It was the year 2000 and my belief in love was crushed. I’d been in a five-year relationship, only to find out my ex had cheated the entire time. In some small part, I saw it as my own fault – I’d always been attracted to proverbial bad boys. Adding to the angst of being betrayed, I’d been writing novels – mysteries set in the Australian wilderness – that kept being rejected.

I was not in a sunny place. And then I met Adam.

We were randomly seated together at a dinner party and I was unable to resist his warmth. His smile was luminous, he looked like Christmas.

He was one of those rare people who listened to others with dedicated focus, making me feel like the only person at the table.