Can her family forgive what she can’t forgive herself?Ria Channing ran from a tragedy of her own making six years ago, a pariah in the family and home that were once perfect…until she destroyed them. But a deathbed promise to her only friend forces her to return for the sake of the grandson her parents have never met. Homeless, hungry and worn out from fighting for survival, she carries with her … from fighting for survival, she carries with her no expectation of forgiveness—only heartfelt hope that the house that love built will welcome and care for her child, if not his bad seed mother.
Sculptor Sandor Wolfe owes his career and his future to Ria’s mother. There is nothing he wouldn’t do to protect Cleo from the thankless daughter who has hurt her so deeply and now threatens the life she has rebuilt from the ashes of the old.
What he doesn’t expect, however, is to find a vulnerability and a courage that touch him as Ria tries to make up for all she has cost the family she destroyed.
The battle is one she seems destined to lose, and Sandor finds himself torn between love and loyalty, with the stakes being his friend’s broken heart and a valiant, fragile woman’s survival.
(A companion to The House That Love Built,a different perspective of the story seen through Ria’s eyes and going beyond)
“Jean Brashear’s distinctive storytelling voice instantly draws in the reader. She writes with warmth and emotional truth.” ~ #1 NY Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
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I enjoyed reading Ria’s return home from her perspective. The previous book, “The House That Love Built” was written from her mother, Cleo’s perspective. “The Road Back Home” was very well written and it made for interesting reading. It brought to light the various influences, mistakes, & encounters that affected Ria’s behavior.she had only one friend, Dog Boy. On his deathbed he made Ria promise to return home and reconnect with her parents and family.
I recommend this installment of the Second Chance at Love Series by Jean Brashier. I received an ARC and choose to provide an honest review..
She felt pushed aside when the other children were born. She killed her little brother in an accident when she was drunk. She felt everyone blamed her. She blamed herself, so she ran away and stayed away for years. She made a deathbed promise to her best friend to go back home. I read this through in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. I was in bed with my cpap mask on just sobbing. Not an easy thing to do. We’ve all been there in our youth. This was such an emotional book, but very lifelike. Another great one Ms. Brashear!
This is a story of a dysfunctional family who takes years to work through thing to heal. She devastated her family when she left years ago. She wouldn’t have come back if not for the promise she made on her friend’s deathbed so they could meet her grandson. But when she gets there she meets a man that is friends with her family and helping them. But he is determined to stop her from hurting them again. This is a very emotional story that you need Kleenex with and it makes you think about your own life. I received a review copy and voluntarily review it.
This is Victoria’s story. We met her in The House That Love Built. It is better if you read The House That Love Built first but both are stand alone stories. They cover family, anger, guilt, love and forgiveness. A box of Kleenex is recommended
This is a retelling of the heart gripping story originally told in The House That Love Built told from Ria’s point of view. You get the whole story so even if you haven’t read the prior book you will enjoy this one. It’s a story of past pain and loss that tore a family apart and their struggle to forgive, rebuild, and love again. This is a wonderful story that is not to be missed. I highly recommend it.
Victoria aka Ria as her baby brother David called her, returns home with her small son Benjy. Ria didn’t want to go home but she promised her dying friend, Dog Boy that she would and that she would attempt to mend the fences she shattered. Everyone in the family blamed Ria for David’s death including Ria herself. It shattered the fragile connection she and her mother, Cleo, had. So with the overwhelming guilt she carried Ria ran and was gone for years until being destitute and emotionally broken she gives a promise she has to honor and goes home. Things don’t go smoothly. She butts heads with everyone including her sister, Betsy and Sandor her mother’s helper and self-appointed protector. Only her father David and her aunt Cammie and gramma Lola seem to be able to accept her back into the family. There is an attraction between her and Sandor though and he seems to have decided he should be her protector as well. At first he thinks he’s doing it for Cleo’s sake but eventually he comes to understand that there is more to his feelings for Ria then just because she’s Cleo’s fragile broken daughter. Along the way Sandor takes a homeless young boy under his wing as well, Jerome. Jerome is wise beyond his years and not afraid to call both Sandor and Ria out on the attraction growing between them that they both vehemently deny. This book is another one you won’t be able to forget, the story of the characters so real and poignant. You will need some tissues and you will eagerly turn the pages. I was gifted a copy of this book. My honest review is voluntarily provided and I anxiously wait for the next book by Ms. Brashear.
This is Victoria’s story. She lives so much of her life in side her head. She always feel like people are judging her based on her looks and her family. She has the most amazing son, Benjy. In order to give him the life he deserves, she allows family to make her feel that leaving him in their care would be best. Sander, who has worked for Cleo for years, has already judged her. It isn’t until he issues a challenge and she accepts it, that he finds out her true worth. In the process, he looses his heart to her. I absolutely loved the ending!
In some ways this was a hard book to read. I found myself identifying with several of the characters, but found myself frustrated by the difficulties they created for themselves.
I received this book, early, in exchange for an honest review. In writing this review I am trying not to include spoilers. My frustration in watching Ria torment herself stems from her self-loathing. She believes she killed her younger brother while rebelling against her mother. Ria has a young son and returns to her parents when she has no funds and doesn’t want to harm him by continuing to live in her car or providing minimal food.
My frustration is not with her poverty or concerns about raising her son. It is with her inability to hear or accept opinions of the people around her. This book is about a family whose members were devastated by the death of David. Their son and brother. Unable to reach out to each other for support, they broke and blamed Ria and each other for the things that went wrong.
This book is the story of that anger and bitterness and pain until one desperate act helps bring change. As usual Jean Brashear presents her readers with a well written story filled with characters who live and breathe and suffer and grow. Well worth reading. Might help you think about how your beliefs about yourself and your actions on those beliefs influence how others see and respond to you.
This is a different view of the story “The House That Love Built.” While Ria played an important role in that book it was mostly about Cleo and Malcolm. This story is more about Ria and Sander. While the first story required tissues this one requires so much more. Tears just poured from me reading Rita’s story. Guilt, low self esteem, need for love and forgiveness consumes Ria. The journey to healing this family is an emotional roller coaster that you do not want to miss. Make sure you have plenty of tissues available as Jean takes you into the world of the Channing family.
THE ROAD BACK HOME was told from Ria Channing’s point of view. At first, it was hard to like her. But the more I read, the more I hurt for her. She was a selfish child, as many of us are in our childhood. That lead to many tragic events in her life. This was a beautiful story of her homecoming and learning to love and to be loved. Excellent read!
*I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary review.
This is part of the story in The House that Love Built but from a different perspective. Ria has returned home with her son because of a deathbed promise made to the man who saved her life. She hasn’t felt loved by anyone since the death of her brother but she wants her son to have a family and the stability that comes with that.
An intense and moving story that shows how complicated life is and how a family can be destroyed by a tragic event, only to be restored years later.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ARC for honest review with no compensation
The Road Back Home is book 5 in the Second Chances series by Jean Brashear and while it can be read as a standalone, reading the prior book House That Love Built will give more in-depth and a better understanding of these too stories.
Ria Channing ran away from home six years ago after the death of her brother which she caused. Now after making a deathbed promise she is returning home with her 4 year old son, worn out from barely surviving life. She doesn’t expect forgiveness for her sins but hopes they will take care of her son…but the home life she left is not what she finds when she returns…
Sandor Wolfe, sculptor owes Cleo (Ria’s mother) his career so he will do whatever it takes to protect her from all the heartache Ria caused her years before. What he doesn’t expect is the vulnerability of Ria and how she wants to repair all the damage she’s done.
What an emotional story…tears, tragedy, pain, heartbreak, redemption and so much more…
The Road Back Home is the companion book to The House the Love Built and is told from the perspective of the daughter, Ria. Ria left home after the tragic death of her younger brother in an accident that was her fault. Six years later she returns home with her four year old son, wanting to make amends and stay long enough to get healthy and hopefully have a fresh start in life. When she arrives she finds nothing is how she left it. Her parents are divorced, her younger sister is married and hates her, and her free spirited grandmother and great-aunt live in her family home with her mother.
This book and The House That Love Built are incredible stories of love, loss, and healing. The family dynamics are real and haunting. Anyone who has siblings will, in my opinion, see how true to life it is. The author brought them to life for me.
I highly recommend this book and the companion book, which should be read first, but each story can be read on its own.
This story is told from Ria’s point of view. It is even sadder than the previous book.
Ria could not catch a break. It was bad enough that she spent almost her ENTIRE life beating herself up about almost everything, yet, the only thing her family noticed about her was that she was “difficult”.
She was in pain and drinking long before the incident with David, and neither of her parents thought she needed help? It sounded like her sister Betsy was manipulative, but no one noticed?
Admittedly, Ria made a major mistake, but for people to be upset because she left town, and then be equally upset because she came back was a bit much.
Sanford and Ria’s situationship seemed really off balance to me. I felt like it he was pulling her close to him in order to help her with one hand, and beating her down with the other.
There was romance in the book, but there was so much drama and angst that the romance was negligible.
There were a few light moments with Ria’s son, but it felt more like he was supporting the adults. There was also a HEA, but it didn’t lighten up this book.
I was drawn into the story, and I have to say the writer provided all the anguish you could want, if that’s your cup of tea. This was not a fun enjoyable read, but it will make you feel something.
I would give it 3.5 stars. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book received from the author.