Marin Frist, a relationship coach and bestselling author, is confident when it comes to men. But when her own relationship falls apart, she finds herself questioning everything she's believed in and written about. Soon Marin arrives in a small Alaskan town of Elmo and finds that the town is full of the one thing she doesn't need: men. Now Marin has a chance to stop and re-evaluate herself for the first time in a long time.
Marin begins to adapt to the small town environment, which includes a new job as a relationship adviser on Patrick's radio show and a raccoon that won't stop following her. The men in Elmo give Marin surprising advice as to how she should get over her former finacee. Meanwhile, Jane helps Marin cancel her wedding; Sara takes Marin to a sweat lodge; Annie begins working for Jack; and Marin accidentally knocks out the town's power.
Marin continues to struggle with the fact that she's a single woman and finds that moving on is more difficult than she had originally thought. Later, Marin is asked to host the town's Bachelor Auction and never expected that she'd spend all of her money on a guy. Meanwhile, Patrick has Annie meet his mother, Celia, and Ben and Theresa's relationship becomes more complex.
Since Marin left New York suddenly, a rumor has started in New York that she's dead. Meanwhile, when Elmo's town elder passes away, their sister city breaks up with them, leading Marin to take it upon herself to find the town a new sister city. Elsewhere, Marin's clothes she shipped from New York end up on every other woman in town.
Elmo is in the middle of a record heatwave. Marin discovers that the energy bars she's been feeding the raccoon in her closet are making him sick. She turns to Jack for help to make the raccoon better and ends up thinking she may be attracted to him. However, she doesn't know if she or Jack is ready for a relationship. Meanwhile, things between Patrick and Annie, as well as Ben and Sara, heat up.
Marin explores the possibility of men and women being friends after they've had sex. To test a theory, she invites Jack to go with her to Anchorage. Meanwhile, Patrick doesn't understand why Annie wants them to only have limited romantic time and Sara, Ben and Theresa discuss their love triangle.
Elmo throws Marin a birthday party, but when Marin's younger sister arrives in town, old insecurities are brought back to the surface. Tensions boil between Sara and Theresa now that Ben has asked Theresa to more out. Meanwhile, Buzz finds Patrick's father's plane, which opens up the possibility that his father he never knew may have survived.
Marin coaches Patrick and Buzz on building their relationship, but her efforts have mixed results, especially when Celia breaks the news that they are related. Meanwhile, Marin and Annie go on the hunt for a beauty salon; Sara studies for her EMS exam; and an avalanche triggered by earthquake tremors force Marin and Jack to hike up the mountain to help those trapped.
Unknown to Marin, Jane releases an excerpt from Marin's newest book to The New Yorker, forcing Marin to defend her career to Jack, the subject of her book. Meanwhile, Jewel stops at The Chieftain when her car breaks down and runs into Theresa, who happens to be Jewel's former bandmate.
Emotions between Marin and Jack run high when Marin decides to go home to New York for Thanksgiving and meet with editors about publishing her new book. While in New York, Marin is excited to be home, but misses Elmo and Jack. Back in Elmo, Jack makes the decision to make his move on Marin, but just as he goes to do so, an unexpected twist prevents him from doing so. Elsewhere, Patrick has to decide whether to spend Thanksgiving with his family in Elmo or with Annie in New York.
While anxiously awaiting Marin's return, Jack is thrown off when a person from his past arrives in Elmo with a secret. Meanwhile, Annie is upset with Patrick for ditching her on Thanksgiving; Sam and Jane have a romantic time in New York; Theresa and Ben contemplate their future; and Buzz has a medical crisis.
Now that Jack has admitted his feelings to Marin, she decides to wait until his ex-girlfriend, Lynn, leaves Elmo. Meanwhile, Annie begins to think Patrick isn't ready for a relationship because of his mother's tight grip on him. Elsewhere, Jane wonders if she should have a long distance relationship with Sam.
While suffering from writer's block and having a tough time getting over Jack, Marin volunteers at the Elmo Fundraising Rummage Sale. Marin's publisher, Stuart, makes a surprise visit to Elmo to critique her second chapter. Meanwhile, Jack and Lynn try to pick up where they left off; and Patrick plans a romantic proposal for Annie, but everything gos awry.
Marin moves into her new house, but it isn't quite in livable conditions yet. Patrick stresses over money when Buzz tells him he has to "man up" and take care of Annie now that they're engaged. Meanwhile, Cecilia's "needs" wear out Dick.
Marin's publisher, Stuart, invites her on an overnight ski trip, which makes Marin wonder if she can be like "one of the guys" and go with no strings attached. Jack takes Lynn for a sonogram. Meanwhile, Patrick admits to Annie that he made a sperm bank donation and Buzz has to face part of his past.
Marin has trouble getting her construction crew to do what she wants with her run-down cabin and hires a sexy handyman, Cash, to help with the renovations. Buzz learns George's secret -- the son he hasn't seen since the boy was eight -- but his attempts to be supportive of their reunion threaten the occasion. Meanwhile, Marin debates whether or not to go to Lynn's baby shower.
Marin lets Cash move into her cabin in exchange for repairing it and has to adjust to his lifestyle. Meanwhile, Marin is thrown off by surprising news about Jack and Lynn; Patrick wants to officially propose to Annie by asking her father's permission, so Annie takes him to New York to meet her family.
To help Marin let go of some of her issues, Cash takes her to see a guru, but on their way back down the mountain an arctic cyclone erupts. Worried about Marin, Jack heads out to look for them, much to the disgust of Lynn. Meanwhile, while the rest of the town are hunkered down at the Chiefton to wait out the storm, they all learn surprising facts about one another.
Marin ventures into the woods to find a special root for her stew and becomes lost after making a bet with Cash. Jack, filming a nature documentary, finds her. Meanwhile, newly engaged Lynn wishes that Jack would show her the attention that Ben and Buzz do towards their wives. Meanwhile, Patrick wants a new surname and Sara gets a summons from her ex-husband for custody of their son.
Now that Jack's fiancee has left Elmo, the town assumes that he and Marin will resume their relationship. Meanwhile, Mai's cousin from China arrives in Elmo for a visit.
Annie and Patrick's bachelor and bachelorette parties are held, the bachelorette party is on the Fantasea Cruise Ship while the men held their party at Grange Hall. Romance finds its way back into Marin's life as she receives gifts from two men. She also juggles being both maid of honor and best man for Patrick and Annie's wedding. Sara struggles with a church policy.
In the first of a two-episode arc, a band of wild wolves arrive in Elmo, causing a fight between Marin and Jack. As Patrick and Annie's wedding nears, a series of events threatens the ceremony. Annie's mother arrives in town for the wedding, and finds that three moms is a crowd. Meanwhile, Ben's purchase of a hockey team lines up to be a disaster.
The weather begins to take its toll on Patrick and Annie as their wedding nears. Meanwhile, Marin invites Jack to the wedding as her date; Jane flies to Elmo for the vows; and Cash returns to Elmo.
Marin makes a disturbing discovery in Jack's cabin, while he is away at the Bering Sea studying whales. Meanwhile, Patrick is still struggling to remember who he is and remains acting peculiarly. Mai helps Mary Alice prepare for a date with Jerome. Theresa notices that Ben has changed his behavior since his purchase of a hockey team. Marin receives shocking news from Jane.
Marin, unaware that Jack's ship has sunk in the Bering Sea, is upset that she hasn't heard from him. Meanwhile, she still is being pursued by both Stuart and Patrick, who is still suffering from amnesia. Also, while attending a snowplow convention, Sam and Jane devise a clever living arrangement; Sara and Eric advance their relationship; and Jack needs to make a grave decision to save both his and a shipmates life.
Cash's secret is known by all after being discovered by Marin. Eric and Sara begin a "completely chaste" relationship after moving in together. While preparing the move to New York, Jane tosses out one of Sam's favorite shirts. Meanwhile, Annie and Celia are sadden and perplexed by Patrick's amnesia and new personality.
The search for Jack is called off by the Coast Guard, leaving Marin in shock and those of Elmo depressed. Meanwhile, the doctor gives Cash bad news, Eric and Sara find that their home is not as spacious as they thought, Patrick dates someone other than Annie, and Jerome and Mai reveal secrets about themselves that no one is aware of.
Jack and Marin decide to move in together, but the happy couple doesn't anticipate the difficulty of merging their different lifestyles. Meanwhile, Jane is on a mission to get her marriage to Sam announced in the coveted New York Times; Patrick gets an adrenaline rush while flying Buzz's plane and wants to experience more, much to Celia's chagrin; and after doing a favor for Sara, Theresa has a surprise announcement for her unsuspecting husband, Ben
Jack is feeling very amorous towards Marin, but she fears that it may be for the wrong reasons. After Patrick's adventure-seeking stunt, Celia throws him in jail and he takes full advantage of his "right to remain silent." Marin, Jack and Jerome are off to New York to celebrate Sam and Jane's wedding. And Sam is surprised when he learns the truth about Jane's parents.
Cash receives more bad news regarding his kidneys, and Jack sees Julia for the first time since her Bering Sea ordeal. Ben signs a hockey player from Croatia who plays as tough as the attitude he emits, while Patrick avoids Celia as she avoids Dick. And Annie goes to Terri for a makeover for a new look that is similar to a 1970's Sandy Duncan.
Morgan Fairchild, in Elmo to sing the national anthem before the Huskies game, wants to use Marin as a subject of a movie. But Marin is unsure about her future in Elmo. Meanwhile Annie catches Ivan's eye, while Patrick is interested in a new woman. Terri wants to make a bond with Cash while on a camp out, Eric's new band attracts females, and Buzz makes a huge bet on the Huskies.
Jack invites Marin to meet Julia and her husband, Jim. At dinner, the couples all learn very suprising things about each other. Meanwhile, Jane has mixed emotions about the engagement ring Sam gave her that he found at the sanitation department's lost and found.
Cash is discharged from the hospital, leading Marin to ask Jack if it would be okay for him to stay at their house. Patrick's trip takes him to New York where he is hired by Jane's company. Meanwhile, Jane tries to woo Pilar, who is a relationship books. In Elmo, Buzz takes over at the inn in order to earn money to pay off his gambling debt.
Marin helps a nervous Jack as he prepares for his first lecture as a college professor in Anchorage. Upon his return, he brings Marin a gift -- four puppies that she ends up taking care of - and which keep her from getting any of her book writing finished.
Meanwhile, as Annie puts together auditions for Elmo's First Annual Talent Show, she thinks she might be falling for Ivan. In New York, Patrick is unclear about Pilar's (Sofía Vergara) advances toward him
Meanwhile in New York, Sam becomes an unlikely hero and Jane wonders if all the attention has gone to his head. Marin heads to a spa trip in Anchorage after completing her book. She finds a surprise when she sights Julia's husband, Jim, with another woman and wonders if she should tell Jack. Patrick gets several surprises when he comes home to Elmo now that his memory has returned: Annie and Ivan have become closer, and Celia has remade his bedroom over for her dog.
The townsfolk display some unlikely talents as they prepare for the First Annual Elmo Talent Show. Meanwhile, money may come between Marin and Jack, as she wants to do something expensive for him with the check she just received for her latest book. Sam's budget friendly ways frustrate Jane as they drive from New York to Elmo. Sara is experiencing fantasies about men, but not about her boyfriend, Eric. And Patrick goes to extremes to rekindle his romance with Annie.