Crossing the Bridge

by Michael Baron

Hugh Penders has been stuck in neutral for nearly a decade since his brother Chase died in a car accident. He carries with him two secrets that he has never been able to share with anyone: that he believes he might have been able to prevent the accident, and that he was deeply in love with Chase's girlfriend, Iris.

When Hugh's father suffers a debilitating heart attack, Hugh must return to the New England home he's been running away from for the past ten years. One day, he encounters Iris, who has long since moved away, on the street. They begin a friendship and Hugh believes he's falling in love with Iris all over again.

But the ghost of Chase haunts both of them. And when each reveals a truth the other never knew, their lives, their vision of Chase, and their chances for a future together will change forever.

Charged by the power of desire and the impact of loss, Crossing the Bridge is a soulful, romantic novel that will speak to you deeply

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I grew up in the New York area and I’ve lived there my entire life. I worked in retail and taught high school English before I got my first book contract. I have gotten several additional book contracts since then, which is fortunate because I didn’t have the patience to work in retail and, while I quite enjoyed teaching, my approach was a bit too unconventional for most school systems. One school administrator told me that, “there are more important things than being a dynamic teacher.” Since I couldn’t name any of those things (at least in the context of school), I figured I didn’t have a long-term future in the profession. Hence, I became a writer, where I believe people appreciate a certain level of dynamism.


Though I started with nonfiction, I have always loved fiction and I have always wanted to write it. I’ve always had a particular affection for love stories. In fact, the very first book-length thing I ever wrote, when I was thirteen, was a love story. Mind you, it was the kind of love story that a thirteen-year-old boy would write, but it was a love story nonetheless. I have a deep passion for writing about relationships – family relationships, working relationships, friendships, and, of course, romantic relationships – and I can only truly explore this by writing fiction. These novels have given me a way to voice the millions of things running through my head.


My wife and kids are the center of my life. My wife is the inspiration for all of my love stories and my children enthrall me, challenge me, and keep me moving. One of the primary reasons I wrote my first novel, When You Went Away was that I wanted to write about being a father. Aside from my family, I have a few other burning passions. I’m a pop culture junkie with an especially strong interest in music, I love fine food (and any restaurant shaped like a hot dog), and I read far too many sports blogs for my own good.


You might have noticed that I haven't published a photo of myself. This isn't because I'm involved in the Witness Protection program or because I have an innate fear of cameras. It's because Michael Baron is a pseudonym. I'm writing these novels “undercover” because they're not entirely compatible with the nonfiction books I write and I didn't want to confuse readers. We're all different people sometimes, right? I just decided to give my alter ego another name.


My third novel, The Journey Home, has just come out. It’s a love story, too. Naturally.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The obvious comparison would be to Nicholas Sparks. I've read a few Sparks novels and enjoyed them, but they're too sappy, too obvious, too romantic. I like Baron's writing better. He's more intelligent, less about the romance and more about the story, the characters, and the setting. At first, the story was sort of boring, but I realized that Baron was painting a picture, and he had to sketch it out first before he could put the color on it.
I like that this is a story that could happen in "real life." It isn't far-fetched or hard to believe. The people and locations feel real. I could imagine everything and envision everything clearly. Speaking about the book to my sister, I felt as if I were talking about people and places that I actually knew.
Is Baron the best writer I've ever read? No. Is this the best book I've ever read? No. But will I remember this book years from now? Yes.
I recommend this novel to people who love love, who enjoy reading about people falling in love, to whom their families and hometowns are important.
******************************************************************************
I'm really glad I reread this book. The book could be shorter if the minute details were taken away, but again, those details are what really make this book special for me. I loved getting reacquainted with Iris, Chase, Hugh, Tyler, and the other characters. What stood out to me this time was Chase's instability. It really makes the major question at the end of the novel have a more concrete answer. What also stood out was Hugh and Tyler's friendship. I love platonic bonding in books, and I really appreciate the "love story" between two guys who don't know each other but develop a bond and end with a special and meaningful friendship.
I still recommend this book, and I maintain my rating of four stars, not because the book is particularly well-written or engaging or anything but because it's special. It's a simple story with some plot twists, but more than anything else, it's a character-driven book, one in which the characters include Amber, Connecticut and Amber Cards, Gifts, and Stationary.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have concluded that I am a fan of Michael Baron. This state of fandom started with When You Went Away and has continued with Crossing the Bridge. There is something intoxicating about Mr. Baron's writing as his style brings me right into the story. I found myself mesmerized by the smoothness and flow of the words. I would re-read passages not because I didn't understand but because of the complete beauty and simplicity of the words. The way the words were strung together would give me pause and then I would want to re-read not willing to let go of the moment. The language and flow of the writing kept a nice steady pace that gave me a sense of belonging to the story. I loved that throughout the story, the author seamlessly weaved music related tidbits such as band names and songs. This touch added a nice flair to the reality of Hugh as I was swept into his world. A world that I did not want to leave.

Crossing the Bridge immersed my thoughts and emotions into the lives of the characters, most especially with Hugh as this story is told from his perspective. He is a soul who lost his center with the death if his brother, Chase. With that sense of loss, Hugh has wandered through life. Still, I found him very appealing even with his wandering nomadic way of living. His thoughts and feelings struck my core. I was captured by Hugh's remembrances of his brother,his life wanderings, his inability to forgive himself and move on from his brother's death. I was also captured by Hugh's take on the one woman in his life that truly captivated him. The woman who produced in Hugh a broad range of feelings including love. His relationship with Iris was touching and very moving.
Hugh felt real. He felt like he could be a friend, a relative, a neighbor.

This is a beautiful story that makes a compelling read with richly written characters. Their interactions, dialogue and thoughts brought a deep sense of satisfaction for me as I felt drawn to them as if they were tangible people.

Simply, Crossing the Bridge touched my being through the everyday life struggles and triumphs that encompass Hugh. A heartfelt story of remembrance, loss, forgiveness and love that satisfied me to my core.

Yes, I am a fan of Mr. Baron's. I will keep his books on my shelf for future re-reads. I am looking forward to his next book, The Journey Home, to be released May 11, 2010.

Polishing Mud Balls

[Mª João Monteiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Livro com uma historieta de amor à maneira de Nicholas Sparks sem o seu entusiasmo. Hugh volta à sua vila natal devido a um ataque cardíaco do pai e toma conta da papelaria da família. Ficamos a saber do tédio que esta ocupação lhe causa e de como tem vivido, nos últimos dez anos, a saltar de emprego para emprego, de cidade em cidade e de um relacionamento fugaz para outro. Ficamos a saber que deixou a faculdade e a família após a morte do irmão mais novo num acidente de viação quase há dez anos. Entretanto, reencontra Íris, antiga namorada do irmão, e reatan conhecimento.
Achei este livro um pouco previsível e aborrecido, muito morno.

[Tania Martins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Que livro mais estranho! Os outros do autor já tinham sido a modos que fora da caixa (gostava mesmo de saber quem se esconde neste pseudónimo) e este não foi exceção, romance atípico entre um homem atormentado pela morte do irmão há 10 anos com a ex cunhada por quem sempre nutriu uma paixão, no meio desta confusão o pai que teve um ataque cardíaco o que deixa Hugh a ter que ficar à frente da papelaria e bugigangas do pai...todo um desenrolar de amizades e redescobertas de regresso à terra natal anos depois...

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. I don't know why but in some ways it just drew me in and I wanted to see the story to the end pretty quickly. The very sad story in ways of a brother and a family and a girl friend who lost a young man in the prime of his life and the things they knew and did not know about his last day on earth. It all comes to light in the end. They each have their own ways of feeling badly about how Chase's life ended and seeem to have put their lives on hold because of it. This is the story about how they get beyond that eventually and how they start to live again. A great story I really like this author and his stories of people and their family's.

Here on Good Reads:
Hugh Penders has been stuck in neutral for nearly a decade since his brother Chase died in a car accident. He carries with him two secrets that he has never been able to share with anyone: that he believes he might have been able to prevent the accident, and that he was deeply in love with Chase's girlfriend, Iris.
When Hugh's father suffers a debilitating heart attack, Hugh must return to the New England home he's been running away from for the past ten years. One day, he encounters Iris - who has long since moved away - on the street. They begin a friendship and Hugh believes he's falling in love with Iris all over again.

But the ghost of Chase haunts both of them. And when each reveals a truth the other never knew, their lives, their vision of Chase, and their chances for a future together will change forever.

Charged by the power of desire and the impact of loss, Crossing the Bridge is a soulful, romantic novel that will speak to you deeply.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confesso que fiquei desiludida com o livro. Uma historia tão bonita poderia ter sido mais bem explorada. Este protagonista é o sonho de qualquer mulher. Mas a parte feminina é mesmo chata.

[Thelma Wimberley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crossing the Bridge

I got bored and did not finish the book. I did not like the way it jumped back and forth from the past to the present.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book has reminded me why I enjoy adult fiction. In some ways, I could relate to plenty of events in this book while still being swept away and lost in the story. The premise of this novel did grab me- while being a somewhat common overall situation, it was clear from even the summary how Baron intended to make this something all his own. Most notably, this story is set in the perspective of Hugh- a male taking the lead in what ultimately is a romance rather than the female fulfilling this role. Iris does, of course, come in often but even telling things from her side would have left me with an entirely different feeling than from Hugh's.

There were numerous elements that came to play in this story, all weaving together seamlessly and innocently. This is not an action book- it is a story of character development. The reasons Hugh has jumped from town to town and job to job is clear from the start but constantly reiterated and reconfirmed as the tale continues. I could fully understand Hugh's responses for running for the past decade and though now a man in his early thirties, I really appreciated how often he seemed like a man in his early twenties instead. The toll his brother's death took on him was clear and the things he skipped out on and avoided in the decade after did change him and mold him in ways that otherwise would not have happened. The personal growth and development that would come in those ten years from settling into a career, a community, maybe even finding a spouse- none of that happened for Hugh. In that sense, his character hadn't really matured from the college kid who lost his brother and I think this one singular facet was what I appreciated most from this.

The flashbacks and remembrances of Chase intertwined themselves at the right times without a break in the overall flow of the story. Each scene helped build the picture of Chase- show the reader what Hugh did. This wasn't just his brother Hugh lost, but his best friend. The only real issue between them was Hugh's affections towards Chase's girlfriend Iris- and something Hugh tried his best to hide and ignore and it wasn't necessarily mmediately clear if Chase was even cognizant of these feelings. Regardless, Hugh wasn't going to hurt his brother in such a manner but a decade later, those feelings remained. In the same way Hugh ran from Chase's death, he ran from everything with Iris as well. Although the story line of meeting up a decade later after such a terrible even is often used, Baron played his particular idea out quiet beautifully.

In many places, this book was emotional. The sorrow that clung to Hugh almost all the time was tangible- the grief palpable. But those instances where it lifted, where Hugh was able to move forward even slightly, made me want to keep reading as did the moments where he was jerked back into the past and into the constant weight of his brother's absence. While this was not an action, I still kept turning the pages. In many ways throughout the book, it seemed as though Hugh had done nothing but make mistakes since Chase died. This strained many areas of his life until everything culminated at the end. The decisions he made were clear and backed up by events of the story and Hugh's personality.

The push and pull of Hugh and Iris' developing relationship, while sometimes seemed drawn out, was necessary and believable. There was something almost tangible stuck between them- Chase's memory because as they said in the book- Iris would forever be Chase's last girlfriend. Hugh could never look at Iris without thinking of her being with his brother and Iris could in turn never look at Hugh without thinking of his brother. That was the ultimate basis of this book and I was certainly rooting for the pair to find a way around that obstruction.

The ending was peaceful- there was a point where it became clear how things would end but I still enjoyed reading it. This is a feel good novel by the end of it, made unique by the male perspective. If you are ever wondering what a man is thinking, this is the perfect book to read for a glimpse. There are a few burning questions that remain- things brought up in the story related to events with Chase that are never answered- which in some ways does bother me since those are things that helped define many aspects of who he was but at the same time, their actual answer was not vital to the story- only the fact that they happened.

Overall, I give this one 4 stars. With a strong yet developmentally stunted and broken male lead, this book was an interesting read. The story was a nice twist on something oft done. This was a masterpiece in character development stories with just enough intrigue and a few twists and catches to keep you reading without ever feeling like high action additions were vital. From the main characters to the minor ones to the extras, each character served a clear role in this book- they weren't being mentioned just to be there. Baron has done well with this novel and I will certainly be looking forward to more from him in the future.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the beginning of this story. It pulled me in and kept me interested. Hugh's feeling of being trapped, not only in his old home town but in his father's card shop, was portrayed very well. It was almost as if, since Chase never had the chance to continue on with his life that Hugh felt the need to curtail his own life. He never really moved forward all that much from the moment in time when his brother drove off of the bridge. I could see the different meanings as well with crossing a bridge. There was the literal bridge that Chase drove off of, there was the bridge to the future that Hugh didn't want to cross and the bridge to the past that meeting Iris and renewing their friendship showed. At times I got frustrated with Hugh, he was watching his father spend the day in his bathrobe afraid to even climb the stairs because of his heart attack. While he could see how stuck his father was without there being a real need for it, he didn't seem to recognize how stuck he himself was. The moving every year or so to a new job and a new relationship, his fear of developing anything long term or even really starting a career for no real reason. It was so similar to his father but he couldn't see it.

When Hugh and Iris renewed their friendship and spent time together I was glad because they both seemed to still be healing from Chase's death ten years before and they were helping each other. It was nice too to see Hugh start to develop some friendships and interests. Unfortunately towards the end of the middle it felt like the novel dragged a bit. I found myself not as keen about picking it up, but this might have been almost purposeful on the authors part to show us how stuck Hugh was with his perception of the past and his inability to go into the future. As the novel started to conclude and pieces started to fall into place I once again felt very engaged by the story. It was a satisfying story. In the end notes from the author he mentions that he is writing under an assumed name as he usually writes non-fiction which has made me curious about his other works. Along with this fiction novel he has another novel that was published prior to this and one that comes out in May. This book will be available tomorrow, January 5th, 2010.



Where the book came from: Received from the publisher for review. Thank you The Story Plant for the chance to read this novel.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugh Penders is a drifter, moving from state to state, job to job, and woman to woman. Since his brother Chase died in an automobile accident ten years ago, while Hugh was in college, he has avoided his small hometown, Amber, as much as possible. When his father has a heart attack, he must return home to his dismay. While there, he runs his father’s stationary store and hates it, and feels like an outsider amongst his own family. One day, he spots Iris outside of the store and immediately feels drawn to her, much like he did ten years ago while Chase was dating her. He has always loved Iris, and wants to reconnect with her so they begin building up a great friendship again. He is falling in love with her for the second time, and she may feel the same way, but it is far too difficult for both of them, as Chase seems to haunt their every thought and action.

This book completely drew me in, and captured my attention from start to finish. The first notable feature about this novel is the writing: it is beautifully written and so full of heart that I was able to understand and almost feel myself, the emotional rollercoaster ride that is Hugh’s life. This is also really not a plot driven book, but is based more around character development. I enjoy reading this type of fiction sometimes, as it enables the reader to really delve into the character’s minds, and allows us to begin to care about them and the outcome of the story.

While this novel has many romantic elements, I would not consider it to be a romance book. To me, it is more about life, the past, and learning to let go. I really enjoy reading books that explore deep issues such as this one, and appreciate when a novel is written well enough to evoke emotion in the reader. For me, this was that kind of book. I also enjoyed reading about the romantic entanglement and aftermath of a tragic death from a male perspective. In most of the novels I read, the story is told from a female perspective, so this was something new and unique to me. I finished this book earlier this afternoon, and am still thinking about it.

If you are looking for a great contemporary fiction novel to read, check this one out. Michael Baron is really going places with this one and I am definitely planning on reading his other novels now.

[Joana Marques · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este livro é-nos apresentado na capa como “um romance sobre recordações, segredos e um amor inesquecível”. E não nos mente.
Hugh conta a sua história na primeira pessoa alternando entre o presente e o passado. Através das suas palavras tomamos conhecimento do acidente de Chase e da forma como mudou a vida de quase todas as personagens. Aos poucos vamos percebendo o que mudou, o que aconteceu, o que se esconde por trás de cada acção.
Mas este livro fala essencialmente de amor. Amor de irmão, de Hugh por Chase, um amor tão forte que faz Hugh ignorar o que sente por Iris, e, mais tarde, o amor de Hugh e Iris.
Chase é uma personagem muito complexa. Um adolescente perdido no tempo que assombra ainda toda a vida dos que o conheceram. No entanto não é ele o fantasma. O fantasma é Hugh que, após a morte do irmão, abandonou os seus sonhos e se entregou a uma vida sem laços e raízes. O ataque cardíaco do pai torna-se o movimento catalizador de uma nova vida e da descoberta de segredos que podem alterar todo o rumo da história.
Convenhamos que viver na sombra de um fantasma não é fácil e por isso percebemos as posições de Hugh e Iris. Principalmente de Iris.
As personagens são ricas e interessantes. Ressalvo Tyler, o perfeito funcionário da papelaria que traz dentro dele os sonhos de qualquer universitário quando o mundo se abre à sua frente.
Nunca te esqueci pode não ser uma grande obra literária, pode não ganhar um Nobel da literatura, mas faz-nos pensar em algo bastante comum: a morte. Em como a morte de alguém querido altera todos os nossos sonhos e decisões, e como esse fantasma seguirá todos os nossos passos e estará em cada livro, em cada árvore, em cada escolha.
A escrita é fluida. Embora a história se torne um pouco entediante a verdade é que a certa altura começa a ser bastante interessante e não conseguimos largá-lo até ao final.
Um livro que recomendo a quem quiser uma boa história, um bom romance, e algumas horas bem passadas.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK as a novel about a man wandering and directionless after a loss. It was mislabeled as romance which bothered me.

Opinion:
I bought this book because it was listed under contemporary romance in the magazine RT Book Reviews. Unfortunately, it was mislabeled. I would call it human relationships fiction – not romance. I was not happy. It’s a story about a man who wanders aimlessly through life and relationships for ten years, after his brother died. He quit college and then tried and quit various jobs. He does end up with a female at the end, but it’s not done in the “romance way” where we see a developing relationship. To call this romance, the relationship would need to be a more important part of the story. Too much was missing. I didn’t understand her thoughts and feelings. I never understood why she kept a distance between them and then why she changed later. The entire story was told from his perspective. She remained a mystery to me both during and after the book which frustrated me. There were some unanswered questions about her prior relationship with Chase, for example: Iris and Chase had two fights in the past. I never understood what the first fight was about and why they got back together. I was also frustrated with unanswered questions about what was going on with Chase before he died. It’s ok if you’re looking for a novel about loss and a man coming to terms with his past and trying to figure out his future. I've occasionally enjoyed some non-romance novels, but this one didn't work for me.

Data:
Story length: 320 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: One scene is told not shown. Setting: current day Connecticut. Copyright: 2010. Genre: relationships fiction.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few things better than discovering a new author whose writing you fall immediately in love with. And that’s just what’s happened with Michael Baron and Crossing the Bridge!

Ever since the death of his younger brother 10 years earlier, Hugh Penders has felt his presence acts as a painful reminder of what was lost, and has kept his distance from his parents as a result. But when his father suffers a heart attack, Hugh picks up his life and heads home to small town Amber, Connecticut to help his parents out during this time of need. What begins as a dull and tedious existence, becomes a fresh start at life with the help of some new (and old) friends that Hugh discovers as he re-acquaints himself with his hometown.

I can’t think of a better way to describe Crossing the Bridge than it felt like ‘going home’. I grew up in a small town, so reading Hugh’s reactions to returning to Amber felt familiar and comfortable. All of the characters in Crossing the Bridge feel very real - like people you know in everyday life as opposed to characters created for a story. I was very sad to have to say goodbye to them at the end of the book. So much so that I’ve been dreaming of a sequel. Even though you can kind of see where the story is going from fairly early on, I still found I couldn’t put the book down as I was eager to see the next interaction between these characters, and I was never really sure things would turn out the way I hoped.
Crossing the Bridge isn’t a fast-paced read, but its tale about real people with real issues unfurls slowly and wraps you up in its cozy story. I will definitely be checking out more of Michael Baron’s books.

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugh Penders is back in Amber, CT for his first extended visit since his brother Chase's death because his father has had a heart attack. It isn't just that his parents need his moral support; his father Richard needs him to take over running the store--and hopes he will take it over permanently. Both parents are offended when he flatly refuses, and agrees only to run it until it can be sold.

Since he's been drifting for the ten years since Chase died, and has recently quit his latest job, there's no obstacle to his doing so except that he finds working in the card and gift shop incredibly dull. Eventually, though, he gets bored enough that he starts making changes in the store, changes he feels his father should have made years ago. He's also distracted by running into Iris, his brother's last and most serious girlfriend, a woman to whom Hugh was also attracted. As he and Iris renew their friendship, they both have a lot of emotional baggage to work through with regard to Chase, and it soon looms as an obstacle to any future they might have together.

I found it took me longer to get into this book than any previous work by Baron that I've read. Almost perversely, this was because he's very good at what he does: he very effectively captured Hugh's disconnected, drifting state, his failure to move on from the crippling shock of his brother's death ten years earlier. It was only as he started to engage again that I found it easier to connect with the story, and care what happened to Hugh, Iris, Richard, the store, and the staff who work there.

Once that happened, I couldn't put it down. It was, in the end, a wholly satisfying novel.

Recommended.

[Nenette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite often, I had to question why Hugh didn't have a set direction in life. Related in his voice, the story is full of his musings. He knew very well what caused him to be a wanderer or a nomad of sort. Even without the quiet prodding of his mother or the blunt accusations of his aunt, he knew that he was not living up to his potential. Yet, he seemed to refuse to change his ways, almost surrendering his chance at true love; all because of that hovering ghost that was his brother. But he came through after all; in the end, he picked up the pieces and put them together.

With Hugh relating the story, I really felt his lethargy. I also felt his desperation to want to make things work with Iris, while he tried to hold back at the same time.

I'd say I was guessing at what would become of the store all through the time I was reading. When I read these lines, I pumped a fist in the air:

"...even though I once believed that I would never use the term in association with the town I grew up in, I saw the evolution. I looked back at the store. Continuity and evolution. Would Pat Maple continue to call the place Amber Cards, Gifts, and Stationery or would he change it to something more clever? By the time I got to the car, I’d already made up my mind. In all likelihood, I’d made it up weeks ago without realizing it."

This is my second book of Michael Baron's. Now, I'm seriously considering if I should go and buy all of his other fiction works in one shopping trip.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossing the Bridge by Michael Baron
I have enjoyed many of this author's works and when I noticed Libboo was offering it for buzzing I applied and won a copy.
This is the story of Hugh, alternating chapters of past and present. His life and those in his life along the way. His younger brother Chase is now dead
and Hugh has been on the road since then. He has a thing for his brothers old girlfriend Lisa and they meet while she's in town. He had to return home to take care of his father's store after the heart attach.
His mother is still living and he stays with them temporarily. We find out the links they all share to the past over time.
Heartbreaking memories of his brother that he never got out of his system and he fears his father never finished grieving for him also. I was happy to learn of the games they play when Chase was the one who would play.
Loved hearing the wood shop and his strolls through the house when he's there by himself to help him remember Chase.
Like how the book got its title. Ten year anniversary is approaching and they are trying to deal with new information...
I received this book from Libboo.com in exchange for my honest review.

[AR · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, if you are going to be introduced to a character it would be nice knowing his name within at least the first few pages. I don't think I knew it until the second chapter. It was hard to like Hugh. Perhaps the authors intent; I found myself angry with his behavior and attitude toward life choice.
Getting to the end makes one realize why all of the boring stuff happened in the store, but it dragged for me and I just couldn't wait for something, anything, to happen.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Baron's first novel and I look forward to the third.
Crossing the Bridge would have made a wonderful short novella, perhaps my own personal timing in life is what made me dislike this book more, but it's the same time in life as I read When you went away, so, who knows.
Give it a try, and if you like i more than me, shed some light on my brain and let me know what I was missing.

[Charlie Durell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its the first "Girlie" book written by a bloke that I've read. It was good. Normally I don't read feely type books, ever, but I recommend this one. From a bloke's perspective one can connect with the character. A seemingly easy or simple plot but nonetheless kept me interested to see how his relationship with his brother's girl frend grew. Very easy to read and quite different. Not everyday one reads about men and their feelings. Well done Michael Baron.
Time for some science fiction, crime or war novels ......

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

É uma história que começa com a morte de Chase. Hugh vive com a culpa de que poderia ter salvo o irmão, mas escondeu-lhe que também gostava da namorada dele. Os anos passam e Hugh tem que voltar à terra porque o seu pai sofreu um ataque cardíaco, e vai ter que lidar não só com os problemas que o pai tem, como os sentimentos que ainda sente pela Iris, a que foi a namorada do seu falecido irmão. É uma história comovente e que nos faz apaixonar pela história de Hugh e Iris.

http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a slow, elegant glide; with a heart. I am pleased to say that it stole a place in my heart – as well as on my shelf. Being a single mom, I long to find someone with a heart as big as the one Hugh display’s within the pages of this novel. The setting’s, details and characters are beautiful created.


To read my full review please visit here - Crossing The Bridge Review

[Sarah Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was slow to start and I mildly considered quitting in the middle of it just because not much was happening and it was so introspective and somber. However, I'm really glad that I didn't give up on it as it evolved as a really beautiful love story on a lot of different levels. Beautifully written. I wish now that I had written down a lot of the musical references that the main character makes in the story.

[Kathy]

I liked this book; ok storyline. I like to read books like this that don't require me to think too hard (!) between others that require my full attention. The story begins with a young man who has been wandering from job to job all of his adult life, never being able to make a connection. He is brought back to reality when his dad suffers a heart attack and he must take on the family business. I liked the ending and I would read more Michael Baron books!

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The story is very deep and emotional. And chewy. There is so much to this story to think about and piece together. My heart broke for Hugh and the things he had gone through for 11 years. When I finished the book at 1:00 this morning, I read the list of the author's other titles and realized I had already read one of his other books, which I really liked, and that I owned a third. I definitely will be reading more of his books.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it not as much as the first one I read by him. The main character seems stuck in life, stuck by the death of his younger brother. So he wanders job to job, town to town, relationship to relationship until returning home. Then he has to figure out what he really wants. The ending was tied up a little too neatly.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the ending was predictable, I enjoyed the journey getting there. Mostly about relationships, grief, and going home. This is the first book I've read electronically. Though I believe I prefer the tactile part of a book in hand, it was convenient to read on the iPad in our comfortable bed after 1:00am and not keep my husband awake!

[kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crossing the Bridge was slow moving--almost tedious with its detail at times, but I liked it. It was a book I could, set down for awhile and come back to. The slow pace also lent itself to the feel of the story. For Hugh Penders, his parents and Iris the process of finally laying the Ghost of their deceased brother and boyfriend to rest is a slow, heartfelt story.

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reminded me of a coming-of-age novel, as the main character had wandered aimlessly through young adulthood after his brother's death. I didn't find him or his love interest (his dead brother's fiance) any more appealing through much of the book than the drinking, drugs, and promiscuity. However, the ending, while predictable, was satisfying.

[Nakira · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off slow but the storyline had just enough to continue to peak my interest. In some ways I felt like the ending was predictable while not being expected. Not a MUST read but just good enough for me to try another one by this author!

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a lovely read. It is not your traditional contemporary romance, but it definitely is a love story. It is also a story of finding your way after a tragedy can strip your life of purpose or direction.

The story dragged in places but I liked the simplicity of the writing.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my usual type of book to read. But I really enjoyed reading. This book is about the everyday in's and out's of a man living with the hurt and tragedy of his younger brother dying a decade earlier. And how his life finally comes together when he learns more about that tragic night.