In August 2023, Rachel Reid received news that changed her life. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Four days later, she checked her Instagram direct messages and found a message from Canadian actor, writer and producer Jacob Tierney. In it, he inquired about her 2019 romance novel “Heated Rivalry.”

They met over a Zoom call the next day. Tierney presented his vision for the show — “which is exactly the show that everybody’s seeing,” Reid says.

“Getting that message at that time was pretty huge for me. It was exactly what I needed,” the author tells TODAY.com in an interview. “Not to be a bummer,” she adds with a laugh. “But, like, it was great timing.”

Author Rachel Reid at the premiere of "Heated Rivalry" on Nov. 24 in Toronto. Harold Feng / Getty Images

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