She's a southern belle living in NYC.
He's a crusty cop, doing the same.
Both are lonely - she because her mother has died, he because that's just the way he is.
One morning, he almost jogs over a little old lady, who points out a cameo to him. She convinces him to find the owner. The owner is Our Heroine.
The charm, the cameo, has a history, only a small bit of which is divulged in this story. (there's a prologue and an epilogue which take place back in the civil war that show the nature of the charm). Constance, our transplanted southern belle, believes in this charm just as she believes in human nature (she's the indefatiguable teacher in an inner city school). She believes that she is meant for James, our curmudgeonly hero.
The story is quaint and a good read. It loses a star automatically for being a part of a series, of which, you do feel like you should probably read, just to get the back story. Not doing that. Don't like the fish bait either.
It also loses a star because I felt the conversion of James was way too sudden. It seems the only reason he stops being so crusty is because he gets some... but at the same time, he is shown to have depth of character through the book. He's just hiding it under scar tissue.
In the end, I found his affliction too deep to possibly be overcome with such ease by the heroine. It was a nice romance, but I figure this couple would either make it about 5 years, until his emotional isolation finally drove her to distraction.
(*)>
