When a job becomes something more

Synopsis

Sophie Potter’s job is helping people deal with the worst, because Sophie Potter knows what the worst feels like.

An expert at keeping moving, with her trusty motorhome and faithful dog Muffin, Sophie has built her life around keeping her loves and loyalties as few as possible.

Fabulous fifty-something Hattie Langford has kept her heart and past safely stored away too. But for reasons she’s only willing to share with a stranger, Hattie needs to tell the story her family has been hiding at Riverbend, their home in Sherwood Forest. There is a history of heartbreak and hurt that Hattie is ready to face.

As Sophie helps Hattie uncover the secrets of generations of women who have lived at Riverbend, along with the stories of the men they have loved and lost, they start to see echoes in their own pasts. And as Riverbend shares its biggest secret of all, can Hattie and Sophie finally embrace the lives they’ve put on hold for so long, and risk their hearts to men who can break the Riverbend curse?

My review

After having experienced the worst, Sophie has made it her job to help people to deal with their own worst.
When Hattie Langford needs her help, Sophie is wondering what exactly Hattie needs her help for, as usual Sophie helps families after losing a loved one, but Hattie is still very much alive.
But for some reasons Hattie isn’t ready to share yet, she needs to tell someone the story of her family and their lives at Riverbend, in Sherwood Forest. A home which Hattie believes curses all the women.
Sophie helps Hattie to uncover all the secrets and the hurt, but also finds a place that perhaps calls like home like no other place ever did.
Yet even the presence of Gideon isn’t enough for Sophie to decide to stop her nomad life and settle down with her dog Muffin. Or is it? 

Beth Moran has the talent to write such heart – breaking yet at the same time hopeful stories. And this book isn’t the exception! 

My heart went out to Sophie, as she suffered an immense tragedy. It’s easy to see that she is still at loss, and that her grief is still very much present, not allowing her to move on with her life.
She is afraid of commitment, in any kind of way. She doesn’t allow many people into her inner circle, even her friends can be counted on one hand. She is afraid of love in all its aspects. And the smallest thing can be a trigger for her to make all the pain resurface.
So yes, my heart broke several times for her… 

But I was curious to see how accepting the latest job at Riverbend would affect her. While I somehow admired her for doing what she does, it still felt like she wanted to escape her own pain, by feeling other people’s pain.
And Hattie’s need for Sophie’s help for sure is out of the ordinary. 

Also in Hattie’s case, we can see that despite her façade, she has endured a lot of pain and grief. And with the setup of cleaning out the attic, ‘exploring’ the history of all the women living at Riverbend, slowly we learn more about not only Hattie but also the pain the house has. 

I have to say, it’s clear from the start that there is more going on with Hattie than she let’s everyone believe. And while I could understand that she didn’t want to talk about to everybody, I nevertheless disagreed a bit by not confiding in anyone.  

Yet I could also see all the good she was doing for the people of Sherwood Forest and around. While perhaps her views aren’t that ‘standard’, I think I could understand that a different approach perhaps could be more affective. 

I found it sweet how Sophie and Hattie are bonding over time, yet it also frustrated me a little bit to see how strict Hattie could be at times, and how that affected Sophie’s progress.
Because like it or not, Sophie finds herself making friends, the amazing Gals, but also finds comfort in the presence of Gideon. 

And it was sweet to see how Sophie, who has been adamant of never getting close to anyone, suddenly finds herself not only wanting to have more, but actually has more. We see a great evolution going through in her. From being distant and closed, we see her opening up, and even finding the courage to face her demons.  

Of course Gideon is a great help to Sophie, but the romance part may have been what has ignited the change in Sophie, the romance isn’t the main reason. It’s the sense of belonging, of finding a place that feels like home that could make start that change in Sophie.
Yet Sophie also makes it clear, involuntarily perhaps, that change isn’t something that happens overnight, as there are a lot to overcome, and that sometimes we need to show our investment on the long – term. 

This story talks about a lot of pain, but also about how to get rid of the pain, in a slow pace. There are also a few twists that I just saw coming at the last moment, but showing us also that we never know what happens behind closed doors and how that can affect our further loves.
The author shows us with this book, that with the right incentive, being love, changes can be made. And that people can find a place where they truly belong, a place to call home. And that place will give them the courage to lose all the grief and pain that is holding them back…