Sophy Winter is not your typical Lady of the Manor...
Unexpectedly inheriting Winter's End - a vast mansion in the beautiful Lancashire countryside - seems like the answer to Sophy's prayers. She eagerly swaps life as an impoverished housekeeper for running her own team of staff.
But Sophy quickly realises the challenge on her hands - the house is decrepit and its eccentric inhabitants are a nightmare. And once it is discovered that Winter's End played host to a young Shakespeare, the village of Sticklepond becomes curious about Sophy's plans, especially charming Jack Lewis. But is he really smitten with Sophy - or her newly-acquired cash?
Meanwhile, Sophy's gorgeous head gardener Seth is the strong and silent type. But does his passion bloom for anything beyond the horticultural?
As Sophy gets to grips with squabbling relatives, collapsing buildings and the ghostly presence of one of her ancestors, she wonders if Winter's End is not so much a gift from the gods, as a mixed blessing...