At forty-five, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, to tend to a friend's inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne's perfect getaway will be ruined -- until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. Paul has just sold his medical practice and comes to 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 which will affect the rest of their lives.