Iolanthe McKenna has graced glossy magazine covers, walked the most prestigious couture runways, purred over expensive perfumes and swirled her mane of glorious hair in TV ads. But now she wants out, to use her off-the-charts intellect to get a degree in theoretical physics. She hides her elegant angles in baggy sweaters, her sky blue eyes behind dark glasses and returns to university. Her last obstacle to her PhD is her famous doctoral thesis chairman who harbors an impatience with women in the sciences.

A collision of the heart is certain when the two realize their IQ's don't stand a chance against the inevitable.