The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella vows to escape the usual pitfalls. She dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman. On the way home she's attacked by a wolf-- who turns out to be a cursed nobleman! Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh-- when he isn't howling at the moon....

As she works her way from defiant teenager to reluctant career girl, growing older, & getting smarter, Jane maneuvers her way through love, sex relationships, & the occasional perils of the workplace. She reluctantly succumbs to the questionable advice offered in a pop-psych book entitled, How to Meet & Marry Mr. Right. Accompanied at every turn by the ear-whispering authors (who bear an uncanny resemblance to two popular, hateful high school acquaintances)...