Years after his wife Kate died, Ned Stevens still cringes at the thought of dating other women. After all, why would he start dating again when he still has to look out for his daughter Liz? But when Liz comes home for a visit from college, she brings a surprise guest who will throw Ned for a loop. Can Ned ever accept that his little girl has fallen in love with David, a practically perfect know-it-all who drives Ned crazy?

When Ethan arrives at the airport just in time to declare his undying love for his girlfriend, love appears to have conquered all. The scene, however, is really the ending of Ethan's novel, which his agent calls "unrealistic." Ethan soon meets a waitress, Jesse, and falls in love with her despite her growing devotion to Troy, a charming businessman. But the line between reality and fiction becomes increasingly blurred.