Daniela Rossi is a world-renowned pastry chef who wants to transform an abandoned building in San Francisco into a soup kitchen, but a handsome real estate mogul will do whatever it takes to acquire the building for himself. Daniela is unhappy because most of the people in her life treat her like a commodity instead of a person with feelings. She recently moved to San Francisco to open a West Coast branch for her business, but she isn't motivated to bake or work anymore.
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While Daniela is walking in the downtown area of the city, she sees a homeless boy and follows him into a condemned dilapidated motel located on Harrison Street. The boy's family lives there. Daniela thinks the building would be the perfect place to open a soup kitchen and homeless shelter. Daniela tells her real estate agent that she wants to purchase the building.
Daniela doesn't share her plans with her older brother and business manager, Antonio, because she's afraid he will try to dissuade her. Daniela used to have a close relationship with Antonio, but he mostly treats her like a business client instead of a sister ever since their grandmother died. Antonio wants Daniela to accept a job offer to host a show on the Food Network. She isn't interested and avoids his calls.
Marley is Daniela's assistant. She is in love with Antonio, but her feelings aren't reciprocated. Marley notices that Daniela appears to be preoccupied but she doesn't know what is going on. Daniela doesn't want to discuss the soup kitchen with Marley because she thinks Marley will try to convince her not to follow through with the project.
Nico Cruz owns a real estate conglomerate. In spite of his success, he still feels like the poor kid who grew up in San Francisco. Twenty years ago, Nico found his brother's dead body in front of the Harrison Street building after he had been shot in a gang-related incident. Nico wants to buy the building so that he can demolish it. He believes that tearing down the old motel will help him exorcise some of the demons from his past.
Nico visits the building at the same time Daniela is dropping off baked goods for the homeless family that lives there. As soon as Nico and Daniela meet, they are attracted to each other. They discover that they are both competing for ownership of the building. Daniela flirts with Nico and kisses him during their initial encounter.
Nico has a lot more money than Daniela and he keeps outbidding her on the abandoned building. Daniela meets with the owner of the building and hopes that he will sell the property to her. The meeting goes really well and the owner agrees to accept Daniela's offer.
Daniela and Nico pursue a sexual relationship. Daniela thinks Nico has a fragile ego and he will stop seeing her once she gets the building. She wants to fully enjoy her time with him until the relationship ends.
Since Marley is single, she reluctantly agrees to be set up on a date by her friend, Valentine Jones. Valentine just started her own matchmaking agency. She arranges for Marley to go out with an accountant named Brian. He is immediately smitten with Marley, but she informs him that she is in love with someone else. When Brian finds out that Marley isn't actually in a relationship, he persuades her to go out with him.
As Marley's attraction and feelings for Brian grow, her interest in Antonio wanes. Brian is optimistic about the future of their relationship until Antonio arrives in town. He can tell Marley still wants Antonio so he stops speaking with her.
Daniela thought her relationship with Nico would be casual but they end up falling in love. She is surprised and hurt when she finds out that Nico got the owner of the Harrison Street building to sell the property to him. Her plans to open a soup kitchen are derailed.
On Christmas, Daniela receives a call from her parents. They advise her to make amends with her brother. She tells Antonio she wishes he would stop treating her like a client and be more sensitive to her feelings. Antonio apologizes and says that he will help her find a new location for a soup kitchen.
When Brian cuts himself out of Marley's life, she realizes how much she loves and misses him. Marley is intent on getting Brian back and finds out when he is returning home from a trip in Mexico. She meets him at the airport and confesses her feelings. Brian is happy that Marley has finally decided to be with him.
Nico regrets buying the building since it jeopardized his relationship with Daniela. He tells Daniela about the death of his brother and why he wanted to tear down the decrepit building. Nico transfers ownership of the building to Daniela because he believes that her project can really help the community.
He lets Daniela know how much she means to him. They get engaged and are excited about their future together.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked the fact that Daniela took matters into her own hands and decided to do something that made her happy even though she knew the soup kitchen wouldn't bring her fame or money.
Best scene in story:
It was a great moment when Daniela reconciled with her brother. She was honest about her feelings and they were able to restore their close relationship.
Opinion about the main character:
Daniela is a feisty, stubborn, and strong woman. She has a good heart and understands that relationships with the people you love is the most important thing in life. I enjoyed the flirtatious nature of her relationship with Nico. Their personalities challenge and complement each other in many ways.
