Rosie Hopkins is in her thirties and from London. She moves to Lipton, England to help care for her elderly great-aunt, Lilian, and to take over running the sweetshop. Most of the story takes place in Lipton, a small, rural town where everyone knows everyone else's business. She lives with her boyfriend, Stephen, a primary school teacher who was a soldier in the war. The town is filled with a lot of hilarious people who come together when everyone needs it most. When Rosie's family comes to visit from Australia for Christmas, they bring a whole new level of laughter!