Stumbling Toward Serenity

A high-powered career. A personal implosion. And a vacation she doesn't remember booking. Natalie had it all: prestige, power, and a reputation for getting results. But after HR complaints label her a "bully" and her boss issues an ultimatum—take a sabbatical or resign—Natalie plans to regroup. Unfortunately, Drunk Natalie had other plans. After a wine-fueled night she can't recall, Natalie wakes up to a waiting car and a confirmation email for The Haven. Expecting a luxury resort to wait out her suspension, she arrives on Revelry Island only to find she has accidentally signed herself up for a rustic, Wi-Fi-less retreat focused on "healing." Trapped by her own impulsive booking and eager to prove she can "relax" enough to get her job back, she is forced to endure meditation, chores, and Marcus—the maddeningly calm grief counselor whose quiet kindness and homemade beignets give her room to fall apart. Natalie wants control. She wants her life back. But as the island's rhythm seeps in, she realizes that the version of herself she's fighting to save might be the very thing she needs to resign from. Tropes: Forced Proximity • Grumpy x Sunshine • Emotional Redemption • Island Setting • Slow Burn