The Sunshine Effect

Aurora Nash is a ray of sunshine wrapped in a smile that can light up any room. With her bright blonde hair, infectious laughter, and a wardrobe full of ridiculously cheerful sundresses, she makes everyone feel at ease. But beneath the vibrant exterior, Aurora carries struggles she keeps locked away-pressures to maintain her perfect persona and emotional burdens she refuses to share. No one sees the cracks beneath the sunshine, and she intends to keep it that way.

Blake Grayson is the exact opposite. Cold, distant, and perfectly content keeping the world at arm's length, he's built walls no one dares to break through. His teammates call him Grayson, and that's the way he prefers it-detached, untouchable. He's been let down too many times to trust easily, and the last thing he needs is an overly optimistic roommate barging into his carefully controlled life.

When an unexpected housing mix-up forces them to share a dorm, Aurora is determined to make the best of it. Baking cookies, leaving uplifting notes, and refusing to let Blake's icy demeanor wear her down, she throws herself into being the ideal roommate. But Blake isn't interested. He avoids her at every turn, convinced that keeping his distance is the only way to stay in control.

Yet, as much as they try to resist it, their worlds begin to collide. Slowly, cracks form in the walls they've both built-Blake's bitterness softening under Aurora's relentless warmth, and Aurora finding unexpected comfort in Blake's quiet presence. What starts as a reluctant cohabitation turns into something deeper, something neither of them saw coming.

Because sometimes, the people we least expect are the ones who end up saving us.