A modern gothic novel of interiority, ache, and aftermath. Intended to be read by candlelight. Description Too Bright is a character-driven novel following one woman over a single charged season, solstice to solstice, as the life she's built—her rituals, her friendships, her candle studio, her carefully managed quiet—is unsettled by an unexpected love story. Book One of the Still as a Woman quartet. Lo lives her life by rituals: soft mornings with her judgmental (but loving) cat, late nights in her candle studio, greenhouse dinners with the women who hold her steady. It's a life that almost works. When love arrives unexpectedly, something shifts. Slowly, then all at once, Lo is confronted with a brightness in herself that she has spent years dimming: wanting too much, feeling too deeply, taking up space she was taught to fold away. Set inside a world of women's friendships, queer community, chosen family, and quiet domestic intimacy, Too Bright follows Lo as she navigates the growing distance between her inner world and the life she moves through each day. In Their Words "The quietest book I've ever read. It was almost violent.""That ending absolutely wrecked me.""Not an easy read—and that's a compliment." —Early Readers The Reading Experience With a focus on emotional realism and sensory intimacy, Anne Laurette offers a restrained, immersive novel about friendship, desire, and what it costs to stop dimming yourself. Now includes a reading group guide for book clubs and deeper discussion. This is not a plot-first novel. It is a book of texture, ache, desire, and aftermath. Written for readers who return to sentences, who live with stories rather than consume them. For the reader. Not the algorithm. Inside the Novel Modern gothic atmosphere.Character-driven storytelling.Emotional intimacy over plot twists.Sentences that linger like perfume. Pairing Recommendation For an immersive reading experience, Too Bright pairs beautifully with Fever Dream and Honey Pot — the Cloverland candles created for the world of this book. Candles can be purchased separately at www.cloverlandhome.com. How to Read Your Book Your book includes an EPUB file, a universal e-book format that works across most devices. All purchases will be delivered as a digital EPUB format via email. (Please check your spam or promotions folder before contacting us, as delivery emails may be filtered there.) Compatible with: - Apple Books and most reading apps.- Kindle users can upload the file to their device using Amazon's tools. Details Series: Still as a Woman (Book One)Length: Approx. 88,000 wordsFormat: EPUBPublication date: December 30, 2025 Legal Note Cherry Coke® is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company. Mentioned here for descriptive purposes only. No affiliation or endorsement implied.
