To escape the stress of college studies and caring for her sick mother, Ainsley Howard hides away with a book after her shift ends at the library each night. But when a sexy patron surprises her with a kiss and begs for a date, she wonders if she's fallen into the pages of one of her romance novels. Though "Prince Charming" seems too good to be true, and she's already forgotten his name in her flustered state, she agrees to go out with him. She's tired of living vicariously through books. It's time to claim her own happily-ever-after. When Ty Kartchner bets his friends he can get the stern librarian that gets after them to kiss him, big money is laid on the table. The guys know there's no way he'll succeed with the uptight chick. But when he not only kisses the no-nonsense girl, but easily convinces her to go out with him the next night as well, Ty sees a chance to solve his financial woes. Raising the stakes, he places the bookworm's heart down as collateral, and determines to win at any cost. As fate, literary classics such as The Scarlet Pimpernel, and deathbed promises throw the unlikely couple together, hearts tangle in Ty's web of wagers until he discovers too late that winning might actually make him lose what he loves most.