STARTING OVER .. .

For Alexis Whitham, Australia's remote Kangaroo Island was the perfect place to begin a new life. With her young daughter, she could hide from her abusive ex-husband and write the books that provided her sole financial support.

Matthew Haley was hiding out on Kangaroo Island, too. His job as a ranger gave him all the excuse he needed to live in solitude, refusing to confront the tragic specter of his past. Then an enchanting nine-year-old pixie and an injured koala brought him face-to-face with a woman he couldn't forget, the only woman who could make him let go of what once had been and dream of what could be.