Reeling from a scandal that upended everything, former teacher Annalise 'Leesa' Avalon flees to the seaside town of Peaceful Harbor under a new identity. One student's revealed crush put her under fire, and a grueling investigation cost her the life she knew; now she needs space to piece herself back together and decide what comes next. Cole Braden appears to have it all, a top orthopedic surgeon with a thriving practice, a close family, and friends he adores, but a private loneliness and a painful past sit behind the charmed surface, and his heart aches to love and be loved. A chance encounter throws Leesa and Cole together, and the attraction is immediate and intense. The trouble is that a relationship is the very last thing Leesa needs and the only thing Cole wants. Their long talks, heated moments, and deepening connection are hard to resist, yet the harder Cole pursues, the further Leesa retreats, guarding a fragile new beginning she isn't ready to risk. He may be exactly the right man for her, but she has to decide whether she can be the right woman for him.