As a twenty-two year old college drop out, Stella uproots her life for the summer to move into her Aunt Milly's oceanside home in Maine. She has always felt as if everyone was doing so much better than her, and her Aunt Milly was the only one who ever made her feel heard. Hoping only to outrun a past in which she never felt good enough, the last thing Stella expects to find is love.

Until she meets Oliver.

Mid panic-attack on an unfamiliar beach, Stella opens up an abandoned journal and begins to read, finding within its pages a list of reasons to stay. When Oliver catches her invading his privacy not only is he not mad, but he is instantly intrigued. He makes it his mission to convince her she is worthy of every little thing she has convinced herself she doesn't deserve.

Stella and Oliver have a spark that even disapproving Aunt Milly can see. But when pasts catch up and secrets are uncovered, will love be enough? Stella's perfect picture of her oceanside escape is shattered and she has to choose - is she willing to recognize that nobody is perfect and love them anyway? Or will she run away like she's always done?