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callienicole's review against another edition
2.0
I'm telling you now, this review will contain spoilers! Consider yourself warned.
Bridge To Haven was a sweeping novel, the story of Abra Matthews, who was left under a bridge as an infant and found by a pastor. Rivers knows how to keep you turning the pages, and overall, I enjoyed the actual reading of this novel. I felt like I became friends with the characters. In the end, it ends up being a story of redemption when Abra finally gives her life over to the Lord.
Still, I struggle to give it a better rating for the following reasons.
I forget how Rivers tends to take her main characters and rip their lives completely apart before they start to put things back together. That's what happened with Abra. She gets involved with a bad guy, and runs away with him, even though she knows he's only after her physically. He ends up practically using her as a semi-willing sex slave. This was hard for me to read, not just because it was a disturbing storyline, but also because I found it hard to believe in a way. Abra seemed over-the-top naive. I know that in real life some girls do go after guys who treat them like dirt, but I found this whole storyline hard to relate to.
After some more ripping apart of Abra's life, she finally loses everything and goes back home to Haven with Joshua. Joshua was another complaint for me. I think Rivers was trying to make him somehow representative of Jesus (based on the name and a couple symbolic things in the story), but Joshua was over-the-top perfect in this story. To me, no human written character should be portrayed as perfect. Only one man lived a perfect life, and that WAS Jesus. In the afterword Rivers even says something about how Joshua wasn't perfect, and I was thinking...how exactly was he not? He seriously didn't do one thing wrong in the entire story. I dislike stories where one character is a complete train wreck, and the other is completely perfect, and ladies...let's just all realize that this guy was totally a figment of River's imagination. There isn't a man who ever lived who treats his romantic love as perfectly as Josh treats Abra in this book. I think there is some danger in reading books where the male romantic interest has zero flaws.
Finally, Joshua and Abra eventually get married, and as I feared would happen, Rivers goes into detail about their wedding night. Not completely explicit detail, but explicit enough to make me frantically flip the pages with my cheeks burning. And I'm a married women. I think it's worth noting that I would NEVER let my teenage daughter read this book, for this scene alone. Three complaints here:
1) This much detail is totally inappropriate for a Christian book, in my opinion. Erotic literature is the equivalent of porn for women, and while Rivers avoids words that would technically make this "erotic"...well, there was enough to make me blush, feel embarrassed, and skip past a couple pages. Sometimes what isn't said explicitly is just as powerful as what is said explicitly.
2) Once again, Joshua is just too perfect in how he handles the whole situation! Abra is obviously nervous about the wedding night with all the trauma she has suffered in that area, and he somehow does all the right things to make her feel completely comfortable and "please" her (eek, I feel weird even typing that, because this whole scene was embarrassing, even though I just skimmed it). Which leads me to my final point...
3) Do you know how unrealistic this scene is? Real life couples often have to work for YEARS to overcome their sexual baggage and abusive pasts to have a healthy sexual relationship. The characters here just overcome all of Abra's issues in one passion-filled night, and it's completely absurd. I imagine this portrayal could be somewhat discouraging to people who are still working through sexual issues in their relationship.
So I took off a few stars because of Joshua's ridiculous perfection, and what was in my opinion inappropriate sexual content. The story was good, but I could have done without those things I listed above.
Bridge To Haven was a sweeping novel, the story of Abra Matthews, who was left under a bridge as an infant and found by a pastor. Rivers knows how to keep you turning the pages, and overall, I enjoyed the actual reading of this novel. I felt like I became friends with the characters. In the end, it ends up being a story of redemption when Abra finally gives her life over to the Lord.
Still, I struggle to give it a better rating for the following reasons.
I forget how Rivers tends to take her main characters and rip their lives completely apart before they start to put things back together. That's what happened with Abra. She gets involved with a bad guy, and runs away with him, even though she knows he's only after her physically. He ends up practically using her as a semi-willing sex slave. This was hard for me to read, not just because it was a disturbing storyline, but also because I found it hard to believe in a way. Abra seemed over-the-top naive. I know that in real life some girls do go after guys who treat them like dirt, but I found this whole storyline hard to relate to.
After some more ripping apart of Abra's life, she finally loses everything and goes back home to Haven with Joshua. Joshua was another complaint for me. I think Rivers was trying to make him somehow representative of Jesus (based on the name and a couple symbolic things in the story), but Joshua was over-the-top perfect in this story. To me, no human written character should be portrayed as perfect. Only one man lived a perfect life, and that WAS Jesus. In the afterword Rivers even says something about how Joshua wasn't perfect, and I was thinking...how exactly was he not? He seriously didn't do one thing wrong in the entire story. I dislike stories where one character is a complete train wreck, and the other is completely perfect, and ladies...let's just all realize that this guy was totally a figment of River's imagination. There isn't a man who ever lived who treats his romantic love as perfectly as Josh treats Abra in this book. I think there is some danger in reading books where the male romantic interest has zero flaws.
Finally, Joshua and Abra eventually get married, and as I feared would happen, Rivers goes into detail about their wedding night. Not completely explicit detail, but explicit enough to make me frantically flip the pages with my cheeks burning. And I'm a married women. I think it's worth noting that I would NEVER let my teenage daughter read this book, for this scene alone. Three complaints here:
1) This much detail is totally inappropriate for a Christian book, in my opinion. Erotic literature is the equivalent of porn for women, and while Rivers avoids words that would technically make this "erotic"...well, there was enough to make me blush, feel embarrassed, and skip past a couple pages. Sometimes what isn't said explicitly is just as powerful as what is said explicitly.
2) Once again, Joshua is just too perfect in how he handles the whole situation! Abra is obviously nervous about the wedding night with all the trauma she has suffered in that area, and he somehow does all the right things to make her feel completely comfortable and "please" her (eek, I feel weird even typing that, because this whole scene was embarrassing, even though I just skimmed it). Which leads me to my final point...
3) Do you know how unrealistic this scene is? Real life couples often have to work for YEARS to overcome their sexual baggage and abusive pasts to have a healthy sexual relationship. The characters here just overcome all of Abra's issues in one passion-filled night, and it's completely absurd. I imagine this portrayal could be somewhat discouraging to people who are still working through sexual issues in their relationship.
So I took off a few stars because of Joshua's ridiculous perfection, and what was in my opinion inappropriate sexual content. The story was good, but I could have done without those things I listed above.
josiethompson's review against another edition
5.0
I read a review that criticized this book for the characters. However, I think that human must've failed to read the note from the author that explained the inspiration behind them. Sure, the men are unrealistic and near perfect. But she strived to make them like Jesus. Abra was representative of us, who fall short of the glory of God daily. I love that we can use story telling to convey his love and his message for humanity.
Now, aside from all that, this was a great story. It had me hooked from page 1. I'm a sucker for romance, which was never absent in this book, whether the characters realized it or not. A good scandal always has you on the edge of your seat too, but also the feel good Redemption story is hard to pass up, especially when it's flooding your mind with reminders of how God redeems you.
It was predictable. So if you don't like predictable books, maybe this isn't the one for you. But I do so I loved it. I love the feel good stories that move me to tears of happiness and bring warmth to my heart.
This book was very Francine Rivers. It was very similar to Redeeming Love, which is a top 5 book for me easily, but took on different characters and personalities and more modern circumstances to relate to. It was a very well written book, although very predictable, and I don't care if everyone else thought Joshua was too perfect and that there was a lack of consequences for Abras actions because that was the whole point. But also just enjoy the story. Don't over think it. These books are an escape, something to learn from, a way to see a different world or reality. But that's just my 2 cents.
Now, aside from all that, this was a great story. It had me hooked from page 1. I'm a sucker for romance, which was never absent in this book, whether the characters realized it or not. A good scandal always has you on the edge of your seat too, but also the feel good Redemption story is hard to pass up, especially when it's flooding your mind with reminders of how God redeems you.
It was predictable. So if you don't like predictable books, maybe this isn't the one for you. But I do so I loved it. I love the feel good stories that move me to tears of happiness and bring warmth to my heart.
This book was very Francine Rivers. It was very similar to Redeeming Love, which is a top 5 book for me easily, but took on different characters and personalities and more modern circumstances to relate to. It was a very well written book, although very predictable, and I don't care if everyone else thought Joshua was too perfect and that there was a lack of consequences for Abras actions because that was the whole point. But also just enjoy the story. Don't over think it. These books are an escape, something to learn from, a way to see a different world or reality. But that's just my 2 cents.
jensebring's review against another edition
5.0
SOOO good! Read it in 2 days. Francine Rivers has a way of getting you invested in the characters. She weaves the tale in such a way that you can't put it down. LOVED it!
DO NOT RECOMMEND FOR YOUNG ADULTS...
There are intimate scenes with detail. I don't particularly like those kinds of scenes, but found the necessary. So many women are shamed for their past like it has to be something they should hide or deny. The fact that she puts it in the book makes her character more real.
DO NOT RECOMMEND FOR YOUNG ADULTS...
There are intimate scenes with detail. I don't particularly like those kinds of scenes, but found the necessary. So many women are shamed for their past like it has to be something they should hide or deny. The fact that she puts it in the book makes her character more real.
colleengal7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Get ready to cry happy mad and sad tears. Ends happy though! The author did it again!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Beautifully written story of a small town girl making it big in Hollywood but felt unloved and unseen throughout. She learns God chases her and always loves hermidwifereading's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sad to say that this is the first and only Francine Rivers book that disappointed me. Her writing style is as lovely as ever, and her ability to help me empathize with the characters is still there. It's just...it was too easy. Too convenient. It was beginning to remind me a bit of Redeeming Love, but then it just, fell away.
I am one who doesn't mind predictability in a book, especially if an author can still move me, even if I know what's coming.
I felt less and less moved as the book went on. And by the end, I found myself unable to believe it any more.
And that makes me sad.
I am one who doesn't mind predictability in a book, especially if an author can still move me, even if I know what's coming.
I felt less and less moved as the book went on. And by the end, I found myself unable to believe it any more.
And that makes me sad.
debs4jc's review against another edition
4.0
Abra's life has been a struggle since the day she was born. Abandoned by her birth mother under a bridge, Abra's life was saved by Pastor Zeke. Pastor Zeke and his wife adopted Abra and things went well for a while. But the Pastor Zeke's wife - who had been in failing health already when they adopted Abra - dies and Abra is left full of grief and guilt. Did the strain of caring for her help cause her adoptive mother's death? Then Pastor Zeke decides that he cannot give the time needed to care for Abra on his own, and sends her to live with another family. You can guess she is going to have issues after that, and indeed she runs off to the Hollywood area with a man who entices her when she is a teenager. Try as they might, the people who love her from back home can't track her down for a while. It isn't until she is discovered by a talent agent and turns up on the big screen that the realize what has happened to her. Will Abra ever return to them?
This was a good examination of the factors that might cause someone to become entrapped in an abusive relationship, as Abra does with the men who are only after her for her beauty and talent. There was a nice contrast as the people who truly loved her for who she was were eventually able to break through to her and help her see that she was already loved (by them as well as by God) and did need to go looking for it elsewhere. Definitely work the read, it's an engaging and eye-opening story.
This was a good examination of the factors that might cause someone to become entrapped in an abusive relationship, as Abra does with the men who are only after her for her beauty and talent. There was a nice contrast as the people who truly loved her for who she was were eventually able to break through to her and help her see that she was already loved (by them as well as by God) and did need to go looking for it elsewhere. Definitely work the read, it's an engaging and eye-opening story.
oneenglishteacher's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0