Georgia Hamilton is not pretty. Her complexion is not bright, and her figure is not elegant. Her less than intriguing eyes are hidden behind glasses, and her nose is often stuck in either a book or her own writings. Long used to her mother's unfeeling comparisons between her and her younger, beautiful sister Evangelina, Georgia knows she is not meant for greatness. With a sharp tongue and a head full of witticisms, however, she bears the pain of being unnoticed with a satirical view toward the society that continuously dismisses her.

When the rich and incredibly handsome Mr. Garrett arrives in their small country town of Barchester, Georgia expects the same outcome as everyone else; he will fall in love with Evangelina because the most handsome of men deserves the most handsome of women. Everything according to nature falls into place as Mr. Garrett frequently calls at the Hamilton Estate, and, as Evangelina is often away from home, Georgia is thrown into his company. Unblind to Mr. Garrett's many attractions but believing he could never fall for someone like her, Georgia is far from the simpering young ladies Mr. Garrett is used to, and an unexpected friendship soon forms between them.

With a clandestine correspondence and lover of her own, Georgia has never felt happier. But a secret her father has been hiding for several weeks turns her expectations upside down. Disappointed at every turn and slighted everywhere else, Georgia is determined to prove she is more than her appearance. But in a vain society where appearances are everything, what can a plain young woman expect?