Sophy has not had much in her life, she was taken out of the family home when she was very young by her mother and lived a very nomadic life for the next few years. Eventually she found some solace in working in big houses and looking after not just the residents but the wonderful rooms and items held within.
Then her life changes when her grandfather dies and she inherits a big house, Winter’s End. Now she is not working for someone else she is working for herself and employs people to help.
Sophy has not been back to Winter’s End since the day she left. A great-aunt is still in residence and seem to be very much keen on a distant cousin, Jack taking over the place. He has the title now but not the house. Surely some how Sophy and Jack can work towards an ideal situation?
Jack has plans for the house and they are not the same plans as Sophy.
Sophy wants to bring her experience that she has gained and bring the house back to life, currently it is the garden which is the attraction. She wants to make the house viable as well. There is nothing wrong with it, it just needs a good clean and a few of the employees perhaps need to think differently.
One of these is Seth, the Head Gardener. His passion is for the garden and he thinks this is the way forward. It is inevitable that Seth and Sophy clash, but are the sparks that fly between them more than just in the fit of temper to get the house and the garden up to scratch?
Not only is Sophy trying to convince, the resident cook, Mrs Lark to stop cooking for the hordes and such such delicious food as well, she needs to convince all the other locals who all seem to have an interest in Winter’s End. Everyone has a story to tell and it seems that the house has one as well, if the truth could be discovered then perhaps this will solve all Sophy’s problems.
A great read from Trisha Ashley and the first story which is set in Sticklepond, a place that the author returns to in subsequent books. However there is no need to read them in order.
If you want a book rich in characters and places and the community idea that Trisha Ashley creates in her stories then this book is for you. It is a read which took me away from everything, I was in the house with Sophy helping her clean all the treasures, I was there watching the garden grow from the work of the dark, moody and yet handsome Seth, I was popping into the kitchen to eat whatever delights had just come out of the oven and I was willing Sophy to save Winter’s End so I could come back and visit. It is like spending quality time with friends.
I think I might be running out of Trisha Ashley novels to read. The trouble being when you have finished one, you want to plunge straight in and read another and so on, because from the comfort they give. All I can say is thank you Trisha.
I might need to go and treat myself to Every Woman for Herself instead of cake and chocolate. It has to be less fattening?
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