The Bridge Tender – Insightful

When selecting a new book to read The Bridge Tender by Marybeth Whalen caught my eye.  First the beautiful cover picture, then comments from other readers and finally the storyline drew me in.  I’m not usually one to read romance books, so I wasn’t entirely sure if I would like this book by an author who is new to me. 

The story starts out with Emily and her husband Ryan on their honeymoon in Sunset Beach filled with carefree days, romance and love.  Fast forward five years and we find Emily getting dressed for Ryan’s funeral.  In the ensuing chapters, we learn about Emily and how she handles overwhelming grief and how life moves on in spite her.

I found the author very insightful on relationships, friendships, grief, loneliness and learning to live again after a huge loss.  Many times I found what was shared evoked in me a desire to appreciate what I have been given and to recognize that I don’t know how long I will have those gifts in my life.  I appreciated how Emily reasoned through her way to be supportive of her friend Marta who had a budding romantic relationship in the wake of Emily’s loss of her husband Ryan.  God and faith were part of what Emily wrestled through, but I would have appreciated an even greater emphasis on faith. 

There were many times, I didn’t want to put the book down when duty or sleep called.  All in all The Bridge Tender holds a special place in my heart and look forward to reading more books by author Marybeth Whalen.  I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank the team at BookLook for providing me with a free copy of The Bridge Tender to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.