Two years ago, Hank Atwater made a terrible mistake. Devastated by the sudden death of his older brother, Rob, he went on a drinking rampage that ended in his being arrested for aggravated assault. Sober since then, he has been working to rebuild his reputation in his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, with little luck.
Working a dead-end delivery job, Hank uses surfing and running to deal with being ostracized as he waits for his probation to end. But everything changes after a chance meeting with Jess Wade, a UNCW student studying to be a marine biologist. Hank and Jess feel connected to each other in a way neither has ever felt before. Jess shares her world with Hank and through Jess's belief in him, Hank starts to see himself in a different light.
But when Hank's past comes to the forefront again, it sets off a series of events that lead to a frightful incident that changes everything. As Jess follows her dream to become a sea turtle biologist. she finds herself thinking about what really happened that summer with Hank. Meanwhile, alone once more, Hank must set out to find his own path, in hopes he can one day win her back.
Wrightsville Beach is about finding-and keeping-true love. It's about understanding where you belong and how small events lead to self-realizations. And it's about the incredible world of sea turtles and what it is like to experience them in their natural habitat.