Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for another woman. She flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, to look after a friend's guesthouse for the weekend. But when a major storm moves in, she is stranded. Until a guest checks in - Paul Flanner, who has just sold his medical practice and arrived in Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort - and in one weekend, set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives.