When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with her plainspoken neighbor, Jo, and the other with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with dark secrets that haunt and terrify her—a past that set her on a fearful journey across the country to Southport. With Jo's support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards... and that in our darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.