Lucy Whitaker has walked the same route home from school for years.

The same sidewalks.

The same crosswalks.

The same bakery window.

The same porch lights.

Routine is comforting. Predictable. Safe.

Then Hazel Brooks transfers to Alderbrook High and, by pure coincidence, starts walking the same way home.

At first they simply happen to leave school together.

Then they begin falling into step.

Soon they're stopping to admire bakery displays, laughing at neighborhood dogs, taking tiny detours that somehow make the walk feel too short, and quietly becoming the best part of each other's afternoons.

Neither girl ever says they're waiting for the other.

Neither girl admits they've started measuring the school day by the walk that comes after it.

But when an ordinary routine begins to matter a little too much, both Lucy and Hazel have to decide whether protecting themselves from disappointment is worth missing the chance at something extraordinary.

Filled with cozy autumn afternoons, shared umbrellas, small-town charm, quiet humor, and all the butterflies of first love, The Long Way Home is a heartwarming YA sapphic romance about discovering that sometimes home isn't a place you're walking toward-

it's the person walking beside you.

Perfect for readers who love cozy LGBTQ+ romances, slow-burn friendships-to-lovers, small-town settings, adorable first crushes, and stories where the biggest moments happen during the quietest walks.