Stella Britton is thriving in her new home in Sunrise Beach. She's getting along with her teenaged daughter, her paintings are selling, and she's even thinking about teaching art classes in her studio. Things are beginning to look brighter than they have in a long time.

The renewed sense of confidence is short-lived, however. Just as she's feeling like her life is back on track, dread of the unknown sets in. And then it happens.

An unexpected visit from her ex-husband's mother is likely to upend the delicate balance she's worked so hard to achieve.

Gwen Britton is kind, caring, and fun, but she's also opinionated. And of course she has a fierce loyalty to her son. Stella doesn't want to lose her relationship with the person who has been like a mother to her for decades, but she's not sure if she can handle the constant pressure to take Jeff back.

Everything she's built begins to fall apart. Stella struggles to protect her relationship with her daughter, her art career, and the independent life she's grown to love. Will she be forced to cut ties with a woman she loves deeply to keep from losing herself?