When Ryan meets Sara, his new next-door neighbor in a rickety old San Francisco apartment building, both are in a state of emotional turmoil. Ryan, a high-priced prostitute, is trying to break free of his old life, but his handler, Catherine, won't let him.

Sara's medieval mystery series has just been terminated by her publisher, and she is now trying to write a historical thriller. Sara doesn't dare make the first move toward deepening their relationship because she is older than Ryan, not as physically attractive, and halfway convinced he is gay and that if she pushes him she will lose his friendship, which she values.

In this realistically gritty, sometimes violent, and gripping tale, Leone reveals the seamier side of society's maneuvering while she spins an unconventional romance between two unhappy people who find that love, like respect, can grow out of friendship and shared experiences and that new beginnings are indeed possible for those with the determination and courage to pursue them.