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Before September
Some summers change everything.
Madalyn spends her days at the stables and her evenings watching the wealthy summer visitors who descend on Chautauqua every year.
Luke Winfield is one of them.
Handsome, privileged, and completely out of her league, Luke belongs to a world of sailboats, lakefront parties, and family traditions that seem as permanent as the water itself.
Madalyn knows better than to fall for someone like him.
She does it anyway.
What begins with a chance meeting on a dock soon becomes a summer neither of them will ever forget. As attraction turns to desire—and desire deepens into love—Madalyn and Luke must navigate the differences between their worlds and the approaching end of the season that brought them together.
Because Labor Day is coming.
And some romances aren't meant to survive September.
Before September is a steamy, nostalgic small-town romance about first love, class differences, horses, lake life, and the unforgettable summer that changes everything.
Madalyn spends her days at the stables and her evenings watching the wealthy summer visitors who descend on Chautauqua every year.
Luke Winfield is one of them.
Handsome, privileged, and completely out of her league, Luke belongs to a world of sailboats, lakefront parties, and family traditions that seem as permanent as the water itself.
Madalyn knows better than to fall for someone like him.
She does it anyway.
What begins with a chance meeting on a dock soon becomes a summer neither of them will ever forget. As attraction turns to desire—and desire deepens into love—Madalyn and Luke must navigate the differences between their worlds and the approaching end of the season that brought them together.
Because Labor Day is coming.
And some romances aren't meant to survive September.
Before September is a steamy, nostalgic small-town romance about first love, class differences, horses, lake life, and the unforgettable summer that changes everything.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 21, 2026
About the author
Clara Ashmere
1 bookHi everyone! I grew up in the lakes and small towns of western New York, where summer traditions, close-knit communities, and generations of family stories first inspired my love of storytelling.
I write contemporary romances about love, belonging, and the courage to imagine a different future. My stories blend heartfelt relationships, memorable communities, and a deep sense of place.
Before September is the first novel in my September series. Look for the next book, September, this fall. It continues Madalyn and Luke’s story in a romance about distance, desire, class, temptation, growing up, and the fragile work of choosing each other after the season that brought them together is gone.
I write contemporary romances about love, belonging, and the courage to imagine a different future. My stories blend heartfelt relationships, memorable communities, and a deep sense of place.
Before September is the first novel in my September series. Look for the next book, September, this fall. It continues Madalyn and Luke’s story in a romance about distance, desire, class, temptation, growing up, and the fragile work of choosing each other after the season that brought them together is gone.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 23, 2026
This story is very emotional and words that Madalyn and Luke use are dissected for meaning. Madalyn is poor and is spending the summer at the stable by the lake earning money for her junior year of college. Luke has finished college and is looking at finding a job. His father tries to help him find opportunities at wealthy friend's companies.
Madalyn is not comfortable around the wealthy folks especially when Luke enters her life. Both want to lead their own life without others' pressure. They want to choose their futures.
Madalyn is not comfortable around the wealthy folks especially when Luke enters her life. Both want to lead their own life without others' pressure. They want to choose their futures.
August 25, 2026
It was a hard read
This was a tough read for me. I almost quit several times, but I made myself finish & I don't normally do that. Exceedingly descriptive. Very wordy.
This was a tough read for me. I almost quit several times, but I made myself finish & I don't normally do that. Exceedingly descriptive. Very wordy.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews