Peter Michael Webb has two dreams in life: becoming a published author and finding true love. To his great surprise, accomplishing the latter proves far more difficult.

Attending the prestigious Stepney Green College in New Jersey’s mountainous northwest is quite a contrast for 23-year-old Pete. In fact, it is a blessing. Raised by a single parent in a struggling working-class neighborhood, he is grateful to be here. Growing up, he witnesses the physical toll a laborious life takes on his hardworking mother, as well as the dark road traveled by his wayward older brother. Determined to avoid these fates, Pete focuses on achieving his college degree-and finding the woman of his dreams.

A naïve, hopeless romantic, he learns the hard way that love is not the fluff he had pictured in his mind. Woman after woman shatters his fragile heart, and cruelly. But one woman, his closest friend at Stepney Green, does no such thing. In fact, Corinne Aldrich wants nothing more than to piece it back together with her love. Pete, however, has been hurt enough and is only interested in friendship.

Unwilling to wait forever, Corinne moves on after graduation. While Pete pursues-and later, reaches-his goal of becoming a novelist, Corinne accepts a marriage proposal from a dashing Englishman and is the envy of women everywhere. Still, she cannot get her best friend from college out of her heart.

When Pete learns Corinne is to leave the country with her fiancé, he must open his eyes to the treasure of a woman he has long since known, the one who can indeed make his dream come true…before it is too late.