A review by laurelreads
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

adventurous relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 A fun and decent enemies-to-lovers but not worth the hype 

Trigger/Content warnings: loss of parents, mild violence (breaking vital body parts), one detailed sex scene (not fade to back) 
 

To be honest, I’m disappointed. 
I listened to the audiobook on Audible plus after receiving many recommendations from others. I’d heard so much about this duology that I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. 

The Bridge Kingdom wasn’t a bad book. It just isn’t exceptional. My favorite part was how Lara had to be creative while being undercover in Ithicana. In a way, she reminded me of Mal from Descendants, and Alessandra from The Shadows Between Us. All of them were capable girls with big ambition and determination, but started questioning their beliefs in the process of spying. 

Now comes the part I think could be better. I wish there were more details on world-building other than the bridge. Readers were told about different islands in Ithicana, but few actual descriptions were provided. I also think there were relationships worth exploring other than Lara and Aren’s. For instance, I’d really love to read how Lara and her sisters were trained together and how they bonded. Lara and Aren’s romance could be more naturally done and less predictable as well. 

I think I might like it better if I’d read the book instead of the audiobook. The narrators were good, yet I got lost in all the names and countries and couldn’t follow up when they were strategizing. It didn’t help that the male voices all sounded the same to me, so I didn’t know who was talking. I also had a hard time visualizing the bridge in my head, and I think the map in a physical book would help. 

The Bridge Kingdom is your typical enemies-to-lovers romance, with political intrigue and a badass fighter girl. While it has its flaws, and may be overly hyped up, it was still fun to read and brought me joy. I’m interested to see how things all tie up and I’m reading the second book already, but I probably won’t reread the series. 
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