthy, adorable relationship.
Have you ever read a dedication that made you cry? Soft on Soft had me enthralled and squealing with joy from the very first page, something that is difficult to achieve with me. We all adore angst in romance, but sometimes it’s refreshing to just have a clean, fluffy relationship that makes you clutch your heart in excitement. I’ve already preordered my copy on Amazon, and I recommend you do too! It’s only $2 and supports a wonderful #ownvoices author.
June is a fat, anxious, pansexual, Middle Eastern makeup artist whose Instagram has gotten a lot of traction. Selena is a popular fat, black demisexual model who has quite a large following too. June has done Selena’s makeup multiple times over the past few months and feels a connection between them, but is too anxious to make a move. Selena, on the other hand, has been outright flirting with June and finally invites her to her best friend’s baby shower one day.
It’s difficult to articulate how wonderful it is to see yourself represented in a book for the first time, and the same could be said for the other identities that are represented in this book. I read a lot of F/F romance, but I’ve never seen a fat, sapphic main character whose story doesn’t revolve around losing weight or other fatphobic tropes. It was so refreshing to see a homebody character like June in a relationship with an extrovert that understands how social interaction can exhaust her and doesn’t pressure her any further. Every time June’s anxiety was explored I was nodding my head at my Kindle because I related to her so much. For one, she has two cats that she considers genuine friends, and she lowers the volume of her music when she’s driving so others on the road aren’t disturbed. These are such trivial things to get excited over, but it’s rare to see such relatable introverted attributes. There was also a lot of diversity in the side characters, such as June’s best friend Shelby going by “they/them” pronouns and it is respected by those around her. Also – and I think this is important to note – there wasn’t any homophobia (or discrimination in general) aimed at the main characters, which is such a refreshing thing to experience.
The writing was simple, yet very poetic. It wasn’t difficult to follow the story and the metaphors/similies were all wonderful to read. Normally I’m adverse to popular culture references in books, but I genuinely loved the ones in Soft on Soft. Maybe this is because they’re mainly gay popular culture references, we’ll never know. I loved the quotes from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, and Queer Eye and they all made me laugh out loud.
This is an uneventful plot since there isn’t any angst in the romance. I’d argue that this is a good thing since many sapphic romances in the past have been imbued with tragedy and we deserve to read pure fluff by now. However, it was difficult to keep my attention at times because there was no underlying complication to the plot.
Overall, I obviously loved this book and I would definitely recommend it. Pick it up for the inclusive, sapphic representation! Read it for the fat main characters where their weight doesn’t encompass their entire character, or they aren’t forced to lose it all! Consider buying it for the #ownvoices anxiety and Middle Eastern representation and support the author! I can guarantee you’ll find something that you can love in this short book.
Twitter | Blog
May 19, 2019
I don't know how to explain how this made me feel, but basically I felt like I was always waiting for something to happen, I don't know.... this was indeed soft, but I think I'm not too good with books that are purely romance and nothing else. I also felt like it all happened too quickly and there was no transition between most chapters.
3.25
3.25
May 30, 2020
This short book was cute and I really appreciated the representation it features. June and Selena are the definition of soft and cute girlfriends, they are so comfortable around each other and I'm so glad they can be at ease with one another and be their true selves.
Throughout the book I was always waiting for something to happen, but there was none of that. This book is all about a soft and sweet romance and I think I wanted a little more than that to be added to the story.
Throughout the book I was always waiting for something to happen, but there was none of that. This book is all about a soft and sweet romance and I think I wanted a little more than that to be added to the story.
October 7, 2020
Another #SapphicSeptember read (yes, I know it's October now shhhhhh)!
The perfect burst of serotonin ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ plus size woc being sappy and soft, we truly love to see it
3.5 stars!
The perfect burst of serotonin ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ plus size woc being sappy and soft, we truly love to see it
3.5 stars!
September 10, 2018
What a sweet book! Em Ali definitely delivers on the promise of a soft, fluffy romance!
Read the full review on my blog!
Read the full review on my blog!
September 15, 2018
2.5 stars
I love how diverse this book was but that's pretty much the only thing I loved about it.
The writing is...bad. Maybe there is potential but honestly this read like it was a very rough first draft that needed to be heavily edited.
There's also really no plot and the story in itself is very slow and kind of boring and I feel bad for saying that but I was sooo bored reading this. Maybe it's the way the 3rd person was written (mixed with the writing not being great IMO) but it was so hard to feel invested or even know who was talking or what was happening to who. A lot of times I felt confused about who was touching who, who was saying what, etc and that is something I feel that could've easily been fixed had the author edited this better.
The romance is super cheesy and fell a little flat to me. They're cute and I'm happy that they're happy but I felt like things moved soo quickly and I know this book is called Soft on Soft and it's a soft romance and all but this was just too cheesy for me. Also, I felt like a lot of the dialogue centered around media lingo or move/tv show insiders that I just didn't get and so it went completely over my head and I was left feeling so clueless about what the heck they were talking about half the time.
I wanted to love this so bad but it was just "okay" to me. I will always love it for it wide variety of diversity but for me, this did not live up to my expectations.
I love how diverse this book was but that's pretty much the only thing I loved about it.
The writing is...bad. Maybe there is potential but honestly this read like it was a very rough first draft that needed to be heavily edited.
There's also really no plot and the story in itself is very slow and kind of boring and I feel bad for saying that but I was sooo bored reading this. Maybe it's the way the 3rd person was written (mixed with the writing not being great IMO) but it was so hard to feel invested or even know who was talking or what was happening to who. A lot of times I felt confused about who was touching who, who was saying what, etc and that is something I feel that could've easily been fixed had the author edited this better.
The romance is super cheesy and fell a little flat to me. They're cute and I'm happy that they're happy but I felt like things moved soo quickly and I know this book is called Soft on Soft and it's a soft romance and all but this was just too cheesy for me. Also, I felt like a lot of the dialogue centered around media lingo or move/tv show insiders that I just didn't get and so it went completely over my head and I was left feeling so clueless about what the heck they were talking about half the time.
I wanted to love this so bad but it was just "okay" to me. I will always love it for it wide variety of diversity but for me, this did not live up to my expectations.
September 11, 2018
This is the story of a Middle Eastern anxious pansexual MC and a black extroverted demisexual LI. Both the prologue and the epilogue are written from Selena's point of view. All the rest is from June. And I loved June. She has anxiety, and yet reading the story from her was so damn comforting. The rep was honestly that good. Cathartic.
The romance between them develops quickly, with both of them having had long standing crushes on the other at the start of the story. What I liked, though, was that they didn't jump into having sex. Although we didn't get a lot of Selena's identity thoughts as a demisexual person, I appreciated that sex wasn't just on the table as they got closer.
Somehow, despite the fact that they start dating fairly early on, this is a bit of a slow burn. I think it's because the majority of the story is them getting to know each other while dating, rather than dancing around each other as would happen in the usual kind of slow burn story.
I loved the way June thought about her body, and Selena's. I loved how much body positivity and celebration was in here. I loved that both women were professionally powerful in their own rights. And I loved the Instagram fanbase that we saw bits and pieces of every so often.
Honestly, this story is everything that its title promises.
The romance between them develops quickly, with both of them having had long standing crushes on the other at the start of the story. What I liked, though, was that they didn't jump into having sex. Although we didn't get a lot of Selena's identity thoughts as a demisexual person, I appreciated that sex wasn't just on the table as they got closer.
Somehow, despite the fact that they start dating fairly early on, this is a bit of a slow burn. I think it's because the majority of the story is them getting to know each other while dating, rather than dancing around each other as would happen in the usual kind of slow burn story.
I loved the way June thought about her body, and Selena's. I loved how much body positivity and celebration was in here. I loved that both women were professionally powerful in their own rights. And I loved the Instagram fanbase that we saw bits and pieces of every so often.
Honestly, this story is everything that its title promises.
September 11, 2018
This book is so aptly named because it really was the cutest and softest book ever right from the beginning! The mutual pining, my word *clutches chest*
Honestly, the fat girls in love book we need and deserve! Both MCs are fat queer girls of colour! (middle eastern pansexual MC + a fat black demisexual LI to be exact!) From the moment Em started talking about this book I was intrigued and so glad to finally start it.
This book delivers on all the squishy, adorable moments that make your heart soar. I’m not even exaggerating here. Little moments like when June’s doing Selena’s makeup or when June came to Selena’s get together and they have some alone time before Selena’s friends arrive and when they went out on that date!
This book is so full of feel good moments, and it’s low on angst. So fluffyyyy. It’s really two fat girls getting to know each other, navigating their respective crushes on each other, dating and seeing them fall for each other ^_^ There are a lot of quiet moments between the two and it really added to the sweetness of the book.
And their text exchanges are adorable. Every single one of them made me smile.
At no time was any aspect of the plot about losing weight. Selena does mention how nice it was to be able to borrow June’s clothes. This line really stuck with me:
“No, no. I’m just—it’s nice. To be able to borrow someone’s clothes without worrying about the fit.” She thumbed the t-shirt almost lovingly.
And June does showcase a bit of self-consciousness but their weight is never portrayed in a negative way and really as we get June’s POV for all the chapters, except Prologue and Epilogue which belong to Selena, seeing Selena through June’s eyes was just lovely.
We also do get to see June dealing with her anxiety. Aspects of which were so relatable to me. Let me tell you meeting anyone’s friends and going to a party where you only know one person can be really nerve wrecking but I loved how Selena’s friends just embraced June. Also when they agree to be girlfriends and Selena asks if she can go public about it. June admits it’s something she’s anxious about and Selena didn’t press the issue.
The love and care that went into writing this entire book is so very clear to me.
Also, June and Selena don’t exist in a vacuum. We get secondary characters who are queer and people of colour too! June's bestie, Shelby uses they/them pronouns and I want them to get a book! :) Also June's mom is bi! More queer parents in books please!
And the cats! June’s cats, Lemon and Mint get some page time too and I loved how they felt like characters in their own right.
And Annnnnd the Epilogue was so perfect and sweet. Having it be in Selena's POV was awesome and omg the final closing sentence. *squeals*
Also, keep going after The End cuz there's a bonus scene with June and Selena :)
If you want a fluffy, feel good romance book with two fat girls of colour then heyyyyyyy this is just for you!
Honestly, the fat girls in love book we need and deserve! Both MCs are fat queer girls of colour! (middle eastern pansexual MC + a fat black demisexual LI to be exact!) From the moment Em started talking about this book I was intrigued and so glad to finally start it.
This book delivers on all the squishy, adorable moments that make your heart soar. I’m not even exaggerating here. Little moments like when June’s doing Selena’s makeup or when June came to Selena’s get together and they have some alone time before Selena’s friends arrive and when they went out on that date!
This book is so full of feel good moments, and it’s low on angst. So fluffyyyy. It’s really two fat girls getting to know each other, navigating their respective crushes on each other, dating and seeing them fall for each other ^_^ There are a lot of quiet moments between the two and it really added to the sweetness of the book.
And their text exchanges are adorable. Every single one of them made me smile.
At no time was any aspect of the plot about losing weight. Selena does mention how nice it was to be able to borrow June’s clothes. This line really stuck with me:
“No, no. I’m just—it’s nice. To be able to borrow someone’s clothes without worrying about the fit.” She thumbed the t-shirt almost lovingly.
And June does showcase a bit of self-consciousness but their weight is never portrayed in a negative way and really as we get June’s POV for all the chapters, except Prologue and Epilogue which belong to Selena, seeing Selena through June’s eyes was just lovely.
We also do get to see June dealing with her anxiety. Aspects of which were so relatable to me. Let me tell you meeting anyone’s friends and going to a party where you only know one person can be really nerve wrecking but I loved how Selena’s friends just embraced June. Also when they agree to be girlfriends and Selena asks if she can go public about it. June admits it’s something she’s anxious about and Selena didn’t press the issue.
The love and care that went into writing this entire book is so very clear to me.
Also, June and Selena don’t exist in a vacuum. We get secondary characters who are queer and people of colour too! June's bestie, Shelby uses they/them pronouns and I want them to get a book! :) Also June's mom is bi! More queer parents in books please!
And the cats! June’s cats, Lemon and Mint get some page time too and I loved how they felt like characters in their own right.
And Annnnnd the Epilogue was so perfect and sweet. Having it be in Selena's POV was awesome and omg the final closing sentence. *squeals*
Also, keep going after The End cuz there's a bonus scene with June and Selena :)
If you want a fluffy, feel good romance book with two fat girls of colour then heyyyyyyy this is just for you!
March 3, 2019
The title is perfect.
These two are so soft and their relationship is the Softesst Softness in Softland.
These two are so soft and their relationship is the Softesst Softness in Softland.
September 11, 2018
3.5 stars
Very cute and very soft and very sapphic!
Soft on Soft is a novella about two fat sapphic girls of color in a relationship. They have started dating in the beginning of the book and we see them dating and growing closer together & being super adorable together.
The novel is 100% romance focused, it was great to see the established couple on page and not the whole getting-together-by-the-end-of-book. I can definitely see myself rereading this soft precious romance when I’m in need of a comfy read. The story is low on drama, the dynamics between the MCs feel realistic.
The main characters are the stars of the novella! June Bana is pansexual Aran-Persian fat young woman, she has anxiety. June is a make-up artist and a proud mother of two cats, Lemon and Mint. Selena Clark is demisexual Black fat young woman, who works as model and she’s aspiring actor. Both of the girls love media, they have watched A:TLA and VLD together. They have a lot in common, and while Selena is more easy-going and June is more of a private person, they balance each other perfectly!
As I said I loved their romance, I love that they say “they are friends who also have romantic feelings”. It was awesome to see two people developing their relationship on their own pace, without rushing or pressuring each other.
The supporting cast is great as well. The story feels effortlessly diverse, to name a few: Shelby is June’s best friend and they are wonderful, June’s mother is bisexual hijabi Arab woman.
The reasons I’m rating the book as 3.5 stars:
•typos and mistakes in the beginning. I felt like later on there weren’t any but the begging threw me off.
•the shifts between present time and the character remembering past events were unclear. I got confused with “why is that person here? why are we here? what’s happening?”
•I believe it’s hard to develop multiple plot line in such a short span of a book but it would’ve been cool to have individual arcs for Selena and June.
Overall, Soft on Soft is lovely romance novella with adorable main characters. If you’re a romance reader, I definitely recommend you to pick it up!
CW: panic attack, anxiety.
Very cute and very soft and very sapphic!
Soft on Soft is a novella about two fat sapphic girls of color in a relationship. They have started dating in the beginning of the book and we see them dating and growing closer together & being super adorable together.
The novel is 100% romance focused, it was great to see the established couple on page and not the whole getting-together-by-the-end-of-book. I can definitely see myself rereading this soft precious romance when I’m in need of a comfy read. The story is low on drama, the dynamics between the MCs feel realistic.
The main characters are the stars of the novella! June Bana is pansexual Aran-Persian fat young woman, she has anxiety. June is a make-up artist and a proud mother of two cats, Lemon and Mint. Selena Clark is demisexual Black fat young woman, who works as model and she’s aspiring actor. Both of the girls love media, they have watched A:TLA and VLD together. They have a lot in common, and while Selena is more easy-going and June is more of a private person, they balance each other perfectly!
As I said I loved their romance, I love that they say “they are friends who also have romantic feelings”. It was awesome to see two people developing their relationship on their own pace, without rushing or pressuring each other.
The supporting cast is great as well. The story feels effortlessly diverse, to name a few: Shelby is June’s best friend and they are wonderful, June’s mother is bisexual hijabi Arab woman.
The reasons I’m rating the book as 3.5 stars:
•typos and mistakes in the beginning. I felt like later on there weren’t any but the begging threw me off.
•the shifts between present time and the character remembering past events were unclear. I got confused with “why is that person here? why are we here? what’s happening?”
•I believe it’s hard to develop multiple plot line in such a short span of a book but it would’ve been cool to have individual arcs for Selena and June.
Overall, Soft on Soft is lovely romance novella with adorable main characters. If you’re a romance reader, I definitely recommend you to pick it up!
CW: panic attack, anxiety.
Read
September 12, 2018so cute, so soft, so sapphic, so safe and queer and soft again. soft the whole time.
i am absolutely heartbroken that i didn't connect with the story and the characters as much as i wanted to. occasionally i stumbled over the writing, sometimes typo's or grammar, sometimes maybe the style. apart from that (and this too, i know, doesn't distract everyone) it is definitely an 'its not you its me' case. also the cover is amazing and also so soft! this romance novella is soft and kind and cute and so important and lovely to read about two fat girls of colour falling (and being) in love.
rep: june is pansexual arab-persian, fat and has anxiety. selena is a black, fat, demisexual model and activist.
cw (copied from book description): Content warning for a discussion of a passed-away parent in chapter 2, a depiction of a panic attack in chapter 8, mention of anti-ace language used against LI in the past, and usage of gendered slur "bitch" not in a menacing manner
i am absolutely heartbroken that i didn't connect with the story and the characters as much as i wanted to. occasionally i stumbled over the writing, sometimes typo's or grammar, sometimes maybe the style. apart from that (and this too, i know, doesn't distract everyone) it is definitely an 'its not you its me' case. also the cover is amazing and also so soft! this romance novella is soft and kind and cute and so important and lovely to read about two fat girls of colour falling (and being) in love.
rep: june is pansexual arab-persian, fat and has anxiety. selena is a black, fat, demisexual model and activist.
cw (copied from book description): Content warning for a discussion of a passed-away parent in chapter 2, a depiction of a panic attack in chapter 8, mention of anti-ace language used against LI in the past, and usage of gendered slur "bitch" not in a menacing manner
June 2, 2019
This is the epitome of soft sapphic romance
July 6, 2023
a soft, fluffy, angst-free f/f romance between a fat middle eastern/persian pansexual makeup artist with anxiety (june) and a fat black demisexual model/actress (selena)? hell yeah.
content/trigger warnings; discussion of parent death, panic attacks, discussions of past ace antagonism,
other rep in secondary characters: selena’s friend joey is a pakistani queer lady. noor (married to joey) is black and non-binary and uses she/her pronouns. june’s friend shelby is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. june’s mom is a bisexual muslim.
let’s just get into the positives:
• the title really isn’t kidding here. this is soft on soft on soft on soft. june is soft, selena is soft, the side characters are soft, the romance is soft, even the side romances are soft, everything is soft as hell.
• this one ties in with the first one; there is no conflict in this story. there is no angst or pining or big drama or breakup or fight. it is pure fluff. some people think that makes this story boring or hard to connect with, but i don’t share that opinion. relationships don’t need drama that puts distance between them for no reason to be interesting or worth reading/watching. when so often a miscommunication or misunderstanding is what leads to the big conflict/angst that could’ve been avoided through basic, healthy communication, i’ll take a “boring, hard to connect with” fluff story any day. conflict/angst that stems from a lack of communication is not good or compelling story telling, especially if the characters are grown ass adults.
june and selena actually communicate with each other. when one says something that the other misunderstands or interprets negatively or is hurt by, it is immediately cleared up. when june is feeling bad when selena can’t come by to see her because of work, instead of that leading to some internalized mess of angst, june asks if she can go to selena, and they have a cute little time together. they actually talk shit out and they’re super supportive of and understanding with each other. who would want to trade that for some tired misunderstanding or a third party causing drama for their relationship? and why? healthy functioning relationships over tired tropes for so called entertainment.
• june’s anxiety and introverted-ness is pretty relatable for me. she experiences some social anxiety. she doesn’t talk much and feels she meets her word quota by a certain time in the afternoon. she isn’t big on touching; she pulls away from hugs and is wary of and uncomfortable with being touched without warning.
• there is no queerphobia. (or any bigotry of any kind.) a story with queer characters (with other marginalizations, too) where there isn’t one single scene where someone says some bigoted, hateful shit? and not in the “bigotry doesn’t exist in this world” kind of way. it exists, the characters are aware of it and feel anxieties about it, we just don’t see them, in this story, experience it. fucking groundbreaking, honestly. it’s so fucking refreshing. people don’t seem to understand that you don’t have to have your queer, non-white, fat, disabled/neurodivergent characters experience bigotry in your stories. i’m not saying people can’t or shouldn’t write stories about marginalized characters that feature bigotry, just that it’s not an inherent packaged deal.
• a sweet ace/pan solidarity moment. selena tells june she’s demisexual and assumes she won’t know what it means, but is pleasantly surprised when june does know what it is. june tells her she’s pansexual and that “us on the end of the acronym gotta stick together, right?” to which they agree and giggled about. it’s cute and pure and lovely.
• “you don’t have to thank me for respecting your personal boundaries.” i don’t even have to explain why this is such an important thing.
• there’s a little diss to the phrase “more than friends” which is very much appreciated.
• acknowledgement of how kissing isn’t just a stepping stone to something else, that people can kiss just to kiss and that’s it.
• the line “for a white guy, he was alright” had me cracking up.
• i don’t know if it’s purposeful or what, but the waiters who serve june and selena are referred to in the narrative with they/them pronouns? and idk if it’s meant to normalize using they/them for people whose gender you don’t know, or if it was just a random choice, but i think it’s cool?
some negatives:
• the term “female-coded people” had me like....what? is that a term people use? is that a new thing?
• when selena refers to june as queer, she makes sure it’s okay (which is good) but then says “some people reclaimed it” and like.......nah. it’s been reclaimed as a whole decades ago for us to use now. just because some people don’t like it, doesn’t mean the remaining people who do like it are reclaiming it in this fucking day and age. it’s reclaimed. period. use or don’t, but. it. is. reclaimed. choosing to use the word queer in 2018 is not reclaiming it, it’s choosing to use an already reclaimed word that queer people put in the work to take back decades ago. saying individual people today choosing to use queer are the ones reclaiming it erases history. stop.
• some of the writing is kind of awkward and there’s a bunch of errors that slipped through editing.
while i do feel overall positively about this, and despite how soft it indeed is, i’m just not in love with it, it didn’t have me smiling and feeling all warm and wishing i had a physical copy to hold. which is why it’s a four star.
content/trigger warnings; discussion of parent death, panic attacks, discussions of past ace antagonism,
other rep in secondary characters: selena’s friend joey is a pakistani queer lady. noor (married to joey) is black and non-binary and uses she/her pronouns. june’s friend shelby is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. june’s mom is a bisexual muslim.
let’s just get into the positives:
• the title really isn’t kidding here. this is soft on soft on soft on soft. june is soft, selena is soft, the side characters are soft, the romance is soft, even the side romances are soft, everything is soft as hell.
• this one ties in with the first one; there is no conflict in this story. there is no angst or pining or big drama or breakup or fight. it is pure fluff. some people think that makes this story boring or hard to connect with, but i don’t share that opinion. relationships don’t need drama that puts distance between them for no reason to be interesting or worth reading/watching. when so often a miscommunication or misunderstanding is what leads to the big conflict/angst that could’ve been avoided through basic, healthy communication, i’ll take a “boring, hard to connect with” fluff story any day. conflict/angst that stems from a lack of communication is not good or compelling story telling, especially if the characters are grown ass adults.
june and selena actually communicate with each other. when one says something that the other misunderstands or interprets negatively or is hurt by, it is immediately cleared up. when june is feeling bad when selena can’t come by to see her because of work, instead of that leading to some internalized mess of angst, june asks if she can go to selena, and they have a cute little time together. they actually talk shit out and they’re super supportive of and understanding with each other. who would want to trade that for some tired misunderstanding or a third party causing drama for their relationship? and why? healthy functioning relationships over tired tropes for so called entertainment.
• june’s anxiety and introverted-ness is pretty relatable for me. she experiences some social anxiety. she doesn’t talk much and feels she meets her word quota by a certain time in the afternoon. she isn’t big on touching; she pulls away from hugs and is wary of and uncomfortable with being touched without warning.
• there is no queerphobia. (or any bigotry of any kind.) a story with queer characters (with other marginalizations, too) where there isn’t one single scene where someone says some bigoted, hateful shit? and not in the “bigotry doesn’t exist in this world” kind of way. it exists, the characters are aware of it and feel anxieties about it, we just don’t see them, in this story, experience it. fucking groundbreaking, honestly. it’s so fucking refreshing. people don’t seem to understand that you don’t have to have your queer, non-white, fat, disabled/neurodivergent characters experience bigotry in your stories. i’m not saying people can’t or shouldn’t write stories about marginalized characters that feature bigotry, just that it’s not an inherent packaged deal.
• a sweet ace/pan solidarity moment. selena tells june she’s demisexual and assumes she won’t know what it means, but is pleasantly surprised when june does know what it is. june tells her she’s pansexual and that “us on the end of the acronym gotta stick together, right?” to which they agree and giggled about. it’s cute and pure and lovely.
• “you don’t have to thank me for respecting your personal boundaries.” i don’t even have to explain why this is such an important thing.
• there’s a little diss to the phrase “more than friends” which is very much appreciated.
• acknowledgement of how kissing isn’t just a stepping stone to something else, that people can kiss just to kiss and that’s it.
• the line “for a white guy, he was alright” had me cracking up.
• i don’t know if it’s purposeful or what, but the waiters who serve june and selena are referred to in the narrative with they/them pronouns? and idk if it’s meant to normalize using they/them for people whose gender you don’t know, or if it was just a random choice, but i think it’s cool?
some negatives:
• the term “female-coded people” had me like....what? is that a term people use? is that a new thing?
• when selena refers to june as queer, she makes sure it’s okay (which is good) but then says “some people reclaimed it” and like.......nah. it’s been reclaimed as a whole decades ago for us to use now. just because some people don’t like it, doesn’t mean the remaining people who do like it are reclaiming it in this fucking day and age. it’s reclaimed. period. use or don’t, but. it. is. reclaimed. choosing to use the word queer in 2018 is not reclaiming it, it’s choosing to use an already reclaimed word that queer people put in the work to take back decades ago. saying individual people today choosing to use queer are the ones reclaiming it erases history. stop.
• some of the writing is kind of awkward and there’s a bunch of errors that slipped through editing.
while i do feel overall positively about this, and despite how soft it indeed is, i’m just not in love with it, it didn’t have me smiling and feeling all warm and wishing i had a physical copy to hold. which is why it’s a four star.
January 28, 2021
This is a very cute story - soft, as the title suggests. And the representation in this is amazing, truly.
But I was sadly pretty bored by the plot.
But I was sadly pretty bored by the plot.
September 22, 2020
2.5 stars
August 27, 2021
I think this is a type of romance novella that just doesn't really work for me. I'm typically interested in the build-up that leads to a relationship and reading about characters getting to know each other, but Soft on Soft is more about two women who've been interested in each other for months finally going on a date and building a relationship. Definitely just a case of "not my cup of tea".
October 28, 2018
Absolutely adorable and Good, and not just because I had the wonderful treat of getting to beta-read (and help name!) this. Super sweet MCs, both of them, and super sweet cats. And kinda steamy toward the end~ honestly I couldn't ask for more. <3
January 14, 2019
Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute cute cute cute.
July 13, 2020
I really feel like a lot of people would love and get the most out of this book. But it really isn't my thing..
June 14, 2020
This F/F romance was one of the sweetest and SOFTEST things I've ever read. Not only did this have amazing representation, but I loved that the author didn't shy away from using labels on page. I feel like so often it's hinted at, but this book was full of explicit labels, and we stan.
I loved the tenderness and support both women showed each other. This book was really short but did an amazing job showing what it's like to enter into a new relationship and learn to trust that person.
The only reason this didn't get a higher rating is because I personally love my romances angsty. I thrive on the tension and slow burn. This was the total opposite of that! So if you're in the market for a soft, sweet romance that's not sexually explicit, this is your book! Read it, your heart will melt.
I loved the tenderness and support both women showed each other. This book was really short but did an amazing job showing what it's like to enter into a new relationship and learn to trust that person.
The only reason this didn't get a higher rating is because I personally love my romances angsty. I thrive on the tension and slow burn. This was the total opposite of that! So if you're in the market for a soft, sweet romance that's not sexually explicit, this is your book! Read it, your heart will melt.
February 1, 2019
2.5 stars
This was so lovely and incredibly diverse in every possible aspect: Arab-Persian and black protagonists, one pansexual one demisexual, both fat and one having anxiety.
Somehow I had a really hard time getting into the writing. I struggled with staying focused the entire time while I was reading, and I often got confused with what exactly was going on, who was talking and what they were doing - this might be because I kept getting distracted or because the writing didn't click with me.
I wish it had worked better for me because the concept is wonderful!
This was so lovely and incredibly diverse in every possible aspect: Arab-Persian and black protagonists, one pansexual one demisexual, both fat and one having anxiety.
Somehow I had a really hard time getting into the writing. I struggled with staying focused the entire time while I was reading, and I often got confused with what exactly was going on, who was talking and what they were doing - this might be because I kept getting distracted or because the writing didn't click with me.
I wish it had worked better for me because the concept is wonderful!
July 4, 2020
Because a few people recommended this to me, I decided to pick it up. And it's exactly what the title promises: a very soft, fluffy read. It was exactly what I needed today, and I especially appreciated how inclusive it was, as that made it feel like a safe space to relax in. However, I did stumble over the writing quite a lot, which made it difficult to really get immersed and connect to the story. Overall, I'm glad I read this though, and I would definitely recommend giving it a shot!
December 20, 2020
It makes my Sapphic heart very sad to rate an F/F romance so low, but...I mean, apologies to the title, but this was rough.
I am always here for queer girl romance stories, and I love that with these ladies we get the kind of rep we rarely see in those stories: they're both WOC, they're fat, one is demi (maybe both??), etc. It was cute to see how much they adored each other. I also really appreciated how Selena was so kind and understanding about June's anxiety, and clearly wanted to be a supportive partner. That was all great.
But as someone who used to work as an editor, good Lord, I was mentally covering every page with red pen while I was reading. There's no publisher so I assume it was self-published, and there is someone credited for editing at the beginning of the book, but I sure hope they didn't charge very much, because ummmmmmmmmmmm they didn't do anything? I hate to sound like a jerk, but there were so many errors of punctuation, sentence structure, word choice, etc, that it really distracted me from the actual story. And while the dialogue between the women was mostly cute and realistic, at times they would say things that were just like......wat. One example: they're out at a cafe and June accidentally knocks over a glass, which spills all over Selena's dress. So June offers for them to go back to her apartment so she can wash it. And the next lines are:
I mean, the "grown up" part might have been meant as a joke? But.............is using a washing machine some kind of rare skill and I've just been amazingly lucky to know everyone who has mastered it? There were just a number of exchanges and lines like that which just made no sense.
And as others have noted, there really is no plot here, which is fine, it's just meant to be a cute Sapphic love story. But beyond June's anxiety, there's also not much characterization or back story or anything. So...it's cute, yes. But the writing/editing issues and all that really dragged it down for me.
I am always here for queer girl romance stories, and I love that with these ladies we get the kind of rep we rarely see in those stories: they're both WOC, they're fat, one is demi (maybe both??), etc. It was cute to see how much they adored each other. I also really appreciated how Selena was so kind and understanding about June's anxiety, and clearly wanted to be a supportive partner. That was all great.
But as someone who used to work as an editor, good Lord, I was mentally covering every page with red pen while I was reading. There's no publisher so I assume it was self-published, and there is someone credited for editing at the beginning of the book, but I sure hope they didn't charge very much, because ummmmmmmmmmmm they didn't do anything? I hate to sound like a jerk, but there were so many errors of punctuation, sentence structure, word choice, etc, that it really distracted me from the actual story. And while the dialogue between the women was mostly cute and realistic, at times they would say things that were just like......wat. One example: they're out at a cafe and June accidentally knocks over a glass, which spills all over Selena's dress. So June offers for them to go back to her apartment so she can wash it. And the next lines are:
"You can do laundry?" Selena asked disbelievingly.
"Yeah. I mean, can't live alone for as long as I have without learning to," she said in a way of explanation."
"You're so grown up."
I mean, the "grown up" part might have been meant as a joke? But.............is using a washing machine some kind of rare skill and I've just been amazingly lucky to know everyone who has mastered it? There were just a number of exchanges and lines like that which just made no sense.
And as others have noted, there really is no plot here, which is fine, it's just meant to be a cute Sapphic love story. But beyond June's anxiety, there's also not much characterization or back story or anything. So...it's cute, yes. But the writing/editing issues and all that really dragged it down for me.
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