Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Bridge by Rebecca Rogers Maher {Review}

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: September 16th 2013
Series: Stand Alone
Pages: 79
Format: ARC/Mobi
Source: Provided by author for review


Henry meets Christa on the west tower of the Brooklyn Bridge, just as they’re both about to jump off and kill themselves. Despite his paralyzing depression—and her panic over a second bout of cancer—they can’t go through with their plans knowing that the other is going to die. So they make a pact—they’ll stay alive for 24 hours, and try to convince each other to live. From the Staten Island Ferry to Chinatown to the Museum of Modern Art—Henry and Christa embark on a New York City odyssey that exposes the darkest moments of their lives. Is it too late for them? Or will love give them the courage to face the terrifying possibility of hope?



My Take:

Wow. Suicide is such a taboo topic Nobody wants to really look too closely at it. I don't really know what drew me to this book. I think it was morbid curiosity to see if the author could turn around such a heavy topic and make a romance believable out of it. What I found was something so deep and profound rolled into a tragic and absolutely beautiful story. I honestly don't want to say too much for fear of ruining this book you should definitely experience on your own.

The Bridge is the story of Christa and Henry and how they met on top of the Brooklyn Bridge where they had both intended to end their lives. They both have deep issues many of us can relate to. Christa just found out she has cancer again after losing one breast already and Henry can't live inside his own skin and basically hates himself due to crippling depression. Neither one expected to see the other that morning and a connection between the two causes them to postpone their plans to try and save the other one. They agree to each pick out three things they want the other one to do before they make the final decision. Over a 24 hour period they each discover things about themselves and life in general they never thought to see before. 

I have to say I was blown away by this short but amazing story. I love stories where people meet by chance and let fate take the helm but I've never seen such daunting circumstances the couple had to face such as suicide. I fell in love with Henry and Christa little by little and I loved watching them try to save the other. Christa was so tough and had lived through so much it was hard to understand how she could just give up on everything. Granted she had a laundry list of reasons there was just so much life in her you could tell how spunky she was. Henry's situation broke my heart. I can't imagine what it's like to live with such a heavy weight as depression on a daily basis. He grew up with a wealthy family and had loving parents but his internal battle is winning until he meets Christa. It's times like this where things turn around and people come into your life when you least expect it and honestly when you don't want it. I was really glad they agreed to postpone their attempts because a lot can happen within a day and as the author proves by the end of this book life changing events take place that left me speechless. They were so jaded by life and never expected to find what they were looking for in the other person. I loved how the author didn't make it solely about them saving each other. They both had to dig deep within themselves and find the reservoir of strength needed to save themselves.


 Despite the heavy material and issues the characters went through I really loved this book. It was emotional, romantic and heart warming all in one. The romance itself was believable and the connection between Henry and Christa was very palpable. I found myself rooting so hard for them both throughout. The main thing I enjoyed about this book was that the author didn't wrap everything up nice and neat with a pretty pink bow. She leaves you satisfied but at the same time leaves you to interpret what happens next. It was very realistic and exactly what I would expect from such damaged characters. This book was definitely one I won't forget in the near future and I have to say I would read it again in  heartbeat. If you like quick reads and emotionally flawed characters you should really give The Bridge a try.


Quotes:

It’s hard to understand why anyone would want to snuff out the vibrance that radiates off her. Satellites orbiting the earth are probably picking up her signal. ARC 28%

I didn’t know I was sick again yet. I was holding on to the hope that things were turning around and might in the end be okay. But it’s like that, isn’t it? You get a short reprieve and you think, oh, there are moments of peace, moments of happiness. A tree changes colors and its leaves fall down over you like butterflies and you feel for that one instant that the world is a good place, that it’s worth sticking around for. But then a wave of awfulness sweeps up over you, out of nowhere, in places you thought would never be touched, and you’re covered in filth, and you have to shut down. You have to. ARC 63%


About The Author:
Rebecca Rogers Maher writes bold contemporary romance novels with strong, flawed heroines. She’s a Vassar graduate, a former community organizer and Brooklyn public school teacher, and a mother to two insanely sweet boys. She believes messed-up ladies deserve happy endings too, as well as lots of hot sex with genuinely kind men. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her hot, kind husband and their children. RT Book Reviews describes Rebecca’s writing as “beautiful, heart-wrenching, and heart-warming,” Library Journal calls it “dark, electrically charged…gut-wrenching…” and Dear Author says it “resonate(s) with depth.” In a ridiculously embarrassing article, New York Daily News called her novels “steamy.

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2 comments:

  1. This is the third review I've read for The Bridge, and all have been overwhelmingly positive. I'm so glad you loved it. Thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really? Hmmmm...I'm so glad you enjoyed this one.

    ReplyDelete

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