Rose Quinn is having a very bad summer. First her 19-year-old daughter left home to backpack across Europe instead of going to college. Then a woman she loved like a mother died of a heart attack, making her feel like an orphan all over again. And in just a few weeks her best friend will be moving to New York City. For a single mother who's always had someone else to take care of, Rose is finally wondering how to take care of herself. Handsome Mateo Romero is a transplanted Spaniard running a restaurant on Lake Como in Italy. A broken heart got him there, but he's made a success of it just like he did his architecture business back in Madrid. One thing he hasn't been successful with is love. When Mateo hires Rose's daughter for a summer job and gives her a free place to stay, Rose immediately suspects the worst. She won't let her daughter make the same mistake she did at that age, so Rose flies to Italy to confront Mateo. What Rose finds instead is a secret she didn't suspect and a challenge to everything she's ever thought about love and the illusion of control. Rose's daughter doesn't need saving, but can Rose save herself?