Growing up in the early 70's, Chloe at nearly sixteen already towers over most of the boys she meets. Finding love is never going to be easy, particularly when you're the only daughter of typically over-bearing parents and struggling to adapt as the new girl in town. To make matters worse, she has to deal with Jenna and her 'hair and makeup friends', whose sole purpose in life seems to be making fun of Chloe's 'bean-pole' legs and her obvious naivety. Thank goodness for friends like Helen, Ollie and Rosie, and for the kind-hearted baker, Arthur, who's always on hand with some words of wisdom, especially when a terrible tragedy strikes the small group of friends. However, when Helen starts to date an older boy, the intense but boyish Ben Challenger, Chloe's friendships will be stretched to the limit as she starts to wonder whether Ben's really interested in Helen at all, or whether it could be Chloe herself who Ben desires. Love is More Than Just a Pearl Necklace is a coming-of-age story that will resonate with anyone who remembers that true love burns fiercely in young hearts...