The Bridge Tender

I finished The Bridge Tender by Matybeth Whalen while we were driving to our vacation. I've enjoyed her other books and was glad to be able to review this one.

About the book: Emily must realize that her dreams didn’t have to die with her first love. When Emily Shaw, a young widow, learns that her late husband's last surprise for her involves returning to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to realize an old dream of theirs, she reluctantly embarks on a summer of discovery in the midst of grief. There, in the oasis of the beach community, she meets a host of townspeople with their own broken dreams and unexpected situations. As the island citizens divide over the fate of a nostalgic bridge, Emily happens upon a man who just may be the one to restore her faith in dreams, hope, and possibly love.

My thoughts:
This is a story of loss and healing after a loss. After Emily Shaw's husband passes away, she is faced with a life very different than she ever imagined. Her best friend Marta stands by her side through her grief and also encourages her to live life and pursue the dreams she had.  Emily works to do that and get involved in her new community and even make new friends, even though it hurts and she constantly misses her husband.

A big part of this book is the bridge. I enjoyed the symbolism of the bridge that is tied into the whole story.

I enjoyed the characters and their story. It reminded me that even with the pain in our lives we can find a way to continue living life and also the importance of not building a wall and shutting out others when we hurt the most.  Usually others have pain in their past too and shutting out people does not help you heal while opening up can sometimes bring healing to both parties. 

This is a nice book to add to your summer reading list!  I hope you will check it out!

Have a day of blessings!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Wishing Tree

I was thrilled to receive The Wishing Tree by Marybeth Whalen before we left on our camping trip. 

I have reviewed her other books and have enjoyed them all.  Here are the links for those:  The Mailbox, She Makes It Look Easy,  The Guest Book

Ivy Marshall discovers her husband has cheated on her.  She goes home to Sunset Beach to escape her problems.  It works out conveniently for her to be home and help with her sister's wedding plans although she does not want her family to know the truth of her marriage.  And she does not really want to be with her family either after running away to get married  years ago.  She is put in charge of making a wishing tree.  This is a family tradition at weddings where guests send cards of wishes for the couple and the cards are attached to the tree as a decoration.  While working on this tree she has to face her own reality and consider what she has and what she wants in life.   

This is another wonderful one that I recommend to you.  It is a book about relationships, friendship, restoration, marriage, and family.   It would make a great book to add to your summer reading list. 

I received this book in the mail by signing up as an influencer with the author.  Thank you!

Have a day of blessings!

The Guest Book

I received a wonderful book called The Guest Book by Marybeth Whalen.  I have read the other books by this author including She Makes It Look Easy and The Mailbox.  Both were great, so I was glad for an opportunity to review this new book. 

The Guest Book is set at the beach house that Macy Dillon visited throughout her childhood with her parents and brother, Max. Macy had a tradition of leaving a picture in the guest book of the beach house each year before they went home.  She would draw something relevant to the trip that year.  Each year she would return to find out what picture her mystery artist friend left for her as a response.  They had a conversation going back and forth for many years in the guest book.  The family stopped going to the beach for many years after Macy's father died. 

Years later Macy returns to the beach house with her Mom, brother, and daughter.  They each are broken and hurting, looking for some peace in their lives.  Will they find the healing they are all in search of on this trip, or will it be too painful to return to the beach house since the death of their father/husband?  Macy hopes to somehow find her mystery artist.  Does he even remember her and their guest book conversations? 

I enjoyed this book, the characters, and the beach setting so much.  I will admit that it did not go as I thought it would, which makes the book more interesting and enjoyable to me as a reader.  If you are looking for a good book to read before summer is over this would be a great choice! I highly recommend this book to you.  Also, there is a giveaway you can enter on the author's site for a weekend getaway to Sunset Beach!

Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for my review through a giveaway hosted on the author's website. 

Have a day of blessings!