Sweater weather is better together.
Rebecca Macintosh has always felt that there’s just something about September—nostalgia, crisp mornings, and possibility. But not this year. Rebecca has thirty days to return home to fix up her late grandmother’s diner or face the consequences. And the only contractor in town? Cort Adams. The man who rejected her one year ago. He’s somehow even better looking as a single dad than when he was the high school football star she once tutored. She’d been hoping to avoid him forever.
As the golden leaves start to fall, Rebecca may find that there’s more to her hometown—and to Cort—than she’d realized, and that the dreams she’s been chasing might have been the wrong ones. Could a spark kindle hot enough in the cool autumn air to call Rebecca home for good?
Packed with small-town charm, forced proximity, and apples aplenty, McKay's latest second-chance romance is as sweet as cider. With its perfect autumn setting and delightful supporting cast, Something About September delivers the ultimate cozy fall read—it's like wearing your favourite sweater.
Grab a pumpkin spice latte and enjoy!
JULIA McKAY is the author of Christmas at the Ranch and the romance-writing pen name of Marissa Stapley, the New York Times bestselling author whose novel Lucky was a Reese's Book Club pick and is now an Apple TV+ limited series starring Anya Taylor-Joy. She has also co-written several bestselling holiday romances, including The Holiday Swap, All I Want for Christmas, and Three Holidays and a Wedding.
Stapley divides her time between city life in Toronto and lake life in Haliburton, where she writes about love, second chances, and the magic of the holidays.
Q & A with Julia McKay*
GWR: Are you a seasonal reader?
JM: I’m definitely more of a mood reader. All I require is a great story with equally great writing, and it will work for me any time of year. But I do gravitate towards cozier reads during the fall and winter, with love stories set in small towns definitely being a favourite.
GWR: Being an established author, what is your favourite part of the publishing process?
JM: My favourite part of the process is always coming up with the idea and writing the outline or pitch. I’ve always got so many ideas I’m excited about, and it’s so fun for me to get my team excited about an idea, too. I also love the moment when you truly get into a groove with a book—it almost feels like falling in love. You don’t want to think about or do anything else, and the moments you can steal with the manuscript are so exciting.
GWR: Is there anything you still find difficult?
JM: I always get nervous when my editorial letter comes in, and I put off opening it for as long as possible, while, of course, thinking about almost nothing else. I saw a funny Instagram post recently about the various stages of grief and denial an author goes through when they receive edits—but the final stage is always acceptance. I’m lucky to work with some excellent editors and also to be confident enough in myself as a writer to push back when I need to. I really shouldn’t dread that editorial note so much, but it does mark the moment when I have to open the door and let other people into all those corners of my soul I’m revealing on the page, so it can feel a bit vulnerable.
GWR: How did you come up with the concept for Something About September?
JM: When my editors suggested I write a fall book, my mind immediately went to … Gilmore Girls! I knew the perfect fall book for me would be set in a small town just like Stars Hollow, and that there would of course be a diner involved. I joked with my agents that Something About September is really my version of Gilmore Girls fan fiction.
GWR: What role did setting play when constructing the romance?
JM: The setting is always of utmost importance. You’re setting the stage for two people to fall in love. And you also have to make sure there are plenty of spots for them to have sweet, romantic moments—but there must also be obstacles. I’ve written a few romance novels now that are set in small communities, and they’re definitely my favourite, because you get the chance to create a quirky supporting cast to go with your love story.
GWR: What comes first for you—the overall idea or the characters?
JM: At the start of my career, it was almost always characters I didn’t quite know what to do with. No I tend to come up with a concept or scenario, and then I’ll think of the right character to fit into that.
GWR: Do you reflect yourself on the characters you write?
JM: I’m sure I do, but it’s not on purpose. I’ve never wanted to write auto-fiction, but I’m also well aware that a lot of myself will go into my characters simply because I’m the one who is writing them. Most of the time, I’ll realize how much a character is reflecting me when a close friend or family member points it out.
GWR: What do you think a romance book can reveal about human nature that other genres can’t?
JM: We all want to be loved, and we all want to be seen and understood. Romance novels reflect this back to us. I like to write romance novels where the characters have agency and the love is mutual and respectful, so it can serve as a road map for people. I know the heart wants what it wants, and that’s okay—but I think we should all be looking for a love that makes us better and, in turn, makes the world a better place. That’s the kind of love I’m interested in writing about, a love the serves the light in human nature rather than the dark.
GWR: The story is told from a third-person singular point of view with the inclusion of epistolary items in the form of a diary entry and letter. What made you decide to write from this perspective as well as include these more personal elements?
JM: The perspective is always something that just happens when I begin a first draft, and I go with it. But if a book reveals itself to be third-person singular, I do always like to include personal, epistolary items like letters or diary entries so we can, at some point, really feel like we’re inside the character’s head and heart.
GWR: Something About September highlights both platonic and romantic love. What specific characteristics and dynamics did you want to explore in each relationship?
JM: I always love to explore friendship as well as romantic love. I firmly believe that until you have the platonic relationships in your life sorted and secure, you can’t have lasting romantic love. It won’t be healthy, if the romantic love is all you have. So I introduce these platonic relationships and put almost as much focus on them to show what a truly well-rounded life full of all kinds of love can look like. It’s also always important to me to show a character developing a healthy relationship with themselves. In the end it’s all about self respect, which will lead you to be kind, respectful and empathetic to others.
GWR: You balanced the romance with the inclusion of weightier themes: grief/bereavement, fear of rejection, and vulnerability. Why was it important to include these elements, and why do you think that the romance genre has the ability to explore difficult topics?
JM: Emily Henry said it best in an interview with Time magazine a few years ago: she spoke about the agreement between romance novelists and readers that there always be a happy ending. And, as long as the author keeps up their end of the bargain, the reader can trust that even in the darkest, most painful scenarios, there will be joy and hope at the end. Show me a person who has not had grief, rejection and vulnerability in their life, and I won’t believe they’re a real person. We all go through difficulties, and while the stories we read in our leisure time should serve as an escape, I also think true escape and comfort comes from reading stories where you learn that no matter how hard things get, it’s possible to be okay in the end. That happy ending isn’t just for fictional characters. It can happen for readers, too.
GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be?
JM: A steaming mug of apple cider on a crisp fall day.
GWR: Can you share what you are working on now?
JM:
*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.