Fran Smith has always lived in the shadows of her good looking parents, and their larger than life tragedy.  Plain, quiet, hardworking and devoted to her mother, Fran's never aspired to anything more than being a good daughter.  When she wins a trip to the place where her mother grew up, Hawaii, she cannot believe her good luck. 

When Cricket Royal sees his former lover, his brother's wife, the woman who absconded with hundreds of thousands of dollars and abandoned a two year old daughter, he cannot believe his good luck.

When Fran tries to convince him that she is not the woman he both hates and loves, he cannot believe her.  In his eyes, Fran Smith is the mirror image of the woman who left his family years ago, her pockets lined with stolen money and not even a backward glance at her child.  If she cannot convince him, Paradise might very well become prison.  And if she cannot steel her heart against his charm, even if she escapes, she'll never be free.