Rejected by the exclusive women's college she has her heart set on, Tess Seibert dreads the hot, aimless summer ahead. But when a chance encounter with a snake introduces her to Jacob Lane, a relationship blooms, challenging everything she's ever believed about love. When Jacob confesses that Tess' uncle is trying to steal his family's land, Tess comes face-to-face with the hatred that simmers just below the surface of the bay and marshes she's loved since birth.