Benjamin Monroe is pretty sure how his life will play out. He<U+2019>ll continue teaching chemistry in his small college, and spend his free time biking through the valley. Eventually, he<U+2019>ll retire to putter around in his garden and greenhouse. His colleague, Virginia Clark, is not one for routines. She<U+2019>s chatty, spontaneous, and bubbly, and before Benjamin realizes what happened, she<U+2019>s talked him into collaborating on a research project<U+2014>studying the mating habits of college students. Virginia knows her desire to work with Benjamin is motivated by more than the potential prize money . . . and hopes he might not be quite as indifferent as he seems to be. Ketch Kincaid, one of Benjamin<U+2019>s star students, returned to college after serving in the army. He needs something to get his mind off his recent breakup and collecting research data might do it. And there<U+2019>s another distraction on the horizon<U+2014>a woman who looks like she, too, knows about heartache. Soon enough, their project, “The Chemistry of Mating,” is gaining notoriety. Friends, neighbors . . . the whole town has become involved. But no matter what the data determines, one conclusion seems inescapable: love follows its own rules . . .