The Bridge

The Bridge #1

by Karen Kingsbury

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.

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Christian, Holiday, Contemporary

Paperback

First published October 23, 2012

About the author

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/K...

Reviews

[*TANYA* · Rating 3 out of 5]

If more questions had been asked, 7 years of heartbreak could have been prevented. Lol. This would make a cute Hallmark movie.

[Amanda (BookLoverAmanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

A Tennessee Bookshop Christian Christmas Romance? Sign me up! I was so emotional reading this book! I live about 1 hour away from Franklin, TN - which is where this book is set. I really need to visit the bookstore there that this is based on! I felt all the vibes from the area and honestly, I was so connected with our characters in such a short amount of time. Loved it. Really want to watch the two movies now!

This story follows Ryan and Molly - Ryan lives in Nashville after his broken engagement and several years on the road doing his country music tour. Molly would meet with Ryan at the Bridge bookstore and they made some great memories there. However, a circumstance occurs where they are split apart for many years - eventually finding their way back to each other through a situation that occurs with the owners of the Bridge, Charlie and Donna Barton.

My favorite portion of the book was the couple, Charlie and Donna, who owned the bookshop. What they went through and how God worked in their lives was inspiring. I was really connected with them.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Molly and Ryan together - they were cute but the trope of miscommunication/the dad interfering the way he did wasn't my favorite. I originally finished this and said 5 stars because of all the tears I had (lol), but after talking with my friends and seeing a couple of things that I missed the first time, I'm saying 4 stars.

A really cute holiday christmas romance with some awesome bookstore vibes.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

// original

Oh my goodness, my poor heart... <3 This book was fabulous. A bit different from the movie (and don't even ask me to choose between the book or movie), but still really good. Loved the story of second chances. <3


// updated

Ahh, this book takes the cake for "most adorable chance-meeting/re-connect-years-later romance." Molly and Ryan are the definition of legit cuteness. And Charlie and Donna and The Bridge and everyone else... I just can't describe how much I adore this story.

So yes, this book is fabulous. A bit different from the movie (and don't even ask me to choose between the book or movie), but still really good. Loved the story of second chances. <3

Five copies of Jane Eyre out of five!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my style of book, but I like the title. The concept was good. The reading of this book was in honor of all book stores may they always be there for us.

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful Christian Christmas miracle🥰
I loved this story! The bookshop owners were my favourite. I could read a story just about them.
The love story at the end wasn’t my favourite thing but I still enjoyed it 😊 Would recommend!

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars
I don't know if I am being too harsh. I went into the story knowing that it might be a little too preachy for my tastes-- and it was (actually MUCH too preachy), but the premise sounded so good that I hoped that I could get past the preachy-ness. I think I could have if the characters had been more developed, drawn out, people I could connect to. They weren't. So despite the wonderful premise there just wasn't much in this book that I could grab onto...

[Kristen EJ Lauderdale · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a Karen Kingsbury book. The story has its moving moments, but a better format for it would have been a direct-to-Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas Movie. Nitpicky issues with it were that I didn't find it especially believable that Ryan would buy into Molly's father's story without questioning it, or that she would just let him walk away with seeking any closure. I also thought it was a stretch that 28-year-old Molly would be "too busy for facebook" (what child-free single woman in her right mind under the age of 30 is too busy for facebook? Does she not have an iphone? She's reasonably well-off and even non-iphones go on facebook). Neither of these two attractive young people seem to have dated anyone else in the stretch of years since they have seen each other. They also just seemed much older than 28. It would have made more sense to have made them at least 38. They were well-drawn in other ways, and I felt their pain throughout their misunderstandings and missed connections. I realize this was a short book and the point was just to get the bare bones of the touching story across, but the story felt very rushed at times (i.e. I as the reader have just become acquainted with Charlie Barton, he's gone from having faith in God's will/some sort of a divine plan, to being an active, purposeful, calm-and-collected suicide seeker within the span of approximately one page). While this book didn't always ring true for me, I am a sucker for stories about saving bookstores and salvaging relationships, so I'd rate it as being somewhat average: not a trailblazing story, not excellent literature, nothing really new happening here, but enjoyable nonetheless.

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I read this. I don't know why I wanted to read this. Because, it sucked. It was an inspirational, first off. One of the genres I don't read. It was short. It was schmaltzy. The story was ludicrous. The owner of a bookstore can't find a way to make ends meet after a flood, so in a "It's a Wonderful Life" type storyline, he decides to off himself. Except, at the last minute, he doesn't want to die. So, he gets in the accident and winds up in a coma. Then, these two star-crossed lovers (except, no sex, because it's an inspirational, and a kiss was all they did after 2 years fer fecks sake), who haven't seen each other for a bunch of years, come to his aid. Of course, in an O'Henry type fashion, there are misunderstandings, where they both think the other has moved on, but they still pine for each other, yet hide their true feelings. OMG- if you want to get with that guy, ASK HIM IF HE'S MARRIED, DON'T WEAR YOUR DEAD MOTHER'S WEDDING RING TO PRETEND YOU ARE MARRIED. Urgh, the stupid, it burns. Then, the town rallies around the guy in the coma, a Christmas miracle happens because of prayer (rolling eyes right here), and everyone gets a happily ever after. Even the star-crossed lovers who confess to each other that they still want each other, and the idiot guy of course proposes as soon as she confesses she still loves him even though multiple years have passed. Just kill me now.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christmas romance about saving a bookstore set in Tennessee- sounds like a promising setup to me.

I have been trying to familiarize myself with some of the bestselling authors that I've never read. The Bridge is written by inspirational author Karen Kingsbury. The basic plot follows: Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly are college friends with deep feelings for one another but never quite able to act on those emotions. The couple is reunited five years later with the purpose of saving The Bridge, the bookstore where they secretly met everyday for two years, after tragedy befalls the bookstore and its owner. The plot was clichéd. Molly can't be with Ryan because she is an heiress to her father's corporate empire, and he has already handpicked a suitable love match for his daughter. The budding love between Molly and Ryan is disrupted by meddling, miscommunication, and a series of misunderstandings.

The book is simply written and quickly read. I loved the cover picture. I would give a 3.5 rating because the story itself is touching.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

My daughter has read a lot of books by Karen Kingsbury. My wife has read a lot of books by Karen Kingsbury. I looked up this book on goodreads.com and it received 3.99 stars. If a book is close to 4 stars or better it is usually a very good read.

So I read this book. Well, that is several hours of my life that I cannot get back.

Short summary: Ryan and Molly were QUITE THE PAIR five years ago. They are both alone and lonely now, although for some unknown reason BOTH THINK THE OTHER IS MARRIED, even though [spoiler alert] neither are actually married. [You CANNOT be serious! Has Mrs. Kingsbury never heard of oh, let me think…Facebook, Instagram, the internet?] If the love of your life appeared to but [spoiler alert] DID NOT dump you five years ago, wouldn’t you have the slightest curiosity about what they were doing and how their life progressed in the intervening years? Especially since Molly PLAYS A VIDEO of Ryan every year because she misses him SO MUCH [but has no clue what he is doing or if he is married even though he TRAVELS WITH A FAMOUS COUNTRY BAND!]

Get this! What broke them up 5 years ago? A phone call from Molly’s zillionaire father who “tricks” Ryan into thinking that Molly really doesn’t like him. Which Ryan NEVER TELLS MOLLY ABOUT? Seriously? He gets a call from psycho father but doesn’t get around to telling the love of his life about? Nope. He just breaks it off and spends 5 years pining for lovely Molly. Does this sound like an actual person to you? Me neither!

Needless to say, the bookstore “The Bridge,” and the crisis in another couple’s life [spoiler alert] bring them back together and the pair live happily ever after [minus 5 years in the wilderness because Ryan can’t seem to bring himself to ask her about a certain phone call from her father] and of course they make it into a Hallmark movie, because why not?

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Karen Kingsbury
The Bridge

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. It was a quick read, but not satisfying.

This story is very similar to the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, broken dreams, despair, suicide attempt, regret, community support, and second chances. This storyline was interwoven with another storyline about lost love and second chances. It’s a sweet story with the underlying theme of second chances. However, the overall story was too simple and cursory. The author relied on flashbacks to set scenes and to define the characters' feelings and motivations. To be fair, this approached worked for the characters Charlie and Donna. Yet, for Ryan and Molly, I felt that something was missing.

As I read the book, I wanted to know more about Ryan and Molly's current lives and struggles. What little the author did share about their current lives was only defined by the two years they shared at college. Again, I can see how the time Ryan and Molly spent together influenced them as they pursued their dreams, but how did it influence their relationships with others? Were either of them able to have a meaningful relationship with another person or were they always pining for each other?

Finally, I have to wonder, why would a woman, who is running a successful foundation that benefits both children and animals, drop everything to join her partner in another city when her partner has no job? Shouldn't he be the one to move and join her in Oregon?

Overall, I found the book disappointing and I would hesitate to recommend it to a friend.

[Maria João (A Biblioteca da João) · Rating 4 out of 5]

7 de 10*

Parti para a leitura deste livro com expectativas elevadas, depois de ter lido vários comentários muito positivos sobre ele. Confesso que senti alguma estranheza, já que se trata de um livro com pouco mais de 200 páginas.
Depois de um início que não me agarrou, o desenrolar da história foi tornando-o mais interessante até que o terminei de uma assentada só. No entanto, acho que o livro peca pelo pouco desenvolvimento, quer das personagens quer das situações. Com o tema escolhido pela autora, podia ter escrito um livro muito bom, assim, na minha opinião, é apenas um livro razoavelmente bom.

Comentário completo em:
http://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.pt/...

[Christine Indorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pre novella to the Chance. Beautiful story of self sacrifice. This is my second time through and enjoyed it so much more this time around. I found out this bookstore actually exists. It’s now on my bucket list to visit!!!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book!! And I am not even really a romance reader! Ugh….the tension and emotions in this one! I couldn’t believe how wrapped up I got in this story! I loved all of the characters so much and became so quickly emotionally invested. This is definitely one of my favorite romance books I’ve read to date. Love this author, and will continue to make my way through her books.

[Kassie Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness this book was so incredibly good!!!😭🙌🏻🙌🏻
Nothing bad in it, strong biblical themes, lovable characters! Made me tear up at some points!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short and sweet Christmas story. I struggled over if I should rate it 3 or 4 stars, so I will settle on 3.5. I loved that it focused on a bookstore and the store, books, and the owners helped others. It makes me think of a special bookstore not far from where I live. I also loved the Christmas miracle and must admit it brought tears to my eyes! Sometimes its easy to read things like that and think it wouldn't really happen, but let's not ever forget that God is a God of miracles! Nothing is impossible with Him. Thank you to Karen for that reminder. This story read like a Hallmark movie (maybe that's why they made it into one!) where everything wraps up perfectly.
The reason I couldn't give it more stars was the main conflict for the hero and heroine came from a pet peeve of mine: miscommunication. Honestly people... I hope Molly and Ryan do some serious marriage counseling before they get married! 7 years of heartache because they didn't just talk to each other! Also, it really bothered me that Ryan was seeing Molly while he had a girlfriend.
That's being said, The Bridge was still a heartwarming story. I'd love to see the Hallmark movie.

*** The copy that I read also contained The Beginning which is a prequel to The Bridge. It gave more of a background to Donna and Charlie as well as Edna and her story. Having just read the Bridge I noticed some repeat wording in The Beginning, but it was a sweet story although very sad.

[Ivonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich habe zuerst die Verfilmung dieses Buchs gesehen, einen Zweiteiler, der aktuell auf Netflix recht beliebt zu sein scheint. Vielleicht war das ein Fehler. Ich habe eine ganz große Schwäche für romantische Geschichten, solange sie nicht kitschig sind. Die Filme entsprachen genau meinem Geschmack; ich saß zu Hause auf dem Sofa und habe geweint wie ein Schlosshund, konnte selbst Tage, nachdem ich den Film gesehen hatte, nicht aufhören daran zu denken und bestellte mir mithin gleich das Buch, worauf die Filme basieren.

In The Bridge geht es um ein von Schicksalsschlägen geprägtes Ehepaar, das in die Kleinstadt Franklin, in der Nähe von Nashville, Tennessee, flüchtet um dort ein neues Leben zu beginnen. Gemeinsam eröffnen sie einen wunderschönen Buchladen namens „The Bridge“. Ihre Intension war es von Beginn an, Menschen zusammen zu bringen und die Vergangenheit mit der Zukunft zu verbinden, deshalb auch der Name – The Bridge/Die Brücke. Eine Katastrophe jedoch scheint die nächste zu jagen und ihr gemeinsamer Traum ist kurz davor, sich in Luft aufzulösen, wären da nicht die wundervollen Kunden von „The Bridge“ die in all den Jahren zu einer großen Familie zusammengewachsen sind. Während alldem begleiten wir auch Ryan Kelly und Molly Allen, zwei junge Menschen, die sich auf dem College begegneten und zwei Jahre lang eine solch intensive Verbindung zueinander aufbauen, dass gar ein Blinder sieht, wie viel sie einander bedeuten. Ihre gesamte Zeit verbringen sie in der Brücke, verlieren sich allerdings späterhin aus den Augen – aufgrund diverser Umstände. Als die Existenz des Buchladens allerdings in Gefahr gerät, führt dies die beiden auf magische Art und Weise wieder zusammen …

Sowohl Film, als auch Buch konnten mich verzaubern, berührten mein Herz so unglaublich, dass ich die Tränen kaum zurückhalten konnte. Allerdings ist dies wohl einer der wenigen Fälle, in denen ich tatsächlich der Meinung bin, dass die Filme besser sind, was weniger mit der Qualität des Buches/der Filme zu tun hat, sondern vielmehr mit meinen persönlichen Empfindungen und auch mit meiner persönlichen Einstellung gegenüber diversen Aspekten, auf die ich weiter unten noch versuchen werde, intensiver einzugehen.

Zunächst erwarten den Leser unglaublich viele Klischees; so viele, dass es schwer fällt, sie an einer Hand abzuzählen, allerdings ließen mich diese Klischees in diesem Fall nicht mit den Augen rollen, sondern vielmehr passten diese Klischees meiner Meinung nach so unglaublich gut in diese Geschichte, dass es nicht störend war, sondern vielmehr die Geschichte von Molly und Ryan abrundete und sie zu einem Ganzen werden ließ.

Der Fokus liegt hier nicht auf der Romanze und auch nicht auf dem älteren Ehepaar und der Tragödien, die ihnen zugestoßen sind, sondern vielmehr liegt das Hauptaugenmerk hier auf der Buchhandlung, die Menschen verbindet, ihnen hilft, nicht nur neuen Lebensmut wiederzufinden, sondern auch ihre Liebe zum geschriebenen Wort. Diese Geschichte verfügt über eine ganz wundervolle und besondere Atmosphäre. Ich kann kaum sagen, ob es nun das Weihnachtsfeeling ist, oder die Emotionalität in den Worten die Autorin, die diese Geschichte trotz der Klischees zu etwas ganz Besonderem werden lässt. Bei der Brücke handelt es sich nicht um eine normale Buchhandlung; Charlie – der Besitzer – schenkt seinen Kunden mit seinen Büchern Mut. Er inspiriert und ermutigt. Charlie und seine Frau Donna sind ganz wundervolle Figuren, so selbstlos und liebenswürdig, dass sie schon fast ein wenig zu perfekt erscheinen. Und genau das ist der Knackpunkt; ein Grund, weshalb mir das Buch nicht ganz so gut gefallen hat, wie ich es mir gewünscht hätte.

Charlie und Donna sind zu perfekt; sie haben weder Ecken noch Kanten, sondern sind so selbstlos und fürsorglich, dass sie kaum eine Sekunde an sich selbst denken. Sie verbindet eine unbändige und tiefe Liebe, doch nicht nur zueinander, sondern auch zu Gott. Was uns zu einem weiteren Punkt bringt, weshalb mir der Film besser gefallen hat, als das Buch. Bereits bei den Vorworten wird einem schnell klar, dass die Autorin sehr gläubig und religiös ist. Tatsächlich ließ mich diese Tatsache ein wenig zögerlich an die Sache herangehen.

Auch ich glaube an Gott, bin allerdings nicht sonderlich religiös. Ich bin mir sicher, dass der Glaube an Gott sehr vielen Menschen hilft; dass er anspornt und inspiriert, Mut macht und beruhigt. Ich finde es großartig, wenn Menschen einen solch starken und festen Glauben haben; dass sie Hilfe darin suchen; Lösungen für Probleme diese teilweise gar finden. Ich hingegen bin da etwas anders gestrickt. Ich glaube an Gott, das tue ich, von Zeit zu Zeit bin auch ich sehr nachdenklich, bete, stelle Dinge in Frage, doch es ist nicht so, dass ich mich auf meinen Glauben verlasse. Ich suche nicht nach Zeichen; verlasse mich nicht darauf, dass Gott mir wegen meines Glaubens aus der Patsche hilft und eine Lösung für meine Probleme findet. Ich nehme es selbst in die Hand. Ich kämpfe für meine Träume und bete nicht nur dafür; ich arbeite dafür, egal wie anstrengend es auch sein mag und warte nicht einfach ab in der Hoffnung, dass Gott meine Wünsche und Gebete erhört. So bin ich nicht; so werde ich wahrscheinlich auch nie sein und aus genau diesem Grund hatte ich einige Probleme mit der Geschichte und mit den Charakteren. Denn tatsächlich ist gefühlt jeder Charakter in diesem Buch stark gläubig und religiös, was anfangs inspirierend wirken kann, doch zur Mitte/zum Ende hin mich teilweise nur noch mit den Augen rollen ließ. Nicht etwa, weil ich etwas dagegen habe, wenn man stark gläubig ist, sondern vielmehr, weil es sich anfühlte, als hätte die Autorin ihre eigenen Ansichten in jeden einzelnen ihrer Charaktere hinein gepresst, wodurch man sie am Ende – überspitzt gesagt – kaum voneinander trennen konnte. Sie wirkten alle zu aalglatt, zu perfekt, zu selbstlos, zu einsichtig, einfach zu viel von allem. So sehr wir uns auch genau das wünschen, mehr Toleranz, mehr Selbstlosigkeit, mehr Nächstenliebe; egal wie sehr wir uns danach sehen, sieht das wahre Leben eben einfach ganz anders aus. Ich konnte mich leider mit keinem der Charaktere im Buch identifizieren, hatte teilweise sogar große Schwierigkeiten sie zu verstehen, wodurch es mir fast unmöglich war, eine Verbindung zu den Figuren aufzubauen.

Berührt hat mich die Geschichte dennoch; insbesondere der Zusammenhalt der Menschen; die Liebe und Zuneigung die sie verbindet und das nur aufgrund eines Mannes, der vor vielen Jahren einmal diese ganz besondere Buchhandlung ins Leben gerufen hat.

Auch die Geschichte zwischen Molly und Ryan empfand ich als wirklich sehr emotional, obwohl sie voll von Klischees steckt, und einfach zum Haare raufen ist, lag die ganze „Problematik“ einfach nur in Fehlkommunikation. Statt offen und ehrlich miteinander zu sprechen, verloren sie sich lieber in Vermutungen und ihrem persönlichen Herzschmerz, der sie all die Jahre davon abhielt, ihre Angst hinter sich zu lassen. Missverständnisse, wohin das Auge reicht … Es war eben genau das, was das romantische Drama dieser Geschichte verursacht hat. Es war also notwendig, dennoch auch so ärgerlich und unnötig, dass hier ein oder zwei Mal Augenrollen definitiv gerechtfertigt wäre.

Die Emotionalität dieser Geschichte jedoch scheint kaum zu übertreffen zu sein. Ich habe geweint, habe so viele Tränen vergossen und mein Herz fühlte sich so voll und warm an, dass ich einen Moment brauchte, um das Gelesene zu verdauen. Allerdings muss ich eben sagen, dass mich der Film um einiges mehr berührt hat. Vielleicht auch, weil die Geschichte im Film um einiges ausführlicher ist, die Charaktere Ecken und Kanten haben und es somit viel leichter war, sich in sie hineinzuversetzen. Auch haben mir die Änderungen, die im Rahmen der Verfilmung vorgenommen wurden, besser gefallen und passten meiner Meinung nach besser ins Gesamtpaket.


LOHNT SICH DAS BUCH?

Bei The Bridge handelt es sich um eine sehr kurze, dennoch emotionsgeladen Geschichte, die vor allen Dingen Lesern gefallen könnte, die einen sehr starken Glauben an Gott haben; die daran glauben, dass Gott Wunder bewirken kann. Ich für meinen Teil bin der Meinung, dass es nicht Gott ist, der die Wunder bewirkt, sondern die Menschen – wodurch ich eben einige Schwierigkeiten hatte mit der Geschichte und vor allen Dingen auch den Charakteren. Nichtsdestotrotz hat mich das Buch berührt, es hat mir einige wunderschöne Lesemomente beschert und als Mut bringende Weihnachtsgeschichte lohnt sich dieses Buch allemal.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary:
"The Bridge" is a typical Karen Kingsbury book. A heart warming story about the challenges, hope and second changes that comes with true love. The story tells of the forbidden love of two college students, as they still pine for one another seven years after they are separated. But this novel is also about "The Bridge", a small bookstore, and its owners. The owners, a husband and wife, unable to pay the rent, are on the brink of losing their store.

Review
The novel takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The narrative switches between the point of view of each of the four main characters. Almost every scene is told from the view of at least two characters, which makes the story very slow moving and repetitive. Because of this and the briefness of the book, I found the character to be very underdeveloped, even for Karen Kingsbury. Also the ending, as well as the choices the characters made throughout the novel, was so "tidy" and predictable and cliche. Perhaps it is simple that Karen Kingsbury has written so many books it is impossible for her to write anything new. In this book so parts of this book are simple re-re-recycled plot devices: In how many of Karen's books have we had a hospital/coma vigil? Parents interfering with true love?

Another note is that there was so little spiritual depth in this book that I can't imagine it being what Karen is always referring to "life changing fiction".


Recommend??
Unfortunately, This is not a book I will be recommending. If you are looking for a quick read that is also uplifting, there are so many other Karen Kingsbury to read. Or try:
Knit the Season: A Friday Night Knitting Club Novel By Kate Jacobs
The Christmas Box By: Richard Paul Evans
The Christmas Pony By: Melody Carlson
Remember (Redemption Series)By Karen Kingsbury

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book so much I read it in one sitting! I liked how the author brought the past and the present together in this short but powerful book. This story reminds me of a Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movie. Two people going different directions in their lives all because of a misunderstanding.

This story takes place around the flooding that happened in Nashville. There are actually four main characters and the story centers on their lives. The title of the book leads you to believe this story is about an actual bridge but it is not. The book takes place around a bookstore. The owners, Charlie and Donna, of the store are dealing with issues of rebuilding their lives after the devastating flood destroyed the business they had built. The long lost loves, Molly and Ryan, are at a point in their lives that meeting can only mean great changes to their current lives paths.

I gave this book 5/5 stars. I liked what an easy read this was, how well the author did at keeping it interesting and the great ending!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

[Brooke (pagesofblessings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed the tissues for this one. Such a sweet story of faith and second chances. Definitely a new favorite for Christmas Reads ❤️

[Fabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro fofinho que se lê muito bem!

[Tania Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comecei ontem e acabei ontem, um livro pequeno mas que se lê muito bem com uma história amorosa que tem como pano de fundo uma livraria que marca todos os clientes, Charlie e Donna são os donos da livraria A Ponte e por ela passaram as mais variadas histórias de amor incluindo o amor de Molly e de Ryan nos tempos de faculdade e que passados 7 anos nunca se esqueceram...

As circunstâncias em que eles voltam a ver-se não são as melhores mas será a desgraça de Charlie que vai reunir novamente este casal separado pelo tempo e pela própria familia mas que se une em nome de ajudar Charlie a recuperar os livros e a livraria que todos tanto amam, um romance muito querido e fofo como a autora já nos habituou.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly and Ryan met in college. The fell in love in a bookstore called The Bridge. There they meet the store owner Charlie Barton who has a huge heart and loves to give others the love of reading even if it means giving away the books he is selling for free. After a series of bad and unstoppable things happen in Charlie's life, five years later, the customers rally around Charlie and the Bridge. This book is all about second chances and faith and believing!

This is my second book by Karen and it surely wont be the last! Well done!!

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bridge had been sitting on my TBR for quite a long time because I was kind of avoiding Karen Kingsbury novels (still annoyed with the way the Baxter/Flannigan series ended)...but I finally got around to reading it and, while I didn't love The Bridge, it was better than I expected.


The story was cute; and, even though some parts were hard to believe, I did overall like it. I loved the bookstore aspect and there were some moments of intense emotion.

All in all, The Bridge was a good read.

*I received a complementary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, quick read to go along with the holiday spirit of giving. If you have a love of books and reading, and of course a good love story, then you are sure to enjoy this one!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sentimental. Although book characters always have poor communication skills, as usual, a 30-second conversation 8 years would have fixed things. BUT OF COURSE NOT. Where's the drama then?

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to THE BRIDGE written by Karen Kingsbury and narrated by January LaVoy. This inspirational heartwarming Christmas story was about love, faith, and second chances.

"The Lord is the giver of second chances."

Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge for decades. It is the oldest bookstore in downtown Franklin. The hundred-year flood swept through Franklin, and brought devastation to The Bridge and Charlie.
Molly Allen lives alone in Portland and misses Ryan Kelly, her first love. Ryan returns to Nashville after the famous band he's been touring with for several years breaks up. He remembers the girl who inspired him to follow his dreams.
When tragedy strikes Charlie and the Bridge, will anyone remember the kindness and love Charlie freely gave to anyone in need? Is there hope for the Bridge? Is there hope for Charlie? What is to become of Molly? Will Ryan "land on his feet"?
4 bright shining stars ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly meet as students at Belmont College. They come from different backgrounds. Ryan grew up in Carthage, Mississippi and aspires to be a studio musician. Molly's father owns a large shipping company in San Francisco and wants her to manage that company and marry Preston Millington. She dreams of playing violin in a symphony orchestra. Since Molly and Ryan share a music major, some of their courses are the same. Although her parents' Brentwood home provides an ideal setting, she knows the house's servants would report Molly's study dates to her father who would then make her come back to San Francisco. Instead, they find an ideal place at a Franklin bookstore called "The Bridge" owned by Charlie and Donna Barton. Something goes wrong, and both go their separate ways. The devastating "Nashville flood" plays a major role in this Hallmark movie-style tale. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator.

[Tanya (FaithAndFictionReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and heartwarming story about love, second chances, faith and a Christmas miracle! I loved this story SO much! I really enjoyed the bookshop owners and their story the most. Definitely adding this to my list of favorite Christmas reads.