Dr. Clara Vandenberg is a marine biologist whose affinity for octopuses is rivaled only by her social ineptitude. Armed with obsessive focus and a Ph.D. in the art of avoiding small talk, Clara finds sanctuary beneath the ocean's surface. She comes to Australia to study a group of unprecedentedly cooperative octopuses and marvels at their evolution from solitary beings to communal creatures, at least until she stumbles upon Ash Pérez for the first time in nine years.

Outwardly exhibiting the Taoist happiness of a goldfish, Ash is a goofy surfer bro with hidden depths. At the age of twelve, a chance encounter leads Clara and Ash to rescue a shark, which creates a lifelong bond that blossoms into love. But Clara and Ash’s lives take divergent paths. Ash's journey carries him to pro surfing glory until it’s cut short by an unexpected foot amputation. While Clara, lost in the scientific currents, is haunted by the death of her parents and memories of the only relationship to make her feel connected to another.

In the sun-kissed South Coast of Australia, Ash and Clara rekindle their friendship. As they navigate their shared history and the scars left by betrayal, LOVE IN THE TIME OF CEPHALOPODS weaves between the past and present, revealing the messy complexities of lifelong love, the beauty of resilience, and the redemptive power of second chances. Through the enigmatic eyes of octopuses, Clara uncovers a revelation that transcends science: the transformative potency of human connection.