A simple will -- yeah right. Her grandfather's will left May Coleridge the only home she ever knew but now it seems that a centuries old clause, part of an old family tradition of sorts, mandates that she be married by the age of thirty. Now, with her birthday just about a month away with, there are no immediate prospects on the horizon.

Adam Wavell has a crisis of his own on his hands. His wild sister, Saffy, has left him her baby, Nancie, with a sketchy note alluding to the fact that they must hide from her boyfriend. The baby is being sought by the boyfriend and his family for custody and so he couldn't bring any attention to her whereabouts by hiring a nanny. Saffy instructed him to ask May for help.

May, Saffy, and Adam have a complicated relationship. As teens, May and Saffy formed a rather incongruous friendship considering their vast social differences. May has spent her life trying to maintain a certain image to please her family. In actuality, May cared much more for the underdog than herself, taking in strays and wounded animals even when faced with financial difficulties. When May found herself in rather precarious spots, somehow Adam would appear to save her -- a real life hero.

The last person Adam wanted to ask for help was May. His memories of her only brought a sense of betrayal and humiliation. When their paths crossed, he was angry at the icy reception from her. His hands were tied, though, so he set out to wheedle some deal for help with Saffy's baby even if it meant contacting May. As luck would have it, Adam didn't have to beg as hard as he thought since he found May in a state over the imminent loss of her home. In fact the solution he came up with would have an added benefit -- revenge for his humiliation at the hands of May and her grandfather. There was nothing convenient about this arrangement for either May or Adam. Both have harbored secrets from each other for years and the pain went deep. Keeping indifferent facades was a means of protection against further shame or humiliation -- but at a huge cost.

Fielding's book was filled with quirky, humorous banter between two characters with seemingly nothing in common -- well except for love. But they were absolutely the last to know that so the ride was at times rocky, funny, and tugged at your heartstrings. The fact that the story takes place in Britain gives it that added touch of British humor.