After finishing Cotillion Training School, Sarah Walters is now a Camellia Society debutante. However, having been given the best education and training in southern manners doesn't stop Sarah from drifting into the darker side of life.

At twenty-four, Sarah moves to New York City with her best friend, Charlotte. She meets and falls in love with Max who takes her to an even darker place than any she has previously known. She compromises her values to appease Max. Her good, solid southern upbringing taught her many things but self-worth wasn't one of them. Her relationship with Max soon falls apart just as the relationships she's had in the past have fallen away.

She has several relationships but always with "dangerous" men, avoiding the "safe" men. Emotionally her life begins to spiral out of control and she leans heavily on antidepressants, alcohol and pot to carry her through the days. Charlotte also has a substance abuse problem and becomes addicted to heroin.

But then the unexpected happens, and it's possible that Sarah has found the love she has longed for and the purpose she has sought in life in the most unexpected of places.