Barefoot Beach — Toby Devens

The place carried some kind of spell, concocted of -- I don't know -- salt air, sea grass, and Old Bay Seasoning, that over the years had permeated its walls and floorboards. Whatever it was, the place cast fabulous magic.

For Nora Quinn Farrell, the beach in Nanticoke, Maryland, isn't just a retreat -- it's home, where she married the love of her life, decided to have a child, and first connected with her two closest friends. Even now, long after her husband's passing, Nora reunites with Margo and Emine every summer to build new memories.

But this year, challenges invade the friends' retreat. Even as Nora delights in teaching at her dance studio, she is shaken by her son's decision to seek out his sperm-donor dad. While Margo directs a musical at the Driftwood Playhouse, her marriage seems headed toward its final curtain. And Em, who relishes running her family's café, struggles to handle her rebellious teen.

With their personal dramas reaching a fever pitch and a coastal hurricane threatening their sanctuary, the women will discover that the beach isn't the magic that brightens their lives -- their bond with one another is.