Berkley Whitmore, forty-six and never married, runs Berkley's Chocolates & Gems in Salem, Massachusetts. Also an avid knitter, she owns two alpacas whose wool she turns into yarn. Despite her outward confidence, she doubts her ability to have a meaningful relationship. After her mother passes away Berkley discovers a box of postcards and letters that lead her to Cedar Key. There, Berkley meets Saxton Tate III, a British mystery writer whose laid-back attitude and humour is precisely the balm she needs. With the locals' help, Berkley begins to unravel the secrets of her mother's mysterious past. And gradually she comes to find acceptance, forgiveness, understanding, and resolution - and the love she has spent years searching for.