After one magical night when they were eighteen, Jess is left heartbroken by Holly.Jess runs away to the city and does everything she can to forget Holly.Fourteen years have passed since she last saw or spoke to Holly. When everything falls apart with Jess's life in the city, she finds herself coming home.Coming home to her small town. Coming home to her Mom. Coming home to herself.

    Laurel Hoffman, an associate professor of women's studies in Berkeley, struggles to stay on track for tenure while caught up in the last throes of a crumbling relationship with a senior colleague. When she hears of a hotel being renovated and a secret room full of papers about women who once stayed there, she knows she has a potential career-saving article. Stefanie Beresford, the hotel owner, is not exactly receptive when Laurel approaches her about researching the hotel’s history, but that doesn't stop her from flirting with the alluring academic. She doesn't need the distraction, but for the first time in her life she wants to take a chance on more than a fleeting encounter. While Laurel can't deny her powerful feelings for Stefanie, she fears she's risking her heart as well as her future if she acts on her desires. But can a simple encounter between two rational adults really be all that dangerous?