Chapter 1: The Coldest Day On Earth

Paris, late 19th century. Little Adrien is born on a day so cold that his heart remains frozen. Nathalie the midwife saves his life by inserting a cuckoo-clock in place of his defective heart. It will work, she warns him, as long as Adrien observes three golden rules.
First of all, he must never touch the hands of the clock.
Secondly, he must control his anger.
And last, but certainly not least, he must never, ever fall in love.
The moment Adrien sets eyes on a young girl singing on a street corner, the hands of his clock-heart begin to race. Desperate to find her again, Adrien launches himself into a romantic quest that will lead him from the city of Paris, to the towers of London, and all the way to Andalusia.