When Tamara James, a curious adolescent suffering from incurable heart disease, gives away the flower of her youth, she intends to mother a child for her dysfunctional parents. Now, four years, no baby, and countless guys later, Tamara has become the shame of her neighborhood and the disgrace of her family. And after graduating high school with honors...biggest slut of class 96...she flees Chicago for what should be a routine summer stint with her grandmother in Savannah, Tennessee. This summer proves anything but routine as Tamara crosses paths with Maurice Harding, a mystical poet from 'the stars.' Harding is handsome and charismatic. More importantly, he is only weeks away from tying the knot with his fiancée in California. Tamara intends to seduce Maurice into a night of passion before he leaves town, expecting him to then go home to his woman, like all the other taken men she has borrowed. However, Maurice refuses to take advantage of Tamara's lack of guidance. With sincerity of heart and the gift of word he penetrates the depths of Tamara's core and causes her to believe that she is worth more than what she has become. Sparks fly between the two as they enjoy a bordering inappropriate friendship which includes flirtatious phone calls, night time rendezvous by the Tennessee River and an unforgettable dance on the Fourth of July. As their summer comes to a close, Tamara realizes that the pursuit of his body has become the battle for his heart. In an emotional rollercoaster set against sunny days and starry nights, the unlovable Tamara James falls in love. However, by falling in love with Maurice Harding Tamara James undergoes a transformation in which she now believes she is entitled to love and worthy to be loved. This change of heart brings her full circle and at odds with the 'slut' of her past. And considering her failing health, Tamara is forced to choose between pursuing love and a possible happy ending or stepping out the way and letting Maurice return to California and wed his fiancée.
