Late one spring, Hallie Hartley learns she's inherited a beautiful old house on Nantucket from an ancestor she never knew she had. She learns of her luck from Jared Montgomery, who arranges for her to take on his cousin James Taggert as a private physical therapy client for the summer. Hallie expects a spoiled, frivolous playboy, but Jamie surprises her by being kind, considerate, and humble--not to mention incredibly strong and handsome. But Jamie's hiding something.
Severity reflects intensity, not value — “central theme” means a warning is a core part of the book, not that the book is bad.