Sonoran Wanderlust

Arizona's Sonoran Desert — a place both harsh and uniquely romantic — draws a cast of characters from near and far to its cactus-studded cliffs and sun-washed canyons in pursuit of adventure, love, and lust. Violet, a free-spirited magazine writer from Los Angeles, travels to the Sonoran Desert to cover a movie filming on location. A brief hookup with the film's publicist is all fun and games, but her interest in Kyle, a local photographer shooting stills for the movie, is more serious. When events back home leave Violet adrift, she finds respite at the L-J Bar guest ranch. Kyle, however, is never far from her thoughts, nor from her hopes for the future. Also heading for the ranch are Justin, a playboy drifter from England, and Isabel, a restless woman 12 years his junior. Their chance encounter in a tiny Northern California town sparks a whirlwind romance and an impulsive road trip to the Sonoran Desert. Along the way, the pair indulge Isabel’s burgeoning sexual appetites, even as Justin realizes he’s ready to settle down. Can their opposing trajectories allow a future together? The pair end up at the guest ranch where Violet has alighted, and ranch owner Bridget helps them find a way forward. Meanwhile, out in the desert, three photography students find their relationships pushed in new directions when their backpacking trip turns perilous. Marc secretly pines for Jada, who’s been dating his best friend, Tony, for years. When Marc and Jada are thrown together in a stressful situation that could cost Marc his life, hidden feelings are forced to the surface. Confessions abound and relationships shift as love and lust take over the trio’s desert trek. Everyone winds up at the guest ranch, where the Sonoran’s siren call leaves its mark on them all.