As the title suggests, this is a novel about a relationship between a mismatched couple. Felicity, the daughter of a retired tea planter, is on holiday on the Isle of Skye in 1937 when she meets John Norman, a young fisherman. Their first encounter is a prickly one but when they later bump into each other during a London air raid, a tentative friendship begins. As a merchant seaman, John Norman is caught up in perilous convoy duties while Felicity finds a role at Bletchley Park. Their long-distance relationship falls prey to doubts and misunderstandings that have fateful consequences, not only for them but into the future.