Louisa Bennett, a ship's photographer, meets the handsome Ukrainian electrician and balalaika player, Gennadi Potenko, at a Russian crew party aboard the M.S. Ukraina in 1981. These are Cold War times, and any close contact between Eastern and Western crew members is strictly forbidden. After an evening of music and vodka, Louisa wakes the next morning with a massive hangover and no memory of how she returned to her cabin. But a pink rose by her bed gives her a clue. Ignoring the advice of her colleague Dermot to adhere to Soviet regulations, Louisa embarks on a series of tempting encounters ashore with Gennadi, leading to an illicit, secret love affair. Inevitably, they are discovered and brutally separated, with severe consequences. Louisa fears Gennadi will face further punishment upon his return to the Soviet Union. With the help of Dermot and his fiancée, Katya, she decides to fly to Odessa and search for Gennadi. Perhaps she can save him - and uncover the truth about his secret past.