Louisa Clark must find a new job after being laid off from a café. She finds work as a caregiver for Will Traynor, a cynical former banker who was completely paralyzed by a motorcycle accident two years prior. At first, he reacts coldly to her spunkiness, but they soon become friends and develop feelings for each other, even though Louisa has an unthoughtful, marathon-running boyfriend named Patrick.
Louisa learns that Will has given his parents six months before they must bring him to Switzerland for euthanasia. Will cannot deal with the pain and suffering of his disability. Louisa secretly makes it her mission to change his mind and takes him on all the adventures that she can to prove that life is worth living. However, at their final trip to Mauritius with Will's nurse Nathan, Will confesses he intends to follow through with the euthanasia and asks for her to accompany him.