Nina Michael Dean is the protagonist and first-person narrator of the novel. Nina is a dynamic character who evolves throughout the novel as her experiences throughout one year force dramatic changes in her life. When the novel opens, Nina is an independent and self-assured woman who, through hard work and perseverance, has turned her love of food writing into a successful career. Refusing to conform to society’s expectation that a woman in her thirties should be married and starting a family, Nina ended her seven-year relationship with Joe and spent two years being single, an experience that she found freeing and gratifying. However, Nina’s internal monologue reveals cracks in her confident facade as she watches her close friends enter committed partnerships and start families. Feeling it might be time to restart her search for a partner, Nina decides to use a dating app for the first time, which becomes the inciting incident for the major conflict of the narrative.

Nina meets Max and they fall headlong into a passionate love affair, but four months into their relationship, after pledging his love, Max disappears. Nina’s relationship with Max reflects the pitfalls of dating in the digital age, when people can easily connect and disconnect with each other through online platforms.