In London, Margherita's marriage has slowly been falling apart since her little Lewis' birth, a surprise baby much wanted by her but not by her husband. To add to her problems, her adopted daughter, Lara, is going through a rough patch and all of a sudden she's gone from quiet and introverted to constantly angry, burdened by the unhappy memories of her early childhood. Then Margherita's husband, Ashley, suddenly announces he needs a break from the marriage and from family life. He couldn't have chosen a worse time, just when Lara needs him most. As Margherita struggles to come to terms with what's happening to her, she decides that maybe this is the chance for Laura to spend some time away from London, and for her mother and daughter to reconnect. So, together with three-year-old Lewis, they decide to spend the summer in Glen Avich, where Margherita's mum and stepfather have opened a coffee shop, La Piazza. To keep herself busy, Margherita agrees to help Torcuil Ramsay get his crumbling estate in order, with Lara's help. And as her plan begins to work, Lara increasingly finds peace in the beautiful house and its huge library, and in a new friendship with a mysterious local boy, Mal.And as Margherita discovers, Glen Avich can have a strange effect on people and soon her heart is reawakened by shy, awkward Torcuil in a way she'd never thought possible again. But Mal is hiding a secret, and the summer won't last forever . . .