The story explores a five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt,[1] a struggling actress.

In 2014, a film adaptation directed by Richard LaGravenese starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan was released.

She is anxious to fix any problems in their marriage but she becomes angry when Jamie tells her he has to go back early to New York.

He comments on how lucky he is that everything is going right for him; his book is being published and his life with Cathy seems too good to be true ("Moving Too Fast").

He tells her a new story he has written about an old tailor named Schmuel and he gives her a Christmas present: a watch, promising to support her as she follows her dreams of acting.

She tells him about her past relationships and hopes not to end up in a small town life like her friend from high school ("I Can Do Better Than That").

Simultaneously but five years forward, Jamie sits in their shared apartment writing laments over the relationship ("I Could Never Rescue You").

The show was revived in 2013 Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theater for a limited engagement with Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe in the roles of Jamie and Cathy, respectively.

[12] In March 2015, Kantor and Wolfe reprised their roles in a two-night-only concert production of the show at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

[13] The 2016 production was headlined by Jonathan Bailey as Jamie and Samantha Barks as Cathy at St. James Theatre, with direction by Brown himself.

[8][14] The Stage's Mark Shenton called the production "poignant" turning "each song into a masterclass of storytelling" with Bailey "a real vocal surprise with his haunting renditions of 'If I Didn't Believe in You' and 'Nobody Needs to Know'.

"[15] Edward Seckerson of The Arts Desk called the production a "knockout" and a "two-handed tour-de-force" in his five-star review.

[18] An actor-musician production opened in February 2020 to four and five star reviews at Southwark Playhouse and was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[19] It transferred for a four-week run at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End between 17 September-17 to October 17 2021 starring Oli Higginson and Molly Lynch.

[20][21] A new production is scheduled to open on Broadway in the spring of 2025, starring Nick Jonas as Jamie and Adrienne Warren as Cathy, and with Whitney White attached to direct.