Manchester, 1922. Belinda Layton is a surplus girl. One of the many women whose dreams of marriage perished in the Great War, with the death of her beloved fiance Ben. After four years of mourning, she finally feels ready to face whatever her future holds without him. But Ben's family can't countenance her putting him to rest, while her own family - well, all they care about is getting hold of her meagre factory wages. When Belinda joins a secretarial class to try to better herself, little does she imagine that it will open up a whole new world to her. For not only does she learn to type, but she meets the beguiling bookshop owner Richard Carson ... And falls head over heels in love. But who is this man that she has trusted with her heart, and what does he really want? As Belinda fights to follow her dreams, can she move forwards from all the devastation and loss, and take a chance at happiness?