Twice-widowed Arabella Mayor has made a place for herself and her son in Everland, selling and lending her beloved books to other bibliophiles in the sweet town. But she's running out of money, and ten-year-old Eddie is giving her fits, and their future is uncertain. Re-marriage might have once been an option, but Arabella knows she's past her prime, and isn't the Beauty she used to be. And as her beauty faded, so did her worth...didn't it?
World-renown violinist Vincenzo Bellini is at ease with his carefully cultivated reputation of a beastly recluse. After all, the fewer people looking at his hideous scars, the better. Ready to retire, he's trying to hide in Everland, but doesn't count on the townsfolk being so curious... especially a particular bookseller who reminds him of the life he abandoned long ago. Can he teach her that worth isn't tied to their appearances, or will he have to abandon his plans for a future here in Everland?