Hannah is a 26-year-old production assistant for the film company Storm Born. As the younger sister in the wealthy Bellinger family, she often feels overshadowed and dresses casually in ball caps and tennis shoes to blend into the background. She possesses a deep passion for music, matching songs to her moods, and hopes to build a career in creating movie soundtracks.

Fox is a 31-year-old king crab fisherman and relief skipper on the Della Ray. Tall, tattooed, and muscular, he carries a widespread reputation as a casual player in the fishing village of Westport. Beneath his flirtatious exterior, he harbors insecurities about his worth and fears he cannot escape the behavioral expectations set by his unfaithful father.

Sergei is a young, artistic Russian film director. He runs the production company Storm Born, where Hannah works in an entry-level position. He acts spontaneously in his creative decisions and serves as the primary target of Hannah's workplace crush at the start of the story.

Piper is Hannah's older, more flamboyant sister. Famous for her style and celebrity status, she puts down roots in Westport after renovating their father's old bar into a business called Cross and Daughters. She is engaged to Brendan Taggart and continually encourages Hannah to step out of the shadows.

Brendan is a serious, responsible boat captain who runs the Della Ray fishing vessel. He is fiercely protective of his fiancée, Piper, and extends that guardianship to Hannah. He respects Fox's skills on the water and actively pushes him to take on more leadership responsibilities.

Henry is the Bellinger sisters' late father, a former king crab fisherman who died in the Bering Sea when Hannah was a baby. He leaves behind a legacy in Westport through the bar he owned and the original sea shanties he wrote.

Opal is Henry Cross's mother and the grandmother of Hannah and Piper. She lives in the small fishing town of Westport and cherishes the memory of her late son. She provides Hannah with a physical connection to Henry by sharing a folder of his handwritten music.

Charlene is Fox's mother, a woman who runs bingo nights in towns along the Washington coast. She raised Fox after divorcing his unfaithful father. She struggles to look at her son without flinching because of his strong physical resemblance to his father.

Brinley is the official music coordinator for Sergei's new movie, Glory Daze. She focuses on her own vision for the film's score and acts dismissively toward Hannah's attempts to contribute local music ideas.

Sanders is a crewmate on the Della Ray fishing boat. He maintains a friendship with Fox dating back to their high school years and frequently jokes about Fox's prolific success in attracting women.

Shauna is the owner of the local record store in Westport. She connects Hannah with regional musicians capable of performing Henry's sea shanties and casually shares observations about Fox's recent record-buying habits.

Louise is Brendan Taggart's mother. She stays at Piper and Brendan's house as a guest and initially presents a frosty demeanor toward Piper before Hannah intervenes to help warm the relationship.

Melinda is Fox's former college girlfriend. Her past decision to treat Fox as a casual fling while secretly dating his roommate deeply damaged his trust and solidified his fears about his reputation.