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kelli108's review against another edition
4.0
I have a soft spot for books about people who have separated themselves from others and community and find their way back to life again, and this one fits the bill. I loved reading about Mitchell and Poppy and their friends, and the town in England was fun to visit. It requires a little suspension of disbelief in the setup of the story, but it's heartwarming and uplifting and just lovely.
jess_d84's review against another edition
4.0
A heartwarming story with an eclectic ensemble of characters! I especially liked the letter component to this book, it added a delightful nod to a by-gone era. I'd you like Uplifting Lit you'll enjoy this one!
bookishvirginia's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes sad things happen to good people, and they end up thinking it’s their fault that the sad things happen, and then they truly believe they’re not good people anymore. This is the story of one of those people, and a series of events that help him to overcome that sadness and realize his life can go on, and have good things in it, and that is okay. This is also the story of a family mystery. A woman has disappeared and it has caused great anguish for her sisters and mother. It was a great, contemplative read for me as I’m stuck in quarantine in Seattle. I loved the British setting and the warm, rich characters. Thank you so much to Harlequin/Park Row Books for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time through NetGalley. Read on for a synopsis and my candid, unbiased review. This book released on April 28, so go check it out!
This book was such a sweet and thoughtful look at people and families, friendships and love, and guilt and forgiveness. Mitchell, the main character, is a total grump at the beginning but once I learned his backstory, I really felt for him. He definitely wormed his way into my heart. His daughter Poppy is absolutely adorable and so well-written. I could totally imagine her in real life. I also loved the women of the family that Mitchell ends up helping, especially Liza, who is so quirky and interesting.
One of the best things about this book is that is really written about everyday people living everyday life, and yet, there is almost a magical feeling to it all. The idea of all the locks weighing down the bridges and having to be cut off, and how futile that is, but how there is also a story behind each lock and if you think about it that way, it’s easy to get sentimental about it. I could just picture it!
I loved the bit of mystery in the story as well. I wasn’t certain what happened to Yvette, and with each new tidbit revealed, I had new theories. It kept me engrossed in the story for sure! And each character gets what they deserve, so to speak, which makes the ending satisfying. I especially enjoyed watching Mitchell’s journey as he learns to accept his past mistakes and stop beating himself up for them. I highly recommend this one as a soothing and engrossing escape!
This book was such a sweet and thoughtful look at people and families, friendships and love, and guilt and forgiveness. Mitchell, the main character, is a total grump at the beginning but once I learned his backstory, I really felt for him. He definitely wormed his way into my heart. His daughter Poppy is absolutely adorable and so well-written. I could totally imagine her in real life. I also loved the women of the family that Mitchell ends up helping, especially Liza, who is so quirky and interesting.
One of the best things about this book is that is really written about everyday people living everyday life, and yet, there is almost a magical feeling to it all. The idea of all the locks weighing down the bridges and having to be cut off, and how futile that is, but how there is also a story behind each lock and if you think about it that way, it’s easy to get sentimental about it. I could just picture it!
I loved the bit of mystery in the story as well. I wasn’t certain what happened to Yvette, and with each new tidbit revealed, I had new theories. It kept me engrossed in the story for sure! And each character gets what they deserve, so to speak, which makes the ending satisfying. I especially enjoyed watching Mitchell’s journey as he learns to accept his past mistakes and stop beating himself up for them. I highly recommend this one as a soothing and engrossing escape!
annarella's review
5.0
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last as I loved it.
It's not one of those book that make you fell in love after the first pages, it took a couple of chapter and when the story started going I was hooked.
This is a character driven story and I loved the great job the author did in making her character evolve and change.
The story is sweet, engrossing, heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. There is a lot of grief and a path to overcome it, there are characters who were hurt and heal facing their sufferance and going on with their life.
It's a book that talks about life, family, friendship, love and how all of them help us to live and evolve.
It was an excellent read, I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to Park Row and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's not one of those book that make you fell in love after the first pages, it took a couple of chapter and when the story started going I was hooked.
This is a character driven story and I loved the great job the author did in making her character evolve and change.
The story is sweet, engrossing, heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. There is a lot of grief and a path to overcome it, there are characters who were hurt and heal facing their sufferance and going on with their life.
It's a book that talks about life, family, friendship, love and how all of them help us to live and evolve.
It was an excellent read, I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to Park Row and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
jes77librarian's review
4.0
The Secrets of Love Story Bridge follows the life of Mitchell, a grieving single parent of a nine year old girl. He still hasn't forgiven himself for the part he believes he played in his partner's death. When he saves a woman at Love Story Bridge he finds a way to forgive his past mistakes and live into a new future.
This book flows easily. I didn't like it as much as Arthur Trulov, but it was a satisfying story with a very tidy HEA.
This book flows easily. I didn't like it as much as Arthur Trulov, but it was a satisfying story with a very tidy HEA.
janp's review
4.0
For fans of "The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper" by the same author, you will enjoy this novel as well. I read it in a few hours and found it heartwarming.
isabellm's review
4.0
Loved this book from start to finish. Mitchell was a wonderful lead character. His journey from the moment he jumped in the river to save Yvette was engaging, touching and hopeful. I found myself hooked on the mystery surrounding her and how the author handled the resolution. It was wonderful how one act helped Mitchell find his way out of the emotional rut he was in and let him start living properly. I loved the supporting characters, Poppy, Barry, Carl, Graham and lovely pineapple Liza. The letter writing was especially lovely and made me want to write a few of my own. Really well written, highly recommended book.
aetataureate's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sharonleavy's review
4.0
"The lovers who attached their padlocks to the bridges of Upchester might see it as a fun or romantic gesture, but to Mitchell it is was an act of vandilism."
It's single dad Mitchell Fisher's job to cut these locks off the bridges of Upchester - he sees no sentimentality in defacing historic architecture. Only his young daughter Poppy sees through his gruff exterior to the man underneath, still grieving the loss of his wife. When a young woman falls from the bridge while attaching a padlock, Mitchell dives in to save her - not realising who she is and that her family have been looking for her for almost a year. Mitchell is hailed as a local hero - but can he find the woman? Does he even want to?
We've all seen the pictures of bridges all over the world covered in padlocks, left by people for a myriad of reasons - to celebrate love, to remember someone, to grieve. In this book, letters are important - we get to read some letters from people who have affixed padlocks to the bridge, and we get to see how letter writing is used by Mitchell as a coping mechanism.
When I read the words "Basildon Bond" on the very first page, I almost had an out - of - body experience - my Nana used to use that paper (and only that paper) to write letters to her sister in America up to a few months before she died. I was tasked with buying it, and in the late 1990s it was becoming increasingly harder to find locally - I haven't thought of that little writing pad in years, and it brought me a feeling of comfort and warmth that made me immediately delighted that I had chosen to read this book. So thank you, Ms. Patrick, for that lovely memory.
Mitchell is a lovely character, we really get a sense of who he is and how he's feeling. He's carrying around a huge amount of guilt, and I found myself rooting for him straight away. I really enjoyed how the book flowed, and I liked Liza a lot - she was fun, colourful, and I felt like I knew her straight away.
I hate comparing authors, but if you like books like [b:Elizabeth Is Missing|18635113|Elizabeth Is Missing|Emma Healey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388883559l/18635113._SY75_.jpg|24946905] or [b:The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry|13227454|The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Harold Fry, #1)|Rachel Joyce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335816092l/13227454._SY75_.jpg|18156927], I think you may really enjoy this. I thought it was a lovely, easy read with lots of emotion and a good storyline.
Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an e-copy via Netgalley.
It's single dad Mitchell Fisher's job to cut these locks off the bridges of Upchester - he sees no sentimentality in defacing historic architecture. Only his young daughter Poppy sees through his gruff exterior to the man underneath, still grieving the loss of his wife. When a young woman falls from the bridge while attaching a padlock, Mitchell dives in to save her - not realising who she is and that her family have been looking for her for almost a year. Mitchell is hailed as a local hero - but can he find the woman? Does he even want to?
We've all seen the pictures of bridges all over the world covered in padlocks, left by people for a myriad of reasons - to celebrate love, to remember someone, to grieve. In this book, letters are important - we get to read some letters from people who have affixed padlocks to the bridge, and we get to see how letter writing is used by Mitchell as a coping mechanism.
When I read the words "Basildon Bond" on the very first page, I almost had an out - of - body experience - my Nana used to use that paper (and only that paper) to write letters to her sister in America up to a few months before she died. I was tasked with buying it, and in the late 1990s it was becoming increasingly harder to find locally - I haven't thought of that little writing pad in years, and it brought me a feeling of comfort and warmth that made me immediately delighted that I had chosen to read this book. So thank you, Ms. Patrick, for that lovely memory.
Mitchell is a lovely character, we really get a sense of who he is and how he's feeling. He's carrying around a huge amount of guilt, and I found myself rooting for him straight away. I really enjoyed how the book flowed, and I liked Liza a lot - she was fun, colourful, and I felt like I knew her straight away.
I hate comparing authors, but if you like books like [b:Elizabeth Is Missing|18635113|Elizabeth Is Missing|Emma Healey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388883559l/18635113._SY75_.jpg|24946905] or [b:The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry|13227454|The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Harold Fry, #1)|Rachel Joyce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335816092l/13227454._SY75_.jpg|18156927], I think you may really enjoy this. I thought it was a lovely, easy read with lots of emotion and a good storyline.
Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an e-copy via Netgalley.
vicki_cosy_books's review
5.0
I can’t stop smiling when I think of this book. It’s soul food, the perfect pick me up during these strange times. It is indeed sunshine in word form
Single dad Mitchell has turned his back on romance and has no qualms about his job removing ‘love locks’ placed on the city bridges by romantic and love struck strangers. Then one day while working on the bridge, a woman falls into the river below and Mitchell jumps in without thinking. Overnight he becomes a local hero and a focus for the cities romantics. But is Mitchell himself ready to move on and accept love once again?
Ah… Mitchell
Single dad Mitchell has turned his back on romance and has no qualms about his job removing ‘love locks’ placed on the city bridges by romantic and love struck strangers. Then one day while working on the bridge, a woman falls into the river below and Mitchell jumps in without thinking. Overnight he becomes a local hero and a focus for the cities romantics. But is Mitchell himself ready to move on and accept love once again?
Ah… Mitchell
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