Kate Howard is no longer a struggling author. Far from it, she believes she leads a charmed life. A successful writer, for the past three years she has lived happily with her lover Stewart and her daughter Lucy in an old farmhouse in the beautiful, wild Auvergne region of central France. When her son announces that he too intends to move to France, it would seem that life for Kate could not be sweeter. Then comes a bolt from the blue, a phone call from Kate's literary agent in London that threatens her whole way of life. But worse is to follow with the arrival of newcomers Mo and Tristram. Mo is a striking beauty and charming - when it suits her. As Kate discovers, she's one of those people who brings chaos to other people's lives, and Kate's is no exception.