Dawn tells the story of Dawn Longchamp, who has had everything she loves taken from her suddenly after growing up in modest surroundings with a very hardworking family, including her devoted father Ormand and older brother Jimmy. The revelation of the terrible truth about her foster parents forces her into a new family whose dark and twisted secrets alter the course of her life irrevocably. While Dawn is trying to find her place in the world, her wicked grandmother Lillian Cutler rules her life with an iron fist and punishes her harshly when she disobeys. A dark and unbreakable curse hangs over the Cutlers, as Dawn discovers when she becomes entangled in the family's mysteries.

Dawn gains the upper hand with her grandmother Lilian after revealing some disturbing details about her past, and she plans her move to New York City so that she can attend the best performing arts school there. Dawn, who lives in a boarding house run by an aging actress named Agnes Morris, cannot shake her dreams about Jimmy and the painful secrets she and Jimmy share. New teacher and Broadway star Michael Sutton has his sights set on Dawn. Dawn is captivated by his charms, but when he suddenly vanishes, she finds herself back at the mercy of her evil grandmother.

After being reunited with Jimmy, Dawn is free and happy as Mrs. Longchamp, raising her beautiful daughter Christie as a wife and mother. Even though Dawn is the rightful owner of the Cutler's Cove Hotel and is able to turn it around, she is haunted by her grandmother's vengeful spirit. Dawn's dream is threatened once again when she learns that her brother Philip is still obsessed with her and that her spiteful sister Clara's rage has exploded into violence.

Christie, Dawn's only child, grew up in a warm and nurturing home, but a tragic loss soon engulfs her family. While trying to comfort herself, she learns even more shocking information about her Uncle Philip. After discovering her biological father in New York, Christie seeks refuge with Jimmy's half-brother Gavin and returns to the plantation where she was born, known as The Meadows. Will Christie be able to break the curse that has plagued her family for generations?