Raina Matson has just buried her Gramma D when a stranger appears stating she is her great-aunt, Katarina Nilsson. Raina, who believed she was alone in the world, is stunned by the appearance of the aunt she believed was dead. As they get acquainted, Katarina offers Raina a proposition. Looking for a way out of a hometown that never accepted her, Raina takes her great-aunt's offer, which leads her to Willow Bay.

Upon her arrival, she falls in love with the coastal town and its people, including Conrad Olsen. Raina is amazed at all Gramma D left behind, and sets out to uncover how she could leave such a place for the life of hardship Raina grew up with. But when an old boat wreck washes on shore, it starts a chain of events unraveling family secrets that some wish would remain buried. The more Raina digs, the more she discovers parts of her history that could threaten the family legacy.

Roots of the Bay is the story of a woman who must learn to pave her own way, while embracing her family's roots and learning what it means to love. As she journeys through the past, she must make peace with the dark parts of her family history before it destroys the lives of those who she loves most.