Things haven't always been easy for Mackenzie Riley. Having grown up on the proverbial wrong side of the tracks with the absence of parental guidance, she'd quickly become entangled in the twisted web wound by her abusive criminal ex-boyfriend.

Now residing in Cliff Haven with her half-sister, Mackenzie wants nothing more than to put her old life behind her and start over. But after a chance encounter with a stranger, she soon learns that no matter how desperate she is to shut the book on the past, some chapters won't stay closed.

Dylan Abbott is the epitome of positivity. Or at least that's how it appears on the surface. Little do the customers of the rustic seaside tavern he runs know, this charming, carefree surfer leads a double-life, with obstacles of his own to overcome. But his unwavering passion for a life of adventure and sunshiny disposition are no match for Mackenzie's pessimistic attitude and sassy one-liners.

The last thing she needs in her life is a man, but after one fake date for his overbearing parent's benefit that exposes his deeper side, Dylan quickly weaves his way under Mackenzie's skin.

Despite being polar opposites, the pair manage to find mutual ground, realising that if they can both find the courage to trust again, family can be found in the most unlikely of places.

But after everything she's been through, can Mackenzie learn to confide in a man with so many secrets?

And will Dylan's father threaten to ruin it all?