Title: The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

Pages: 258

Genres: Christian, Fiction, Romance, Christmas

Published by: Howard Books (Jan. 1, 2012)

Synopsis

Number one New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury delivers an instant classic with this heartwarming Christmas story about a hundred-year flood, lost love, and the beauty of enduring friendships. Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but she left her heart back in Tennessee with a man she walked away from five years ago. They had a rare sort of love she hasn’t found since.

Ryan Kelly lives in Nashville after a broken engagement and several years on the road touring with a country music duo. He can still hear Molly’s voice encouraging him to follow his dreams; Molly, whose memory stays with him. At least he can visit The Bridge—the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin—and remember the hours he and Molly once spent there.

For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books—even through dismal book sales and the rise of digital books. Then in May, the hundred-year flood swept through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store.

Now the bank is pulling the lease on The Bridge. Despondent and without answers, Charlie considers the unthinkable. Then tragedy strikes, and suddenly, everything changes. In the face of desperate brokenness and lost opportunities, could the miracle of a second chance actually unfold?

The Bridge is a love story set against the struggle of the American bookstore, a love story you will never forget

What I Thought

This was a very enjoyable, Christmas-y book!  After seeing the movies advertised on the Hallmark Channel, I was intrigued, and wanted to read the book before watching the movies.  I am very glad I did, too!

The Bridge is a quick little book to get through, and I really loved its story line.  I loved the idea of The Bridge bookstore.  The love of books and the connections people can make through books was such a great idea for this book.  My only wish is that I had a place like The Bridge where I live.  The way that books shape you and help you through life is such an important part of this novel.  Also, I love the whole “save the bookstore” route didn’t go as expected.  A lot of times, it feels like story lines such as those go the whole “it’s all ebooks and the internet’s fault we’re going out of business,” and while bookstores have closed because of those things (RIP Borders), that’s not always the case.  Books don’t need saving because they aren’t going anywhere.  The love of books and reading is still alive and well!

I really liked the message in this novel as well.  It is all about the importance of following your dreams.  The Bridge stresses the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and never giving up on your hopes and what you feel passionately about.  I also loved the reminder that just because life doesn’t always go as expected, it doesn’t mean that you have failed.

All of the characters are also super likable and relatable.  I really liked Molly and Ryan as individuals, as well as the friendship and love that formed between them.  I’d actually really love to read a sequel to see how the rest of their lives, as well as Charlie and Donna’s, turn out!

Overall, this was a very nice book.  It was heartwarming and Christmas-y, but not too cheesy.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy, wintery read!