Singapore, 1930s

Everyone thinks that thirty-one-year-old Shona Wells should get married: her overbearing father, her starry-eyed little sister, and the whole expat community in 1930s Singapore. But Shona wants independence and the freedom to choose her own way, to travel the world exploring nature.
The last thing twenty-five-year-old Will Palmer needs is marriage. He's too busy discovering new plant species in the remotest jungles in the world.
But then, three days before Shona is due to sail back to England, she meets Will, and finds someone with the same passion for the natural world. They are perfect for each other, until a series of misadventures and misunderstandings threatens to pull them apart forever.