It's a plum assignment for photojournalist Joanna James: a ride on the Orient-Express with a stop in Venice for five days at the exclusive Cipriani Hotel - all expenses paid. The trip starts out more as an inconvenience than an exciting adventure - especially when a stop in London renews her friendship with two very different lovers. But then she boards the train and enters its romantic world, where strangers become friends, where confidences are shared, and where love is lost... and found.