Nadia remembered that first day at Haiti's Home for Children like it was yesterday. Seven years old, four tattered notebooks, a ring that hung on a string around her neck, and, finally, a mother's solemn promise to come back for her daughter. Eight years had passed since, and there was no sign of Milena, but Nadia knew her mother would return. She never broke her promises.
When Hurricane Ezekiel leaves the island nation in devastation, Nadia finds herself in a relief camp being looked over by a doctor who takes a special interest in the girl and her history. A doctor who adopts the young girl and brings her to his home in Miami as his daughter.
With a new family, Nadia remembers what it feels like to be loved again, forming bonds she never thought she would. But something still wasn't right; her heart still yearned for the mother who had once abandoned her, who had once promised to return for her. She yearned for the woman who had once called her Darling.
Along with her cousins and brother, she embarks on a heart-wrenching journey where secrets are uncovered, trust broken, trauma relived.
All so Nadia could once again feel the warmth of her mother's arms.
Margarita Stanhope was born in the foothills of Italy, surrounded by mountains and an ocean as far as the eye could see. She doesn't remember much of her birthplace; she was six years old when her parents moved to America. And then when she was twelve, her parents died in a car crash, leaving Margarita the sole survivor. She loves her new family, even her little brother who aims to be the biggest terror Margarita has ever met, but she feels like something is missing. When a summer program in Italy comes along, she doesn't hesitate to go. She wants to find her place, find what her heart is missing, but in the process will she lose everything she's gained so far? Will a summer romance derail her, or help her discover who she really is?