{"id":408428,"date":"2025-09-08T18:18:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T18:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/408428\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T18:18:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T18:18:27","slug":"your-first-look-at-kj-micciches-new-novel-one-week-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/408428\/","title":{"rendered":"Your First Look At KJ Micciche’s New Novel \u2018One Week Later\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

In case you missed it, the launch of Cosmo Reads<\/a>, our brand-new book imprint<\/a> in partnership with Sourcebooks<\/a>, is only a month away. We\u2019re celebrating this week by revealing yet<\/a> another<\/a> title: One Week Later<\/a> by K.J. Micciche<\/a>, to be published on Janaury 20, 2026. <\/p>\n

The book follows two writers, who meet each other by chance at an airport and, after spending an extremely sexy week together in paradise, return to their real lives, never to speak again until….We\u2019re going to pause here to say if you think this all sounds pretty formulaic, think again. Micciche deftly weaves humor and heartbreak\u2014as well as some very meta moments about what it\u2019s really like to write romance novels\u2014into her story, which takes multiple unexpected twists and turns that somehow all feel deeply meaningful. <\/p>\n

Our heroes, Melody and Beckett, end up publishing dueling novels about their own love story, and the internet is quick to label one the real thing and one a disgraceful copycat. The only way out of the mess may be for the writers to face each other again\u2014and expose what really happened on that island to the world. <\/p>\n

See what we mean? Here\u2019s your official first look at One Week Later<\/a>, including a cover reveal and exclusive excerpt. Pre-order the rest of it right here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

They had one perfect week. Then they vanished from each other\u2019s lives\u2015until his book inadvertently made her the villain.<\/strong>Two years ago, romance novelist Melody Adams and aspiring author Beckett Nash met on a sun-soaked vacation in Aruba. Seven days of stolen moments, midnight swims, and intimate conversations left them both certain they\u2019d found the real thing. Then a tangle of missed flights, mixed signals, and bad timing tore them apart before they could say goodbye. Neither could reach the other\u2015so both assumed they\u2019d been dumped.<\/p>\n

And both did what writers do: They turned heartbreak into a novel.<\/p>\n

Now Beckett\u2019s debut has made him a literary sensation. Melody\u2019s book? Critics call it a shameless rip-off. The only way to salvage her career\u2015and her sanity\u2015is to reconnect with Beckett and set the record straight. There\u2019s just one problem: Beckett is engaged to someone else. And seeing each other again reminds them of exactly what they lost\u2026and how much they both still want.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"logo<\/p>\n

Cosmo Reads<\/p>\n

Before you dive in, take a look at Beckett and Melody as they take in the sights of their dream vacation and each other:<\/p>\n

\"kj<\/p>\n

Cosmo Reads<\/p>\n

And now keep reading for a sneak peek at Chapter 1, in which Melody picks up and reads Beckett\u2019s book for the first time and realizes his character Harmony is actually…her. Then find out what happens next by pre-ordering One Week Later<\/a>.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER 1 <\/p>\n

Names are a curious thing. Fawning young parents deliberate for months\u2014sometimes years\u2014on the perfect moniker for their newborn cherub. After all, what is a name if not a prayer, a petition to the universe of all the hopes and dreams a parent can hold for this new, precious life? One word, a mere collection of syllables, creating a meditation for an entire existence. <\/p>\n

Her name was Harmony. She shared the information flippantly, as if it were simply a matter of fact, not a painstakingly chosen word to embody her essence. But her gold-streaked hair gleaming in the endless sunlight spoke a deeper truth. Indeed, from the start I knew she was more than solely the euphony of musical notes pleasing to the ear. <\/p>\n

\u201cInteresting name,\u201d I commented, hoping to unearth the narrative of its conception. <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d she replied, twisting a loose curl through her fingers. \u201cMy mom named me after her first single.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cSorry?\u201d I asked, unsure if I understood what she\u2019d said. \u201cSingle? Is your mom a musician?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cSongwriter,\u201d Harmony clarified. \u201cUsed to be, anyway.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWow. That\u2019s not something you hear every day.\u201d <\/p>\n

She nodded, looking down the beach. The azure ocean sparkled as tiny, clear waves lapped at our bare feet. \u201cYeah. Have you ever heard of a song called Harmony of a Heartbreak? <\/p>\n

\u201cBy Harper Smith? The country song?\u201d <\/p>\n

Joy emanated from her hazel eyes down her cheeks, which rounded as her lips stretched into a smile. I wasn\u2019t able to recall a time when a facial expression caused my body to clench like that, but I could feel it everywhere: my fingertips became cold, my hands grew clammy, my leg muscles tightened. It was as if I could feel her smile deep in my bones. \u201cUh huh,\u201d she replied. <\/p>\n

\u201cSure. That song was huge when I was a kid.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"airplane<\/p>\n

picture alliance\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

I searched the depths of my memory to summon the lyrics, but in the moment, I found myself overwhelmed by the subtle scent of oleander carried on the breeze from her hair to my sensory neurons. She smelled like the flower of paradise; it rendered me incapable of recall. I only knew that the connotation invoked an aura of despondent longing. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe wrote it when she was pregnant with me,\u201d Harmony beamed. <\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t that a sad song, though?\u201d I ruminated. <\/p>\n

\u201cKind of, but not if you know the story.\u201d <\/p>\n

I raised my eyebrows, silently encouraging her to elaborate. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad and mom were longtime friends. He played the piano and would accompany her sometimes\u2014depending on the song. Well, I obviously don\u2019t know all the details, but apparently one night, one thing led to another and she ended up pregnant with me. He wasn\u2019t ready to be a dad, and it ended their friendship and musical partnership.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m failing to see the happy side of this,\u201d I admitted. <\/p>\n

\u201cHim leaving inspired my mom to write \u201cHarmony of a Heartbreak,\u201d and it was her first major hit.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d I said. \u201cWell, I guess that\u2019s a pretty decent silver lining.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cEven better was the fact that she said I got the very best parts of him. So, in some way, it\u2019s almost like he\u2019s still around, because of me. Also, my mom and I are best friends.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you still talk to your dad?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cSure, sometimes. Holidays, birthdays, that sort of thing. But for the day-to-day, it\u2019s really just me and my mom.\u201d <\/p>\n

I nodded. There was so much I felt compelled to say, but my mouth couldn\u2019t form any words. How was she able to do that to me after only knowing me for just a few hours? <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about you?\u201d Harmony asked. \u201cAre you here with your family?\u201d <\/p>\n

I shook my head. \u201cNope. It\u2019s just me.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d she wondered. \u201cI think it\u2019s scary to travel alone.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI guess it can be. It\u2019s pretty exhilarating, though, discovering new places.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you fly solo often?\u201d <\/p>\n

I shook my head. \u201cThis is my first time.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd? Thoughts?\u201d <\/p>\n

\n

He wrote a book about falling in love with the daughter of a songwriter, then went ahead and fell in love with a songwriter in real life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I didn\u2019t want to admit that I\u2019d been recreationally working on a manuscript for years and was finally trying to finish it in an attempt to pivot from a hobbyist to a professional writer. Here was this effervescent beauty who struck me as intelligent, refined, and wildly out of my league. Approaching her question with unfettered honesty might scare her away like a skittish feline. Would she really want to hear that I\u2019d saved up for months just so I could get to Aruba to clear my head and finally complete my floundering work in progress? Of course not. Harmony would be better off not being inundated with the ramblings of an aspiring novelist. <\/p>\n

Writing. I mean, really. Who did I think I was? <\/p>\n

If we were being entirely truthful, I was running. Marathon-distance racing away from being home the day after Christmas, somewhere that felt nothing at all like New York, each step propelling me further away from memories that still managed to sting, despite my adult age. <\/p>\n

I was running away from his words. Two words in particular: I\u2019m sorry. <\/p>\n

Those words shaped everything I\u2019d become ever since he said them. <\/p>\n

But I couldn\u2019t share that with Harmony, especially not after just having met her. <\/p>\n

Nobody wants to hear about a grown man\u2019s daddy issues. <\/p>\n

So for the time being, I\u2019d stay quiet about the details, worrying instead that she\u2019d think I was some self-indulgent wealthy guy who could merely jet set anywhere I pleased on a whim. An idea like that couldn\u2019t have been further from the truth. After a brief hesitation, I settled on, \u201cI like it here.\u201d Short, sweet, and decidedly sincere. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou like being alone?\u201d Harmony asked. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not alone,\u201d I corrected her. \u201cI\u2019m with you.\u201d <\/p>\n

I shut the paperback and close my eyes, willing away a flood of emotions that threaten to drown me. I pull the covers up over my head and pat the mattress next to me, my palm searching for the worn hacky sack that doubles as my stress ball. My fingers locate it; I squeeze lightly. The well-loved knit shell instantly lowers my blood pressure. <\/p>\n

I guess that\u2019s it, I tell myself. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve googled Beckett Nash more times than I care to discuss. I know all about his sudden skyrocket to stardom, his hefty, six-figure advance from Hudson Yards, the movie rights that he just sold to Tri Star. I\u2019m well aware of the fact that Entertainment Weekly said, \u201cBeckett Nash will break your heart worse than Nicholas Sparks\u2019s The Notebook.\u201d And yes, of course I know that his fame has only intensified as a result of dating Analise Renda, the lead singer of the insanely popular all-girl band, Untethered. <\/p>\n

According to Rolling Stone, she \u201creally likes to read.\u201d <\/p>\n

I suppose it makes sense, Beckett and Analise. He wrote a book about falling in love with the daughter of a songwriter, then went ahead and fell in love with a songwriter in real life. That happens, I\u2019ve heard\u2014the whole life imitates art bit. <\/p>\n

Just not for me. <\/p>\n

Excerpted from One Week Later, by KJ Micciche, to be published on January 20, 2026, by Cosmo Reads, an imprint of Sourcebooks. Copyright <\/strong>\u00a9 2026 by KJ Micciche.<\/strong><\/p>\n

‘One Week Later’ by K.J. Micciche<\/p>\n

\"'One<\/a><\/p>\n

Now 12% Off<\/p>\n

Credit: Cosmo Reads<\/p>\n

One Week Later, by KJ Micciche will be released on January 20, 2026 from Cosmo Reads<\/a>. To pre-order the book, click on the retailer of your choice:<\/p>\n

AMAZON<\/a> BARNES & NOBLE<\/a> BOOKS-A-MILLION<\/a> BOOKSHOP<\/a> APPLE BOOKS<\/a> KOBO<\/a> TARGET<\/a> WALMART<\/a> POWELL’S BOOKS<\/a> HUDSON BOOKSELLERS<\/a> GOOGLE PLAY<\/a><\/strong> EBOOKS.COM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In case you missed it, the launch of Cosmo Reads, our brand-new book imprint in partnership with Sourcebooks,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":408429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3938],"tags":[3444,1329,140655,14732,77,3989,1381,140654,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-408428","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-content-type-feature","10":"tag-contentid-c350709b-b8aa-41d3-82f8-8301fcca1342","11":"tag-displaytype-long-form-article","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-hasproduct-true","14":"tag-locale-us","15":"tag-shorttitle-our-next-cosmo-reads-book-is-kj-micciches-one-week-later","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115170056919267526","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}