Plot Synopsis

When the writer of a local, very popular advice column, entitled "Dear Viola," decides to retire and leave the quaint seaside village of Bellport, seasoned editor Earl Bellamy is afraid The Bellport Herald will lose readers and money. While hoping to keep a lid on this news, he unexpectedly finds a brand-new "Viola" column on his desk but has no idea who wrote it. Soon the entire town finds Viola's new tone to be refreshing, no-nonsense, funny and wise. An outpouring of mail for Viola floods in. Again, Earl leaves the mail on his desk and another column appears. Using the security camera, he discovers the mystery columnist to be none other than Katie Miner, the shy accountant who has quietly done the books at the paper for years. Katie agrees to continue writing the column as long as her identity can remain secret. Sifting through a mountain of letters, she becomes struck by one from a widower, Russ, who calls himself "Mr. Lost Love." Working as a deep sea fisherman, Russ can't seem to move past the loss of his wife five years prior and struggles to find the strength to raise his young daughter. Firmly, Katie encourages him to reach out to others, begin dating and start living. As they correspond through the column and run into each other (hidden by their pen names), Katie starts to fall for Russ. But when Russ decides to take Viola's advice and start dating the knockout new girl in town, Jamie, she has to decide if it's really in her best interest to keep her identity and growing feelings secret.