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A review by jayseejewel
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
4.0
8.5/10
A solid romance and fantasy, though I didn't love it as much as I hoped
Pros:
- The plot is straightforward but that isn't a bad thing. The romance is a slow burn and the setting is simple but easy to understand and immersive enough to keep one's attention
- The opening starts off with a bang and was what I liked the most
- I enjoyed how the MC wasn't whiney or constantly threatening to kill people without backing it up. There also wasn't much of a "you don't understand me/I'm different from other girls" which is always a major plus
- The romance was pretty solid. Not my favorite but definitely good
- I don't plan to read the second book but did like the ending (I kind of enjoyed that it ended on a cliffhanger, as that's the only place the story could go at this rate)
Cons:
- It felt like the story was missing something. I think it's mainly that the plot can feel slow and meandering. There were a few times where I could tell a scene was just happening because we needed a romance scene and it didn't add to the plot
- I'm personally not a fan of spice (sex scenes) but that's just a personal preference
- The characters did feel a little boring at times, though I didn't find myself hating it. I prefer a simple character to an annoying one
- I didn't like how the MC clearly hated her father from the beginning yet still believed him up until the last third of the book. I would have preferred the father pretend to be kind and loyal, then the (spoilers) reveal that he was the villain would have more weight and make her reaction a little more believable
- The slow pacing was my main issue
Overall: It's a good book. It doesn't break any new ground but it knows what it is (an assassin planning to kill a king and falling for him instead).
A solid romance and fantasy, though I didn't love it as much as I hoped
Pros:
- The plot is straightforward but that isn't a bad thing. The romance is a slow burn and the setting is simple but easy to understand and immersive enough to keep one's attention
- The opening starts off with a bang and was what I liked the most
- I enjoyed how the MC wasn't whiney or constantly threatening to kill people without backing it up. There also wasn't much of a "you don't understand me/I'm different from other girls" which is always a major plus
- The romance was pretty solid. Not my favorite but definitely good
- I don't plan to read the second book but did like the ending (I kind of enjoyed that it ended on a cliffhanger, as that's the only place the story could go at this rate)
Cons:
- It felt like the story was missing something. I think it's mainly that the plot can feel slow and meandering. There were a few times where I could tell a scene was just happening because we needed a romance scene and it didn't add to the plot
- I'm personally not a fan of spice (sex scenes) but that's just a personal preference
- The characters did feel a little boring at times, though I didn't find myself hating it. I prefer a simple character to an annoying one
- I didn't like how the MC clearly hated her father from the beginning yet still believed him up until the last third of the book. I would have preferred the father pretend to be kind and loyal, then the (spoilers) reveal that he was the villain would have more weight and make her reaction a little more believable
- The slow pacing was my main issue
Overall: It's a good book. It doesn't break any new ground but it knows what it is (an assassin planning to kill a king and falling for him instead).