Recently dumped by Jamie—her arrogant boyfriend—Isabel Bright hopes to take her mind off things on a family vacation on the west coast of Scotland. One day, Isabel spots an empty bottle on the shore. She puts her name and address on a note in the bottle and hurls it far out to sea. Back home, Isabel throws herself into rehearsals for the school play—Shakespeare's The Tempest. As the lead, Isabel is horrified to discover that Jamie has been cast as the male lead and that he wants to get back with her. Against her better judgment, Isabel relents . . . but then she receives a letter from a stranger. Enter Duncan, a 17-year-old from a Scottish Island, who found Isabel's message in a bottle. Duncan is funny, friendly, and intelligent—and interested in Shakespeare! Isabel and Duncan start writing, then emailing. Bit by bit their lives start to intertwine. When Jamie dumps Isabel again, Duncan is the first person she wants to call. But Duncan’s mother answers the phone and explains that Duncan and his dad went fishing, got caught in a violent storm at sea, and haven't come back. Isabel is devastated and keeps an all-night vigil by the phone. When news comes that Duncan is still alive, she throws caution to the wind and jumps on a train to Scotland. But when the two finally meet is it love at first sight?