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The Bridge
Fifty-year-old Army veteran, Jesse, walks aimlessly around the streets of Germany longing for companionship and-maybe, just maybe-love. After his beloved wife died, Jesse focused solely on his daughters' happiness, but they grew up so quickly and have their own families now. Jesse's only respite from the soul-crushing loneliness is his penchant for wandering through the European cities in which he works... Which is how Jesse accidentally stumbles upon a small, quaint café. And how he meets Ana. A stunning beauty, Ana is refined, intelligent, cultured-and, at just thirty-two, almost twenty years younger than Jesse-so it's no surprise she catches his eye the very first moment he sees her. Jesse and Ana create a burgeoning relationship from that first meeting, which blossoms into the love Jesse craves so much. From their age gap to families and occupations, the two navigate the difficult consequences of being together and apart, unaware that tragedy lurks just around the corner. Sometimes, being in love is the easy part.
- GenresRomance
274 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2021
4 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 30, 2022
Two strangers meet at a coffee shop. One is a former serviceman, and the other is a barista. They soon become friends and they frequently stroll on the Bridge together. Their friendship eventually flourished into a May-December romance.
Set mostly in Germany, The Bridge is a love story of Ana and Jesse. Ana is a Romanian girl who works as a barista at a coffee shop. It’s a job she does not enjoy. But, because of a family need, she is obliged to take on the job. Her passion is actually the arts and museums, and she dreams of someday pursuing a job along this line.
On the other hand, Jesse is a former American serviceman. But he still works in the military, traveling between the US and Germany on some related duties. Jesse is a widower with three grown-up daughters and a grandson. He is a frequent customer at the coffee shop where Ana works.
Ana and Jesse start as friends who love to stroll in the park together. Most often, they linger on the bridge to admire the swans, the river, and everything around the place. Eventually, their friendship steps up to a higher level. They found themselves in love with each other. Soon, the time comes when they need to tell their respective families about their relationship. But, there is one major concern that makes Ana and Jesse apprehensive. They are caught in a dilemma on how to break the news to their loved ones.
The Bridge: The Book and the Author
Love works in mysterious ways. It transcends race, age, and culture. And, this is exactly how Jesse Myrow’s romance novel develops. The Bridge is a typical love story of an older man and a young woman passionately in love with each other. Their romance is a May-December love affair.
I appreciate the author’s semi-prose writing style. It’s beautifully romantic, giving justice to the characters’ story. However, The Bridge is unnecessarily long. There are parts that could have been skipped but without ruining the plot. Approximately, three-fourths of the book is flat and uneventful. For a reader who’s not a big fan of romance novels, The Bridge might be a boring read. It’s only in the chapter where the characters inform their relatives about their relationship that the story begins to pick up.
But, in fairness to Jesse Myrow, I like how he ends the story. Although it’s a bittersweet situation, the author redeems The Bridge from being a boring plot. Another thing that makes me appreciate the author is his effort to feature tradition in the story. It gives the reader a glimpse of Romanian culture.
Meanwhile, on the technical side, I notice a sporadic appearance of typographical and grammatical errors. Although these items don’t necessarily ruin the content of the book, I suggest Myrow looks into this.
Overall, I give The Bridge a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. And, I still recommend the book to all readers, especially those who love romance novels.
NOTE: The above review is also posted in The Catalyst.
Set mostly in Germany, The Bridge is a love story of Ana and Jesse. Ana is a Romanian girl who works as a barista at a coffee shop. It’s a job she does not enjoy. But, because of a family need, she is obliged to take on the job. Her passion is actually the arts and museums, and she dreams of someday pursuing a job along this line.
On the other hand, Jesse is a former American serviceman. But he still works in the military, traveling between the US and Germany on some related duties. Jesse is a widower with three grown-up daughters and a grandson. He is a frequent customer at the coffee shop where Ana works.
Ana and Jesse start as friends who love to stroll in the park together. Most often, they linger on the bridge to admire the swans, the river, and everything around the place. Eventually, their friendship steps up to a higher level. They found themselves in love with each other. Soon, the time comes when they need to tell their respective families about their relationship. But, there is one major concern that makes Ana and Jesse apprehensive. They are caught in a dilemma on how to break the news to their loved ones.
The Bridge: The Book and the Author
Love works in mysterious ways. It transcends race, age, and culture. And, this is exactly how Jesse Myrow’s romance novel develops. The Bridge is a typical love story of an older man and a young woman passionately in love with each other. Their romance is a May-December love affair.
I appreciate the author’s semi-prose writing style. It’s beautifully romantic, giving justice to the characters’ story. However, The Bridge is unnecessarily long. There are parts that could have been skipped but without ruining the plot. Approximately, three-fourths of the book is flat and uneventful. For a reader who’s not a big fan of romance novels, The Bridge might be a boring read. It’s only in the chapter where the characters inform their relatives about their relationship that the story begins to pick up.
But, in fairness to Jesse Myrow, I like how he ends the story. Although it’s a bittersweet situation, the author redeems The Bridge from being a boring plot. Another thing that makes me appreciate the author is his effort to feature tradition in the story. It gives the reader a glimpse of Romanian culture.
Meanwhile, on the technical side, I notice a sporadic appearance of typographical and grammatical errors. Although these items don’t necessarily ruin the content of the book, I suggest Myrow looks into this.
Overall, I give The Bridge a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. And, I still recommend the book to all readers, especially those who love romance novels.
NOTE: The above review is also posted in The Catalyst.
February 5, 2022
Great book
July 31, 2022
What started off as a solid five-star read for me in the first quarter of the book unfortunately came up with a few problems that lowered my enjoyment. First off I absolutely loved the opening chapter when Ana meets Sarah and Jake for the first time it. It was a touching encounter, raising just enough questions of who these people really were and the circumstances, that I would dare any reader to put the book down after that.
Then the next few chapters showing how Ana and Jesse meet and the dating-and-not-dating game that they play was very endearing. I liked both of these people immensely and appreciated the sense of humor the sense of fun that they brought to their growing relationship. Humor and playfulness are two elements of a really strong relational partnership.
The things that took away from my total enjoyment was first the sections that read more like a piece for a travel magazine then story elements for fiction. The important places that they visit are the museums and of course the bridge and that those two should have been the main focus of detailed descriptions. Those are the places that really mean something to the characters and therefore would mean something to the reader.
A problem with plotting was how quickly characters changed, especially Ana's mother who had been so controlling of Ana and somewhat harsh in her treatment of her daughter. The fact that she turned so quickly from that harsh dictatorial woman to someone else was so abrupt.
Still, Ana and Jesse have so many enduring qualities that I still recommend the book, especially to readers who are not also editors. The writing is almost poetic in places, and I very much enjoyed that aspect of the book, along with the wonderful story of the romance between Ana and Jesse.
Then the next few chapters showing how Ana and Jesse meet and the dating-and-not-dating game that they play was very endearing. I liked both of these people immensely and appreciated the sense of humor the sense of fun that they brought to their growing relationship. Humor and playfulness are two elements of a really strong relational partnership.
The things that took away from my total enjoyment was first the sections that read more like a piece for a travel magazine then story elements for fiction. The important places that they visit are the museums and of course the bridge and that those two should have been the main focus of detailed descriptions. Those are the places that really mean something to the characters and therefore would mean something to the reader.
A problem with plotting was how quickly characters changed, especially Ana's mother who had been so controlling of Ana and somewhat harsh in her treatment of her daughter. The fact that she turned so quickly from that harsh dictatorial woman to someone else was so abrupt.
Still, Ana and Jesse have so many enduring qualities that I still recommend the book, especially to readers who are not also editors. The writing is almost poetic in places, and I very much enjoyed that aspect of the book, along with the wonderful story of the romance between Ana and Jesse.
October 24, 2022
This one was one of a kind in my experience and for that I’m grateful. To read stories where we see adults as protagonists is always refreshing.
The Bridge presents us with the story of Jesse, a man working in Germany for the military, widowed father of three, he believes he’s too old for love until he meets Ana, a young adult woman (focus on adult) at a café, becoming infatuated with her almost immediately; becoming friends almost immediately as well they start going out as just that until they realize that their feelings have evolved, and although there is a considerable age gap (she’s 32 and he’s about 50) they make their best to make their relationship work. Including fights and arguments they resolve like the adults they are, focusing on what’s better for both.
I liked the relationship development, it felt natural and realistic. Going from friends to something more, etc. is something I’d really like to see more in books (of whatever genre), the awkwardness and tension was adorable. They had so many plans for the future. Still the reactions from the people around them about their relationship were also real and heart wrenching because it’s something I know would happen in real life and it saddens me because the relationship is warm and wholesome. I rooted for them the whole time and wish the best for them.
The ending is heart wrenching in a good way and matches the tone of the beginning, I can say I did not expect that finale in this love story but I feel it fits the story and the feelings the author meant to convey.
The Bridge presents us with the story of Jesse, a man working in Germany for the military, widowed father of three, he believes he’s too old for love until he meets Ana, a young adult woman (focus on adult) at a café, becoming infatuated with her almost immediately; becoming friends almost immediately as well they start going out as just that until they realize that their feelings have evolved, and although there is a considerable age gap (she’s 32 and he’s about 50) they make their best to make their relationship work. Including fights and arguments they resolve like the adults they are, focusing on what’s better for both.
I liked the relationship development, it felt natural and realistic. Going from friends to something more, etc. is something I’d really like to see more in books (of whatever genre), the awkwardness and tension was adorable. They had so many plans for the future. Still the reactions from the people around them about their relationship were also real and heart wrenching because it’s something I know would happen in real life and it saddens me because the relationship is warm and wholesome. I rooted for them the whole time and wish the best for them.
The ending is heart wrenching in a good way and matches the tone of the beginning, I can say I did not expect that finale in this love story but I feel it fits the story and the feelings the author meant to convey.
November 2, 2025
I did not know what to expect when I was asked to read this book. All I knew is it was a romance. It was incredibly beautiful. I would say I am not a fan of the sad ending but I guess in life not everything ends with a happily ever after. Jesse and Ana’s love story is unique. One living in Germany and one living in America. In the end all that can happen is to “take care of you.” Looking forward to reading more by Jesse Myrow.
October 29, 2025
I was given this books to ARC read. The author is a more mature age and his characters are like this too. The story is overseas where the MMC is an older gentleman working as a government contractor. He meets someone younger and it is about their love story. Great writing and got a little slow in middle of book. The author seems to like to surprise readers. I was disappointed in ending
August 26, 2023
What a refreshing read!
This is a true romance book with a refreshing spin. I enjoyed reading it and can’t wait for another book from this new to me author. This read builds to the romantic relationship. The characters are very well developed and the storyline flows without flaws. Grab the tissues and be ready to laugh from family antics. Great read!
This is a true romance book with a refreshing spin. I enjoyed reading it and can’t wait for another book from this new to me author. This read builds to the romantic relationship. The characters are very well developed and the storyline flows without flaws. Grab the tissues and be ready to laugh from family antics. Great read!
December 17, 2023
It was like reading poetry. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews